Steaks - The WinterTime cheating way

Wow,  so first I'm humbled!! Diana is a great friend and Foodie.  I had facebooked the other day about having steaks in the oven.  The next night this wonderful foodie asked ME how I made them.  WOW!  I was humbled!  I guess my busy mama way of cooking is different to those who love to cook.

Then another friend wondered how I was making steaks this time of year.  Because the wind is blowing @ 20 Below Zero and its too cold to even go check on the gril this week.  Hmm, really, they want to know how I'm meaking steak??  You see, I love to LOOK at recipes, but I rarely follow them.  I very rarely have time to cook, let alone something fancy.  But, BEEF, real BEEF is a requirement around here at least 5 nights a week.  So, I guess (suprised me!) that I have found some innovative ways to cheat on time, and still make our beef taste great.

So here goes...

Steaks, The Busy (Forgetful) Mama Way

10 min before supper, you wonder what you're going to eat.  Grab some steaks out of the Freezer.
Perhaps 2 RibEye's or 2 Flank Steaks

1   Place steak packages in the sink under warm running water.  Select Pan & start thinking of vegetable sides (in default choose potatoes & corn)

2    Unwrap steaks & split 2 frozen steaks apart.

3   Heat up cast iron skillet with a little olive oil.  When pan is HOT place 2 steaks in the pan. 

4   Preheat Oven to 350 with a cookie sheet or glass caserole dish already in the oven (to warm the dish)

5   Flip steaks & season with your favorite seasonings.  I used Lemon Pepper.  Yes, really flip them after about 2 min.

6   Get out the veggies.  I selected some frozen sweet corn & a couple of potatoes & started chopping.

7   Take the first 2 steaks out of the pan & place them in the Oven Dish.  Put a little more Olive Oil in the pan & start cooking the next 2 steaks.  (we usually eat about 3-4 steaks for our family of 5, & I can't fit them all on at once)

8   After 2 min on each side (or just a good sear, if you like yours a little rare) Put them both in the oven with the other steaks.

9   Fry or warm your veggies.  I usually cheat & use the same pan (some would call this...____...? Where you use all of the drippings?  See, I'm not a Foodie) to cook the veggies.

10   As soon as your veggies are ready, the kids are called, and the table is set (in our house about 15-30 min) Your Steaks should be ready.  I usually pull out the bottom steak to check done-ness & start cutting for the kids.

Total Cook & Prep Time     UNDER 45 Min!  From Freezer To Table!

So, If you don't know What's For Dinner....Its BEEF STEAKS in the Winter  (the Busy Mama Way)

RANCHER.........NOT Farmer

I always say that we are "Ranchers" not "Farmers".

Why, because I don't grow crops, I don't like machinery, and I don't like firing up the tractor (yes, I know, I said that one twice).

Really, I don't like Machinery.  It breaks, It gets stuck, and then you're in a position that you NEEED to use said equipment to feed the cows & horses.  YUCK!!!

For example, this year (last week) at one point we had a borrowed 4 wheel drive tractor, STUCK, our IH 1486 with a small little hydraulic line broken (discovered after I crashed it into our pipe fence, because I had no steering).  Then I stuck the 1466 trying to pull out the 4x4 tractor  (silly, YES! But he asked me to come help).  Then, while honey was getting dug out (where the 4x4 tractor was) I stuck my Dually.  And yes, the 4x4 is still out on the feed truck!  It wasn't really fixed, I guess. And, our old Ford tractor still won't run right.  UGH!!!


So, In the span of 3 hours we were down from
2 4x4 trucks,
1 jeep
3 tractors
1 borrowed 4x4 tractor
1 4-wheeler

to
1 2-wheel drive truck
1 Jeep (5 miles from the house where honey was stuck)


UGH!!!
I don't L.I.K.E. Machinery!!!

So, that's why I want to be a Rancher!!!  I want to Year-Round Graze.  I don't want to buy a feed-wagon.  I'll just keep carrying buckets.  I really, truly, don't like machinery.  Don't get me wrong, I still want to keep the truck!!  I like going places,  But DARNIT, I want it to run, ALL the time!!

Thanks for listening to my machinery rant.  But, as you guessed it, Honey stuck the jeep this AM.  So, by 8 am we had already been stuck today.  yeah, winter......

Kelsey

I WISH I were the PW today

On days like today I really wish I were PW.  Only so I could have someone do chores so that I could take beautiful pictures of everything.

It is warmer today with weather near 30degrees (ABOVE zero).  The cows were all frosted this morning.  not a cold frost, just a pretty white tip on all of their long hairs.  The mares were absolutely BEAUTIFUL this morning.  The mares' forelocks (bangs) were all frosty.  Their eyelashes were painted white as they were talking to me this morning.  As I cut the net wrap off the round bales on the truck, I WISHED I WERE PW.  I thought of how TRULY blessed I am to live such a life!

Our life is so beautiful, that pictures would still not do it any justice.

Then, I'm back to real life. 
The cows walk out the gate
the sale bull is out with the old bulls (hurry get him in before he gets in a fight!)
Mares & geldings are bickering over who gets to eat where
$%&* there's a dead BEEF!
AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Now I really wish I were PW.  I wish I could talk about only the positive glamorous life of ranchers.  Not about the real $^&T.  Literally, a life covered in poo!  Death, unfortunately IS part of life on a ranch.  Sickness is a part of ranch life.  Frustration and cash flow is also a part of life on the ranch.

But, PW doesn't post anything near to real life.  Just the fantabulous parts of life on the ranch.  Oh well, I will go ahead and keep reading PW.  She posts really great pictures and all the beautiful parts of life on the ranch.

BTW, you know I don't even re-read my blogs before I post them.  I. Just. Write.
Thank you for listening!!!  I hope to get to take my (point & click) camera out to chore more now that it isn't 20 below zero!