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The Wild Wild West

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    I have been away from this blog for a few weeks. In fact I have been away from home for a few weeks. I decided to go out West and visit some parts of our country that I have never seen before. We visited the Black Hills and saw Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. We visited Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park. But the highlight of our trip was a week spent at Red Horse Mountain Ranch.
    Red Horse Mountain Ranch is a Dude Ranch in Northern Idaho. If you ever had an inclination to go to a dude ranch I highly recommend this ranch. We spent from Sunday to Saturday there with two grandchildren. Lily who rides a lot and Brayden who hadn't ridden at all. They matched Brayden with a wrangler (Joe) and a horse (Cowboy) that took very good care of him. Lily was matched with a horse called Ranger. Lily got along so well with Ranger that she asked to bring him home. Although they said all horses are for sale we left him in Idaho. The stay at the ranch was all inclusive, meaning they provided everything we needed at the ranch. Three meals daily as well as snacks and refreshments anytime during the day. Even included alcohol for those that wanted. The cabin we were in was perfect!
    For those who don't ride they had Sporting Clays and a 3D archery range. They had campfires with music and one night entertained the children so that the adults could have an evening candlelight dinner on their own. We all had a great time and the grand kids are making plans to go back! We'll see about that! Although we visited at least 13 separate Sites and Museums while we traveled everything was anticlimactic compared to the Ranch.
    All told it has been six weeks since I was in a kitchen. So I decided to start with the basics. A Chicken Soup. I found a recipe from Martha Steward to follow. So out came the stock pot and a whole chicken was cut up to make the stock. While it boiled Martha said it was important to skim the fats and impurities off the top of the soup to make the broth clear. Although I was interrupted right at this critical step I think it turned out pretty good. The broth was very clear and flavorful. I will make this soup again and maybe the next time add some noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup.
    I do not recall my mother making chicken soup from scratch. She made potato soup, tomato soup and chili but not chicken soup. Now anytime we had a cold or she thought she could prevent us from getting a cold, she was sure to open that little red and white can of chicken noodle soup. Now I do like that soup but I think I like the homemade version a lot more! Give it a try. For that matter give the Dude Ranch a try too.




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