The Gift of Sloppy Joes, Soup and Cookie Dough Balls is Always Appreciated

Quick story.  Picture it... I've been home for maybe 2 days with tiny little newborn E baby. I had spent 30 hours in labor, another 2+ days in the hospital, Jesse and I had minimal amounts of sleep and I don't even remember eating anything besides the breakfast sandwich I demanded basically minutes after giving birth because I was so hangry.  My friend Andrea texts and says she is bringing over dinner. She walks in a little while later and I threw the baby at her (kidding, it was only a gentle toss), so I could check out the food situation.  I will never forget how delicious that sloppy joe sandwich and cucumber pasta salad tasted. She even made a big batch of both so I had leftovers for days. Seriously, it is top 10 on the list of best meals I have ever eaten in my life.  It completely recharged me when I needed it most and made me realize just how much a homemade, hot meal can change someones day.  Since then my gift giving strategy for friends or family having babies, dealing with illness, grandparents or single friends that may not have the time or motivation to cook real meals for themselves has been to feed them. Soup is a super easy thing to cook a big pot of, then dish out into smaller containers to either deliver fresh or freeze for later. If I'm taking soup to a family, I package in a container big enough to feed everyone. If I'm taking soup to a grandparent, new Mom for lunches, or single friend, I use smaller single serve containers so they aren't forced to thaw out a huge batch of soup. Vegetable Beef Soup and Chicken and Noodles or Chicken and Rice are my absolute favorites! I've included the recipe for Vegetable Beef Soup below to get you started! Vegetable Beef Soup 2+ cups Cooked and Shredded Grass-Fed Beef Roast (great way to use up leftovers!!!)4ish Cups of Beef Broth (1 box if you're using store bought)1 can diced tomatoes1 Bag Frozen Mixed Vegetables (the peas, green beans, corn and carrots kind)2 medium potatoes, dicedAround 2 cups of Egg Noodles - the homemade kind, the frozen kind, or the bagged kind you find in the pasta aisle. Add more, less, or none depending on your feelings about noodles!Salt and Pepper Add your broth to a giant pot. Add your shredded beef, any of the goopy broth stuff leftover from cooking the roast, tomatoes and bag of veggies. Let it come to a gentle boil, then add your potatoes and noodles. Let boil gently until your potatoes and noodles are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boom - Delicious Soup.  Do you notice a theme that none of my recipes have exact measurements? Just trust the process, you can't mess this up. If you're panicking, use the power of Pinterest for a more exact recipe. Fill a bowl for yourself since you worked super hard at putting things into the pot and stirring. Enjoy your soup while you wait for the rest to cool a bit. Next step is to ladle into containers then freeze!  I don't know about you, but I would so much rather create Christmas gifts in my own kitchen than be forced to shop. There are people, I have to wait in lines, I'm starting to sound like a curmudgeon so I better stop there.... But really, sometimes the best gift we can give is something as simple as a great meal. We can hook you up with a tasty beef roast, bones to make broth, and eggs to make homemade noodles, then head to the grocery store for veggies at a weird hour of the day to avoid a bunch of people, then spend some time cooking Christmas gifts in your own kitchen! You can also just buy the broth and noodles at the store, but don't skimp on the roast! :) Also, if you show up with soup AND a bag of frozen homemade cookie dough balls that they can pop into the oven for fresh warm cookies anytime they want, you will be their new hero. Just throwing that out there.  Happy Cooking and Soup Delivering! Dana

