Menu Monday

Today started off with me working on my weekly menu plan.  That fell by the wayside as the day happened and after working on taxes, sales and use tax, some bills and a trip to Hunter.  I am just now finishing up my menu.

Weekly Menu.  I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, so here is a link to my Weekly Menu Board where I have pinned a few recipes that I want to try this week.

Monday:
Leftovers (I kind of forgot I had a meeting tonight, and didn't get anything in the crockpot before I left this morning).

Tuesday:
Italian Drip Beef
Cabbage Salad
Sourdough Biscuits

Wednesday:
French Dip Sandwiches
Butternut Squash
Green Salad

Thursday:
Crock Pot Meatloaf
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Jello Salad

Friday and Saturday:
Branding Calves in Mountain City

Sunday:
Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak
Ranch Potatoes
Sourdough Biscuits.

If you haven't noticed, there are 2 things my family likes.  Meat and Sourdough Biscuits.  It has taken me a year, but I have finally mastered sourdough biscuits.

Today's Meat Eater Monday Recipe:

Tri Tip.  One of my absolute favorite cuts of beef.  I found this recipe on Pinterest awhile back for Santa Maria Tri Tip Roast and thought it sounded good.  This is my spin on it.

Ingredients:

1 Tri Tip Roast

Dry Rub

2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar

Basting Sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 cloves crushed garlic

Directions:

Preheat broiler to high.  Combine all dry rub ingredients and rub on beef.  Add basting sauce ingredients to remaining rub.  Place meat on a broiler pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning then basting every 3-4 minutes, until center of meat reaches your desired doneness.

Very easy and very good!

Valentines Day Meat Eater Monday Style!

Nothing says I love you in our house, quite like a home cooked meal with lots of bacon!  We don't do flowers and candy on Valentines Day, we do food and tack!  Lucky for me, the March editions of my Food Network Magazine (thanks to my sister!) is dedicated to this glorious meat!  They have everything from bacon trivia, gag gifts, and even tips on how to cook bacon.  They even had a fabulous recipe for Bacon-Pineapple- Upside-Down Cake, which I blew up my news feed on Facebook, instagram, and twitter with!

Valentines Day falls on a Friday this year, so besides being a busy night to try and go out to dinner in town anyway, it will be nearly impossible to get in somewhere good to eat.  Throw 2 wild little boys into the mix, and you guessed it, it's much easier to just stay home.  So, like every other Friday night, I will be cooking dinner.  The only difference is that I am planning ahead this time.  Most nights I look at the clock and think Shoot!  It's 4:00!  What am I going to make for dinner?!

The best part of my menu is that most of it can be made ahead, so I won't have to spend all day Friday in the kitchen.

The Menu

Bacon Stuffed Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Blackberry Pork Roast

Haricorts Verts with Pancetta

Sourdough Biscuits

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Dessert

Red Velvet Cake

Bacon Stuffed Potatoes  (Food Network Magazine, March 2014 edition)
Toss 1 pound baby potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake at 450* 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Halve and scoop out flesh.  Mash flesh with 2 tbsp. each butter and sour cream, add 3 slices cooked bacon crumpled.  Stuff into potatoes and top with shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake 5 more minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Blackberry Pork Roast  (Food Network Magazine, March 2014 edition)
1/4 c. blackberry preserves (I'm going to substitute raspberry because that is what I have)
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
kosher salt and pepper
1 4-5 lb. boneless center-cut pork loin, trimmed
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 red onions, quartered
8 slices bacon
2 tbsp. Wondra
3 c. chicken broth

1.  Combine first 5 ingredients (only 1 tbsp. vinegar) in a bowl.  Poke the pork in a few spots with a paring knife, then rub with the garlic.  Rub the pork all over with preserves mixture, transfer to  a large resealable bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
2.  About 20 minutes before roasting, remove the pork from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 325*.  Put the red onions in a metal roasting pan and set a rack on top.  Wrap the pork with the bacon, then set on the rack.  Roast until the bacon is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145*, about 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer to a cutting board, let rest 10 minutes.  (I know you are thinking pork should be cooked longer because it should be an internal temperature of 160*, but the pork will continue cooking after removed from the oven)!
3.  Meanwhile, make the gravy:  Discard all but 2 tbsp. of the drippings from the pan.  (Place onions in a serving dish).  Place the roasting pan over 2 burners over med-low heat ans whisk in the flour until incorporated.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining 2 tbsp. vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
4.  Slice the pork and serve with onions and gravy.

