Country Lifestyle
Lacey’s Pantry – August 2016

Serves: 8-10
Time: 45 minutes
1 box BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub, Sweet Honey
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice, divided
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 cup diced pineapple
1 green bell pepper
1 purple onion
Directions
Combine ¾ cup pineapple juice and one pouch BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub. Set aside. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large zipper bag, combine one cup pineapple juice and one pouch BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub and chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium high. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and brush with BBQ Sauce. Grill 12 to 16 minutes or until cooked through.
Grilled Hawaiian Beef Kabobs
Serves: 6-10
Time: 45 minutes
6 ounces pineapple juic
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin tip, cut into 1″ pieces
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Small sack of yellow baby potatoes
1/4 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4 – ½-inch thick coins
extra cooking oil for preparing grill grates
Directions
Soak 12 wood skewers in water for at least 30 minutes it they are wooden. In a medium bowl or re-sealable container combine marinade ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Reserve one cup of marinade. Add beef to remaining marinade in bowl. Toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. If marinating longer be sure to refrigerate.
Meanwhile, add reserved one cup marinade to a small saucepan and cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (you can skip this step, but I love the thick coating of sauce on the beef). Prep pineapple and veggies. Preheat grill to high.
Layer beef and veggies on skewers. Use 2 skewers about 1/4″ apart for each kabob. I start the kabob and end the kabob with beef. But you can do it any way you like. Layer them so the ingredients are touching but not smashed together. Divide the ingredients out over 6 skewers. Wad paper towels into a ball and hold with tongs. Dip into a bowl of cooking oil. Rub paper towel over the hot grill grates to thoroughly coat them. Grill kabobs for two to three minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Brush with reserved marinade when you place them on the grill and each time you turn the kabobs. Remove from grill and serve.
Country Lifestyle
Farm Dogs & Table Scraps

What’s Safe and What’s Not?
Growing up on a farm, our dogs were tough. They roamed the pastures, slept under the barn, and ate just about anything they could get their paws on—whether we meant for them to or not. I’ll admit, I never thought twice when one of our old cow dogs snatched a biscuit off the table or licked up a spill from the barn floor. I’ve even seen a dog steal a whole rib bone off a plate and trot off like he’d won the lottery. And somehow, they always seemed fine.
But here’s the thing—just because they survived doesn’t mean it was safe. For every farm dog that lucked out, there’s another that wasn’t so fortunate. Some human foods can be downright toxic to dogs, and a little bit of bad luck (or a smaller, more sensitive dog) can turn a harmless snack into an emergency.
Common toxic foods lying around the farmhouse
If you’ve got a farm dog—or any dog, really—you need to be aware of the dangers lurking in everyday foods. Some of the biggest culprits include:
Chocolate – The darker it is, the worse it is. Even a little can cause vomiting, seizures, or worse.
Grapes & Raisins – No one’s exactly sure why, but they can cause kidney failure fast.
Onions & Garlic – In large enough amounts, these can destroy red blood cells, leading to anemia.
Xylitol (Found in Sugar-Free Gum & Candy) – This artificial sweetener can send a dog’s blood sugar crashing and cause liver failure.
Alcohol – Even small amounts can be deadly to dogs, affecting their nervous system much more than it does ours.
Bones from Cooked Meat – While not necessarily toxic, they can splinter and cause serious internal injuries.
Macadamia Nuts – These can lead to weakness, vomiting, and even paralysis in dogs.
What to do if your dog eats something toxic
First, don’t panic—but don’t ignore it either. If you know your dog ate something dangerous, call your vet immediately. They can tell you whether to induce vomiting or if it’s something that requires urgent care. If it’s after hours, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
Prevention is always the best medicine, so keep toxic foods out of reach. That might mean keeping the trash can secured, making sure kids don’t slip the dog a treat under the table, or just being more mindful of what’s left on the counter.
Our farm dogs might have been lucky, but luck isn’t a great strategy when it comes to their health. A little awareness goes a long way in making sure they stay happy, healthy, and ready for the next day’s work.
For more information
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
Pet Poison Helpline: www.petpoisonhelpline.com
Visit www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/foods-your-dog-should-never-eat
Country Lifestyle
Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

