Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Sausage 101
It was January 27th and bitter cold outside. Like every Monday morning this winter, I drove my hour to work through the frozen tundra of the Illinois Prairie. The one thing I find so ironic about my work is that I drive from the "country" to the "city" to work on a farm -- and it is not just any farm but a living history farm to boot! It was on this day that we got to have a little living history fun!
January 27th was sausage making day at work. We ground up meat and made bratwurst. We stuffed some and put them in freezer bags for our open season and we turned some into sausage patties for frying up as is.
I took pictures...
Take a look for yourself.
Hooray for Sausage :)
January 27th was sausage making day at work. We ground up meat and made bratwurst. We stuffed some and put them in freezer bags for our open season and we turned some into sausage patties for frying up as is.
I took pictures...
Take a look for yourself.
Hooray for Sausage :)
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| measuring the spices! |
Here is the recipe
Bratwurst
5lbs ground pork, fine grind
4tsp sugar
1tbsp ground coriander
1tbsp ground sage
1tsp paprika
2tsp dired rosemary
1tbsp dry mustard
1tsp pepper
1tsp nutmeg
5tsp salt
Hand-trim fat from the outside of meat to your desired fat preference. Grind the meet using a fine grinding plate. After grinding, add the sausage seasoning to the meat and blend by hand or using a meat mixer. Be sure to mix thoruoghly to ensure the ingredients are spread evenly throughout the meat. Form into patties or links and fry.
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| mixing by hand |
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| Grinding the meat |
This is how you turn the casings inside out to make sure both sides are clean for the meat.
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| What happens when the casing is hard to thread on the stuffer?? You blow out the casing to make it easier of course! |
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| cooking it up and yes, I will try some bacon too :) thank you! |
This is how you make the fancy butcher sausage knots! So cool...
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The big sun dog!
According to the Chicago Tribune a sun dog takes place when all these elements are occurring at the same time: sunlight, ice crystals, cirrus clouds and bitterly cold temperatures . . .
Well, yesterday must have been that perfect occurrence because I saw the biggest sun dog I have ever seen on the way into work!
These are the days that I love my commute :)
Well, yesterday must have been that perfect occurrence because I saw the biggest sun dog I have ever seen on the way into work!
Friday, January 24, 2014
A cold and wind day in January
This is my first blog in a long time but here I go...
Let's start by explaining the name. I have a long drive into work everyday; through back roads and farm fields mainly. In the summer the roads are great. I drive without a care in the world because the roads are curved, everything is warm and there is always something to look at growing in the fields. My favorite part of the drive happens as the sun sets and all the scenery becomes shadowed. Pink and red hues light up the western sky and all the farm houses, barns, and trees become black silhouettes. Beautiful!! The other time that things are that gorgeous are on cold, winter morning, after a night's ice storm. The sun glistens off the frozen landscape. Breathtaking!
I do believe, however, that an hour in the car driving to and then from work is not good for mental health. I have too much time to think! I think about something and go over and over about it in my head. It kind of gets obsessive. The worse is when I get home and then start telling my husband all the things I have thought about with no context what so ever. I mean, after all, I have been stuck in my head for an hour...why hasn't everyone else??
Not looking forward to going home today, either. The problem is that the beautiful commute that I described earlier can also turn into the worst one hour of my life. Winter can be the worst! My once lovely, quiet drive can quickly turn into a dangerous episode of "Ice Road Truckers." Today should be fun with 40 mph winds, snow showers, and blowing snow! But hey, that is why I have XM radio -- I will just turn to the "Bridge," mellow and classic folk rock from the 70s and 80s, and try hard to not let my stress level go through the roof!
Fun times! Wish me luck...
more for next time
pk
Let's start by explaining the name. I have a long drive into work everyday; through back roads and farm fields mainly. In the summer the roads are great. I drive without a care in the world because the roads are curved, everything is warm and there is always something to look at growing in the fields. My favorite part of the drive happens as the sun sets and all the scenery becomes shadowed. Pink and red hues light up the western sky and all the farm houses, barns, and trees become black silhouettes. Beautiful!! The other time that things are that gorgeous are on cold, winter morning, after a night's ice storm. The sun glistens off the frozen landscape. Breathtaking!
I do believe, however, that an hour in the car driving to and then from work is not good for mental health. I have too much time to think! I think about something and go over and over about it in my head. It kind of gets obsessive. The worse is when I get home and then start telling my husband all the things I have thought about with no context what so ever. I mean, after all, I have been stuck in my head for an hour...why hasn't everyone else??
Not looking forward to going home today, either. The problem is that the beautiful commute that I described earlier can also turn into the worst one hour of my life. Winter can be the worst! My once lovely, quiet drive can quickly turn into a dangerous episode of "Ice Road Truckers." Today should be fun with 40 mph winds, snow showers, and blowing snow! But hey, that is why I have XM radio -- I will just turn to the "Bridge," mellow and classic folk rock from the 70s and 80s, and try hard to not let my stress level go through the roof!
Fun times! Wish me luck...
more for next time
pk