Ready for spring...
My big project for the weekend was to clean and sharpen my gardening tools. I didn't get around to it last year and was amazed at how much rust accumulated and the dullness of my cutting tools.
I washed and sanded everything. I sharpened my cutting tools. Then I gave everything a coat of oil. I wish I had some linseed oil for the wood handles, but I'll get some before spring. Don't they look fabulous?
As you can see, it will be awhile before they get used. They are ready for action. It feels good to have them in tip top shape.
I ended my prairie deer season with tag soup. I saw plenty of deer, but since we had two butchered I was picky. I can't complain, as I needed some quiet time.
I make most of the deer we harvest into roasts, jerky, and sausage. I made sausage patties with the last deer. They are great in biscuits and gravy. I made summer sausage with this deer. It is very fulfilling to use your own herbs for the seasonings. My husband smoked them for three hours. I swear the smell and taste of smoked meat is unparalleled.
Don't they look delicious? The white is frost, as I just pulled them out of the freezer. I even canned five pints of stew meat. That is great for stews, stroganoff, and enchiladas. I also pulled out the final bag of frozen buffalo berries from last year and made jelly. I didn't try to get my jelly overly clear, because I like the color when it is thicker. I ended up with eight jars. Yum, buffalo berries make the best jelly.
Well, that is my weekend in a nutshell. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My husband smoked the turkey for nine hours and it was worth every hour. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know I have a lot to be thankful for. Now that I have everything processed and my garden tools are all cleaned up, I think I will just hibernate until spring.
I can't imagine how good that smoking meat must smell! Although I'm not a fan of the taste of venison, the smell would be enough to entice me to try it again.
ReplyDeleteThat "trimmer thingy" amongst your garden tools reminds me of what my mom used to hand to us and tell us to trim the grass along the walks, when I was a girl on the farm. And it felt like there were miles of walks! :)
Again, another very busy weekend. I hope you had some time just to sit and relax.
ReplyDeleteYou have been very busy, I need to do that with my tools, and your smoked meat yummy. I'm about ready to do the same, it's getting colder and my bones don't take cold as good as they use to. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have all of that done. I agree with you about smoking meat and turkey. We smoked ours too and we will never go back to cooking them in the oven. I love my smoker.
ReplyDeleteI think your jam is so interesting. I love that you do all of that with your venison. It must feel so wonderful. I know how I feel when I stack firewood and I have enough to last all winter. Such a feeling of contentment. Have a lovely week.