Hey everyone!
Let me introduce myself. I am Kristin Kirkland and I truly have never had a desire to have a food blog. Yet, here I am typing away some really delicious, quick, and easy recipes because I enjoy my ranch life here in Sunset, TX and I want to share it with you. It is really amazing what adventures God will lead you to in life when you allow Him control over the paths you take. I remember years ago looking at a magazine of mesquite trees and dry ranch country in Texas and saying to myself, "I will never live there; I would not enjoy it". Little did I know 10 years later I would be living on a ranch 30 miles from the location that photo was taken. So never say never!
I want to share with you more about how I got here. When I say "here", I mean how I got to be a Grass-fed Beef fanatic and why I am passionate about sharing it with others. A year and half ago I had to say good-bye to most all grains other than rice. I went without any grains for over 9 months and am I thankful I can eat brown rice again! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and found the best way for me to find healing was to use food as medicine for my body. I was depleted. The food I was eating was not wholesome enough and I considered myself a healthy eater even then. I cleaned out my pantry and started anew. Five months into the diet I was able to add grass-fed beef back in and I haven't eaten other beef since. (Well, I did sneak 3 bites of our new grain-fed beef in the other night because I had to know what the difference was). As I expected, the flavor of grass-fed beef is hard to beat!
There is nothing spectacular about my cooking style. I just like to eat! Recipes need to be quick and flavorful around our house. We have too many animals to feed and trails to ride for me to be in the kitchen all day. My husband - also known as "Ranch Manager" is a meat and potatoes man. I do not get by with chicken or fish in my kitchen more than two nights in a row without a complaint. We find ourselves disappointed in beef when we eat out now. We just want our beef! It's unique flavor is better than we can find anywhere. Plus, you have the piece of mind in knowing how and where your food was raised.
My true passion is being out on the ranch with a crew of kids trailing behind sharing God's creation with them. I am a therapeutic horseback riding instructor by trade but I'm still on maternity leave five years later.
God blessed me with my own special needs rider and we spend our days working on school, riding our "Sweetie", feeding cattle with Daddy, and chasing animals around. This past summer we got to add selling beef to that list.
So, I promise to give you my best shot at writing recipes for you. A few come straight from my grandmother's kitchen some 20 years ago. Being raised in the south, I know oh too well how to bread and fry things up. I even came up with my paleo version of Country Fried Steak!
Send me an e-mail if you want to know a way to cook one of our cuts. We have friends sharing great tips with us as well. We have even been told how to use cow tongue to make great tacos. No, I'm not joking. I even tried it and loved it!
As my Ranch Manager would tell me, "Don't smoke up the kitchen too bad"! I hope you have fun preparing wholesome meals for your loved ones. At our house as long as there are creamy potatoes, vegetables, and beef it is a perfect meal!
Happy Trails!
Kristin