Cooke Livestock Miniature Donkeys

This is one of our favorite cookie recipes. We make these at any time of the year as well as at Christmas. Mary Cartwright and her family ranched west of High River and owned the D Ranch and also the Prince of Wales ER Ranch. The Cartwright's were one of the early breeders of Arabian horses in Canada and so my Dad took me out there to buy my first horse. Mary Cartwright cooked for a crew of ranch hands and any visitors that happened to come along. She had very definite ideas about the Arabian horses and Welsh ponies that they raised and was a very successful horse marketer for her time. She told my Dad that I should pick out a colt and "just let the girl and the colt grow up together". So when the colts were weaned, we drove out to the ranch and loaded the colt into the back of our 3 ton truck with stock racks. Mary gave me a book called "The Schooling of the Western Horse" by John Richard Young and waved us on our way down the long dusty road. She said "you picked a good one so we'll see you at the Calgary Arabian Horse Show next summer." We were there, but that's a whole other story.

At our Annual Rocky Mountain Sale "Killer Cole Slaw" has become a tradition. It is a tangy Cole slaw that is crunchy and delicious. One year we didn't serve it and everyone asked why it wasn't on the menu. Each year the cook had to keep increasing the quantity that she made because it was so popular. Over the years people have asked for the recipe, so here it is for those of you who didn't a chance to have any. It is easy and quick to make. Just go to town and buy a big bag of shredded cabbage and you can make this in no time.

Here is a great icing for Angel Food cake. I received this recipe from my sister-in-law, Sheila many years ago. Angel food Cakes are so delicate and this icing is so easy to spread on the cake. It really doesn't work for regular cakes though. I use this icing only on Angel Food cakes & Chiffon cakes.

Japanese Icing

2 cups icing sugar1/2 cup margarine or butter1 egg white1 tsp vanilla or almond extract Beat together one cup icing sugar and butter. Gradually add the egg white and 2nd cup of icing sugar. Beat very well until icing is fluffy. Add vanilla or almond extract. This icing is very easy to spread over the cake. It is not a lot of icing, so if you want lots of icing you will have to double the recipe.

Hope you enjoy the following story!!

+++++++++++++A White Lie Church Cake+++++++++++++

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this ...especially all the ladies who bake for church events.

Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat. She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom, a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing.

The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.
When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold. Alice was beside herself.

The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon. After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert.

Alice saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say "Thank you, I baked it myself."

Here is a favorite dessert for spring time. We have a rhubarb patch in one of the flower beds and eagerly wait for the rhubarb to grow in the spring. This recipe is also very good with a variety of other fruits. You can substitute apples (flavor with a sprinkle of cinnamon), peaches, plumbs or a mixture of raspberries, black berries and blue berries. The ultimate "crisp" is one made with Saskatoon's or a mixture of Saskatoon's and rhubarb - any proportions will work. This smells wonderful when it is cooking and tastes great!

The cold fall days make us all think of warm, comfort food. Here is a recipe that I use a lot even when it isn't cold. Meat loaf sandwiches have become fashionable again, so I usually make two meat loaves and have one for cold sandwiches the next day. If you have a family of four, then one meat loaf will probably give you a hot meat with enough left over for the next day's lunch. If your farrier comes for lunch on a cold day, he will appreciate a meatloaf sandwich either hot or cold. This recipe is like Grandma used to make it.

Circle C Meatloaf Special

2 Lbs. extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or squeezed
1/2 cup finely grated carrots (optional)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp .HY's seasoning salt or 1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp.Worcestershire sauce ( a must!)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients together - mix well. Spray a loaf pan ( approximately 5" X 9") with Pam or grease well. Pack meatloaf mixture into pan and push down with hands.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours. Pour off any juices and discard. Run knife around edges of meatloaf pan. You can cut slices and serve it right from the pan.

Or you can kick it up a notch: Run knife around side of meatloaf. Invert a large ovenproof plate or shallow casserole dish over the meatloaf in pan. Turn everything upside down so meatloaf will fall onto the plate.
Mix together: 3 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp dry mustard
Brush this mixture over the meat loaf and return to oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

And since your oven is on anyway try this corn casserole to bake along with the meatloaf. Add some potatoes for baking and you have a great dinner all ready.

