Chicken Pasta Alfredo

Real comfort food is the very best thing in life.  This is something you can prepare quickly, because comfort does not have to be time consuming, and it will delight all diners.

In a large skillet heat two tablespoons butter and add three boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Sprinkle chicken with one tablespoon tarragon, a shake of garlic salt and course ground black pepper.  Turn chicken and let cook for three minutes.  Remove the breasts one at a time and cut into large bite size pieces then return to pan.  Continue to cook chicken until it is white all the way through.  Do not over- cook.

While preparing the chicken, heat a large pot of water, adding two teaspoons of salt.  When the water boils add your favorite pasta, radiatore is especially nice, but linguini or fettuccini work perfectly and are more traditional.  Add one pound of the pasta to boiling water and cook, uncovered for 10-12 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, melt together in a heavy saucepan, one stick butter, one 8 ounce package cream cheese, one cup heavy cream and one half cup grated parmesan cheese.  (don’t save calories by using fat free substitutes, you will lose the creamy flavor) Stir frequently until the butter and the cream cheese are completely melted and the ingredients are combined.

Drain your pasta completely and place on a platter, then sprinkle with course ground black pepper.  Spread the cooked chicken over the top of the pasta and cover with the sauce.  Serve with grape tomatoes halved and sprinkled around the platter as garnish. 

This isn’t a dish you would eat often, but when you do, enjoy every bite.  The ingredients are genuine and fresh, and worth the splurge!

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Image via Wikipedia

We’ve been anticipating its arrival and now it is upon us.  Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and you are feeling that great sense of panic, because it is a widely known fact that men are not the only people who leave their shopping for the last minute.  Take heart, we’ve got you covered.  We have cowboy hats, denim dusters, spurs, bolo ties, knives, animal hide throws and some rockin’ signs that will help him bring a little of the ranch to his stuffy old office.   There is a lot to look at and inspire you because we believe in romance at Pine Country Feed and we can help you get yours in place without even breathing hard.  So stop in and we’ll get you saddled up for your best ever Valentine’s Day and a refreshing recharge for your epic romance.

As Legend Has It

Image via Wikipedia

The great thing about the days before video cameras and fast assimilation of information is that you could make your personal history be anything you wanted it to be, which was exactly what Calamity Jane, Wild West legend, did.  Much of Jane Canary’s life as she tells it is unfounded or uncorroborated, including her romance with Wild Bill Hickok.  Jane had a tremendous crush on Wild Bill and after his death made claims that he was the father of her daughter Jane, whom she had given for adoption to Mr. and Mrs. Jim O’Neill with only a couple problems.  There was never any record of a baby or of an adoption, or of the O’Neills.   She was a true frontier woman, however, able to shoot and hunt, and basically care for her five siblings when they were left orphaned at the death of their parents.  She did everything she could to put food in their mouths, working as a dish washer, dance hall girl, a cook, a waitress, an ox team driver, a nurse and a prostitute.  She claimed her nickname, Calamity Jane, came from her single handedly saving Captain Egan during a cavalry battle after which he gave her the name.  There was never a record of his rescue, or the battle she claimed to be fighting in, or any record of Jane ever fighting in a battle alongside the cavalry at all.  It was believed by most that her warning to men that they would come up against “calamity” if they messed with her is what actually gave her the title.  Despite her penchant for exaggeration, or even outright lying, Jane was popular in western culture.  Though illiterate and “imaginative” she was pretty, warm hearted and generous to a fault, and one of the west’s most industrious, hard-working characters on record.

She’s Got Legs

Girls!  Girls!  Girls!  The Pine Country Feed Cowgirl Boutique has the latest in leg wear – graphic tights and stockings, with socks that match or not so much.  It is the newest rage in fashion chic and perfect worn with a skirt, or shorts and chunky boots.  Pair the look with a belted sweater and you are on the fashion forward track to comfortable, “can’t get enough”, style.  There are piles of colors and patterns to choose from and they are made to be mixed to suit your mood.  They provide a great break from the usual winter garb, and what a fun way to show off those fabulous legs of yours without getting frost bite.  Pass this along to your Valentine and let him know that we are giving free, yes FREE, gift wrap on Valentine’s purchases, and we promise, while he’s here we’ll make sure he sees our stunning jewelry, watches and handbags, also gift wrappable and perfect for the girl of his dreams.

