Cooking in the West

Just when my muscles have grown used to working, it is almost time to go back and sit at a desk as the school year approaches. The entire month of June, my body thinks it enlisted in the Army and no one told it. By July, the severe muscle cramps have subsided, and by August, I can walk up a hill without needing oxygen. Then, it is back to the office every day to let my muscles deteriorate for another nine months.

My friend, Judy Sondeno, who lives near Sidney, Montana taught with me for many years. As colleagues, we dieted and sweated during the school year mainly so we could survive ranch wor...