Haricots Verts with Pancetta  (Food Network Magazine, March 2014 edition)
kosher salt
1 3/4 pounds green beans, trimmed
4 oz. pancetta , diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 c. bread crumbs

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender.  Drain, then plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking.  Drain again, then transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
2.  Cook the pancetta in a large skillet over med. heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Remove to paper towels using a slotted spoon.  Add the garlic to the drippings and cook till golden.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, until toasted.
3.  Add the green beans to the skillet and cook until evenly coated.  Stir in pancetta and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy, Happy Valentines Day!

Beans Beans Beans

The boys bought me a pressure canner for Christmas.  I've been wanting one for a couple of years, but hadn't shelled out the money for one.  I finally got around to trying it out yesterday.  My first project pressure canning was beans.  Not overly exciting, but I like to keep some canned beans on hand.  They come in pretty hand in a pinch for a quick lunch or dinner.  I like to mix canned beans with some ground beef and canned tomatoes for an Indian Taco or warm meal on a crazy day.  I thought my beans turned out kind of pretty.

I had a couple cups of dry beans left over so I decided to soak them last night and cook for dinner today. My bean recipe is pretty simple.  Throw soaked beans in the crockpot, at seasonings, meat, and tomatoes and cook until beans are tender.  You can add as you see fit.

This is what I did today:

Before leaving to feed cows, I drained the liquid from the beans I soaked over night.  I added them to the crockpot and covered with a couple inches of water and turned on low.  Around 2:00 this afternoon I browned 1 pound of ground beef until cooked through.  Remember, ground beef needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160* to prevent food born illness.  I like to cook my ground beef to death, but not burned.  I think it gives a better flavor.

Who doesn't love cast iron?  I have 3 cast iron skillets that I use almost daily.  I read somewhere that they are actually better for you because they can add iron to your diet.  Who knows how true that is.  This skillet is my favorite of the 3, and is older than me.  After my ground beef was cooked to my liking, I added about 3/4's of a cup of onions and cooked them as well.

Forgive the blurry cell phone pictures!  I added the meat mixture, 2 medium sized cans of canned tomatoes, a bunch of garlic, and seasonings to the beans in my crockpot.  

I love crockpot liners.  They make cleaning up so much easier!  I cranked my crockpot up to high so everything will be warmed up by the time we eat later tonight.

I really like Chorizos in my beans, but didn't have any today.  If I'm feeling ambitious, I will make a pan of cornbread to eat with the beans for dinner.  Beans are super easy, a little go a long way, and you can add anything you want to them!  Enjoy.

Hot Dogs

I'm sitting here trying to plan out what to cook for dinner tonight.  I have to be in town on Wednesday, so I really don't want to run to the store today.  Pickings are getting kind of slim around here!  I hate to go to the grocery store more than once a week, and I never really plan my meals more than like 3 hours in advance.  So often (like today) I am craving something food wise and lack half the ingredients I need to prepare it.  Terrible I know.  

The Cowboss pointed out that we do have hot dogs.  I hate hot dogs.  I really don't like most sausages either, but love chorizos.  Go figure.  In fact, I very rarely, if ever buy hot dogs.  Unfortunately I made the comment to QT the other day that it was his half birthday, so for the last week he has been planning his birthday party (in June mind you). He wants a camping birthday party, complete with friends sleeping over, hot dogs, and roasting marshmallows.  I thought if I made him hot dogs he would forget about it, but no such luck, and I still have half a package of hot dogs left over....I just might cook them tonight!  Waste not want not, right?

Did you know:

The average American eats 50 hot dogs a year.  (Except for me, I'm way below average apparently)!

Hot dogs were the first food eaten on the moon.  Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin j.r. ate them on their 1969 Apollo flight.  (Really?  If I just landed on the moon, hot dogs would not be on my list of culinary delights)!

Hot dogs were served with bread for the first time in 1893.  (About time)!

President Franklin Roosevelt served King George VI of England hot dogs & beer during a White House visit in 1939. Mrs. Jimmy Carter served hot dogs at a White House picnic in 1977. Queen Elizabeth II served hot dogs at a royal banquet held for the American Bar Association.  (Our tax dollars at work.  Man we sure know how to impress people, don't we)?

7-Eleven sells the most hot dogs annually.  Also, people in the south eat more hot dogs than in the north.  I also learned that socioeconomic status makes no difference when it comes to hot dogs.  (Who would have thought)?!

If I had a fully stocked kitchen though, I would really love some Barbecued Spare Ribs. Pork ribs are one of my absolute favorite foods in the whole wide world, and my grandma Ada Rose shared with me one of the best recipes for BBQ Sauce.  I came across it today while trying to figure out what to cook.  I can actually smell it right now and taste it.  I think it would be pretty good on pork chops, or even chicken.  Reminds me, I need to add ribs to the grocery list!

