Well my little cowboy is 10 months old and I haven't hardly logged on to blog since he came along. He is getting a little more independent each day which frees me up to do things like laundry and cooking and maybe even a little blogging I keep saying I am going to get back into my blog but it seems to keep getting put off. For instance about a month or two ago I was thinking the same thing I was thinking this morning and I logged on here and out together the following post which was a draft I came up with over 7 months ago. I figured now I better post this if I am ever going to post this so here you go......
Hi there friends, I cannot believe that our little man is almost 9 months old! I thought I couldn't find the time to blog before he got here; well think again. We had kind of a rough night last night pushing the 2nd tooth thru and baby Heath is still sleeping. There are dishes and laundry to be done but I am trying to be quite so I was reading scriptures this morning and then I read a cattle trade magazine and then I thought.....I haven't blogged in a long time. I was reading an article about Animal Rights Groups and was inspired to add some of what I learned to my blog. I logged on an found this draft I wrote this winter that I never posted, in a round about way it has to do with just what I was going to say about Animal Rights Groups opinions of us Ranchers.
(The fanciest cow camp I've ever been too. Or should I say the most advanced cow camp around. We have wireless internet and satellite T.V. and cell service, we don't have any of those even at our house. I am considering moving to cow camp indefinately. Especially since this is the easiest winter I have ever experienced as a ranch wife. I am spending most of my time indoors with the little cowboy, while he eats and sleeps and poops. All the usual baby stuff. Although baby Heath's favorite thing to do is to ride in the ranch truck with his Dad to check heifers. He can't go with his Dad all the time, he can't go when he is horseback it's still too cold out for the little man and he can't always be in truck because Jim Bob never knows when he may run into some trouble while helping a cow calve. For instance yesterday Jim Bob was watching a heifer calve and she had a foot out but no water broke, he watched from a distance for awhile to give her a chance to do it herself but by the time he decided he better take a closer look she had a rear end out (breach/backwards) he had to act ASAP. He got on his belly and snuck up behind her got a hold of that back foot and tried to pull. Momma cow looked back and realized the scary cowboy was up in her business and she was not cool with that, she jumped up and took off with Jim Bob holding on for dear life. The baby did not have enough time to get the momma to the corral or for Jim Bob to go get his horse and rope momma. Jim Bob had this one shot to get that baby out of there. The foot he had a hold of was pretty slimmy but he hung on while he got drug, his pants and shirt ripped to shreds and he is now soaking wet and very dirty, doning dirt and rocks and sand, he is looking a little unusally messy when he comes in; I am of course curious as to what happened and he told me the story and then finished the story with the news that a man in Kansas had just been drug to death doing the same thing. I could have done without that info, for one because it is so very sad and two because now I have a new way to fret about my guy getting hurt or losing his life, and there are oh so many dangers a Cowboy faces every day. Jim Bob tried to reassure me that the man in Kansas was using the puller chains and just as he got the chain around one foot the cow took off and the rest of the chain wrapped around his arm. Jim Bob didn't have time to use his chains so he could have let go. This is so very sad for that ranching family that lost their Cowman and I'm sure he was more than that to a lot of people, a husband a father a friend, but most of all a true Cowboy who would give his life to safe the life of a baby calf.)
At the time I wrote this draft we were calving out our fall calving herd; this herd we sell for breeding stock so there is alot of paper work and numbers to keep track of. In a few months we were to start A.I. breeding them to top industry sires and then when we gott them turned out in April to their spring mountain pasture headed to our home place to calve out our spring calving herd.
We are now just about done calving out our spring calvers and we will start A.I. breeding them soon and they get turned out on the mountain late may early june, depending on the grass growth. It has stayed cooler longer this year so you don't want to turn cows out until the grass has had a chance to grow. It is warming up fast now so hopefully we will get a little spring moisture and our pastures will be right on track.
There is always so much going on in the ranching business, we have so many life and death day to day things to deal with that we don't generally have a lot of time to fight political battles. It is frustrating and disheartining at times to hear what animal rights groups and environmentalists accuse ranchers of. For one there is no other profession that brings you closer to the land than when you work to produce with it. Ranchers have a deep understaning and respect for nature an understanding that cannot hardly be explained to someone who doesn't see it first hand. My husband has in his short lifetime risked that lifetime many many times just to save an animal. I have seen my husband jump into the Colorado river during a bilzzard to carry a calf back to safety that was stranded on an island without his momma. I have seen my husband take on predetors to save a baby calf. My husband works 365 days a year almost always putting in more than 15hr/day. The effort he puts in to protect his livestock and the land they live off of is like nothing eles. Animal rights activist may not understand why we do the things we do, some may seem harsh or maybe they think they have a better more humane way to do things. Let me tell you if there was something better for the animals it would already be being done by the men and women who give their lives for these animals.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
We've Added Another Cowboy to the Bloomfield Family
After 7 years of struggle and heartbreak, we have the best news of our lives to share! On August 8th we met the meaning of our life; we Adopted Heath Ivan Bloomfield, born at 1:19pm weighing 6lbs10oz. and 20inches long of perfection! It i...
s hard to put into words how happy we are and how perfect our life is! Everything in our world makes perfect sense now. I would redo the last 7 years of pain a million times if it meant I could have one minute of loving this little guy!
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| First Family Photo |
It has been a terribly long road to get here but I wouldn't change a thing, I see now all the low moments were necessary to lead us here.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
A Wild Ride
This time of the year is full of beauty and tranquility; the cattle all have babies by their side, the grass is a deep dark green and up to the horses bellies in places, the sky is strikingly blue and life is good! This is what the cattle industry apears to the untrained eye to be all about, and it is, it is why we do what we do; for those fleeting peacful, deeply spiritual days like the ones we get often in the spring.
