pink Slime

I just spent most of my night reading through several reports and many comments on the Pink Slime stories from ABC and Huffington Post.
Why do I do this I ask myself? Well...
1) I am passionate about my work. Producing food for people is my family's responsibility and our livelihood- not a J-O-B.
2) I didn't have time (or any fresh fruit in the house) today to pack my kids a lunch. They all had hot lunch and I never gave it a second thought.
Enter in the facebook and twitter posts that force me to view pictures of raw (and gasp! PINK?!?) meat. Now I am guilted into believing I have put my children's health in jeopardy.
No... I am tired of the media using a couple of gross buzz words and close-up shots of raw meat to make me doubt both my parenting and livelihood all in a 2 minute timeframe.
Just 3 points that I came up with tonight so I can sleep and once again, not think twice when kids walk out the door in the morning with no lunch sack.
1. This is a comment that I really appreciated from "pjcamp"

" Have you seen what is in a chicken nugget?

Connective tissue gelatinizes under heat. That is what makes pot roast and barbecue so lip smacking good.

Ammonium hydroxide is chemically related to sodium hydroxide which is an essential ingredient in making hominy, lutefisk, green olives, canned mandarin oranges, pretzels, Cantonese moon cakes, zongzi dumplings, Chinese noodles and ramen noodles. So it isn't intrinsically hazardous, and is used in some pretty tasty things. The FDA classifies both as "generally recognized as safe."

None of that means this stuff is nutritious. But it doesn't mean it is bad for you either and so it shouldn't be used in scare stories. "

When we hear terms we are not familiar with it can be scary. Do a little bit of digging before you freak out! What if they started spraying everything with Di-Hydrogen Oxide?!? (AKA H2O)

2. Pretty much this "slime" is fat that is cooked and cleaned and added back in. Not artificial or substitute. When we send our deer to be processed I ask for beef fat to be added in to the burger! The venison will be too chewy for my high class taste buds- texture is important when it comes to my chili.

3. So this 7 million pounds of pink slime that are going to schools should now go where, Jamie Oliver? In the dumpster? To the dogs? I don't want to be the one to tell the starving children of Africa.

Team BEEF at the Boston Marathon!

We all know that physical activity is more effective in conjuction with a protein-rich diet becuase it maintains muscle while burning fat. I have been a runner since 7th grade track and believe that it is always important to "protein up" to provide the fuel to finish!
On Monday April 18, 2011. A dream came true. A goal was accomplished. A check off the Bucket List. I ran in the 115th Boston Marathon!

I knew that there was a reason that I was able to qualify, register, and scrape up enough money to go to the Boston Marathon. Seriously, if I told you all the little things that had to work just right for this to happen...it can only be explained as Devine intervention (Hebrews 12:1-2)! It was such an awsome experience.
One of the highlights was being a member of Team BEEF/ZIP!

(Me at the Team BEEF booth at the Fitness EXPO)

I enjoy promoting my farm, Dairy Discovery, the dairy industry, agricluture, etc... through Facebook and Twitter. A few weeks before the race I asked a some "friends" and "followers" how I could promote beef or dairy at the Boston Marathon and was directed right to Team BEEF/ZIP(Zinc Iron Protein)! There were 18 team members that recieved a jersey and $75 off the registration fee for Boston 2011.
The back of the jersey read: Running powered by BEEF!
My family usually ends up eating some sort of beef (its whats) for dinner at least 4 times/week (steak, tacos, meatloaf, roast,etc..). It works well for us because it is readily available, fills my kids bottomless pits, and provides protein that is essential for runners in training.
While I did enjoy some exquisit seafood, the here are a 2 of the Boston beef dinners that you need to see to believe! YUMMY!

Veal Parmagiana

And my post-race reward (and nutrients you need to start the recovery process)... Tenderloin carved tableside!

A few days after the race I was asked to be a guest on a radio program Rural Route with Trent Loos. The most intersting part of the conversation was on the subject of changing the name Team ZIP to Team BEEF.
Trent's view: Team ZIP forces people to think about the nutritional benefits we get from eating beef.
Beef Council: Team BEEF is more recognizable.
Me: I ran for 26.2miles wearing a shirt that read Team ZIP. Several spectators cheered out "Go ZIP!" but did they really have a chance to grasp the concept? I feel running for Team BEEF would mean more to me personally. I know that in the end, the purpose of beef is to provide essential nutrients but, for me, its about more than that. Not only does beef mean zinc, iron, and protein to me- it means my livelihood, heritage, future, and more.

RESULTS
My finish: 3:36:38
Overall Place: 9566 of 23879
Gender Place: 2235 of 10073



Weeknights are crazy. Here is a quick and easy go-to recipe of mine. For some classier fare check out www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

Monday Night Meatloaf
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 box Stove Top Stuffing
3/4cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350. Mix beef, eggs, stuffing, and 1/2cup ketchup in bowl. Shape into 2 loaves and place in 2qt casserole dish. Top with remaining ketchup. Bake 45-50min or until cooked through. Makes 6 servings.