Archive: May 2010

Verse Of The Week

Ahh… the days are getting longer (yippee!), and with longer days, morning seems to come earlier every day. When I’m in the right frame of mind, I know there’s something wonderful about a new day- a fresh start, a clean slate. I really want to end each day preparing for the next with a good attitude, like this:

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8

–Chelsea

Elsie The Milk Cow

A couple of weeks ago, I told you that my friend, Callie, gives us fresh milk from their milk cow, Elsie. Well, I decided you all needed to meet our faithful milk supplier, Elsie…

And because she’s one of my favorite people on the planet, I want you to meet Callie, too…

We’ll start by order of importance and I’ll tell you about Callie first. She was born and raised on a ranch in Eastern Montana. She attended a one room schoolhouse and rode her horse to school. For real. We initially became friends by association- her husband, Luke, and my husband, Buck ,are lifelong best buddies. There really wasn’t a chance not to be friends. As it turns out it was most advantageous for us to get thrown together by our spouses because Callie and I need one another. Not only did a fellow nurse and I deliver her youngest child, but more than that, Callie keeps me grounded. She’s steady and practical and hilariously witty- three qualities that I need in regular dosages in my life.

Now for the cow part… milk cows have a couple of major advantages. The first and most obvious benefit being their supply of fresh milk. The second benefit is that milk cows can raise several calves at once, as compared to the typical beef cow who is only capable of raising one at a time. This is particularly handy for bummer calves who need a mom. If I was a bummer calf, I’d ask for my adoptive mom to be a milk cow…. one who produces a lot of cream.

Elsie is a six year old Jersey cow who came off of a dairy in Tillamook, Oregon. Elsie, like other milk cows, likes her routine and she doesn’t appreciate when it gets thrown off. She’s milked at the same time each and every morning and then again in the evening. Remember the steady quality in Callie- you have to be steady to abide by a milk cow’s routine. In the morning, Elsie waits patiently at the fence (that’s her peeking around the corner, isn’t she cute?)

to head into the barn to her milking stancheon where grain awaits her…

While she munches on her grain, Callie cleans off her udder…

It was really cute because two of Callie’s little tykes, who usually could care less about Elsie being milked, thought it was all pretty exciting the morning I was there taking pictures ;-) Their enthusiasm lasted approximately 45 seconds- they were soon off playing in the dirt with the barn cats.

After Elsie is all cleaned up, Callie milks out one side of her udder…

Milking looks easy, but it’s actually hard work and has a technique to it. Besides technique, the milking routine and the milker are both important factors for a cow- if she’s not comfortable, she won’t always “let down” her milk. Elsie is an accomplished milk cow and so she didn’t mind me hanging out in the barn taking pictures. A younger, more high strung cow, might have been bothered enough by my presence to not let down her milk and thus starve Callie’s family. Starve is a little extreme, but I like that kind of exaggeration; it makes life more interesting. All I’m trying to say is that Elsie and Callie have built a trusting relationship with one another….

Elsie has a lot TONS of milk. While Callie’s milking one side, the other side is just dripping away…

Because she has so much milk, after Callie’s bucket is full…

she lets in two calves- one, Elsie’s natural born offspring, the other, an adopted beef calf…

and they nurse to their belly’s delight….

When they’re done filling up their tanks, they all get turned out for the day and we take the bucket of milk back to the house where Callie strains it into a gallon jar…

and I take it home!

Elsie, a single cow, is capable of providing enough milk for Callie’s family of 5, our family of 4, two calves, and much more. Pretty cool, huh?

I think it’s really fun to see the process as well as hang out with the wonderful gal behind it all– I hope you were mooved by it, too.

–Chelsea

Angie’s Baked Beans

These are the baked beans that Aunt Angie brings to family functions and potlucks. The host of such an event inevitably requests these baked beans because they are indeed the best. I first received this recipe from Angie when I was in college and I’d make a big pot that would last a whole week for Buck and me. It’s especially tasty with homemade bread- Emily’s sourdough would be a most lovely choice.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb bacon (turkey bacon works well!)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2-5 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large can of pork & beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 can Great Northern beans
salt & pepper to taste
**You can omit any of the above beans or add an additional can of any kind of bean you want! The more variety, the better.

