Posted on 12/30/2023 5:30:11 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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Minestrone turned out well ... had a big bowl for supper. There are 2 quarts going in the freezer, 1 quart in the fridge for further eating this weekend.
Piglet count - we think 15 total, with 2 not making it. Lots of small, squirmy, spotted bodies, & they tend to pile up for warmth, so the count is not ‘official’.
Farmer Explains Why California Flushes 95 Percent Rainwater to Ocean | Mark Nakata
California Insider Show
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Killing our food supply
We had our Family Christmas today, so I was just a little busy! Everyone has cleared out now, after a more-than-successful day...and there is a big old HAM BONE calling my name for Split Pea Soup later in the week. Yay! :)
That said, here is my cousin’s soup recipe. She used to have a family-style restaurant up in Cobalt, Ontario. People would drive for many miles and even cross borders for this soup! :)
Lisa’s Famous Potato Soup
Ingredients
8 cups potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1⁄2 lb bacon, crisped, drained and crumbled (6-8 slices)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (5 cups)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a 4-qt. crock pot, stir together the potatoes and onion. Add the bacon.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and the pepper.
Add the mixture to the crock pot.
Cover and cook the soup on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
You can mash the potatoes for a thicker consistency before serving.
Diana’s Notes: I never peel the well-scrubbed potatoes. Saves time, adds fiber. Homemade Chicken Stock is better than canned, of course, but if you’re in a pinch, use 5 cups water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes. Use thick-cut bacon for more texture & bacon-y-goodness in the soup.
“Lots of small, squirmy, spotted bodies, & they tend to pile up for warmth, so the count is not ‘official’.”
LOL! One of our Walker Dogs had a litter of THIRTEEN, so yeah, it was hard to count noses!
I only watched some so far (saving for later) but they sure are. I believe the end goal is all government controlled food supply 😡
“I have heard some talk among the younger guys in the maintenance dept at work about things along the lines of bug out bags etc”
That is promising! I’d love to hear the young people think along those lines.
Great picture. They are adorable. I was at a farm once while a sow was delivering. Those piglets shot out of her like a cannon, some going 6 feet or more. One of those things you’ll never forget. Have fun.
Morning report - all 13 made it through the night! They’ll be running around the ‘maternity suite’ (stall) playing by this evening, which is pretty amazing.
Seems my prepper files are a bit lacking in the soup dept. I've got 2 cream of any soup recipes and 4 potato soup recipes. There are Dutch Oven recipes, some of which are probably soups/stews and of course plenty of bean recipes.
Going to have to rectify that. There is one other recipe and it looks really good,
Ingredients
Directions
I bet you could find some 4h ers who would want to raise some of them.
That is so cool! Will they lose their spots? And why do they have spots and she doesn’t?
I know nothing about pigs, unless they’re in pork chop form, LOL!
That Spinach Soup looks like my usual ‘Friday Night Clean Out The Fridge’ Soup. ;)
I swear, aside from the Chicken, canned creamed corn is one of God’s greatest gifts to Mankind! :)
My Grandma Edith: “If you keep a few boiled potatoes in the fridge and ready to go, you can ALWAYS make a meal around that!”
Still true, Grandma! :)
Yummy.......a great recipe.
Cream cheese AND bacon.......what could possibly go wrong?
Six to 7 out of this litter are already sold & at least 2 out of the next litter due Jan. 6. By the time the piglets are weaned, most will be sold. The few that are left stay on the farm & are sold as whole or half hogs for meat about the time they get to around 280-300 lbs.
The sow due Jan. 6 is a Gloucestershire Old Spot (GOS) They became scarce in this country (originally a British breed & still raised there) & an effort is currently underway to rebuild the breed in this country. The GOS boar is from GA ... had to go several states away to get a boar from a different line so no inbreeding. The piglets just born are a cross between the GOS boar & the Berkshire sow (a good cross for feeder pigs). The ones due the 6th are GOS both parents & can be registered so they sell pretty quickly as both registered breeding stock & as feeder pigs. The pigs are on a relative’s regenerative farm so the breeding stock & the feeders that stay are pastured, not in pens .... they live a quality, happy life right up until processing time.
Potatoes are food of the gods.
I recently discovered the assets of the boxed dehydrated scalloped and au gratin potatoes when I needed something quick.
I did some Googling and learned you can make potato soup from them, too. I’m going to experiment and try to make the Olive Garden Toscano soup with them.
Seems like a smart thing to have several boxes in the pantry, just because.
Nope, don’t lose the spots! The piglets are a cross between a Gloucestershire Old Spot boar (mostly white with a few smallish black spots) & the Berkshire sow, with the typical black coat, white socks, some white on face. The piglets are spotted from ‘dad’, but much darker, bigger spots from ‘mom’s’ solid color.
This cross makes for some tasty pork chops & being pastured makes for extra-tasty meat as well, IMO.
Creamy Tomato Soup Shortcut
Lovely and warming and so easy.
ING 4 tbsp butter, ½ cup diced onion 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups milk
preferably whole milk, no more than ¼ tsp b/soda, 3 ½ cups canned diced
tomatoes w/ juices, 2 tsp sugar, salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS Heat butter on med. Add onion and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Cook until softened and translucent (not browned), about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly, then gradually whisk in milk. Add baking soda (food science tip), tomatoes, sugar and 1 tsp more salt. Simmer 10 minutes, then blend with an immersion or regular blender (see note below). Add more salt by pinches, tasting as you go until soup tastes vibrant and well-seasoned (see note below).
Serve w/ spoonful of sour cream, homemade croutons, a melty grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Sprinkle with a crack of black pepper, if you like, and/or drizzle with a little heavy cream or olive oil.
NOTES On seasoning to taste, use about 2 tsp k/salt, but it depends if the butter is salted and amt of salt in canned tomatoes. To blend the soup in a regular blender, you must work in small batches as hot liquids will erupt. Do a few ladle-fuls at a time, pour the pureed soup into another pot, and continue until all the soup is pureed.
My first thought was “anything from the garden but tomatoes soup”
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