Last week we trailed our cows to the mountain and it was the most perfect day. A day that makes you feel like you might understand God a little more.
The days leading to that moment however usually consist of at least one wild ride. The tale of Tuesday is what I'll call this or The Wild Ride. Tuesday seems more fitting because we have many days of wild rides. Western wrecks, or our own personal ranch rodeo. Tuesday we were gathering our neighbors cows to move to the mountain for summer. All week we moved cows to the mountain, some we had to gather and haul on semi trucks, ours we were able to drive them up the mountain from our lower pasture horseback. We only had about 8 miles to go. But tuesday we had about 45 miles to go, so it was gather, load on trucks, haul and then push up the mountain. Tuesday, we consisted of 4 cowboy's/cowgirls, 4 horses, 3 dogs and a few hundred head of cattle. Gathering them all off their winter pasture went rather smoothly, it wasn't until we got to the corral or close to the corral, should I say, that things went a little haywire.
We had Tony (cowboy 1, our neighbor) Kelly (cowgirl 1, neigbor's wife) Jim Bob (cowboy 2, my husband) and Laurel (cowgirl 2, me) Cowboy's and cowgirl's got all cattle within 100 yards of the corral and one wild cow made a break for it, the cowboy's went after her, cowgirls stayed to hold the cows in the corral while we waited for the wild cow's return. Cowboy's shortly after get the wild cow again about 100 yards from the corral, so cowgirl 2 (me) goes to the left to turn her towards the corral.....uhoh....cowgirl 1 has another jail break wild cow #2 wants to join wild cow #1 for back up and this is where it gets really interesting and the death defying stunts start to unfold.
Cowboy 1 takes off after wild cow 2, wild cow 1 turns and goes the other direction and Cowboy 2 takes off after her, cowgirl 2 goes after her husband at a gallop, cowgirl 1 closes the gate to the corral on all the cows we have left in there and then takes off after her husband on a dead run. Cowboy 2, my husband gets around wild cow 1 and gets a rope on her, I catch up and get behind her with my horse to try and push her towards the corral. We get very close and she decides to take a right, right into a bog, with the rope dallyed to his saddle still and the not able to get any closer to wild cow 1, I have to get off my horse and try to push her out of the bog, on my walk into the bog I step on a log that low and behold a rattle snake is resting on. In a very calm voice I say (SH**) and freeze, the rattler goes under the log....but....now what? It is never good to be afoot when you should be horseback! Thankfully we pass death defying stunt #1 and get the cow out of the bog and into the corral. While we are getting the rope off wild cow 1. Kelly rides up hard and fast, "Jim Bob we need your dogs, I can't get this cow to move, Tony has a rope on her but she just keeps turning on him to fight the horses" JB and I ride fast towards where Tony has this cow roped. Jim Bob gets there faster than Kelly and I, just as we ride up, the roped cow runs around Tony's horse to the right, Tony's horse starts bucking, he is on a colt that hasn't been roped on before. The odds of a wreck happening are extreamly high at this point, the rope hits Tony and catupults him out of his saddle, he hits the ground hard, and is slow to get up, slow for a cowboy anyway. While his hands are on his knees and he tries to catch his breath his horse is still dallyed to the cow and has taken off bucking. I get around the horse and get ahold of his reins, Kelly gets the rope and hands it to Jim Bob who then dallys to his horse, they take off whooping and hollering, this gets the dogs excited that way they know it's okay to push this cow.....well.....they push her right into the bog!. She is hot and tired and so are the dogs and horses and cowboy's and cowgirl's. I wish I had a picture at this moment because she layed down in the water and so did the dogs right next to her. We were stuck again. So we took a breather, but she was in a spot that the horse couldn't get to from any direction, so wanting to get on with it I face the bog again only this time I have to crawl under some brush and low branching trees to get in behind her to try and push her out. Well I get on my belly, keeping my eyes wide open for snakes, I make it under one last branch and she is still laying there and I basically have my face on her rump. I have just barely enough room to stand up so I do and innocently smack her on the backside; all of a sudden she has all the energy in the world. She jumps up whirls around bellers at me with hatred in her eyes snorts and takes after me (this all happens within the matter of one second) I scream!!!!!! Tony is off his horse trying to get in there with me telling me to get out of there but there is no where to go, I would have to get down on my belly to get back out and I can't do that with a cow trying to crush me, my husband is yelling "I've got her, I've got her." Like I shouldn't be worried he still has a rope on her and he and his horse are trying to pull her the other way. No serious damage done, I am now soaking wet, she hit me in the hip and I hurt my wrist somehow but I'm fine. Tony gets behind her they get her out of the bog. Jim Bob jumps his horse across the creek, and tries to pull the cow in the right direction. The dogs convince her finally but not calmly, instead of walking across the creek, she jumps, and ends up halfway under Jim Bob's horse with the rope still dallyed but not tight enough. Kelly and I are mounted up and watching the wreck. It's like watching a movie in slow motion, you can't do anything about it so you just watch to see what the ending will be. My husband being the movie star he is, the real cowboy he is; doesn't even flinch and works himself the horse and cow out of that wreck and into the corral. The gate is closed and we get the cows loaded on the truck, by the time we get to the corral at the base of the mountain everyone is so happy to be to the summer pasture, the cows take off right up the mountain.
They were done testing us for the day and we headed to town to get some dinner. In true ranch life form we had planned to be to town for lunch but it was now way past dinner and we had a few starving cowhands on our hands. I think we have cheated death a few times today, at least 3 times, the cowboy's just laugh it off. It's always the cowgirls who can see how bad an accident could be, I think it's some kind of short in the cowboy's brains that they don't see it. They know it and are fiercely protective over everyone and everything but themselves. They simply don't scare and don't worry. I think that's what keeps them alive for all their wild rides!
