Snow, More Snow, Then a Blizzard

Hello Loyal Readers! I know I've been absent the last few weeks but only because there's not a whole lot happening at the ranch. We've just been hunkered down due to several snow storms.

Yesterday, we had a blizzard that was pretty intense. It began very early Sunday morning and just kept on going all day and into the night.

At one in the afternoon, we dressed in layers and went out to check on the horses. They were all frisky, bucking and farting even with the howling winds and near-white-out conditions. The snow was already piling up in drifts under the barn porch. That's a 100-gallon stock tank, to give you some idea of the scale.

It was also starting to drift around the deck stairs.

My truck...

At five in the evening, we went out to feed the Boys their dinner. They were shivering a little, so we dried them off and put their blankets on for the night. 

Butts to the wind....

The drifting at the barn was getting interesting.

It was still snowing hard and the wind made it seem as if it was coming in sideways. Our footprints drifted over within 30 minutes.

Don't ya just love my "Elmer Fudd" hat? Silly as it looks, this hat, which is a "Stormy Kromer" is easily the best winter hat I've owned. It's insulated wool with flaps that fold down to keep your ears warm.  Here's a link to their website...Stormy Kromer. I do not get anything from the company for giving them a shout-out or if you click on the link. I'm doing it because I'm impressed with their product and wanted to tell you about it.

Taking a little break...The big pines blocked the worst of the wind, so it was comparatively pleasant there on the bench.

I should also give a shout-out to the good people at Duluth Trading Company. I'm wearing their coat, insulated bibs, and neck gaiter. Under the coat I've got on their long sleeve waffle Henley shirt topped layered with their heavy cotton button shirt and a Shoreline fleece jacket. I didn't plan on wearing all Duluth clothes...but they are what I grab when I have work to do.  Oh, Duluth also sells the Stormy Kromer hat. I just didn't get mine from them.

I know! I know! I sound like a commercial. I am NOT getting paid or compensated in any way. What can I say? I like Duluth's work clothes!

By this morning, it was all over. We got at least 15 inches of snow. It was up to G.W.'s knees.

The valley is beautiful after a snowfall!

The snow drifted dramatically at our antique barn.

The deer were out this morning. Belly deep in snow...

While I was watching the two deer above, I didn't realize that another was watching me. She was only ten feet away, peeking at me through the arbor. I turned and there she was!  It was the highlight of my morning!

Deer tracks in the snow...

Snowy ridge.

Frosty Branches

Pines

G.W.'s truck looks misshapen because of the way the snow stuck to it.

Drift on the house roof.

Winters in the Rockies are hard and not for the faint-of-heart. At it's worst, it can kill you if you are unprepared or don't take the weather seriously. Plus,everything is more difficult in the snow. 

But I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

Smoked Pork Shoulder

I pulled out the big guns with the smoker last weekend and did a pork shoulder. At the risk of bragging up my own cooking, I think I could win a contest with this recipe!

The recipe comes from AmazingRibs.com. You can click here to jump over to the recipe.  AmazingRibs.com is a very cool website because it's a lot more than just recipes. There's reviews of products and discussions on the how's and why's of smoking/BBQ-ing/grilling foods. The recipes include the techniques used to help you produce great results.  

When I did my shopping for this recipe, I picked up a pork shoulder instead of the butt that's called for. Happily, it turned out yummy anyway! 

 The rub was made up of brown sugar, white sugar, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, ground black pepper, onion powder and rosemary powder.

You can't be shy when it comes to rubbing your butt (or shoulder)! Just roll up your sleeves and get right in there. A nice coating of oil helps the rub stick to your butt. It's important to rub your own butt. If you get into trouble rubbing someone else's butt, do not try to blame me! You're on your own.

Butt, I digress...here's my well-rubbed butt...(or shoulder as the case may be!)

Before I become the butt of your jokes, I'll stop with the butt jokes.

