Happy Father's Day to my two favorite dads!

This morning thinking of Father's Day, I got a little sentimental. Seeing all the early morning post about each person's husband, dad and grandparent got me thinking about how lucky we all are to have these special men in our lives.

This past week, dear friends have lost their special father and had one undergo triple bypass surgery. It was an emotional week for them all and they are and were constantly in our prayers. These two have made an undeniable impact on their communities and our Hereford Associations over the years and are men everyone admires.  

As I thought of the gifts that have been given and we would give Scott today and my dad, it came to me that the most perfect gift of them all in my eyes would be to write a post about how much they mean to us.

As most dads aspire to be, Scott is the last to ask for a thank you or get credit for a job he's done. He's solid.  He's the man I hope my grandboys/grandgirls (if I am lucky to have any one day, will aspire to be like) and I know our daughters already do. Raising three daughters to survive in this big old world, has been his mission.  He's taught them that girls can do anything they make their minds up to be and have pushed them gently to be a servant leader in everything they do. Because of their dad, they have a solid base to build on and have always lived by his motto, "Never forget who you are".

I know it's not been always easy and we can be at our best hormonal at times, but he has taken it all in stride.  He told us throughout the years that it was meant for him to have all girls, as he would have been too hard on sons!  

Years ago, we chose to build a family, ranch and herd that centered around our girls first.  Our days, nights and weekends were focused on raising three very independent girls who understood the value of hard work, family, dedication to the task at hand and a sense of service to others.  Along the way, Scott's devotion to us has been a huge force in why our girls have gotten to where they are today.  His pocket book would constantly give to help us all in our passions.

Whether it was degrees and masters for all three of us, cattle, cheerleading, FFA involvements, or travel to Hereford shows across the state and nation, he made it happen and never ever complained. 

Here's a few photo's I found from my phone of our 'baby' Audrey with Scott. 

On top of it all he gardens and trot lines with the best of them to share with all his friends and family.  He's discovered he's pretty good at it and loves to taunt his friends in the Panhandle with his tomato crop and cat fishing skills. 

These past two years have been some of my proudest of Scott as he finally did something for himself and fulfilled a few bucket list items with becoming along with his contracting business and ranch, a realtor and auctioneer. These two new ventures took many hours, a trip to auctioneer school and many late nights of studying and stepping out from his comfort zone, but he has taken it all on with the same gusto and drive he gives everything else in his life.  Scott, like myself is shy in nature, but over the years his love of his family, his friends, and leading by example to his daughters has continued to push him in ways I could never have imagined.  I used to get on to him for being shy, but now tell friends he's turned full circle and become as outgoing as they come.

If he doesn't know it already, I am a pretty lucky woman to have met him at the DQ one Friday night, marry him and build a life with him for now on almost 30 years.  Love you, love you and thank you for everything you are to me and our girls.  

Next to Scott comes my dad and my second biggest cheerleader. He's always had a belief in me that sometimes I never had.  As his first child and only daughter, he's exasperated me with his outgoing personality at times, but as I grow older it's that spirit I try to embody. Being naturally shy (I know that is very hard to believe), my dad's larger than life personality has always been his biggest strength. From crossing the ocean to live in a new country as a 17 year old, to giving me experiences I could never have dreamed of in his own country, and forever enlightening me to political analysis of all kinds, to teaching me to be love others always and be thankful, my dad has taught me so very much in my lifetime that he is not even aware of.  He is a devoted grandparent and his zest for life is unmatched. Everyone can't help but love him and his neices and nephews can attest to his thoughtful ways and fun loving spirit. I love him dearly and knew that I could never say it better than to write about him today.

                                                       

So, as we all celebrate those special dads in our lives today for this Father's Day Sunday, I wanted to pay tribute to two men that have made an extremely special impact in my life.  We would not, could not be who and what we are without them.  Life has been an adventure with you both and as I look toward the years ahead and our day today, I realize innately how very blessed we all are. We all love you both, you've given your all for all of us and you deserve only the best.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads our there and especially to Scott and my dad Al. 

