Happy New Year!

A lot has happened in 2011...

I moved to Nebraska in March where I interned with the Heartland Cattle Company Crew! I had a blast during my 3 month stay and would go back in a heartbeat!

I committed to grad school at Mississippi State in May.

I graduated from Kansas State University in May with a degree in Animal Science.

We lost my Uncle Maynard in May. I will always remember him rooting for me at the county fair livestock shows and supporting me in all my activities!

In July we lost my Papaw. Things will never be the same without him...I will never forget standing in the Wichita airport with him at 6AM and him pulling his pendulum out of his pocket and telling me he had to see if the plane was safe. If it wasn't, he wasn't getting on the plane! The plane was safe. Thankfully.

I moved to Mississippi in August and have been there ever since! I am learning to like chicken and adjusting to being beef deprived. I miss the supply of beef from my parents freezer. Think I could sneak some into my airplane luggage?

I am excited to see what 2012 has to bring...you never know what road life will take you down. Hope every one has a happy and blessed New Year!

Upon my arrival in Kansas for Christmas, it was snowing! We had a white Christmas...I was just a little bit excited.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Right now I am cruising the air at above 10,000 feet on my way home for Christmas! This is the first time I have ever felt like I was "going home for Christmas". Usually I have been home for awhile now on break. However, I will get to stay home for two weeks! I am just a little excited! Mom is picking me up at the airport today so wee can do some shopping and then we will drive home tomorrow. I always look forward to having girl time with my Mom... One of my favorite things about Christmas is getting to see family. I will appreciate this even more than usual this year since I have been away from home, or at least a lot further than I usually am! The family gatherings will start tomorrow when we celebrate my cousin, Laiten's, birthday! Saturday we will all get together again for Christmas eve. This year we are having brisket with whiskey cream sauce. The whiskey cream sauce is a recipe from The Pioneer Womanan and it us amazingly delicious! We have tried it with steak before but never brisket so I think it will put a nice, new spin on the dish. We will follow up the meal with a dirty santa gift exchange! Everyone always has a good time guessing who brought what gift and stealing the gifts from others! What are some of your family's Christmas traditions? Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Beef is Heart-Healthy

Over the Christmas season many families plan and prepare meals for their families.  A source of meat is usually the centerpiece and highlight of the meal. At my house, we typically have prime rib or brisket for our Christmas Eve meal when my Mom's side of the family gathers at our house.  Beef not only tastes amazing, it's also really good for you! It's the perfect main dish for holidays meals especially after indulging in sweets for most of the day. (I am guilty of this!)

A recent study conducted at Pennsylvania State University proved that meat is heart healthy and can improve cholesterol levels when eaten daily. Patients in the study all had high cholesterol and were assigned to one of four diets. Each diet contained a daily serving of beef ranging in amounts of 0.7 ounces to 5.4 ounces per day.  At the  conclusion of the study (5 week duration), patients receiving diets that included 5.4 ounces or 4 ounces of beef per day reduced their LDL cholesterol by 10%.
Richard Thorpe, Texas medical doctor, father, and beef producer, stated,

"I have proudly and confidently served my family beef and have recommended it to my patients for years. The BOLD study is further proof that Americans should feel good knowing the beef they enjoy eating and serving their loved ones is not only a nutrient-rich, satisfying food that provides 10 essential nutrients in about 150 calories but is good for their heart health as well.”

For the complete article visit http://www.beefusa.org/newsreleases1.aspx?NewsID=1341.

A good pot of chili!

I received a crock pot for Christmas (dont't you love early presents?) and decided to try it out this week! Believe it or not, I don't have much experience with a crock pot. The first thing I made was chili. It was so nice to put it in the pot before work and come home to chili! Here is the recipe I used...super easy!

2 pounds ground hamburger meat
1 chopped onion
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1-2 packets Williams chili seasoning

I cooked the hamburger meat the night before with the onion to make things simpler in the morning. In the morning I put the hamburger meat in the crock pot along with the seasoning and mixed it well. Then added the beans and tomatoes, stirred everything together and left on low all day! I did add a few cups of water. It just depends how thick you like your chili. It was delicious!
This recipe will serve 6-8 people.
If anyone had any great crock pot recipes to share please comment or e-mail them to tilthecowscome@gmail.com. I would love to give them a try!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Hello everyone! Finals are over and life is good! Now it's all about Christmas luncheons (which is always good when you are a college kid because it means a free and good meal!) and hanging out with friends until it's time to head home for Christmas. I am sure there will be some work thrown in the mix but the relief of having classes out of the way makes it so much better!

Tonight Katie and I made one of my favorite holiday desserts, Rum Cake, for the luncheon on Monday! I don't know if it will taste as good as Mom's but I do know I will have a hard time looking at it until Monday. It's so tempting to taste a little slice!

What are some of your favorite recipes to make over the holidays?

Rum Cake Recipe

Holiday home tour in Starkville

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go on a Holiday Home Tour in Starkville with a friend from church! This past week has been busy with heifers so this was a nice break. We stopped at four homes and my favorite was the President's home. (the president of Mississippi State University). It was gorgeous! I wanted to take pictures there so bad but I was afraid to! My favorite two rooms were the dining room with Christmas red walls and a huge crystal chandelier and the kitchen, you could have cooked for the masses in there!

The home that you see below was my second favorite! I loved the entrance and their use of greens inside for decorations. 

The beautiful entrance...

Love this arrangement that was out front on the window... 

especially the large pine cones.

 I want this large class jar!

The peacock feathers made this really cool...a great

idea to put a new spin on Christmas decorations.

Hope everyone has a great week!