It’s looking a lot like old man winter around here. We had our first snowstorm of the year and I believe most of the state is under a blanket of white now. I have to admit—we weren’t quite ready for snow before Thanksgiving. The kids even got a snow day from school because of it. They may be bundled up and enjoying the snowy landscape outside, but there is still plenty of work that needs done around here. There are no “snow days” for a rancher.

The hubby was up early to check on the cows and calves. We had calves born this fall so we want to make sure they stay warm and dry so they don’t get sick. We’re also expecting more embryo transfer calves to be born soon, and this is not great weather for brand new babies, so the guys are getting those cows still needing to calve in by the barn so they can be watched more closely.

Daily chores include feeding animals by the barn and in the pens. These are our herd bulls, donor cows and weaned bulls and heifers for our upcoming shows and sales. We’re fortunate to have automatic waterers, but they need checked to make sure they don’t freeze in really cold weather. Because several inches of snow is covering the grass, the cattle in the pasture will start getting hay to supplement their nutritional needs. They will also have access to protein and mineral tubs as well. We’ll put out straw bedding for them to have a warm and dry place to lie down. Keeping them dry is important.

I thought on this cold November day I’d share a new recipe I created this fall. When it was warmer. And there was no snow.

I love fall—the turning of the leaves and pretty colors, and all the yummy smells like pumpkin and apple.

I miss fall. It seems to have gone from fall to winter overnight.

This a good recipe all season long, especially with holiday gatherings and get togethers coming up. It was inspired by a box of Honey Crisp apples I picked up from the local farmer’s market. We’re surrounded by orchards, so there is no lack of fresh and delicious fruit this time of year. I had never tried the Honey Crisp variety; we usually opt for Fuji or Gala, but I was reminded of fresh apple pie with my very first bite—crisp, fresh and sweet. Even though we eat several apples a day and could get through a 20-pound box with ease, I decided I would use some for an apple pie.

Remember how I mentioned I like to experiment in the kitchen? Well, I know baking is more of a precise science, but the rebel in me likes to take risks there too. Instead of going with a typical pie crust recipe (which is not hard at all), I wondered if I could do more of a shortbread crust. I’ve made shortbread before and I knew it was easy—flour, sugar, butter. The first time I tried making a shortbread pie crust, I didn’t quite have the ratio of flour, sugar, butter right, so I did a search and found a crust that works well. I used it and modified the recipe as needed.

So glad I tried this; it turned out delicious. And because I thought it would be fun to try a smaller version, I put the crust and apples in a muffin tin to make mini pies. They are the perfect serving size and you can even eat them with your hands. Of course, you can use the crust for a traditionally-sized pie as well. I also must mention I call this Rustic Shortbread Apple Pie because you don’t roll the dough, it’s just pressed into the muffin or pie tin. There’s no fancy pinching of the edges making it perfectly pretty. But, I promise, it is super easy and delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Rustic Shortbread Apple Pie

Crust: 3/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 beaten egg yolks
Apple filling: 6-8 apples (I used Honey Crisp, but Granny Smith would be great too.)
1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 T flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
Peel, core, cut apples into small chunks. Add brown sugar, flour and spices then mix.

I ended up trying this twice because my oldest decided to try her own little experiment of baked apples. She is her mother’s daughter and didn’t measure the cinnamon. I love cinnamon, but a little goes a long way. Needless to say, we had to add several more apples to her mixture—enough to make another apple pie!

Whatever your weather is where you are, stay warm!

~ Maggie

Maggie and her husband raise their four children and registered cattle on his family’s southwest Idaho ranch. As a family, they enjoy sports, showing cattle, 4-H, church and other activities when not working on the ranch. She likes to experiment with recipes in the kitchen, shares her love of sweets through baking with her children and has been known to start a DIY project every now and then. Sometimes she actually finishes one.

My grandma had 11 kids…… ELEVEN! I have one busy little 2 year old. I am convinced my grandmother is the most saintly person on this earth. While raising all these great people, her and my grandpa had the typical farm, complete with hogs, chickens, cats, dogs and of course, cattle. In later years, every spring and fall us grandkids, would drive the cattle herd from cow camp to the home place or visa versa, which took about two days. These memories are some of my most treasured. My cousins and I played hooky from school and when the bus approached we thought we were the coolest cats on the prairie as we led the bus through the cattle on our horses, waving at the kids that had to attend school that day.

The second best thing about long days helping grandpa with cows, was my grandma’s sandwiches. She would come with bread sacks full of them. Most were bologna, slathered with some white stuff and if she felt fancy, some cheese. They were the best sandwiches I had ever tasted. Now thinking back, it was probably just because we were so hungry. About a year ago I finally figured out her secret of Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. Who knew!?

