(Above: An entertaining, unique, and delicious repast.)
1/1/2023: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into the high 70s.
The murky dawn of 1/1/2023. 
One red bovine standing in a field of grey, brown, and black. 
Morning task #1: We found a young Wagyu calf that was unable to get up, so we gave it an IV and esophageal fluids. We believed it had crypto (scours). 
Morning task #2: Separating a mother and her twin calves from the front field herd, allowing the one that had not nursed to nurse, and supplementing both calves with additional milk. 
After those first to extra tasks, Padre and I began a full-feeding morning. 
Lunch of 1/1/2023: Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad, sautéed eggs, and smoked boar sausage. The lattermost resulted of a trade with a Master Blend customer. It was homemade and delicious. 
Arugula harvested for the dinner salad. (1/1/2023) 
I also harvested 16 or 17 radishes before returning indoors. Some of them were such a vivid red that they almost seemed magenta in hue. 
This is the Belgian Blue bottom round roast that I reverse-seared for dinner of 1/1/2023. It sliced up very nicely. I drained the juices off of the plate for this picture and then drizzled that juice back over the beef before we ate. I may do that again in the future, because it made the meat even more juicy than it already was. 
Cinnamon-sprinkled Granny Smith apple & sour cream for dessert.
1/2/2023: Today began in the low 50s and warmed to the low 80s. Mostly sunny.
Dawn of 1/2/2023: The neighbors behind the farm were burning their garbage, and this seemed to have the animals stirred up (it was an atrocious smell). 
The cows of the main beef herd were also restless. This could be seen by the way most of them were standing up and interspersed throughout the fog. 
A morning task: adding in one post to the fence at the end of the calf-feeding lane. I did this because the other center post was broken off. 
Lunch of 1/2/2023: Sushi procured from Sushi Bistro of Ocala. A satiating repast. 
Miso soup garnished with red cabbage and garden-fresh arugula. 
After sushi & soup, I enjoyed a sliced & cinnamon-coated apple. 
Sunset of 1/2/2023. 
The evening experiment of 1/2/2023: Making ricotta cheese. The first step was to heat 1 gallon of milk to 185 F. 
After heating it to 185 F, I poured in about 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Separation occurred immediately thereafter, but I maintained temperature at 185 F for another 20 minutes. By keeping the temperature up and not stirring, it allowed a plenitude of curds to form. 
After dipping out the curds with a slotted spoon and straining them, this was the final result: Two brown vessels of fresh ricotta cheese. I still find it strange how vinegar and/or lemon juice separates the curd from the whey without leaving any sour flavor. 
The dinner omelet of 1/2/2023. It consisted of 4 eggs filled with half a smoked sausage, chiltepin pepper, and about 1 tbsp of fresh ricotta. 
After the omelet, I had a small piece of reheated Padre-pizza topped with some of this evening’s ricotta cheese. The cheese did not have a large amount of flavor, but it had an excellent texture. 
A delightful dessert of sliced Granny Smith apple & Greek yogurt. Cinnamon was utilized liberally.
1/3/2023: Today began in the low 50s and proceeded to warm into the low 80s. Mostly sunny.
The misty morning of 1/3/2023. 
One of this morning’s tasks consisted of adding a center post to this feed trough’s postern side (the cattle side). The extra post will keep the rear side of the trough from slipping backward and forming a crack through which feed can spill. 
Lunch of 1/3/2023: Sautéed eggs and a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. Healthy and light. 
After the eggs & greens, I enjoyed a plate of Granny Smith apple slices & Greek yogurt. 
Following an afternoon of giving a farm tour to Michelle & Ashley of Fat Tuscan, discussing some upcoming beef-related shenanigans & ideas with them, and helping tend to the day’s final farm tasks, I reverse-seared some Belgian Blue burger steaks for dinner. These were accompanied by cucumber salad and some sour cream for dipping the beef in.
1/4/2023: Today began in the mid 60s and warmed to the low 80s. Mostly sunny morning followed by clouds and rain in the afternoon.
Morning of 1/4/2023: #408 had recently given birth to a little Wagyu ET calf. Fortunately, its postern ‘rocking chair legs’ will likely correct themselves as it grows. 
A picture of #303’s Belgian Blue at the water-trough (midday). 
For lunch today, Padre, Madre, and I ventured to Latinos y Más. There I enjoyed chips, salsa, and the avocado salad topped with fried fish and palm heart. 
Following the afternoon’s farm activities, rain began to fall. At first, it fell heavily, but then it lightened up into a soaking sprinkle. The ryegrass will benefit greatly. 
One of the late evening tasks consisted of putting together most of the text for the Master Blend subscriber email. This is one of the supplementary pictures that will be included. It shows the freezer room in early 2020 followed by the freezer room in mid 2022. 