Barbecued Spare Ribs:

Boil or brown spare ribs, drain, and cover with sauce.

Sauce:

3/4 c. catsup

1/2 c. water

1 T. dry mustard

1 T. celery seed

1 1/2 T. vinegar

1 T. sugar

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of cayenne pepper

Mix together and pour over ribs.  Bake at 325* until done.  Stir if necessary.

My Favorite Porkchops

Hello Happy New Year!  I feel like I haven't visited with you in ages!  I hope every one enjoyed the holidays.  QT and I were sick Christmas, so it wasn't the merriest of days, but Santa came and left lots of gifts so everyone was happy.  (Except for mom who got to clean up everything afterwards)!

I'm sharing with you one of my favorite recipes.  It is another one I got from my mom.  I just call it pork chops.  I'm sure it has a really cool, fancy name worthy of the spectacularness of this meal.  Heaven in your mouth.  Trust me, you will get marriage proposals over this dish.  It is that good.  But more importantly it is easy.  In fact, this is the first dish I ever prepared for the Cowboss, and I burned the pork chops, but it was still magnificent.

When I met the Cowboss, I was bach-ing it.  It was just me and my dog and if I wanted something other than ramen noodles or a sandwich, I went to my moms for dinner.  See, I could cook, but I didn't see the point of cooking a 3 course meal for only me.  So I was a little rusty when it came to cooking anything that didn't come out of the microwave, but I invited the Cowboss over for dinner anyway.  I lived about an hour from the nearest restaurant, so I didn't have any other options.

The day for the big dinner date came and I survived school, just to get home and have my dad call and ask me to help him move some cows.  Shouldn't take long, I will be back in plenty of time for my date.  Even though, I left a note on the door apologizing for not being home but get comfortable, there's beer in the fridge.

True to form, moving cows took longer than expected and the Cowboss was sitting in my driveway when I got home.  On top of being nervous (like second date nervous, cooking for a guy that I really like but don't know very well just yet) to cook for him I was a wreck because I wasn't prepared and showed up late.  I had planned to have everything ready to pop in the oven when he got there.  Now I had to do all of my prep with him there.  Awkward!  I was so flustered I burned the pork chops while I was browning them.  Oops!  Everything worked out ok though, and I can now joke that the Cowboss didn't marry me for my culinary skills.  =)

So here goes.

Pork Chops

Ingredients

21 oz Apple Pie Filling
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing, prepared per box instructions
4-6 Pork Chops, browned.

Preheat oven to 350* and layer in this order:  Pie filling, pork chops, and prepared stuffing.  Bake, covered for 35 minutes, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes.  Enjoy.

This meal takes less than an hour to prepare and serve.  I like to serve it with a nice green salad or steamed veggies.

What are some of your favorite "man pleasing" meals?

Hamburger Biscuit Roll

Today is Meat Eater Monday!  I am eating leftover Hamburger Biscuit Rolls for breakfast, and let me tell you, they are heaven in your mouth!  I need to do laundry, school work, and get something figured out for dinner tonight. I am overwhelmed, in a funk, and fighting a headache.  I am drowning my sorrows in carbs and comfort foods.  For me, beef is a comfort food.  It just makes me feel better about things, and I can justify eating half a pan of these beef rolls because they have to be better for you than Twinkies, right?

It blows my mind when my college students tell me that they can't cook.  I want to grab them by the shoulders, look them straight in the eye and ask "Can you read?"  Frankly, cooking is easy.  As long as you can read and have an oven that works, you should be able to cook.  I grew up in a family of wonderful cooks, and remember being not much older than my sons helping my mom and cousin Margie baking cookies and things like that.  Not only are my family wonderful cooks, our entire community are wonderful cooks.  They've published 3 cookbooks and they are my go to whenever I need to make something and I'm not sure quite where to start.

All 3 Mountain City Homemaker Cookbooks

As you can tell, mine are well used.  I have a rubber band holding the first one together, and half of the binding is missing from the 3rd cookbook.  Today's recipe comes from the 2nd cookbook.  It is so easy, it's almost embarrassing!

Hamburger Biscuit Roll

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 tbsp. green pepper

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. catsup 

3/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 3gg

Biscuit Dough:

2 c. Flour

4 tbsp. shortening

3/4 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. milk

Gravy:

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Make biscuit dough (you can substitute Bisquick biscuits and make one batch).  Roll out dough in a 12"x18" sheet. 

I wouldn't recommend using your canvass rolling sheet like I did.  The next step involves putting raw hamburger directly onto the sheet, never a good idea unless you wash your rolling pin and sheet everytime you use it.