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| Our home place in the spring. |
This time of the year is full of beauty and tranquility; the cattle all have babies by their side, the grass is a deep dark green and up to the horses bellies in places, the sky is strikingly blue and life is good! This is what the cattle industry apears to the untrained eye to be all about, and it is, it is why we do what we do; for those fleeting peacful, deeply spiritual days like the ones we get often in the spring.
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| Momma and Baby |
Last week we trailed our cows to the mountain and it was the most perfect day. A day that makes you feel like you might understand God a little more.
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| Headed up the mountain |
The days leading to that moment however usually consist of at least one wild ride. The tale of Tuesday is what I'll call this or The Wild Ride. Tuesday seems more fitting because we have many days of wild rides. Western wrecks, or our own personal ranch rodeo. Tuesday we were gathering our neighbors cows to move to the mountain for summer. All week we moved cows to the mountain, some we had to gather and haul on semi trucks, ours we were able to drive them up the mountain from our lower pasture horseback. We only had about 8 miles to go. But tuesday we had about 45 miles to go, so it was gather, load on trucks, haul and then push up the mountain. Tuesday, we consisted of 4 cowboy's/cowgirls, 4 horses, 3 dogs and a few hundred head of cattle. Gathering them all off their winter pasture went rather smoothly, it wasn't until we got to the corral or close to the corral, should I say, that things went a little haywire.
We had Tony (cowboy 1, our neighbor) Kelly (cowgirl 1, neigbor's wife) Jim Bob (cowboy 2, my husband) and Laurel (cowgirl 2, me) Cowboy's and cowgirl's got all cattle within 100 yards of the corral and one wild cow made a break for it, the cowboy's went after her, cowgirls stayed to hold the cows in the corral while we waited for the wild cow's return. Cowboy's shortly after get the wild cow again about 100 yards from the corral, so cowgirl 2 (me) goes to the left to turn her towards the corral.....uhoh....cowgirl 1 has another jail break wild cow #2 wants to join wild cow #1 for back up and this is where it gets really interesting and the death defying stunts start to unfold.
Cowboy 1 takes off after wild cow 2, wild cow 1 turns and goes the other direction and Cowboy 2 takes off after her, cowgirl 2 goes after her husband at a gallop, cowgirl 1 closes the gate to the corral on all the cows we have left in there and then takes off after her husband on a dead run. Cowboy 2, my husband gets around wild cow 1 and gets a rope on her, I catch up and get behind her with my horse to try and push her towards the corral. We get very close and she decides to take a right, right into a bog, with the rope dallyed to his saddle still and the not able to get any closer to wild cow 1, I have to get off my horse and try to push her out of the bog, on my walk into the bog I step on a log that low and behold a rattle snake is resting on. In a very calm voice I say (SH**) and freeze, the rattler goes under the log....but....now what? It is never good to be afoot when you should be horseback! Thankfully we pass death defying stunt #1 and get the cow out of the bog and into the corral. While we are getting the rope off wild cow 1. Kelly rides up hard and fast, "Jim Bob we need your dogs, I can't get this cow to move, Tony has a rope on her but she just keeps turning on him to fight the horses" JB and I ride fast towards where Tony has this cow roped. Jim Bob gets there faster than Kelly and I, just as we ride up, the roped cow runs around Tony's horse to the right, Tony's horse starts bucking, he is on a colt that hasn't been roped on before. The odds of a wreck happening are extreamly high at this point, the rope hits Tony and catupults him out of his saddle, he hits the ground hard, and is slow to get up, slow for a cowboy anyway. While his hands are on his knees and he tries to catch his breath his horse is still dallyed to the cow and has taken off bucking. I get around the horse and get ahold of his reins, Kelly gets the rope and hands it to Jim Bob who then dallys to his horse, they take off whooping and hollering, this gets the dogs excited that way they know it's okay to push this cow.....well.....they push her right into the bog!. She is hot and tired and so are the dogs and horses and cowboy's and cowgirl's. I wish I had a picture at this moment because she layed down in the water and so did the dogs right next to her. We were stuck again. So we took a breather, but she was in a spot that the horse couldn't get to from any direction, so wanting to get on with it I face the bog again only this time I have to crawl under some brush and low branching trees to get in behind her to try and push her out. Well I get on my belly, keeping my eyes wide open for snakes, I make it under one last branch and she is still laying there and I basically have my face on her rump. I have just barely enough room to stand up so I do and innocently smack her on the backside; all of a sudden she has all the energy in the world. She jumps up whirls around bellers at me with hatred in her eyes snorts and takes after me (this all happens within the matter of one second) I scream!!!!!! Tony is off his horse trying to get in there with me telling me to get out of there but there is no where to go, I would have to get down on my belly to get back out and I can't do that with a cow trying to crush me, my husband is yelling "I've got her, I've got her." Like I shouldn't be worried he still has a rope on her and he and his horse are trying to pull her the other way. No serious damage done, I am now soaking wet, she hit me in the hip and I hurt my wrist somehow but I'm fine. Tony gets behind her they get her out of the bog. Jim Bob jumps his horse across the creek, and tries to pull the cow in the right direction. The dogs convince her finally but not calmly, instead of walking across the creek, she jumps, and ends up halfway under Jim Bob's horse with the rope still dallyed but not tight enough. Kelly and I are mounted up and watching the wreck. It's like watching a movie in slow motion, you can't do anything about it so you just watch to see what the ending will be. My husband being the movie star he is, the real cowboy he is; doesn't even flinch and works himself the horse and cow out of that wreck and into the corral. The gate is closed and we get the cows loaded on the truck, by the time we get to the corral at the base of the mountain everyone is so happy to be to the summer pasture, the cows take off right up the mountain.
