I admit- I cannot do this even though is it budget.

[Mouse House Mama]

I cannot get a whole or half animal cut up to freeze. I have a big freezer and yes it would save money but my sister can't do it either. I swear I would feel like the thing was trying to put itself back together again everytime I closed the freezer door. Just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies! It would be like Pet Cemetery. Except instead of a cat it would be a cow. I know it is irrational but I can't get it out of my head. So what is the one thing you can't do even if it is budget?

 

[horseshowmom]

If it helps any, I can assure you that it in no way remotely even resembles a cow. Ours was wrapped in white freezer paper and just looked like a lot of small packages.

We've done this with pork and beef before. However, I do draw the line at "knowing" the animal. I refuse to eat anybody that I know (no matter how much DH shakes his head!).

 

[Toby'sFriend]

My husband grew up on a farm.

When we were in High School he used to invite me over to dinner. We'd all be sitting at the table and the family would start discussing all the personality quirks and funny stories of the Pig that donated that night's pork chops.

I think that, even then, they were conspiring to get rid of me.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Ugh! You should not meet what you are going to eat! Another rule I have is that I cannot eat tongue. I don't want anything that can taste me back!

 

[momto1]

We get a half a cow every 18 months or so. When I go to pick the meat up, I jokingly refer to going to pick up Bessie. But, seriously...It is just meat wrapped in white paper. Just like if you went to a meat market to purchase meat. I have no connection to the meat. Now I may look at my freezer a little differntly the next time I pull out a package of hamburger.
Lori

 

[gary4jenn]

I needed a good chuckle- thx!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I wouldn't be able to do that. The kids and I don't eat red meat at all and my hubby only eats it like 4 times per month. But, I even get creeped out at chicken. I hate washing it and feeling how slimy it is. YUCK>>>>>

So, one thing I couldn't do even if it is budget friendly is use that DIVA CUP another poster was recommending. *gagging**

 

[girli565]

that was great!!

I could never know the animal my meat came from but I would buy a half cow!

We purchased a whole pig to roast on Christmas eve a long time ago and I could not eat it, it sat on our counter for about 5-6 hours the night prior before it was seasoned and I refused to eat it the next day. It looked at me all night!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

that was great!!

I could never know the animal my meat came from but I would buy a half cow!

We purchased a whole pig to roast on Christmas eve a long time ago and I could not eat it, it sat on our counter for about 5-6 hours the night prior before it was seasoned and I refused to eat it the next day. It looked at me all night!!

Lord of the Flies!!!!
We did that once at my grandparents house. I did not eat any of it. The head was on the kitchen counter so everytime we went in there it was looking at you. Thank God we were eating in the dining room.

 

[BeckyScott]

My husband is a deer hunter. I have a rule like that.

No, I don't want to see the thing in the back of your truck. I don't care how many points it has. Take it straight to the processer. I don't want to see it until it is in nice little white packages.

 

[Disneyoverload42]

The running joke in our house is that whenever we see "Black Angus Chuck" we didn't need to know his name LOL!

Really, I grew up with the 1/2 cow thing and it isn't any different than getting it from the store except the packaging - except I don't think I'd buy a tongue generally at the store LOL. We used to cook up the tongue for our cats.

 

[timzagain]

I don't think I'd have the heart or the stomach to have a whole animal in my kitchen, especially a whole pig!

I eat meat but I hate handling it more than is necessary. My husband would be the one cutting up a half a cow, if one did end up at my house!

Other things I will not knowingly eat or touch:-

Tongue
Brain
Feet
Gonads!!

Sorry - don't think I'll be doing the Diva Cup either!

 

[maxiesmom]

Just think of how many times there have been beef recalls lately. I feel much better knowing the person chopping up and handling my meat. It seems safer. So think of it that way. Not only a a budget helper, but as a healthy thing to do too.

 

[NotUrsula]

Beef tongue makes VERY good crab bait. Works well for crawfish, too.
Can you tell I grew up in the country, LOL?

Seriously, it's no different than just buying a whole grocery cart full of meat at one time. The white packages are even more discreet than those grocery store display packs, you don't actually SEE the meat at all until you open one and go to cook it.

I second what someone else said about knowing all the parties handling your meat from slaughter to freezer; much fresher and safer than supermarket processing, and the meat is usually better quality, too. Organ meats are not usually included in meat packages these days; the butcher makes a little more money re-selling those elsewhere, usually for consumption by animals of some kind.

 

[DisneyDawnNH]

I could do the cow thing - hmm... maybe I will look into that.

We still worry about what to do with our chickens when the girls stop "putting out." we love them like pets - but they can live a long time.

I love that every day I can come away from DIS boards with yet another grand plan, scheme or money making or saving idea. You guys are the best!!

just waiting to hear back on my gold sale.....

maybe I will look up that diva thing everyone is talking about

 

[dismom24]

I learned that the hard way. We actually raised 2 from bottle. After we had them done, I could not east any of it - we ended up giving it all away. DH was not happy.

 

[stemikger]

My husband grew up on a farm.

When we were in High School he used to invite me over to dinner. We'd all be sitting at the table and the family would start discussing all the personality quirks and funny stories of the Pig that donated that night's pork chops.

I think that, even then, they were conspiring to get rid of me.

That sounds like a low budget horror film. I often told my wife, if I actually had to kill my own meat, I would never eat it again. The truth is we hardley ever eat beef. We do eat a lot of chicken and fish.

I am not a crazy budget guy because I have all my main financial decisions taken out of my check before I even see it. Doing it this way makes you feel comfortable with spending everything you bring home without feeling guilty because you know you are doing all the other stuff behind the scenes (i.e. maxing out retirement fund, paying extra on the mortgage and saving an emergency fund).

I did recently send gold to Gold Kit and I got a pretty decent price.

Sorry for going so OT.


As far has having a freezer full of one animal, I couldn't do it. I can't see it still resembling what it was when it was alive.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Yeah...I couldnt' eat meat if I was the one who had to kill it either...
If I dont' buy it in the little package at the store...I dont' want it. Not a whole freezer full of it in white paper.... Eww...yuk... Just the mental picture..

 

[DMickey28]

I want to buy 1/2 a cow but I have no idea how to go about doing it! I don't think it would bother me at all. Of course if I had a relationship with the animal it would be different but I would LOVE to have my freezer stocked like that.

To me it is not any different than all the Seal-a-Meal pieces of meat that I buy at BJ's and seperate up, except I don't have to seperate it and seal it!!

 

[lcadkins2007]

Call around to your local butchers. We bought a 1/2 last fall from a butcher that my husband works with (he butchers on the side)...I have to admit, i wasn't crazy about it, but it is the best beef I've ever eaten. It has such a fresher taste (yes, even after frozen) than what you can buy in the store. And the great thing is that you can request the ground beef to any % of fat your prefer - it was definitely worth the $$ and we'll probably never buy red meat in the grocery store again!