Next, mix ground beef and remaining ingredients, excluding gravy.

I used the same bowl I mixed the dough in because I am lazy like that and hate, hate, hate washing dishes!  Spread meat mixture on to dough.

Roll up like a cinnamon roll and cut into 12 pieces.  Before cutting them, I moved them to a cutting board.  

Place in a greased baking pan and bake about 40 minutes at 350*.

Just before removing from the oven, combine soup and milk in a small sauce pan and bring almost to a boil.

Pour over rolls and serve hot!

They are so easy, and tasty, even TR and QT liked them!  I served them with a simple green salad with a sweet and tangy dressing and canned green beans.

Forgive my pictures, they are really bad!  

What kind of meat are you enjoying today?

Days

This last week has been a butt kicker for sure!  I had hoped that with school starting things would slow down and we would find a little bit of a routine.  Apparently our routine is running.  Running and waiting.  Run to the bus and wait for the bus to get here.  Run home and work frantically on college stuff, cow stuff, cinch stuff, and wait until it is time to run to the bus.  Run to the bus and wait for the bus to show up.  Lots of hurry and wait.

This past weekend we did take in the Van Norman and Friends Stock Horse Challenge, and Horse Sale. After promising the Cow Boss I WOULD NOT buy a horse.....

Meet "Pistol."

He is a 2013 Playgun baby.  If you follow horse blood lines at all, he goes back to Freckles Playboy and Doc O'Lena on the top side, and Doc Tari on the bottom with some Chex thrown in somewhere.  He's a cute little guy, and is registered as a Gray, so fingers crossed he will change.  Looking at his face I think he might.  But when you see all of him.....

I'm not so sure.  He is pretty dark.  I'm hoping he will have a little size to him.  Today we are considering keeping him a stud and breeding him, but obviously that is a long ways down the road!  These pictures aren't the best, you can expect some better ones in a week or two.  So far he is a kind, curious, friendly little guy, I hope he stays that way!

TR is finally thinking he likes school, but mom isn't sold on his teacher and has some reservations and concerns about how things are going.  I've had a few sleepless nights and a tension headache you wouldn't believe these last few days.  I'm hoping to meet with the principal in the next day or two to get things fixed.  Not sure what the out come will be, but I am trying to be optimistic we will get things fixed and he will have a good year where he is successful and enjoys it!

For today's Meat Eater Monday, I would like to share with you a great crockpot recipe that I got from my mom.  The great thing about crockpot recipes is that you can easily convert them to oven recipes if you don't have a crockpot, and the thing I like is that they are so convenient for these long fall days shipping, pregging, or processing cows!  I have had grand intentions of using my crockpot more on these days I am teaching in the evenings as well.

Work Person's Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 Roast, can be any size as long as it fits in your pan or crockpot, and beef or lamb
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Section of Fresh Garlic

Directions:
Place roast in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil (if using the oven), or directly in the crockpot (I use crockpot liners because they make clean up so much easier!).  Cut slits into the roast and push in cloves of garlic.  Pour soup over roast and Worcestershire.  Sprinkle with dry soup mix.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste.  Seal in foil (if using oven).  Bake at 250* (for oven) or on low (if using the crockpot) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The roast literally falls apart and has a great flavor.

Meat Eater Monday: Should I be Concerned with Hormones in my Beef?

Let's start with a question?  Are there hormones in meat?  Yes, yes there are, but there are also hormones in you and me, milk, and even in cabbage.  But we do not need to be concerned about them.

"Cattle have been receiving hormone injections for well over 50 years and in fact it is well regulated, monitored carefully, & proven safe. Currently, over 90 percent of the cattle fed in the U.S. receive a hormone implant during growth and this usually occurs as the animal enters the feedlot. The effect of the hormone implant will have worn off well before the animal is shipped to market, basically meaning that the effectiveness of the hormone implant will have terminated well before the animal is slaughtered.  Therefore, residues and/or traces of this hormone implant is not an issue."  Are There Hormones in Meat 2013.  We would not inject our animals with anything that is potentially harmful to people, or our cattle.  

Hormone implants essentially give naturally occurring hormones in cattle a boost.  They help speed up the rate in which feed is converted to muscle.  As you know, muscle is what we are eating when we eat meat.  This means we are feeding them less, and they are producing more meat at a quicker pace.  There is no reason to be concerned at all.  The hormone levels in beef produced using growth hormones are well within range of naturally occurring levels in the animals themselves.  

