Category: This and That

Ranchman’s Steak Butter


Keto has changed my life tremendously. I feel better than ever before. I’m more confident that I have been in years and I love shopping for clothes again. Not only do I praise keto for feeling better in my clothes, but my blood pressure is also down, the numbers on my latest blood test was excellent.

It’s true, I do get a little overzealous when I talk about keto. I want everyone to experience the joy that I have. Keto is misunderstood by so many. I honestly think that most people with negative opinions have not read and studied this lifestyle. Most hear a negative comment from someone and go from there. When you hear negative feedback though, find out the facts. What happened that made this person have a bad experience. What exactly were they doing? Were they doing the shakes, supplements, were they eating healthy fats and balancing their diets with plenty of low-carb vegetables? If you dig a little bit, you can probably pinpoint what went wrong for them.

I have been keto since September 2018 and still have so much to learn. It is beneficial that I have friends on this same journey. We support each other by sharing recipes, accomplishments, and frustrations.

This week’s recipe is an incredible steak butter! I first tried steak butter in Kansas City several years ago, and I have been hooked since. Forget the steak sauce, this is all you’ll need. The fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon juice make any steak mouth-watering! This recipe makes enough to share with a friend or freeze. Don’t limit yourself to only topping steaks, though, try it on poultry, pork, and even fish too!

Ranchman's Steak Butter
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp. plus 1 lb. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. black pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
  1. Toast garlic in 2 tbsp. butter in a small skillet. Heat just until turning brown. Be very careful not to burn it. Set aside.
  2. Place 1 lb. butter in a medium bowl. Add minced thyme, minced rosemary, salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Mix well.
  3. Add melted butter and garlic to butter/herb mixture, blend.
  4. Divide butter in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and form 2 logs. Refrigerate to firm.
  5. After grilling your steak place ¼-inch thick disks on each steak. Serve.
Notes
(Can be kept in freezer up to 1 month.)

Nutritional Information:
Net Carbs: 0g; Fat: 9g; Protein: 0g; Calories: 110

 

Mexican Seasoning Blend

Mexican Seasoning Blend 2

We recently moved Savannah home again. She will be doing an internship in January, and it was impossible to find a six-month lease near the college. So, for six-months, she will make the daily drive to college.

I questioned how living together would be after she has been on her own for so long. I’m trying really hard to remember she’s not a child any longer. It is coming with some benefits also. She has become very independent…she doesn’t want me doing her laundry, and she has become an excellent cook!

Fajitas is a specialty of hers, and I am using every excuse I can think of to have her cook them often. Her secret is this awesome seasoning blend that she makes. I even seasoned a roast with it, and it was delicious.

Savannah does not have an exact measurement for the meat and veggies. To feed two people, she typically uses one to two boneless, skinless chicken breast, two green bell peppers, one large onion, and two to three Roma tomatoes.

Savannah seasons her meat with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Then saute’s it in a little oil until done. She then removes the meat from the skillet to saute green bell peppers and onions. Once the veggies are tender, add chopped Roma tomatoes and a heaping tablespoon of the fabulous seasoning, plus the juice of half a lime. Add the meat back to the skillet, stirring to combine and serve.

Try this tasty Mexican seasoning blend on burgers or grilled meats for extra wonderful flavor!

Mexican Seasoning Blend
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. chili powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Store in a small jar.

 

Cranberry Relish

cranberry-relish-12

This recipe and article printed in my newspaper columns on Wednesday, November 23, 2016.  It was a very busy time and I never shared it with you here on NJSD.  This cranberry relish is amazing and would be wonderful on your Christmas table!

I ‘m not sure where the year has gone but tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Christmas seems to creep up quickly after Thanksgiving and before you know it we will be in 2017! I love the holidays, but I sure do wish time would slow down. By the time this article prints, Greg and I will be celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary! In December our oldest child will graduate college. All of this does not seem possible.

I’m thankful for the good life the Lord has given me. I’m thankful for family and friends, health, and wonderful readers of NJSD! This Thanksgiving I wish you blessings of health and happiness!

I seem to share a cranberry recipe every year. There’s just something about cranberries that make the holiday meals special. This Cranberry Relish is incredibly good, and hopefully, you will use it again and again throughout the holiday season. This particular recipe ranks high on my list of favorites. I hope that you grab the ingredients on that last minute run to the store and give this delicious relish a try!

Cranberry Relish
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 4½ c. fresh cranberries, washed and picked through
  • 1½ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. chopped walnuts,lightly toasted
  • 1 c. orange marmalade
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Toss the cranberries and sugar together. Place in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
  2. Remove from oven and stir in the walnuts, marmalade, and lemon juice.
  3. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
  4. Serve cool or at room temperature.

 

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

cranberry sauce 2

Today is mine and Greg’s wedding anniversary.  Yep, 28 years with the man I love.  😍 Because social media has made me skeptical about sharing “too much”, I will not go on and on about what an incredible husband Greg is and how we have this whole marriage thing figured out.  He is a great man, but I still get mad at him sometimes.  We have made it 28 years, but that doesn’t mean we have all the answers.  I love Greg more today than I did 28 years ago.  I’m proud of the life we’ve built, the home we have, the kids we’ve almost raised.  I would do it again a million times.

Thanksgiving day can be stressful.  Spending time with family and friends is nice, but preparing for the feast is a job.  The list of things to do can be daunting. Make a menu, clean the house, do the shopping, and then there’s the cooking.  As I prepare for Thanksgiving, or any big meal, I like to make a schedule and check it off as I go.  I learned from Greg’s grandmother, years ago, to do as much in advance as possible.  Many groceries can be purchased weeks in advance.  I  make my cornbread dressing a few weeks ahead of time and freeze it.  Vegetables can be chopped, and cheese can be grated the day before, and this delicious cranberry sauce can be made several days in advance.

I’m a whole berry cranberry sauce kind of gal but if you aren’t you can add the cooked cranberry sauce to a food processor and pulse a few times.  This cranberry sauce is so tasty and much better than anything you’ll find in a can.  It’s fast and easy to prepare.  Then, all that’s left to do is refrigerate and forget it until Thanksgiving day, if you can. I tend to do a “taste test” once or twice a day…you know, just to make sure it’s not spoiling.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 1 (12-oz.) bag fresh cranberries
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • ½ c. water
  • ½ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ½ c. peach schnapps
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • zest of 1 orange
  • zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Rinse the cranberries, picking through them to remove any stems or bruised cranberries.
  2. Add cranberries to a large saucepan. Add sugar, water, orange juice, peach schnapps, lemon juice, and the orange and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally until cranberries start to pop and sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, cool, then refrigerate.

 

 

 

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Root Beer BBQ Sauce copy

I have a last-minute post for your Memorial Day barbecues!  This is barbecue sauce that young and old will enjoy. It taste just enough like root beer that your guests will know something taste familiar, but they will not quite be able to put their finger on it.  You will find the root beer concentrate near the extracts in your store.

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 (12-oz.) cans root beer, (not diet)
  • 1 c. bottled chili sauce
  • ¼ tsp. root beer concentrate
  • Hot pepper sauce, to taste
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan combine root beer and chili sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat.
  2. Cook over medium low heat and boil gently, uncovered, until mixture has reduced to 2 cups. Add hot sauce, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Remove from heat and cool. Serve with your favorite barbecued meat.