Bacon - See the Difference!

Our pork's not necessarily "cheap". The reality is that we offer something that is so far beyond what is even available in the grocery store and quite frankly, it costs more to produce. 


At the same time, I was at the grocery store recently and had to stop and look at bacon. I was thinking I would see $2 or less per pound. Not so at all! I decided to do a little sampling of sorts. I purchased two different brands of bacon at the store and am going to equally compare it to ours. You be the judge.


I’m going to show you standard grocery store bacon first. Yep, I bought some just for you. 

This is a package of  Oscar Mayer brand "America's Favorite Bacon".  I purchased it at my local Safeway store for $6.99.When did bacon get so ridiculously expensive?

here it is raw, packaged opened

raw, laid out to cook, fully covering baking sheet

Cooked for 15 minutes

Cooked for 20 minutes

 Taste comparison: while I sometimes dream of bacon (no, not really), this was not it. It did have a bacon taste but seemed extra salty. 

Family Comments:
Scott, "Ewww". 
Dakota, "It's really greasy" 
Evan, "can I have more?" He's 6. What do you want?

You can see the difference just between their raw and cooked bacon, can’t you? I bet you are wondering why the shrinkage. Well, most commercially prepared bacon (and I honest do not know how Oscar Mayer does their bacon) is soaked in a salt brine (water with salt, flavorings and ?) for what is called a "wet" cure. Then it is smoked quickly for that bacon taste we all know. The whole process typically takes hours. 

Our butcher's cure and smoke process takes 3-4 weeks. 

Anyway, I did a little more shopping for you. OK, let’s look at another brand of bacon.

 

Notice the intriguing name, logo and the word "naturally"? Did you know the word “natural” means nothing in food world? Most people don’t. My own sister didn’t…until I told her. I think she was disappointed – one for falling for the marketing and two, for feeling mislead. Who wouldn’t? 

id you know marketing with the color green and blue makes people think of nature, farms and health? 

I’m hoping this might turn out better.  So here is the raw version again…

Raw, packaged opened. Notice the short piece? Me too.

Here they are on the same sheet - they are hanging over the edges but are very thin.

I don't know if the picture does it justice, but it is thin bacon.

Cooked for 15.

Cooked for 20.

 We were really not happy with this one. Mild bacon-y flavor, but more greasy/oily and you can see the shrinkage. Yikes, where did it all go?

Now to our bacon. You can see the photos of the same times as above – raw and then cooked at 15 & 20 minutes, just like our other two subjects. 

raw, laid out to cook, partially covering baking sheet

Notice the thickness as well? Little shrinkage – except for that little end piece, which was just a little fattier.  Just seeing the photos you can almost taste the difference.

Cooked for 15 minutes

You can see the difference in the photos. They are not retouched or modified in any way. You be the judge.

Cooked for 20 minutes. Sorry - I tried a dozen times and this photo would not sit right and behave!

I guess more than anything, more than visual or even taste, I like the way we raise our pigs. NOT in a concentration camp like most of their kind, ours get plenty of fresh air. They can root around in the dirt and make mud puddles. They are not fed antibiotics and their teeth and tails are not "trimmed". They get specially formulated hog feed, but they also get fruits and veggies. And breads – they LOVE their carbs! They get handled and loved and they are happy pigs. Yes, you heard that, loved.  Even the way they are processed is humane. Quick. No, instant is a better word. Our butcher even does a fabulous job in the care and handling of our meat. And we will proclaim over and over again that this makes better pork hands down.  

Now that you are drooling, drop us a note and we’ll let you know when the next availability is for you. 

Please note I did not riffle through the packages. They were the ones right on top and I’m guessing a good example of the brands quality and standards. Brand names are copyright the individual companies respectively. Each was cooked in my farm convection oven preheated at 350. 

Happy eating!

OK, I am asking.

 We have pages upon pages of letters, notes and drawings from parents and kids for everything from a preschool riding lessons, to Farm Life Camp. Spectacular birthday parties and school tours to our overnights guests in our farm stay B&B.

We have had some fabulous reviews of our farm, but for the most part they are on the children's web sites like Go City Kids/Parents Connect and other parenting sites. Not a big surprise as so much of our farm focuses on youth events and activities.

Yet we would love to get some reviews in other areas. Honest reviews from those of you who have been here or experienced us. One of my great advisers told me that we don't have a long list of glowing referrals and reviews online is because I haven't asked. OK, I'm asking.