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| That Chore is done! All the cows are at their summer homes, feels good! Now onto much less fun chores like putting up the hay. |
They were done testing us for the day and we headed to town to get some dinner. In true ranch life form we had planned to be to town for lunch but it was now way past dinner and we had a few starving cowhands on our hands. I think we have cheated death a few times today, at least 3 times, the cowboy's just laugh it off. It's always the cowgirls who can see how bad an accident could be, I think it's some kind of short in the cowboy's brains that they don't see it. They know it and are fiercely protective over everyone and everything but themselves. They simply don't scare and don't worry. I think that's what keeps them alive for all their wild rides!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Infertility
I was sharing a story about something that happened one morning on the ranch with my sister, she said "you should blog about that"......I have interesting things happen on the ranch daily if not hourly....Another person suggested that I treat my blog like a diary, it doesn't just have to be beef recipes. I will someday soon write down and share that story I was telling my sister but today and everyday the #1 thing on my mind is infertility, not infertility in our cow herd but something my husband and I have been going thru for the past 5+years.
This past month my husband and I got some pretty discouraging news from the Doctor and it was kind of the final blow and it forced me to really come to terms with where we are at in our journey to start a family. We have only been able to do some low level fertility treatments, having always seen IVF as too much of a financial hurdle. Adoption is also expensive, and the confusion comes from which direction should we go in? After the last attempt at the Doctor's we said; if this doesn't work we will shelf the whole thing for a few months and when we sell our calf crop for the year we will revisit our finances, seriously discuss and make a decision about what avenue to persue.
I have to say for the first time in 5 years I relaxed! The baby making pressure went out of our bedroom! When you are trying to have a baby it can feel like it isn't just the two of you; it is the doctor's and the pills and the temperature taking and the calander and all you friends and family
(that you feel like you are disappointing by not getting pregnant) are in there with you and it can take all the fun right out of it. I have to say we were relaxed and having fun again, just the two of us!
Then the heartache started again, another one of my friends announced she is pregnant after only trying for a month. It is painful to reflect on how many friends and family members are having more and more babies each year and that joy just keeps passing you by. However, the guilt that comes along with not being able to be really excited for a friend is the hardest part. The guilt sucks you right back into the stress and confusion of why you can't have the only thing you have ever wanted in life and it comes so easy for other people.
It is not that I don't want my friends to get pregnant and have families, I do! I wouldn't wish this on anyone let alone someone I care about. I am happy for my friends and family when they give that wonderful news but can't help but feel my own heart breaking. Just as I was getting to a good place it is like someone unitentionally punches you in the stomach.
Feeling pretty sorry for myself and unable to sleep I sumbled across this great article and had myself a good cry, I am much better today. I wanted to share the article here, for anyone who may be going thru a similar situation or knows someone going thru it.
Infertility Etiquette
by: Vita Alligood
Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are woefully uninformed about how to best provide emotional support for our loved ones during this painful time.
Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. When a loved one dies, he isn't coming back. There is no hope that he will come back from the dead. You must work through the stages of grief, accept that you will never see this person again, and move on with your life.
The grief of infertility is not so cut and dry. Infertile people grieve the loss of the baby that they may never know. They grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. But, each month, there is the hope that maybe that baby will be conceived after all. No matter how hard they try to prepare themselves for bad news, they still hope that this month will be different. Then, the bad news comes again, and the grief washes over the infertile couple anew. This process happens month after month, year after year. It is like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal.
As the couple moves into infertility treatments, the pain increases while the bank account depletes. The tests are invasive and embarrassing to both parties, and you feel like the doctor has taken over your bedroom. And for all of this discomfort, you pay a lot of money.
A couple will eventually resolve the infertility problem in one of three ways:
They will eventually conceive a baby.
They will stop the infertility treatments and choose to live without children.
They will find an alternative way to parent, such as by adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
Don't Tell Them to RelaxEveryone knows someone who had trouble conceiving but then finally became pregnant once she "relaxed." Couples who are able to conceive after a few months of "relaxing" are not infertile. By definition, a couple is not diagnosed as "infertile" until they have tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for a full year. In fact, most infertility specialists will not treat a couple for infertility until they have tried to become pregnant for a year. This year weeds out the people who aren't infertile but just need to "relax." Those that remain are truly infertile.
Comments such as "just relax" or "try going on a cruise" create even more stress for the infertile couple, particularly the woman. The woman feels like she is doing something wrong when, in fact, there is a good chance that there is a physical problem preventing her from becoming pregnant.
These comments can also reach the point of absurdity. As a couple, my husband and I underwent two surgeries, numerous inseminations, hormone treatments, and four years of poking and prodding by doctors. Yet, people still continued to say things like, "If you just relaxed on a cruise . . ." Infertility is a diagnosable medical problem that must be treated by a doctor, and even with treatment, many couples will NEVER successfully conceive a child. Relaxation itself does not cure medical infertility.
Don't Minimize the ProblemFailure to conceive a baby is a very painful journey. Infertile couples are surrounded by families with children. These couples watch their friends give birth to two or three children, and they watch those children grow while the couple goes home to the silence of an empty house. These couples see all of the joy that a child brings into someone's life, and they feel the emptiness of not being able to experience the same joy.