With that in mind, go out and enjoy a steak!  =)

Now that the weather is finally cooling off a little, here is a great easy recipe for Taco Soup.  Not sure where it originated from, but it is super easy, and tastes delicious!  You can cook it on the stove, or toss it all in the crockpot and forget about it.  It is just right for a cool fall day.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ground Beef

1 Chopped Onion

3 cans Chopped Green Chilies

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

16 oz can Pinto Beans

16 oz can Kidney Beans

16 oz Black Beans

1 pkg. Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 c. Water

1 pkg. Ranch Dressing mix

3 lg cans Tomatoes

Tortilla Chips

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Brown beef and onion in a skillet.  Drain beans.  Add all ingredients except cheese and chips to a large stockpot or crockpot.  If cooking on stove top, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  If cooking in a crockpot, cook on low about 4 hours, or all day.  Serve with chips and cheese.

Meat Eater Monday!

I have been a single mom for 24 hours now.  The Cowboss left for Idaho yesterday morning to help his folks regroup after the fire outside Mountain Home destroyed all of their summer range.  (Story for another day)! I have to tell you, I was not made to be a single parent.  Within the first hour he was gone, I had cows out on the main road and fence to fix.  Got that taken care of and back home, and the boys found a bird with a broken wing that we had to save from the dogs.  Long story short, yesterday was a very long day!

On the upside though, it is really nice to not have to plan elaborate meals complete with meat and potatoes. I shouldn't admit this, but we had pancakes for breakfast!  We also slept in this morning (6:30, woohoo!), since there wasn't anyone stomping around downstairs making coffee at some ungodly hour.  While we aren't sure when the Cowboss will be home, we are all looking forward to his return.  We kind of like the guy!

One of the perks this morning is a little time to surf Pintrest and Facebook.  I found this picture on Pintrest and thought it was kind of fitting for a Meat Eater Monday!

Today's recipe features round steak, onions and cheese.  It may not be the healthiest meal you can make, it is one of the tastiest, and very pantry friendly with simple ingredients that most people have on hand most days.  It comes from the kitchen of one of the best cooks I know, my mom.

Baked Cheese Steak

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Beef Round Steak (cut into single servings)

1 Sliced Onion

3/4 c. Grated American Cheese (I just use the individually wrapped slices)

1/2 c. Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300*.

2.  Place half of round steak in a casserole dish and dot with half of the butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and layer with onions, then cheese.  Make second layer in the same order and cover with foil.

3.  Bake 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

It's as simple as that!  What are some ways that you cook round steak that doesn't turn out tough as an old shoe?

Chip's Fajita Marinade

Lean Beef Facts

(Based on a 3 oz. serving)

• Nearly half of the daily value for protein
• Less than 10 grams of fat
• 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat
• Less than 95 mg of cholesterol 

Besides just tasting great, the nutrients in lean beef, such as protein, iron and B-vitamins can help satisfy you and maintain a healthy weight, build muscles and fuel a healthy and active lifestyle. Research suggests that eating lean beef can also improve cholesterol levels.

Today's Meat Eater Monday Star is the Flank Steak.  One single serving of Flank Steak as a total of 6.3 grams of fat.  Not too bad!  

(Web Image)

The flank steak is a beef steak cut from the abdominal muscles of the cow. A relatively long and flat cut, flank steak is used in a variety of dishes including London broil and as an alternative to the traditional skirt steak in fajitas. It can be grilled, pan-fried, broiled, or braised for increased tenderness.  Because it comes from a strong, well-exercised part of the cow, it is best sliced across the grain before serving, to maximize tenderness.

Today I am going to share with you Chip's Fajita Marinade.  It comes from my friend Amber, and is published in The Real Ranch Cookbook by the Elko County Cattle Women.  It is awesome!

Chip's Fajita Marinade

(Makes 1 cup or more)

Ingredients:

Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Lemon

Handful of Cilantro, chopped up

Handful of Green Onions, chopped up

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Chili Flakes

1 tsp. Salt

Sprinkle of Pepper

Mix together equal amounts of olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Add rest of ingredients.  Put marinade and fajita meat in plastic ziploc bags and refridgerate for at least 2 hours.

For a meal, I make 2 batches of the marinade.  In one bag I put flank steak (or chicken, or pork, or any other type of meat), and in the other I put sliced onions, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, and I let marinade over night in the refridgerater.  When ready to cook, I use an aluminum foil pan on the grill, or cast iron skillet on my stove.  If using the cast iron, I use a little oil to keep the meat from sticking.  I cook the meat through, then add the veggies and cook until crisp tender.  Serve with tortillas, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.  Very easy, and pretty healthy, until you add the cheese, sour cream, and quacamole!

(www.allrecipies.com)

Have a great day, and enjoy a meal with beef!

Meat Eater Monday....I've been slacking!

