Merry Christmas Y'all!

Well, here it is - Christmas Night.  All the presents have been unwrapped, the food devoured, and family has gone home.  Now we wait another long 364 days to do it all over again!  But what remain
s is so much more special than the material objects we receive.  This is a day for giving and selflessness, and one that I always use to reconnect with my family and reflect on the past year.  It's sort of my wrap up of each year, because over the next few days I'm always busy at Arizona National Livestock Show.



So, this year.  What a whirlwind it has been!  I've had so many incredible things happen and I've seen some awesome places in Texas.  I still have a long list of places to visit, so my travel partner should be ready!  It's been a year of learning and year of taking wild leaps of faith.  And those leaps have certainly paid off!  Becoming a part of the 2015 National Beef Ambassador Team has by far and away taken the stage as the highlight of my year.  My team is so incredibly supportive and I am so excited to start traveling the beginning of the year!  I feel like my life is finally beginning.

My Wonderful Team

Repping our College Symbols!

I've also completed another semester at the great Texas A&M (Whoop!).  I absolutely couldn't love my school or being an Aggie any more than I already do.  Finally, I've become closer with lots of amazing people.  It always seems funny to me that you find the best people in the strangest times in your life.  So, all in all, it's been a fantastic year and I'm hoping to finish strong with my cattle at AZ Nationals.

Ugly Sweater Party

Out Shooting

I hope that everyone has had as wonderful of a year as I have.  Even though I know lots of people who have been knocked around a few times, I hope we can all support each other and all be able to find hope and love once again.  There's no better feeling to me than knowing that I made someone smile or helped them just a little on their journey!  I truly hope everyone has a great 2015 and that everything will work out for the best no matter your situation!







With much love,

Alicia

Beef - Not Just For Hamburgers!

I don't know about anyone else, but beef is not only an everyday meal, but also celebration dinner!  Instead of cooking ham on Christmas, my family prefers prime rib (even though this year we are having Mexican)!  And if we ever need to celebrate, there is absolutely nothing better than a good steak!  In fact, it is tradition that after a good cattle show, we go out to eat at a nice restaurant, and we always order beef!

I recently found an AWESOME recipe for prime rib, and hope to try it out soon.  Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to find a great chart on different temperatures for cooking beef!

(Serves about 8-10)

Ingredients:

1 (3-bone) Beef Prime Rib Roast*, about 5-6 lbs.

4 cloves of garlic, peeled, divided use
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil

-Preheat the oven to 425 degrees; line a baking sheet with foil.

-Make 8 small slits into the rib roast (4 on top and 4 on the bottom) about ½” – 1” deep; take two of the cloves of garlic, and quarter them creating 8 smaller pieces; stuff the pieces of garlic into the slits.

-Next, take the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, press them through a garlic press and add them into a small bowl; to the pressed garlic, add the chopped, fresh rosemary leaves and the remainder of the ingredients through the olive oil; mix the ingredients until well combined, and rub this over the rib roast, covering it completely 

-Place the roast fat-side up onto the baking sheet, and place the roast into the oven; cook for 45 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 375, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes at which point you will cover the roast lightly with foil, and allow it to continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes 

(http://thecozyapron.com/a-cozy-holiday-herb-crusted-prime-rib-and-savoring-the-flavor-of-a-holiday-splurge/ )

Character

Character is who you are when no one is watching you.  

This is honestly one of my favorite quotes (and I LOVE quotes)! It packs so much meaning into one small sentence and really makes you take a step back and think twice.  Can you honestly say that you wouldn't be ashamed of some of the choices you have made?  Are you the person you want to be when no one else is watching?

How often have you wondered what someone does when they are all by themselves?  Maybe alone with their calf in an empty barn before the show, or when their significant other isn't around.  How often do these people, who seem so kind and honest in person, actually stick to those values when no one is around?  I would like to think that the majority of people are the same, honest person I know, even when they have every opportunity to cheat or bend the rules.