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The Beauty of Ground Beef

I'm pretty sure the words "beauty" and "ground beef" have probably never been put together into the same blog post heading. We are making waves people! But really, let's talk about ground beef. It's not a glamourous cut of meat. It's not like a nice thick cut steak or pork chop that even before its cooked is beautiful, or at least to us it is! What it does have going for it, is it's delicious and has an extreme amount of versatility. Ground beef sometimes gets a bad rap for being "unhealthy". Truth is, it's all about the source and how that animal was raised. Grocery store grain-fed ground "beef" that's actually full of fillers and lots of fat is unhealthy. Locally raised, grass-fed ground beef is lean, full of nutrition, flavor, and isn't the villain grocery store ground beef is.   Side note - even "organic" grocery store beef was raised in a feedlot eating corn which was likely raised in China which means it's extremely UNlikely the corn was actually organically grown. Same with any organic meat in the grocery store. Don't get me started on the "free-range" label you see on grocery store chicken and eggs. Trust me.... it doesn't mean what you think. That's a post for another day.  Ok, sorry, off my soap box and back to ground beef.  Each steer only has so many steaks, which is unfortunate because steak is amazing and my child would definitely eat it every night for dinner. We will usually get some roasts (unless the butcher misreads our cut instructions and grinds them all into burger.... yes, this happened and I'm still sad), there are a few specialty cuts we can do, but the majority of the meat that comes back to us is ground beef. Eating locally, seasonally and being sure to utilize all parts of the animal means we embrace the beauty of ground beef and use it often! Which is actually pretty easy. Along with chicken breast, it's one of my top go-to's when I have no dinner plan. So many meals start with ground beef, diced onion, bell pepper and garlic in a cast iron skillet. Start there and build your meal with what you have on hand!  Check out an earlier blog post on Ground Beef Cabbage Skillet which would be perfect to make right now since you can get all the veggies at the Farmers Market in season. Here's a list of go-to meals I make throughout the year using ground beef. There are so many uses for ground beef besides making burgers! Again, these are not fancy meals (that's not my style at this stage of life) but they are quick, easy and toddler approved. Spaghetti with Meat SauceSkillet LasagnaTacos with Homemade Seasoning - we love to really load up tacos with black beans, sautéed onions and peppers, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, corn, avocados.Quesadillas - perfect for using up leftover taco meat!Korean Beef with Rice and BroccoliSpanish RiceMeatloaf with Hidden Veggies - make extras and freeze before baking for an easy meal another night!Ground Beef StroganoffShepherds PieChili Soup - freeze after cooking and heat up when you need an extra quick dinner!Stuffed Peppers I didn't try to write out recipes for all of these in this blog post... I thought that might get a bit too long winded. My recommendation would be to do a quick Google or Pinterest search if one of these recipes inspires you (that's my usual place for finding new recipes!) If you have any trouble let me know and I would be happy to talk you through my mostly made up from memory ways of making each of these dishes! If you have a favorite ground beef recipe please share! Let's make dinner time easier for us all!

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Farmers Market Meal Plans

As a family, we do our best to eat locally produced foods as much as possible. Summer is the easiest time of year to make this happen! We've discussed my failure at meal planning in prior blog posts, but I actually spent some time thinking through a couple meals I want to cook next week! Most ingredients are available from farmers market vendors and can easily be adapted based on what your family likes. Thought I would share in case they inspire meal ideas for you too! One of the easiest meat cuts for me to plan around is boneless skinless chicken breast. When in doubt, I start thawing a package of chicken breast and make up a meal as I go! I try to avoid defrosting in the microwave, so if I forget to thaw overnight in the fridge I put the package in a large bowl of cool water or cover with water in the sink for about an hour.  These meals are definitely nothing fancy, but include lots of veggies readily available at the farmers market this time of year and are quick and easy for weeknight meals.  MEAL #1 CHICKEN KABOBS No fancy instructions here.... dice up chicken breast, a large onion, bell peppers and alternate on a skewer. Add salt, pepper, maybe some garlic salt, whatever spices you're feeling and grill until interior of chicken pieces reach 165 degrees. If you're feeling super inspired add some mushrooms, pineapple, whatever else you can spear! Sometimes I'll sprinkle teriyaki or BBQ sauce over the top when they are almost done cooking... this is one of those meals you can't mess up!  MEAL #2 Zoodles in Tomato Sauce or Alfredo If you don't own a spriralizer to turn zucchini into noodles, it's a must have!!! Plan on about 1 to 1.5 zukes for each person you're feeding and make sure they are small enough to fit through the spiralizer.  Start by making your zucchini noodles, add salt and let them drain in a colander. Next, dice chicken breast, onion, green peppers, garlic, mushrooms, a yellow squash, whatever you want to add into your sauce! Saute in a skillet with olive oil until chicken is done and veggies are softened.  Remove veggies and chicken from the skillet and add in zucchini noodles. Saute for 5-10 minutes or until the noodles soften and the water they release evaporates.  Add veggies and chicken back to skillet. Add your tomato or alfredo sauce (can be freshly made from scratch, home canned, or store bought) - you won't find me judging your sauce choices! If you need to get really sneaky with your veggies, add them to the food processor and mix them all into the sauce.... the picky ones will never even know they are eating a mushroom.  Top with parmesan, serve with a salad or garlic bread! What are some of your go-to recipes that use what's available at the farmers market this time of year? I'm always looking for new meal ideas! 

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Land of the Free Because of the Brave

I recently met a farm family who immigrated to the United States from Belgium. Even though they haven't lived here long, their farm operation is quite large and includes multiple family members and employees. It’s impressive! The Dad asked if I farmed and when I told him about my small grass-based livestock operation, I thought "he must think I am so silly." What he actually said was incredibly supportive. It also came with a lesson in how lucky I am to be able to do what I love. "That is great. You live in America so you can do so if you wish." I didn't fully understand his response until later after he told the story of why he and his family left Belgium for the United States. Until 2015, the Belgian government only allowed farmers to produce a certain quantity of product. They could not grow their farm operation unless the government increased their quota. This farm family was barely able to produce enough to be profitable and support their family, let alone allow opportunities for the next generation to join the operation.  So they sold out, took a huge risk, and moved the entire family to the United States. Now multiple generations work side by side on the same farm with hopes the operation will continue to be passed on to future generations. When we started our farm, I never gave a second thought that I needed government approval (other than the crazy number of inspections, permits, etc.) or that anything other than my own lack of knowledge, work ethic or ingenuity would limit how far I could expand. I took for granted the freedom we have. We truly live in the greatest country in the world, and it's because so many brave men and women have fought for us. Many lost their lives to allow us these freedoms. Each Memorial Day I am particularly mindful of this sacrifice and how lucky I am to live and be raising my family in a country where we have the freedom to chase our dreams and be as successful in life as we choose to be. As we observe Memorial Day weekend, I encourage you to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives to provide the freedoms we enjoy. Our lives would be much different without their sacrifice.