Dinner of 1/4/2023: Slow-roasted Belgian Blue chuck accompanied by a Padre-made & Jacob-dressed salad. The savory beef and the vinegary salad made for a terrific combination. 
A satsuma orange from Michelle & Ashley’s visit the prior day. It peeled with ease and was quite sweet. 
The orange was followed by half an apple sprinkled with cinnamon.
1/5/2023: Today began in the high 60s, and it was raining. It proceeded to warm into the mid 70s and remained cloudy throughout. Toward evening, it began to cool down.
The drizzly dawn of 1/5/2023. 
Lunch consisted of a beef, zucchini, & summer squash frittata. It was well-complemented by a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. I also utilized a little bit of Cholula hot sauce as a condiment. 
After lunch, I enjoyed a dessert of a half-apple, satsuma, and a little bit of yogurt. 
After some farm activities and working on the latest Master Blend newsletter, I made pizza dough. I allowed it to rise for a couple hours, flattened it with a rolling pin, and proceeded to create a ‘stuffed-bread’ or calzone filled with mozzarella cheese from Lorito’s and ricotta cheese made from the milk of cow #763. 
The cooked calzone. 
Dinner of 1/5/2023: A cross-section of the calzone accompaneid by a little bowl of homemade marinara and a large head of Padre-steamed broccoli. 
I could have eaten far more of the calzone, but I instead opted for an apple and yogurt. Probably for the best, and it made for a fine final fare.
1/6/2023: Today began in the mid 40s and warmed into the mid 60s. Sunny throughout.
1/6/2023: Second morning inspection in the central beef pasture. 
Padre and I ventured out to the green lot this morning to see how the annual ryegrass was progressing. Though the ryegrass is not highly visible in this picture (much of it is hidden by the frostburnt coastal grass) it can be seen in some places as green patches. The seed-spreader’s coverage appears to have been satisfactory. 
A minor mid-morning project: Putting up a short span of decorative rail fence along the west wall of the freezer room. 
Lunch of 1/6/2023: Belgian Blue chuck roast & yucca soup garnished with fresh arugula and sliced red cabbage. The flavor and savor was tremendous, but it made me sweat a little while consuming it. 
A light post-meal fare of cinnamon-sprinkled apple & Greek yogurt. 
My brother calls this a ‘wacky-legged-Wagyu’. It was born earlier today. 
Beef herd in the south-easternmost pasture. Afternoon of 1/6/2023. 
Dinner this evening entailed a frittata-filled frittata. I used the leftover frittata from yesterday’s lunch, broke it up, and then added 3 eggs. This was fried for a couple minutes in a pan before being placed into the oven. The squash tasted a little strong, but other than that, it was delicious and went well with the arugula, radish, & spring mix salad that Padre made. 
A dessert consisting of sliced Granny Smith apple, Greek yogurt, and a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon.
1/7/2023: Today began in the high 30s and warmed into the high 60s. Sunny throughout.
Early morning of 1/7/2023: The sprinkler appeared to steam as it watered the garden. 
Master Blend freezer room open for Saturday customers. 
After a couple hours in the freezer room and tending to a multitude of folk, I ventured out to help with farm tasks. One of those tasks consisted of replacing the float-valve on this trough. It probably got clogged with sediment from the broken water line in the hay barn. 
Lunch of 1/7/2023: Belgian Blue taco salad. Romaine lettuce & spinach were topped with fresh avocado, a little bit of onion, pan-seared ground beef, sour cream, and salsa. 
On account of a cow that needed help calving, we were out until dark. As of the next day, the calf is fairing well and the mother appears to be tending it. 
An entertaining, unique, and delicious repast. We cooked thinly sliced F1 Wagyu Strip and Ahi Tuna on a 500 degree F block of Himalayan salt. It retained its heat for quite some time (and may do so even longer if I cook it to 550 F instead of 500). A spring mix, arugula, & radish salad was served to the side along with a glass of Pinot Noir. Note: The salt block needs to be heated slowly. I took about 1.5 hours of raising the temperature to get it to about 450F – 500F. This prevents the block from cracking. Clean-up occurred the next day and consisted of scraping off the surface, wiping it with a few damp paper towels, and then drying it with a few dry paper towels. Presently storing it up high in the kitchen wrapped in paper. 
Padre reaching for a piece of salt-cooked Wagyu strip. 
Both of us were very happy with the repast. 
For dessert, I enjoyed a Granny Smith apple & some Greek yogurt.
Final Note: Between boar sausage from a fellow from Frank, a visit from a couple chefs from Fat Tuscan, and cooking some Wagyu and Ahi tuna on salt block, it was a week steeped in culinary exploration. A taste of the year to come?
As for your final question, I certainly hope so as the first week of 2023 was extraordinary.