The key to success in smoking something like this pork shoulder is a digital thermometer with a probe. The collagen (connective tissue) in in the meat needs to soften in order for it to be come tender. That begins to happen when the meat is at 170 degrees. It's not done though until it's at a minimum of 195 degrees. The digital thermometer allows you to monitor what's going on inside that hunk of meat while it's cooking. You can see the probe and wire coming out of the left side.)

(Pardon me for just one minute while I bite my tongue to keep from making another butt joke, since I'm using a thermometer with a probe.)

OK, I'm back.

Here's the thermometer monitor not long after I started cooking. The shoulder is at 46 degrees.

I chose pecan wood for the smoking. It's supposed to have a nice mellow and subtly sweet flavor. My Bradley Smoker uses these special bisquettes.

The nice thing about the Bradley smoker is that the temperature is easily regulated. For this recipe, you'll want to keep the temperature inside the smoker at between 225 and 250 degrees. 

After eight hours, the pork was at 196 degrees.

I stuck a fork in it and twisted it a bit to see if the meat was tender. It started to pull apart, so it was done.

There should be a way to electronically share the scent of this smoked pork. Words don't do it justice. 

That dark crust on the outside is the best part. It's called the bark and is the hallmark of smoked meat. It's chewy, intensely flavored heaven, let me tell you! I love, love LOVE it!

The pork shoulder was juicy and falling-apart tender, just as it should be. All it took was some gentle shredding with two forks...

I resisted the extremely strong urge to keep all of the bark pieces for myself and mixed them in with the rest of the meat. It really kicks up the flavor. That didn't stop me from helping myself to some of the especially yummy-looking bits as I was shredding it, though. It's the cook's prerogative! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

G.W. and I didn't even bother to get sandwich buns. We just piled the pulled pork into bowls, topped it with some of my secret recipe homemade BBQ sauce and stuffed our faces. I love being a carnivore!

This summer, I'm thinking I should find a BBQ contest and try my luck with this recipe! 

My next smoker project will be a brisket. Any Texans out there have some recipe suggestions?

Vehicle Preparedness and Safety

Guest author (and my very own hubster) G.W. has written a great set of guidelines for making sure your vehicle is stocked and ready to go in the event you need to get out of Dodge!

When talking about emergency preparedness and safety, your vehicle is one of your most important assets.  This summer there were numerous wild fires and how did people get out of the path?  In their vehicles.  A lot of people had very little notice as the fires swept over the ridge forcing them to leave their homes with just the clothes on their backs.  If you only had 5 – 15 minutes to grab what you could from your home before you had to flee, what would you take?  If your vehicle was already prepared and you had a personal survival kit already assembled then you might have time to gather up some family photos or other irreplaceable mementos.   

There are a number of good tips that can help keep you and your family safe as you navigate your way out of a natural disaster area.  I’ve attempted to list several of them in this article. 

Preparedness Kits.  In my humble opinion there are two types of preparedness kits you should have in your car at all times - a vehicle safety kit and a personal survival kit.  Below are some suggested items to include in each kit.  Items should be stored in airtight plastic bags inside storage containers.

Vehicle Safety Kit

Air Pump / Compressor Battery-Operated Radio w/ Extra Batteries Candles Cigarette Lighter Compass / GPS Unit Duct Tape Fire Extinguisher (ABC-Type) Flashlight w/ Extra Batteries Ice Scraper Jumper Cables Latex Gloves (At Least 2 Pair) Light Sticks Map of Area Matches In Waterproof Container

Plastic Storage Bags (Zip Lock) Radiator Stop Leak Road Flares Sand / Cat Litter for Traction on Ice / Snow Shovel Survival Knife T-Style Lug Wrench Tarp (6′X6′) (Can be used to make a temporary shelter or as a ground cloth to keep you dry) Tire Chains Tire Pressure Gauge & Fix A Flat Tow Strap Trash Bags (Construction Weight) (Can be used as an emergency poncho, to help keep your sleeping bag dry, or to gather and carry water.)

