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/ )