I honestly have no idea what happened to May, and just realized June is half over.  Time flies when you are having fun, right?  We spent last month finishing up school and getting everything branded.  Branding is my favorite time of the year!  I started using a new horse that I think I am going to love, and I got a few good pictures of our ranch brandings.  Now just to find some time to get them off my camera, onto my computer and edited.  Never enough hours in the day!

This is a recipe I found on the internet awhile back, but not sure where it came from, and I have tweaked it somewhat to my own taste.  It is pretty good though, and feeds a bunch, so give it a try!

Cowboy Dinner

Beef Mixture:
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 large Onion, diced
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 c. Salsa
15 oz can of Black Beans
1 1/2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cornbread Topping:
1 1/2 c. Flour
2/3 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Corn Meal
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/4 c. Milk
2 Large Eggs, beaten
1/3 c. Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Butter Melted

1.  Preheat Oven to 375*.  Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.
2.  In a large skillet, brown beef and onion.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining Beef Mixture (minus cheese) ingredients.  Pour into 9x13" pan.
3.  Combine Flour, Sugar, Corn Meal, Baking Powder, and Salt in a medium bowl.  Combine Milk, Eggs, Vegetable Oil, and Butter in a small bowl; mix well.  Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended.
4.  Sprinkle cheese over beef and pour cornbread over the cheese.  Spread to edges of the pan.
5.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and cornbread is cooked through.

Processing Yearlings, Kids, Finals, Buying Cows, and Failed Cinnamon Rolls!

Friends, I am so glad last week is over!  It could have been a week from hell, if the weather wasn't so nice.  I have the sun burn to prove it!

We started out Monday processing yearlings.  We receive yearlings out of California, and then arrive in the middle of the night.  So first thing the next morning we have to process them.  We have to catch EVERY.  SINGLE.  ONE..... We weigh them, sort by weight, vaccinate with an 8-Way vaccine (it's a clostridial vaccine that protects against Blackleg, Malignant Edema, Sudden Death Syndrome, Redwater, Black's Disease, and types B, C and D Enterotoxemia.), Fusiguard (which helps prevent foot rot, this is extremely important for the yearlings here on irrigated pasture), an inject-able wormer for parasite control, and Vira-Shield for the breeder heifers (to protect against respiratory and reproductive diseases).  We also retag every animal with a fly tag and a color coordinated tag by weight. This year's heifers haven't been very healthy, so already we are doctoring bad eyes.  As dry as it is in California, these yearlings have been picking up cheat grass seeds in their eyes.  Left untreated, it turns into an infection which can result in the loss of the eye.

We are pretty spoiled here, and generally on days we process or do any type of chute work the "Donut Guy" as the boys call him brings a box of donuts for the crew.  We stop around 8:30 or 9 for donuts and a break.  I knew the Donut Guy wouldn't be coming Monday, so I tried to make cinnamon rolls.  Note I said try?  I failed miserably.  I followed the recipe to a T and thought I did everything right and they were a nasty, doughy, gooey mess.  I didn't cook \them long enough.  My oven is kind of challenging, and if you put a pan in too close to the side it will burn.  Long story short, they were nearly burned on the edges and raw dough in the middle.  I did a little better on the lunch I made, and then had to hurry to town to get to class on time.

Tuesday we drove to Nampa, Idaho to watch a track meet.  Baisically we sat in the pickup 5 hours to watch paint dry for 2 hours, to turn around and sit in the pickup for another 5 hours.  Super long day.

Wednesday we went through the entire processing procedure again.  This time my animal science class came to spend the day with us as a lab assignment.  It was fun, I have a great group of students who I really enjoy.  We cheated on lunch since I was gone all day Tuesday and we bbq'd Chorizos and Hot Dogs.  I did wake up early and make some peanut butter bars though.

Thursday we gathered and took possession of our new heifers, which took all afternoon.  We had to go to the neighbors where they were, trail them a couple of miles to some corrals to load out of, then make 4 trailer trips to get them home to us.

Friday morning was the best day all week.  I have a new babysitter for the boys.  Her name is Ash-a-leeeee (as QT says it).  She is a ranch girl and awesome with the boys.  She came to hang out with the boys and I got to go and doctor yearlings.  She is awesome.  When we got home she was in the back yard with the boys fighting bad guys, killing dragons, and being the princess for my little knights.