Alise - The Ranch Kitchen 

The Ranch Kitchen's Recipes From the Garden

This year in Texas, we've had a very early spring and therefore our garden is producing earlier than usual. No complaints from our family and friends though, as my husband Scott's garden keeps everyone stocked with all the tomatoes, squash and peppers we can grow.

Each year my husband and I grow a huge garden.  I can remember well as a child having to pick and shell purple hull peas for hours.  I remember saying, "I'll never have a garden when I grow up!" to my grandfather.  I've lived to literally 'eat' my words and we are thankful I didn't keep that promise.

Gardening has become a big part of our summer each year and I save a ton at the grocery store. Just to name a few, Scott's garden this year has had broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeno, Cayenne, Anaheim, Cowhorn and banana peppers, summer 'yellow' squash, zucchini, cucumbers, basil (it's great to eat as your lettuce on hamburgers) and radishes.  What we don't eat, we freeze, can or give away.  We've learned a garden is pretty good PR as well with clients of Scott's. :o)



     
          Brussel's Sprout plant               Black Krim Tomato Plants with basil plant between                                                                                                   them to keep bugs off tomatoes

Brussels Sprouts!  You just pick from the bottom.  Ours last right up until October all 

year which is amazing considering our hot Texas summers. 

           

Scott picking our garden one evening this last week. Notice the pig panel for a cucumber trellis.  We use what we have and it's worked well for years.

Some of our very favorites are our Black Krim Tomatoes.  We love these heirloom tomatoes more than any other tomato we grow each summer.  Some can get as big as your hand and they have tendency to crack some, but slicing these to have inside of a mayonnaise, lettuce and cheese sandwich is a favorite meal for me each summer.

                                                         

               Our Black Krim Tomatoes!

This past Saturday, I made these pickled squash and zucchini.  I added in some onions and a few banana peppers for some added flavor.  You can keep these in the fridge or can them to serve later in the year.  You'll see my favor Kilner jars that I use for my refrigerator version.  In this recipe link below there

                                       

               Pickled Refrigerator Okra and Squash

And you can also make these pickled okra too!  The trick is to pick them everyday or they get huge. Or, go to your local farmers market calling before to ask them to hold back the ones that are 3 - 4 inches long only.  I was schooled on that little trick from a little lady who got the best pick of okra before I did!  She had smartly called before hand to have them ready for her canning. 

We eat these pickled okra with fried fish and make a ton while you are it as they are addicting. Everybody loves them and they are great in your favorite Bloody Mary drink too. 

                                                             

                                                                                  Pickled Okra

This fried okra is a southern treat as a side dish. It takes a little time to master it, but once you do, it's pretty much a perfect food in my book.  I like to eat these as they come out of the hot grease with a little ketchup. 

                   

              Ranch Fried Okra

Next, these Zucchini Squares are absolutely the best and smell amazing coming out of your oven. My friend Debra Warren adds jalapeno peppers to hers and says they are wonderful.  You might just remove the white membrane if your heat tolerance it not very high.  We eat these warm as a side with dinner or cold as an appetizer.  

Zucchini Squares

This easy squash and zucchini recipe can be prepared on the stove top, on the grill or in your oven. Use any seasonings you like, but we over Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.

Roasted Garden Squash

This pasta salad with added vegetables from our garden like banana peppers and cherry tomatoes is always a hit! 

Garden Fresh Pasta Salad

This no noodle, vegetable lasagna is one of my favorite recipes to make when squash is at it's peak in our garden.  With the pork that we buy from our local FFA kids or from one that didn't make sale of our daughter Audrey

Sure Champ Pork and Vegetable Lasagna

Making hot pepper sauce is a tradition my mom handed down to me.  We use this clear sauce that is seasoned from the Cayenne or jalapenos to season our purple hull peas or pintos all year long.  It's a simple recipe and when you run out of the 'sauce', just reheat some vinegar and add it back to your peppers.  Do, however keep this in the refrigerator after opening.  

