Tuesday, October 28, 2008

SPT: Peter Rabbit for dinner.


#28. I grew up on rabbit meat, instead of chicken.

Yes, all those soft fluffy cute rabbits were a part of my diet as a child. Although born in a crowded California city, at the age of six, my family relocated to a nice quiet, rural area of Washington State. My parents dream was to be able to sustain themselves on the meat and produce from our farm. We had everything from chickens and rabbits, to pigs and cows, to a pony, and goats. I'm sure that my family ingested chicken, but I remember a large part of our family meals were rabbit meat.


Feeding our baby goats, around 8 years old.

The concept was great, but it was a lot of hard work for my parents and as we grew older, for me and my siblings. We milked goats, collected eggs, fixed fences, flung dung...yes, that's right, it's a fact when you live on a farm! It was neat being able to explore the woods around our house, but I could have done without all that work. Like it or not, it turned me into a productive worker - now for the whole procrastination thing!


OMMPD means One Mommy Moment Per Day - It's a personal goal of mine to try to post things my girls do and say. I felt like I wasn't recording their daily lives as much as I should and this is my way of reminding myself that they grow up quickly. You are welcome and encouraged to join me in this goal... Cici is sick today in her throat, she sounds like a little frog. The poor thing is so excited to be "home with mommy" that I have to remind her to stop talking so much. Nini was very scared to go without her sister, but this was the first time she was able to "get over it" before we went to school. She did a great job, walked into her classroom as proud as ever.

Have you milked a goat?
Had rabbit meat?
What is your mommy moment today?

26 comments:

Amber Grannis said...

Ah, this brought back memories! My parents also decided to try a stint of parenting on a farm. We had goats, chickens, and yes, even ate rabbit! Ha!

Jill said...

Oh my goodness, what an interesting item for your 100 list! I remember having neighbors who raised rabbits for food and I remember seeing them butcher one for our dinner (disturbing), and I think I even tried it (I was 5) but that was the one and only time.

Rachael said...

That is a great thing to have on your list! How funny!
I wish that I could have grown up on a farm...don't get me wrong...I get that it is HARD work but what a great childhood!

Chrissy, said...

Hi,
I think its neat you grew up on farm. I was around my cousins dairy farm when I was growing up so I'm not too squirmish when it comes to those thing but I wouldn't say I enjoy them a ton. Hard work is always a great thing to learn.

My OMMPD for the day is.... This morning I got out a new triple barrel curling iorn to crimp CC's hair for school. She was up for the idea so went ahead. (Get it ahead)and did it. When I finished she took a look in the mirror and started to cry "it's to poofy I look ugly" and so on. We had along morning trying to get her to go to school. Lots of tears and redoing of hair and her being late to Kindergarten. Deep down I knew it would happen. Why did I try something new? I have to stick to the routine with my CC.

Sarah said...

OMMPD is such a great idea! What an experience to grow up on a farm. I have to say rabbit meat is not something I have ever tried, nor intend to. But it is a cool item to have on your list.

donna said...

did you drink Goats MILK? I had some on my mission. So YUCKY!!!

Way cute picture.

lelly said...

i've never milked a goat or tasted rabbit. while i'm in love with the concept of living a sustainable life, i'm not so in love with the work it involves - i'm a big softie, i guess.

i love your photo!

Jeanette said...

I did milk a goat at my friends house and it was sooo hard.

Amie said...

I haven't ever had rabbit, but we do have animals and chores to teach the kids to work. I hope it works as well for them as it has for you.

Thanks for the cute fall card... it is always fun to have something thoughtful in the mailbox.

leanne c said...

hey Michelle
Yes i too was given rabbit to eat as we lived in a small country town
I havent milked a goat but i have tried to milk a cow on my aunties farm. we also stayed with my grandparents a lot on the farm for the school holidays and we loved it. take care leanne

Heffalump said...

I milked a goat once. I had friends in Hockinson that had goats. I also ate rabbit meat at least once. It wasn't bad.

mommy nurse said...