Scalloped Corn

1 - 14 oz can creamed corn
1 - 14 oz can nibblet corn
3 beaten eggs
1 cup milk ( Homogenized is better)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup soda crackers crushed
3 tbsp. butter, melted

Mix the corn, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a casserole. Add half of the crackers into the corn mixture. Mix the other half of the crackers with the melted butter and sprinkle on top of the corn mixture.

Enjoy!!

Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 1 hour. Serves 6.

Here is a great recipe for a colorful harvest soup that we enjoy every fall. Borsch is a wonderful rich, red soup with lots of flavor. Add a dollop of sour cream right in the middle of the bowl and serve with crusty French bread. This makes a delightful lunch for company! Bob Loewenstein happened to drop in one time just as I had made a pot of Borsch - he hadn't had Borsch before but gave it a thumbs up. This soup is best if made with all fresh vegetables, which are available at this time of year. Enjoy!!

1 1/2 cups beets - scrubbed well and diced into small cubes
1 1/2 cups potatoes - peeled and diced into small cubes
1 tsp salt.
2 tbsp.vinegar

Put the diced potatoes and beets in a LARGE pot and add water until it covers the vegetables by 1 ". Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes.

Add the following:
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 cup chopped green or yellow beans
1 cup peas (If you have to use frozen peas add them just before serving.)
4 Tbsp. beef soup base

Add the following:
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. chopped dill weed
1 large can tomatoes (or 6 large skinned tomatoes)
4 stocks diced celery

Add more water, just to cover vegetables. Cook until vegetables are just soft. Turn off heat.

Then add:
1/2 cup chopped onion microwave in
1/3 cup butter until cooked.
1 Tbsp. chopped dill

Stir the onion and dill into the soup and let the flavors blend for at least 10 minutes before serving. Put a bowl of sour cream on the table and let guests put a dollop of sour cream into the middle of their hot soup. This is a wonderful flavorful soup. It can be stored for a week and reheated as needed.

"I can't believe I'm the grandmother of an 11 year old grandson. On the other hand, it's a small price to pay to have someone around who understands computers."

Here is a recipe that is very tasty. It comes from our daughter, Sandra Locken, who also has some very nice miniature donkeys. Sandra is a great cook and we enjoy swapping recipes. This one is great for a crowd and looks very appetizing.

Serve with a large green salad and some rice that has been cooked with chicken soup base added to the water. Enjoy!!

4-6 turkey cutlets or chicken breasts
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila salt and pepper
Salt and pepper the cutlets on both sides, and marinate in the lime and tequila for an hour. Broil or grill on the bar-b-que until the poultry is firm, browned and well done.

To serve: slice cutlets and arrange on wraps with sour cream, chopped lettuce and orange onion salsa. Serve with rice or black beans as a side dish.

2 or 3 oranges peeled and chopped
1/4 of a large onion diced finely
1 bunch green onions - chopped fine (I use the fresh chives that grow in the garden and they are just as nice)
cilantro to taste (or use fresh parsley if people don't like cilantro)
salt, pepper
dash or two of Tabasco
I also add 1 mango, coarsely chopped and have also added two or three fresh strawberries to add color...and they taste great in it too.

Just combine all the ingredients and use the same day. It will keep to the next day, but only if you don't use strawberries, they don't seem to keep well.

EVERYBODY SHOULD PAY HIS INCOME TAX WITH A SMILE, I TRIED - BUT THEY WANTED CASH.

Trust me on this... you'll never buy or make another chocolate fudge sauce. This will become a family favorite. It's so easy that the kids can make it. The sauce is thick and creamy; it can be heated up to make "hot chocolate sundays" that are out of this world. The sauce keeps for months in the refrigerator - if it lasts that long. If you want a great dessert for company serve a scoop of Vanilla ice cream smothered with Tilly's hot fudge sauce for the ultimate taste sensation!! Tilly was my Aunt Bea's best friend and a close family friend forever! They taught me a lot of common sense things.

I was a graduate from the school of "Aunt Bea and Tilly dishwashing". It involved order, hot water and lots of soap.Tilly was a great cook and was happy to share her old fashioned methods with me. Tilly's chocolate fudge sauce is easy to make.

You need:
12 ozs. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cups evaporated canned milk
1 cup honey pinch of salt
1 tbsp. vanilla Measure ingredients into a heavy metal pot.

