It's a beef day

            So yesterday was a very busy and very farmy kind of day.  I started off with my usual morning routine.  Get up, let the dog out, start the fire, and get some coffee.  But there was no time for reading yesterday because once Jeff got home from work we would the cutting up a whole beef and prepare it to be ground into hamburger today.  So with only 1 cup of coffee in me I hurried to get a couple loads of laundry done.  Cutting up beef creates lots of extra laundry (dirty wash rags, towels, and aprons) so this was no time to fall behind.  Then I got the kids up and ready for class.

            JJ & I discovered the coolest thing on the new microwave that my Mom & Dad got Jeff & I for Christmas.  It has several presets to cook certain foods.  #1 is Oatmeal.  We love this!  I always made oatmeal on the stove before and it always seemed to take a while and just be kind of a pain.  Now we just put the oats, water, salt and we like a little maple syrup in a bowl, pop it in the microwave and poof, hot breakfast. 

            Then being Wednesday it was bill paying time.  All I can say is blahhh. Time for more coffee.  Usually 2 cups is all I need for a day but I caught this nasty head cold that I have been trying to get rid of for almost 2 weeks now and a little extra hot coffee, or hot anything to drink, seems to help a little.  I am so ready to be done with this cold.  I have had a headache since Sunday and it’s getting really old. 

            We had friends coming to help with the beef so I filled the crock pot with beef tips and gravy for supper for everyone.  Made lunch for the kids and made sure they got all of their tests and homework done.  Then we headed to the basement.  Thanks to Derrin, DJ, Ron and Heather for all their help.  We managed to get the entire beef boned out and ready to grind by supper time.  It was great!  Whenever it’s just Jeff & I cutting up a beef takes all day and most of the evening.  Since we had help this time we got it done in an afternoon.  Everything is packed in tubs in the refrigerator ready to grind today.  

            So this morning’s plan is for me to quickly run to Aldi’s to get groceries for the week while Jeff get’s the boys to class on time and puts the grinder together.  We’re hoping that we’ll have a chance to make some beef sticks and bologna made from some of this beef as well.  But that will have to wait until I can go get some more spices. And spices have to wait until the truck is inspected.  (Can’t go spending money on spices and casings until the truck is paid for)  So with any luck at all the truck will get done this week too.