Beef: It's What's for Dinner

Earlier this summer, Darrell and I randomly decided that it would be fun to buy a cow. Not one that we planned to keep in our backyard and serve as a lawnmower/fertilizer, but rather buy the meat from a cow in bulk (which is quite common around here and can be pretty cost efficient if you have the place to store all the meat off a cow at once). However, we don't know the first thing about buying and butchering livestock. Plus a full cow can be over five hundred pounds of meat, which is maybe a little excessive for our family of two. Thankfully, not only did my sister and her boyfriend Nick think that purchasing a cow seemed like a good idea, but Nick actually grew up on a farm (and still lives in "farm country"), so he did have a clue about buying and butchering meat.

So, long story short, we know own about half a cow. My sister let me know the other day what we were getting for cuts (because again, Darrell and I don't have a clue so we just told them to get "whatever" and we'd take half of it), and it all sounds pretty darn good. A variety of steaks, a handful of roasts, some ribs, and of course, ground beef. Sixty-nine pounds of ground beef, to be exact.

Yes. Sixty-nine pounds. Of ground beef. Go ahead and let that sink in. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but Darrell and I actually don't use ground beef all that much. In fact, the only recipes I can think of that we prepare with ground beef are tacos and lasagna. That's like each of those dishes thirty-four times just to get rid of the beef. I love me some tacos and everything, but even that seems like overkill.

So, our new mission is to seek out more ground beef recipes. I know we could make our own burger patties with the beef, but by the time we get the meat grilling season will practically be over (although you can bet it will last into the spring when we can grill again). I've got my eye on a childhood classic--tator tot casserole--if I can just get Darrell to overlook the whole "casserole" piece of it (Darrell's convinced he doesn't like casseroles. Of any type. Don't ask). Beyond that, I'm kind of at a loss. Any suggestions?

Perseverance

Fact: I have all but entirely neglected my garden for the past three weeks. We totally lost our zucchini/squash plants, which was a major deterrent, plus things started getting really busy with soccer/school. And in the back of my mind, I kind of figured that even the plants that survived the heat of July would not yield very much produce, not making it worth my time to prioritize gardening.

Well, apparently my plants had another thought in mind. I won't exactly say that production has been outstanding by any counts, but I suppose something is always better than nothing. Like this fairly decent sized bowl of broccoli:

Or this nice robust carrot:

I was even surprised by the number of tomatoes that were starting to come in--none of them are close to being ripe (they're like a month behind where they were last year), but there were still quite a few out there!

Now if I could just figure out how to keep my zucchini plants alive for longer than two months... Darn bugs.

Sing You Home

As I was preparing to write my review for this book, I realized that this is the first Jodi Picoult book that I've reviewed on my blog. Clearly, at some point I've neglected to blog a book (or two or three) that I've read, because this is certainly not the first book of hers that I've read in the past two years. And while I don't remember the exact titles of the other books of hers that I've read (although I'm sure I could take the time to look online to refresh my memory), I can pretty easily sum up all the reviews in one fell swoop--the books are great. I have been absolutely captivated by every Jodi Picoult novel that I've read, and even in spite of my incessant efforts to try to predict the ending, Picoult always manages to throw some final twist in there to catch me off guard.

I also love that her books deal with "hot topic" issues in a generally unbiased way. I have found that as I get older I most enjoy books that deal with real issues (as opposed to say, talking animals), and it's always a relief to not feel like the author is trying to push his or her own personal agenda onto me. Sadly enough, I get enough of that from media sites and even places like Facebook, so it's nice to just be able to read something (even if it is literature) that presents information from both sides of the issue without condemning you for having a belief one way or the other.

Sing Me Home, in particular, deals with homosexuality and, to some degree, scientific advancements in procreation. In just the first few chapters there's a failed pregnancy, a failed marriage, and failed sobriety. But, as the book progresses, the former spouses are able to piece their lives back together, even as the journey takes them places they never thought they would go, including into a courtroom in an unprecedented legal battle.