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What's Cooking? Beef Roast Edition

In my opinion, the beef roast is a seriously underappreciated cut of meat. Even way back in the day when I have no idea how we ever survived, Jesse and I both could make a decent roast.  When we first started making the shift to eating grass-fed beef, all I ever heard was how there was no fat, it was stringy, tough, lacked taste, enter all other misconceptions out there about grass-fed beef. So not true! A lean grass-fed roast has excellent flavor without ending up with a pile of fat and a little beef after cooking. It's one of our favorite meals, especially our 2-year-old, Eliza. The kid can eat an impressive amount of beef.  Not only are beef roasts super delicious, they are incredibly quick to prep and toss in the oven or slow cooker. Option #1 - Crockpot Roast This roast is perfect for the crazy Wednesday when life is slightly out of control, you have nothing prepared or thawed and are already late for work. This happens more than I would like to admit.  Step 1 - run to freezer and pull out roast Step 2 - take roast out of package and put in slow cooker. Make sure to pull off the thin little paper wrapper. Don't ask why I remind you of this.  Step 3 - add salt and pepper Step 4 - cover the roast about 2/3 of the way up with water or beef broth. See rant below about store bought beef broth. Step 5 - set the slow cooker on low and let it do it's thing for about 10 hours If you're feeling extra ambitious or have a few minutes to spare, you can add in carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic. If not, make mashed potatoes and a vegetable at dinner time and enjoy!  Option #2 - Oven Cooked Roast This roast is a perfect option for a Sunday dinner when you have a little more time to enjoy cooking. It's still not a whole lot more involved, but the couple extra steps make this option a bit more "fancy" than a Crockpot Roast. Plus, the side dishes cook at the same time. Less time cooking and fewer dirty dishes... a win-win in my book. You will need to plan ahead and let the roast thaw in the fridge for a day or two before cooking.  Step 1 - using a dutch oven, add a few tablespoons of oil (I typically use lard or butter) and let it heat up. I set the burner on medium.  Step 2 - take your thawed roast out of the package, pat dry with paper towels, rub salt and pepper onto all surfaces. Course salt is best, but use what you've got on hand.  Step 3 - once the dutch oven is hot, sear the roast just long enough to make a nice crust, about 2 minutes per side. Don't forget to use tongs and hold the roast up to sear the sides! Or don't. It really will be fine either way.  Step 4 - Once it’s seared, nestle that delicious roast into the dutch oven and cover about 3/4 of the roast in beef broth (either homemade or store bought - see rant below), water will also work, and add carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, or whatever else you have on hand. Don't have all those? Just toss in what you do have. You can't screw this up, I promise. Adding a few splashes of dry red wine also adds great flavor! Step 5 - let the roast cook at around 300 degrees for around 3 hours or until it's nice and tender. The timing will depend on the size of your roast and whether your oven temp is accurate. Mine is a guessing game. Note - Don't be afraid to adapt or even leave things out of this recipe. I live 25ish minutes from the closest grocery store so for the most part if I'm missing some spice or ingredient the recipe calls for in small amounts, I just skip it and move on. Don't be scared! It will still be awesome. Ok, short rant on store bought broth. A lot of store bought beef broth has "Caramel Color" as one of it's ingredients, even organic brands. As a person with sensitives to artificial colors, flavor, sweeteners, etc. this is super annoying. So if you're weird about that ingredient like I am, be sure to check the labels and avoid those brands. Rant over. If you're interested in making your own beef broth, this is my highly non-complex recipe. Roast your beef bones, sliced shank, beef for boiling, whatever cut you're using in the oven until they are browned. I toss everything in a slow cooker, cover with filtered water, add whatever veggies you have on hand, and let it hang out cooking on low until I have time to strain and package it. Sometimes that's overnight, sometimes it's a couple days. I don't usually can broth, I just let it cool then put 2-4 cups in freezer bags and keep frozen until I need them. I would also recommend freezing some in ice cube trays for when you only need a small amount, but I haven't made that happen yet. You'll find me bashing a giant chunk of frozen beef broth against the counter to break off a few bits. It works, but it's not pretty.  Leftover roast can be used on sandwiches, in vegetable beef stew, in tacos, or frozen for later. This is an easy way to cook once then have lots of options for new meals throughout the week!

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