On the Menu

May brings a host of special, spring-y, sunny days to celebrate and even more so, as families hunker down together in an effort to get past current events. Along with more recognized holidays: May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day, the month also plays host to a variety of lesser known reasons to celebrate. According to National Today’s website: May 2-Brother/Sister Day, May 6-No Diet Day, May 11-Eat What You Want Day, May 13- National Hummus Day, May 16-Armed Forces Day. Let’s just plan family celebrations all month long!

During a January visit to sunny San Diego, California, longtime residents were asked what menu item screamed: “I love California food!” The loudest response? California Burritos. While most burritos contain a combination of protein, starch and vegetables, California Burritos swap out traditional rice for potatoes, add unique spices and roll out for a quick and portable, “let’s go outdoors and enjoy springtime” meal. Dig out your flipflops and head into the warmth of a fresh, spring-filled world with the following takealong recipes.

California Burritos

1 lb. flank steak, cut into quarters with thickness no more than ½ inch 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped ½ tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. lime juice 2 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 8 large flour tortillas 4 cups frozen hash browns, thawed 2 cups grated cheese salsa of choice sour cream prepared guacamole

To prepare meat, mix jalapenos, cilantro, garlic powder, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Place steak in bag, seal and toss to coat steak sections. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight. Remove steak from bag, place in nonstick skillet, and sear on both sides until browned using medium-high heat. Remove steak from skillet onto plate, tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest. Place hash browns between paper towels, roll to remove moisture and in same skillet, fry until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from heat when browned. Wrap tortillas flat in a clean towel and warm for one minute in microwave. Slice steak thin, across the bias of the meat. Portion steak, hash browns and cheese into 8 sections. Assemble burritos as follows: place one portion steak, grilled hash browns, grated cheese in bottom third of each tortilla, adding salsa of choice, sour cream, and guacamole as desired. Roll once, fold sides in, and complete rolling. While warm, wrap individual burritos in foil if desired. Serves 8. Get Cookin'!

Avocado Toast for Rookies

4 ripe avocados ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp. garlic powder Juice of ½ lemon 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 4 pieces of bread, toasted medium brown

Add ons: Eggs, cooked to preference Prepared hummus Fresh vegetables: sliced tomatoes, wedged bell peppers, etc. F resh greens: spinach, spring mix, arugula, etc. Sliced and/or grated cheese of choice

S uggested Garnishes: Red pepper flakes Dried basil, oregano, parsley, etc. Cracked pepper Sea salt

1.

2. 3.

In small bowl, peel and mash avocados with fork until coarsely mashed, stir in sea salt, garlic powder and lemon juice. Set aside. Toast 4 slices desired bread until medium brown. Build avocado toast by layering toast with desired add ons and garnishes of choice. Serves 4.

Caramel Cookie Bars

2 (17.5 oz.) pkgs. sugar cookie mix 2 sticks butter, softened 2 eggs 1 ( 11 oz.) pkg caramel bits 1 ½ T b. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350⁰ Prepare 15 x 10 baking pan by placing a sheet of parchment baking paper in pan, lightly spraying with cooking spray. Allow paper to overhang edge of pan. Mix with fork one pkg. cookie mix, 1 stick butter and one egg until dough forms. Place dough in baking pan, pressing down to fill bottom of pan. Bake layer for 10 minutes. While baking, place caramel bits and cream in microwavable bowl, cooking at 1 minute intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Remove partially baked cookie layer from oven, pour melted caramel over and carefully spread until edges are reached, being careful to not tear cookie base. 8. Mix second pkg. cookie mix, 1 stick butter and 1 egg as before. 9. With hands, make small, flattened dough sections and place sections on top of melted caramel until cookie bar is covered. 10. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes or until top layer is golden. 11. Remove, cook on cooling rack for 15 minutes. 12. Carefully remove cookie bar from pan to counter by pulling edge of parchment. Allow to completely cool. Using a pizza cutter, cut into bars. Store at room temperature in airtight container. Makes approximately 48 bars.

A “Crazy Idea” Survives for 50 Years (and counting)

By Chris James

The eastbound Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad passenger train climbs toward Cumbres Pass. Photo by Chris James.

A50th wedding anniversary is usually celebrated as

“golden.” But this summer, a 50th anniversary is taking place that has as much to do with silver as it does with gold. In 1970, the States of New Mexico and Colorado brought together economic development goals and funding to purchase and create the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. This year the allsteam narrow gauge railroad between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado, is celebrating its 50 years of operation. In its 64-mile route, it climbs over a 10,000-foot pass, crosses the Colorado-New Mexico border 11 times and travels through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the southwest.