Despite my general praise for Jodi Picoult novels, I do have one complaint with the ending of this book. There is a final chapter that serves more or less as an epilogue, although I found that it raised more questions than it answered. I'm not opposed to books that don't have nice, clean, totally wrapped up endings, but if there is going to be some ambiguity in the ending I prefer not to be limited in how I imagine the next six months/years of book will play out. However, I found that the information included in the "epilogue", short though it was, gave so many partial details that I was actually more confused how the book got from the ending to the epilogue than I would have been if the book had just ended without the epilogue. But, that's just my opinion; I'm sure many people appreciated the extra details/wrap-up that the final chapter contained.

Overall, it should come as no surprise that I would recommend not only this book but any novel by Jodi Picoult!

Family Fun

So, I know it's almost this weekend, but I'm finally going to get around to posting pictures from last weekend. Sometimes, that's just how things roll. As I mentioned, we were out in Mitchell last Saturday to celebrate the wedding of my dear cousin, as well as "unofficially" say goodbye to my grandpa. I don't know all the details, but he has basically decided to forgo continued treatment for the issues he's been having because he doesn't like being in the hospital and doesn't like how they make him feel. So it's pretty well understood that he'll pass more or less naturally in the next few weeks. While it is certainly a sad time, my grandpa has celebrated over ninety birthdays, sixty-five wedding anniversaries, and has raised a family of six--which has gone on to give him countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren--so it's sufficient to say he's lived a full life. And, I will daresay that he is ready to pass. He was in better spirits than I've seen him in months at the wedding reception; his only disappointment was that he and my grandma were wheelchair bound and couldn't be out dancing. But, they didn't let that stop them from having a good time, and we were finally able to get them to leave after 11:00. Apparently their late-night antics were quite the talk at the nursing home when they got back.

Anyway, enough rambling and time for some pictures (because I know that is what you all really enjoy)

My grandparents holding hands while watching the newlyweds dance. Absolutely adore this picture

So these little cuties had been ignoring my attempts to play with them all night, then all of the sudden as Darrell and I were about to dance they ran up behind me and grab my hands so I could dance with them. It was pretty cute

Family shot taken at the nursing home the following morning--my grandparents look pretty good for being quite the party animals the night before!

It's My Birfday!

And lucky me--it's also the first day of school! Aren't you jealous? I complained to Darrell that this is the first year ever--in all my years of schooling and teaching--that I've been in school on my birthday. Of course, Darrell reminded me that he's had to work on his birthday every year since he started working after college, so apparently that means I don't have any room to complain.

And really, I suppose I don't. Because there are probably far worse ways I could be spending my birthday. Not to mention I have co-workers that are making my day pretty awesome.

I'm pretty sure the head coach is behind all this candy that the soccer girls keep bringing me... But I won't complain. I'll be stocked well enough to make it through at least the first few weeks of school.

Darrell has also made quite the effort to make sure I have a good birthday, despite spending it at school. He got up early this morning to make me a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hash browns, plus he gave me some gifts last night...

I heart my new apron. Isn't it so super cute? And I also got some other nice baking stuff from him--and before you go and accuse him of buying me gifts that require me to "work" in order to use them, I should clarify that I wanted all of the things he got (especially a new apron) and certainly don't consider it "work" to bake. Now, if he had bought me a vacuum cleaner that would be a different story....

Construction Woes

One of the disadvantages to living in a state that has four pretty distinct seasons is that the season most people consider "summer" is often synonymous with "construction". And lots of it. Because when there are only three or four months a year where the weather is likely to be conducive to doing road work, it will inevitably pile up, no matter how diligent the city planner may be.

Knowing this, I try not to complain too much about construction season. But this summer, by nature of where we live, has been a little brutal. Allow me to demonstrate.

