Author: ride-n-mama Sharon

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Grandma Gertrude Grieb’s Pig Head Sandwiches

Grandma Gertrude Grieb’s Pig Head Sandwiches | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Grieb Ranch people have always purposed to enjoy the products of their land through the generations. Cattle, pigs, chickens, and fruit trees have taken root, roamed the hillsides or pecked the garden since the Grieb Family set up Grieb Ranch.

Grandma Gertrude Grieb’s Pig Head Sandwiches | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

A childhood memory of Carl Grieb’s is his Grandma’s Pig Head Sandwiches. Crock Pots were not a thing of the past, so Grandma Gertrude Grieb would slow-cook the pig head in the oven or a big pot. Slow cooking would soften, flavor and cook the meat so it would peel off the bone. She ground this flavorful meat to serve in sandwiches.

Grandma Gertrude Grieb’s Pig Head Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 full pig head
  • tsp Garlic salt
  • tsp Salt
  • tsp Pepper
  • 2 garlic clove heads
  • 1 onion
  • water

Directions:

Set pig head cut side down in a crock pot.  Rub about a teaspoon of garlic salt, salt, pepper mix into the skin. Around the edges of the head tuck two whole garlic clove heads, and one onion.  Add an inch of water to the bottom of the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.  Peel meat from head and then grind meat and add seasonings to taste. Serve as meat in a sandwich.

Grandma Gertrude Grieb’s Pig Head Sandwiches | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch
Pig Head Meat


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Changing Water Troughs

Water troughs are necessary to keep water available to the cattle roaming the hillsides of Grieb Ranch. Materials and construction of these necessary items have taken different shapes and forms over the years the Grieb family have managed cattle on Grieb Ranch.

Redwood Water Troughs

Fred and George Grieb, the original ranching brothers, put in redwood troughs to the catch natural spring water throughout the ranch. As the wood in these troughs aged, the insides were lined with metal. One of these original troughs is now in the Connie’s front yard being used as a planter.

Mr. L plays in an empty metal water trough.

Metal Water Troughs

Metal water troughs made of surplus tanks from the oil fields were the next type of material to be used. A few of these are still in use today. However, as the metal rots out Mr. P plugs the holes with his modeling clay. This usually holds the water until we can replace the trough with a cement trough.

Cement Water Troughs

We now have five cement water troughs providing water to the Grieb Ranch cattle and horse herds, in addition to the wildlife who share the territory. We keep goldfish in the troughs to take care of algae growth and insect larvae. So when we change out a metal tank to a cement one, we have to transfer the goldfish too!

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Persimmon Cookies

  • Persimmon Cookies | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Who Loves Persimmons?

Mr. P, our five-year old grandson, loves Persimmons. For Christmas he asked for a Persimmon fruit tree to be planted in the Grieb Orchard. We already have a Fuyu Persimmon tree so we planted a Hachiya variety instead. Mr. P experienced the difference himself when he bit into a Hachiya Persimmon fruit.

The two Persimmon varieties have very different purposes. The Fuyu can be eaten like an apple when ripe. The Hachiya is very bitter and comes to sweetness as the fruit matures to soft-ripe feeling. The very soft fruit flesh can be eaten like pudding and is very sweet.

So what does one do with the soft flesh of a Hachiya Persimmon fruit? Make delicious cookies!

Persimmon Cookies | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Persimmon Cookies

From the Kitchen of: Joyce Willems from Granny (Ruth Stanley)         

Servings: Makes 3-5 dozen

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Baking Persimmon Pulp (Hachiya variety)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda (sprinkle over pulp)
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup shortening or 1 Cube butter or margarine
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • 1 Cup finely chopped nuts
  • 1 Cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Beat thoroughly persimmon pulp, baking soda, sugar and shortening until creamy. Add egg, then flour with sifted spice. Add nuts and raisins. Beat all ingredients together – batter will be thin. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min.   