I have never milked a goat, but I have a cow. I have tasted rabbit and it's just like chicken! Mommy moment, picking my daughter up from school who is 11 and she asked me if a pair of shoes are flung over a telephone wire does that mean that a drug dealer lives near by? I didn't know what to say because after we dropped her friend off we rode under a pair of tennis shoes flung over a telephone wire. It was the strangest conversation.

dani said...

i am a city girl, through and through... i have had fried rabbit before though. my grandmother used to pan-fry it and serve it with mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits. if i remember correctly, i was more keen on the carbs than i was on the meat;)
have a wonderful wednesday, michelle!!!
love,
dani

dani said...

ps. that is a darling photo of you with the baby goats!!!

The monkey bunch said...

I never knew people ate rabbits until I was married and had 2 children. I thought the first people I met that did that were weird. What did I think people did with all those rabbits- I don't know?

Jan said...

I have eaten rabbit before, but have never had the pleasure of milking a goat. I will pass upon that pleasure glady too.

My mommy moment was when my daughter said that she knew I loved her. I always like that.

SuzanSayz said...

First of all Michelle, the picture of you at 8 is so cute. More importantly though, when I first looked at it I thought it was one of your girls. I could see a real resemblance, that is so cool.
Second; about 16 years ago we had a family in our ward who raised and sold rabbits. Either for food or as pets, it made no difference to them. I don't remember what I did, but I had helped her in some way and to show her gratitiude, she brought me a frozen rabbit ready for cooking. I was freaked out but I very graciously took it from her and put it in my freezer. I felt like I should cook it, since it was a gift afterall. But every time I would see it in my freezer I would get freaked out all over again. After almost a year of seeing that thing in my freezer I finally threw it away. I felt so terribly guilty. I new I was being irrational. I had handled whole chickens before and saw them as nothing but food. But that rabbit, all I could see with it was a dead, skinned, frozen rabbit. I have never been able to get the image of that rabbit out of my head.
Sorry to post a post on your post:)

Jennfer said...

I love the pic. I haven't eaten rabbit once since I left home. I wonder if mom and dad ever crave it?

My SHOP is open. thanks for you help!♥♥♥

Laura said...

I'd love to live on a farm with my kids. They would really know the meaning of the word "work". You're fortunate that you had that experience.

Melinda said...

Wow, you were a farm girl! I didn't know. I have never had rabbit and really don't plan on it. I have issues with meat. I am slowly trying to get over them but it is a struggle. This was all very interesting to read. Thanks for clarifying what the letters meant. I always wondered.

Elizabeth said...

We had goats and I grew up on goats milk. Never have had rabbit though.

Mandi said...

Hey Michelle, you know what blows me away - how much the girls look like you in that photo - I know its not possible, but really they do - lovely!!!

Monica M said...

Never milked a goat and I've never had rabbit meat. My hubby had rabbit in Italy with his relatives. I was really nervous to visit his relatives in Italy, afraid they would serve rabbit meat, but luckily it was a pork roast. My mommy moment was getting everything done in good time tonight-homework, practice violin and piano, dinner, dishes, out for a treat, reading time, brush your teeth, outfits ready for tomorrow, rooms cleaned and finally bedtime-yeah.

Mikki said...

I have had rabbit meat. My grandma and grandpa had a farm in Draper UT, I have many fond memories. My brothers milked cows, but never goats. I have done my fair share of garden weeding, and letting calves suck my fingers.
My grandma cooked a pretty good rabbit, she peppered the heck out of it, but I remember it tasting quite good.

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

never milked a goat... have eaten rabbit a few times. Super cute picture of you with the goats.
BAD Mommy moment... well, some how I missed Em attacking scott and I guess he didn't complain too much... but he is sporting some pretty good marks,but yet when she was touching his chair he was freaking out! What's up with that?!
This OMMPD is a good idea.

Noriane said...

In France, people eat rabbit all the time, so I grew up eating it. I love rabbit meat! My grandma made the best rabbit stew ever.