Big Bad*ss Hummer

Every yr I like to put out humming bird feeders usually around my birthday in April but this year I was running way late. I just recently got my act together and put 2 feeders out making sure there was a decent amount of space to minimize any fighting.

     See now look at these

And this one was also filled and put out about 4-6' away.

You will notice that only one is empty. The other is almost untouched! 

      I finally figured out my problem. It seems that the local neighborhood hummingbirds think the monster Big Bad*ss Hummingbird has moved in and they don't want anything to do with the Junkyard Hummer!

     Even with the one empty I see them do a flyby and just keep on going to avoid that monster junkyard hummer. Lol

    Funniest thing I have seen in a long time! 

Love

Ranchmama 

 ( I took pity on the locals and relocated the junkyard hummer dude so they could eat ) 

Hubby's Special Request Steak Soup

Hubby has been wanting some steak and potatoe soup for a while.I make a fairly good one but had plenty of room for improvement.I did some surfing around and found a recipe that might fit our taste buds if I made a few changes.

      Here is what we had for super. I must have done a good job because he said it was like what you would get at the expensive Russian Restaraunt that he an Nikki went to in New York. 

     I found these new to me mini crackers and that just made it even better for him! He said it's a shame it took 40 yrs for me to find this recipe and he hopes I can make it again just as good! ( hmmm... Somewhere in there is a backasswards compliment )

     The changes I made were:

 I used

4 sirloin steaks

No celery (didn't have any)

No mushrooms (don't like them)

I used beef bouillon 

Tossed enough A-1 Sauce in it to look good

1-c heinze catchup instead of tomatoes

No wine ( Don't like the flavor in my food)

No thyme

   I browned my meat and the bones with the onions and chopped garlic in bacon grease.

   I kept the bones with the soup to get what little bone broth I could in the soup and extra flavor. 

    I fried my chunky potatoes ( lots of them) like for a meal until just tender then added that to the already tender & cooked soup meat. 

   I like the carrots. Hubby picks them out... GRRRR..

Well that's how I done it and looks like I better stick too it! Lol

Love

Ranchmama 

Robust Beef and Potato Soup

1 1/4pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of fat

1 1/2tablespoons vegetable oil

1large onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

8ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

6cups low-sodium beef broth

3/4cup canned crushed tomatoes in purée

1/3cup dry red wine

3/4teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon Coarsely ground black pepper

1/2teaspoon dried thyme

1 to 1 1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions

1. Cut stew meat into bite-size pieces. 
2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. 
3. Add meat and brown on all sides.
4. Transfer meat to a bowl. Add onion and celery to pan, adding more oil if needed. Cook, stirring, over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except potatoes. Add beef.
5. Bring to a simmer. 
6. Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
7. Add potatoes and return soup to a simmer. 
8. Cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Trail of Death

     Sunday has been a stressful day! I sometimes just need something else to think about.

     It has been busy as hell. We had a dead heifer in the pond we found this morning. She looked like she just walked into the pond to take a drink and just fell over. Not sure exactly when it happened. We were checking heifers here at the house and we were 1 short. They didn't come up saturday the day before because they stayed across the creek so we couldn't count them. We had some really scary wicked streak lightning , I mean close by loud as could be. We drove around the next day to count everything just to check . Seems like we saw everything but I'm not sure. Surely we did. ??

     I drove the tractor to the pond and backed the brushhog over the water to see if we could get close enough, still we couldn't get to it with the tractor and rope it. I told hubby to hell with it since I had shorts on tossed off the shoes and waded in . Rope in one hand pitchfork in the other to help keep my balance . Stinky dirty water. I sank down ankle deep in what felt like a kind of cow poop mud. I was hoping I wouldn't find a stray fish hook. The water was only half way to my knees. I got to her as quick as I could and put the rope on one leg that was sticking up out of the water. It wasn't as bad as what it could be smelling wise. Hubby tied the rope to the brush hog and I pulled her out with the tractor. I wanted to use the front forks but hubby said she was so bloated we would have a real mess with that! Lol 

      Hubby opened all the gates . I had to pull her almost 1/4 mi away keeping on grass so she didn't fall apart. First through the pasture then down the side of the driveway on the grass, turned out onto the road and pulled her on the grassy side of the road, crossed the gravel road into another pasture out the gate into another field back into the corner there. Everywhere I had to drag her left the Stinch of death it was like leaving a trail of crumbs to her body.

      Got her done and went brush hogging a few hours. When I got the brushhog going I looked up and the neighbors dogs was already dining let's say. Gonna have to watch out Heidi Ho doesn't take off trailing the stink. Finally found energy to get the stink off and vegging in front of tv! LOL I'm clean but still feel stinky. I think I got it in the nose still! Lol

       Oh the smell wasn't as bad as the dead calf half way hanging out of a cow for 24 hrs! I was 10 ft away and gagging on that one. Lol

     Don't have a choice sometimes on doing things. Just got to do what you have to do. Hubby said he has already had to chase Heidi Ho down so she didn't wind up across the road and down the way to the body. 

      Sometime that evening I found the energy to try a new snickerdoodles recipe. Wasn't  impressed with them but it was something different to do and think about other than stinky cows.

     I went to shut the gate for the day and I saw this little mole in action. I have a video but couldn't upload so we will just have to enjoy a "action/blurred" pic of the little guy. Never have seen one just a foot away in action ! Neat stuff! It's like he just pushes the dirt out with his body like a mini bull Dozer . I just stood there quietly and he didn't care at all. 

Kind of soothing watching the little devil work. Considering how bumpy they make the pasture hubby said I should have shot it. Didn't have a gun and I was enjoying the show. lol it was the least stressful thing all day and actually entertaining.

Love

Ranchmama
( PS  -- Naturally Heidi Ho had to find a hoof to chew on after all this. I guess saved a trip to the pet store! Then the next morning she goes out and gets Doggie O D Purfume on with something that lets just say got left behind in the pasture. I was nasty and she just smelled just as bad. I don't know where she got unless something else drug it up because as far as I know anything that large was intact when I got her to the field she was left at. )