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Holiday 2018 – A Time To Be Thankful

Holiday 2018 - A Time To Be Thankful | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

The holiday season is always a wonderful time to give thanks where credit is due!  We are thankful for every one of you. The friends and family of the Grieb Ranch are one of our most valued blessings.  We would not be where we are today if it were not for each one of your amazing prayers and friendship poured over the Grieb Ranch Family and ministries. We want you to know how thankful we are for each one of you.

Covered in Your Prayers

We know we are covered in prayer during moments like this: A month ago I, Connie, received a phone call at 2:30am. The Grieb Ranch hills above our house were on fire!   It is dark but we grabbed the chainsaws (to knockdown flammable material) and trekked up the hill.  The fire was under control by 6am and all was well for a week, but then the fire flared again.  Even though the fire is put out, the clean-up will take time.  It is moments like these, where you realize you could lose everything in an instant, that you ask yourself what is really important.

  • Holiday 2018 - A Time To Be Thankful | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch
    Fire breaks out at 2 am
  • Holiday 2018 - A Time To Be Thankful | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch
    Fire Remnant

It is not just the times of fire or the mud slide (in the past) or open heart surgery (for Andrew) we know we must keep on praying. It is through prayer that we have a great relationship with our heavenly father.

Merry Christmas from the Grieb Ranch

“Pray continually.” I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

“Pray constantly.” I Thessalonians 5:17 Holman Christian

“Always keep on praying.” I Thessalonians 5:17 TLB

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17 King James

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Waldorf Salad Using Produce from Grieb Ranch

Waldorf Salad Using Produce from Grieb Ranch | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Waldorf Salad is a favorite around here, particularly in the fall when apples, grapes, lemons and walnuts are in season on the Grieb Ranch.

According to the American Century Cookbook, the first Waldorf Salad was created in New York City in 1893, by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d’hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria. –  from Simply Recipes.com

The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic. This a festive salad for Holiday get-togethers.

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • 2 sweet apples, cored and chopped (Do not peel)
  • 1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Serve chilled in a serving bowl or in individual small salad dishes.

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Calving Season 2018 Means More Adventure at Grieb Ranch

Calving Season 2018 Means More Adventures at Grieb Ranch | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Fall calving season has been in full swing at Grieb Ranch, keeping us extra busy managing all the new arrivals.

The Fun Side of Calving Season

The first heifer calf of the season was born from Baby R’s heifer calf. All the grand kids at Grieb Ranch have a cow in the herd. This new heifer calf was named Reagy Hidder by Baby R’s brothers. Lil’ cowboy L’s cow had twin bulls which we named Lucky and Loggy. Baby calves born from the lil’ cowboys and cowgirl’s cows get names with the first initials of the lil’ cowboy or cowgirl. Seeing the new arrivals and naming the new calves was the fun side of our calving season.

The Not-so-Fun Side of Calving Season

Taking Care of a Blind Mother Cow

Calving Season 2018 Means More Adventures at Grieb Ranch | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Stan rescues Levi Jefferson

Next we had a mother cow go blind in both eyes. She ended up in a ravine (getting feed and water to her was a steep adventure), where she calved a few weeks early with the  bull calf (Levi Jefferson) born through the fence and consequently onto the neighbor’s property.

Unfortunately, the mother cow did not have much milk and was not tolerating her calf.  So guess who was busy raising little Levi Jefferson as a bottle calf until a different mother cow needed him?  We fed the motherless calf a full bottle of milk replacement two times a day.

It was very challenging to walk the mother cow out of the ravine and load her in a make-sift corral in the middle of nowhere.   Have you ever tried to herd a blind cow on a steep hillside?

Untimely Death of a Calf

One little newborn calf was found dead and devoured within 24 hours. All that was left was the top of the skull, spine and one leg. That’s the reality of managing a herd of cattle.

