The Best Meat Seasoning Recipe...EVER!

Seriously, I NEVER exaggerate...well, mostly never...almost never, but THIS stuff is awesome! I have made it for years and given it for gifts.  After receiving a mason jar of this seasoning for a Christmas gift, my friends start dropping hints about July 15 that they are starting to run low on my seasoning.

Cooking Prime Rib--tips from a rancher!

Who better to ask than a rancher how to cook the perfect prime rib? Many people are overwhelmed by a prime rib roast and it is a relatively expensive cut of meat. So you don't want to screw it up--but it is really pretty easy!

Italian Wedding Soup - with a beefy twist!

The following is a guest blog post by my friend Leslie Williams--an amazing cook who is a very gracious host! I think you will enjoy her meatball soup recipe. I also believe that I will try this recipe in my electric pressure cooker during Christmas break while I have a houseful of kids home to feed! Thanks for sharing this recipe with it's "BEEF-y tweaks," Leslie!!

“No soup for you!”  The Soup Nazi, Seinfeld

I was scrolling through Facebook a couple of weeks ago and came across this recipe for an easy and quick Italian Wedding Soup from Jenny Rosenstrach in her blog, Dinner: A Love Story.   I work from home so soup is a great option to have on hand for a quick and filling lunch.  Here is Jenny’s soup with my own tweaks and tips.  Enjoy!

I’m married to the BEEFMAN (@REAL_BEEFMAN) so it’s unlikely I’ll ever make this with ground turkey but to each his/her own.  I used mild Italian pork sausage the first time I made it and it was delicious but a little salty so be sure to taste before you add the salt in the “soup” portion of the ingredient list. 

Today, I made it with ground BEEF and used BEEF broth instead of chicken broth.

Happy Birthday Hamburger! #Recipe post! #giveaway

On July 28, 1900, Louis Lassen served a hamburg steak between two slices of bread--and voila! The Hamburger was born! So, today in celebration of Louis and the first hamburger, let me share a recipe or two, and a link or three and just see if you can't get excited about hamburgers!

Rustic Beef Stew and #Thankful4Ag

The following is a guest post from my friend Chef Alli of Chef Alli's Farm Fresh Kitchen. She is a fellow farm mom who has a deep love for her family and their farm, and she shows it through her delicious homemade recipes.  I have used a number of her recipes for my family and they are definitely big hits! This one will be the next recipe I try.

A few weeks ago, Alli asked if I could come to Topeka to shoot a Thankful4Ag segment for WIBW-TV. Of course, when a trusted friend asks, I say yes! The focus is two-fold. First they are thanking the farmers for growing healthy, safe food. But, more importantly, they are focused on the fact that in America 1 in 7 people are food insecure. Yes, Seriously! In AMERICA! So if you go to the site Thankful4Ag.com and fill out the quiz, you will find out what kind of a farmer you were meant to be and if you share that information online, Bayer CropScience will donate 11 meals to Feeding America! So go take the quiz now and share the information online!

Fall Flavors and Rootin’ Tootin’ Cowboy Boots

GUEST POST:  The following is a reprint of the Sunday Supper Movement newsletter for October 1, 2015. Isabel is an online friend of mine who I admire for her excitement and energy in blogging and cooking! She has inspired many meals for my family! Rubbing Elbows with Ranchers and Chefs The show-stopping dinner sponsored by Certified Angus Beef at our summer conference in Orlando was just a peek into the tremendous creativity and professionalism of this brand.

Big Bold Beef Carnitas -- pressure cooker recipe!

So I guess you can teach an old dog, new tricks--and this old dog is really excited about a new trick I learned! I was honored to speak about my blog at a recent county Farm Bureau meeting, alongside Chef Alli of Chef Alli's Farm Fresh Kitchen. She brought along her electric pressure cooker and made a delicious, unique recipe unlike any I've ever had...and it was all ready in 25 minutes! Big Bold Beef Carnitas, or so it is named on her blog.

We had a little fun with me stirring and pouring ingredients into her pressure cooker on command--with my mom and sister in the audience, as well.  Alli first had me season the beef roast and brown it right in the pressure cooker...then we added the liquid and seasoning, including orange zest.  She handed me the zester and an orange and with a smile on her face said, "do you know how to zest?"  I was sure this was a trick and looked out to the audience and asked my mom, "Did I never learn to zest?!"  Luckily everyone laughed and Chef Alli taught me the correct way to zest! And boy did that make a difference!!!