Comments like, "Just enjoy being able to sleep late . . . .travel . . etc.," do not offer comfort. Instead, these comments make infertile people feel like you are minimizing their pain. You wouldn't tell somebody whose parent just died to be thankful that he no longer has to buy Father's Day or Mother's Day cards. Losing that one obligation doesn't even begin to compensate for the incredible loss of losing a parent. In the same vein, being able to sleep late or travel does not provide comfort to somebody who desperately wants a child.
Don't Say There Are Worse Things That Could HappenAlong the same lines, don't tell your friend that there are worse things that she could be going through. Who is the final authority on what is the "worst" thing that could happen to someone? Is it going through a divorce? Watching a loved one die? Getting raped? Losing a job?
Different people react to different life experiences in different ways. To someone who has trained his whole life for the Olympics, the "worst" thing might be experiencing an injury the week before the event. To someone who has walked away from her career to become a stay-at-home wife for 40 years, watching her husband leave her for a younger woman might be the "worst" thing. And, to a woman whose sole goal in life has been to love and nurture a child, infertility may indeed be the "worst" thing that could happen.
People wouldn't dream of telling someone whose parent just died, "It could be worse: both of your parents could be dead." Such a comment would be considered cruel rather than comforting. In the same vein, don't tell your friend that she could be going through worse things than infertility.
Don't Say They Aren't Meant to Be ParentsOne of the cruelest things anyone ever said to me is, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be a mother." How incredibly insensitive to imply that I would be such a bad mother that God felt the need to divinely sterilize me. If God were in the business of divinely sterilizing women, don't you think he would prevent the pregnancies that end in abortions? Or wouldn't he sterilize the women who wind up neglecting and abusing their children? Even if you aren't religious, the "maybe it's not meant to be" comments are not comforting. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment from God or Mother Nature.
Don't Ask Why They Aren't Trying IVFIn vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method in which the woman harvests multiple eggs, which are then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. This is the method that can produce multiple births. People frequently ask, "Why don't you just try IVF?" in the same casual tone they would use to ask, "Why don't you try shopping at another store?"
Don't Be CrudeIt is appalling that I even have to include this paragraph, but some of you need to hear this-Don't make crude jokes about your friend's vulnerable position. Crude comments like "I'll donate the sperm" or "Make sure the doctor uses your sperm for the insemination" are not funny, and they only irritate your friends.
Don't Complain About Your PregnancyThis message is for pregnant women-Just being around you is painful for your infertile friends. Seeing your belly grow is a constant reminder of what your infertile friend cannot have. Unless an infertile women plans to spend her life in a cave, she has to find a way to interact with pregnant women. However, there are things you can do as her friend to make it easier.
The number one rule is DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY. I understand from my friends that, when you are pregnant, your hormones are going crazy and you experience a lot of discomfort, such as queasiness, stretch marks, and fatigue. You have every right to vent about the discomforts to any one else in your life, but don't put your infertile friend in the position of comforting you.
Your infertile friend would give anything to experience the discomforts you are enduring because those discomforts come from a baby growing inside of you. When I heard a pregnant woman complain about morning sickness, I would think, "I'd gladly throw up for nine straight months if it meant I could have a baby." When a pregnant woman would complain about her weight gain, I would think, "I would cut off my arm if I could be in your shoes."
I managed to go to baby showers and hospitals to welcome my friends' new babies, but it was hard. Without exception, it was hard. Stay sensitive to your infertile friend's emotions, and give her the leeway that she needs to be happy for you while she cries for herself. If she can't bring herself to hold your new baby, give her time. She isn't rejecting you or your new baby; she is just trying to work her way through her pain to show sincere joy for you. The fact that she is willing to endure such pain in order to celebrate your new baby with you speaks volumes about how much your friendship means to her.
Don't Treat Them Like They Are IgnorantFor some reason, some people seem to think that infertility causes a person to become unrealistic about the responsibilities of parenthood. I don't follow the logic, but several people told me that I wouldn't ache for a baby so much if I appreciated how much responsibility was involved in parenting.
Let's face it-no one can fully appreciate the responsibilities involved in parenting until they are, themselves, parents. That is true whether you successfully conceived after one month or after 10 years. The length of time you spend waiting for that baby does not factor in to your appreciation of responsibility. If anything, people who have been trying to become pregnant longer have had more time to think about those responsibilities. They have also probably been around lots of babies as their friends started their families.
Perhaps part of what fuels this perception is that infertile couples have a longer time to "dream" about what being a parent will be like. Like every other couple, we have our fantasies-my child will sleep through the night, would never have a tantrum in public, and will always eat his vegetables. Let us have our fantasies. Those fantasies are some of the few parent-to-be perks that we have-let us have them. You can give us your knowing looks when we discover the truth later.
Don't Gossip About Your Friend's ConditionInfertility treatments are very private and embarrassing, which is why many couples choose to undergo these treatments in secret. Men especially are very sensitive to letting people know about infertility testing, such as sperm counts. Gossiping about infertility is not usually done in a malicious manner. The gossipers are usually well-meaning people who are only trying to find out more about infertility so they can help their loved ones.
Regardless of why you are sharing this information with someone else, it hurts and embarrasses your friend to find out that Madge the bank teller knows what your husband's sperm count is and when your next period is expected. Infertility is something that should be kept as private as your friend wants to keep it. Respect your friend's privacy, and don't share any information that your friend hasn't authorized.
Don't Push Adoption (Yet)Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another.
You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So, the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby.
Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself.
So, what can you say to your infertile friends? Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas.
Let Them Know That You CareThe best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone.
Remember Them on Mother's DayWith all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it-There are ads on the TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law.
Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them.
Support Their Decision to Stop TreatmentsNo couple can endure infertility treatments forever. At some point, they will stop. This is an agonizing decision to make, and it involves even more grief. Even if the couple chooses to adopt a baby, they must still first grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes.
