All Hamburger Recipes: March 2014

Monday 31 March 2014

Raspberry Delight and Cowboy Boot Winner Annouced

Yummy in my Tummy

The dishes are Pottery Barn.

My Monday started off pretty alright. First with a big piece of Raspberry Delight (recipe to follow), I actually had to wear a sweatshirt to the barn because the temperature FINALLY dropped, and then we gave the calves their vaccinations and new IDs (it's kind of like them getting ready for back to school. I'll have a post and pictures on it). I love the mornings when I get to be on the farm for a bit before I go into the office.

Now first a recipe, and then I'll announce who won the boots.

Raspberry Delight
I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was a big score in my house. The recipe is originally from Taste of Home, but I wanted to add some of my own commentary.

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Filling
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat kind) You can soften it by leaving on the counter, or zapping in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time
1 cup confectioners' suger (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whipped topping (I used light)

Topping
2 packages (3 ounces each) raspberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen raspberries (the recipe says sweetened raspberries, but I used non sweetened and it still tasted great)
Additional whipped topping

Directions
In large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles crumbles. Press into an ungreased 13 in x 9 in backing pan. I used my KitchenAid and it was really powdery, but turned out just fine. (I was really skeptical to begin with).

Bake 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until set (crust will not brown). Cool on wire rack.

In small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust.

For the topping dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in raspberries. Chill for 20 minutes until mixture behinds to thicken. My did not even come close to thickening after 40 minutes. I think next time I'll try a shallower bowl. I still poured it onto the filling really runny, but it firmed up and everything tuned out great. Refrigerate until set.

Boom an amazing dessert.

Now for the winner of the Shyanne boots!

Highheelsandshotgunshells Happy Monday, you just won a pair of boots! If you can email me (address is under the About Me tab) we'll get you a new pair of boots! Thank you again to the Boot Barn for the giveaway.

The silos came crashing down

In less than 8 seconds it was over.

This weekend the Boy and I spent the majority of the weekend at the barn. We move into the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, where we will be showing five Hereford heifers (heifers are the girls). However, we got a call in the middle of the day saying we needed to get home because "you are going to want to see this."

In our farm yard is a grain storage facility that our family and a number of other farmers in the area use. However, in front of the newer grain bins sat two old cement bins. The bins were probably put up in the 1950s however they needed to come down because we no longer used them, and the extra room will allow for new improvements to the storage facility.

A pair of Amish men came over to help take them down. And it went something like this.

The Boy also took a few videos of the silo.

The first time it didn't quite make it to the ground.

And then there was success.

Bring the farm and class to the dinner table

No I'm not talking about food.

There is much more to a table than the food you put on it. I secretly imagine what it would be like to throw dinner parties every weekend for all our closest friends. In reality it is more like what can we make that is fast, and we can chow down on before we have to head back to the barn. However, if I was throwing a dinner party this weekend. This is what I would want on my table.

Erik Ekroth Photography

Aren't these name placeholders too cute. I first saw them on Pinterest and that lead me to Hatch Creative Studio an event planning company in NYC.

You could easily buy plastic farm animals and spray paint them white. Again Pinterest wins. Hope you have a fantastic Wednesday.

Turquoise Thursday: Running in Style

Getting my workout on.

Awhile ago I posted on my Facebook page that I had started Couch to 5K. During all my travel this summer I figured I should probably make use of the hotel treadmill. In five weeks I got almost all the way through week four of the program. Not too bad.

Then I got home and stopped. However, the Boy and I talked it over and decided to get a treadmill of our own. Well it arrived yesterday! So now it is time to get back on my feet and do a little running.

I posted a picture of my turquoise running shoes awhile ago, but figured if I stick with this running thing I might deserve a few new pieces of clothing.

Like this turquoise Nike running top. I think the straps are really unique. I know it is supposed to be about the running, but I like clothes more than running. Pure honesty, right there.

I picked up some gray and white Nike shorts at Dillards when I started running, and this Nike stripped top would match them perfectly. p.s. I actually don't like running that much, I just love the feeling I get afterwards and I sleep so much better.

