More trauma for Mother - and we castrate our first piglet

Yep, the deed is done! Ham Hock is officially a heshe now. Pat and I decided to do our baby boy ourselves. We used our traditional method when dealing with our livestock, i.e., we wrapped him in a blanket, lulled him into a semi-sleep, and snipped! The testicles popped out, we sprayed the purple stuff on the wound, and we took him back to his mama. He was running around the pen with the rest of them right away. The hardest part was getting him out of the pen. As soon as Pat got in to get him, Mother thought, "they're coming to take my babies again!" (Can't blame her, since she was right!) so she grunted angrily and got in our way and even bit Pat's knee. I asked if she was okay, and her adrenaline said, "Oh, yeah, she just got a mouthful of jeans." We found out later, when the jens came off, that she got a mouthful of knee as well! But she finally scooped him up and handed him to me over the fence. Then I had to deal with our two dogs who seem to have forgotten what the word 'no' means. They were jumping up to get little Ham Hock in my arms! (Note to self: Put the dogs inside next time.) I barely made it into the garage with the little fella, and Pat barely made it out of the pen, being chased by an angry mother pig! But after that, everything went smoothly, and the pigs are safely back in their pens!

Two little piggies went went to market...

And three little piggies stayed home! Yes! Two of our piglets left the nest yesterday. We sold them to a fellow farmer, who will love them and raise them. We thought it would be simple, to just walk in and grab the two piglets.... But, Mother was not so eager to let them go! The first one was pretty easy, but when she saw what we were up to, it got very challenging!

Here's Mother, guarding the door to her babies' room! Pat said, "I'll distract Mother and you grab the piglet." Pat distracted Mother:

But when I poked my head into the piggy boudoir,

those silly piggies weren't there! They had escaped through a secret back door! Hmmm...guess we have to be smarter then the pigs!

We did finally coax them out with food, grass,and kind words. Then we grabbed the piglet and ran! Mother was upset for a little while, then tended to her remaining three babies.

My vegan chili recipe

Okay, by request, my recipe, more or less:

I soak 1-2 lbs of dry beans overnight. I use pinto (Pat's preference), but red or kidney are also okay.

Then I drain them and put them in a large slow cooker. Cover with water. Add:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 chopped fresh jalapeño pepper
3-4 tbls. Chili powder
2-3 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper, any color
Any of the following fresh vegetables, chopped:
Celery
Carrots
Squash
Mushrooms

Salt to taste with Hawaiian sea salt.

I then cook it on low for 12-24 hours, until the beans are soft. Serve with brown rice. No need to add fake meat or other protein, because beans are full of protein and fiber.

A happy work week!

This week I get to do my favorite thing for work! Cook! A caterer friend contracted me to cook and bake gluten-free and vegan items for her event! It's like preparing for thanksgiving! This is what I love about retirement. It's not that I don't work, it's just that I get a variety now. One week editing, one week baking, one week teaching, etc. very fun. So what's on the menu? Vegan chili (made it Saturday and tried it Sunday, yummy), vegan shepherds pie, vegan chocolate cake, vegan gluten free carrot muffins, gluten-free lilikoi bars, gluten-free brownies, gluten-free applesauce spice cake, gluten-free banana bread, gluten-free cheesecake with fresh berries. Yes, I am having fun!

New furniture!

Our friends are preparing to move to the mainland. They are selling their superfluous furniture. We scooped up a great little table. It has two storage sections that roll out to become quick-n-easy side tables or small seats, then tuck back in. We weren't sure where to put it, but found the perfect spot - our puppies love their new dining table! Easy on the back, and out of reach of those pesky ants!

I made my own salt scrub!

Well, yes, I ran out of the scented, purchased pot of stuff I rub on my feet in the shower to keep them from being rough and callous-like in between pedicures. (I can't stand having rough feet!) And it is getting harder and harder to find things in the store without fancy chemical names in them. So, I searched my beloved internet and found the recipe for Salt Scrub. VERY easy. And I tried it! Works wonderfully, and I like it better than the last one I bought. I made a vanilla-coconut scent. Peppermint for Christmas, maybe?

What's the recipe? Fill the jar half full of Hawaiian sea salt, then fill it almost full of oil (I used coconut oil). Add a few drops of essential oil or extract for scent. Mix. Tada!