The Best Zucchini Blueberry Bread

I remember when I was a young girl we were invited over to our neighbors house for chocolate cake. Once we arrived she shared with my mom that she had used zucchini in the cake. Say what?! I came for chocolate cake, not some veggie cake.

To my surprise the cake was amazing. It tasted just like tradition chocolate cake, but was SO moist. That's when I learned that zucchini takes on the flavor of whatever it is paired with, and is a great way to add moisture to your baked goods.

This particular recipe is one my MIL shared with me. If you have a ton of zucchini it is a good one because it uses two cups of grated zucchini. The small zucchinis you find in the grocery store typically only generate about a cup or a little less once grated, so grab a BIG one from your farmer's market or pick up a few small ones at the grocery store.

I also love that these recipe calls for the use of mini loaf pans. If you don't have these available I would split the recipe between two regular loaf pans.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons of vanilla
2 1/4 white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries or 1.5 cups frozen

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease four mini loaf pans, or two regular loaf pans.

Step 2. Grate zucchini with box grater. Squeeze out additional liquid.

Step 3. In large bowl, lightly beat together three eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar. Fold in zucchini.

Step 4. In separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

Step 5. Beat dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredient mixture.

Step 6. Gently fold in blueberries.

Step 7. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan, and then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.

Try not to eat an entire mini loaf in one sitting, but remember if you do you just got a 1/4 cup of veggies in, lol. Next up on my list is to try this Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread from Dessert for Two.

 

Easy Heart Shaped Cupcakes

Last week in my Facebook scrolling I came across the most adorable heart shaped cupcakes posted by my friend and Pampered Chef consultant Anne McMillan. She was highlighted the Pampered Chef brownie pan, which of course I have because due to hosting a Pampered Chef bridal shower almost seven years ago I have EVERYTHING Pampered Chef and I ain't complaining.

Instead of running out and purchasing a heart-shaped cupcake pan, a small ball of tinfoil transforms ordinary cupcakes or brownies into the perfect heart shape.

Anne's preference for boxed brownies is the Philsbury brand, but if you are looking for something lighter than brownies she recommends this Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda. Mix in oil, beaten eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Bring water and margarine to a boil and then combine with mixture.

Use the Pampered Chef Small Scoop (1 teaspoon scoop) to fill cupcake liners. The key to make sure you don't fill the liners up too much so that batter doesn't rise above the liner once baked. Once the batter is in the liner place a small ball of tinfoil in one of the corners. Bake for 16 minutes at 350 degrees.

You should easily dress these up with icing, but I choose to go the sprinkle route. One of my favorite things to do is to mix sprinkles to make my own custom blend. These cow sprinkles are one some of my favorites and I have loved using them on chocolate dipped pretzel sticks.

I can't wait to hear how you use this idea. Whether you need a sweet treat for Valentine's Day, bridal shower or just because I know these will be a hit.

This post was not sponsored my Pampered Chef. I just really like all of their kitchen gadgets. 

A Fresh Look on GMOs

In the last month, I have been in San Francisco (Keep Collective leadership conference), and Denver (National Western Stock Show and Des Moines. When you are traveling that much, you meet a lot of different people. I’ve been in more Ubers than I can count. I am the kind of Uber rider that wants to know the driver’s life story. And at some point that means they want to know mine, so I share that I’m from Iowa and our family raises cows. Yup, this girl who is running around in black pleather pants, lipstick and has more bracelets on that you can count knows a thing about farming. 

On our farm we plant GMO corn and soybeans. It helps us less water and less energy. GMO farming methods have reduced the equivalent of nearly 500 billions pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. Both our farm and organic farms use pesticides to ensure that our plants stay healthy, however using GMOs lets us cut back dramatically on the amount needed. We can spray less often, with more targeted precision. On average, GMO farming has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, while increasing cop yields by 22%. Land is expensive so the more we can grow on least amount of land possible the better. 

Whether it be the Uber driver, my city-living conference roommates, the server at the restaurant or the CEO of Keep Collective they are all concerned about one thing: the safety of the food they are feeding their families. Thanks to the media and fancy marketing labels everyone is so darn confused about what is right and wrong, healthy or safe. GMOs are on the top of everyone’s list as “I’m not so sure about those things.”

