A Handmade, Homemade Life

~ tired, old fence ~

Can anyone tell me why restaurants say, for example, "homemade ice cream" when it's clearly not homemade? Just another something to puzzle me.

April came and went and, mostly, so did I. Seems I was always getting ready to go, going or coming home. Lest you think it was for fun, it was, mostly, more work, different location. Except for that lovely first weekend spent camping with delightful SOTF women and, thankfully, I have a wonderful farm sitter which works well for both of us.

Last month I decided to make homemade sausage...as in sausage made at home. If you're interested in dong the same...either purchase ground pork or buy a roast and grind it at home. I purchased about six pounds of ground pork

then added my own spices

Himalayan pink salt, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, Hungarian safran (saffron), Hungarian sweet paprika, Italian herbs and crushed Malabar black pepper.

Then, I decided the mixture needed a tad bit of Spanish hot paprika to give it a little lift.

From top, clockwise:

2 tablespoons Italian herbs
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tablespoon Spanish hot paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 huge pinches Hungarian safran
and generous grindings of salt and pepper

Six pounds of pork made approximately three and a half dozen sausages

~ cooked, homemade sausage ~

and they were tasty when made for breakfast the next morning. The mixture was allowed to rest, covered, in the fridge so the flavors could meld.

~ Sadie, one of my constant companions ~

Looking forward to May - plant the garden (thanks John and Daniel for plowing and discing the garden!),

~ plowed, ready to disc ~

new fencing, a quick trip to Cabala's for Ladies Day Out and (hopefully) taking my little 1965 Serro Scotty...her maiden voyage! I say 'hopefully' because Donald has to help me get her road ready.

The sugar maples are leafing out nicely and spring has arrived on Thistle Cove Farm and on neighboring farms -

I've been huffing rosemary like a crazed woman but, apparently, it's not helping as I can't remember if I've said or not...last October the farm sale fell through due to lack of financing on the other side. The farm is back on the market, here and here to name two places. Like I've always said, God has a plan. As much as I love living here, I believe it's time to move closer to family...Mom and Daddy, siblings, nephew and his family...and settle into the next season of life. In the meantime, or p'raps I should say, "In the good time, I'll continue with my stewardship of this farm, these animals, this home and pray for God's perfect will be done.

Ponder this ~ "I am a creature of God, and He has an undoubted right to do with me as seemeth good in His sight. I rejoice that I am in His hand--that He is everywhere present and can protect me in one place as well as in another." ~ Ann Hasseltine Judson ~