The railroad line originated in 1879 when the Denver & Rio Grande Railway (D&RG) began building toward the mines above Silverton, Colorado. General William Jackson Palmer, the Railroad’s President, wanted railroad access to every ounce of wealth in the Rockies. It was said that “If a man… had a wagonload of pumpkins for sale, General Palmer would build a railroad across the mountains to meet him.” Palmer knew Silverton’s ore could be quite a load of pumpkins. But to traverse the 100 air-miles between Antonito, Colorado to Silverton, Palmers had to build 216 winding miles of track, finally arriving in Silverton in 1882.

In the 85 years that followed, the railroad carried passengers, silver ore, freight, livestock, lumber, crude oil, and drilling sup plies. But by the late ‘60s, the railroad was a relic of the past. In 1968, the D&RG decided to scrap much of the line. The tracks between Durango and Silverton were proving themselves to be a tourist mecca, but the Railroad didn’t think anyone cared about the 171 miles of rail between Durango and Antonito.

They were wrong.

When the Railroad proposed abandoning the line, protests rip pled through Colorado and New Mexico. Groups as disparate as farmers, historians, ranchers, railfans, businesses, and general townsfolk pushed back against the D&RG’s plans. Carl M. Turner, at the time the General Manager of the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NMRECA), held meetings throughout the region, asking the question, “Do you want to save the railroad?” The answer was always a resounding “Yes!” Turner proposed “the preservation of the…narrow gauge…for its historic and economic value.” Saving the railroad, said Turner, was “a crazy idea.” Northern Rio Arriba Electric Cooperative provides service to Chama and is a member of NMRECA.

As the Rio Grande pressed on with its abandonment plans, Turner and others countered with community pressure. Finally, in July 1970, the D&RG agreed to sell 64 miles of the railroad between Antonito and Chama to the States of New Mexico and Colorado for $547,120. While it was only about one-third of the original 171-mile proposal, it was by far the most spectacular portion. The Railroad became what Turner had envisioned: In 1988, a complete circus train was built in Chama for filming Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Photo by Ian Kelly.

VOTE June 2nd, 2020 Or request an Absentee Ballot

Paid for by Joseph Sanchez for Congress

As a former general manager and a current member of an electric cooperative, I understand the issues rural New Mexico faces. As a current New Mexico State Representative and current Vice Chair of the House Appropriations and Finance committee, I have fought and continue to fight for rural New Mexico. I will fight to improve infrastructure in rural communities, including extending broadband to rural New Mexico, investing in water infrastructure, and improving roads in our beautiful state. I will continue to support Agriculture, as it is one of the industries that is extremely important to our state. I will always support our electric cooperatives, which provide electricity to our rural communities.

Education Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico Master’s in Business Administration from New Mexico State University Experience Current New Mexico State Representative District 40 Former General Manager and CEO of Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative Former Engineering Manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical System Engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Carl M. Turner and his wife, “PJ” wave from inside the newly-dedicated Carl M. Turner Parlor Car in 2007. Photo courtesy of The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.

a “living museum” of railroad history that would provide economic development in a region shared by the two states. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TSR)was born.

In the early years, the continued existence of the Cumbres & Toltec was tenuous at best. The purchase of the railroad included 10 aging locomotives and dozens of ancient freight cars, but no passenger cars. Volunteers immediately stepped in and began converting many of the old box cars to rustic, openwindow passenger cars with hard bench seats, On July 4, 1970, the Railroad began carrying passengers. Given its condition, critics predicted that the railroad wouldn’t last five years.

But something magic happened. Passengers began riding in greater numbers almost every year. The boxcar passenger cars were replaced by period-accurate passenger cars with comfort able seats, and many of the locomotives were rebuilt.

Today, the C&TSR, once destined for the scrapper’s torch, is a top tourist destination carrying around 50,000 pas sengers annually, has been named “Best Scenic Railroad in America” by USA Today, and is designated a National Historic Landmark. It’s appeared in a number of movies, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 1988, the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec, a small, all-volunteer group of enthu siasts—today 2,300-strong worldwide—began the restoration and preservation of the Railroad’s rolling stock and structures.

Survival hasn’t been easy. The Arab Oil Embargo of the mid70s devastated the tourist traffic. A five-week closure in 2002 due to high fire danger was a serious blow. In 2010, a major trestle burned, forcing shortened journeys for a full year.

Today the railroad is looking at a new crisis: the effects of Coronavirus on travel and social gathering. The railroad has planned major anniversary events for late August but at this writing, no one knows what the virus situation will be in mid-summer. But the Railroad has survived calamity before. Checking the Railroad’s website, www.cumbrestoltec.com will keep you informed on the Railroad event schedule.

In 1970, it was a “crazy idea” that two states could get together and save a railroad from the dust bin of history. If Carl M. Turner could see it now (he passed away in 2008), he would look back with pride at what has been accomplished with his vision, a piece of history that is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.