Once the couple has made the decision to stop treatments, support their decision. Don't encourage them to try again, and don't discourage them from adopting, if that is their choice. Once the couple has reached resolution (whether to live without children, adopt a child, or become foster parents), they can finally put that chapter of their lives behind them. Don't try to open that chapter again.
This past month my husband and I got some pretty discouraging news from the Doctor and it was kind of the final blow and it forced me to really come to terms with where we are at in our journey to start a family. We have only been able to do some low level fertility treatments, having always seen IVF as too much of a financial hurdle. Adoption is also expensive, and the confusion comes from which direction should we go in? After the last attempt at the Doctor's we said; if this doesn't work we will shelf the whole thing for a few months and when we sell our calf crop for the year we will revisit our finances, seriously discuss and make a decision about what avenue to persue.
I have to say for the first time in 5 years I relaxed! The baby making pressure went out of our bedroom! When you are trying to have a baby it can feel like it isn't just the two of you; it is the doctor's and the pills and the temperature taking and the calander and all you friends and family
(that you feel like you are disappointing by not getting pregnant) are in there with you and it can take all the fun right out of it. I have to say we were relaxed and having fun again, just the two of us!
Then the heartache started again, another one of my friends announced she is pregnant after only trying for a month. It is painful to reflect on how many friends and family members are having more and more babies each year and that joy just keeps passing you by. However, the guilt that comes along with not being able to be really excited for a friend is the hardest part. The guilt sucks you right back into the stress and confusion of why you can't have the only thing you have ever wanted in life and it comes so easy for other people.
It is not that I don't want my friends to get pregnant and have families, I do! I wouldn't wish this on anyone let alone someone I care about. I am happy for my friends and family when they give that wonderful news but can't help but feel my own heart breaking. Just as I was getting to a good place it is like someone unitentionally punches you in the stomach.
Feeling pretty sorry for myself and unable to sleep I sumbled across this great article and had myself a good cry, I am much better today. I wanted to share the article here, for anyone who may be going thru a similar situation or knows someone going thru it.
Infertility Etiquette
by: Vita Alligood
Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are woefully uninformed about how to best provide emotional support for our loved ones during this painful time.
Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. When a loved one dies, he isn't coming back. There is no hope that he will come back from the dead. You must work through the stages of grief, accept that you will never see this person again, and move on with your life.
The grief of infertility is not so cut and dry. Infertile people grieve the loss of the baby that they may never know. They grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. But, each month, there is the hope that maybe that baby will be conceived after all. No matter how hard they try to prepare themselves for bad news, they still hope that this month will be different. Then, the bad news comes again, and the grief washes over the infertile couple anew. This process happens month after month, year after year. It is like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal.
As the couple moves into infertility treatments, the pain increases while the bank account depletes. The tests are invasive and embarrassing to both parties, and you feel like the doctor has taken over your bedroom. And for all of this discomfort, you pay a lot of money.
A couple will eventually resolve the infertility problem in one of three ways:
They will stop the infertility treatments and choose to live without children.
They will find an alternative way to parent, such as by adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
Don't Tell Them to RelaxEveryone knows someone who had trouble conceiving but then finally became pregnant once she "relaxed." Couples who are able to conceive after a few months of "relaxing" are not infertile. By definition, a couple is not diagnosed as "infertile" until they have tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for a full year. In fact, most infertility specialists will not treat a couple for infertility until they have tried to become pregnant for a year. This year weeds out the people who aren't infertile but just need to "relax." Those that remain are truly infertile.
Comments such as "just relax" or "try going on a cruise" create even more stress for the infertile couple, particularly the woman. The woman feels like she is doing something wrong when, in fact, there is a good chance that there is a physical problem preventing her from becoming pregnant.
These comments can also reach the point of absurdity. As a couple, my husband and I underwent two surgeries, numerous inseminations, hormone treatments, and four years of poking and prodding by doctors. Yet, people still continued to say things like, "If you just relaxed on a cruise . . ." Infertility is a diagnosable medical problem that must be treated by a doctor, and even with treatment, many couples will NEVER successfully conceive a child. Relaxation itself does not cure medical infertility.
Don't Minimize the ProblemFailure to conceive a baby is a very painful journey. Infertile couples are surrounded by families with children. These couples watch their friends give birth to two or three children, and they watch those children grow while the couple goes home to the silence of an empty house. These couples see all of the joy that a child brings into someone's life, and they feel the emptiness of not being able to experience the same joy.
Comments like, "Just enjoy being able to sleep late . . . .travel . . etc.," do not offer comfort. Instead, these comments make infertile people feel like you are minimizing their pain. You wouldn't tell somebody whose parent just died to be thankful that he no longer has to buy Father's Day or Mother's Day cards. Losing that one obligation doesn't even begin to compensate for the incredible loss of losing a parent. In the same vein, being able to sleep late or travel does not provide comfort to somebody who desperately wants a child.
Don't Say There Are Worse Things That Could HappenAlong the same lines, don't tell your friend that there are worse things that she could be going through. Who is the final authority on what is the "worst" thing that could happen to someone? Is it going through a divorce? Watching a loved one die? Getting raped? Losing a job?
Different people react to different life experiences in different ways. To someone who has trained his whole life for the Olympics, the "worst" thing might be experiencing an injury the week before the event. To someone who has walked away from her career to become a stay-at-home wife for 40 years, watching her husband leave her for a younger woman might be the "worst" thing. And, to a woman whose sole goal in life has been to love and nurture a child, infertility may indeed be the "worst" thing that could happen.
People wouldn't dream of telling someone whose parent just died, "It could be worse: both of your parents could be dead." Such a comment would be considered cruel rather than comforting. In the same vein, don't tell your friend that she could be going through worse things than infertility.