And this one is great too. I love the little bit of lime green. I really do like lime green it just is usually not very practical to wear.

I am in love with the Nike shorts that I bought this summer. Not only are they perfect for running in, but they have also been perfect for washing cattle in these few weeks that I haven't been running!

And finally I had to post this picture of our new baby calf. Typically we calve all the cows in March, April and May, but she was a late one. I think we are going to name her "Nothing Compares" in honor of the Iowa State Fair slogan. If you are going to be at the Iowa State Fair this weekend we'll have some of our Hereford cattle in the beef barns. Stop by and say hello.

Turquoise Fashion Bloggers

They cause me to want to shop way too much.

Just a quick post today because last night a kink was thrown into any blogging plans. We had just got home from picturing some of the heifer calves we have for sale at the farm. Think cattle model/cover shoot. I had supper on the stove and the boy jumped in the shower. Suddenly, he reappeared from the bathroom and announced that the water had stopped working mid-shower. The part where you still have shampoo in your hair.

That afternoon the power company had been burying a cable and I guess our line got cut or something. The result of no water meant a night at the inlaws house. But today is a new day and Turquoise Thursday so lets begin.

First of all my friends know me too well. This sweet gift arrived in the mail from Holli. Perfect #armparty. You can find a similar cross bracelet here, and the other bracelet is David Yurman.

I want this J.Crew turquoise coat! If you haven't been to The Chloe Conspiracy you must check out her blog.

Also check out my K-State loving friend Sheridan's blog Wimmer Wimmer Chicken Dinner. She is becoming quite the fashion blogger and I love her Old Navy turquoise pants.

And that is all folks. I'll have an update on our awesome State Fair trip very soon.

Our new wedding gift ride

Pimp out my ride.

Our heifer calves at
the State Fair.

A week ago today the Boy and I were headed to State Fair (for the whole recap you can check out our cattle blog www.jjbcattle.com). It went awesome and we even brought a banner home. However, rolling up to the State Fair we had pretty big smiles on our faces.

You see last year when we went to the fair we had to borrow a stock trailer to haul our cattle in. However, this year we had our very own stock trailer! Last fall we purchased a used stock trailer. She was a little worn/broken in, but she was ours. I know I sound sentimental but buying a stock trailer is a pretty big purchase for a young farming couple. It kind of gave us a sense of accomplishment.

The week of our wedding our best man asked if he could borrow the trailer to help his sister move her furniture. This is a pretty common way to move friends and family in agriculture communities and it is a whole helluva lot cheaper than a moving van. We agreed and told him to bring it back when he was done. A couple days before the wedding our best man called again and said it would be a few more days because he had gotten a flat tire on the trailer. Not a problem. I was busy planning a wedding.

All along our best man and dear friends had been scheming and when our trailer rolled up the day before the wedding it looked like it had been on a episode of Pimp My Ride.

They stole our old trailer and made it brand new! They had it acid washed so the aluminum now gleams.

And they put all new signage on it for us. I really like all our Pottery Barn dishes, but our "new" trailer was pretty cool.

I guess you could say I am a Rockin' Rural Women. I love make-up, high heels, nice clothes, cattle and stock trailers. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Raising a family without meat

It's a scary world out there.

I'm not really sure how to write this post, but I feel strongly about this issue. So if I wander or babble here is my apology up front.

My supper last night. A 6 oz. steak
and wedge salad.

Recently, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has done some startling things. 1. Meatless Mondays (I choose to support Hunk of Meat Mondays) was suggested as a wise choice in the organization's company newsletter. I really don't think that the organization that is suppose to support farmers of all types should be supporting a day created by animal rights activities. 2. Even more recently has been USDA's changes to school lunch programs, and this is a what I really want to talk about.

The school lunch thing used to be a little foreign to me. In my elementary and high school we brought out own lunches. Mom usually packed them for us because we would get up early to do chores before we headed to school. However, I have talked to the boy and a lot of friends about school lunches and it was the norm in their lives. I also understand that there are a lot of families that don't have "quite enough" and the meals that their children get at school are very important. Maybe the only meals they get during the day.

