Have you ever stopped after a seemingly simple moment and thought to yourself, “I think my life just changed”? I had this feeling last week, and it was such a distinct feeling…I was immediately in awe of how my future could have been drastically (okay, I’m being a bit dramatic) different had this one second of life not happened. I hope the following doesn’t come off as too creeeeeeepy…maybe Halloween has an influence on this post!
Mmmm, look at that fatty goodness!
Several things occurred in building up to this moment. First, Evan bought me a new chef’s knife. He’s super into techie websites that find the best of everything without being painfully expensive. So, he found this knife and got it for me because I’m always complaining about our dulling knives. The first thing I cut with it was a big four pound rutabaga, and with the first effortless slice I let out an audible gasp.
You see, I have been envious of those with great knife skills for a long time. It is so impressive to see expert chefs break down a duck or perfectly fillet a large salmon. The knife appears to find the perfect spot to slice through. When watching a good knife handler dice onions or even cut an apple, their skills are apparent…but I’ve discovered that a lot of this skill is in the knife! Now that I have used a truly sharp, nice knife, I am not intimidated by whole chickens or thick skinned winter squash. The beautiful halibut fillets I’ve butchered in the past will be no more. Squished tomatoes will be but a memory. I will no longer be intimidated by whole meats and other foods!
Thank you, amazing new life changing tool.
The height of this epiphany came last week when I decided to finally roast a pork belly I’ve had in the freezer for awhile. It was from a pig that I helped raise a little bit–a nice fatty heritage breed. I’ve been a lifetime fan of bacon, even going so far as to be one of those lame vegetarians who still eats bacon! However, I’ve heard here and there that a well roasted pork belly is superior in many ways to the salty deliciousness that is cured bacon.
{Commence drooling}
To prepare this pork, I had to score the fatty side of the belly. It was AMAZING to do this with the new sharp knife. The responsiveness of it was incredible, I could feel where the fat layer ended and the meat began, allowing me to score it deep enough but not too much. Writing this out now makes is sound kind of silly or weird–but it really was one of the more illuminating moments in my life. I think my culinary possibilities have multiplied many fold, and I was already pretty satisfied with how I handled myself in the kitchen.
Is it torturous to roast pork belly in the presence of my canine friends?
So, I have this new knife…and other life changers.
I used a pressure canner for the first time last week–major life changer! I love having home made broth, and I usually just freeze it. I also keep all of my vegetable trimmings in freezer bags. By the end of the farming season, my freezer is usually overflowing with onion tops, beet peels, carrot tips and all sorts of various veggie parts. We don’t have a large chest freezer or anything, so it was taking up precious freezer space. So, I borrowed a friends pressure canner and now I have many pints of vegetable, chicken, duck and beef stock. YUM. I plan on expanding my pressure canning repertoire in the future but thought I’d start this year with broths and stocks.
Hi Ava! Sing it!
Another life changer: Ava’s mobility! She is now able to get to where she wants to be in a relatively fast manner. She didn’t crawl for a very long time–instead she scooted backwards or did this silly sit, lean forward, move one leg forward, sit, lean forward, move one leg forward kind of thing that took forever to get anywhere. Now she’s a crawling and cruising machine! She’s even standing unassisted for about twenty seconds at a time. Her new favorite activity is splashing all of the dog water everywhere and getting soaking wet. She is no longer a little baby (sigh…) and is well on her way to being a toddler. Time goes so quickly.
Not dog water…but other spilled water. So fun.
Before I know it, she will be using a truly sharp knife for the first time…and other life changers.
Have any relatively “normal” things happened to you lately that have changed your life for the better? I think every Farmgirl has or should have a truly sharp, responsive chef’s knife and access to a pressure canner (as for a newly toddling toddler…probably not a necessity!). What tools of the trade do you think belong in every Farmgirl’s repertoire?
I hope Halloween next week is fun for all and that you have a sharp knife to expertly carve those Jack and Jill-o-lanterns!
Until next time,
Sending Peace and Love from Alaska,
Alex, the Rural Farmgirl
Alexandra Wilson 
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Alex, I just love posts with darling Ava! And tickle is the best word. I love that tickle is one of Ava’s first words. How fun is that? I get tickled over a lot of things… as a matter of fact, I usually get tickled over things that aren’t necessarily that funny! 🙂 But it sure makes the bumps in the road a little easier when we can laugh, huh? Thanks for this post… glad you are okay. I got a little worried when we got our email alert for your post… and it wasn’t there! 🙂 Stay warm. – Dori, the Ranch Farmgirl –
Thanks for your concern, Dori! It is a good habit to get tickled over those little inconsequential mishaps. More of us need to follow your lead! We’ve been staying pretty warm up here in Alaska–it’s been in the forties the last few days. Warmer than the Carolinas, crazy!
I get stressed over the little stuff too, and I wish I didn’t. But I’m working on that. Tickles make me laugh too, but I hate the losing control of feeling too. Ava is a cutie. I love you sharing her with us. Hope your days are better now with tickles. 🙂
Thanks, Denise! The days are definitely better and the tickles are getting much more fun. They are a good reminder to shrug off the small stuff–I want to set a good example for Ava by being a less stressed person. I just need to remind myself quite often. Hope you are well!
February has been the “month of mishaps” here… one after another…and thank goodness this month is about gone. I’d gladly send you the snow and ice we have had as well as the bitter cold temperatures! West Virginia isn’t supposed to be undergoing an ice age but it sure acts like it! and if someone tickled me, I would NOT laugh. That is one thing that I have always HATED and I never did it to my babies!
This was a post worth waiting for! A great word choice and with your darling daughter, one that is especially appropriate! It is good to consider what “tickles” us and relish them all.
So sorry you in AK are without your usual snow. In Ohio, we have not had any real record breakers in snowfall, just cold temps and some ice. But… it is the coldest February on record for many parts of the state. I’m waithing to see green grass and I wouldn’t even mind having to mow it. LOL
Take care, Bonnie
Somehow I missed the blogs before valentines day….but you tickled my heart….ava is so cute, she tackled my memory of the days when my kids were that small. Love his she is so curious and searches out fir those little things that can be irritating if were not feeling up to par. Its the winter dreads due yo the lack of Don, but you got your sun! Ava! Enjoy her because she will grow up and move away, enjoy her irritating tackling curiosity charm, fir she us a charmer.
You know those dreadful feelings could be due to insufficient sun ….you sound like you need vitamin D….you need MORE in the winter months. I Been there and notice this…..did you know anyone living in the northern hemisphere deal with this….get 2000mg of vitamin D a day and those yucky feelings of the blues will go away! Then you will be truly ticks pink and not in the blues, then things went be so irritating. If that’s not enough try L_tyrosine, that makes you feel better too. Be cause MST people get down in he drums n the feeling department. Oversees emotions can do that to you….kids can overwhelm you by all the caring you do fir others. It will take approximate be to two months before you feel less irritated. Then you can really enjoy just looking at Ava! Me smiling, days get better….spring will be here soon…