By Lacey Vilhauer
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6-7
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled and 1 1/2 Tbsp rendered bacon fat reserved
- 1 1/2 lbs yellow squash, chopped (about 3 medium)
- 2/3 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
- 5 cups canned or fresh cut corn (from about 6 ears corn), divided
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 3/4 tsp salt, then more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, then more to taste if desired
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
- Chopped green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Heat 4 tsp reserved bacon fat in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and sauté 2 minutes then add the squash.
Saute until tender, about 6 minutes, adding in garlic and flour during last 2 minutes of sauteing. Reduce heat slightly.
Add 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 cups of the corn, thyme, salt and pepper to the sauteed veggies.
To a blender add remaining 3 cups of corn, remaining 1 1/4 cups milk and the cream. Process in blender until nearly smooth (about 30 seconds).
Add pureed mixture to pot and stir to blend. Cook until mixture reaches a light boil.
Serve warm with shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions if desired.
Country Lifestyle
Western Housewives – May 2025

By Summer McMillen
All my married life I have thought that when husbands all got together horseback after a hard days work they were probably rating their wives on a scale from one to ten based on their various capabilities. Did Wife A have a good hat crease? Was Wife B good help in the branding pen? Was Wife C an excellent mother? Was Wife D hospitable to everyone? Could Wife E make a decent gallon of sweet tea? Did Wife F keep a tidy saddle house?
Presumably, when Wife B did not live up to Wife A there was a fist fight followed by wife shaming of Husband B. His status amongst the cowboys immediately fell and he would be behind for the rest of his life in his cowboy career.
He would come home ashamed his wife couldn’t flambé a decent bananas foster and she couldn’t hoolihan either. He would be distraught and said wife would feel his pain.
Of course, this never happened to me like I thought it would. My husband always came home with a smile on his face and I’m pretty sure “flambé” isn’t even in a cowboys vocabulary.
Nonetheless, these imaginary fights and social rankings have plagued my brain for years. It has caused me to always be in competition with myself to be the very best at everything I did. Which I have eventually realized is a trait of women all around the world.
While we are cooking a four course meal for our families we start to think about how we actually should be practicing heading steers instead.
While we are practicing our horsemanship we start to think about how we should actually be preparing a nutritious and elaborate meal for our families.
It is a constant battle that women have created and proceeded to fight for centuries.
One day the inner battle got to me and I finally broke down as we were riding wheat pasture and confessed to my husband my guilt. I was so sorry that I wasn’t a better cowgirl. I was so sorry that the house was a mess. I was so sorry that I would never be on The Cowboy Channel. I was so sorry that I had lost his good pair of gloves. (Except I didn’t actually mean to confess that last part. Some things are just better left unknown.) I apologized again and again and told him I was sorry and he probably never wanted to bring his friends over for supper ever again.
Instead of consoling me, he just started looking at me like I was crazy. Which is what all good husbands do.
He stopped his horse and looked at me and said “Do you know how cowboys rate each other’s ranch wives?”
So many thoughts started filling my brain. Was it looks? Gentleness? Laundry speed? Work ethic?
Then he revealed their secret. “Cowboys rate each other’s wives by how well they can cook eggs for breakfast.”
His point of course, was that men don’t think about each other’s wives. As long as they get their eggs for breakfast. In another twist of irony, my husband taught me how to fry the perfect egg. What can I say? It’s a man’s world.
Since then, I have let go of my irrational fears and doubt and have simply been living life. It’s all anyone can do. I may not team rope the best. I may get my fingers when I’m trying to dally and I may not have the tidiest saddle house. But I try hard at everything I do and I do it all out of love for my family and finally, myself.
So, if you’re a woman this Mother’s Day and you catch yourself feeling down amongst life constant pressures just remember you are not alone. You can almost guarantee there is a woman in every household that needs a little pick me up. Maybe you should just go outside. Maybe you should sit down and count your blessings. Or, maybe you should have your husband fry you some eggs.
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