Anyway, the morning after our speaking engagement, I hustled out to the store to look for an electric pressure cooker...and struck out. None to be had in Manhattan, KS.  So instead I bought 3 zesters and 3 oranges and delivered them to my sister and mom and kept one for myself!  Then I got online and ordered an electric pressure cooker!

But I couldn't wait to share the recipe with my husband, so I made Chef Alli's Big Bold Beef Carnitas in the crockpot. Not quite as good, but still pretty dang good!  She paired them with her spicy cole slaw and a lightly toasted tortilla. DELISH! So check out the links and then you will fall in love with her blog! And you may find yourself looking for an electric pressure cooker and a zester!

Just so you know, my pressure cooker arrived in the mail on Wednesday, and I had been working outside with the cattle all day. I was dog-tired, dirty and hungry. All I wanted was a hot shower and something to eat. Soooooo...I unpacked my new handy dandy pressure cooker, threw some frozen chicken breasts, pesto sauce and mushrooms in it, set it for 25 minutes and headed to the shower. When I got out of the shower (yes, I took a loooong hot shower) I could smell dinner! It was ready before I even had a glass of wine poured. EXCELLENT purchase! Thanks, Chef Alli!

I love cilantro so we added a bunch to her cole slaw. I am interested to hear what you think of cilantro---love it or hate it?

Beef Enchilada Soup--freezer to crockpot!

I have two very special friends for whom I would seriously walk through fire--in fact I wrote about them on the 4th day of Christmas. Both of them have recently been going through a pretty rough time--one lost her nephew in a car accident and the other has been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer and has begun treatments.

Bam! My life has changed again! From being the caregiver of my son as he recovered from a liver transplant, to being on the support crew for my buddies. And what better way to show them my love but to cook for them? What's on the menu? BEEF, of course!

Easy Baked Quesadillas

If you are like me, suffering from Post-Holiday Hangover from eating lots of heavy, delicious, sugary food at Christmas...oh, and Thanksgiving....you are ready for something lighter!  These quesadillas are just the ticket!  I found the recipe on the updated website BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com and it is perfect!  At just 450 calories per serving, with 38 grams of protein, it is a quick, easy and healthy meal than the heavy, creamy, sugary, (deliciously amazing) things I have been eating.

But...remember, if you are like me, you didn't lay out the ground beef to thaw this morning and when you are ready to cook in the late afternoon, it is still frozen solid.  Check out this new way to thaw ground beef! I love it! It is fast and no more cooked corners that don't incorporate into your dish quite the same.


So now that we have the ground beef thawed, check out the full recipe here:  Easy Baked Beef, Bean and Corn Quesadillas.  And you can have a lighter and delicious meal on the table in less than 30 minutes! And while I have five kids home from college and work, fast and easy cooking is important!!

I wish you all a Happy New Year and Beef it up in 2015!

Homemade Beefy Noodles to warm you up!

The winter just seems to hang on this year...not only in Kansas, but in many parts of our country. We've had bitterly cold temperatures, slow and sleet. I've even learned a new word:  Graupel is the little balls of ice that fell a few days ago.

I'd sure like to just snuggle up with a blanket and read a book when the weather is like this, but ranchers just can't do that. Our cows depend on us for food and shelter, and very importantly, fresh water. So we put on lots of layers, bundle up as best as we can, and head out to feed hay, roll out straw and chop ice so the cows can be comfortable.

Before I head out, I always pop something in the crockpot for the ranchers when we finally get back inside to warm up. This time it is homemade Beefy Noodles.  I even make my own noodles...yes, I do! Check this out!!

Too early for a beer?

This morning my husband was making coffee when I cracked open my first beer. He didn't even flinch. But when I opened the second one, he turned around with a strange look on his face!

Then he watched me pour them into a crockpot with a beef arm roast and knew we are in for some good eating later!


A favorite recipe of my kids is one of the easiest! I got it from my famously awesome cook sister Amy. Even though that doesn't sound like good grammar, it doesn't matter. Because she is an awesome cook and sister!

My boys deserve a steak!