Are you on Yelp? We'd love your review there.

Judy's Book? Gosh, we didn't even know we were listed...

Yahoo?  Super Pages?  Even Trip Advisor.

And for Pete's sake, if for some reason we totally missed the boat for you, please let us know! We know we can't be everything for everyone, but we really like to think that we care enough to help.

A FREE week of Farm Life Camp

Part of Resolution #4...Give More.

We hear over and over again, "yeah, my friend told me about you guys" - substitute mom, sister, child's teacher, neighbor, etc for the friend, and you get our point. Referrals mean the world to us. And you too I bet. Why go at something green when a friend has already tried it, right?

OK, we've never done it before, but there is a first for everything.

You can win a free WEEK of camp, yep a full week, at our ever popular Farm Life Camp for your child aged 5-14, valued up to $495. We will also have 2, $100. off camp certificates as well. 

Happy Valentine's Day: Winners will be selected in just a little over a month on February 14, 2010 using random.org, along with a couple runner ups, just in case. If you win, you have 48 hours to get back to us or we'll give your prize to the runner up. US residents only & you must be 18 yrs or older to enter the giveaway. *NO Facebook or email entries will be accepted! The entries must be comments on this blog post (just scroll to the bottom of the post and the bottom of the comments and add your comment at the end). Thanks for understanding!

If you sign up for camp now and you are selected 

as the winner, we will refund your deposit paid.

Lots of ways to win too ... FIVE ways in all.

1. First and foremost: Like us on Facebook and a leave that as a comment or that you already do. http://www.facebook.com/willowsedgefarm If this isn't done, not of your other entries will count.

2. Sign up for our monthly-ish newsletter and Post that as a Comment below (below this post).

3. Get three of your friends to Like us on Facebook and have them leave a note with your name. Once done, again, comment here that 3 of your friends Like us. They can enter too! Limit 4 entries this way (you'll need 12 of your friends to Like us).

4. Subscribe to this blog. Yep, a lot of people come and look around. Now it can be delivered to your inbox.

5. Tweet this! At the top left of this page is a link for you to do this easy! Limit 1.

Winner's entry will be verified accurate or will become void and another entry will be selected. 
Must leave a separate comment here at this posting, for each entry or it will not count.

Winners will be selected by random.org and notified by Willows Edge Farm on or about 10pm February 14, 2010.
Not responsible for lost or missing entries or for the randomness of the internet. Odds of winning will depend on the number of valid entries. Void where prohibited by law. Up to a $495. value, no cash value and no refunds whatsoever will be awarded in lieu of prize. Winner will be required to sign and comply with registration. Child must be named by winner within 48 hours of notification of winning.

How much can one suburban family grow or Resolution No. 5

Not sure if it's actually number 5, but it is one of our families personal goals ... let's plant a full garden!

Did you know that in the US (and I'm going to do a big stretch and say North America) there is not ONE single county that is totally self sufficient for their residents food supply. Scary, huh? Can you imagine that ... the richest, most powerful country in the world and not one county in the US can sustain itself.

No, we're not going to try and feed a county or even just our own families food, but we are going to grow. A lot. And hopefully enough for a few dozen families.

There's nothing I love more than pulling a can of green beans out of the pantry in April knowing that we grew it. We used our own compost, watered and loved our gardens and the gardens gave back to us.

We know we have more land than most, but take a look around your yard. Do you have a small patch that you could kill the grass off (you know, that corner that is hard to mow anyways), bring in some great compost (give us a call), and plant something?

Love coleslaw in the summer? How about cabbage, lettuce, carrots and some chives then. How about you talk with one of your neighbors and do some cooperative growing. You grow the cabbage and goods and they grow potatoes, onions and tomatoes. And you share. And share with your local food bank or family in need. There's no shortage of those right now unfortunately.

Now, I've always been told that goals must have specific, measurable and time oriented objectives. You've heard that, right? We've done it with every part of our business and have had great success. Well, let's get down to business then.

This is the first part of a series that we'll be working on in which we make a very clear plan for this season, how to get an area ready for planting as well as what to grow and why we are growing them. That is actually probably the easiest. Our family loves salads with romaine, buttercrunch, coleslaw and iceberg lettuces. We love carrots, onions, green beans, snow peas and this year, possibly shelling peas and celery. Don't forget zucchini and sugar pumpkins and of course one of our staples, tomatoes. Yum!