Before you go to cheating, no matter how justified you may think it is, take a moment to stop and think about who you may be hurting.  Not just yourself, but about whose life you could also be affecting.  I have seen too many show critters taken to back barns, or even bent the rules in plain sight, simply because they had the right name.  It truly bothers me that things are the way they are, and that we can't all just play a fair game and let everyone have a chance at glory, based on how much effort and determination they put in.

There are so many people that are good people inside and out, and will stay true to their word no matter what.  Surrounding yourself with good, honest people is one of the best things you can do for yourself.  These people have strong character and integrity, and you know that you can count on them to be there and support you, in both the good times and the bad.  Most importantly, they are the same person behind closed doors as they are in a crowd of people when everyone is watching.

You Might be a Cattle Girl If.....

Years ago, when I started livestock judging, I was told that you would begin judging everything - from oranges to boys and anything in between.  Livestock judging taught me to evaluate things with a critical eye and how to rank items.  Sure enough,  I began doing so.  I could never be asked my opinion between two items without giving an itemized list of what was good and bad about each, before telling you which one "won the class".  Cattle have just worked their way into everything I do.

Raising hair steers taught me a lot about hair care, more so than any of my friends could!  I learned to tease my hair from balling tails on steers.  I also learned really great hair tricks from working hair on my cattle (Revive makes pretty awesome conditioner and vinegar is great monthly hair treatment!)  Recently, I bought some new mascara, as I have affinity for big eyelashes and it is the only makeup I use.  The package arrived in the mail and I couldn't wait to try it out!  Step one, apply normal mascara lightly.  Step two, apply transpiring gel, then quickly apply lash builder.  Step three, apply final coat of transpiring gel.  As I completed this process and my eyes transformed into big and beautiful, there was but one thing I could think of.  This is EXACTLY how I have twined legs on steers!  The transpiring gel is tail adhesive and lash builder is the twine!

This is the moment when I truly realized how much cattle are a part of my life, and I might just be a little crazy about my cows.  So while you ladies are out learning new tricks to dress up, I'm finding new ways that I can apply those same tips and trends to my cattle!

Being a Leader

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.  When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." - Jack Welch

What an incredible quote!  And how true it is.  When you begin your journey, probably around the start of high school, you look to others that may have more success than you and try to figure out what they did to get where they are.  Eventually, you assume that more knowledgeable position, and it is so important to give back to others and advise them.

Mom and Dad

When I started high school, I had several great mentors, namely my parents. There were also people that I had associations with that taught me how I didn't want to be.  It is important to remember that everyone teaches you something, whether it be good, or bad.  Obviously, my parents were around from day one, and though my mom and I often bicker, she taught me to be strong and she taught me to stick to my guns.  She gave me conviction and confidence in myself, as well as humility and how to be humble.  My dad taught me to not overthink (though I often do), to take a step back and look at the whole issue and how to deal with people in a kind manner.  They both taught me that your reputation precedes you and to never judge a book by it's cover.  These are all qualities I value and I strive to maintain.

Jeff (On left) with our judging Team

Through livestock judging, Jeff Menges helped to further develop my self confidence, and grew my public speaking skills.  Giving sets of oral reasons to judges and trying to convince them that you placed a class correctly requires you to give examples and present that information in an appealing manner.  Diane Bales is also a dear and special friend.  She is someone that, no matter what, always maintains a positive attitude and keeps pushing forward.  She has dedicated her life to helping others and ensuring their success.  All of these people were fundamental to my success, as well as many others that taught me little things along the way.  Without their help and guidance, I am positive I would not be where I am today.

Diane Bales

Jarrett at Fair

Now that I have begun to gain some success and stature, I think it is so incredibly important to give back to others.  There is nothing more enjoyable that helping someone to grow and watching them blossom under your guidance.  And, this is not only applicable to people younger than you.  They could be the same age group, or even older!  Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the Jarvis family through the sale of my lambs.  Jarrett, their oldest son, soon became a good friend of mine, as I helped him to learn about his lamb.  His mom, Stacey, also holds a special place in my heart for her diligence in learning all the technicalities to raising livestock, and supporting Jarrett and his sisters with her help and knowledge.  I always strive to be a positive example for those around me, because I have learned that you never know who may be watching you.  I would like to think that I have valuable things to say, and that I can help others achieve their goals.  Whether this is true, or not, I still will attempt to help other people.


