We have been enjoying balmy January weather – daily highs above zero for 22 days straight but lots of snow in the mountains where we have skied 4 times this month.
January is sausage-making month. Led by Klaus and his knowhow, skills and equipment, 3 of us joined forces to turn 10 legs (250 lbs) into a year’s supply of Italian sausage, smoked sausage, schnitzel, and speck (like prosciutto). Also made a few smoked moose/pork sausages. Will likely get only 6 legs next year.
Klaus debones the meats and divides it into loins and tougher cuts, some fat (about 30%) and cuts that will become schnitzel and speckLoins in the front and lesser cuts in the back. These are ground separately and the lesser cuts are emulsified with a few litres of water and serve to bind the ground sausage meat.Ground pork with spices, roasted pepper and parsly ready for the casings. Extruding the sausages. We kept some ground pork for patties and meatballs.After drying for a day, these were hot smoked for a few hours. They are now air drying in the wine cellar and downstairs bathroom and should be ready in a week or so.The last bottle of wine we brought back from France – it aged very well! Almost 14 years since we left France.This 7 meter table was made from a single slab of wood by our neighbor in his very large and envy-inducing hobby shop. It is on a rig that uses a heavy duty router to flatten slabs. This one is destined for a restaurant in Prince George. Mizuho in the back for scale.One of the two doors for the bedroom made from one of MEC’s old exterior doors. The two slabs were edged in fir scalloped to match the slab. The slab was sanded with a random orbital sander as there were many scratches .. marks and discolorations. All that is left is to mount the hinges on the door and jamb, apply two more coats of oil, and see if it fits. And then figuring out something to keep them closed and handles to open them
And on the cultural side, we enjoyed a few shows at Kelowna’s version of a winter Fringe Festival and my first Monster Truck Show (with Coop not M) at the local ice arena. Like climbing Mount Fuji – worth doing once, crazy to do it twice.
