This has been a BUSY week! More lambs and goat kids have been born, 20 lambs and 3 kids. Everyone is doing well. This weeks dutch oven class was based around beef. We did some large roasts over the coals and grilled up some steaks just for fun. Everyone was shocked when I brought the steaks out still frozen. I explained that starting steaks frozen on the grill actually protects the tenderness of the meat. You don't lose any of the good juices that collect in the bag during during defrosting and it only adds about 10 minutes to the total cooking time. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to steaks and don't use anything but salt pepper and garlic on mine. If you want to marinade that's fine. I just usually don't. They all thought I was nuts until they sat down to eat. 10 converts! If it was only always that easy! This week we did Matimbres, classic roast beef, and dutch oven Wellingtons. As soon as the website is finished we'll start posting recipes, until then you can e-mail me and I'll send em to you. Next week I am at the Green Feast In San Juan Capistrano so class will be Monday nite. Some of the cooking students are getting more interested in other aspects of ranching and livestock care so we're going to allow the general public to attend some of our seminars and are developing a couple of classes for newcomers to country life. As soon as we have the schedule set I'll post it. If there are specific things you all are intereste in let me know and we'll do our best to get someone out here to talk about it. All the slots are filled for Branding Day. I had no idea people wanted to watch calves get branded, doctored and castrated. I'm glad they do though. If more people took the time to learn the how and why of where the meat they are eating comes from they would have a deeper appreciation for their food and the land that produces it. If I can show one person the difference between living with the land instead of just on it, I've done my job. Time to bring the sheep in. talk to you all soon. Meg