Cook slowly, over medium heat, until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. Cook until it starts to get thick, stirring constantly. Pour into warmed quart jar and store in refrigerator. Enjoy!!!

Krista found this recipe for the Greek ribs - they have become a family favorite. This is a great recipe for a busy day. Serve the spareribs for a family dinner or dazzle company with these delicious, tender ribs! Bake a potato for each person when baking the spareribs. Baked sweet potatoes also go well with this. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread. Enjoy!!

You can use any kind of pork ribs. They are browned, basted, baked and beautiful The Greek lemon-oregano sauce gives them a wonderful flavor. They're guarantied finger-licken good!! This recipe serves two people, so double or triple it.

Basting Sauce:
1 part lemon juice (1/8 cup)
2 parts olive oil or canola oil (1/4 cup oil )
2 garlic cloves minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp. oregano, crushed, dry salt and pepper

This is enough to do 3/4 llb of spareribs - just enough for two people. To prepare basting sauce, combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl and beat with a fork. Set aside.

Place rib strips in a shallow pan that has been lined with tin foil (for easy clean up). Brown under the broiler on both sides. When ribs are brown, pour of the fat and juices that have accumulated on pan bottom. Baste ribs with sauce. Cover ribs in pan with tin foil and bake until tender. Bake at 300 degrees F for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Don't forget to put the baking potatoes in now. Baste and turn ribs during the baking. If you are going to have a busy afternoon or are out doing the donkey chores, here's what I do. Broil the ribs on both sides until they are well browned. Baste the ribs with basting sauce and cover pan tightly with tin foil Bake at 200 degrees F for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I don't baste or turn them. They will be perfect and very tender. The aroma of the ribs cooking is wonderful.

Aerobic workouts aren't a new invention. On the farm we've always called them chores.

They say a dog is man's best friend. I don't think so. How many friends have you had neutered?

Bake two large sweet potatoes whenever you are baking something else. Or use canned sweet potatoes. To sweet potatoes add: cream, melted butter, salt and paprika. Mix together. Spread in small greased casserole.

To make the topping: heat brown sugar and butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is barely melted. (Is important not to cook after butter is melted or the topping will harden when the casserole is heated. I don't know why... ) Spread the brown sugar and butter mixture over the potatoes and cover with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to heat. This casserole may be warmed in an oven of any temperature or in the microwave, but should be bubbling hot when served. Can be doubled or tripled. Enjoy!!

* Remember when a hard drive was a long trip and not a computer part?

I used to wish that my computer were as easy to use as my telephone.
That wish came true since I no longer know how to use my telephone.

Beat this mixture gently until it is smooth and there are no lumps. It must be well mixed. This batter is rather thin. Pour into cake pans or a cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
Bake at 350 degrees for:
8" X 11" pan - 45 minutes
cupcakes - 23 minutes
2 layer cake pans - 35 minutes

We often make 2 round layer cakes and ice them with the following delicious icing. This recipe makes enough to layer the cakes one on top of the other, with the icing in between and on the top and sides of the cake.

CREAMY FROSTING
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup. butter
1 cup. shortening or margarine
3 tsp. vanilla
6 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk

Blend all of this together and then beat on high for 15 to 20 minutes. You will know that it is done when it is smooth and fluffy. Spread between the layers of cake and then on the top and sides of the cake. This makes an impressive layer cake which will keep for days. This icing is soft so the cake must be refrigerated to harden. Decorate for special occasions.

NOW: Lets kick this cake up a notch!!

This is the recipe for "A Grand Cake". It is a spectacular cake to make for birthdays and other special occasions. It is pictured here with a few fresh flowers on it for a Birthday. It is very easy to make - just follow the directions.

Grand Marnier Icing

To make the filling: Combine juice, sugar and gelatin in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatin are dissolved.(about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in orange peel and Grand Marnier. Place pan in a larger pan of ice and water for 15 - 20 minutes. It should get thicker, like syrup and be cooler.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar a bit at a time. Beat until stiff. Then gradually fold in cooled Grand Marnier mixture. Blend well.

To assemble cakes: Cut each cake in half horizontally, to make 4 layers Sprinkle each layer with 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier or orange juice.
Place 1 layer of cake, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread some of the filling on top. Top with another layer, then top with filling and continue until all 4 layers are used up. Top last layer with what is left of the filling. Let it drizzle down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate immediately and let sit for at least 4 hours or over night to blend flavours.

