Wild Turkeys, Catfish n Okra

The wild turkeys have been thick around the house this spring. They seem to be used to me, they aren't afraid of me when I walk around the farm doing chores. They like to gather underneath the horse feed troughs, catching any spilled grain. The dog leaves them alone,  he knows they are welcome here. :)

I enjoy watching them. Won't be long before the hens go off to sit on their nests and the toms will disappear for awhile. 

This was actually an indoor meal!
Grabbed some of last summer's catfish out of the freezer and okra from last year's garden..

made a cornmeal fish fry with lemon pepper, cayenne, salt and a touch of flour...

Used my handy Bass Pro thingy...

I love this thing, It' coats the fish perfectly...

Fried til golden....

I like to use the same fish fry mixture for okra . Dipped the okra in an egg-milk bath first that had onion and garlic powder added.  Then into the handy Bass Pro thingy for a coat of fish fry...

fried til golden too...

I can eat these like popcorn!

Went with a Henry's hard soda to wash it all down....

I love fried catfish and okra. Such a simple meal but it tastes so good.

Haven't had the chance to go fishing yet this year but I'm ready! There are still a few fish fillets in my freezer, but I'm overdue for a good camp trip and some campfire cookin'.

The weather has been pretty nice here the last week or so. I'm still working on the chicken coop and garden. It's the kind of work that makes you tired at the end of the day, but it's a GOOD kind of tired. I sleep well. :)

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Breakfast....and Chickenfried Fatty

Regular ole breakfast fatties are still my favorite but chickenfrying leftover sliced fatty the next morning is hard to beat too.

For filling I went with fried tatoes, onions, scallions, cheese and seasonings. Used my stainless fatty piston (thank you again Rolf in Germany!)

Into the drum at 300F, with a bit of hickory...

Topped a toasted english muffin with sliced fatty, next came the egg....and a good drizzle of hollandaise sauce...

I love fatty  benedict. :)

Next day..
Giving sliced fatty a dredge in seasoned flour, a  dip in an egg-milk bath, then back into the seasoned flour before frying til golden...

made skillet gravy with the drippin's...

Topped a hot buttered  biscuit with chickenfried fatty slices....

Loaded skillet gravy on top...and served with cheesy scrambled eggs and fruit...

After seeing the pics again, I'm not sure which breakfast is my favorite. You can't go wrong with gravy!


I'm getting a lot of work accomplished around the farm. Have a new batch of baby chicks coming in a week or two. I've built a new pen in the back end of the chicken coop for them. The ice storm in January caved my chicken pen in and damaged the coop roof. I've got the roof replaced and am working on the new pen.
I guess the work is never ending no matter where you live. Good thing I enjoy it! :)


Hope everyone is doing well, thanks for stopping by!

Chicharrones (pork skins).... The Big, White, Fluffy Kind

Fried pork skins or rinds, aren't the healthiest thing to eat but once every year or so I have to break down and make some. These white fluffy skins are my favorite. 

I simmer the pork skins in water for 45 minutes to one hour to render off the fat...

After cooling a bit, I scrape any leftover fat or meat off of the skin by using a spoon...

Then layer the skins on a rack and dry in the oven overnight (lowest setting or 170F)..... until dry and brittle. 

I keep these stored in a baggie but I watch to make sure they are dry and no moisture gets inside of the bag with them.

They are ready to fry!

I set my burner up, out of the wind. The wind has been interesting this month! 

The kind of wind that will blow you over if you don't keep rocks in your pockets. :)

I break the skins into pieces to fry. I like to make them fairly large ...

They cook and puff up fast. I fry a few at a time...

Lightly salt and they are ready for snackin'... 

I pick out one of the larger ones and sprinkle it with a dry rub. This time I went with Texas Shake...

Assembled several hot sauces for taste testing.

I really like Cholula Chili Lime on these...

Also, my home canned Hatch Chile salsa was pretty tasty...

I made a meal out of this, Washed the chicharrone down with a cold beer and called er good.

These take a little bit of time to prep but are worth it, imo. Better than the store bought ones too. Not as greasy. :)

I haven't had the chance to go camping OR fishing yet this year. Can't believe it! Hopefully I'll get caught up on things around here and will be able to slip off for an evening by the lake. The catfish are calling. :)

Thanks for stopping by!