where's the beef

one of my very favorite soups....mmm...

Growing up, I didn't think twice about beef. 

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it.....I just ate it. 

Oh--except meatloaf. I never ever liked meatloaf (still can't do it).

Robby and I got married young (I was 19, child bride.....remember?) and literally couldn't afford to buy beef. Maybe every now and then for a special Sunday dinner.....of Hamburger Helper.

A few years later and I just didn't like it. Not because of ethical reasons, not because of health reasons....I just didn't like beef. I'd make chili every now and then with hamburger, and that was about it. 

Not even burgers (crazy, right?)

And then I started learning more and more about the meat industry and how so much of our country's beef is......raised? Or should I say, CREATED.
I feel like some of those places treat cows so poorly they are hardly even animals anymore.

And then I REALLY didn't want to eat beef....it just seemed gross to me.
But then sometime in that phase of my life, I decided I really loved a good hamburger....
.....so I educated myself about other options. 

You know, like real cows. 

I grew up in Montana--more cows than people. I could look in any direction from my house and see cows. Happy, hay-eating cows that would someday make a fantastic burger.
I researched and found places where WE live that sold local beef and bought it here and there when we could.
And then this spring we found a local farmer selling his meat in bulk.....and we went for it.
My freezer is now fully stocked with 1/4 of a cow.
You guys.....that is SO much meat.
hamburger, steaks, roasts, ribs.
all of it.
It was so much cheaper to buy it in bulk, and I love that I know exactly where it came from.
It lived outside, under the blue sky and grew up a real, live, mooing cow.
That being said, I do love a good burger and if we are out for dinner after a long day on the trail I don't question where the meat came from. I realize not everyone is using local beef, and that's ok (remember THIS post? Don't stress).
We eat local when we can, if if we can't oh well.
If you don't eat red meat, great! If you eat whatever meat you can find, that's great too.
I just encourage you to seek out what you feel is best for you and your family, forget what others are doing.

This is one of my absolute favorite soups to make ( I posted it last winter HERE ....also one of my favorite blog posts)

My family devours it every time, and it's a great way to use up some of that beef in my freezer.

Beef and Butternut Stew

original recipe by Giada

I changed:

2lbs of beef down to 1lb......2 was just way more beef than we eat. 

-Added some diced potatoes in place of the 1lb of beef.

-swapped out the Marsala. 

-added a bit more garlic and sundried tomatoes (because why not?)

this makes aLOT of stew, and will feed my family twice when we eat it with salad and bread.

3 TBS olive oil 

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 

1 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 cup Marsala wine (we don't drink wine so I don't have any Marsala on hand. I used 1/2 cup good quality grape juice + 1TBS red wine vinegar)

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 

3 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 

3 to 4 cups beef broth 

 Directions

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine (or grape juice+vinegar if you are like me:). Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash, potatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef, potatoes, and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour-I simmered it for about 3. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with toasted bread and enjoy!

Also, if you would like to become more educated about the meat industry, I encourage you to watch Food Inc. There are so many other films and books available for further learning, but I feel like Food Inc is very well done and covers all the basics without exaggerating the truth. 

Now I have a question for YOU.....
What are some of your favorite recipes with beef?
We really have never eaten alot, and I don't have too many go-to recipes. 
Share with me your favorites!





oh hey! and speaking of beef.......
locals don't forget to come join Whitney and I tonight at Cubby's in Provo. 
We will NOT have books for sale this time (order online HERE), but we may do another signing next month with books available for purchase. 

noteworthy: Utah friends want to enjoy the BEST burger that does use local beef: check out Copper Onion!

blogged 1 year ago: strength to the body and soul (one of my favorite fall hikes)