I’ve spent the better part of the week pouring over research for a new book. And as usual, I find myself going down the rabbit hole…AGAIN!
While looking for authentic Civil War recipes, I happened upon cowboy cuisine, and as much as I love, love, love cowboys, I don’t think I could handle a steady diet of biscuits, beans, and bacon.
The romantic image of cowboys feasting on juicy steaks by a roaring campfire differs from the gritty realities of life on the trail. Beyond the cattle drives, roping skills, and dusty landscapes, lay the daily struggle for survival, and a critical element of that survival, was of course food. What did these men, often far from civilization for months at a time, actually eat?
Beans were the undisputed backbone of trail cuisine for cowboys, favored for their durability and nutrition. Whether pinto or navy, these legumes provided a vital source of protein and fiber, keeping hunger at bay during long rides. Much like today’s camping meals, beans were easy to store, transport, and cook in a single pot over the fire.
Salt Pork and Bacon were prized trail foods, valued for their long shelf life and high calorie content. Unlike the bacon we know today, these cuts were heavily salted and cured, making them tough but ideal for travel. Preserving meat with salt or smoke was essential to prevent spoilage on the dusty plains.
Coffee, often called the cowboy elixir, was more than a beverage…it was a daily ritual and 
morale booster for weary cowboys. Brewed strong and black, coffee provided much-needed energy for long, grueling days. Without fancy equipment, cowboys simply boiled grounds over the campfire, sometimes letting the grounds settle or straining them through a bandana. Often, they used the same pot day after day, thus contributing to the unique flavor of cowboy coffee. (Note: I enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the a.m. but require my hazelnut creamer or during the holidays, pumpkin pie spice!!!)
When real coffee ran out, they turned to resourceful substitutes like roasted chicory or dandelion roots. These stand-ins provide a warm bitter brew that mimicked coffee’s comfort, if not its flavor or strength.
Dried Fruit, like raisins, apples, or peaches, served as portable treats for the hard-working cowboys. They provided a rare sweetness and vitamins on the trail, breaking up the monotony of the constant savory dishes.
Canned Goods were a rare luxury on the trail, thanks to advancement in food preservation. Occasionally, cowboys enjoyed treated liked canned peaches or tomatoes. However, these items were heavy and expensive, so they appeared only when supply wagons had extra storage space. Still, even a single can could lift spirits and remind cowboys of comforts far from home.
Fresh Game supplemented the cowboys’ diet, its success dependent upon sharp shooting and the abundance of wildlife along the trail. Compared to salted pork or hardtack, rabbits, prairie chickens, or wild birds offered richer flavor and variety to their diet.
Sourdough Bread starters were a trail cook’s secret weapon for baking fresh bread or biscuits on the open range. Kept alive with regular feedings, these starters allowed cooks to whip up hearty, tangy loaves and fluffy biscuits right over the campfire.
Jerky–dried, salted strips of beef or buffalo–was a trail for its portability and long shelf life. ?
Packed with protein, it could be eaten on the go, making it perfect for busy days in the saddle, providing energy when time or conditions make cooking impossible.
Molasses and Sugar were precious commodities on the trail, reserved for sweetening beans or biscuits on special occasions. Even a small spoonful transformed otherwise bland food, making them a special treat for cowboys craving a taste of sweetness.
Rice and Cornmeal added much-needed variety to the cowboy diet, often cooked into hearty 
porridges, grits, or mush. These staples reflected the influence of Southern and Mexican cooking. Cornbread, in particular, was a favorite, easily baked over coals, while rice provided a filling base, helping stretch meager rations even further.
Onions and Potatoes were tossed into stews, beans, or skillet meals, adding vital nutrition and ample flavor to otherwise plain dishes. These hardy vegetables could survive for weeks without spoiling, making them a practical addition to the chuck wagon’s limited pantry.
Dried Chili Peppers and Spices were essential for livening up bland trail food. Mexican vaqueros, in particular, brought the tradition of adding heat and flavor with chilis and seasonings–particularly in the colder weather–transforming meat or beans into a satisfying meal and adding a taste of home to the trail.
The real diet of cowboys was shaped by necessity, resourcefulness, and sheer grit. From beans and biscuits to foraged greens and rare treats like canned fruit, these simple, rugged meals fueled long days in the saddle and left a lasting imprint on American folklore. Their adaptability in the face of hardship is as legendary as their cattle drives.
Next time you enjoy a campfire meal, remember the inventive spirt of the Old West–and try adding a cowboy twist to your own menu!
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Coming next month…
“Your journey doesn’t have to end in disappointment.”
Lila Hartley had waited for hours on the frozen train platform, a mail-order bride no one came to claim, her trunk beside her like a tombstone. The man who’d promised her marriage, a home, and a future, left her stranded two thousand miles from Boston with nothing but the clothes on her back and a heart full of shattered dreams.
Just when hope was fading, a man emerged from the white curtain of snow like an apparition, took off his coat, and changed her life.
Clay McCallister viewed every woman who had taken a chance on the frontier as the sister he’d failed…a woman who’d risked everything for the possibility of something better, much like the woman standing on the platform in the bitter cold.
Sometimes warmth doesn’t always come from fire — sometimes it comes from the heart.
Simply having a roof doesn’t necessarily make a structure a true covered bridge, though. Underneath every authentic covered bridge is its truss system, a network of beams, often in the shape of triangles, that distributes the weight of the bridge and the load it carries on its deck. The trusses, though rugged in appearance, require precision, and building one often took a whole village — quite literally. Dozens, if not hundreds, of skilled workers from the community were involved: sawyers to prepare the rough-cut logs, timber framers to properly place the beams, and stonemasons to build the abutments, to name a few. Throughout the 19th century, covered bridges popped up wherever rivers and streams needed crossing — especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Each bridge showcased the craftsmanship of local builders and engineers, many of whom developed their own unique truss designs, like the Burr Arch or the Town Lattice.
couples sharing a covert kiss under the roof, inspiring the name “kissing bridges.” It’s an old tradition from the horse-and-buggy days, when a boy would stop halfway across a covered bridge where it was quiet to give his girl a kiss.
Kansas. It’s nearing Christmas and the Circle of Friends Quilting group is planning the Annual Christmas Quilt Giveaway. Here, the quilts are stitched with 
There were two waves of the flu in the spring and fall. Though called the Spanish flu, it didn’t originate in Spain. They really don’t know for sure where it originated. Three suggestions are East Asia, Europe, or even Kansas. Why Kansas? It was March 9, 1918, at Fort Riley, Kansas, where 26,000 troops were stationed. They had several thousand horses and mules that deposited large amounts of manure. The problem arose of disposing of it. They decided burning it would be a good idea. March 9th brought a harsh dust storm, the combination of sand, dust, and manure ash stung the skin and offended the nose. The storm was so bad that it nearly blocked out the sun. Two days later, on March 11th, 100 men reported to the infirmary, all complaining of the same ailments of a bad cold. Whether or not this was the point of origin of the 1918 influenza that took over 600,000 American lives, we will probably never know. The epidemic spread not only within the U.S. but the abroad as well. By November 1918, the whole world was affected by the growing pandemic.
“Next stop, Pine Ridge. Twenty minutes lay over only,” the conductor bellowed as he passed through the car.