Now let's start with some basics. GMOs aren’t a thing, but a breeding method. Nearly every crop grown today could be considered a GMO: People have been selecting and cross-breeding crops to make them more useful for thousands of years. What was once the result of trial and error is now efficient, predictable and precise — a finely tuned way to pass beneficial, naturally occurring traits into the seeds farmers, like Jon and I, need to grow our food. At the end of the day, they’re no different than any other seeds, except they grow into crops that need less water, or naturally fend off invasive insects or disease. 

On our farm we plant GMO corn and soybeans. It helps us less water and less energy. GMO farming methods have reduced the equivalent of nearly 500 billions pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. Both our farm and organic farms use pesticides to ensure that our plants stay healthy, however using GMOs lets us cut back dramatically on the amount needed. We can spray less often, with more targeted precision. On average, GMO farming has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, while increasing cop yields by 22%. Land is expensive so the more we can grow on least amount of land possible the better. 

Recently, I came across a brand created by farmers like me called Ethos Chocolate and they care as much about GMOs as I do. Why? Instead of being focused on GMO corn and soybeans like we are, they created a line of chocolate flavors that represent other GMO crop stories: The Optimist (cacao), The Survivor (papaya), The Hero (orange) and The Trendsetter (apple). The cacao bean and each of these fruits are currently faced with environmental pressures, but through GMO technology farmers are working to make these crops more sustainable. I would cry if chocolate ever went away. I am addicted. 

The flavor of The Optimist (straight up chocolate) is my favorite, but I love the story of the The Hero the most. In the past decade, Florida orange production has dropped to its lowest level in 50 years due to the crippling citrus greening disease - which has infected 90% of Florida’s citrus groves and has no cure. This has caused revenue and jobs in the citrus sector to drop and orange juice prices to skyrocket. While a GMO tree variety is a long way off, researchers have identified a solution that can be applied to existing trees, using a virus as the vector to deliver antibacterial proteins called defensins found in spinach plants (defensins are also found in your saliva, fighting off microbes). This means that oranges will be sticking around for a lot longer, which is amazing!

With Valentine’s Day arriving soon and we all should feel good about indulging in a sweet treat. Ethos chocolate wants to send you, or your favorite person or gal pal a package of their limited-edition chocolates for free. All you have to do is submit your request here. Yes, Target will have a delicious selection of chocolates but this is a fun and easy way to directly support farmers and learn a little more about the food choices available to you and your family. 

This post was sponsored but A Fresh Look, all opinions are my own. 

How To Make a Charcuterie Board #DairyMonth

I  have always been fascinated with Charcuterie boards. One they look gorgeous, and two they totally fulfill my love of meat and cheese. Add in those dried apricots and my mouth is watering. Now, I'll admit the first time I made a Charcuterie board I was a little intimidated, but I quickly realized that they are way simpler to throw together that I initially thought.

Plus, when Cabot Cheese wanted to send me a giant bag full of cheese to try, and then allow you to enter to win a box full of Cabot cheese I knew I could put it to good use with this easy charcuterie board.

Step 1.
Typically a charcuterie board is best served on a wood cheese board or slate is another good option because you can write the name of the cheeses in chalk. For my board I used a wood cutting board - easy peasy.

Step 2.
Pick your cheeses. Since Cabot sent me a plethora of delicious options it wasn't too hard for me to decide. The Cabot Alpine Cheddar Cheese was a favorite of mine, whereas my husband preferred the  Cabot Vermont Extra Sharp Cheddar. For some heat the Cabot Chipotle Cheddar definitely brought it! In addition to these I also included a soft goat cheese, and brie is always a great option.

I loved this bacon onion jam with the sharp cheddar

Step 3.
Pick your meats. Our Hyvee has an amazing meat counter and cheese too for that matter. If you aren't familiar with fancy meats like prosciutto, salamis or pancetta as the people behind the counter and they will definitely be able to help you.

