I have been so happy lately to have so much variety! It is really wonderful. For a while there I was subsisting on just lamb with occasional fish. But then I was able to get a lot of organ meats and more fish, so now I have a wonderful array of choices!
I ordered some beef marrow bones, so I now have plenty of marrow fat to eat on the side of lean meats. It is probably the most nutritious and easily assimilated fat that exists! It is a real powerhouse. It is so creamy and amazing.
I also ordered some smoked whole Norwegian mackerel. I have been heating them in the toaster oven. They are so good! I also got just plain salted mackerel fillets too. They get so wonderfully crispy and fatty in the toaster oven! And I picked up some more whole sanma (Pacific saury). They are delectable cooked up whole in the toaster oven as well. I also had picked up a case of Iceland cod liver packed in its own oil. That is really, really mild and creamy and delicious.
I picked up some unseasoned eel fillets, those were really good! And some New Zealand mussels, and a mix of shellfish including shrimp, scallops, and octopus. I bought some dried anchovies and dried shrimp for me and my zero carb cat too, as treats!
I also had picked up plenty of lamb organ meats, including kidney, heart, testes, and tongue. I make a simple unsalted jerky with the hearts, and that is so good that I have absolutely no self control around it. I slice it super thin and dehydrate it overnight, and it is just so crispy and wonderful and flavorful with little traces of fat here and there too. Oh goodness! The kidney, testes, and tongue I cook in an empty slow cooker overnight. They are amazing, and such a great difference in texture and flavor from muscle meat!
I really find that I prefer all this variety to just plain muscle meat. I wonder if one reason for that is that it is cold out and my body is stocking up on the extra vitamin D in the fish, and the B vitamins in the organ meats?
I had made a rillette with my lamb roast, because I was hoping for a change of pace from just plain roast. But it was kind of a lot of work and I actually don't like it as much as the plain roast lamb. So I probably won't do that again. The good thing about it is that I made use of the fat that gets left over in the juices, which otherwise I would have thrown out.
I have mentioned before that I have this dream of a completely self-sufficient, off-grid homestead out in the country. I want to be able to lots of land, maybe 25-40 acres, see the stars, not see man-made structures. No light pollution or noise pollution. I want to be able to "quit the day job" and just live off of my land, debt-free.
I have found some properties out west that are free of restrictions. I have been looking at a hard-sided 500 sq ft yurt, a rainwater catchment system for water or well, solar cells powering radiant floor heat, a composting toilet, and totally grassfed sheep for food and clothing. I already know how to spin and weave wool. I would need a llama or donkey to help protect the sheep. I found some properties that are within the optimal areas for solar, and and that say a well for water is possible. But my worry is that those areas won't have decent pasture for sheep and a donkey.
I am also worried that I won't have the mental and physical fortitude needed to raise, slaughter, and butcher the sheep all by myself. It's something I really want to do, since I feel that if I eat meat, I should be able to kill the animal myself. But I am pretty worried that I won't be able to do it. I was just never brought up in a farming or hunting lifestyle. I think the only way to find out would be to take a sheep slaughter/butchery course. I have found a few here and there that are offered. I calculated that I would have to kill three sheep a year for all of my food needs. I have my doubts that I have the mental fortitude. Which means really, I shouldn't eat meat.
Another option, if my gut were not so sensitive, would be to do a vegetarian off-grid homestead. I was looking at forest agriculture, and it is possible to put together a diet focusing on nuts and berries harvested from shrubs and trees, maybe adding in some nest eggs here and there for B12. That way there is no destruction of soil as there is in tilled agriculture. However, my gut does not do well at all with plant matter, which is what led me to the carnivore diet. Also, the kind of area where there is that many trees might not be a good area for solar cells. So I would have to come up with another heat source for my yurt, as well as dealing with all of the gut issues. I was thinking perhaps southern Georgia or northern Florida could work. There's nut and fruit trees, and enough sun for solar. Plus it is fairly warm throughout the year anyway, so not much energy is necessary for heating.
In terms of my gut, though, I don't know of any answer that would help me survive off of nuts and fruits. I could try the Weston A Price foundation's guidelines for preparing nuts.
I'll keep crafting my dream...I feel like I'm getting closer, at least, after years and years of research!
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