My boys deserve a steak! So why not give them the best--a Certified Angus Beef flat iron steak on the grill with our Secret Recipe Seasoning mix.


Okay, so it isn't really a secret recipe--I actually shared the recipe for my seasoning mix! Debbie's super secret seasoning recipe!It is great on these flat iron steaks and we use it on hamburgers all the time!

If you are looking for an easy to grill, delicious, tender steak look for a flat iron at your grocery store. That is the second most tender steak (the first is the ribeye) and it is cheaper since it is from the chuck.

I meant to get a picture of it sliced on my plate with a couple of side dishes, but once I had it on my plate I totally forgot about a picture! Sorry. But trust me, it was beautiful!

Back to School - Mu Shu Steak & Apple Wraps

Moms are always on the lookout for new recipes to keep their kids fed and healthy...especially so around back to school time! So when the Beef Council sent out some new recipes, I was excited! We eat a lot of beef--my two high school football players need the extended energy level of the protein in beef and the iron and zinc keep my boys strong.  So I tried this recipe and the kids really liked it--so did the grownups!

I try not to change anything the first time I make a recipe, but I didn't have a tri-tip steak. So I used a Flat Iron steak--which is a delicious, tender cut of meat that is found in the shoulder. It is cheaper, but nearly as tender as the ribeye. So let me know if you try this recipe! We really liked the flavor of the tangy, crisp apple with the sweetened hoisin sauce and steak.

INGREDIENTS

4 beef Tri-Tip Steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 4 ounces each)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Salt (optional)
3 cups tri-color coleslaw mix (with green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced
8 medium whole wheat flour tortillas (8 to 10-inch diameter), warmed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine cinnamon and pepper; press evenly onto beef steaks. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook 9 to 12 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.
2. Combine hoisin sauce and honey in large bowl. Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt, if desired. Add steak slices, coleslaw mix and apple to hoisin mixture; toss to coat.
3. Place equal amounts of beef mixture down center of each tortilla, leaving 1-1/2-inch border on right and left sides. Fold bottom edge up over filling. Fold right and left sides to center, overlapping edges; secure with wooden picks, if necessary. 

For more recipes, check out the BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com website! I'll try to review another recipe soon!

Spicy Espresso CAB Flat Iron steaks

My favorite part of the National Jr Angus Show is the Certified Angus Beef cook off. My kids have participated in this educational competition yearly since 2006!


The kids come up with a recipe that utilizes Certified Angus Beef and then they write a skit to promote their recipe. This year, the recipe is Spicy Espresso Flat Iron Steaks. If you haven't tried a flat iron, run to your supermarket and ask the butcher for one. It is the second most tender muscle in the beef carcass. And this dry rub is delicious!


To promote the recipe, the skit featured a couple of cowboys in the late 1800s following a herd of longhorn steers across the western Kansas prairie. They cross a ridge and see a man in a Scottish kilt and his wife. He turns out to be George Grant who imported the first Angus bulls to America--more precisely, Victoria, Kansas--and he shows them his prize bull. Of course he is Angus. To make a long story short, Mr. Grant serves the cowboys a steak from this recipe.

We have to wait until Wednesday evening to find out the results of the competition, but the kids did a great job and the skit had everyone laughing! I think my son in a kilt (with hairy legs) and another kid dressed as an Angus bull were the main attractions! They sure caused a stir when they appeared in costume!

Anyway, I will update you all when we find out the results, but let me share the recipe with you now. As well as another picture of Mr & Mrs Grant!


Spicy Espresso Flat Iron CAB Steaks

1 Tbsp dry steak seasoning (we use a mesquite flavor)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp finely ground espresso beans
2 Certified Angus beef flat iron steaks

Mix seasoning ingredients together and rub each steak with 1 Tbsp on each side. Carefully oil the grill and cook each steak to medium rare doneness--or 135 degrees internal temperature.

Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot!

Enjoy and think of my son's knobby knees as you cook--no, on second thought, just remember that George Grant started a revolution in 1873 with his new bulls. It is a revolution that we all enjoy today!

And check out CertifiedAngusBeef.org for more recipes and information about different cuts of meat!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Camping food -- rancher style!

Campfire food, of course, includes beef!! This is a big bowl of flat iron steaks sliced about an inch thick, marinating in mesquite.