Don't Say They Aren't Meant to Be ParentsOne of the cruelest things anyone ever said to me is, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be a mother." How incredibly insensitive to imply that I would be such a bad mother that God felt the need to divinely sterilize me. If God were in the business of divinely sterilizing women, don't you think he would prevent the pregnancies that end in abortions? Or wouldn't he sterilize the women who wind up neglecting and abusing their children? Even if you aren't religious, the "maybe it's not meant to be" comments are not comforting. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment from God or Mother Nature.
Don't Ask Why They Aren't Trying IVFIn vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method in which the woman harvests multiple eggs, which are then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. This is the method that can produce multiple births. People frequently ask, "Why don't you just try IVF?" in the same casual tone they would use to ask, "Why don't you try shopping at another store?"
Don't Be CrudeIt is appalling that I even have to include this paragraph, but some of you need to hear this-Don't make crude jokes about your friend's vulnerable position. Crude comments like "I'll donate the sperm" or "Make sure the doctor uses your sperm for the insemination" are not funny, and they only irritate your friends.
Don't Complain About Your PregnancyThis message is for pregnant women-Just being around you is painful for your infertile friends. Seeing your belly grow is a constant reminder of what your infertile friend cannot have. Unless an infertile women plans to spend her life in a cave, she has to find a way to interact with pregnant women. However, there are things you can do as her friend to make it easier.
The number one rule is DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY. I understand from my friends that, when you are pregnant, your hormones are going crazy and you experience a lot of discomfort, such as queasiness, stretch marks, and fatigue. You have every right to vent about the discomforts to any one else in your life, but don't put your infertile friend in the position of comforting you.
Your infertile friend would give anything to experience the discomforts you are enduring because those discomforts come from a baby growing inside of you. When I heard a pregnant woman complain about morning sickness, I would think, "I'd gladly throw up for nine straight months if it meant I could have a baby." When a pregnant woman would complain about her weight gain, I would think, "I would cut off my arm if I could be in your shoes."
I managed to go to baby showers and hospitals to welcome my friends' new babies, but it was hard. Without exception, it was hard. Stay sensitive to your infertile friend's emotions, and give her the leeway that she needs to be happy for you while she cries for herself. If she can't bring herself to hold your new baby, give her time. She isn't rejecting you or your new baby; she is just trying to work her way through her pain to show sincere joy for you. The fact that she is willing to endure such pain in order to celebrate your new baby with you speaks volumes about how much your friendship means to her.
Don't Treat Them Like They Are IgnorantFor some reason, some people seem to think that infertility causes a person to become unrealistic about the responsibilities of parenthood. I don't follow the logic, but several people told me that I wouldn't ache for a baby so much if I appreciated how much responsibility was involved in parenting.
Let's face it-no one can fully appreciate the responsibilities involved in parenting until they are, themselves, parents. That is true whether you successfully conceived after one month or after 10 years. The length of time you spend waiting for that baby does not factor in to your appreciation of responsibility. If anything, people who have been trying to become pregnant longer have had more time to think about those responsibilities. They have also probably been around lots of babies as their friends started their families.
Perhaps part of what fuels this perception is that infertile couples have a longer time to "dream" about what being a parent will be like. Like every other couple, we have our fantasies-my child will sleep through the night, would never have a tantrum in public, and will always eat his vegetables. Let us have our fantasies. Those fantasies are some of the few parent-to-be perks that we have-let us have them. You can give us your knowing looks when we discover the truth later.
Don't Gossip About Your Friend's ConditionInfertility treatments are very private and embarrassing, which is why many couples choose to undergo these treatments in secret. Men especially are very sensitive to letting people know about infertility testing, such as sperm counts. Gossiping about infertility is not usually done in a malicious manner. The gossipers are usually well-meaning people who are only trying to find out more about infertility so they can help their loved ones.
Regardless of why you are sharing this information with someone else, it hurts and embarrasses your friend to find out that Madge the bank teller knows what your husband's sperm count is and when your next period is expected. Infertility is something that should be kept as private as your friend wants to keep it. Respect your friend's privacy, and don't share any information that your friend hasn't authorized.
Don't Push Adoption (Yet)Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another.
You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So, the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby.
Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself.
So, what can you say to your infertile friends? Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas.
Let Them Know That You CareThe best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone.
Remember Them on Mother's DayWith all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it-There are ads on the TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law.
Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them.
Support Their Decision to Stop TreatmentsNo couple can endure infertility treatments forever. At some point, they will stop. This is an agonizing decision to make, and it involves even more grief. Even if the couple chooses to adopt a baby, they must still first grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes.
Once the couple has made the decision to stop treatments, support their decision. Don't encourage them to try again, and don't discourage them from adopting, if that is their choice. Once the couple has reached resolution (whether to live without children, adopt a child, or become foster parents), they can finally put that chapter of their lives behind them. Don't try to open that chapter again.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Nutritional Qualities of Beef: Myths and Facts
Healthy living is an everyday life choice, don't get me wrong I definately don't always make the right choice and I cave for those oreos but, a great way to eat healthy is to keep beef on your menu daily, and it would probably help to cut the oreos out (hey I buy the low fat ones). A common error that comes from a commonly held belief that all calories are the same and we are what we eat. Instead, recent research shows we are what our body does with what we eat. For example refined carbohydrates are quickly converted to blood glucose. The pancreas releases insulin to keep glucose levels stable by converting any excess to fat and storing it in cells. (dang...those low fat oreos just turn into fat) This remarkably efficient process results in obesity and diet related health problems. With the help of Texas Beef Council, Range Magazine the NCBA & USDA. I want to dispel some of the myths regarding the healthy fats found in meat.
