Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes and Our Life as Pig Farmers so Far

Pigs.  We got 'em!

 Meet Little Brownie (aka LB) pictured on the left, and from bottom to top in the right picture, we have Big Brownie (aka BB), The Black One, and Oreo Pig.  Woo hoo!

Here's the story.....

Since our pig pen was completed, Mike and I were on the search for some pigs!  We searched high and low and finally purchased 5 piglets at the auction here in town.  Last Tuesday night, we officially became pig farmers.....Well, I guess you can call us that!  Ha!!  We own some pigs anyway.

So, Tuesday night went well.  We got them to the house and in their new home and they cuddled up and seemed to sleep well. Then the temperature dropped on Wednesday and it snowed.

Great.

Thursday morning, I went out to check the piggies and found one had died sometime in the night.  I was traumatized.  Mike was at work and wasn't going to be home any time soon, so I had to gather up the courage and the guts to get this little guy out from under his friends (they were all cuddled up together) and get him out of the pig area.  WHEW!!  To make a long story short, I did it.  I was upset and crying and shaking and a bit traumatized (PPDSD....post pig death stress disorder, anyone?!), but I did what I needed to do and survived.  Thank goodness!  Everyone seemed healthy the rest of the day......

......And then.....

Our favorite one (personality wise) didn't get up Thursday morning when I took breakfast out.  She is always the first one to come out and greet us and let us pet her....sweet little pig.  I was so afraid of what I'd find when I walked over to the pig shelter.  Thankfully, she was alive, but she was definitely sick.  She was breathing hard, coughing and gagging.  It was very sad.  Then I noticed that the other three were coughing a little when they got up or ran too far.  So, Mike and I called the vet.  They thought it was probably pneumonia and recommended that we give them a shot (one they recommend to give to any new pig because they are so susceptible to sickness when under stress, but especially ones that were purchased at auction....wish we had known that before the other pig died).  So after chasing pigs around for about an hour, we caught them all and gave them their shots.  Whew!!  More PPDSD.....except I guess this would be PPSSD (post pig shot stress disorder) because the pigs lived....YAY!   Either way, it was probably very comical for the neighbors to watch.  

That night, BB (the sickest one), got up to eat and drink and every day she and the others have shown improvement.  Thank the Lord!  Praying things stay this way :0)

Some things that will be coming up in the weeks to come.......

We are working on tilling up our garden area right now and we will be planting shortly after that.  We thought we would have been planted by now but the weather has been very cold.  I'm so glad we waited.

Another item we will be working on and building is our chicken coop and run area.  I'm so excited about this!!  Although I'm allergic to birds, I'm hoping we can build a coop with enough ventilation that I can still work with them and be part of the chicken raising experience.

Hopefully soon we will get some cows.



Ok, so now for the recipe.....

Sometimes you just need an easy side item that is simple, quick and tastes great.  This is one of those kind of dishes.  We have these for any meal and my kids love them!


Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (I like this one....affiliate link)

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
salt, to taste

Melt coconut oil over medium high heat.  When oil is hot, add sweet potatoes and sprinkle with salt.  Cook until the edges are brown and the potatoes are tender.  You might need to adjust the cooking temperature to make sure they do not burn.

Once the potatoes are done, add the butter and cinnamon.  Stir until the cinnamon is dispersed and the butter is melted.  Serve immediately.

Once again, here are my boys plates!  

(Michael's)                                                                                              (Ethan's)