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Animals

BLACK ANGUS BULLS FOR sale. Thick, easy fleshing, low maintenance, high elevation. Range raised, not pampered. Trich and fertility tested. Herd and low birth weight heifer bulls available. Yearling bulls available April 10th. $1,800 each. Delivery available. Bobby Salvo, 575-642-0962.

NOT ALL WATER TANKS Are Created Equal! Is Quality, Value and Longevity important to you? Buy High Specific Gravity, Heavy Weight, Long Warranty, Superior Black NRCS tanks. Lowest prices only provide minimum standards, lower weights, and shorter warranties. Find out more! 575-430-1010.

MISCELLANEOUS: HAY RINGS,

HAY Racks, feed troughs, semen tank, number brands full set, car dolly, Tru test alley digital scales, portable cattle loading chute, 500 gallon water tank on gooseneck. Cattle trimming chute used for bulls and cows going to show or sale. Pig farrowing house 6 stalls, nursery huts. Email Howard McCall at: h4mccall@gmail.com for pictures and pricing.

NEW MEXICO DRINKING WATER

Storage Tanks, Heavy Duty Black Poly. Fittings customized to your needs NRCS and EQUIP approved. High Specific Gravity, Heavy Weight, Long Warranty, Algae Resistant, Black NRCS Water Tanks. Call 1-800-603-8272 or 575-682-2308.

MOUNTAIN-TOP GOATS HAS

GREAT goats and great goat deals! La Manchas, Nubians, mini La Manchas, mini Nubians, Nigerian Dwarfs-Does, Kids and Bucks. 4-H, milkers, pets, meat, weed eaters. You need it, we have it! In Capitan, call 575-937-0342.

FOR SALE: 3 YEAR old red face Hereford bull. $1,200 or trade for Hereford bull. Call 505-297-6871.

RABBITS AT THE BUNNY FarmAll ages for sale. For pets, show, fancier,meat and fur. Can make custom-built cages in Jamestown. Call Maddie and Gene at 505-906- 1291, leave voice message. All calls will be answered and returned.

TACK AND EQUIPMENT.

“EVERYTHING for the Horse”. Western & English Tack bought and sold. Rancho Elisa Stables, LLC, 500 Route 66 East, Moriarty, NM 87035. Email: ranchoelisastablesfr@swcp.com or call 505-832-5113.

ALUMINUM CATTLE TRAILER,

24’X7’, gooseneck, 2 divider gates with slides, 2 side escape with split gates. Lighting throughout, plexiglass sliders to protect from weather. Large storage in nose. Built for show cattle. $14,000. Call Howard McCall at 505-379-4333.

ALUMINUM CATTLE TRAILER,

24’X7’ gooseneck, 1 divider gate, 1 slide escape, room in nose for stor age. More of a cattle trailer for going to sale barn, etc. $9,000. Call Howard McCall at 505-379-4333. Email: h4mccall@gmail.com for picture.

APACHE SELF CREEP FEEDERS

with rails for baby calves to enter on 2 sides, portable. $2,300 each. New they are $4,500. Located in Moriarty. Call Howard McCall at 505-379-4333. Email for picture at: h4mccall@gmail.com

PAUL’S SCALE FOR PIG and lamb 4-H or FFA projects. The best brand and easy to be portable. $975. Call Howard McCall at 505-379- 4333 or email h4mccall@gmail.com for a picture.

Business

LOW STEP TILE SHOWERS built especially for you! Mountainair and surrounding areas. Call 931- 629-4727 for free estimate, ask for Ed. Great prices, beautiful showers. Any tile, any pattern! Old School or Schluter System. In business since the late 1900’s. 931-629-4727.

Equipment

GREAT OFFER ON SOLAR

Submersible Shallow/Deep well pumps! ‘NRCS’ approved with 2-year warranty on selected pumps with affordable, easy installation! For a custom quote, call 505-429- 3093 or email us at: sales@solarsubmersiblewellpumps.com, 24/7 service. Order online at our website: www.solarsubmersiblewellpumps.com

OIL FIELD PIPE, 10” casing 336’, 4” casing 800’ and metal trusses for barn 43’x90’. Just weld it up. Call Howard McCall at 505-379-4333. Or email: h4mccall@gmail.com for a picture.

FOR SALE: GRAIN AUGERS

1-6”x40’, 1-6”x20’, 1-8”x53’, 1-8”x20’. One unloading hopper, one 15HP 3 Phase electric motor. Used corrugated tin sheets, 29 gauge, 12 feet long, $5 per sheet. Call 505-384-5163 for more information. FOR SALE: 4-24” 2-SPEED Exhaust Fans with louvers. 6 Poultry waterers. Poultry wire. Power Polesvarious lengths. 1/4 and 5/16 aircraft cable-various lengths. Call 505-384- 5163 for more information.