This brings me to my topic of ranch wives. I am very early in my experience of being a ranch wife/mother, so I am constantly observing other gals that share the same lifestyle. I have concluded that ranch wives are a very special breed of women, like my grandmother, that have amazing skill sets that make newcomers like me, a little intimidated. They can cook, mend, clean, take care of the babes and husband, keep the place tidy, like a traditional wife. PLUS they chop wood, fix fence, memorize spring and fall vaccine protocols, ride, rope, hammer nails, castrate calves, drive truck—the list goes on. Sometimes they do all this and even hold down a full time job in town!

Growing up in agriculture definitely gives you a leg up, but I am sure finding a young gal that has mastered all those tasks doesn’t come around every day. If you find one, I’d recommend marrying her, quick!

See, I learned more about the outside chores from my mother than I did inside, which I am grateful for, but cooking did not come as naturally to me as some girls. I can burn dinner as good as anyone. Early on, I was more likely to kick in the oven door by the time all was said and done. Now I find myself mulling around in the kitchen trying new recipes any chance I get. Although I would rather be outside (as I’m sure most of us would) doing all the activities that create calluses or riding our ponies around, housework has grown on me. Not that any of us particularly care to do dishes or laundry, but there is an element of satisfaction knowing you have a clean house for your family to call home. Of course this balancing act is not narrowed to country folk; it’s any new wife or mother. We all share these times of trial and error, rancher or not.

Our daughter Mesa, keeps my husband and I on our toes. We are in the process of fine tuning our negotiation and bribing skills. No matter the degree of meltdown, when we ask if she wants to see the baby calves, she always responds with a sniffle and a “yeah!” It warms my heart to see her enthusiasm towards an industry I am so passionate about. I hope she never loses it. I am a lucky gal to have had some strong female influences growing up and now Mesa has them as examples as well. You can bet that I will do my best to teach her the qualities of a ranch woman. Goodness knows we need more of them! Sometimes when I have planned ahead and have a meal ready for all of us after we come in from working cattle and I didn’t even mess up drastically, I feel like I am getting closer to being one of the many ranch wives I idolize. Ranch wives are tough and caring, bold and compassionate, full of grit and pride. They know when to stand their ground and when a caring touch is needed. There is no better group of women and I am fortunate to have them as family, friends and neighbors. I look up to these talented women and maybe someday I can earn a place among this bunch of cowgirls.

~ Diana

Diana and her husband grew up farming and ranching. Now they own a crop and rangeland spraying business, and their own herd of cattle. Diana is a busy ranch wife and mom to a two-year-old little girl. When not helping with their spraying or cattle, she travels throughout north Idaho discussing feed programs with ranchers as a full-time feed consultant.

I couldn’t get anything done this morning. . .the kid’s breakfast was put on hold, lunch ingredients stayed on the counter, coffee cooled. This sunrise made me stop in my tracks as I silently watched the sky explode in colors and dimensions. The cows started their morning movements of grazing, finding calves, moving from their bed ground. The fall ground fog hinted at much needed moisture seeping into the ground. It was spectacular.

 

So, why is this “blog worthy”?

Because it reminded me that much of this life remains out of my control. I worried fitfully in my sleep of cows coming in from the desert thinner than expected as a result of a dry summer. I felt my mind not turning off, but thinking through the night of things that needed “fixed”. I find that much of the time in this livestock business, one continually finds things to be “fixed”; some are individual, some are regional, some are international, some are intentional, some are perceptional.

And then, I witness something tangible that says, “Things are in control; no need to worry.”

~ Julie

Julie and her family own a cow-calf, yearling operation and custom feedlot in southwest Idaho. She and her husband were raised on livestock ranches and their industry roots run deep. Their children have been very active and involved in the ranch and feedlot, and are developing their own herds of quality cattle.

I’m not a big breakfast eater, but they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And I have tried to get better at making sure my kids who need good nutrition to fuel their day of school and play, as well as my husband, who needs energy for his work on the ranch, have something to eat that they all will enjoy.

Earlier this year we received our annual Idaho Beef Council calendar. I always enjoy looking through the months to see what recipes they are featuring. I know beef might not be the first protein you think of for breakfast (me neither), but on one of the pages I found a recipe for Country Beef Sausage. And since we have a lot of ground beef in our freezer, I thought I’d give it a try. My family loved it! In fact, I made biscuits and gravy with it as well as Breakfast Burritos.

The other day I had some hamburger I had cooked up, a half a bag of tator tots and some tortillas. I decided it would be a good idea to put together a batch of burritos to have in the freezer. Easy for my hubby to grab as he heads out the door for his day. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how big a crowd you need to feed or how many you want left in the freezer.