Now back to USDA. USDA has made more changes to school lunch program nutritional guidelines. They include more fruits and veggies - that is awesome. They include less meat - not awesome. The new guidelines state that Grades 9-12 will get 10-12 ounces of meat a week, younger children even less. Let's put this into perspective. A four ounce serving of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards. That means you get three deck of cards servings a week, at the maximum.

I remember when I was younger I could consume a foot-long Subway sandwich in a matter of minutes, I usually could eat two hamburgers, and my mom used to call me a grazer - I never quit eating. I was healthy, active, strong. I was on my volleyball team, danced in ballet and jazz classes wo night a week and was able to lift a 30 lbs. bucket of grain on each arm with ease. Protein was my fuel. My friend Katie Pinke has a growing, active high school son, and the new nutritional guidelines won't even meet his daily calorie needs.

Some may say well you still have the option to serve meat at home. True, but what about the families that can't afford protein options? In a 2010 survey done by Share our Strength No Kid Hungry it was reported that two-thirds of teachers said most or a lot of their students rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition, and around two-thirds of teaches also say there are children that regularly enter their classrooms hungry because they are not getting enough to eat at home.

The Boy and I definitely will have children one day, but sometimes it scares me because of the direction of society is headed in. I watch eight years olds with cell phones, I didn't have one until college. I watch the government making more and more choices for families. It is frustrating.

I would love to hear your opinions on this. Are you a mom that is concerned about the direction USDA is taking school lunches in or maybe you are on the other side of the fence and have a differing opinion. Or maybe you are like me kind of watching from the sidelines, but don't like what is going on.

101 Update: Pinterest do and don't recipes

Working on my inner DIYer.

Who is a Pinterest fanatic? I am, I am, I am. A big part of my addiction is the recipe section. And since trying 10 new recipes was a 101 in 1001 goal of mine Pinterest was the perfect place to scope out new recipes.

However, things don't always turn out like those perfect food photography shots. So here a few ratings on my latest Pinterest recipe tries.

Source: crystalcattle.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Raspberry Delight: A++++
This recipe has been so far my biggest Pinterest success. I have made it twice already and people are asking for it again. Winner. You can find the recipe here.

Source: treehugger.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Balsamic and Brown Sugar Grilled Strawberries: B

They were ok. I think I'll stick with grilling peaches as my fruit of choice. They kind of tasted like strawberry jam, and they make your grill really sticky.

Source: frostedbakeshop.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade: A

I forgot to take a picture of this when I made it, but I loved this recipe. (Maybe it was the vodka I added). It is a little unusual to drink watermelon. There is definitely a texture to the drink, but I really enjoyed it.

Source: livinglight58.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Rachel Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake: B+

The recipe was pretty good, but not nearly as good as the picture looked. It makes a huge quantity so in our two person household we had tons of leftovers. Also, it definitely has some kick to it. I would probably turn back the amount of jalepeno I and chili powder used next time.

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Crock Pot Cheesy Ravioli Recipe: C

I was hoping this recipe would really turn out and would be a good option for me to make at the state fair. However, I don't think this recipe tasted any better than boiling Ravioli and pouring sauce on top of it. I cooked the recipe the minimum amount of time and it was still quite mushy. This won't be a repeat recipe in our house.

What Pinterest successes have you had? Did you know that there is a website called Pinterst Fail? Definitely worth checking out.

Also, there has been a lot of discussion on my blog post yesterday about USDA School Lunches. I hope you'll check it out and weigh in. Happy Wednesday!

Sunday 30 March 2014

Turquoise Thursday: School Lunch Soapbox

I'm not quite ready to get down.

I love this
floral reusable turquoise lunch sack
from KatieKouture on Etsy.

This week there has been a lot of discussion about the new USDA changes to school lunch programs. What's all the commotion about? A reduction in protein served in school lunched. Children in Grade 9-12 will receive a 10-12 ounces of protein a week.

There has been a lot of discussion in this post of mine - Raising a Family Without Meat, and I would really encourage you to read this interview with Agriculture's Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding Meatless Monday and the new school lunch guidelines. It is kind of scary. I find it quite alarming.