You will get rave reviews for this cake and it will become a family favourite for birthdays!

Enjoy!!

BROCCOLI SALAD

3 large broccoli stems with florets
1 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds OR sunflower seeds

Creamy Cider Dressing
1 cup Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1. peel broccoli stems and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut up florets and add to the stems with the bacon, raisins, & almonds. You can also add some thinly sliced red onion if you like.
2. Mix dressing ingredients together with a whisk
3. Add dressing to broccoli mixture. Thise keeps well for 1 day.

Brownie Pudding oven 350 F

This is a delicious cake pudding with a rich chocolate sauce...all in one pan!

1 cup sifted all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsps melted shortening or salad oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups hot water.

Sift together first 5 ingredients. Add milk, oil, and vanilla: mix till smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased 8x8x2 inchpan. Mix together brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa: sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over entire batter. Bake at 350 F about 45 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Chances are if you have ever stopped at Circle C for lunch you will have been served these moist and fudgy brownies. They have been a family favorite for over 30 years and always win rave reviews from everyone. They are easy to make and cook quickly. For an even easier topping than icing, cover the top of the brownies with 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips as soon as you remove the pan from the oven. Let sit for five minutes to melt the chips (or place back in the oven for a minute or two). Then, with a flat knife, smooth over entire pan. Serve at once to appreciative guests!

These brownies travel well. Our contribution to the "Hike and Drive Fun Day" was Red Ribbon Brownies for dessert. We had a wonderful day driving or hiking with our donkeys in the Alberta Foothills at the Kluzak ranch. Almost every donkey went through the creek - some people even went through the creek in their new shoes! After the drive, everyone enjoyed a gourmet meal prepared by Jack Mackenzie, miniature donkey owner from Calgary.

Circle C Red Ribbon Brownies

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
4 - 1 ounce squares of chocolate, melted and slightly cooled*
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Grease a 9" X 13" pan and preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla; beat in eggs. Beat well until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Blend in melted chocolate. Stir in flour and nuts. Pour into greased pan, and bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares or cool and ice with chocolate icing.

* The easiest way to melt your chocolate is to put the squares in a microwavable container with a tablespoon or two of the butter (just take it from the 1 cup you will be using from the recipe, it won't make a difference) Then melt on medium heat, stirring often so as not to burn the chocolate.

Easy Chocolate Icing (Sandra and Krista's choice)

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup Fry's Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream.

Blend butter or margarine and two cups of the icing sugar. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. Beat on medium speed until light at fluffy, adding more milk if icing seems to stiff. Frost brownies (or cake) immediately.

Sharon's Icing

Use same recipie as above. However I like a dark chocolate icing, so I melt the butter and the cocoa powder together in the microwave and stir to blend. Then add this to the icing sugar and other ingredients and mix well. Spread on hot or cool cake. This icing will be softer, but when it cools on the brownies or cake it will firm up and be like a fudge icing.

Cooke Livestock is located on the Alberta prairies near the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The closest town is Blackie, where there is a post office, store and one Chinese restaurant. The next closest restaurant is in High River which is 25 miles away. It is not always convenient to run into town for dinner ( they don't deliver pizza out here) so we try to keep a stocked pantry and a freezer of Alberta Angus beef for any occasion. Traditionally we are grain farmers, with cattle, so during the last 36 years I have been cooking for hired help and delivering hot meals to the men in the fields at seeding and harvest time. As young girls, Sandra and Krista learned to help out with the many chores and meals. Out in the country we always seemed to have people drop in at meal time. So we are used to making another sandwich or adding more potatoes to the pot. Over the years it has been a pleasure to have had a lot of donkey friends arrive for a visit. We have enjoyed your company and you seem to have enjoyed the fare. So we thought that it might be fun to share some of our favorite family recipes with you. They are tried and true and will fit into your busy schedule. Many of them are family recipes from generations past with a modern twist for quicker results.
Enjoy!

Beef & Brew Meatballs

Here is a recipe that is tried and true! If you don't know how many are coming for dinner or what time guests are arriving this is a good choice. Once cooked the meatballs can be covered and stay in a 200 degree oven for several hours. The leftovers freeze very well. Also, you will find out that it is much easier to bake meatballs in the oven, for any occasion, rather than spending hours frying them.