We are still dealing with bad eyes and some footrot that we missed chute side (kind of hard to see foot rot in a chute!).  I rode my favorite horse Cricket.  I love that horse.  I haven't been riding much since last fall, and the best thing about him is he is always right where you left him, and almost always acts like you just rode him the day before.  He loves doctoring yearlings.  The minute you take your rope down he sets his mind to roping, and he runs to cattle.  You get him locked on a yearling and you just have to hold on and swing your rope.  He transitions really good from heading to heeling too (way better than me).  I'm not very comfortable necking yearlings.  Their size intimidates me, so I usually just haze (keep the  yearling going the right direction) for the Cow Boss.  Then if he misses, which isn't very often, when he slows up I run ahead of him and trade places so I can take a shot.  I necked 3 of the 5 yearlings we doctored and never missed a head loop.  It made me so happy, I usually miss 10 before I catch one.  It felt so good to rope well and ride my favorite horse.

Saturday we did the whole processing thing again and it took all day.  I made cinnamon rolls again and they turned out so much better!

For Mother's Day, we branded and processed our personal heifers and turned them out to breed.  We will be putting a bull in with them next week.  We helped a friend brand his 6 Corriente calves, and hauled out some cows.  If anyone ever invites you to help brand little Corriente calves, decline, make up an excuse, be sick.  When they are little (like 45 pounds), it is like trying to rope a jack rabbit!

The Cow Boss did good for Mother's Day (other than scheduling me a full day of work that is)!  He had our friend Andy Stevens make me this beautiful cantle concho for my saddle.  Andy also built my saddle.  He carved Columbine flowers on the skirts, and put one on the concho also.  

For my installment of Meat Eater Monday, I want to share with you my favorite BBQ recipe.  I got it from my mom and it is excellent on chicken and pork.  I did pork ribs and I intended to grill them but was out of propane, so I used my broiler instead.

BBQ Sauce:
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. cooking oil
3/4 c. catsup
1/3. c. vinegar
1 tsp. grated lemon plus 1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (I used Franks Red Hot Sauce)
Cook onion and garlic in oil till tender, but not brown.  Stir in remaining ingredients, and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season your ribs and place bone side down on medium hot coals for about 25 minutes, turn and grill until done.  Brush with sauce often the last 10 minutes of cooking.

I hope everyone had a wonderful week last week and is looking forward to the week to come!

Meatball Monday!

So lets talk about Vegans.  Does anyone know a true vegan?  Trick question!  ;)  I just don't think anyone can be a true vegan.  I mean sure, you can totally eliminate meat, eggs, dairy, and fish from your diet, but can you truly eliminate all animal byproducts from your life?  I mean, we are really thrifty, and after all of the roasts, steaks, and hamburger is removed from the animal, and the hide is used for shoes, we don't throw what is left away.  We use 99% of the animal harvested.


bone china
leather sporting goods
bonemeal biscuits
luggage
boots and shoes
paint
candles
pet foods
cosmetics
photographic film
crayons
plastics
deodorants
shampoo/cream rinses
detergents
shaving cream
doggie chews
soaps
fabric softeners
textiles
floor wax
toothpaste
glue
upholstery
insecticides
violin strings
asphalt
car polishes and waxes
rubber tires
hydraulic brake fluid
textiles for upholstery

All of these contain beef byproducts.  I don't know about you, but would be pretty hard to eliminate all of these things from your life!  This list doesn't even include the pharmaceutical wonders we get from beef, this is just a small sample of everything we get from the cattle we harvest.

Can you imagine going through life without ever enjoying a bowl of ice cream, watching jello jiggle, or roasting a marshmallow?  What a sad existence!

I grew up on a creek that was home to many fabulous cooks.  Honestly.  I think the best cooks in the world live on Trail Creek.  My cousin Margie makes the best meatballs.  This is my favorite meatball recipe.  Try and see!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
2 lbs. Ground Beef
3 slices of bread
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
milk to mix

Mix together and form into balls.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes, drain off grease.

Sauce:
1 large can of tomatoes
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Heat through and pour over meat balls.  Cook an additional 15-20 minutes.  Serve with rice.

Hobo Dinners

In our latest installment of Meat Eater Monday, let’s talk about Beef Nutrition.  Did you know that beef is a vital source of protein, iron and many other important nutrients that sustain a healthy diet?  In fact, calorie-for-calorie it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods to fuel an active and healthy lifestyle. 

There are more than 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean (USDA defines “lean” as less than 10 grams of total fat per 3-ounce serving).  Lean cuts of beef have 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol (per 3-ounce serving).  Four of the most popular lean beef cuts chosen at restaurants are:  

• Strip Steak (Kansas City/New York)

• Filet Mignon/Tenderloin Steak

• Top Sirloin/Sirloin Steak

• T-Bone Steak

Four of the most popular lean beef cuts chosen in grocery stores include:

• Top Sirloin/Sirloin Steak

• Strip (Top Loin) Steak

• Top Round Steak

• T-Bone Steak

For some more great recipes and beef facts, check out: Beef It's What's for Dinner and http://www.beefnutrition.org/.  They have lots of wonderful recipes and tips, as well as nutritional information.  