Directions:
Saute chopped onion and garlic in olive oil…

When soft and transparent, add ground beef and cook thoroughly until browned. While browning the meat, cook up the bacon. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces and add to your cooked beef….

Add all of the beans, draining and rinsing each can except the pork and beans; add those with their juice. Make a big pile of beans on top of your meat…

Give the beans and meat a good stir, then add ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar….

Stir it all together….

Cook on medium heat until it’s good and hot. Then turn it down to simmer and let the beans cook until it’s time to eat them. The longer they cook, the better they taste and your home fills with a wonderful aroma. I cooked this batch for about 5 hours….

A crock pot works well for these beans, especially if you’re transporting to a potluck. When making them to eat at home, I use a cast iron chili pot and it works great.

Enjoy!

–Chelsea

A Successful Grandparent Visit

My parents head back to Idaho tomorrow, but by all standards, they have succeeded in their grandparent duties: they’ve played, they’ve run, they’ve helped, they’ve cooked, they’ve cleaned, and most importantly, they have managed to wear out our energizer bunny…

Success!

–Chelsea

Robyn’s Reflections: All in a Week’s Work

It’s Friday already and I’m just now getting to a post about last week. Every week seems crazier than the last one. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Sure you do. It is mid May and there are so many things that need done….right?

If you’re interested, let me take you through a typical week of a ranch/farm wife. Well, mine anyway. I’m sure ”typical” varies between households. Here’s what I did last week…

Monday: Not counting all the normal housewife duties I do every day ( dishes, cooking, etc.), I got to do some farming…

and irrigating…

to make this pasture….

look like this pasture….

note: still working on it.

Tuesday: I got to build some of these….

which, by the way, are rock cribs for fence corners.

In the meantime, while filling the pick-up bed with rocks for the rock cribs, I did this….

Oops! Don’t tell my husband :)

Wednesday and Thursday: Went to the the neighbor’s to help move cows to the next pasture…

and we branded some calves, too.

Friday: Went to town to stock up on groceries, and the cell phone decided to take a swim in the ditch while irrigating.

I wonder what your week looked like- surely nothing more exciting than all of this! Have a great day weekend!

–Robyn

“Friendly” Competition

My mom has been here visiting this week. My dad will be here this afternoon and they’ll head back to Idaho on Saturday. It’s been a great week- my mom is super helpful and we’ve just had a really fun time together. Mom and I both have the tendency to tease each other and occassionally we get carried away. On Tuesday we took it over the top and now, I’ll have you know, I’m paying dearly for going overboard.

It all started with my mom… of course. Back in Idaho, she’s been working out at this place called Cross Fit. If you’re unfamiliar with it, I’ll go ahead and put it in my mom’s words for you: “the equivalent of Navy Seal training”. I like to tease her a little about her “Seal training”- mostly because I’m jealous that I don’t get to be a part of this workout she’s doing and it’s my way of dealing with my jealousy. In turn, she likes to tease me about being tougher than I am. She says things like, “Watch out, ’cause I can take you down.” I throw back a little retaliation about not needing “Navy Seal training” ’cause I’m so tough already. Are you getting the gist of this banter? It’s silly and mostly friendly and directly related to all of our free time. You should try it.

That bit of background for you. Now let me set the scene. It was Tuesday afternoon. The girls were sitting at their little table eating a snack. My mom threw out a “tougher than me” comment, which I’m sure was unprovoked by me, and I said something about not being even a little bit scared. No one knows for sure who said what or whose idea it was, but next thing I know I’m at the kitchen table preparing to arm wrestle my mother. She has tendonitis in her right elbow, so we had to use our left. I had a hard time gaining my focus- I just found the whole thing really hilarious. My mom was all focus, which I’m sure is something she learned in her ”Seal training”. I finally gathered myself together, prepared for the task at hand (ha ha!). We commenced and when she immediately got the upper hand, I panicked for a moment. I gained as much focus as quick as I possibly could. We hung out there for a few minutes, she in the lead, and I found every ounce of strength I had because my 50-something mother just should NOT beat me. I pulled through and won. It wasn’t an easy win. It took my all. She was much tougher than I expected.