Myth #1 Beef is too fattening, it wouldn't be considered a part of a healthy diet and leads to obesity.
Fact #1 According to research compiled by the Texas Beef Council, beef is ounce for ounce just as lean as chicken. On average 3 oz of lean beef contains only 6 grams of fat. By the way, that is less than a tablespoon of olive oil, and fewer calories than a bagel or soda. The American Dietetic Association does not recommend the elimination of fat in the diet, as it is a necessary nutrient needed for energy and the transport of nutrients, but instead warns us just not to overdo it! However, the ongoing Framingham heart study that began in 1948 wrote in 1992 Archives of Internal Medicine: "The people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat and ate the most calories weighed the least and were the most physically active." That is my kind of guy, but note that the people he followed started in 1948 when our food was not mostly processes preserved carbohydrates but a lot of people were still consuming food they grew or their neighbors grew, and those people who are still alive today probably still maintain a lot of their same eating habbits, I'm just sayin.....
Myth #2 Chicken always contains less fat than beef.-
Fact #2 Let’s look at how the seven skinny cuts of beef compared to chicken. According to research compiled by the Texas Beef Council, beef is ounce for ounce just as lean as chicken.
Figure 1 – Texas Beef Council Research
A chicken thigh tops the chart! Not only can you realize the benefit of eating beef in place of chicken thighs for a healthier, lower fat protein source, but did you know that beef contains greater levels of other nutrients that make it nutritionally superior as well?
Myth #3 All protein sources are created equal
Fact #3 Calorie for calorie, lean beef has more nutrients than any other food source. Beef is packed with necessary nutrients. One important benefit of red meat is to preserve the integrity of cells with cholesterol and saturated fat & specific nutrients found in high quantities in red meat; a great example is Iron. Iron helps to deliver oxygen to your cells and muscles, which gives you the energy you need to make it through that afternoon slump, chase your children around, or to spend a day in the saddle. On average beef contains 3 times more iron than chicken.
These are your choices…This illustrates how many more calories you would have to consume to reach the same nutritional level as 3oz of lean beef vs. other food choices
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Meatloaf
What a way to start off a beef cooking blog; some would say....Meatloaf???? Well; It's what's for dinner tonight. I put this blog up a couple weeks ago and have been thinking about doing it for a few years now. We have been deep in the middle of calving season and most of my cooking has been done at around midnight when we might get in for a couple of hours. I have jumped on my blog the last couple of days and to my astonishment a few people have looked at it! I guess I better share a recipe then...so here it goes....
MEATLOAF: It is moist and tastey, you won't need to drench it in ketchup. It is one of My Cowboy's favorites. He has been fixing fence all day, the snow drifts have finally started to melt and boy do they do a number on the fences. He will need something hearty like meatloaf and mashed potatoes for supper.
What you will need:
2lbs ground beef - preferably lean and farm fresh, believe me it makes a difference! If you don't know how to get a hold of some let me know I can give you some tips
1 large onion
1 cup oatmeal
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 dash of ground pepper
3 large eggs - again, preferably farm fresh, come on over and get some if you need; I have eggs comming out my ears!
1 can of pasta sauce (26oz) I often use homemade canned pasta sauce but I am out so the best buy at the grocery store will do. I will post a recipe when I do some more canning.
1 cup shredded cheese. I used the cheddar/jack mix this time but whatever you have on hand or prefer is good.
optional ingredients: I sometimes chop up a green or red pepper and mix them in .
A tablespoon or two of BBQ sauce can also be good.
NOTE: None of my recipes are set in stone; I use what I have on hand and what I think might taste good.
So have fun and be creative if you so wish :)
Instructions:
MEATLOAF: It is moist and tastey, you won't need to drench it in ketchup. It is one of My Cowboy's favorites. He has been fixing fence all day, the snow drifts have finally started to melt and boy do they do a number on the fences. He will need something hearty like meatloaf and mashed potatoes for supper.
What you will need:
2lbs ground beef - preferably lean and farm fresh, believe me it makes a difference! If you don't know how to get a hold of some let me know I can give you some tips
1 large onion
1 cup oatmeal
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 dash of ground pepper
3 large eggs - again, preferably farm fresh, come on over and get some if you need; I have eggs comming out my ears!
1 can of pasta sauce (26oz) I often use homemade canned pasta sauce but I am out so the best buy at the grocery store will do. I will post a recipe when I do some more canning.
1 cup shredded cheese. I used the cheddar/jack mix this time but whatever you have on hand or prefer is good.
A tablespoon or two of BBQ sauce can also be good.
NOTE: None of my recipes are set in stone; I use what I have on hand and what I think might taste good.
So have fun and be creative if you so wish :)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425
- Chop onion, try not to cry, light a match blow it out and wave the smoke close to your eyes if you do.
- Add ground beef, onion, cheese, salt, pepper, oatmeal, and flour to a large bowl
- Crack eggs and add to the mixture
- Add pasta sauce
- Remove your wedding ring and get your hands dirty...oh I skipped a step; wash your hands thoroughly before beginning cooking.
- Use both hands and knead everything together
- Grease a bread pan (9x6x3) If you don't have those exact dimensions, no worries use what you have.
- Fill pan with meat mixture
- Cover with tin foil
- Put in the oven
- Cook at 425 for 90minutes or until done thru but not dried out.
- Uncover and add a sprinkling of cheese place back in the oven uncovered to melt the cheese
- Let cool a little and serve to a hungry family or Cowboy
- Tonight I am serving with mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli with cheese sauce. Wish me luck getting My Cowboy to eat his veggies.
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