I boarded in town with my Aunt and Uncle for high school (the 160 mile round trip to get to and from school didn't really appeal to me on a daily basis)!  They took very good care of me.  I spent every lunch period at my Grandma Larios’s house.  She really spoiled me.  While a lot of high schooler’s were bumming rides to a fast food joint, or brown bagging it, I had a warm, home cooked meal just about every day.  One of my favorite meals my grandma would make were called Hobo Dinners.  I’m not positive where my grandma got the recipe, but it is wonderful, and worth sharing!

Hobo Dinner (makes a single serving).

¼ lb. Ground Beef

1 Potato, sliced

1 Carrot, sliced

2 tbs. Onion, chopped

1 Dab of Butter

Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt to taste

1 sheet Heavy Duty Aluminum foil

Shape beef into a patty; place in the center of foil, top with potato, carrot, and onion.  Sprinkle with seasonings, and place dab of butter on top.  Fold foil over and seal well.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350* for 45 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

As you can tell, it is very easily doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.  It can be as simple, or as fancy as you like it, and cleanup is so easy!  I hope you try it and let me know how you like it!

Meat Eater Mondays

Have you heard this rubbish?  From what I am reading and understanding on a Meatless Monday website, going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

By not eating meat, you can limit your risk of cancer, reduce heart disease, fight diabetes, curb obesity, live longer, and improve your diet.  I am no dietitian  but from what I understand of diabetes, (I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies), that diets high in protein are better at managing diabetes.  Where does protein come from?  Oh yeah....meat!  As far as curbing obesity, get outside and go for a walk and quit eating fast food every day of the week.  As far as living longer, both of my paternal great grandmas lived well into their 90's, my great Aunt is 86 and still going strong as well.  Guess what they eat (or ate) everyday?  You guessed it meat!

Since I'm feeling rather feisty today, and I totally disagree with all of the meatless Monday propaganda, I am initiating my own Monday plan.  Introducing to the Rambling Ranch Wife, starting today, every Monday is Meat Eater Monday.  I will be sharing beef facts and recipes made with beef.  (No offense to lamb, pork, and chicken producers, all awesome forms of meat, I'm just sticking with what I know)!

According to Beef Magazine, Here are six reasons to include meat in your diet:

1. It’s healthy. There are 29 lean cuts of beef, according to USDA standards. Beef provides nutrients like zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins, and half of the fat found in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil.
2. It’s easy. Using recipes from beefitswhatsfordinner.com, beef is an easy addition to a well-balanced meal. Simply fire up the grill or turn on the slow cooker, and you’ve got a healthy, simple meal that stars meat.
3. It’s environmentally friendly. Cattle graze on land that is too steep, hilly or rocky for farming. Cattle aerate the soil and eat brush, which is good for wildfire management. Check out our Earth Day page to find more reasons why beef production is good for the planet.
4. It’s affordable. Calorie-for-calorie, beef is more nutrient dense than vegetarian protein options like peanut butter, tofu or beans. You get more nutritional bang for your buck by choosing healthy, lean animal proteins. 
5. It’s kind. Cattlemen care about their livestock; it makes good business sense and it’s the right thing to do. Respectfully harvesting these animals to nourish people is a part of the circle of life, and something that ranchers take very seriously.
6. It will make you feel sexy. Without protein as the center of my diet, I feel depleted of energy. Sure, vegetables and fruits are great, but without protein power, I’m not strong. And, being strong is sexy! Be inspired by all the Team Beef members who are out leading busy, active lifestyles, competing in triathlons, marathons and more! 

In honor of our first Meat Eater Monday, I'm sharing with you my favorite Meatloaf recipe.  It is from the Country Women Magazine, reprinted in Spend The Day With Beef cookbook by the Nevada Cattlewomen.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 c. dry bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 eggs

1 tsp/ dried minced onions

15 oz tomato sauce, divided

Topping:

reserved tomato sauce

2 tbs. brown sugar

2 tbs. vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. prepared mustard

Mix together beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and eggs.  Add onions and 1/2 can of tomato sauce.  Form into a loaf in a 9x5x3 pan.  Bake at 350* for 50 minutes.  In a sauce pan, combine topping ingredients; bring to a boil.  Pour over meatloaf and bake 10 minutes more.  Makes 6 servings.

You can put some potatoes in the oven the same time as the meatloaf, and have baked potatoes with it.  Serve with a nice salad and you have a complete meal!