SPRING!

Ranch

Spring has sprung here at the ranch. After waking up to a surprising 4+ inches of snow on the first day of spring, the forecast for the next week is sunny with temps in the 50s. The hubby and I spent most of the day outside trying to repair the damage caused by a long winter. It's always a glamorous job - raking manure and picking up trash - but it felt good to be outside and stimulate some Vitamin D production. We only have 2 cows left to calve and are thankful that our biggest calving problems were the loss of a few ears.

Other happenings this week include the birth of 7 Labrador pups sired by our dog, Chance. If you'd like a pup, let me know. I think that they're $200. This was Chance's second set of puppies, and his last. Sadly, Chance got the snip this week. He feels mighty sorry for himself right now, but he's getting back to his old self. It would be hard to kill that dog's spirit. A couple weeks ago (in 30 degree temps) he was jumping into the flooding creek and riding the current to the end of our property line - and then getting out, running back up, and riding it down again. He's not a dumb dog! I also included a picture of our black mix, Taos just so that she doesn't feel left out. I'm sure you'll learn much more about them if you continue to follow the blog. I always thought there was something wrong with people who treated their dogs like pseudo children. I'm one of those people now.

Wife

After a crazy two weeks of Aspiring (pig fecal and urine collections. harvest, and grinding - along with attending and presenting at a scientific meeting), I needed to redeem my wife-skills with some quality cooking for S. Fridays during lent are always a challenge for me because I married a meat-and-potatoes man. This week I cooked an heirloom recipe called cream noodles. It's kind of like ravioli, but the filling is sour cream with sugar and salt. The stuffed pasta is then fried in butter and onions. It sounds weird and S thought my family was crazy when he first heard of it - but trust me, it's delicious. Tonight I cooked another pasta dish created by my dad. At the risk of my blog being too similar to Pioneer Woman's, here's the recipe.

Daddy's Pasta
1 box penne pasta (cooked just prior to al dente)
1/2 stick salted butter
1/2 sweet onion (diced)
1 jalapeno (diced finely including seeds and ribs)
1 package country sausage (the kind that comes in a casing; bratwursts also work)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Spices to taste

Melt butter in the biggest skillet you own. Add diced onions and cook on medium until translucent and starting to brown. At this point everyone one in your house knows you are cooking something delicious. Add jalapeno. Halve sausage links and cut into 1/4" thick half-moons. Add sausage to the frying pan and fry until brownish. Add spaghetti sauce and spices. Tonight I added parsley, oregano, and basil. I'd normally just add 1 Tbs italian seasoning but S hates rosemary. Cook until the sauce is bubbly. Add cooked pasta to the frying pan and mix everything together until it gets all yummy-looking. Taste it and add whatever is needed. Sometimes I add more salt, tonight I added about 1 tsp cayenne pepper because my jalepeno must not have had much kick. Serve with parmesan cheese and garlic bread. Tonight S declared that this may be becoming one of his favorite meals. The great thing about my husband is that no matter what you cook for him - it's always one of his favorite meals. :-D I like this recipe because it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and it serves 4 regular sized people (that means enough for lunch leftovers for both of us)!

Until next time - thanks for reading.
C