Sisters author sticks up for the cowgirls

When ranch and rodeo life is depicted in art and poetry, it's the cowboys who are usually painted, photographed and written about. But alongside those rugged men were some pretty spunky cowgirls.

"Those girls rode the broncs, twirled the ropes, did the tricks (on horseback) and never forgot they were ladies," said Sisters author Jill Charlotte Stanford.

Stanford's first book, published last year and selling very well, is titled "The Cowgirls Cookbook; Recipes for Your Home on the Range." It's a compilation of old-time, nourishing ranch food with bits of cowgirl history and anecdotes about contributors gracing each page. Grainy old photographs of some of the women, quotes and drawings are also included.

"These are all women you'd want to know," said Stanford.

They didn't have the luxury of a grocery store just down the road, so the recipes use things commonly found in the pantry. Food items like eggs, butter, flour, bacon, evaporated milk, onions and potatoes. Beef and pork also feature prominently, as do vegetables fresh from the garden. Canned and frozen vegetables are fine to use too.

And if you happen to find a rattlesnake in a place where you can't relocate him, there's a recipe for Rattlesnake Stew. As this quote from an 1899 Wyoming journal says, "When you are looking for something to eat, a rattlesnake can do just fine."

Stanford found her respect for the women behind the recipes growing as she researched their lives. After all, they are her mentors. She's long aspired to be a real cowgirl, and honoring their lives brings them close. Plus they knew how to cook really good food.

The Cowgirl's Cookbook is available at Leavitt's in Sisters.