Farewell to What Once Was

On a warm Saturday afternoon Hubby and I packed up the family car with our contributions to a sad farewell party held at the Family Farm. It’s been the gathering place for forty years. The focal point of our family.

We are a big extended family and we do things in a big, extended way. The family farm has been the place for summer cook outs, complete with tents pitched in the pastures, from day one. Dad had always wanted life on a farm. He was fortunate to begin the second chapter of his life with a women who shared his dream of life on a small farm. And they have shared their dreams with us, the every growing extended family.

It was sad to see this part of our lives come to a close. My children, my grandchildren and now my great grand daughter have been able to experience country life on the farm. It’s been a special place for our family to gather.

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The farm gave us a place to raise chickens, wild turkeys, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. We’ve bordered horses on the property. There have been weddings and funerals at the farm, the full circle of life unfolding. An entire new generation of children came to know my loving Husband as the Human Jungle Gym. It was so bitter-sweet to say goodbye. Even the neighboring horses seemed to sense that a way of life was coming to a close.

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Dad is in his nineties. We’ve been so blessed to have had him with us this long. He can’t get out and tend to the animals or the orchards or his garden as he once did. It’s time to let those things go. Sue, his wife, was never a step-mother to his children. We were pretty much grown when she came along. Sue is our friend. As it should be. She has battled cancer this year, and whopped its butt. That took a lot out of her, it’s time she enjoyed a more simple life. Selling the farm is the right thing to do. Still, it is with mixed emotions that we let go and say good bye.

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God, I thank Thee for all You have given me. For the love of family, country and simple things that hold more value than all the riches in the world. For a faith that will protect me through every storm. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Mother Mary.

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Farewell to the Farm Barbecue
Hamburger and Hot Dog Station
Mema’s Potato Salad
Cheater’s Bacon Baked Beans
S’Mores

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Hamburger and Hot Dog Station
Condiment Bar
1 head Lettuce
4 Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 White Onion
1 Red Onion
Hamburger Buns as needed
Hot Dog Buns as needed
Mustard as desired
Mayonnaise as desired
Ketchup as desired
Pickle Relish as desired

Rinse lettuce, break leaves from the head, then cut in half. Stack leaves in a container to refrigerate until ready to use. Slice tomatoes, place in another container. Dice the white onions for hot dogs, slice the red onion for burgers. Place in serving containers. Keep buns covered and place on the table for easy access along with the condiments. Squeeze bottles work best.

Be sure to have plastic forks handy for serving the lettuce, tomatoes and red onions. A spoon works best for the diced white onion.

Burgers and Dogs
1 package Third-Pound Hamburger Patties or as needed
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Hamburger Seasoning to taste
1 package Costco Dinner Franks or as needed
1 package sliced American Cheese or as needed

Build a nice fire for grilling. Break apart burger patties, season as desired with salt, pepper and hamburger seasoning. Cover half of the grill with burgers, the other half with hot dogs. Grill burgers for 5 minutes per side. Rotate hot dogs as needed to get even blistering on skins.

Quickly get a head count for cheese burgers. Slap cheese on the number needed, leaving the rest as plain hamburgers. Pull from the grill, keep warm in a large chafer pan. Let everyone build their burgers and dogs as desired.

Mema’s Potato Salad
2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 lb Red Potatoes
7 Eggs
1/2 Red Onions
2 ribs Celery
1 tablespoon Bacon Drippings
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tablespoon Mustard
2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar or to taste
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Green Onions for garnish
Paprika for color

Peel and slice potatoes into large chunks. Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with 1-inch of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are just tender but not soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with red wine vinegar and set aside in refrigerator to cool.

Place eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12-14 minutes, then plunge eggs into cold water to stop cooking process. Once cooled, roll egg on counter to crack the shell. Return eggs to cold water and let sit for about 15 minutes. This will help to make the eggs easier to peel.

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice red onion. Clean, trim and dice celery. Warm bacon drippings. Place onions, celery and drippings in a large mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, set dressing aside.

Cut the roots from green onions. Cut white portion from green part. With a sharp thin knife slice the white part of the onion about a quarter-inch from the end into strips. This will create a bloom. Set aside. Snip remaining green part for garnish.

Peel and chop 4 eggs. Add to dressing. Slice remaining 3 eggs in half. Empty yolk from the eggs, mix with a little mayonnaise, salt, pepper and a kiss of wine vinegar to create deviled eggs. Sprinkle with a little paprika and set aside.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over potatoes and toss to coat. Smooth out top. With the back of a spoon, create indentations around the top of the salad for the deviled eggs. Place eggs as desired. Garnish with green onion blossoms. Sprinkle top of salad chopped green onion for added color. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.

Cheater’s Bacon Baked Beans
6 to 8 strips Applewood Smoked Bacon
1/2 Yellow Onion
4 large cans Country Style Baked Beans
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Chop 4 strips of bacon into small pieces, Fry until nearly crisp in a cast iron skillet. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the bacon renderings.

Dice onion, quickly fry in the bacon drippings just to get the onions a smoky kiss. Set aside.Empty the beans into a large baking dish. Stir in cooked bacon, onions and brown sugar. Lay remaining strips of bacon over the beans. Cover tightly with foil. Place in the heated oven, bake for 3 hours undisturbed.

Uncover the beans, increase heat to 325 and continue to bake until bacon is crisp. The longer the beans are left to cook, the more intense the flavor.

Cover, shut off oven and keep warm until ready to serve.

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Alleluia, alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way.
Alleluia, alleluia.