The purple dot represents our house (ish--in reality we're probably five or six miles south of where the dot is), and the red represents areas that are under construction (either completely closed or reduced to one or two lanes). Pretty much everything we go into Sioux Falls for (including Darrell's office) is north of this map. And the one "major" north/south road that is free of any red markings turns to gravel at the southernmost point of this map. Needless to say, navigating into and back from town can be a bit of a pain. Of course, in a few short months we'll likely be complaining of snow hindering our drive into town--so I suppose this is the lesser of two evils?

First Weekend Under our Belts

Well, between varsity and junior varsity we played four games this weekend, and managed to come home with three wins. Not too bad of a weekend--on paper at least. As a coaching staff, there were definitely quite a few things we were not too pleased with, like giving up two goals in the first five minutes (not surprisingly, that ended up being the game we lost). But, we've got a whole week before our next game to tune-up some of the issues, and will hopefully come away with victories for both teams after our games on Saturday.

I should mention that I can't critique Saturday's games too much since I wasn't there; my cousin was getting married in Mitchell that evening, and since my grandpa (mom's dad) will likely be passing in the next few weeks, a lot of out-of-state relatives made an effort to come back for the event and there were lots of family pictures to be had. So, while I'm sad to have missed our second set of games, it was a blessing to get to spend that time with family. But more on that later once Darrell gets the pictures uploaded :)

It's Go Time

Eek! We've got our first soccer games this weekend--I'm not so sure that I'm entirely ready for this. Getting the jitters as a player is one thing, but those are pretty easy to run out in the opening minutes. I'm not sure what happens when one gets the jitters as a coach--I feel like they'll probably stick around for the whole game. And considering I get anxious sometimes just watching my brother play baseball, I can't imagine how I'll respond when it's my team and my players on the line.

Fingers crossed for a successful first weekend!

Southwestern Pot Roast

Earlier this summer, Darrell and I went on a "purge" of our freezer and found a roast hiding at the bottom of our meat drawer. We figured it had probably been in the freezer long enough and decided to cook with it that week, but weren't sure how to prepare it. I'm all in favor of using the crock-pot for summer cooking, and I love me a pot roast prepared with potatoes and carrots and onions--but a traditional pot roast seemed just too heavy for a summer meal. So, I consulted my favorite recipe source--the Internet--and stumbled across a recipe for Southwestern Pot Roast. I liked the concept of incorporating some southwest flair into a pot roast, but didn't really want to serve it as just a platter of meat. So, we did a little improvising and served it with some pepperjack cheese on a hoagie-style roll, and loved it! We've made it a few times since then, and it has never disappointed--plus we love the amount of leftovers it makes!

Southwestern Pot Roast
(adapted from here)

2-3 pound roast
1 tsp olive oil
2 4-ounce cans of diced green chilies
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups beef broth
4-5 cloves garlic
1 handful cilantro

Seasonings
Chili Powder
Paprika
Cumin
Oregano
Coriander
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper

Combine enough of the seasonings to fully coat all sides of the roast. Heat the oil in a large pan and sear the roast on all sides. Transfer to crockpot. Add the green chilies, diced tomatoes, broth, garlic, and cilantro. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily. Serve the shredded roast on hoagie rolls with pepperjack cheese (we've found that it works best to serve it with a slotted spoon so the bread doesn't get too soggy!)

Mom's Guacamole

One of the posts I really meant to get to last week was the recipe for guacamole from Darrell's mom. Not only does it pair really well with the homemade tortilla chips I whipped up, but it is equally delicious and easy to throw together. Now, I know everyone prefers their guacamole a different way--some like it chunky, some like it liquid smooth, some like salsa included, etc--but I think this recipe can be pretty easily modified to fit whatever your preferences are. Darrell and I don't mind a little chunkiness, and we're not fans of the inclusion of salsa and/or tomatoes, so this recipe is perfect for us. And if it isn't perfect for you, tweak it until it is!

If I would have been smart I would have taken the picture--and posted the blog--last week when there was actually quite a bit of guac left and it was a brighter green, but we all know how well that went. Whoops.

