Another day in the branding pen

We had a few calves to brand last week, so we invited a few friends out to help. Branding is always a fun event; the cowboys enjoy the roping and camaraderie. It’s a slow-paced day, our goal is to keep the cows and calves calm. The calves are vaccinated and branded in short order, then quickly returned to their mama.

It was a cold and windy day so my three year old stayed warm in the front seat of my husband’s pick up. Apparently he had a grand time in there. When my husband climbed in his pick up to come home, the windshield wipers turned on at full speed, the radio was blaring, and there was an avalanche of papers scattered across the front seat. I told him he should be grateful the containment area was only the cab of his pick up; most days the only boundary for our three year old’s small-scale disasters are the walls of our home. Or the garage. Or the fence around our yard. Or…

I thought this day would never come

This morning we gathered a large field of cow-calf pairs and brought them to a small holding pen where we could sort them into different groups. We sorted out the cows that didn’t have calves this year (dry cows). The older cows were sorted into a different group; they have high nutrition requirements and by keeping them together it is easier for us to make sure they get the nutrients that they need.

Have a look at this photo, please.

Do you happen to notice anything interesting in it?

Figured it out yet?

Yes! This is my three year old riding by himself. Hallelujah!

This may be one of the most liberating days of my life. I am going to mark it on my calendar as the Last Day of my Maternity Leave. My oldest son is nearly eleven, so by my calculations it has been almost twelve years since I have rode a horse without a small child sitting in front of me. Twelve years is a very long time.

 

Now, don’t think that in my haste to have the saddle to myself that I just throw him on his horse and ride away. No, not at all. I lead his horse along behind mine, which means we should have large yellow Slow Moving signs taped on our backs, but that’s okay because we are on separate horses and in our own saddles!

 

Breeding Program

Our AI program has kept us busy the past couple of weeks. This year we are AI’ing (artificially inseminating) our first-calf and second-calf heifers. An AI program works well for us because it allows us to quickly and efficiently improve the genetics of our cow herd.

The entire AI process requires working the heifer in the chute three different times in about two weeks, so it is fairly labor intensive on those three days. However, it will pay off for us when these high-quality calves hit the ground next spring. We are halfway through with this spring’s AI program; next week we will finish up with the first-calf heifers.

My three-year old and I have spent a lot of time at the chute lately, helping with the multiple AI steps. Know where he likes to play when we are down there? In the scale, which I fondly think of as a giant play-pen. It’s really the perfect place for him, he’s contained and content, which is an ideal I rarely achieve with him.

Have I mentioned before exactly how busy this little boy is? Let me give you a quick peek into a mere 45 minutes of my morning yesterday: While I cleaned up breakfast dishes, he completely dismantled his brother’s all-time favorite Lego creation. As I gathered the Lego pieces from four different rooms in the house, he went into the laundry room and turned on our front-loading washing machine…then he pressed cancel and opened the door, promptly flooding the laundry room. After mopping up that mess, I walked into the kitchen to find a five pound bag of flour upended on the floor and he was driving his trucks through it.

I finally admitted defeat and gave up on inside chores. We went back to the chute…where he happily played in the dirt for the next two hours.

Processing Steers

We are scheduled to ship steers to Nevada to our summer range later this week. In preparation, the cowboys spent yesterday processing steers. Each steer needed a booster shot and a fly tag.

(How do you like the fancy table we have at our chute? Empty 50 gallon drums come in very handy around here. We much prefer if they are rusty in places and covered in mud or manure, as it adds to the ambiance of processing.)

Processing is a fairly quick job. These steers are waiting their turn to walk down the alley and into the chute. Our goal is to make the entire process as calm as possible. Things go much more smoothly if the steers are calm.

Each steer is in the chute for just a few seconds. Long enough for my husband and Andy to give the steer a booster shot and put a fly tag in his ear. Then the steer is released and trots into the pen with the rest of the steers.

While the cowboys were busy with the steers, I was busy chasing around the three-year old. Or rather, defending myself from a certain three-year old.

Our cowboys are always so nice to my son, they talk with him and play with him and give him things to play with. Things like sorting flags and ear taggers, which my son brandishes with glee.

After several minutes of protecting myself from unintentional blows from the sorting flag, I finally had to implement a new rule:

“Please do not arm the three-year old!”

The cowboys just laughed. For some reason, I’m a little nervous about what they are going to hand over to my three-year old next.

Contest Winner!

Thanks for the great name suggestions! The kids slowly, and quite democratically, worked their way through the list of names. There was a fair amount of lobbying the three-year old, I believe there were even a few bribes offered in exchange for his vote. A couple of times there was a demand for a re-count, but in the end they finally, finally, selected a winner.

