Cooking in the West

There are many negative attributes of social media, but there are also posts that are truly enlightening. One such post recently led me to check out Warren Johnson’s Facebook page, which led to discovering his blog. I do not personally know Warren, but he is a larger than life character whom everyone connected with horses, rodeos, and outfitting knows about.

The primary thing I knew about Warren prior to discovering his posts and blogs was that he upstaged us back in May of 2013. A Today Show film crew visited our ranch to do a segment on the Yellowstone Park area that was supposed to air on May 21. During the night of May 20, a huge earthquake struck Oklahoma, and our segment got preempted in deference to the coverage of the earthquake. The only part of the segment that aired was Warren fanning a bucking horse in his corral at his Hell’s-a-roaring Ranch. I do have to admit that his bronc ride was more exciting than our cattle drive, which never aired.

Warren is a second generation outfitter out of Jardine, Montana. His father, Vern, established the business in 1932. Warren and his wife Susan became engaged while they were both working at the Johnson’s hunting camp in 1979, and they bought their camp in upper Hellroarin’ in 1981. Their ranch is about a half mile from Yellowstone Park above Jardine. They are well known for their Hell’s-a-roarin Horse Drive and auction each spring and also the Hell’s-a-roarin Extreme Broncs event in August where they award a trac chair to a worthy recipient such as JR Vezain, Chuck Simonson, and others.

If you are looking for some good reading and great photos, check out Warren’s page and his blog on his website. The following is a post that he shared about a long time community member, Fred Howie.

On March 24, Warren posted the following:

“Good night from Hellsaroarin! Glen and Amy Howie asked me to write something about Fred Howie. He passed away last night about this time. He would have been 94 on May 5th! He was a great friend and an asset to the community. His son Glen and daughter-in-law Amy are his survivors along with his lovely bride of many years Shirley. Fred helped me so many years shoeing horses, welding, hard surfacing shoes.

He always took the time to talk to me when I was young struggling to start out in the world. He hunted and rode the mountains around here. Born in South Dakota, he worked on many ranches and for the Forest Service. He spent years working in Yellowstone Park! I still sit in his chair at the NFR. He opened so many gates letting the bucking stock out at my rodeos.

You know how I know all this? Because I spent days n days talking to him in my barn while he was shoeing my horses and mules. I always got him to put the first set of shoes on the colts because he never snuck around them. He’d throw his trimming tools to the next foot. They were gentle when he finished. I think he liked the mules better He always brought his own homemade molasses cookies, so we’d stop for coffee and cookies.

I loved the crisp fall mornings shoeing with him. I had a mule, Abby. He had a love hate relationship with her. “G&%$#%&, Abby stand still!” was common every year . She may or may not have moved, but he always said it. The last time he shod her he shod 80 head for me, and he was 80 years old. The last mule was Abby. I did it on purpose. He finished and threw his tools in his truck. I loaded his anvil, and he went and got into his truck. He stopped, got out, and came back. He scratched her on the side of her jaw, and said something I couldn’t hear, but I knew it was along the lines of, “Take care ol’ girl!”

We’ve missed you, Fred, at Hellsaroarin USA. Your integrity is beyond reproach. Say hi to anyone I know.

Your friend,

Warren”

I should have asked Susan Johnson to send some recipes, but I didn’t, so I will share a few of my favorites from the wife of another Fred Howie type legend who tacked a lot of shoes on a lot of horses, and that is Danny Halverson. These recipes including one for molasses cookies is from his wife, Guelda Halverson. We bought our Deer Creek place from them way back in 1987. The first two recipes came from Guelda’s mom, and of the last recipe, Guelda wrote, “I worked on a local ranch near Lewistown during the summers of my 6th and 7th grades in school as a cook’s helper. This is just one of many great recipes I got during that time from Zeta Burleigh.” Thanks, Guelda!

Mom’s Sugar Cookies

4 1/2 C. flour

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. lemon juice

1 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

4 well beaten eggs

2 T. cream

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together. Set aside. Cream lemon juice, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and cream. Add flour mixture and mix well. Chill until firm enough to roll to about 3/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Bake on Pam sprayed baking sheet for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mom’s Best Banana Bread

1 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

4 eggs

2 C. mashed bananas (about 6 bananas)

2 T. vinegar plus milk to make 1 cup liquid

4 C. flour

2 t. salt

2 t. soda

1 C. chopped nuts

Mix together the vinegar and milk and let sit. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Mix in bananas and milk/vinegar liquid. Add flour, salt and soda. Mix well. Fold in chopped nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 about 1 hour. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Zeta’s Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C. molasses

4 t. soda

4 C. flour

2 T. ginger

2 t. cinnamon

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and molasses. Mix well. Add flour, soda, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix well. Chill dough. Form dough in small balls, and press with sugared glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.