Can you keep a secret? I think I may sneak in some chioggia beets. They are pretty, red and white striped and not nearly as sweet as common beets. I want Scott (and the kids) to try something from his past that he totally hates. Or at least thinks he does...

Aren't they pretty?

Possibly some feeder corn as well - as much as we love a good corn on the cob, we're not big corn eaters. We will get ours from Bob and Sarah instead. See?

Then onto the herbs. Love those herbs! They bring so much flavor and another layer to the palate. Chives, basil, oregano - ahhh.  Lavender and mints make a lovely iced tea and what garden would be complete without parsley? Funny reading all this. The big farms would laugh at the thought of even 3 different crops. No mono-cropping here though. We work with nature to help take care of pests, not pesticides.

So this is the plan so far this year. We'll have more details in the coming weeks, including a list of what we are going to plant, time table and re-planting schedule.

We're buying heirloom seeds this year and will have more than we need of some varieties. Drop us a note and let us know what you are interested in and we can co-op some seeds.

See - another great sharing opportunity!


Gardening this year? What are you planting?

2011 Country Living Expo and Cattleman's Winterschool

We had missed this opportunity for a couple years ... plain missed it in '08, then had a vacation for '09, but 2010 we made it. And were not disappointed. If you have dreams of homesteading, sustainable living, growing your own foods (veggies or meats), this is a fabulous opportunity for you!

We learned about marketing, finances and the best grasses to grow, for the best flavor on your livestock, all at the same place in the same day.

With all the budget cuts, not sure how many more years it will be around! The best $60 bucks you will spend investing in your dream. Click the link below to go to the WSU's full site.

Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Stanwood High School

At the Country Living Expo and Cattlemen’s Winterschool,
you can attend classes on a multitude of topics,
network with other small farmers,
enjoy a prime rib lunch and
visit with local agricultural businesses offering you service.

Farm Life Camp 2011 - Resolution 4.

Resolution 4 ... Give more. Coming up in the following days, you will see what I mean.

 Well, it's that time of year when you super organized parents start looking into summer camp - as a mom myself I am so impressed with you!

I'm a last minute kind of gal for a lot of stuff, but understand others are not, so here it is - for YOU. We have a special savings for those of you who like to do things early.


Dates for Farm Life Camp are now up and available for registering. We've changed things a bit ... we are only offering full, week long camps this year. The biggest reason for this change was because we - the kids and us - had so much fun last year during our week long camps that it seemed silly not to continue. It also will greatly reduce the paperwork we have. Downside for parents and kids - there will be a much smaller number of kids we can take on this year, so hurry on over and get your deposit in. Yep, heard that right - for the first time, we're able to take a deposit and the balance will be due the end of April.

One of the questions we are getting a lot these days is, "What happens if your farm sells?" Great question.
Our plan is to continue Farm Camp - property sold or not. If for some reason the new owners absolutely say no, we will issue 100% refunds, but it is our utmost desire that the "new owners" will keep running the farm just like it is!One of the reasons we haven't been is such a hurry to sell.

 

Are you ready? Well then, head on over to our website and take a look at the dates available and sign up! Not sure? Have questions? Drop us a note or give us a call and we'll  get 'em answered for you quickly. Don't delay - we've got a special offer for you early birds!

Not Fantasy Football. Fantasy Farming. Resolution 3.

Resolution 3 - keep dreaming. 

They guys have their fantasy football teams and I have my fantasy farm. No I don’t play the online game, trade my “animals” or even play with my toys, but I do have them. They sit on my one of my kitchen window sills looking at me every time I walk into the kitchen. Or look out at the real chickens in their pasture.

There are the Fjord horses of course, but you can see there are a few more critters. Chickens, pigs, cows, rabbits, ducks, goats, sheep and yes, there are a couple of those true “fantasy” animals: the elephant and the zebra. No, I don’t really want to raise those, but they are cool animals. The rest – you bet! Earlier this year, those cute little piggies sitting on my window sill were the only ones we had on the farm. You see, I think of my funny little window sill as a visual reminder of my goals. Yes, they are written down and yes, I go back and look them over, but the figurines give life to my vision. Funny as it sounds, it was all a dream.