The side dish is sliced zucchini squash, yellow squash, sweet onion, and mushrooms with a bit of butter and garlic salt wrapped in two layers of foil and cooked on the campfire coals.


My favorite part of camping is everyone cooks their own meal!


Duane and I enjoy the occasional break from the ranch with the kids camping at the lake!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Meaty Monday - "So God made a farmer"

Silence, absolute motionless, focused silence....that is what happened at the Super Bowl party last night when the Dodge Truck commercial came on. The familiar voice of the late Paul Harvey reciting his speech he originally gave at the 1978 Future Farmers of America national convention caught everyone's attention, as did the poignant images of rural America. When the commercial was over, applause and whoops rang out throughout the house (there were people everywhere in the house, stationed at various TVs)--the loudest accolades heard during that game!

Let me share with you how that ad made me feel. But first, watch it yourself...

The first few seconds of quiet, with a photo of a white faced calf standing on a frozen field was absolutely perfect...I see this scene everyday in the winter. I felt the cold and even smelled the cold--for it does have a smell in rural areas. I thought, "What is this? What is happening in THIS Super Bowl ad?"

Meaty Monday - The BEST BBQ Meatballs ever!

I have the very best friends...have I said that before? Well, let me say it again. A couple of gals that let me hang around with them are amazing in so many ways. One of them is food! They are both awesome cooks!

My buddy Mary Ann and I have been sharing recipes since our daughters were in daycare together. She cooks like I do--homemade and with real ingredients (as opposed to fake ingredients, I guess). But I mean, we both live in the country where there are no fast food restaurants! NONE! So we have been cooking 3 meals a day since we each were married! And the addition of kids to our families only added to the variety and amount of our recipes.

Let me make a very big admission here--I am not a good meatball or meatloaf maker! Seriously. For some reason, my recipes are pretty bland and dry. But my kids fight for Mary Ann's meatballs! If they are invited over to her house near a mealtime, they pray that she will make meatballs! So I will give credit where it is due...this recipe is hers--but she shared it with me and I can sometimes replicate her delicious meatballs. Let's see how it goes today:

Mary Ann's Famous Meatballs 
(I say they are famous--within our community of nearly 600 folks. I guess fame is relative!) 
3 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 c. chopped onion
2 c. oatmeal
2 tsp salt
1 lg can evaporated milk

Sauce: 
2 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1¼ c. brown sugar
½ c. chopped onion
½ tsp garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl--use your hands! Then when it is all uniformly mixed, form into meatballs about the size of golfballs or a bit larger. Place in a casserole pan. The meatballs may touch, but don't crowd them together (just like kids in the backseat).

Dump the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan, stir well and simmer over medium heat until bubbly.

Pour the sauce over the uncooked meatballs. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Although her recipe says "uncovered" I have seen her cover them and I have covered them from time to time because I forget that they can be uncovered, but remember to uncover them the last 10 minutes or so, to allow them to brown and get a bit crispy on top! Don't forget to use your meat thermometer to make sure the middle meatballs are 165 degrees inside.  I pull them out of the oven at about 150, and cover them with foil for a few minutes while I get the rest of the dinner together.  Enjoy!  MMMMMmmmmmm!!

How do you cook a pot roast?

There is no better comfort food than a delicious, home cooked beef pot roast! I love coming in from working outside, after a cold afternoon of football, or just sledding on the hill out back to smell the mouth-watering aroma of a pot roast that has been cooking all day!

My crockpot is my go-to kitchen appliance all winter as I can spend a few minutes getting a roast ready to go in an evening, and pop it in the crockpot in the morning and then we have a great meal ready when we get home.

A year ago, my friends and I were heading out to dinner and ended up waiting for our table in the restaurant lounge with drinks. We are pretty notorious for making new friends wherever we go, and of course, we began talking to the other people sitting at the bar. Somehow, we got on the topic of cooking a roast and I was amazed to find that the other people were not familiar with how to cook a roast at home! Of course, one of my friends (who is an excellent cook) proceeded to give them step by step instructions on how to cook the perfect roast. Before they left for the evening, they even came to our table to verify one of the steps!

I guess comfort food has to appear to be lots of work! But there is no easier, or more delicious meal than a potroast! Not long ago, I found this series of videos done by Certified Angus Beef and Chef Michael Ollier. The first one was how to braise a pot roast. I hope you enjoy it and then head out to the store and find a good chuck roast on which to try your refreshed culinary skill!