I would like to end with something that I am often affected by, and see happening too often.  Many people think that wisdom comes with age, and that young people are naive and don't have anything to bring to the table.  In some categories, this may be true, but it is certainly not in all.  I can guarantee there are people younger than me that know much more about basketball, or hunting, or even showing pigs.  This is something that is very dear to my heart, because I believe that everyone has something to bring to the table.  And I will never judge someone by their age.  If you know what you're talking about, you know what you're talking about, regardless of any other characteristics.

God's Apology

Last night, after my latest blog, a friend texted me and told me that she really enjoyed it and it was what she needed to hear in her life right now.  What a compliment!  I'm so glad that I could help somebody else by sharing my story.  As the conversation went on, we turned to talking about our other two favorite things besides beef - cats and horses!  Rachel told me something that I laughed at and truly enjoyed, "Cats and Horses are God's Apology for Men."

How true this is!  Our waffle-boxed male counterparts seem to always get under our skin, and they just can't ever seem to understand what we want or need!  They make mistakes, and there isn't a time in our lives when we aren't frustrated with them for something!  Don't get me wrong, some of my greatest friends are male, but sometimes.... those boys!  So, as girls, we've decided that's why we have cats and horses.

There is nothing better than riding bareback and barefoot at full speed across an open area.  It's absolutely magical and it takes my breath away every single time.  Maybe its the adrenaline rush, or the feeling of absolute freedom, but there is nothing comparable to riding a horse and being one with them.  When I went home, I had the chance to ride my two wonderful appaloosas, Blue and Killian.  It was just what I needed to clear my mind and make me laugh.  There's just something about being a partner with a 1,000 pound plus animal and being able to signal them with just body movements, no words needed.

Little Blue Horse

My Killian

Cats are God's other gift.  Y'all may call me a crazy cat lady, and I will proudly agree with you!  I do have conversations with my cats and share my deepest secrets with them.  I swear they understand what I'm saying and they always know how to make me feel better.  Whether it be they are playing together or just doing something goofy, they can always put a smile on my face.  My cats are members of the household, just like my cattle and my horses.  Yes, they do have precedence in the chair over guests, and yes, they do sleep with me.  Tiggy, my orange cat, feels like he has to sleep right beside me at night and requires me to snuggle with him, no matter what.  And, that's okay by me, in fact, I enjoy it and I have a hard time sleeping without him there.  Cassie, my little Burmese, is kind of a nut, but she is so darn funny!  She has this meow that sounds almost like a bark, and she actually enjoys water!  She even fetches balls.  She might not be like any cat I've ever met, but she definitely keeps life interesting!

Cassie sticks her tongue out at things she doesn't like.

Cass

Tiggy taking a nap with me

My critters do mean the world to me, and they love unconditionally.  As long as you provide them with food and treats, they will do anything for you.  They are quick to forgive and they have this amazing ability to let bygones be bygones.  Even when times are tough, they will be there still demanding attention and ready to put a smile on your face with their goofy antics.

National Beef Ambassador 2015

Well, to say the least, it's been a very eventful week!  I've had a lot of personal drama, but that was overcome by this last weekend.  I was able to represent Texas at the National Beef Ambassador Competition in Denver, Colorado.  We were able to compete in a variety of events, including Issues Response, Consumer Promotions, Media Interview and Education Outreach.  Each of these events required competitors to promote beef in a variety of ways and combat consumer concerns.

The 30 Junior and Senior Competitors

Waiting at our table in the holding room

The competition lasted from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.  On Friday, we performed in Issues Response, which required us to read an anti-beef article and respond to it in 250 words.  The next day, Saturday, we were kept in a holding room for 9 hours while we waited for our various competitions!  To say the least, we got pretty close!  I truly enjoyed this time getting to talk to people from various states and learn about their cattle operations.  The competitions that day were consumer promotion, where we were confronted with various types of consumers and had to speak to them about concerns, media interview where we were interviewed about common misconceptions regarding beef and education outreach where we presented our outreach program.