V-Day

If you haven’t thought about it, it’s time you did.  Valentine’s Day is February 14^th, like it is every year, and that means it is coming quickly.  Since it is indeed the same date every year, there are no real excuses for forgetting.  People who forget anniversaries or birthdays are thoughtless, but the ones who forget Valentine’s Day have no excuses.  They are mean.  The great thing about this holiday is that it doesn’t revolve around how much you spend but rather around the fact that you thought of another person, be it your grandmother, your best friend, the guy who runs the toll booth, or your sweetheart.  Treat your loved one to your creative genius by giving a handmade card with glitter and ribbons.  Bake heart shaped cookies and frost them with pale pink icing – put them in a basket with a half pound of your favorite coffee blend.  Give your spouse one heart shaped item for every year you have been married and it doesn’t have to be expensive – soaps, candles, notepads, earrings – can all be found in heart shapes, and placed in a tissue lined heart shaped box, they will be a treasure.  Try to remember that there is nothing worse than not being thought of on the day Americans set aside for love, so remember them all.  The best Valentine you will ever receive is the one you give yourself when you show that you care.

Presidentially Speaking

Some of the most sensible beings ever to grace the White House grounds are the horses of the Presidents.  When the country was just beginning, horses were the best means of transportation, and many of our presidents have been land owners, country folk, who loved a daily ride for the exercise and the chance to clear their heads.  George Washington started the tradition by bringing his horses to his presidency, always white horses and always six.  He kept them in gleaming condition and was even known to brush their teeth.  Thomas Jefferson was said to love to ride, but he never mounted a horse before wiping its back with his handkerchief to remove any unwanted dirt.  All of the presidents who rode during their time at the white house paid for their own horses and their feed, and purchased their own riding accompaniments.  Ronald Reagan may have been the greatest lover of horses in modern times.  He was partial to Arabians and he and wife Nancy rode at their California ranch whenever they broke away for a vacation.  There is something about a leader who understands the value of a horse.  Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”  He was a smart man.

Who’s Hungry?

Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional dish from the British Isles, loved for its deep meaty flavor and hearty textures.  It is easy to make and something tasty enough to serve to guests.

Brown 3 pounds of steak (your favorite cut), thinly sliced into bite sizes, one large chopped onion and two cloves of minced garlic in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  When the onions are tender and the meat browned on all sides add one quarter cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups of Swanson’s Beef Broth (it is less salty than other brands) one bottle of your favorite dark ale, and three to four carrots sliced.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  After twenty minutes add one bag of petit frozen peas and continue to simmer. 

While the beef mixture simmers, cut six large peeled red or gold potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in a pan of salted water on high heat.  When the potatoes boil turn down, but let the water continue to boil for fifteen minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.   Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander so that they are dry.  Return to pan, add six tablespoons of sliced butter, garlic salt and coarse ground pepper to taste, two teaspoons of ground sage and one third cup heated half and half.  Mash potatoes until creamy and spices are incorporated.

When the beef has simmered for one half hour and the liquid has reduced by about a third, transfer to oblong glass pan.  Sprinkle mixture with two tablespoons of flour, spread mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with one half cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake pie in a 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately from oven with a green salad or sliced tomatoes.  When you receive rave reviews, be humble and say it was just something you threw together.

War Horse

The recently released film, War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from a children’s novel written in 1982 by Michael Morpurgo, tells the story of a horse loved and raised by a boy in England  prior to and during World War I.  There is always a fear in animal movies that the film will endear a creature to the audience then snatch it away in a poignant ending scene.  There is a tendency in film makers and some writers to believe that children need to face the harshness of life by dealing with the death of a pet.  This hopelessly shortsighted philosophy has ruined many a novel or movie over the years for those of us whose hearts are shredded most easily by the suffering of an animal.  It is our pleasure however, to inform the hesitant movie going public, that though the story of the War Horse named Joey, does take the gallant creature through seemingly endless difficulties, facing the full onslaught of a devastating war, the audience is rewarded with a victorious ending, which makes it worth the price of admission.  There is nothing more gratifying than beating the odds, and Joey’s story lets us beat them soundly.

Uncommon Friendship

 

 

Scent of a friend.

Come the White Horse

Say the word thunder and an image of skies flashing and clouds crashing come to mind, but around here, in Bronco Country, say the word Thunder and an eleven year old white Arabian, and the mascot for the Denver Broncos comes into view.  It is only natural that Denver would name their team the Broncos, which refers to “bronco busting,” which is when a cowboy deliberately seats himself on the back of horse that does not in any way want him there.  The goal is to stay on the horse for eight seconds, not a long time, unless you’re being tossed in the air by a twelve hundred pound animal that is literally frantic to land you in the next county.  This image works both for Colorado and the Broncos because we are all about taking chances, thundering hooves, muscled chests and flaring nostrils, and when we think of Thunder we think of the white, sleek Arabian that races out of the portal on a Sunday afternoon to the roaring crowds of Sports Authority Field.  Thunder represents that undying belief that lives in the heart of every Bronco fan, that regardless of last week’s outcome, we are winners and we will again be on top, because that is what we do in Colorado.  We change the plan, get creative, believe like a bunch of kids, plant both feet firmly on the ground, work it like we mean it, knowing that tomorrow is another day and we’ll be there, ready to win, and happy to shout about it.  Saddle up, Thunder, we are ready to ride!