All posts by kimmy

Getting Cows….the Truth and Everything But the Truth

I grew up in the city. Not a big city but in a college town in Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, with a population of around 160,000. I grew up in a suburb where the houses all looked the same. Enough history, jump forward approximately 34 years and Keith and I bought land four miles out of Sheridan Wyoming. A huge place (25 acres) or so I thought, and far enough out of town to make me almost hyperventilate! To me that was rustic (which is kind of ironic since we were in a brand new home). We were on a well and septic, with land, and 2 dogs, and 2 horses (that’s another story), and a barn, and a greenhouse, and a pond, and fields, and fencing…you get the picture. All things foreign to me. I was just starting to get used to this country living when Keith came into the house one day and said, “We’re going to get a couple of cows.”                                                       I  said, “no”! He said, “yes”! Too much work, too much poop! He said, “You don’t have to do a thing, they drink water and they eat the grass”. After some additional BS he told me I said yes. HE LIED!! (See the story Cow From Area 51 and that was just the beginning!!) Jump forward another 15 years or so and I am now “the rancher”. We have 140 acres, well and septic, and 2 dogs, and a barn, and a greenhouse, and a river, and a bunkhouse, and outbuildings, and pastures, and fencing, and a squeeze chute and paddocks, and currently 26 animals soon to be 30+ if calving goes well. All I can say is that I didn’t see this coming…..

Sunshine on my shoulder, makes me happy

Sun’s out, temp is rising! Gonna be a glorious day! Cows came bounding off the hill this morning to a new bale of hay. Weaning starts today. The river is up and roaring! We have small “ponds” all over the property and in fact, the cows don’t bother going to the water troughs, they just find their own mini-pond to get a drink.

(sigh) Rain (sigh)

The cows and I are getting a bit tired of the rain. It cleared up, just enough yesterday, to play “crazy cow” with Rob Roy (#14). I’d start to leave in the Gator and he’d chase me buckin’ and fartin’. I have no idea how this game started!

Mortadella

My first attempt at Mortadella is a success!!  Mortadella is Italian bologna with flecks of fat and pistachios in it.  Smooth texture, great taste!  It pairs wonderfully with homemade “Almost No-Knead Bread”!  Thanks for the introduction to the bread recipe Mike Adair!!  Mortadella only uses 1 LB. of pork.  Makes meat go a long way.  I’m not sure what my hair dresser is going to say when I walk in this morning with “garlic breath”?!  My wonderful “Mad Scientist” conjured up my very own “sous vide” machine to use to cook my Mortadella.  I’m already planning the next batch.  MMmmmmm!