The Idaho CattleWomen Council held a meeting and social during the Idaho Cattle Association annual convention in Sun Valley in November. We had nearly 50 women and guests in attendance. Everyone enjoyed refreshments, and an ice breaker, where each shared if they could have dinner with any person (past or present) who would it be and why.

The business meeting included updates on the committees—website, store, saddle/scholarship. A committee was formed to discuss the possibility of ANCW membership. They will report back during the summer meeting in June 2024. In addition, the resolution in regards to the Idaho Cattlewomen Council and ANCW was reaffirmed.

New leadership for ICWC is Tay Brackett, who moves up into the ICW Chairman seat and onto the ICA Executive Committee. Christie Prescott becomes the ICW Rep to the ICA Board of Directors.

We had another great turnout for the Annual Photo Contest. All entered photos need to be emailed to Morgan at the office if they haven’t been yet. They will be used in future promotions and marketing materials for the association.

Can you capture the beauty of the Idaho cattle industry at its best? Then put your eye and your camera to the test. It’s time to prepare for the 7th Annual Idaho CattleWomen Council Photo Contest. We have some new categories and new rules, so be sure to read through everything. It’s never too early to capture the beauty of Idaho and the cattle and people who make it great. The photo contest takes place at the Idaho Cattle Association Annual Convention, Nov. 13-15, 2017. Photos will have the opportunity to appear in future ICA publications and communications materials. Watch for contest rules and details in the fall edition of the Line Rider. Click here for all the rules and entry forms.

 

Megan lives with her husband and three sons on a multi-generational cow-calf ranch in south central Idaho. Megan serves as the ICW Representative to the ICA board of directors. In her spare time, she enjoys working and playing with her family, reading, gardening, fishing and watching her sons play football.

How are you involved in agriculture today? I work as an agriculture research technician in the soil science division for University of Idaho Extension. When I am not working in town I help my husband, Kabel, on the family ranching operation.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I grew-up on a small farming/cattle operation and developed a love for the land and animals at a young age. My passion for agriculture continued into college as I pursued an Agricultural Science degree. Yeah, I know it’s weird, but I enjoy working long hours outside, and getting dirty!

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? There have been several individuals who have inspired and encouraged me throughout my life, but my daily motivation is to be a better person today than I was yesterday.

How do you provide encouragement to others? One way I offer encouragement to my children is to live by example, although that is not always easy. Oftentimes when a close friend needs encouragement and I don’t have the right words to say I will refer to scripture, some of my favorites include Proverbs 3:5-6 and Isaiah 40:31.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? Animal agriculture is essential to the welfare of America as well as the rest of the world. Not only does animal agriculture provide food for an ever-growing world population, it is a strong component to our economy. Livestock producers also maintain and enhance millions of acres of public lands and supply consumers with necessary and valuable byproducts.

What are you most thankful for? Weekends! And of course, my family!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? I enjoy cooking anything that does not require a ton of clean-up afterwards! My favorite would be soup/stews with homemade bread.

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? Cringe! I really hate grocery shopping.

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? When I have free time I like to read and garden. And I love watching my boys and nephews play football.

Favorite place to visit? The Oregon coast; it is so peaceful and relaxing.

 

Not sure what the weather as been like for you lately, but it’s been unseasonably warm around here. If I’m being honest, I really love it. Being a farmer’s daughter and a rancher’s wife, though, makes me think forward and hope this early spring weather doesn’t mean an extra hot, dry summer. Nevertheless, everyone seems to be enjoying the weather as the calves are thriving and the bulls we’re getting ready to sell are not bogged down in a mucky mess due to rain or thawing snow.

The recipe I’m sharing today was inspired by my friend, Lisa, who not only teaches full time, but has a busy ag teacher/coach husband, is raising three kids and is in the middle of calving their small herd of cows too. Even though she’s busy, she always has time to make an extra meal for a neighbor or friend in need. She brought this meal to us after our son was born (several years ago), and it was a hit. I didn’t grow up eating meatballs, but this Sweet and Sour Meatball Recipe is definitely one my family enjoys. And as Lisa proved, it’s a great meal to share with others too.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 c. Panko or dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. finely diced onion
1/2 c. finely diced green pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
Salt and Pepper

Sauce:
Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1 T. cornstarch, 1 can of tidbit or chunk pineapple, 1/3 c. vinegar and 1 T. soy sauce. Bring to boil, add chopped red or green peppers (optional), then simmer until sauce thickens and veggies get tender. Add in meatballs. Serve with rice.

