Archive for the 'Western' Category
Wonderful food recipes are available in every monthly issue of the Southern Living magazine. I now know why Mom’s meatloaf was so flavorful. In the October 2008 issue of this social periodical on page 138, is an article titled, ”Meatloaf Makeover.” This recipe helped me to figure out Mom’s secret.
Mom’s secret? Now I know that she was using ground pork sausage with the ground beef. I’ve added my own individuality by adding two tablespoons of Grandma’s Molassas to my meatloaf recipe.
In addition to our safety tips, any good cook taking that tasty sizzling dish right out of the hot oven, would have a Trivet on the countertop to protect the surface from burning.
My heart sings to see so many large ranches expanding their beef herds by adding Buffalo to their range lands. Almost extinct, Buffalo are not only becoming an important part of nature’s wildlife scenery, but they are also becoming a part of North America’s food chain, once again.
Southern Living magazine, October 2008, page 6, features a panoramic view of Buffalo grazing on 29,000 acres near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. This seems like a large area, but it’s a long way from the 142 million acres that Bison roamed before hunters and farmers killed them off. In our travels through the Western United States, we have seen many small ranches raising Bison.
The idea of cowboys and western culture was formed during the westward expansion of American settlers. Under the idea of Manifest Destiny (the right to own all of the land one inhabits) pioneers headed west, fighting against the elements and in some cases, the Native American Indians. It was in the dust and grit of the Southwest that many people settled and began to seek their fortunes. Here is where Western cowboys were born, as well as the staples of Western culture such as bull riding, lassoes, wide brim cowboy hats and a certain element of risk and danger at every turn.
The Southwest has been much refined since those old days, but people all over the United States and even the world still celebrate the values on which the West was found with Western movies, western decor, and western food.
A little miracle called a coincidence happened to me this week.
I recently loaded beverage coasters to sell on my website. The artist of the hunting dogs on some of the coasters is a world famous Western Wall Art artist, Jim Killen. The artwork on the coasters is exciting and full of nature’s fall colors.
The coincidence occurred when only 3 days later, I opened up the magazine, Ducks Unlimited, Sept/Oct of 2008, and turned to pages 93 thru 97 and WOW! . . . There they were, looking me right in my face . . . these awesome paintings illustrated by Jim Killen. He was sharing his skills and talents with bird hunters and lovers of wall art just like me. Thanks to the writer of the article, E. Donnall Thomas, Jr. and to Jim Killen for sharing.
Shah and Sarah were two Rottweiler puppies when their owners brought them home to their country ranch in northwest Idaho. I was remodeling and painting the house, over a period of 12 months and $60,000 worth of improvements. I became the adopted dog sitter and friend while the professors taught at Washington State University. During that year, on my break periods, I played with both Shah and Sarah, treated them with love, and all the while teaching them obedience skills and discipline.
Every time I arrived at their home, Shah and Sarah met me with great excitement and anticipation for more of my affection and attention.
You will have a hard time convincing me that Rottweiler dogs are mean. I believe they could be, however, if treated badly. I hope this breed of dog wil be added to someone’s pet decor.
When I reflect on the years growing up with Queenie, my German Shepherd, I’m reminded how important it is that every boy should have a good dog.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I want some rustic wall art, but I don’t have any more wall space!” Why not hang a piece of over-the-door metal wall décor? This is an available wall space that is often overlooked in many households.
Pine cones, horses, a thunderstorm, Southwestern pottery…there are so many rustic motifs available for over-the-door wall art to bring the spirit of the West to your home.
We can’t go anywhere in America without coming upon a small country store, restaurant, or gift store that doesn’t display cowboy images as a part of their decor. I believe that we all have a little cowboy or cowgirl in us. We either live in the country, want to live in a rural setting, or have a desire to experience a taste of freedom and openness that a western environment creates. A vacation in the country is a good example.
Many of us have a picture or painting of a favorite western movie star. Some folks like a calendar with horses running in a ranch scene. Many cowboy images of both past and present live on in our hearts, and heroes are created for our entertainment.
Who could possibly resist a good Saturday morning Western movie with John Wayne, James Stewart, Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, Clint Eastwood, Randolph Scott, Roy Rogers, Gene Autery, The Lone Ranger . . . and Gabby Hayes? (to name some of my favorites) And, you know that every cowboy hero always had a beautiful cowgirl that he rode off with . . . into the sunset. Now, that’s a cowboy image called Romance! Eeeh-Haw!
One of my fondest western images was during the summer of 1951. An Old Timer living at Discovery Bay, Washington, told me, “If you go down to the railroad trestle when the tide comes in, you can catch all the Sea Perch you can carry in a ‘gunny sack.’ ” He told me the fish feed on small sand crabs on the beach and to load my fish hook firmly into the side of the crab, and then cast my line close to the edge of the bank.
My dad was working as a heavy duty mechanic on the road construction crew. They paved the highway from Discovery Bay to Neah Bay, located on the south shore of Puget Sound. At the age of eleven, I went fishing between the hours of 3:00 to 4:00 AM, and provided food for the families of the road crew. With fishing gear and burlap sack in hand, and my dog Queenie at my side, I got up before breakfast and went to work catching Sea Perch.
The rule was, my dad said, “You catch ‘em, you clean ‘em.” I did it, too! As I went from cabin to camper, I presented my catch and was paid for my services. The rewards were much more than money. I learned that salt water sea perch are mammals and do not lay eggs to hatch, a magnificent discovery in nature. There is joy in the giving of ourselves for the needs of family and others, and there are many great rewards for working hard: respect, discipline, obedience, and love for my parents.
They don’t call it Discovery Bay for nothing!
In an article of March 2008, Consumer Reports, there is topic of “Is Grass-fed Beef Better?”Being raised on a ranch where we had both grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef, it was a personal preference for flavor of the meat that we served at our meals. My preference was the corn-fed beef. It was delicious! However, in reference to this article, I do agree that grass-fed beef, over all, contains less fat and is healthier.
On the other hand, we no longer live on the ranch and farm. In memory of my childhood years, we enjoy a western decor theme in our home.