A Happy Ending

A Motherless Calf Connects with a Calfless Mother Cow

Little Levi Jefferson my bottle calf has a new mom! Connie’s registered Angus cow’s newborn heifer calf dropped dead a few days after we had just given her the first set of booster shots.  This put Amy the mother cow in need of a calf. Good thing we had Levi Jefferson waiting for a new mom. In order for her to accept the new calf we needed to graft the dead calf’s skin to the “adoptee”.

Calving Season 2018 Means More Adventures at Grieb Ranch | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Skin a coat off the dead calf.

So what does grafting a calf look like? The easiest way is to make a jacket for the calf you want to graft out of the dead calf’s hide.  We brought Amy the calfless mother cow into the barn along with her dead calf. We cut a large square patch of the dead calf’s hide off and then draped the “adoptee” Levi Jefferson with a cape of the hide.  We gave the new pair bonding time where Amy the calfless mother cow licked and licked her adoptee calf, Levi Jefferson, who was wearing the hide. Amy the mother cow was halter broke so she was tied up so while we helped Levi Jefferson nurse.  After being on a bottle for months it was amazing how his instinct took over and he went right to nursing.

Calving Season 2018 Means More Adventures at Grieb Ranch | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Levi Jefferson the motherless calf gets a grafted coat and a new mom.

We made sure he sucked all four tits to get her milked out (it was nice not to have to hand-milk her).  We will see how the rest of the story goes…………..

I sure hope it is a HAPPY EVER AFTER ending!

We Have Much to be Thankful For

Even with a few rough starts to the calving season we are enjoying all the new baby calves.  We have much to be thankful for!

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Kool Dough for Kids Play

Fun days with the grandkids means coming up with engaging activities while enriching their lives and creating memories. One activity Connie enjoys doing with her grandkids is making a batch of Kool Dough for Kids Play and then making shapes like letters of the alphabet or animals with the dough. The dough can be stored in an airtight container for longer shelf life.

From the Kitchen of Connie Grieb Willems

Kool Dough for Kids Play

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ C Flour
  • 1 T Cream of Tartar
  • 2 Pkgs of Unsweetened Koolaid®mix (Color of Koolaid® will determine color of Kool Dough)
  • 1 C Salt
  • 2 C Boiling Water
  • 3 T Oil

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. Add oil to water and once it boils mix it well with dry ingredients. Knead dough as cools until smooth. I use my KitchenAid® stand mixer and it goes very fast. Or I use a Ninja® Blender.

Store Kool Dough for Kids Play in an airtight container when not in use. When stored correctly it can last a few weeks.

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More 90th Birthday Memories of Carl from his Family

Carl Grieb turned 90 this year and his family and friends celebrated with a gathering. Friends and family wrote tributes and memories. Here are several of those tributes from his loving family.

More 90th Birthday Memories of Carl from his Family | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

Dad always tells me he is doing paperwork.  But really he is reading his Louis L’Amour books.  He has over 100 books in his collection and reads the books and then writes his name and date in each one and he has finished reading it.

Carl is a kind and loving Man.  Whenever I am leaving to go on a road trip Papa always says, “in case of emergency don’t hesitate to call me and I’ll be there.”  I love to share western novels with him.  It is such fun to talk about what we’ve read. – Niece, Sandi

I have learned so much from my Dad.  Mostly by his example.  The most important thing he ever taught me was to treat everyone the same.  Rich or poor; no matter what color or race.  He is a very kind and wise man and I’m blessed to be his daughter. – Daughter, Margie

I have had a lifetime of good memories and adventures with Dad.  Working, hunting, fishing, gathering cattle and branding.  Pack trips and road trips.  Cruising around the ranches, checking cattle and water.  Family gatherings, Sunday outings, and afternoon drives.  He taught me a lot and even made work fun.  I am blessed to call him Dad. – Daughter, Wynetta

More 90th Birthday Memories of Carl from his Family | The Story of Ranching at Grieb Ranch

My Dad is the energizer bunny at 90 years old.  He is still working from 6 am or so each morning feeding his pigs, goats and cattle.  He recently passed his written driving test and last week he drove nine hours to pick up livestock.  His tractor is his life-feeding, tilling, hauling, and cleaning-up tool.