You’d think that was enough, wouldn’t you? We arm wrestled. No one else even suggested the idea; it was completely of our own accord. Nope. It wasn’t close to over. The Seal had to continue. First, she pulled out a push-up contest. I hate pushups- boy pushups, girl pushups, baby pushups, I don’t like any of them. But I went along with it and, despite my disdain for pushups, I planned on schooling my mom. I’ll admit it, I was pretty cocky by this time. We started and ummm.. no schooling (by me) involved. She totally killed me. I’m not telling you how many I did, but at 30 boy style pushups Seal was still going strong and I insisted she stop… while I floundered on the floor in pain. Buck was home by this time and managed to take a picture of our craziness…

Don’t bug me about poor form, ok? I lost, remember?

She still couldn’t quit. Seal wanted to have a contest to see who could do squats the longest. She’s “used to doing these in sets of 100″. I’m used to doing these in sets of ZERO. But while my pushups might be weak, I figured I could pull out some leg strength. After several minutes of absurdity, I could feel the burn and when she wasn’t showing any sign of slowing down, I realized I would collapse and not walk for the rest of the week if I went on with this sillyness. Plus Buck was throwing out comments about me not squatting as low as my mom. If I can’t even have my husband’s support in this type of intense friendly competition, who can I rely on?

She’s officially one up on me. She already set her rematch date for arm wrestling and after the pain I feel with each step I take from those squats… don’t tell her this, but I’m scared. Very, very scared.

–Chelsea, nothing more than a Navy Tadpole

Daughter To The Boss

I mentioned to you that we went over to central Oregon last week to help some friends work the cows and calves they have over there. I’d like you to meet the boss, Chris:

Chris and his wife, Mary have three children. They have one daughter- Kira. The two boys are delightful characters, but there’s something really special about being daughter to the boss. I get it….my dad’s the boss- that’s how I know that the standard distance between studs in a wall is 16 inches. I spent a fair chunk of my childhood at the lumberyard, job sites, and at car accidents. You read that right. My dad, a building contractor and also an EMT/Fire Chief had me believing that all dads make a habit of jumping out of the car at every accident scene in the county (and beyond) to save lives. It was just standard protocol. Everyday normal life. All that to say, I know how it feels to be daughter to the boss. When I watch Chris and Kira, together at one of their brandings, I can’t help but enjoy the scenes that unfold before me….

And last weekend, since I was dealing with a lot of flying sand, I couldn’t help but kinda wanna be Kira- I mean, just for the weekend.

Kira doesn’t live here in the county, so she met up with us over at the branding site. She and her husband don’t have children yet, and he was off bear hunting somewhere. Since she was on her way to a barrel race the day after the branding, she galavanted over in her shiny living quarters horse trailer…

Upon arrival, while the cows were being worked and sorted (there was plenty of help), she saddled up her horses and took off for a little warm up ride…

When all the cows were sorted off, she spent some time getting vaccinations ready with her dad…

Do you see it? Do you see the adoration in his eyes (under the sunglasses)? The contented look on his face? The man was simply delighted to spend the weekend in the presence of his daughter. This girl, cute as can be in her little hat and gorgeous locks, could do no wrong. He ADORES her- as he should. She’s capable, she’s competent, and heck, to top it all off, she’s a nurse; what’s not to love?!

When everything was set to go, Kira jumped on her horse and made herself useful in the branding pen…

When you’re the boss’s daughter, you can jump on with confidence and rope like the champion that he knows you are. It’s just the way it works, folks, it’s just the way it works.

She’d jump off to help with ground crew and swing by to say hello to the girls…

and then she’d go right back to working calves. It was a delightful day for her- full with the love and adoration every girl needs from her dad. She was off to a barrel race the next day. Now I’ll be perfectly honest in telling you, that while we packed up camp and I saw the “put away” work that awaited me on Monday, a tiny part of me couldn’t help but consider sneaking into that new trailer of hers and calling it home.