Mix the following ingredients together in a large pan.

Mix well and then shape heaping tablespoons of the mixture into 2" meatballs. This will make a lot of meatballs, so you will need a very large roasting pan to put the meatballs into. Carefully layer the meatballs in the pan - no more than two layers high.

Sauce:

Place the sauce ingredients in a pan and heat until the jelly is melted. Pour the hot sauce over the meatballs. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Meatballs will cook nicely and be firm. Serve hot from the oven with rice, a green salad and crusty bread. Great for company! Freeze or reheat leftovers later. (If your beef was not lean you may want to refigerate the cooked meatballs and then skim off any fat - reheat and serve.)

Enjoy!

UNATTENDED ROAST BEEF

We often cook a roast when we are having company for dinner on a very busy day. You will never need to worry about over or undercooking your roast, if you follow these directions. Trust me.

Recipe #2 - for Small Roasts

4 to 8 lbs rolled roast (bones removed) with a bit of fat covering
or Prime Rib roast - bones optional
It is best if the roast is fresh or completely thawed.
Seasoning - pepper, seasoning salt, 2 chopped garlic cloves.
1/2 onion sliced thick
2 carrots peeled and sliced in half

After breakfast, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle roast liberally with seasonings and insert meat thermometer, if it will make you feel better. Place roast on sliced onions and carrots in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Then turn oven down to lowest setting, about 150 degrees. Leave roast in oven for 8 hours - and don't open oven door! Tape oven door so no one will open it. Go do chores and look after donkeys. About 40 minutes before serving, (NOW you can open door to check meat temperature, if you want) turn oven up to 350 degrees and then let roast cook for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and remove roast. Let roast rest at least 10 minutes before carving - this makes it much easier to cut. While you are waiting make gravy from roast drippings in the roasting pan.

To make gravy - don't be nervous, you can do it! First, buy a whisk for sauces. To roast drippings in pan, slowly add 1/2 cup of white flour, blending with a whisk until you have a smooth paste - cook for a minute over low heat. Onions and carrots don't always blend , but keep them in for flavor and then remove any large pieces before serving gravy. To this "paste" add 2 cups of water, while whisking to remove any flour lumps. Turn up heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking all the time until gravy thickens. Add more water - water from potatoes or other cooked vegetables is best - to make gravy as thin as you want. Bring to a boil again. Season to taste with: a dash of seasoning salt, a sprinkle of pepper, two dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a tsp. of Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce or 2 tsp. of beef flavored Oxo. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Gravy Law #1- add flour, a bit at a time, to the juices in the pan and whisk until a smooth paste forms; then add 2 cups of water and cook.

Gravy Law #2 - use a whisk and always stir the gravy as it cooks so that lumps don't form.

Gravy Law # 3- you can always add salt or other seasonings, but you can't take them out - so add only a little bit at a time until it tastes right. Invite your mother-in -law, she'll be dazzled!

Recipe #2 - for Large Roasts

8 to 14 lbs. rolled roast (bones removed ) with a bit of fat covering
or Prime Rib roast - bones optional
It is best if the roast is fresh. If frozen, it must be completely thawed out.
Seasonings
1 sliced onion
4 carrots sliced in half

After breakfast preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rub roast liberally with pepper, seasoning salt and chopped garlic. Place on sliced onions and carrots in roasting pan. Insert a roasting thermometer if you have one. Roast for 40 minutes at 500 degrees, then turn oven down to lowest setting, about 150 to 170 degrees. Go out and do chores then go shopping. Leave roast in oven for at least 8 hours. Don't open the oven door. 40 minutes before serving turn oven to 350 degrees, then cook the roast for 30 minutes. Turn off oven and let roast rest 15 minutes before carving. Make gravy while you wait.

To Make Gravey - You will have more roast drippings in the pan, so increase the flour to one cup and whisk into juices. Add up to 1/2 cup more flour if necessary, to make a smooth paste. Then add water and continue as above, always stirring gravy while it is cooking Season to taste. Guaranteed to melt in your mouth.

Serve with mashed potatoes, a vegetable or salad and crusty bread.

" Be like a duck - above the surface look composed and unruffled - below the surface, paddle like crazy"