Saturday's slow-roasted shanks

Saturday, who looks just like Nicole Ritchie only smaller.

Yesterday, Saturday was born. Saturday is an Arapawa Pitt Island cross. Roger his proud, because Saturday looks just like her dad, and nothing like her mum, Arethra (the Pitt Island ewe with the scurs and the inability to spell). Saturday is Nicole Ritchie's younger half sister - the two are almost identical, but Nicole and her mum Whitney are currently residing in the neighbour's paddock, and refuse to be photographed. Nicole was born about two weeks before Saturday.

To celebrate Saturday's arrival, here is a recipe that we have called Saturday's Slow-Roasted Shanks (even though Saturday still has all her shanks, and will do so for some time)...

2 lamb shanks

1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced
1 cup onion, finely chopped
6 small-ish potatoes

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper

4 tomatoes, puréed
1 cup white wine
1 cups chicken stock

Combine all ingredients in a roasting pan with lid. Cover, cook long and slow at no hotter than 150°C (302°F), for about 2 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.

In other news, after some trouble with the big bad wolf, the last of the three little pigs moved to the freezer last weekend. Karina and Petra, aged just 17 weeks, moved into the three little pigs' house shortly afterwards. Karina plans to grow up and have children with one of Kim's offspring (due later this year), while Petra has plans for a more more culinary career. Kim and Cliff have been toying with the idea of finding a new home, and are thinking about moving out after Kim has her next litter of piglets.

Helen is still pregnant, moody, hormonal, and due to kid this Thursday (despite an early mix-up with dates which had us expecting the kid two weeks ago). She's been spending time with the cows next door, and hasn't been keen to come back home for anyone. The cows next door have accepted Helen as a senior member of the herd, and will follow her all the way to the fence when she gets dragged back home. Back in our paddocks, Roger and Albie are both excited about the prospect of fathering Helen's kids, but that is another story...