I've learned a few things this week too from all the discussion:

Because of the new sodium guidelines the quality of protein should be much better. That a good thing. Also, more fruit and veggies are being included. Another good thing.

The USDA has created a one-size fits all program and that doesn't work.

There are WAY too many kids in this country going hungry. In Iowa it is 1 in 6 kids, and we are one of the lower states! Did you know according to Feeding America that more than 20% of the child population in America lived in food insure households in 2010. And research shows that hungry children do more poorly in school and have lower academic achievement because they can not concentrate. Katie Pinke's son is a growing high schooler, active on athletic teams and is definitely hungry with these new school lunch guidelines.

I would encourage you to join in on the discussion and contact those that can really help change things around.

Undersecretary of Food & Nutrition Services
Kevin Concannon
1400 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250

Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack
1400 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250

Finally, it is Turquoise Thursday so for those that have to pack your own lunch, or will now be packing your child's lunch here are some turquoise options.

I know it isn't very turquoisey (yeah I just made up a word) but how cute is this lunch sack made out of an old feed sack.

I never even knew reusable sandwich sacks existed until I saw these from GetPersonalEtc.

If you want to stay involved int the school lunch discussion I would check out Sensible School Lunches on Facebook. It is a great page with lots of good resources for you and and your family.

Julia Child Printable

One smart steak lover.

On August 15th it was Julia Childs's birthday, and her famous saying "The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting the steak to cook," started to become quite famous on Facebook and social media sites. I really couldn't agree more and that is why I loved this printable from www.irockwhat.com.

Isn't it great. Maybe the only thing that could make it better would be a little asterisk with

*Remember though there are 29 lean cuts of meat that will fit into your diet. Sirloin and tenderloin are two of those cuts.

Ok probably not necessary. Hope you have a great weekend, and find some steaks for the grill!

p.s. IROCKWHAT also has this amazing Bacon Egg Cupcake recipe on her blog. You are going to want to check it out.

Corn Report: How much corn is in that field

Me, the men and the corn.

On Friday, I went on a brand new adventure called a crop tour. The Boy will tell you about how geeked up I was about the whole deal, but seriously I was pretty excited.

So what is a crop tour? Well, our crop tour was just in our county. People divided up into teams (teams does not mean a competition I found out) and explore corn fields in the area to try and determine the possible amount of corn that will be harvested.

Have you heard on the news how this year's corn crop is going to be way down? How in the world do they determine that before the corn is even harvested. Well there is a formula and I learned all about it on the crop tour.

First you need 30 feet of rope. You lay that rope down against a random row, and count how many ears are along the 30 feet. Next they picked the ears off of the 3rd, 8th and 11th stalks and brought them in for counting. You do this in a couple different spots in the field to get a more accurate idea.

OK back at the truck now. There is a formula where you count how many kernels around the corn is (16 is ideal) and measure how long it is and then include the pervious stalk counts in your calculation. Boom you have an approximation of how many bushels an acre you will get in that field.

Now what does any of this mean to you that don't live on a farm or have anything to do with a farm. Well the bushels (bu) in our area are going to be way down. The fields we did were anywhere from 80+ bu to 211 bu. Our area of the country is corn country, and is known for consistently producing 200+ bu corn. Bottom line. Food prices are going up.

You can see that there was a lot of variation, and that guy at the bottom
isn't very healthy. All these ears came from the same field.

Because livestock are fed corn in addition to forages like grass, and corn syrup is found in all those sugary sweets we enjoy like pop our country needs a lot of corn, and there isn't going to be a lot of it this year. If you want to see more pictures you can check out www.newscoffeeshop.com or on Twitter find the hashtag #croptour12

Here's you chance to #AskUSDA about #SchoolFoodsRule

They are giving us a forum.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 29, the USDA will be talking about the new changes to the School Lunch Program at 1:00 PM EST

Some things that I hope are discussed:

1. Does this one-size all approach to nutrition really work?
2. Will those children who rely on school lunches as a vital part of their nutrition suffer?
3. How should children who are athletes deal with the restriction in calories?
4. Why can't we provide more lean protein for our growing kids?

