Cooking in the West

The fires in California have shed light on the failure of politicians to lead wisely with regard to the dangers of eliminating logging, grazing, and water storage systems from the ecosystem. It is undeniable that if cattle had been allowed to graze those California hills, the fires would not have had nearly as much fuel.

I am particularly irritated by the war against cattle that environmental groups have been waging for years. Why are they discriminating against cattle? There are more horses (9.5 million) than dairy cows (9 million) in the United States, but no one blames horses for emitting greenhouse gases, which they certainly do--especially when being ridden uphill on a full grass belly. We also have 140 million dogs and cats in our country consuming an equivalent amount of food that it takes to feed 70 million people. We only have 333 million people in the United States, but our pets are requiring us farmers and ranchers to feed the equivalent of 400 million mouths every day.

Although I am an elected official, I don't consider myself a politician. In fact, I never cease to marvel at the blunders of our governmental agencies. The war against livestock has been going on for years. In fact, most people will think the following is so ludicrous I am making it up, but I am not. This proposal was for real back when I wrote about it in 2009.

In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed to levy new taxes on cows and pigs as part of a larger scheme to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. According to Rick Krause of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, "Under the proposal, if a state charged the 'presumptive minimum rate' from the EPA, the cow tax would be $175.00 per dairy cow, $87.50 per head for beef cattle, and a little more than $20.00 per pig."

Our own United States Department of Agriculture chimed in that a producer with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle, or 200 hogs would emit more than 100 tons of carbon and be subject to the permitting requirements. That proposal got shut down by logical members of Congress.

Fast forward to the Biden administration when the Build Back Better Act of 2021 included proposals to introduce a methane tax that would equate to $2,600 per head of cattle and $500 per head for swine. Of course, the proposals failed to gain traction, but this is the mentality livestock producers must guard against. It is critical that we let our Congressional delegation know that they need to stand strong for common sense and the preservation of the agricultural industries. The campaigns are over, and now the work begins, which reminds me of the following old story.

While walking down the street one day a US Senator was tragically hit by a truck and died. His soul arrived in heaven and was met by St. Peter at the entrance. "Welcome to heaven," said St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see politicians around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," said the senator.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," said the senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules about making an informed choice." With that, St. Peter escorted him to the elevator, and he went down to hell. The doors opened, and he found himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance was a clubhouse and standing in front of it were all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him before they died.

Everyone was very happy. They ran to greet him, shook his hand, and reminisced about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They played a friendly game of golf and then dined on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present was the devil, who really was a very friendly outgoing guy who had a good time dancing and telling jokes. They had such a good time that before he realized it, it was time to go. Everyone gave him a hearty farewell and waved while the elevator rose. When the door opened in heaven, St. Peter was waiting for him to take him on his tour of heaven.

So, the senator joined a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They had a good time and, before he realized it, the 24 hours had passed. St. Peter said, "Well, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The senator reflected for a minute, then answered, "Well, I would never have said it before, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So, St. Peter escorted him to the elevator, and he went down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator opened, and he found himself in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He saw all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash fell from above.

The devil came over to him and put his arm around his shoulder. "I don't understand," stammered the senator. "Yesterday I was here, and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage, and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil looked at him, smiled, and said, 'Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted!"

I love to get kids into the kitchen. This week I have some winter favorite recipes to share including a dessert that kids can make in a quart jar.

Citrus Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 C. honey

1 t. sage

1/2 t. mustard

1/2 t. lemon juice

Place chicken in greased 9 X 13 pan. Combine lemonade concentrate, honey, sage, mustard, and lemon juice. Pour half over chicken and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn breasts over and pour remaining half of mixture over chicken. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Squash Casserole

2 lb. yellow squash, cooked, drained

1 stick butter

1 C. dairy sour cream

1 carrot, grated

1 small onion, finely diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 C. Pepperidge Farm's herbed breadcrumbs

Combine all ingredients except crumbs. Mix well and pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shake 'Em Up Orange Bars

2 eggs

1/2 C. oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. orange juice

1 C. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Break eggs into a clean quart jar. Cover tightly and shake 10 times. Add oil and sugar and shake 20 to 30 times. Add orange juice, flour, baking powder, and salt. Shake 40 times. Pour into a 9 X 9 pan and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees. May be frosted if desired or dust with powdered sugar.