This past week has been a very busy week with cutting up the beef. I am so glad that this job is done for another year. My hands still feel stiff and sore from all of the cutting and slicing.
We bought a meat slicer at an auction, but it didn't work very well for slicing steaks. I ended up slicing a lot of the steaks with a knife and putting a lot of whole steaks in the freezer. I think the slicer will work for ham or cheese, but it is just not made to slice steaks.
Joe borrowed a meat saw to cut the T-bone steaks. He always likes to cook those out on the grill.
A lot of hard work goes into cutting up a beef. The hamburger has to be cut into pieces to fit through the grinder, and the beef chunks all have to be cut into little chunks.
The bones have to be trimmed good to get all the meat off that we can. The bones with the most meat on we don't trim, I just put those in the freezer and will put those into the pressure cooker one day. I will make beef stew with it then.
ADVERTISEMENT
This week, we will wash the canned hamburger and beef chunk jars and carry them to the canning shelf in the basement. We still have enough room in the freezer if we want to butcher a hog. It has warmed up so much, though, that the weather may make it impossible to do that. Our family always looks forward to the Pon Hoss we usually make on hog-butchering day.
Yesterday my husband, Joe, was sick and unable to go to church. He is very congested and has a bad head cold — it sure makes a person feel miserable.
Some of the children and I went to church, which was a few miles from here. Daughters Elizabeth and Susan attended church in another neighboring church district.
Our afternoon visitors were Jacob, Emma and their family, along with Joe's sister Carol, Pete and their family and Joe's brother, Junior. The girls popped popcorn for everyone.
After our visitors left, we had mashed potatoes, fried fresh steaks and steak gravy, cheese, homemade bread and cinnamon rolls for our supper. Steak gravy is made from the drippings used from frying the streaks.
On Friday and Saturday, the youth gave a program at the community building. They do one every year to raise funds for the building and also to help a few families with their hospital expenses.
With Joe not feeling well, we were unable to go. The children were excited when our good friends Jim and Ruth offered to take them. It sounds like they all enjoyed the program.
The youth will give the same program again this Friday and Saturday. Our plans are to attend one night if everyone is OK. It sounds like the building was filled with people on Saturday evening. The youth spent hours practicing for this and are doing it for a good cause.
ADVERTISEMENT
We are putting off doing our laundry today. It sounds like we might have some nice sunny days this week so we can dry the clothes outdoors.
I will share with you a recipe of my mother's. These are the cinnamon rolls she would always make.
Although I have tried different cinnamon roll recipes, I always like hers the best. Mother always used Robin Hood flour for her breads and rolls; I do the same, although Robin Hood flour can not be found in all stores anymore.
I used to be able to buy it in town but can't find it any more. I buy mine in 25-pound bags at the Amish bulk food stores.