Personal Survival Kit

Blankets / Sleeping Bag Cash, Coins For Phones Cell Phone First Aid Kit / Special Medications Whistle Toilet Paper / Towelette

Games / Books for Kids (if appropriate) Infant Diapers and Wipes (if appropriate) Infant Formula (if appropriate) Personal Hygiene / Feminine Items  Pet Supplies (if appropriate)

Food - Choose whole grain cereals, nuts, energy bars, peanut butter, and food with high liquid content; avoid food that makes you thirsty.  Any special diet foods.  Remember a portable can opener should you chose any canned foods. Water - 1 gal/ person, for 24-hour period. (Write date on all food / water, replace every 6 months.) Spare Clothes - Gloves, hat, sturdy shoes, boots, wool socks, jacket, rain gear, etc. clothing that can be layered

How robust this kit will be for your particular vehicle may depend on several factors. You may want some or all of these items or none at all depending on the vehicle you drive, geographic location, and time of the year.  Keep in mind that during the winter there are other items that should be included, so your kit should be updated with the changing of the seasons.  I’ve tried to make this a simple, but complete list for a basic kit.  I readily acknowledge that this is not the end all list, but it should definitely be a good start.

Keep your vehicle gassed up and ready to go.  Try and maintain your vehicle at a minimum of ½ a tank. Whenever it drops below that it’s an easy and quick stop at the gas station to fill it back up.  Consider that in a natural disaster situation where everyone is trying to get away from the disaster area, the lines at the gas station may be long if the gas stations are even open at all.  It could be total chaos and if you are spending time trying to procure resources (such as fuel) that are in high demand instead of putting distance between yourself and the threat area (if that is the most desired course of action for you and your family), then you will have a much more difficult time escaping.

Maintain your vehicle.  This may seem obvious but in the rush of our daily lives sometimes things get pushed to the side, forgotten or procrastinated until the last minute.  Make sure you keep your oil changed, tires properly inflated, brakes in good working order, lights (headlights, high-beams, fog lights if you have them, turn signals, brake lights, tail lights etc) inspected and maintained. If there are any mechanical issues that you suspect could be a problem, try to address them early and get them taken care of immediately. You never know when disaster could strike and trying to fix your vehicle when you should be driving it, could cost you valuable time when you can’t afford to be sitting in place. In addition to keeping a survival kit in your car, also keep an emergency car tool kit.

Keep your doors locked.  This a good rule of thumb whether you are parked (to avoid unwanted visitors waiting inside when you are not in your vehicle) or whether you are driving.  If you are stuck in any type of traffic or situation where you are moving slowly and the door flies open with someone wanting to help themselves to a ride or more, it adds whole new level of complication to your evacuation plan.  

On a daily basis I could probably live out of my truck for 3 days and when I add in my emergency winter box that timeframe could extend out to about a week.  The most important factor in any disaster situation is to have a plan and include others who will be involved in helping to develop and accomplish the goals of that plan.  If you have other tips that you’d like to offer, please comment below. 

Smoked and Cured Salmon - The Taste Test

Although it's long over-due, here's the second part of my post on smoked and cured salmon.  

After two days of cold curing, the gravlax was ready to eat.  I took both the gravlax and the smoked salmon into the office where I work. My coworkers graciously agreed to be my guinea pigs!  One person brought the bagels and coffee; another brought the cream cheese.

The smoked salmon had a flaky texture very similar to poached or baked salmon. The gravlax had a softer texture and did not flake. It needed to be sliced very thinly. (Just as it should be.)

The flavors were superb, if I do say so myself. The gravlax tasted very much like what I've bought in stores. The smoked salmon had turned out just as I expected...pronounced smoke flavor balanced nicely with the flavors from the spices in the rub.

My coworkers surprised me because there wasn't a clear favorite. They liked both varieties equally!  And ate both in quantity!  Personally, I preferred the gravlax but only because I've always liked cold cured salmon better than smoked.

I'm still amazed at how simple it is to make both of these. No more store-bought gravlax for me!  Try it yourself and see...there's no going back once you've had homemade!