He is an amazing friend; an incredible man who is always there for people.

So many memories of too many times of sliding backwards down our unforgiving ranch roads on a wet and slippery night feeding cattle . . .  My dad came out in the rain with his tractor to keep me from sliding off the road.

At the moment it is 9:00pm and I am waiting up for him to help unload the cattle he just picked up.  I was late this morning to his 6:30 am breakfast with my sister. – Daughter, Connie.

Have you ever heard?  “Behind every GREAT man there is GREAT women and that would be our MOM.

We thank God for 90 years of impact Carl Grieb has had on his friends and family.

 

 

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Cowboy Fruit Cobbler

Cowboy P gets a leg-up to the higher fruit.

As summer draws to a close, the last of the summer fruits are lingering on the trees. Most of the lower fruit has been picked because the fruit higher up is hard to reach. Little cowboys can get Nana to catch a horse to make reaching the good peaches, apples or other ripe orchard fruit accessible.  If Nana has all three kids, then the double stroller will have to do.  This season, 2018, the yellow jackets made it more challenging for kid fruit picking, but it was still fun and the Cowboy Fruit Cobbler was delicious!

Cowboy L gets to the higher fruit.

Making a fruit cobbler is an easy and delicious way to use up the end-of-summer fruit pickings.

Cowboy Fruit Cobbler

Cowboy Fruit Cobbler

From the Kitchen of: Margie Grieb Runels

Ingredients

  • 1 cube butter
  • 1 c. flour
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¾ c. milk
  • 4 c. fruit, diced (peaches, apples, berries, or apricots)
  • ½ c. sugar
  • ¼ c. warm water

Directions

Melt cube butter in oblong pan, 9×13 inches. In bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk and mix well. Pour over melted butter in pan. Add fruit over batter. Sprinkle ½ cup sugar on top and ¼ cup warm water. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cowboy Fruit Cobbler is Spoon Lickin’ Good

 

 

 

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A New Beef Venture from a Product of Grieb Ranch

What is a product? “A good, idea, method, information, object or service created as a result of a process and serves a need or satisfies a want,” says the Business Dictionary.  A “product” of Grieb Ranch is Daniel Willems whose experience and cattle knowledge are part of the formula for a new venture – DD Cattle Co.

DD Cattle Co

“At DD Cattle Co we’re all about knowing where you’re beef comes from. We believe in raising our cattle in a way that is beneficial to the land and enhances the environment around us through sustainable practices. From our land to your plate plus quality you can taste, that’s … DD Cattle Co.”

This statement summarized the vision DD Cattle Co has for raising beef for your table. DD Cattle Co is raising beef, packaging cuts and delivering the product right to your front door.

The Cowboys Behind the Vision

Two different styles of cowboy hats and different backgrounds couldn’t make for better business partners.

Doug Burkett comes from southern California and spent most every weekend at his family ranch in central California. Doug provides all the sales and marketing behind DD Cattle Co. and helps maintain the herd at the family ranch.

Daniel Willems comes from a long line of cattle ranchers here on California’s central coast. A true cowboy through and through, Daniel keeps the DD Cattle Herd happy and healthy and through good management continuously growing.

Beef From Our Ranch to Your Table

As a member of the Beef Club, DD Cattle Co will deliver/ship, every 2 Months and every 4 Months right to your door.

Pick your package option when you are on our “shop” page. We’ll keep track of your subscription and also keep you informed monthly with newsletters and deals!

OR…

If you’re just too excited and need your beef right now, then choose the “Buy Now” option!

If you reside in the San Miguel to San Luis Obispo, CA area DD Cattle Co will deliver the next day!