As I was in the process of selling my prior business, people asked what I was going to do next. I was too young to retire. The dream I had was of a large farm where we would have a variety of livestock animals and groups of people would come out to learn about them. To get up close and personal with the animals, not looking from behind a big glass window. And unique breeds, heritage breeds. Not the genetically modified breeds of today, but true hearty breeds that can have babies on their own, withstand temperature changes and lack of shelter (if need be) as well as be thrifty. Ones our grandparents and great grandparents raised. For good reasons.

For now, until we have our larger farm, I have my fantasy farm...in my mind, on paper as well as my window sill.

Do you like to share your hobby with others? Or is it something just for you?

Cheesey, Italian Crock Pot Chicken and Resolution No. 3

New Year's Resolution number 3: Use crockpot more often!

Think about it. What other servant do we have that can help us so much in the kitchen? Yes, the dishwasher, oven and microwave are all great, but you have to spend more time with all of them than you do the almighty crockpot. Dump your food in, put the lid on (and LEAVE it on), come back in 4-8 hours and you've got a meal. Seriously.

And I have my mom's old crockpot from the 1970's. Still works great.

That's why it's number 3 on my list.

For those of you who know us, you may be surprised at this dish since it has so much dairy in it. But every once in a while we can have one of these meals and be OK. Everyday, and a few of here at the farm would be hating life, but once a week? We're OK. Here's the bonus - it takes minutes to prepare using your crockpot!

This is one of those really simple and super yummy dinners.
 Ingredients:
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
4 oz cream cheese
1 whole chicken breast
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Penne pasta
Olive Oil
1 T. parsley
Red pepper flakes, if desired

Into the crockpot we go:
1 large jar spaghetti sauce - ours was canned tomatoes with garlic and basil in it from our garden.
1/2 box cream cheese
1 whole (or 2 halves) chicken breasts
Seriously, just dump them in, put the lid on and depending on how much time you have, set it on either low or high (I had less than 5 hours and the chicken was frozen, so it was high for me). Go enjoy life for a few hours.

Penne pasta
When time is getting close, I put a pot of water on and make about 1 cup COOKED pasta for each person (a small handful of dry pasta each).  Once water boils, add about 1 tsp of salt and pour the pasta in, stir and set your timer.

Move back over to the crockpot. Remove the lid and with two forks, break up your chicken a bit. The kids like theirs shredded quite a bit, me not as much.

Get your bowls out and get a strainer for the pasta. When your noodles are done strain and then pour a couple swirls of Olive Oil around and stir or just grab some of the sauce from the crockpot.

Grab a couple scoops and put them in a bowl, top with the chicken mixture and a few pinches of the mozza cheese.

OK, this is where you can get a little more adventurous. I like mine with some heat! I sprinkle on some red pepper flakes and parsley. Chelsea likes it with her hot sauce. Scott and I, a little extra garlic. Get creative and everyone gets there own. I will say that I put my bowl under the broiler for about 2 minutes to lightly brown the cheese.

This goes great with a simple green salad with Italian dressing and French bread. Yummy!

Do you own a crockpot? How often do you use it?

The Blog is Getting BUSY and Resolution No. 2

2011

Happy New Year! You've probably noticed the blog has had a lot more activity lately. For those of you who are new, I used to be lucky to get a couple posts a month in. Seriously. I like to play outside. When it's warm. So this really is the best time of year for me to get better at blogging.

Spending time with my ponies

One of my gal pals though suggested I add more to the blog. About farm living. Recipes from the kitchen. Activities we do. I always thought of it as more of a way to let people know what kind of events we had coming up or things we are looking to sell. No one wants to know about our "farm living". But, I thought, sure, this is a good time of year to give it a try.

spending time with my students

Wow! You have impressed and encouraged me. I've gotten notes from more people than I ever would have expected. And from all across the country, not just here in my "backyard".

spending time watching  my kids grow

So I have. And it's been fun sharing. It has forced me to write down some of my recipes, instead of just a little of this and a little of that. Which is normally how I cook. By the way, if something needs to be tweeked, I do that on the recipe before you get it.  It also gives ME a place to go back to and find a recipe (yes, I've already done that!) instead of asking myself, "What did I put in there last time?" Yes, I do talk to myself.

spending time with family

This blog is as much for you as it is for me. What do you think? Too much? What do you want to know about life on the farm? More recipes and meal ideas? Using your garden - or how to start one? Farm animals? Farm children (kind of in the same group as the animals some days :-) )? Let me know.