 

This filly now has a name: Rusty

The winner of the Cuisinart Grill Set is Amie! Congratulations Amie!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. My family and I enjoyed going through all of the entires.

 

Name this Colt Contest!

Remember these little cuties? I can’t believe how much they have changed in the past couple of months. Changing color, getting bigger and gaining a little confidence. The little blue roan belongs to my oldest son and he has named her Twink.

The red roan filly, however, does not have a name. We have bounced around a few ideas, but nothing seems to fit her. There is no way I am letting my husband make this decision alone! (The last time he was given this responsibility he named the horse Toad. I kid you not.)

Will you help me out? Leave your suggested name(s) in the comments on this post and I will let my kids choose the winning name. To thank you for your help, the winner will receive this Cuisinart 10-piece Grilling Set:

In addition, the Idaho Beef Council will arrange to have six steaks delivered to your home! A great way to kick off the grilling season!

Leave your comment by noon on April 13th to be eligible for this Grilling Package. Winner announced shortly after my kids get home from school and select the winning entry.

Making Friends

One of my favorite aspects of ranch life is the horses. Not only are they beautiful, curious and intelligent animals, they are generally friendly and like to be around people.

They were certainly curious yesterday as my little boy and I walked down the road toting our toy backhoe and tractors. We had just returned home from spending the morning with my husband getting a few ranch jobs done. It was time for me to tackle a few chores around the house, but my son had a different idea. Throwing his arms around me he said, “You’re my best Mom ever. Want to play in the dirt with me?”  Hard to resist a line like that. Grabbing our heavy equipment we set off for a sandy spot down the road.

As we walked past the horse pasture, the horses were standing against the fence waiting for us. I scratched a few noses and patted a few necks.

I had to smile when I saw my son’s little hand stretched out toward the horses, wanting to pat the horses, too.

It wasn’t long before Blue leaned over the fence to greet my son. They spent a couple of minutes sniffing and patting each other.

 

 

Then we turned to the sand pile and got to work, while my son’s new friend, Blue, watched from their side of the fence.

 

Kids at Work

Can someone please explain to me why my kids balk at the request to unload the dishwasher, but when faced with unloading a ton of grain from their Dad’s pick-up they dive right in? Each and every one of them!

My two older boys are both signed up for 4-H this year, which means we have a total of five 4-H steers to feed and water each day. That translates to a lot of grain over the coming months. I wonder how excited the kids will be to unload grain in July and August? I have a feeling that will quickly become a Mom or Dad chore.

Check out my daughter’s hat. Fancy, no? It’s one of my husband’s old, retired work hats and the kids dearly love it. I have seen them argue to the point of tears over who gets to wear that dirty, smelly hat. (For the record, Mom’s old smelly hats do not garner as much attention.)

There must be something magical about Dads. They have the best hats, they know how to con four kids into unloading their pick-up, and going to work with Dad is the ultimate reward. If only I could convince him to use his magical powers on a few other chores: cooking, dishes, cleaning pens…

On second thought, I’m not sure there is enough magic in that hat to convince the kids, let alone my husband, to tackle the avalanche of laundry spilling out the kids’ rooms. Only Mom is tough enough (and brave enough) to get that job done!

Recipe Roundup

Are you a collector? Do you have a treasured collection that you enjoy looking through and spending time with? I am not a collector in the traditional sense, but I must admit I have zillions of recipes stockpiled throughout my house. Cookbooks line my bookshelves, handwritten recipe cards are housed in an old card file, magazine clippings are stuffed in files, and there are multiple recipe folders on my computer’s hard drive. My favorites are the handwritten recipe cards. I love looking at recipes in my grandmother’s handwriting, recipes that she enjoyed making for our family many, many times over the years. Several of my family’s favorite dishes come from recipes written in my Mom’s beautiful handwriting.

I thought it would be fun to share a handful of recipes from my collection. Today’s recipes are all stashed in my electronic recipe file system. First up is one of my favorite salad recipes. It’s hard to beat a tender, flavorful flank steak and the marinade in this recipe is delish! Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato and Asparagus Salad from Food & Wine. (Photo © Anna Williams)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
8 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
3 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2-pound flank steak
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably Sweet 100 tomatoes quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 small sweet onion, such as Walla Walla thinly sliced
6 ounces thin asparagus
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 basil leaves, finely shredded
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned and halved if large or a scant 1/2 ounce dried morels reconstituted in boiling water for 10 minutes

Instructions

1. In a large glass baking dish, whisk the red wine, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, shallots, parsley, thyme, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add the steak and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the cider vinegar and honey. Add the tomatoes and onion and toss. Let stand for 1 hour.
3. Light a grill. Coat the asparagus and corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 3 minutes for the asparagus and 6 minutes for the corn. Transfer to a work surface; when cool enough to handle, cut the asparagus into pieces and cut the corn from the cobs. Add the asparagus, corn and basil to the tomatoes and toss.
4. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the steak, turning once, until medium-rare, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the steak to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter. Add the morels and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and transfer to plates. Season the tomato salad with salt and pepper and spoon alongside the steak. Top the steak with the morels and serve.