Mom's Guacamole

1 avocado, mashed
1 tsp mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
dash of lemon pepper
dash of salt
dash of garlic powder
dash of celery salt
pinch of curry powder

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Add more spices to taste.

Super ridiculously easy. And if you know this will go fast in your house--or if you are making it for a party--it's really simple to double (or triple!) the recipe.

On Coaching

So I totally slacked off on posting at the end of last week. On more than one occasion, I thought to myself "I should really jump on the computer write a new blog post". But you know what I did instead in most instances? Took a nap.

Why? Well, it turns out coaching is more time-consuming than I expected. Last week we ran two-a-days for tryouts, so I knew that I was going to have four hours of practice each day. Not so bad. But, as the coaching staff, we needed to get the field set for practice, fill the water, and other small tasks, which usually meant we were at practice at least 45 minutes before start time. Plus, after practice, we had to clean everything up, get ice for the girls, and make sure all the girls had left, so we were at the fields for at least 30 more minutes. So our time "on the field" for practice was not just the two hours that were scheduled, but more like three and a half hours per training session. Additionally, we needed to have training plans for the practices, so that required additional meeting time. And as the goalkeeper "expert" on the coaching staff, I needed to put together some drills and exercises for the keepers, which kept me busy out of practice as well. And did I mention that our first training session started at 8 AM, which meant I was up by 6:30 so I could be on the field by 7:15? I definitely have not been getting up that early this summer.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not complaining in the least. I thoroughly enjoyed my first week of coaching and am really looking forward to the rest of the season. The girls are great and I get along really well with the other coaches. But man, that first week was just exhausting--and I didn't even do any of the conditioning we put the girls through! I have no idea how my collegiate coach ran both the men's and women's programs, which required a minimum of two practices a day during the season (sometimes more if we had separate conditioning sessions or keeper practices) and five training sessions a day during preseason (two training sessions per team per day, plus a joint early morning conditioning session). The training sessions in college exhausted me as a player, but in retrospect thinking about all the work that went into planning those sessions is exhausting me as a coach!

New Belgium Belgo

This may very well be one of my favorite beers that I've had this summer. It's a Belgium style IPA that is super smooth and easy to drink, which is a little dangerous because its ABV is 7%--a little high for a beer that you could easily have multiple of on a warm day. With its Belgium yeast and citrus notes, it's reminiscent of a Blue Moon, but it also has some of the bitterness and hoppiness one would expect from an IPA. Although I am a fan of IPAs on their own, I think that even someone who typically doesn't drink IPAs would like this beer. And if you are someone who would like to expand your tastes to a wider variety of beers (because trust me, IPAs take some time to come around to--while I do enjoy them, I can usually have only one, and even then I tend to drink them slower than I would other beers), I think this would be a good beer to help bridge that gap. But it might not be around for long--New Belgium tends to rotate through their seasonal/specialty beers quickly, so grab a six-pack while you have a chance!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

I don't really have much motivation to pound out a long post this afternoon--not only did we get a little sleep deprived this weekend because we were having a great time visiting our friends out of town, but we started tryouts for soccer bright and early this morning and are back on the field in a few hours (did I mention I'm helping to coach a high school soccer team this fall? If not, well, now you know). I've had this recipe sitting in my queue for quite a while now and for some reason keep passing over it--which really doesn't make any sense because these chips are delicious and super-duper easy. And I even claim a little self-creation in this recipe--a friend and I were waiting for our guys to finish golfing so we could eat dinner, but I was hungry and wanted something to snack on. Well, Darrell and I don't exactly stock snack food on a regular basis, and our fridge was pretty void of fruits and veggies because we were heading out of town that weekend, but we did have some guacamole (which is apparently also a recipe I haven't posted! I'll get to that later this week) and tortillas. Plain tortillas with guacamole seemed a little weird, but I remembered reading somewhere that tortillas can be easily baked into tortilla chips, so I decided to give it a try. And it worked out wonderfully! Darrell thought our friends had brought the chips and was astounded to discover I had made them--always a win in my book!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Tortillas (we always buy generic brand wheat tortillas so that what I used, but I imagine you could use other varieties)
Oil (remember that coconut oil I bought for my mocha coconut fudge? Well, a friend told me I could use that in place of normal oil in pretty much any recipe, so I tried it. And the chips weren't the least bit coconutty!)
Coarse Salt