Hot Pepper Sauce

         

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 The fruits of my daughter Audrey and her friend Bonnie's labor!

This summer my goal is for my daughter and her friends to learn something new to cook each time they come over. This past week Bonnie and Audrey learned how to properly stuff peppers into jars to make this hot pepper sauce. We cut the tops off the peppers before stuffing to make the pepper sauce hotter. 

Fried eggplant is another family favorite at our house and with my brothers.  I made these just last night for them and my mom to rave reviews.  The addition of cornmeal to the flour gives these fried eggplants just the right amount of crunch.  Serve them with ketchup on the side.  We also like to fry these with our catfish.  It's surprising how many people have never eaten fried eggplant. Delicious!

The Ranch Kitchen's Fried Eggplant

You know those jumbo plastic jars of pickles you see in concession stands?  Love them....don't throw them away!  I use the gallon sized jars that I get with my pickles or those from my local Sam's Club for this recipe.  During the week, we add more cucumbers to it and take out with each meal.  You can add white or yellow, sweet onions to these and even bell peppers.  Add fresh tomatoes also that haven't gotten too ripe to this mixture as well.  Yum!

Marinated Cucumbers

Love, love my version of ranch dip.  My Dilly Dip is super easy and fast to make with fresh dill from my herb garden.  Serve it alongside uncooked sliced summer 'yellow' squash, zucchini, green onions and cherry tomatoes!  Low fat and delicious!  

The Ranch Kitchen's Dilly Dip

 And when life gives you tons of tomatoes...make my hot sauce and freeze or can!  We like to freeze ours the best and it's truly the only way we ever eat hot sauce or salsa as some call it.  The picture below is from one of my garden hauls a few years ago in July.  My mornings in mid summer are often spent collecting, washing up and putting away our vegetables for the cooler winter months ahead.  What sounds like a lot of work is really relaxing to me and I can get lost just playing in our garden.

Nolana's Family Hot Sauce

This is picture below of the hot sauce I put up from our fresh, garden tomatoes.  The extra tomato liquid I save for soups as well. My daughters and their friends in college begged for this stuff.  We rarely ever buy store bought salsa or hot sauce anymore after making our own, tried and true recipe. Using summer tomatoes makes this salsa sweeter, so you may not need to add the sugar in the recipe. So taste test and add if you want it sweeter.  On the site as well is a blog post for how to freeze fresh tomatoes after blanching them.  Click here for The Ranch Kitchen's Guide to Freezing Stewed Tomatoes.

And oh my, these Cheesy Baked Tomatoes are surprisingly a favorite of my husband Scott how won't eat cheese on anything but these.  I bake or grill along side our favorite Hereford steak and there are never any leftovers!

Cheesy Baked Tomatoes

And last these Fiesta Bell Peppers are a great way to use your bell peppers, zucchini or squash by stuffing them with this beef filled favorite.  Anytime I can it's beef we serve off our ranch and it's always Certified Hereford Beef.   

Click on this link for more Certified Hereford Beef recipes as well. 

Certified Hereford Beef Recipes

Recently as you will see below I stuffed my zucchini and summer 'yellow' squash with this recipe. This last time instead of using beef however, I used chopped up country style pork ribs left over from the night before. Use what you have and dinner is a snap.

Fiesta Stuffed Bell Peppers

I hope you enjoy all these recipes I've share with you today. If you don't garden, consider it. It's not too late to plant some varieties of veggies and I have friends who container garden very successfully. Ranchers have tons of mineral tubs that when holes are drilled in the bottom, they make excellent planters.  If you are in my area, I have a few I'd share just to get them off our hands!

Peaches are almost in season and soon I'll be sharing some of our favorites with you here on The Ranch Kitchen and The Pulse! 

Get cooking and have a wonderful, fun summer ahead!

Alise 

The Ranch Kitchen