Bison, Part II

I really should have put this link on my last post, but duh, I was writing quickly and was on my way out the door to do a thousand errands to prepare for the furniture that is coming tomorrow and the refrigerator that is coming tomorrow.

The refrigerator completes the suite of necessary items to make the upstairs teaching kitchen functional–it now has a working sink, stove and by tomorrow, a fridge. I will then be able to really start thinking of opening up for business and start teaching. As I already have students lined up and ready, and neighbors vowing to send more my way….I might should think about pricing and suchlike.

In the meantime, however, back to bison.

Here is a link to the National Bison Association website that gives a clickable map of local producers who are listed with the association, as well as mail order sellers of bison meat. The fact that the ranchers and sellers are members of the association is a good thing–they all have a code of ethics regarding how they raise their animals and there is some oversight on how they treat their customers, so I would feel confident working with any of the folks listed on that site. Of course, I urge you all to buy as locally as you can; it is always best to know your farmer when you can manage it. Not only is it good to know where your meat comes from, farmers and ranchers are right fine folks to talk with, and if you show an ounce of interest in what they do, they will give you a pound of knowledge and friendship in return.

I -was- going to stir fry some bison meat with ramps in a sort of Native American-Appalachian-Chinese fusion and report on it tomorrow night.

However, plans have changed.

Boy, have they changed.

Because not only do I have my daughter’s bedroom furniture coming tomorrow, and a refrigerator, but the in-laws are arriving as well. Yes. In-laws. Whom I absolutely adore, and whom I was looking forward to seeing on Friday when my beloved Zak told me they were coming.

Only, apparently, he is unable to read email. They are coming tomorrow, and leaving on Saturday. Not coming on Friday and leaving on Monday.

Which is fine–just unexpected.

Which means we just spent the entire evening tearing through the house and turning it into a site of controlled chaos rather than just plain old godawful hellish chaos-on-a-stick.

And I still have to touch up my hair.

And Thursday, the new living room furniture is arriving. (Thank God the dining room furniture is being held up by the chairs having disappeared into limbo somewhere, so it won’t be ready until next week. And thankfully, the contractors are still procrastinating and so are not going to descend in droves in the next couple of days to tear the house from stem to stern again. At least, I hope not.)

SO!

Look for a report on the Native-American-Appalachian-Chinese fusion bison dish next week, and hopefully, I will not die of excitement overload before then.

And between now and then, I will write other neat stuff. I promise.

Wish me luck!

5 Comments

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1. Good Luck!!!

   What a fine thing to have in-laws that you like, AND a refrigerator…with both, you are in a blesséd minority world-wide.

   Comment by wwjudith — April 13, 2005 #

2. I discovered your blog by a comment left on “the food whore’s” website. I live in B.C. now but grew up in Ohio…went to cooking school at La Belle Pomme. Did you ever go there?

   Comment by Jen — April 13, 2005 #

3. Best of luck in scrambling some sense out of moving chaos!

   Like you, I have fine in-laws (ex-in-laws, actually, but they don’t act it), and I’m sure they’ll enjoy your company and never notice the boxes.

   Comment by Noddy — April 13, 2005 #

4. Hey, Wise Judith! The in-laws fell in love with the house, and were amazed at the amount of work we have done in the time we have been here. (And here, I thought we had been slacking, that is, until yesterday when we ran about like freaks to get the place cleaned up….)

   The fridge, however, is postponed until tomorrow. Which is fine. All will be well.

   Jen, nice to meet you!

   I never went to La Belle Pomme; I attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI a few years back, which was a great deal of fun and learning all rolled into one. However, I have heard many good things about La Belle Pomme; what all did you study there? (Currently, I am teaching at Sur La Table in Columbus, but will be starting a small school here in Athens, after we settle in.)

   Noddy, you were right–the in-laws were fine. It wasn’t the boxes that were so much of a problem in and of themselves, it was that they were all scattered about in a truly messy fashion that was bad. But they are under control, now.

   The in-laws are resting now, then we will go out for a light dinner near sevenish. We just came back from a long walk, as I was still energized from all of the cleaning and box-stacking.

   Comment by Barbara Fisher — April 13, 2005 #

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   Comment by Barbara Fisher — April 13, 2005 #

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