Who ate their own birds for Christmas/the Holidays?

[bigredfeather]

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So how was it?

 

[Slinkytoys]

I made my first Turkey!!! It was a Broad Breasted Bronze that I raised from a poult. Pretty sure it was from Ideal, at least that's what the Big R said they got their birds from. It was a 16 lb. hen that I brined for 14 hours in a citrus brine. Oh my was it good. I used a Lemon Dill Butter sauce to braise it with, even my hubby loved it. He still has the scars on his arm from catching it for processing. Have lots in the fridge for sandwiches, will freeze some with the FoodSaver for later.
Slinky

 

[cubalaya]

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we plan on getting 2 poults this spring to raise for next thanksgiving and christmas. will try a heritage breed instead of the broad breasted.

 

[cassie]

I cooked up an 11 pound Cornish X we processed several months ago. BTW, I don't soak mine. I just let them rest a couple days in the fridge before cooking or freezing and we have never had a tough one.

 

[magentamomma]

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The soaking works on the same principle, I just didn't have the fridge space, but I did have a food grade bucket and a 19 degree day

 

[the simple life]

I cooked some cornish that I raised the week before the holidays and gave some out to friends, along with homemade jam, peanut butter, soap etc.
They loved the homemade gift basket idea but when they actually ate the chicken they called me to rave about it.
I had friends stop by last night that had one of the cornish on Christmas Eve and they kept going on about how delicious it was, it was funny how much they enjoyed it each of them sharing details of what they thought was best about it.
I am happy that I could turn others on to homegrown food and hopefully they won't buy anymore storebought chicken.
I cooked a heritage breed turkey for Christmas dinner that was locally grown and it was the best turkey that any of us had ever had.
I have the carcass in the soup pot right now, mmm mmm I can smell it from here.
I'll never have another store bought turkey again. I want to raise my own this spring.

 

[CARS]

Made 2 Cornish X's for Christmas dinner. As wonderful as they always are.

'09 was the first year in the last 5 that we didn't raise turkeys. I lost my butt on them in '08 as went on strike. I'll give them another shot in 2010

 

[saddina]

Herbed coucus stuffed quail with a lemon herb risotto on christmas eve. Tried a lil something with butterflying, pan searing, and then rolling them with the coucus in a lemon basil oil. nice.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I have 3 Roo's that I need to process, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I wish they would flog me or something then I could do it, but they are so sweet and have never been aggressive in any way. I'm such a wienie!

 

[dancingbear]

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Sounds yummy, but what's coucus? Do you maybe mean couscous?

We have eaten home raised turkeys and chickens for holidays, but this year we had our own home raised pork! I made stuffed tenderloin. For the first time, and it was very good. I rolled it up with slices of home-cured bacon on the top and bottom.