The good news. By tweeting to @USDA with the hashtags #AskUSDA and #SchoolFoodsRule your questions could be answered. Janey Thaney, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services will be leading the chat. Hopefully, she has a much clearer understanding of the new changes that Secretary Tom Vilsack did in this interview.

For more perspective on these changes check out this great post from mom Debbie Blythe "School Lunches are Not Making our Kids Fat."

Real life watermelon feeds and Farm Bureau

Stepping out of the box.

Last night one of the best events of the year was held at my alma mater, Kansas State. It is called Watermelon Feed. Tables upon tables line the lawn of Weber Hall (where the majority of my agriculture classes and livestock judging team practices were held). And at each table is a different club or campus organization you can join. All you have to do is say hi, ask some questions and write your email down and boom you are involved. And then you eat watermelon.

College days are far behind the Boy and I now, and unfortunately there is no Watermelon Feed. I am a pretty outgoing person, however it can be intimidating to get involved in a new community. Especially, when I am used to taking the lead, and I'm finding that a lot of the groups I am interested in are interested in are doing things the same ole, same ole.

However, today I feel like I made a break through. The Boy and I are officially members of the Iowa Farm Bureau and I am hoping to find a new community in this group. I want to 1. make a difference, 2. give back, and 3. be a leader. These things are important to me, and I think most people my age (that would be the upper 20s age bracket) would feel the same.

For those people that are well established in your communities remember that some of us are craving to be apart of something bigger we just need direction, or need to be asked because sometimes it is hard to know what is out there.

And for those of you that are like me. I am finding that you won't always be able to find an email address or twitter handle to get in touch with a contact person. Sometimes you have to pick up the phone or walk into a meeting not knowing what you are getting yourself into.

#SchoolFoodsRule questions (or not) by the USDA

During my lunch hour I followed along with the #AskUSDA discussion about changes to the school lunch program. Below are the questions that were asked and the responses. The USDA did a lot of skirting the issue, but I do feel that it allowed there to be more open dialogue between community members and parents, while the USDA stuck to their script. Be sure to check our #AskUSDA or #SchoolFoodsRules to see all the tweets, and don't forget that Sensible School Lunches is a great place to continue on the conversation.

Q1 #AskUSDA RT @cafoodpolicy: Students want appealing food. How can USDA help SFAs design a student driven menu?#SchoolFoodsRule

A1 Thornton: They should involve students when planning menues! It can be healthy and student friendly at the same time. #AskUSDA

A1 Thornton: Students can be involved in taste tests, both in the cafeteria and in the classroom. #AskUSDA

‏A1 Thornton: Parents may offer some of the healthier choices at home after viewing school menus on the district websites.#AskUSDA

‏@katpinke

@steinworld @USDA What if parents can't afford healthier choices at home or don't know? What's the outreach? #ASKUSDA

‏@MrsZookeeper

#AskUSDA aren't school lunches to help the poor? What abt those kids whose moms aren't able to provide that healthy food after school?

Dept. of Agriculture ‏Q2 RT @blammo33: What has been the general response from schools about the new regulations? #AskUSDA

‏@TaylarFurness

#schoolfoodsrule is horrible. I'm an athlete and there is definitely not enough choices 4 me to make up for the calories I burn in practice

‏A2 Thornton: At 1st there was concern & anxiety, now that school is underway, we're hearing lots of excitement & positive feedback!#AskUSDA

‏@TroyHadrick

#ASKUSDA It seems that the push for more fruits/veggies has been at the expense of protein. Why not always be encouraging balanced diet?

‏@radunn11

What do you think about all the food that is getting thrown away because kids refuse to eat it? Did you consider this? #AskUSDA

‏@MrsZookeeper

#AskUSDA my 11 y/o is starved when I pick him up from school. I meet him with a banana. I don't mind feeding him right after school but...

Dept. of Agriculture

Q3 RT @crystalcattle @ObesityCampaign What are ideas you have to reduce childhood obesity with non-food solutions? #ASKUSDA #SCHOOLFOODSRULE