–Chelsea

Breakfast at Emily’s: Authentic Sourdough Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

From Emily’s kitchen to yours….

I’ve heard stories of sourdough starters lasting for over 100 years. I have a friend who recently acquired a sourdough starter from a lady who had years ago been given some by my friend’s grandmother. Some people leave an inheritance and some leave a sourdough starter.

I probably won’t be one of the latter, or the former, but we won’t get into that.

I’m on my third starter.

Supposedly you can’t kill them. Or it’s very difficult. Or you are me.

I have just reached a new sourdough record. I have kept my starter alive for over a year and I use it once or twice a week.

My son, Clayton, has food allergies and he is allergic to yeast and yeast extract so I make all the bread we use. It’s taken me quite a few years but I’ve finally found a recipe that we all enjoy and that makes really good sandwich bread. It also makes good cinnamon rolls. I discovered this after I tried to squish all the dough into 2 loaf pans (and you’re in luck, I do have a picture of that first try).

The recipe really does make 3 loaves. Not having a third loaf pan, I started experimenting with the “extra” dough.

At least that’s my excuse for eating cinnamon rolls once a week.

A sourdough starter is required for this recipe. If you don’t have one, ask around. Most people I know that make sourdough would love to grow their starter and share. Or you can order a starter through the mail (they come dried and you have to reconstitute them).

Sourdough White Sandwich Bread

1 cup sourdough starter

1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup warm water

(I always double the above measurements and then remove half of this mixture in the morning to feed my sourdough starter.)

Mix these ingredients in a large bowl and allow to stand in a warm place so the mixture can ferment and bubble for 10 – 24 hours.

When you are ready to bake the bread, heat gently in a small saucepan:

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter

Just until butter and honey are melted. Let cool to room temperature, mix into the sourdough mixture (make sure you’ve removed some dough to feed the starter) along with approximately:

6 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (this is what the recipe calls for but most of the time I use about 3 cups white flour and the rest a mixture of rye, spelt, white and red wheat)

Beat in just enough flour to make a dough you can handle.

Turn the dough onto a floured board (or counter), cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before kneading. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Don’t skimp on the kneading.

I got a massage once and the massage therapist commented on my very strong forearms. She was amazed to learn that people still make bread by hand!

After kneading, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. This will keep a thin crust from forming on your dough. Allow to rise until double.

Once the dough has doubled, punch down and cover with the damp cloth and allow to rise again. Each rising can take about 2 hours.

Once it has doubled again, knead it down and divide the dough into thirds.

Shape into loaves and place into greased loaf pans. If you want to make cinnamon rolls with part of the dough, only fill two loaf pans and set aside the remaining third for a minute or two. The dough should only fill the pan about 1/2 way. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place until double in bulk. This could take about a hour.

Bake in a preheated 375 F degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and let cool on racks. For a really tender crust, brush with butter and cover with a dry cloth as they cool.

Cinnamon Rolls

These are more bread-like and not very sticky or gooey. I like them this way because then my children do not end up all sticky and gooey and do not require a bath immediately after breakfast.

Roll out the remaining third of the dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4 inch thick:

Mix together:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Spread this over the dough.

Sprinkle 1 cup brown sugar over the top of this and mix in slightly.

This gets a little messy.

Sprinkle cinnamon and just a dash of nutmeg over the top. I didn’t measure but I did take a picture of what it looks like, so if yours looks like this, you’re probably good.

One variation is to sprinkle ground cardamom instead of cinnamon. We refer to these as “dirt cinnamon rolls” because my kids think the ground cardamom looks like dirt.

Add raisins or nuts, if you so desire.

Roll up. Tuck in the ends a little as you go so all the filling doesn’t ooze out.

Cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces.

Place in greased 9 x 10 pan, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in bulk.

Cover with saran wrap and put in refrigerator until the morning.

Next morning remove rolls from the fridge, remove saran wrap and place in cold oven. Turn temperature to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

I hope you stop by next week for homemade soaked granola.

