(Above: We utilized flagging tape to walk #314 to the barn, and there, assisted her with calving (one of the calf’s legs was caught back). Videos of that process can be seen below. It was a swift and relatively easy process — a great one to record.)
12/4/2022: Today began in the mid-50s and warmed into the low-80s. Mostly sunny.
A morning task of 12/4/2022: I added 14″ legs to calves’ feed trough in the Dana / gaur lot west of Jacobhouse. Wagyner Blue beef bacon strips basted with homemade BBQ sauce and sprinkled with chiltepin pepper & Kosher salt. These will later be placed in a 350 F oven. After roasting the beef bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes and then broiling it on low for 3, all of it was nicely browned on the top and ready for eating. Plated up: BBQ beef bacon accompanied by a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. A delectable dessert of sliced-and-cinnamon-coated apple along with a spoonful of Greek Yogurt. Late-afternoon activity: IV’ing the orphaned calf out of #3905. A thick-crusted mushroom pan pizza made for the dinner of 12/4/2022. A lot of ‘Doug’ was utilized in the dough, so the crust had a very satisfying chewiness and springiness. Plated up: Jacob-made mushroom pizza (left) with Padre-made vegetarian pizza (right) accompanied by a green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. A dessert of sliced & cinnamon-coated apple with a topping of pomegranate seeds.
12/5/2022: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into the low 80s. Partly cloudy.
Morning of 12/5/2022. One of this days first tasks was to document the two Wagyner Blue ribroasts in the freezers. People may be interested in them for the holidays. While taking care of clothing this morning, I saw this Wagyu steer tangled up in fence wire. I helped Padre and Wag get him up to the chute where the proceeded to ‘disrobe’ him. Madre and I procured today’s lunch from Sushi Bistro. She had to eat earlier than Padre and I due to her needing to bring Grandma to a doctor appointment. When Padre and I did eat, we garnished the soup with chopped cabbage, some spinach leaves, and some freshly-harvested purslane. The second portion of the meal consisted of some delicious sushi. It was all enjoyable, but my favorite today was probably the eel avocado rolls or the yellowtail & onion rolls. Late afternoon in the central easternmost beef pasture. As we concluded the beef pasture inspection, the sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon. The final image I took just after we finished giving #3905’s orphan calf an esophageal feeding of electrolytes and probiotics. The long-roasted Belgian Blue shoulder roast made for our evening repast on 12/5/2022. The full spread: Belgian Blue chuck roast (accompanied by its cross cut bone) alongside a Padre-made & Jacob-dressed salad. I finished the meal with an apples-in-cinnamon plate.
12/6/2022: Today began in the mid 60s and warmed into the low 80s. Mostly sunny.
Dawn of 12/6/2022: A vivid yellow squash flower residing at the center of a manure-studded pasture. Garden update: The red-globe radishes are coming along very nicely, and the carrots are nearing the “thinning point”. I want to wait until they are 3-4″ tall. Flowering loquat at mid-morning. A lizard stood sentry for “encroaching” insects. Tippler’s bane mushrooms growing once more at the south end of the central beef pasture. Lunch of 12/6/2022: Taco salad. The beef was fried in a cast iron skillet until crispy on the bottom, and then it was accompanied by romaine lettuce, spinach, a little bit of onion, sour cream, and salsa verde. After that delicious taco salad, I enjoyed a sliced & cinnamon-sprinkled apple. Dinner of 12/6/2022: The main course consisted of a slice of leftover pizza accompanied by a simple salad of greens, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper. A dessert consisting of cinnamon-coated Granny Smith apple and about 1/2 cup of 2% Greek Yogurt. A fine way to finish the day’s feasting.
12/7/2022: Today began in the low 60s and proceeded to warm into the low 80s. Sunny.
Dawn of 12/7/2022. Silhouette of bovines at the central beef field’s water trough on the morning of 12/7/2022. The tippler’s bane mushrooms have grown and decayed much over the course of one day. Lunch of 12/7/2022 was enjoyed at Latinos y Más and consisted of a chicken-burrito-salad accompanied by some chips and salsa. Cow #421 appearing especially large and bovine. Dinner of 12/7/2022: Oven-roasted beef bacon atop a Padre-wrought cucumber & cabbage salad. A dessert comprised of cinnamon-coated Granny Smith apple slices, blueberries, and a dollop of 2% Greek Yogurt.
