Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

Holiday tips for fun, food and gifts

Julie Carter

Last minute Christmas shoppers are about to be loosed on the streets and a few suggestions for the shopping list could possibly make the process go better.

The recession seems to not only be over in some parts of rural America, but appears to be encouraging early shopping by a few thoughtful men.

One gal just received a new set of back tires for the 4-wheeler, which is an important tool for her to gather his roping cattle while checking the water tanks in the assorted pastures.

Just down the road, her cousin reported that she had gotten a new pressure washer and was expected to test it out regularly. Another said that while she has had a good year of use on last year's gift of a riding mower, her new gift was an umbrella so she could endure a few more hours in the sun while keeping the home place trimmed up.

While these gift items don't overshadow the often given pick axe and wood splitting maul, no one ever accused a cowboy of not being practical in his giving.

Holiday eating

In a season of over-indulgence in food and sweets, eating fruit is frequently suggested to cleanse the pallet as well as fill the belly with something nutritious. A few suggestions to those insisting on a generous intake of fruit might be:
• Apple cake with cream cheese frosting or apple pie
• Pineapple upside- down cake
• Peach cobbler or peach pie
• Nectarine or blackberry swirl mousse
• Banana cream pie or banana nut cake with praline frosting
• Raspberry white chocolate tart
• Lemon icebox pie
• Cherry pie
• Strawberries stuffed with cream cheese and nuts

On a healthier note, a fruity yogurt can be eaten while you are waiting for the other things to finish baking.

Seasonal recreation

Snow and holidays will bring out the snow skiing urge for many. Every now and then you see a cowboy and his family hit the slopes.
One such family ventured to the mountain where they were seen on the bunny slopes teaching the kids how to ski. Dad had the three little kids following him "bouncing down the bunny trail," as he put it.

"I don't know what happened," he said. "The next thing I knew I was flat on my back with my 8-year old looking down at me saying, 'Wow Dad! That was an awesome wreck.' "

Dad could not get up, but would not let Mom help him. So she left him there to sulk while she continued to teach the kids how to ski.
He continued to sit and sulk until his leg was so swollen he'd never be able to get up.

The ski patrol had to come haul him off the bunny slope in a stretcher and the medics with the ambulance were all asking, "How exactly did this happen?"

He didn't enjoy the question or the answer, so simply said, "I don't know what happened."

"Why didn't you get help before your leg swelled up so big that now we have to cut your pants off," they asked. He wouldn't answer and just glared at them.

At the ER, the same questions were asked by the admitting staff and again by the doctors.

All were expecting some story about going down the "face," hitting a tree or some similar description of a major wreck.
The "bunny slope" story only brought snickers and outright laughter.

As it turned out, he had blown out all there was to blow out in his knee. That eventually led to a knee replacement surgery.

When asked if he and the family ever went back to ski, he nodded and said, "Oh yes, we came back last year. I sat in the pickup and read a good book.”

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net