Starting Seeds

Looks like I forgot to update the blog last week...oops, must have been too busy making the most of the snow since we've had a few lovely days of sunshine which always makes me feel like I am on a ski holiday. Last week we had a delivery of potting mix which means 2 pallets worth of soil is now distributed between various rooms in the house since we can only open the door to one of the barns.

So Jamie has started the never ending process of sowing, and since we haven't got a green house up yet (due to the snow) then our largest bedroom in the house and the living room have been overtaken by germinating trays. Jamie has transformed one of our spare beds into a heat bed.

Soil blocks with seeds planted

Peas for sprouting

Sprouting peas

Smells like Spring

Seems like all our hyacinths (destined for sale) came out in bloom this week and their heady fragrance filled the house and thankfully wooed new customers as we set up stall at our village farmer's market. It was a very social event and so much more fun than the 3am start and 2 hour drive which we endured to sell in the city last week.

Jamie has been hard at work processing his precious pork. We tasted our bacon for the first time on Saturday which has great potential but unfortunately the pork scratchings, which Jamie laboriously chopped and baked, turned out to be too salty even for Jamie. How disappointing!! Jamie bravely chopped and sliced up pigs ears and tails and they turned into snacks for Eddie which we gather must be delicious since he manages to jump from a standing start up to my chest level to retrieve them.

The river was so frozen that we went for a cross country ski along it,we could have skied to the ocean if it wasn't for me complaining how hungry I was. And Eddie found a porcupine up a tree....

All things pork and beautiful

With our pork returned from the butcher packed and wrapped we distributed two thirds to various families in the neighbourhood. We then spent the evening identifying various parts of the remaining animal before Jamie began the process of brining and curing for the bacon, hocks and ham.
Making sausages seemed like an endless process but turned out excellently with tasty results. We tried herbs, honey garlic, apple and sage and cumberland. I also couldn't resist sneaking out some of the sausage meat to use for homemade scotch eggs. However we are more excited by the 3 kilos of salami and chorizo which are now hanging to air dry in our living room. Jamie is currently making scratchings and I think we are even going to roast the ears for Eddie so he can join in the fun.

Jamie master sausage maker

 Scotch Eggs

Salami and chorizo

Scratchings before cooking

slow cooking pork shoulder to make pulled pork