Saturday evening, we had the awards banquet.  After a nail biting dinner and judges comments, they finally announced the winners!  I was able to claim the top competitor title in Media interview and then was named to the 2015 National Team, along with Kalyn McKibben - Oklahoma, Will Pohlman - Arkansas, Rachel Purdy - Wyoming, and Demi Snider - Ohio.  We spent several hours taking pictures, being interviewed and speaking with various people.

Your 2015 National Beef Ambassador Team! L-R, Kalyn McKibben, Rachel Purdy,
Will Pohlman, Alicia Smith, Demi Snider

Awards Dinner

This year, we will have to opportunity to represent U.S. Beef and visit with industry leaders, in addition to making appearance at various national events to promote beef.  This is definitely the opportunity of a life time!

Our first #beefselfie as a team!

10 Facts about Beef!

Did You Know?

1. On every dollar, only 20 cents goes to the farmer!

2.  97% of Farms are Family Owned!

Monty Rey and my Dad
A Family Business

3.  The Average cow herd size in the U.S. is only 40 Cows!

4. The U.S. produces 20% of the world's beef supply with only 7% of the cows!

5. There are half as many ranchers as there were 30 years ago, but they are feeding double the population!

6. The average age of farmers and ranchers is 65!

Lamb Family

7. Ranching and Farming isn't a rich business - 75% of all U.S. Farms make less than $50,000 per year

8.  Beef Production accounts for only 2.8% of greenhouse gas emissions

9. A 3 ounce serving of beef provides 50% of your daily value of protein!

10. The cattle industry is rigorously monitored to make sure your product is the safest in the world!

The Herd enjoying the shade and pasture

Doing the Little Things Right

I would like to break off from my normal beef advocating spiel and move into something that is more personal.  This is a life lesson I have learned from showing cattle.  You need to do the little things right everytime, day in and day out.  That is the definition of success.

Whether you are showing cattle, or practicing to become the next sports legend, or maybe even trying to reach that coveted "A" in a tough class, you need to do the little things right.  

I grew up showing hair steers, and anyone that has shown these knows the dedication it takes to keep them hairy, even in the winter, let alone those hot, Arizona summers.  Keeping hair on my cattle meant that, after chores, they had to be rinsed with water, given an ice bath, combed, then either blown dry or roto-fluffed and partially dried.  I spent hours working my cattle, and to me, there is nothing more relaxing than working hair - it gives you time to think.  I made sure that my their hair was worked at exactly the right angles, and that every part of that cow was worked.  I made sure not to forget, "legs have four sides," "hair starts at the hoof," and to brush down, forward, then up.

Culmination of genetics, and hard work

Working every day in the chute

This is a lesson I learned by putting in a lot of elbow grease, and the reward wasn't instantaneous.  In fact, it was often months away, at the next show, when I was able to go get that purple banner, or blue rosette.  I have carried this through to other areas of my life.  The chemistry lesson you learned last week and will be tested on could mean the difference between you passing and failing a course, and ultimately, this could affect your graduation time.  Everything is intertwined and eventually you will see the results of your actions.

Some people call me a perfectionist, and I proudly own up to this.  I take the time to do the little things right every time, because the show isn't won on showday.

Go BOLD with Beef!

BOLD is an acronym that stands for Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet.  A study done by Penn State University and published in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition coined the term and have proven that eating beef is heart healthy.  This study found that lean beef actually helped to LOWER cholesterol levels!  In fact, it lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) by 10%!  That's exciting if you ask me!  Here is the link to that study: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2011/12/13/ajcn.111.016261.full.pdf+html

Delicious LEAN Beef!

This means that beef can be part of a healthy diet and can help to combat America's largest epidemic, obesity.  Below is a chart that explains several different diets, and how the BOLD diet stacked up.