Next recipe comes from Eating Well magazine. “Fajita” Burgers are full of flavor thanks to the New Mexican chili powder and chipotle chiles. You can’t go wrong with these yummy burgers! (Photo courtesy EatingWell.com)

 

Ingredients

1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder, preferably New Mexican
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo, (see Ingredient Note)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 French rolls, preferably whole-wheat, split and toasted
2 roasted Anaheim or poblano peppers, (see Tip)
1 cup shredded green cabbage
4 slices tomato
4 thin slices red onion

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.
3. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice and chipotle in a small bowl.
4. Peel the roasted peppers, halve lengthwise and remove the seeds.
5. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 6 minutes per side. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.
6. Assemble the burgers on toasted rolls with the chipotle mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato and onion.

 

The last recipe for today is a fast, kid-friendly weeknight recipe. Not only can I have this meal on the table in about twenty minutes, but all of my kids enjoy this pasta dish. Fresh Tomato, Beef & Bow Tie Pasta from Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner. (Photo courtesy beefitswhatsfordinner.com)

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings.
2. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and basil; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

In the News: Beef Safety

My family and I, like all of you, have been busy the past few weeks. Our day-to-day work has involved calving, moving yearlings to different pastures, hauling protein block to the cows on the desert, buying bulls, studying the futures market, attending beef industry meetings, and a birthday party or two. It has been a little busier than normal, but not unusually so.

What was unusual was that while we were working and making long-term business decisions, our industry was being attacked by the media. It is unbelievably frustrating to work hard, day in and day out, taking time away from our kids because we believe our hard work now will continue to improve our ranch and our industry for their generation. Only to come home, sit down to dinner and listen to the news anchors tell millions of Americans that beef is unsafe.

To be fair, LFTB (Lean Finely Textured Beef, aka pink slime) is not a self-explanatory term and it does take a little time and research to understand the process. Here is an excerpt from an article on Food Safety News that explains the process:

“…any home cook could separate beef fat from beef muscle with a knife and cutting board, creating the same boneless lean beef trimmings.

But long lines of butchers working with knives on such a difficult task would not be economically feasible. That’s why before BPI came up with a mechanized process to do this, such trimmings were often leftovers that ended up being used for pets or oils.

To reduce waste and increase protein, BPI did its own research and development and came up with a proprietary process. While the company does protect its intellectual property, it is not secretive when it comes to sharing the outcomes.

 The BPI grinding process is built around a centrifuge that removes beef fat, resulting in a product that is 90 percent or more lean beef.  The process includes the use of an ammonia and water bath (ammonium hydroxide), which has proven to be one of the beef industry’s most successful interventions against harmful bacteria — microbes that can sicken and kill.   

It works as an antimicrobial agent by slightly increasing the naturally occurring ammonium hydroxide levels in beef and by doing so eliminates harmful pathogens. The use of ammonium hydroxide is not uncommon in food manufacturing.  

It is used as a leavening agent in baking, to produce caramel, and in drinking water. It’s used in grains, baked goods, condiments, pancakes, chocolates, puddings and cheeses.

At BPI, the result is a flash frozen product, inexpensive and safe, for hamburger patties, taco meat and sausages.”

I don’t claim to be an expert in meat processing and I have learned a lot about this process over the past several days. The most interesting part, in my opinion, is how many other food products also use this process. I really had no idea that ammonium hydroxide was so prevalent in food manufacturing.  Am I going to limit my family’s intake of those particular food items? No, I am not. When I learned about the rigorous, science-based research that was done on this process before it was approved by the Food Safety Inspection Service, I decided that it is perfectly safe for my family.

 

I will leave you with the following statement from Dr. H. Russell Cross, Professor and Head of Department of Animal Science, Texas A & M University:

 ”As Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in the early 90s, I and my staff evaluated numerous research projects before approving lean, finely textured beef as a safe source of high-quality protein. The FSIS safety review process was and is an in-depth, science-based process that spans years, many research projects and involves many experts across all levels of the agency-and in this case, the process proved the product is safe.

“Approving lean finely textured beef as safe was the right decision, and today, it remains a safe way to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population. All beef is a good or excellent source of 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins. “