CAB Cook-off 2012: CAB Ribeyes w/ Blue Cheese & Vidalia Onion Jam

At the National Jr Angus Show, there are many educational contests to participate in, but our favorite is the Certified Angus Beef Cook-off. The kids come up with a theme and a skit to promote CAB and then serve an original recipe to the judges. Prizes are given for the skit as well as the recipe, and then an overall placing is determined.

This group of kids resurrected an old skit that was successfully used back in the '90s--but as with all remakes, they added a twist! In the old skit, Tinkerbell was a sweet, cute little gal from Wamego, Kansas--in this remake, my son who is 6'6" played a bumbling, skipping, crazy fairy! Luckily he is a fun guy and he really had a great time sprinkling fairy dust (glitter) on the kids and judges!

Team members carry in the table set with a Peter pan theme and steaks! Mmmmmm!

Wendy reads a story to her little brother about Neverland where you can get Certified Angus Beef!

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell enter the children's bedroom and take them off to Neverland! My son is the 6'6" redheaded Tinkerbell! My daughter is the little brother in blue PJs.

Captain Hook has CAB locked in his treasure chest and will hide it from Peter Pan!

The children find that Certified Angus Beef is available back home...they capture Captain Hook and Tinkerbell sprinkles a bit of fairy dust so they can fly back to enjoy their steaks with the judges!

This team ended up placing 2nd overall in their age division and in the steak division. It was such a great time and the kids were awesome in the skit!  Their recipe is below--really easy and very good. It is tangy and delicious!

CAB Ribeyes with Blue Cheese and Vidalia Onion Jam

4 CAB boneless ribeye steaks, 1 ¼ inch thick

2 Tbsp bacon drippings

3 Vidalia onions, peeled, halved, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeno chili, finely diced

½ cup red cooking wine

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp black currant jam

2 Tbsp grenadine

Honey, to taste

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt & coarsely ground black pepper

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Canola oil

¾ lb wedge blue cheese, room temperature

2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Heat grill to high. Preheat a cast iron skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add the drippings and heat. Then add the onions, garlic, jalapeno, wine, vinegar, jam, grenadine, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid mixture is thickened and jam-like (about 20 minutes). Taste and season with honey, salt & pepper. Stir in parsley, transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Stir together salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Brush steaks with canola oil and season with the salt mixture. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides, and cooked to medium-rare doneness.

Just before the steaks are done, use a fork to mash the blue cheese and cream so that it is chunky, but also a bit creamy. Mound some on each steak, and let melt briefly on the grill. Remove to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with onion jam on the side. Enjoy!!

May is Beef Month--Share Your Favorite Recipe!

Sunset off our porch, over the hay field. May 2011

I love May--for so many reasons! I am really not a fan of winter. As I get older, I become less able to deal with the cold weather. My joints ache, I can not put on enough clothing to stay warm, and I have never liked being cold! Okay...enough whining...did I say, I LOVE MAY! May is spring...warm weather, green grass, baby calves, and getting cattle bred and out to grass.

All winter, we keep the cattle close to home so we can keep them fed. There is very little nourishment in the native winter grass in Kansas, so we must feed hay to the cattle. That means every single day working with tractors and often in the snow or mud to feed the cows and calves. Can you understand why I may not like winter?!

But this weekend is the first weekend in May and we are hauling cattle out to grass. We still have a few around to feed for another week or so until I get them bred, but they are quickly getting cranky with us as they would rather be enjoying the green grass. 

A sure sign of spring, the Purple Martins return! May 2011

Another reason to love May is that it is National Beef Month. I know, I know...we eat beef every month....well, every week...nearly EVERY DAY! We have lots of our favorite beef recipes, and I've shared quite a few of them with you. Now, I'd love to hear of your beef recipes! I will pick one beef recipe out of all that you submit to award $100 in Beef Bucks! So, comment on this post, email me, or post it on my Facebook page!

This is the beginning of my brisket recipe...guess I'll post that soon!

This is your chance to share your favorite recipe and earn some free beef in the process. Beef Bucks are able to be spent in many restaurants and grocery stores across the country. So get involved! Send me your recipes!!