Let's Play Butcher.

Children's minds are so moldable.

Today I took my three kids and the two kids I nanny for up to Smokey Point to pick up my 1/4 beef.  The car ride was a little alarming as they began into the fascination of the butchering process...

'they go like this to the neck...'
'after they put the big knife in do they jump on top of the knife?'
'can we ask the butcher how they kill the cow?'
'my uncle kills pigs and I've always wanted to know how he kills them.'
'how do we fit a big piece of the cow into our freezer?!'
'are all the little parts wrapped in something before we bring it home?'
'will you just put it in the back of the truck?'

I smiled that my children had the ability to stomach all these pieces of information... there's just something about it that makes me proud.

We arrived at Silvana Meats and the kids filed inside the small shop.  They stood against the upright glass freezers staring at the cuts of beef and pork with enthusiasm.  I, on the other hand, stood in line behind two fishermen who were ordering the most beautiful steaks for their trip on the off-chance they didn't catch any fish... I can't imagine they're going to try real hard at this point.  I'd take a chunk of red meat over opaque any day of the week.  Enjoy yourselves boys.

The men walked out the shop, squeezing past the kids as I gave the lady at the counter my last name.

'I'm picking up 1/4 beef from Thomas Farms for Schei...'  I glanced over at the kids to find them holding their noses in disgust at the smell of the butcher shop (they don't appreciate the mouth-watering smell of smoked meat yet) whilst they played 'Butcher'.  It would be hard to even begin to describe the five of them pretending to slaughter each other with smiles on their faces as though the death was all for a good cause... good for them.  They're beginning to understand that beef looks better in the kitchen than it does in the grass.  Once again, I was proud.

The butcher and I chuckled as we exchanged credit card for a signed receipt.  I filed the kids out to the truck and waited for the load to be delivered...

What a load it was!  I filled up the trunk of the truck and hauled it home... the kids seemed a little more uneasy about the dead cow in the back of the car and I was trying with all my might to reassure them that it was AWESOME and totally worth the loss of life.  They looked at me as though they were still smelling smoked meat and rested their heads back looking out the window.  What were they possibly day dreaming about?  I don't want to know...

I hummed happily all the way home and dreamed about putting my beautiful beef into the freezer in a rather organized fashion -- making homemade meals with my beef -- creating beautiful meal calendars each month and maybe even a freezer inventory (in honor of Dick Haferbecker)!

6 of the 7 lives in the car were looking up... I'm so happy to be on the top of the food chain.