Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Makin' Bacon

Warning: This blog post may be disturbing to those who do not believe in naming animals they plan to eat.


Thelma and Lorraine Before:

I don't know if it is wise to name animals you intend to eat, but since we moved out to our farm nine years ago, I am getting more and more used to it. The first year we butchered sheep, my stomach turned when we were eating lamb chops and one of the boys asked, "Do you think we are eating Moses or Aaron?" Not only did I have to push my plate away, I had to get up and leave the table.
I did grow up on a farm where we ate meat. I don't know where I thought the meat came from, but we always had a freezer full of it. We showed calves for 4-H and I remember telling my mom and dad that I could never eat a pet cow I had spent so much time working with. They told me not to worry, they had no intention of butchering sweet Bambi (and others whose names I can no longer remember), they would just sell them at the sales barn. I believed them.
How gullible I was. They didn't haul those sweet 4-H calves to auction. Year after year they sent them to the butcher and quietly hid the evidence in the freezer. They let me think those roasts we used to have for Sunday dinners came from a grocery store and not our precious pet cows.

Thelma and Lorraine after:

No, the girls are not Thelma and Lorraine. Thelma and Lorraine are all wrapped up nice and neat in that white freezer paper. Brats, bacon, ham roasts, ham steaks, sausage, pork chops...you name it, we've got it. We had to try the bacon right away. Within hours of picking up the meat, this is what we had for lunch:
I don't know if it was bacon from Thelma or Lorraine, but it sure was tasty. Did you notice the eggs within those sandwiches? They are also from our farm. Here they were before they hit the frying pan:

Aren't they pretty? The Araucanas (or Ameraucana's since I'm not sure which one of the two breeds I purchased) are the ones who lay the eggs in shades of blue and green. We love our colorful eggs. Duchess and Maiden are the egg gatherers here on our farm and we never get tired of marveling at the beautiful colors they bring in each day.


And just in case you are wondering, my kids do not think that meat came from a grocery store. They are tough. Unlike me as a child, they can handle the truth.

6 comments:

  1. Thelma and Lorraine looked really yummy! We named ours too when I was growing up, I was so sensitive about eating my friends. My parents did the grocery store lie too:)

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  2. Great header at the top of your blog. The beach looks very appealing to me, especially when I see snow outside my window here in the midwest.

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  3. What a great post...sure brought back memories of our 4-H calves and having to eat them. It used to bother me then but not now...lol! My kids however do not get bothered by knowing what we are eating. Your hogs look great, before and after! And gathering eggs, not going to happen on this farm. I remember going to my aunts to pick eggs and being chased by those nasty chickens. I also remember being chased by turkeys at your house when we were kids....not a bird lover to this day!

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  4. That's a really great and not politically sensitive post. I love it.

    And I'm hungry!

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  5. Love your new header. I had no idea two pigs would provide that much food. Wow.

    Not growing up on a farm I'm not sure I could raise them and eat them, however, I do know someone has to. I do love me a good roast!!!

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  6. i have no trouble. I grew up doing this :)!

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