Oldham County,Texas Cowboy’s Kinda Lunch

Hello from the Ranch!

As you’ve probably noticed, I took a short hiatus from blogging. With my super busy graduation schedule, moving back home and weaning I just had to put something on the shelf. However, I’m back now, its a new month and I’m ready to share with y’all my latest recipes, and stories from life back with my family on the ranch.

As many know, all of Texas is suffering from a devastating drought. It has been a challenge for my friends and family all over this state. Prayers for rain are daily, sometimes hourly occurrence. I know it is coming, but in the mean time we have to keep the faith and keep on walkin’. My mom’s families ranch in Borden County, near Big Spring, have ponds drying up, and are hauling water to cattle. I was able to spend a few days with them this week, and they got 8-tenths to 2 inches on Wednesday which was the first rain they’ve received since October. Those 2 minute showers every evening truly make you appreciate well water, its kinda hard to wash your hair in less than 2 minutes!! Just sayin’

At the ranch here in Stinnett, we have a sheen of green, and with the ranch running on well-water it makes me appreciate even more the Ogalla Aquafier and the cool water we daily use as a family at the house, but also the water for our cattle and horses.The Channing ranch thankfully has windmill’s too. And currently the 24 windmills are all pumping cool water to cows with enough water, but not a surplus in forage. It has been since July that a good rain came to Oldham and Hartley Counties. Mesquite trees and yucca are the only green color across the landscape.

We’ve had to start weaning early, and all nine of my family, cousin Ben and hired-hand Dusty saddled up and gathered cattle early before the late spring heat got to hot. It was the first time in many months I got to ride out and help gather. I had a blast, and got to have Mr. Ike and Firefly ride shotgun with me.

When mom and I got back to the headquarters, we let the guys start sorting, and we finished lunch. It was a easy, fun meal that everyone enjoyed.

Weaning-Time Roast
1 large chuck roasts

Montreal Steak Seasonings
Salt/Pepper
Small amount of Oil

Water

In a large roasting pan, brown both sides of the roast. Sprinkle heavily with Montreal Seasonings, salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of water and cook in the oven for all night at 225 degrees, or for 4 hours at 350 degrees. We put it on, and then went to gather.

Cowboy Mac’n’cheese
1 bag noodles
2 c. velvetta
1 c. cheddar cheese
¼ c. heavy cream
2 T. butter

Garlic salt
Pepper

Cook noodles until done. In small sauce pan melt cheeses, add cream and butter and stir constantly until melted. Pour over drained noodles, and serve immediately.

Amy’s Green Beans see link:

Cowboy’s Kinda Squash and Carrots
4 large squash
1 sm. bag baby carrots
water
¼ stick butter

½ c. cream

Salt
Pepper

In large saucepan, cover baby carrots with water and boil until tender. Drain and keep warm. Meanwhile, slice squash very thinly, and add more water to the saucepan and boil until tender. Drain, and place the two veggies together. Pour in butter and cream and allow to simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot. (It can be turned off, and allowed to sit on the stove until ready, as long as other things on the stovetop are cooking and you keep a lid on the pan.)

Hope you enjoy the pictures, and the food. I’ll talk to y’all next week and until then –

No Mattah what, be happy! 🙂

Amy

Cost:

Roast – $3.98/4 lbs = $11.94

Noodles $2.00
Cheese $2.15

Heavy Cream $0.49
Butter $0.73

Yellow Squash $2.35
Baby Carrots $2.13

Green Beans $2.50

Total = 28.17/10 = $2.18

(I’m being COMPLETELY honest, we served – Rob A., Talley, Amy, RA, Griffin, Myles, Lydia, Amanda, Ike, Dusty and Ben on 4 lbs. of meat, and they didn’t leave hungry! Promise!)

Lydia’s Egg Rolls, Amanda’s Fried Rice

Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

Hello! sorry we didn’t post last week, its pretty busy round here.

Mom brought home these egg roll wraps and it sounded good so we tried them, I did the egg rolls and Amanda did the fried rice, it turned our really good!!

Egg Rolls

You’ll need:

Melissa’s egg roll wraps

1Tbsp. canola oil

1/2lb. ground beef

1 pkg. vegetable stir fry

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 half oinon (cooked slightly in sauce pan)

Sea salt

Rainbow pepper

1 tsp. Minced garlic

1/2 tsp. Chopped ginger

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water

Heat oil in large sauce pan. When hot add beef and stir fry to break up chunks. drain pan and add vegetables, garlic and ginger. stir fry until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain mixture, stir in soy sauce.

Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the mixture onto one third of the egg roll wrapper, leaving a small border around the edges.

Roll up and brush a little of the egg/water mixture on the edge of the wrapper to seal.
Fry in hot oil until browned, drain and serve with any Asian style sauce.

You could put pretty much any vegetables you want in this, These are just the ones we used.

Fried Rice:

You’ll need:

precooked white rice

soy sauce

oil

1 egg

Put rice in a lightly sprayed skillet, and begin to fry moving it around slowly, when it kinda starts to fry pour some oil on it (it depends on how much rice you have to tell how much oil you need but not a whole lot ) and continue to move it around, turn the burner on low, move the rice all to one side where have the pan is open, and pour some oil and fry an egg, your don’t want the egg runny, but you don’t want it stiff either, so about in between 🙂 when it gets done chop it up with your spatula (really little) and mix in with the rest of the rice, then pour a little soy sauce on the rice, and continue to fry, if it gets dry put more oil, the rice will get brown when its done (its not very good when you try to keet it warm, so have the rest of your meal ready when you start this):) . Amy would usually put lots of precooked veggies in this but we didn’t this time, probably better if you do though. 🙂

~Lydia

Summer Steak Salad

The sun is shinning warm and bright here on the campus of Oklahoma State. The high winds have been replaced with a nice breeze and on days like today you know the summer-time is coming. 🙂

Earlier this week I eat at Panera Bread and ordered their new Steak and White Cheddar Panini, choose the pick two, was kind of upset they didn’t have a beef salad so ordered their new spring salad. The combo was just so tasty, I decided I wanted to try and re-create it, wa-la, here is my twist on easy Steak and Fun Salad!

You’ll Need:
1 bag spring mix salad
1/2 lb. tenderized round steak
1 bottle Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. orange juice
3-4 clementines
1/2 c.  dried apples
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place tenderized round steak in small container. Add 1/2 cup vinaigrette and 1/4 c orange juice and allow to marinade for 3o minutes. Drain juice and pan-fry in a none-stick skillet with a few teaspoons of oil to keep from sticking. Cook for 2-3 minutes a side depending on the thickness of the meat. Place on paper-towel covered plate and pat excess oil off with another paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut into very small thin pieces. Allow to cool.

Peel clementines, and toss rest of ingredients together in a salad bowl, drizzling with raspberry vinaigrette.(I love the raspberry vinaigrette, and I think you will too!)

Serve as a simple one-course meal, or as a side dish to a fun sandwich like I had at panera. The flavors are so light and spring-y! Gave me a taste into the fun summer dishes to come. I’m ready to say good-bye to hotter dishes of winter, and hello to spring flavor!

Hope you enjoy!

Amy

Cost:

bag spring mix salad = $3.11
tenderized round steak = $2.55
bottle Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette = $3.19
orange juice = $0.89
clementines = $0.75
dried apples = $0.35
Total = $$10.85/5 = $2.71 a serving