Step 4.
Pick your accompaniments. These could be jams, nuts or fresh fruits. A little sweetness can be the perfect accompaniment to the saltiness and sharpness of the cheese and meat. Pickled items also can be a nice pairing.

Step 5.
The last step is you need something to put all of this delicious goodness on. This could be crackers, chips, crisps or breads. The options are pretty unlimited. I didn't really add my breads to the board rather served them on the side.

A few other tips is you will typically need 2 ounces of cheese pre person. Cheese is also best served at room temperate. And I recommend a few spoons and knives so you can keep flavors separate. 

If you want to continue the #DairyMonth fun hosted by From Gate to Plate and Cooking With Carlee make sure you check out these recipes. 
Avocado Ranch Dressing by Tip Garden
Frosty Chocolate Pie by Jolene's Recipe Journal 
Gluten Free Penne with Brie, Fig and Rosemary by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Rhubarb Sauce by Grumpy's Honeybunch
Orange Creamsicle Martini by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Orange Creamsicle No Bake Cheesecake by Cooking With Carlee
Peaches and Cream Smoothie from Feeding Big 
Strawberry Crisp Milkshake by From Gate to Plate 
White Cheddar and Bacon Pasta Salad by Palatable Pastime
Whole Milk Yogurt Banana Cream Muffins by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
Milk Braised Chicken Thighs from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures 

And now for that giveaway. Cabot has donated a $25 gift box for one lucky winner. Cabot Creamery is an award-winning co-operative owned and operated by 1,100 member dairy farm families throughout New England and Upstate New York. We take care of the land so the grass grows green and tall, which makes the cows happy—and happy cowsproduce rich, buttery milk, which makes for cheese and other products that win awards year after year. And the more people love our Cabot family of products, then the more our dairy farms will thrive—today and into the future. Learn more about Cabot at www.cabotcheese.coop

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to residents of the United States only who are 18 years of age or older. Prize will be sent after the close of the giveaway and winner verification is complete. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond. If no response within the time frame, an alternate winner will be selected. Bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

I'm Addicted to Noosa

If you have been following my social media for the past few weeks you'll notice a trend... I can't get enough of Noosa yoghurt aka the most amazing food in the world next to beef (I'm a cattle woman I've got to stick it steak at the stop of the list). And now all my friends have been sending me how much they heart Noosa.

New life goals: get as many people as possible addicted, drive us milk prices to help dairy farmers and become a Noosa spokesperson.

Noosa is an Australian style yoghurt. I'm not much of a yoghurt person but I had heard some other people sing its rave reviews. When our local grocery store started carrying it I decided to give it a shot. Raspberry and Key Lime were first on the list. OMG it was amazing.

Since that time I have tried pumpkin, Bhakti chai (it tastes like chai tea/a spiced muffin), lemon (kind of tart like lemon meringue), mango, key lime (description below) and blackberry serrano (description below) and there hasn't been a flavor that hasn't been amazing. Noosa isn't like Greek Yogurt it isn't so sour. It is also really creamy, kind of like pudding.

I also describe it as fresh tasting. The flavors, whether fruity or savory, aren't artificial tasting at at. It literally has pumpkin puree in the pumpkin flavor.

Yes, it did. 

Other things that you should know, since I have become a Noosa expert.

It is made in Colorado. The milk comes from a dairy farm ran by a fourth generation dairy farmer. Pretty cool, hun?

There are 23 flavors. Key Lime is probably my favor flavor so far. It tastes just like cheesecake. The Blackberry Serano is the bomb too. I want to try blueberry, peach, blood orange, salted caramel and vanilla.

Spicy yoghurt? Yeah, I was skeptical but Blackberry Seranno is so good. Just enough kick, but the yoghurt keeps it cool and creamy. It reminds me of the jalapeño jelly that you put over cream cheese.

So far I have found that Target's have the best selection, but Noosa has a form on their website that you can fill out to request that the manager carries other flavors. I'm going to just put ALL on mine.

Mother's Day Gifts for Foodie Moms

Mother's Day is right around the corner and although I am not a mom myself, I know my mom always loves to receive a new kitchen gadget or something that connects her to her food. As farmers we are lucky to not only raise the beef that our family gets to consume, but our beef also enters the food chain so that families around the country have the possibility of enjoying it.