	HAD	DASH	BOLD	BOLD-PLUS
Calories	2,097 kCal	2,106 kCal	2,100 kCal	2,104 kCal
Protein (% of total calories)	17%	18%	19%	27%
Carbohydrate (% of total calories)	50%	55%	54%	45%
Fat (% of total calories)	33%	27%	28%	28%
Saturated Fat (% of total calories)	12%	6%	6%	6%
Monounsaturated Fat (%of total calories)	11%	9%	11%	12%
Polyunsaturated Fat (% of total calories)	7%	8%	7%	7%
Lean Beef (oz./day before cooking)	0.7	1.0	4.0	5.4

HAD - Healthy American Diet
Control diet.  More refined grains, full-fat dairy products, oil and butter.  Aimed to reflect current American dietary habits.

DASH - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
Considered the "Gold Standard" heart-healthy diet, this eating plan features vegetables, fruits, and low fat dairy and limited red meat and sweets.  Primary protein is white meat and plant protein.

BOLD - Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet
Similar to DASH diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans), and protein amount, but used lean beef (4 oz./day) as primary protein source.

BOLD-PLUS - Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet Plus
Similar to BOLD diet, but with higher protein and lean beef intake (5.4 oz./day)

Taken from:http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/CMDocs/BIWFD/Bold/BOLDFactSheet.pdf

What All this Different Fats Mean
If you're like me, all those different fat names sound like a bunch of scientific gibberish and I'm not really sure what they include!  Here is a brief overview of what they mean.

Saturated fat is what is known as the "bad" fat.  This doesn't mean you don't need it, but only in the right amounts!  A typical serving of lean beef only contains up to 4.5 g, which is about 40% of your Daily Value (DV).  Many cuts are less!

Monounsaturated Fat is the same kind of heart healthy fat that you find in olive oil, and lean beef contains about 50% of your DV of this in a 3 oz. serving.

Polyunsaturated fat is essential for cell structure and the production of hormones.  This fat is also found in sunflower and corn oils.  Lean beef makes up about 10% of this type of fat.

Total Fat is the combination of all of these, and all 29 lean cuts have less than 10 g of total fat!

29 Ways to Love Beef
There are 29 lean cuts, as certified by the USDA.  This means, these cuts will have less than 10 g of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat or less, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 3.5 ounce cooked serving!  15 of these 29 are consumer preferred cuts, like Sirloin, T-Bone or Tri-Tip!  A good tip when you are looking for lean beef is to search for the key words "Loin" or "Round" in the name.

LEAN BEEF!  Check out where the Chicken Breast and Thigh Rank!

Nature's Multivitamin
Beef is often referred to as Nature's Multivitamin because it is so high in the nutrients needed to support your body.  Zinc, Iron and Protein are among beef's best attributes.  Beef is actually the #1 Food Source of Zinc, containing 39% of the zinc most people need in just 3 ounces.  Iron is essential to the body, as anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States.  Beef is a great source of this and ranks number 3 in the highest food sources.  Beef can also help your body to absorb iron from other food sources, such as plants, two- to four-fold!  Finally, protein is something we are all familiar with, and a 3 ounce serving of beef contains 50% of your daily value of Protein.

After learning all this about beef, I hope you are ready to go eat some! Here is a great recipe that can be used as part of the BOLD diet!  If you would like to learn more or find recipes, visit BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com or BeefNutrition.org.

Grilled Beef Steaks with Ancho Chile Rub
Total Recipe Time: 30 minutes

Looks Delicious!  I know what I'm having
for dinner, how about you?

2 beef round (sirloin) tip center steaks, cut 1 in. thick (about 8 oz.)
Salt and pepper as desired

Ancho Chile Rub
1          tablespoon ground Ancho Chile powder
3          cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2    teaspoons dried oregano
1          teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1          teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1/2       teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps
1.         Combine rub ingredients and press evenly into beef               steaks.
2.         Place steaks on grill over medium, ash-covered                     coals.  Grill covered, about 11-13 minutes for                         medium rare doneness (160 degrees), turning only                 once.