12/8/2022: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into low 80s. Foggy morning into a sunny noon and afternoon.
Dawn of 12/8/2022. A morning task: We utilized flagging tape to walk #314 to the barn, and there, assisted her with calving (one of the calf’s legs was caught back). Videos of that process can be seen below. It was a swift and relatively easy process — a great one to record. Lunch of 12/8/2022: Rustic Ratatouille. This consisted of thick-cut summer squash and zucchini topped with a tomato sauce derived from tomato paste, butter, and a little bit of crushed garlic. Topped with mozzarella, Swiss, and American Parmesan. Following the salad & rustic ratatouille, I enjoyed a plate of cinnamon-coated apples and yogurt. Shortribs dry-brining for a reverse sear later on in the day. They were coated with one of my favorite mixtures: salt, pepper, coriander, and a sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce. Late-afternoon, looking across the central east pasture. (12/8/2022) Dinner of 12/8/2022: BP (broken package) Belgian Blue short ribs. I first roasted them to an internal temperature of 127-130 F and then seared them for 1 minute on the four largest sides in a cast iron skillet. I next placed them in a rest bowl with some fresh rosemary leaves. Homemade BBQ Sauce & Mustard mixture for dunking. Within the short-rib, I found the beef to be at an exquisite cross between medium-rare and medium. Dessert of cinnamon-sprinkled Granny Smith apple slices.
12/09/2022: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into the low 80s. Very foggy early, but sunny throughout.
The cool foggy dawn of 12/9/2022. The fog lingered into mid-morning, as can be seen by its presence during the close-up lot feeding. One of this morning’s tasks consisted of putting up some halved privacy fence across the front of the sheep pen. When it is complete, we hope that the sheep will not bleat at us whenever we pass. We are also feeding them only two times a day now instead of doing so whenever the sheep ‘let us know’ they are out. Lunch of 12/9/2022: A very enjoyable repast of simple taco salad consisting of: Beef, greens, a little bit of onion, a dousing of salsa verde, and a spoonful of sour cream. To finish the meal, I enjoyed a plate of sliced & cinnamon-coated Granny Smith apples accompanied by a line of blueberries. A long-horn influenced bovine wondering why I interrupted her grazing during the late-afternoon of 12/9/2022. Dinner of 12/9/2022: Mozzarella & BBQ pizza accompanied by a Padre-made & Jacob-dressed cucumber & cabbage salad. A delightful dessert of cinnamon-coated Granny Smith apple accompanied by a large spoonful of Greek yogurt.
12/10/2022: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into the high 70s. Mostly sunny.
Dawn of 12/10/2022. Padre & Wag standing outside of the window as I tended to Master Blend ‘office’ tasks. They appeared quite gleeful for some reason. Probably some form of mischief taking place. Late-morning in the central feed barn. I was checking heats at the time. View of the container abodes from across the south-easternmost pasture. At the time of this photo, Madre was painting the wood that will become her bed’s base. Lunch of 12/10/2022: Roasted-then-broiled salmon accompanied by a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. Following the fish & salad, I enjoyed a plate of cinnamon-coated apple slices and Greek yogurt. One of the ensuing afternoon’s activities consisted of rolling out, shaping, and baking cinnamon & coconut sugar pastry cookies. The finished cookies were slightly sweet and tasted of Kerrygold Irish grass-fed butter. In other words, they turned out quite well. I ended up bringing the large tin to the chili-party that I went to later in the evening. Dinner of 12/10/2022: The first course of Chili con Carne took place at the house of John of Stanley Steemer. I mixed his Dragon’s Breath chili with the also-available vegetable & meat chili to make a flavorful and spicy (but not too spicy) blend. The second course occurred about 1.5 hours later and took the form a small taco salad. I utilized one of the previously shown C-shaped pastries to garnish the apple & cinnamon plate I enjoyed after dinner.
Final Note: It is 12/11/2022 as I write this, and #314’s calf is just beginning to search for an udder to nurse. It has been 3 days since its birth, so we’ve had to supplement it with colostrum replacer and milk taken from other cows (#314 is very nervous in the chute). It is our hope that the creature will soon figure out how to satiate its appetite the natural way.
What a week, seems like some of those activities happened way more then a week ago… Much great food too, as always thanks for sharing.