Bacon, Sausage, and Chops...

Allow me to introduce you to our pigs.  Their names are (were) Bacon, Sausage, and Chops.  Aren't they cute?

We bought them as piglets back in the fall, and Jonas has been their caregiver every day since we brought them home.  In fact, as we were rounding them up, Jonas (unintentionally) got a ride on one of them!  That was pretty exciting.  Actually, the whole ordeal of getting them loaded up was pretty entertaining (for me, as a spectator, anyway.)

Anyway, we got them loaded up and headed off to the butcher.  It was sort of a bittersweet moment.  We bought them INTENDING to butcher them, but you know, you kind of develop an appreciation for them as you watch them grow.  They were happy pigs, wallowing in the mud puddles and roaming at will about their pasture.  The kids were faithful about making sure their big wallow puddles were filled each day.  So, they had had a good life, unlike their factory farm cousins.

We came home with around 600 lbs of home-grown, hormone/antibiotic-free meat for much less than it would've cost from the grocery store.  It filled 2 freezers.

I'm going to be cooking lots and lots of pork!  Feel free to share your favorite recipes!!!  I'll need them!

We may need to invite some guests over to help us eat THIS roast that John Wesley's holding!  It's smelling pretty good in here right now....Harold and the boys are trying out some chops, nevermind the fact that it's 10:00 at night!  I guess you could say they are PIGGING OUT!!!  Haha!