Brush both sides of the tortillas with a small amount of oil. Cut into desired size (they won't change shape much during baking) and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little bit of coarse salt. Bake for approximately twelve minutes in an oven preheated to 350*, rotating the sheets halfway through. Cool and enjoy!

I'm not sure if it was the type of tortillas we used or not, but we also discovered that these chips were much sturdier than the average store-bought chip. Perfect for dipping into some chunky homemade guacamole--or any dip for that matter!

Problem Solved

Thanks to some help from some brave neighbors, the wasp nest situation was resolved sooner than I was expecting. And I don't think we'll have to worry about them coming back any time soon!

Step One: Douse with Raid

Step Two: Scorch nest with blow torch

Step Three: Use hose to put out stray flames from said blow torch

Total Destruction

Worst Morning Ever

Let me start by apologizing for my inconsistent (at best) posting this week. I really have no good excuse, other than the fact that this steady, scorching heat is getting to me and zapping all my motivation and energy (seriously. In July, we only had seven days with highs lower than ninety--and six days with highs in the triple digits. I'm pretty sick of it). Yesterday I broke a sweat just driving my car (with the AC on full blast) and couldn't bear the thought of going to the gym and actually getting hotter and sweatier working out. So I didn't. I came home and sat in my basement instead, organizing and reorganizing pictures and boxes for like the third time this summer.

But, last night we (finally!) got some legitimate rain, and the storm system brought some cooler temperatures with it (high today in the eighties!) so I was feeling rejuvinated. I was all ready to head out to do some work in (what is left of) our garden, but decided to first take a picture of our rain gauge, proudly holding almost a full half inch of rain for the first time since we installed it about a month ago (seriously--we've been that dry. Darrell didn't have to mow once the entire month of July). So, I reached out over the deck with my camera and, well, I'll let the picture explain the rest.

For the record, this picture was clearly not taken from on the deck where I was originally standing. As I leaned out over the deck railing to check the gauge and snap the picture, my eye caught the wasps' nest and I panicked. Like, called Darrell in tears about it panicked. Call me a girly-girly or whatever, but wasps terrify me. And as you might remember, this isn't our first run-in with wasps' nests on our property (see posts from last May and last August). And oh, did I mention that this nest is HUGE??!?!

Just looking at that picture triggers my gag reflex. But since I didn't want to miss documenting this monstrosity, I grabbed Darrell's camera and most powerful zoom lens, and went out in to the backyard (don't kid yourself into thinking I walked down the stairs of our deck--I went out through the garage and walked around to the backyard, taking a very large arc around our deck). And normally we catch the nests before they get this big; since we know we have a history with wasp issues, whenever we see a wasp flying around we do a survey of the whole perimeter of our house searching for a nest. But because of the heat we really haven't been outside (and the wasps probably haven't been very active) so we haven't noticed them. Until now.

I know that the smart thing to do would be to take our wasp-killing spray and go to town on that nest while it's cool and all the wasps are hanging out there and are fairly dormant, but I just can't bring myself to do it. There's just so many of them that I'm afraid one would get pissed before I actually get it sprayed and it would come after me, causing me to misfire and miss more of the nest, causing more angry wasps to come my way (worst case scenario? Probably. But that's the way I think). Plus, because of where the nest is, the only really good angle to get at the whole nest is by standing somewhat under it, and I know from experience that when those wasps do get hit they drop straight to the ground--as do those blobs of larvae. And I'm not about to deal with that. This is why I have a husband--taking care of insects and creepy-crawlies clearly falls in to his job description.