I mashed up the tator tots and cooked them a bit. I removed them and put them on a plate while I warmed the beef (mine was already cooked and drained) and added my seasonings. (see full recipe below) I also added diced yellow bell peppers and chopped onions. I added back the potatoes and mixed it all together, making sure everything was heated through. It makes a great hash all on it’s own too. You could add some scrambled eggs as well.

I spooned some mixture into a tortilla. There is an awesome local bakery that makes the best homemade tortillas! I added some chopped fresh cilantro and some shredded monterey jack cheese.

Fold up the tortilla then place it in a non-stick skillet. I don’t add any fat, oil or butter. I just crisp up each side a little.

A yummy, on-the-go breakfast with BEEF!

Country Beef Sausage Recipe (courtesy Beef Checkoff)
It’s easy to double the ingredients if making it for a crowd. I also like to make it ahead of time and have it in the freezer to pull out for different recipes.

1 pound ground beef (96% lean)
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Mix seasonings and fresh ground beef lightly, but thoroughly to incorporate the spices. Brown ground beef mixture and cook thoroughly (temp of 160 degrees) and drain if necessary. Yields about 2 1/2 cups of beef crumbles.

You can mix in other ingredients like shredded hashbrowns, eggs, cheese, peppers, onions or whatever else your family might enjoy.

~ Maggie

Perhaps it’s the bawl of a new calf. Or it could be that overprotective mother cow. (Her calf’s ID is not a tag, but a crisp new rope.) Maybe its the bawl of weaned calves, but there are many times during our ranch life that remind us of memories of impending parenthood. For it was fourteen years ago when my husband and I found out it wasn’t just the cows who were going to experience the miracle of birth.

With the news of our pregnancy coming on the eve of calving season, my cowboy found himself in “baby mode.” He quickly whipped out his cattle gestation calendar and reported to me my due date. (What do you mean there’s a gestation difference?) He flailed his arms and spouted phrases like, just before weaning time, not during haying season, and maybe during a storm or full moon. He quipped that he would know just what to do because he’d helped many animals in my condition. It never occurred to him that I might not like being compared to a cow. I gently reminded him I was not some heifer. That’s when he put away his weight expectancy chart.

It goes without saying that pregnancy changes a woman, but it also changes a man. It certainly changes the size of his wallet. All of the things that are needed for a child add up: the four door pickup, the tractor with the enclosed, air conditioned cab, and the tack.
With tack catalogues strewn across the kitchen table, my hubby could hardly contain his excitement. “What kind of kid’s saddle should I get?”

“Well, the baby’s the size of a bean right now, so I’d go with something small. Let’s not get carried away.”

Yet what first time parents don’t get carried away? At our initial doctor’s appointment my husband came with spurs on and his head cocked like a rooster. An early ultrasound was included, so my cowboy told me what to expect because he’d done ultrasounds for preg checking.

Once my belly began to bulge, so did my man’s ego. Why read baby books when he’d seen a million bovine births? It wouldn’t be that different…would it?

One “difference” came when the baby began kicking. My husband put his hand on my belly expecting to feel a small tap and was blown away when the baby actually moved his hand with a forceful little blow. This was the first time I heard him scream like a little girl.

The second scream occurred in Lamaze class. It was not the videos that made him holler. No, it was another forceful blow—this time by another expectant mother who didn’t tolerate bovine comparisons very well. Needless to say, we didn’t make any lifelong friends there. The calf-pulling conversation didn’t help.

When labor did begin, I was in denial. It was early. My husband convinced me to go to the hospital because I was “walking around like a cow with my tail up.” I promised to go, if he promised not to say that in the delivery room. When we arrived at the hospital and labor was confirmed, my husband obliged, and explained he knew what was happening because he had “seen it in his field.”

When our daughter arrived, cowboy instincts let loose and he nearly fainted. The man can castrate a steer, pull a calf, and inspect afterbirth….but a human umbilical cord made him woozy! All of his jitters passed away though when our beautiful girl was placed in his arms.

Pride has been taken to a whole new level from this time forward. Stories of tagging, penning, and roping will always make a cowboy beam, but a child is like all of these tales and then some. Put some cowboy daddies together and they can talk!

“Why just last week my six-year-old daughter drove the truck while I forked off hay.”

“Oh yah, well my five-year-old won first prize at the mutton busting.”

“That’s nothing. My two-year-old roped a steer on his first try, blindfolded.”

Even with their stories though, cowboys do make great fathers. They help their kids learn about life via the ranch. They teach them to make hay forts. They encourage them to open gates. The only thing that continues to puzzle me is this: How can a cowboy be immune to the stench of manure, stick his hands in the tightest of places, but changing a diaper induces tears or vomiting?

~Marci

Marci is a city girl gone country. She married her cowboy and never looked back. While life may be different than what she first imagined, it’s also better than expected as well. She and her husband are raising their three kids on the ranch, and she says she’s grown used to all the boots by the door.