The last time I made them, I adapted her original recipe by making the meatballs ahead of time and putting them in the freezer. I put them in the slow cooker along with the sauce (which I didn’t cook beforehand). These turned out great!

I love being able to make these ahead of time and store them in the freezer for an easy weeknight meal. You can even double or triple the recipe easy enough to feed a crowd. Or share with a friend…

~M

 

What does calving season have to do with slow cooker meals? Well, seeing as 2 to 3 baby calves are coming each day, having a slow cooker meal ready for dinner makes at least one part of the day a little easier.

Not only is my hubby busy checking for baby calves each day and night, but we’re also still feeding cows as the grass is getting greener, but not yet tall enough to provide all the nutrition the cows need right now. Our bull sale is a little over a month away. Many other ranchers who produce seedstock or purebred cattle, are also prepping for the bull sale season. This is when commercial producers purchase their bulls to use for the next breeding season. We’ve been gathering the pedigree information and taking photos for the catalog, putting together advertising, and going through the checklist of must-dos before sale day.

Kids’ activities keep us on the go as we have one playing basketball and one in wrestling right now. Not to mention homework sessions each night. Our busy days and evenings give me reason enough to keep the Crock-Pot® filled. Dinner is much easier when I plan ahead and spend a few minutes prepping in the morning while cleaning up breakfast dishes. I love slow cooker meals because they are little mess and provide a healthy, hearty meal for my family at the end of the day. I guess the only downside for me is smelling the yummy goodness all day long and it makes me hungry, ha!

I tried several new beef recipes during the holidays and this new year, so I’ll be sharing them with you here. This one isn’t a new one, but actually a tried and true recipe from my mom—it always reminds me of home. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s become one of my kids’ favorite meals too. I’ve included some helpful hints as well.

Hamburger Stew

1-2 pounds lean ground beef (Brown and cook thoroughly. Drain and rinse with water if necessary to remove extra fat if not using lean ground beef.) *Helpful Hint: Buy ground beef in bulk and brown all at once, divide into 2-4 cup servings, and place in freezer gallon bags. It makes it super easy to prepare a slow cooker meal or a quick dish when some of the prep is already done.

1-2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes (I use one can per pound of beef.)

*Helpful Hint: I fill the empty tomato can with water to add liquid to the stew. You can also use one can of beef or vegetable broth.

1 small can tomato sauce (I use no salt added as I like to be in charge of my seasonings.)

Vegetables (This is where you can get creative and use what you have on hand.)
-Cubed potatoes (You can peel or leave peel on, whichever your family prefers.)
-Diced carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions (I cut up in 1 inch pieces.)
-Frozen, fresh or canned corn and green beans (I use frozen as that’s what I keep on hand. They are just as nutritious as fresh, and great during cold months when fresh aren’t in season. I usually put them in during the last 30 minutes to hour of cooking.)

-Salt and pepper to season (I used fresh ground pepper and Lawry’s Garlic Salt as my go-to seasonings of choice. Mrs. Dash is also a great choice of seasoning if you want a salt-free spice blend. I usually season at the beginning of cooking, then taste before serving and add a little more if needed.)

Put all the ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours. I love to serve with Beer Bread or crusty rolls to sop up some of the broth, but truly it’s excellent all by itself.

*Helpful Hint: This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, depending on how many you need to feed. It also freezes well, and makes a great meal to take to neighbors or friends.

For all those busy nights when you don’t want to worry about dinner, I hope you consider this easy, hearty and healthy hamburger, ground beef stew!

~ M

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Crock-Pot®, Lawry’s or Mrs. Dash, but we wanted to give credit to these brands as they were mentioned in the post.