lemon balm tea

I'm enjoying a cup of lemon balm tea (dried from our garden last year). The house is quiet. HE took a friend of Aidan's (and Aidan) back home and will pick up Erica (at one of her friend's homes) on his way home. I'm waiting for the SUPERMOON! Hopefully the clouds will hold off until it rises.

In the meantime I can show you my lard.

Yup, lard.


It's supposed to be good for you.

Did you try it?

I'm not gonna try it--you try it.

Let's get Mikey..........

okay, seriously though. This stuff is supposed to be good for you. Better than the white stuff they sell at the grocery store. When we ordered our half a pig, the farmer asked if we wanted any fat to render into lard and being adventurous, we said yes. It's been in the freezer for a few months, but I took it out today, had HE cut it into pieces and then warmed it on the stove. After passing it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer I put it into these jars and then into the freezer. Pretty easy. I'm excited to use it.

We also got a few jars of "cracklins". Having read the Little House on the Prairie books, I always pondered that word (it being the first time I had encountered it), but never took the time to discover exactly what it meant. Well, it's pig meat that gets fried in the lard as you melt it. And back in Laura Ingalls time it was definitely considered a treat. The recommendation I received was to use it in cooking things like cornbread, refried beans and any other dish that could use a savory boost. I'm excited to try that too!

But for now, it's time to go do a little moon watching.