–Emily

Charlotte’s Faith: Brick Wall Days

Straight from Charlotte’s heart to yours…

Imagine yourself driving your car in a tight place. You have a brick wall up ahead of you, some cars around you, and some support beams behind you. You’re driving very carefully and slowly, as you should in a tight place. You check your mirrors, you check to your sides, you glance ahead, and behind, and to the sides, and . . . WHAM! You misjudged and hit the brick wall in front of you. You were going slow so nothing was hurt- except maybe your pride. Still, it was a bit of a jar to your system when you hit the wall.

I had one of those days this week. Faith had a doctor’s appointment and, among other things, was given some age appropriate tests. Because she has Down’s Syndrome, she did not do so well on the tests. I know she has Down’s Syndrome. I know she is developmentally behind. None of this comes as a surprise, but still there it was in my face. . . WHAM! . . .brick wall.

I found myself sitting in my car outside the doctor’s office with tears burning in my eyes. I’ve had enough of these days to know that the feelings will pass; nonetheless, I hate days like this. I’ve had a variety of emotions towards God on these brick wall days. I’ve been angry with Him; I’ve questioned His love, and sometimes His intelligence. I’ve ignored Him; I’ve even been numb. However, mostly, I love Him, but am discouraged. This particular week, on this particular day, I realized I’ve never been . . . joyful.

James, Jesus’s brother, said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

I don’t know if James had a child with Down Syndrome (probably not), but I do know he was killed for his faith. I bring this up because it is easy for me to think that no one else has as bad of trials as I do (not a very righteous attitude I know, but honest). So even though James had some serious trials, yet he definitively said to “consider it pure joy“. Not just joy, but pure joy.

James, you big stud, I guess I have a long ways to go before I am mature and complete.

–Charlotte

A Good Mama

There are motherly cows and then there are not so motherly cows. There are cows who are crazy crazy about their calves and are always keeping track of them. There are other cows who go off galavanting, eating grass, and socializing- not paying a bit of attention to where their little offspring is. The really good mamas can be a little obnoxious when you’re trying to help out their calf. If the little bovine needs doctored or some other procedure done, a really motherly mama can make your efforts miserable and scary. Don’t let me make you think I put myself in this kind of compromising position. I don’t. Buck does. I’ve watched him run from crazy mama cows, thankful he was the one running and not yours truly. I’m not quite so fleet on my feet.

With that background, I’ll tell you that when calves have to be branded, the cows and calves are sorted and separated while the work happens. As soon as a calf is done being “worked” – branded, vaccinated, etc., it gets to run off and find its mama and all is right and well in its little world. I think it’s kind of fun to observe cows during this separation. Some head to the other side of the corral, thankful for a break. Most show concern. BUT some enter into crazy mama mode. Today I’m going to show you one such cow. To those in the branding pen, she may have seemed obnoxious and dangerous. I’d like to call her passionate.

She’d start at one end of the corral and bawl for her calf, until she was slobbering. Look at the intensity. She wanted her baby….

She’d make her way away from the herd- past the cowboys, the fire, the camera lady, and go right up to the branding pen. She’d scan, looking, smelling for her calf…

Then, she’d try to squeeze her head right through the panel, confident that if she could her head through, her 1500 pound body would be sure to follow….

I never get tired of watching mamas like this. I admire them (from a distance) and marvel at how intense they are about their calves. It makes me feel better about my occasional crazy mama mode. Fortunately for her and everyone in her way, she and her calf were reunited shortly after their brief separation. I love a good mama.

–Chelsea

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Cowgirl Clippings

Archive: May 2010

Verse Of The Week

Elsie The Milk Cow

Angie’s Baked Beans

A Successful Grandparent Visit

Robyn’s Reflections: All in a Week’s Work

“Friendly” Competition

Daughter To The Boss

Breakfast at Emily’s: Authentic Sourdough Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

Charlotte’s Faith: Brick Wall Days

A Good Mama

Annie’s Recipe Box

Breakfast At Emily’s

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