"It's working! They're melting!" - Matilde

As a kid, like my own, I enjoyed infomercials. I loved the way they dazzled you and made you continue watching not because there was nothing else on tv but because you wanted to know more. You believed by the end of their 15-30 minutes of paid programming that you could not live a normal American life without their prized product. My favorite was for the Ronco Food Dehydrator. I longed for this magnificent machine that could turn my fresh fruits into candy, my vegetables into edible treats, and my meats into marinated handheld healthy snacks. Finally, after living years without dehydrated foods, it's mine. A beautiful four-tiered (the fifth was missing), fanless, second-hand Ronco that's all mine! A fantastic gift from my in-laws. Fantastic!

This evening Matilde and I prepped six bananas in a water/honey mixture and carefully placed each slice onto our trays. They will spend the next 36 hours shrinking down and drying out into crispy little chips that are perfect for snacking. 

Dreams do come true. 

It's hunting season...let me take a selfie!

I love this guy! 

He went out to try and bag his first deer last weekend up in Darrington with no luck. We're hoping his luck changes next weekend at a new locale. I'm hurting for some deer jerky and deer sticks!  Cousin Ty got his first this season down in AZ and sent us some jerky that was gone in two shakes of a lamb's tail. That jerky was the shizz, yo! Mama needs her fix. 

Wish my gun toting deer slayer luck! 

A little elbow grease goes a long way!

I decided to bake two whole rabbits for dinner this evening, but my oven had other plans!  It didn't want to light. Instead, it sizzled, crackled, and popped!  Lights out. I contacted PSE and the gas man made an appearance. He advised there was no leak, but our oven ignitor went out and needed to be replaced. Wah wah! I LOVE my gas oven and I will fight until the end of time for it. (I'm looking at you Granmo!) 

Unfortunately, my baked rabbit plan went out the door. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I pulled out the meat grinder! It was work trying to get the raw meat off their tiny little bunny bones, but I did the best I could. I soaked the meat in a teriyaki marinade and proceeded to grind. The results were 3.5 pounds of ground rabbit to be used for jerky (we also have a jerky press waiting for some action too!). I was all set to dehydrate it in the oven, but......MY OVEN IS BROKEN! I'm a dunce. It'll just have to wait. 

In the meantime I've decided to boil up the carcasses of the rabbits to soften the bones. After they're softened, I'll finely grind their bones to make my bread! Ha! Only kidding. I'll grind their bones and feed them to the birds out back. It's good for them. 

Here at El Gallo Blanco Backyard Farm and Garden we appreciate and use the whole animal. ;) 

Kid tested. Kid approved!!

Matilde's sunflower grew and grew this year! She planted her seed indoors, helped transplant it outside, helped papa harvest the seeds, and helped me roast them!  She was also the first to taste them! 

I soaked the seeds for about two days in a salt water brine.  Boiled them for 10 minutes, then spread them out onto a cookie sheet, dusted them with salt and set them to bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.  They crunched and split just like store bought seeds. The Gutierrez boys enjoyed them too!  Ole had been wanting to try home grown seeds and came just at the right time! All four kids loved them. :) I suppose we should plant another one next spring!