Happy Earth Day

I just wanted to send a little shout out to all the original stewards of the land - farmers and ranchers. Happy Earth Day....enjoy the picture of a beef promotion currently being used on electronic billboards in Phoenix. {Great job Lauren!}

BEEF. Good for the Plant; Good for you.

Engagement Photos

We took engagement photos over spring break - we headed to the Raven Golf Club at Verrado (yes Verrado is in Buckeye!). Ryan Neville was our photographer and he will also be the photographer at our wedding. Here are some of my favorites!

Wanna win $25,000?

I know I do!

The National Beef Cookoff is calling all home cooks and entertaining enthusiasts to submit their favorite beef recipes for a chance to win $25,000!

Four category winners will receive $3,000 in cash! The four categories are:

• The 5:30pm Dinner Crunch - this category will focus on easy-to-prepare beef recipes for busy weeknight meals using ingredients commonly found at home.
• Retro Recipes Revived - home cooks can improve and modify an American classic or old time family recipe to be more convenient, healthier, or both for today's busy family.
• Fuel up with Beef - recipes in this category will feature convenient and healthy beef recipes using one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts for people with busy lives.
• Stir Crazy Solutions - create a unique stir-fry recipe using one of the 29 Lean Cuts of Beef along with fresh vegetables and grain ingredients.

Please share this info with friends and family who are great cooks! May the best cook win!

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

If you love the symphonic union of peanut butter and chocolate, get ready for this bad boy. It is delightful!

Ingredients
1 devil's food cake mix (I go for the $1 boxes - since I'm not saving calories on this, I figure I should save some cash while I shop.)
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minutes. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
• Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool cakes completely.
• Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
• Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.
• Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.

This recipe was pirated from the Bakerella blog.

Interactive Meat Case

This information was taken from a Beef Checkoff publication.

Today's meat case is brimming with exciting new beef choices and traditional favorites. Have you ever wanted to learn more about the beef cuts you love or wanted to try a new beef cut but weren't sure how to prepare it?

A Web tool called the Interactive Meat Case is now available to help you learn about all the options you have when making delicious, nutritious beef selections. This online resource also includes:

• Cut descriptions
• Recipes
• Cooking tips
• Recommended cooking methods
• Nutritional information

Find the Interactive Meat Case online at www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/MeatCase.aspx

Monday's Beef Fact

The Beef Checkoff Program (and yours truly) is proud to announce that the American Heart Association has listed three beef cuts as part of its Food Certification program. This program helps healthy consumers over age 2 identify foods that meet criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol when labeled with the association's heart check-mark.

The three beef cuts that meet the American Heart Association's criteria for extra lean, and are now certified to display the heart check-mark include:

*Boneless top sirloin petite roast (select grade)

*Top sirloin filet (select grade)

*Top sirloin kabob (select grade)

I said yes!

These pictures really don't need a caption, but in case the title wasn't enough, I said "yes" on Friday, February 11! As a quick introduction to this, I met my future husband one year ago yesterday (February 20, 2010) when he put on a sheep workshop for my students at the high school Ag department where I teach. Neither of us were looking for someone at the time but here we are a year later preparing for marriage. We dated on and off for several months, with Kelly perservering while I tried to give him the "Heisman strong arm" as he calls it. Per my request we stopped talking, texting and all communication last summer and thankfully we began talking again in late August and started dating seriously in late September. Right after I had agreed to date Kelly in September he sheared his first message to me into sheep for another livestock clinic for my Ag program; it said "Katy's the best and prettiest too." I was completely embarassed because in addition to myself seeing this message, so did 30 other students and parents in attendance at this livestock clinic. Fast forward five months and we are now engaged! I am blessed in more ways than I can describe, and praise God everyday for the kind, humble, hard working man that He has given to me in Kelly. We will marry on Mary 28 and I look forward to sharing more with you about this wonderful man as we make decisions and prepare for our lifelong commitment to one another.