1. Krista of The Farmer's Wifee loves Vintage Pyrex! However, if you aren't the flee market scouting, antique hunting kind of girl don't worry because Pyrex brought back their vintage designs in their new Vintage Charm Rise Shine Mixing Bowl Set. You can also find individual pieces at Target.com. Plus, they are turquoise!

2. Cristen of Food and Swine is the ultimate combination of pig farmer and foodie. Cristen loves the Themapen Mk4 Thermometer. It features instant temperature read outs. The fact that is is waterproof sold me because have the time ours get left our by the Traeger. Cristen is also a snap-chatting fool. I love getting to see inside their family's pig barns. Baby pigs are adorable. 

3. Bekah Gutafson of Cooped Up Creativity and I both love this next gadget. This food chopper for onions from Pampered Chef is awesome. My mother-in-law bought on for me after loving hers so much. No more tears! 

4. Does your foodie mom also love photography? They you are going to want to order this gorgeous coffee table book full of photographs featuring farmers and ranchers that raise our food. I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy by author/photographer Scott Stebner. Plus, proceeds go toward scholarships to support agricultural communications and journalism students.  

5. Jennifer of the Farmwife Feeds loves her buffet style triple slow cooker. How nice would this be fun entertaining or when you have a bunch of hungry kiddo mouths to feed. She also shared a great recipe for Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese. 

What am I missing off the list? Maybe a home cooked meal would be the perfect treat for mom. I hope all the moms out there have a fantastic Mother's Day! 

Best Chocolate Milk in the World!

Happy milk loving lady. 

Attention guys and gals, Fairlife - thee most amazing milk in the world - finally showed up in our grocery store. I was almost jumping up and down in the aisle when I found it at our grocery store. What's so awesome about this milk? Well let me tell you.

1. It is ultra filtered. What does that mean? Fairlife runs their milk through one-of-a-kind filters. This allows them to remove lactose aka sugar, but keep all the good stuff in like protein and calcium. Therefore people that are lactose intolerant can drink this milk! The video at the bottom explains the process.

2. Remember that I said Fairlife keeps the protein in? So much protein that Fairlife is 50% higher in protein than regular milk. Beef and Fairlife milk are now my go to protein sources. I kind of like greek yogurt, too ;) 

3. The Fairlife milk lasts WAY longer. I have no idea why, but I bought my Fairlife yesterday (Sept 19) and the 2% is good until Nov 4. That is amazing for our family of two. We love milk, but I have lost count of the number of contains that have gone bad in our fridge because it wasn't drank fast enough. Since I travel for work so much it is hard to go through a container before the expiration date. Fairlife just solved my problem, and is going to save me some moo-la. 

3. TASTE! Holy cow this stuff tastes amazing. It definitely is richer and creamier than regular milk. The chocolate was so chocolatey that I actually cut it a bit with the 2%. I always thought Fairlife milk just sounded cool, but now I also know it tastes amazing. 

When you are shopping the dairy section of your grocery store make sure you take a look in the organic section. I do not purchase organic products because I know they are no safer or nutritious than regular products, however the Fairlife products were beside the organic stuff. (Fairlife isn't organic).

So the next time you are out doing a little grocery shopping check out Fairlife and give it a try. I think you are really going to like it! 

The Easiest Way to Cut Watermelon

Over Memorial Day Weekend I learned that I have been cutting Watermelon wrong my entire life. The Boy and I love the show The Kitchen on Food Network. Within the show they have this segment called Food Hacks. When Geoffrey Zakarian, one of the chefs and hosts of the show, made the statement that we've been cutting watermelon wrong our whole like I was like, "No way, but I am going to watch this." He was right. After a trial this past weekend I back up his claim. His way really is the perfect way to cut a watermelon.

Step 1. Chill your watermelon in the fridge.
Step 2. Cut your watermelon in half.
Step 3. Cut lengthen ways across your watermelon. Trying to keep each cut the same width apart. About an inch works great.

You can see my knife skills weren't perfect but you get the point. 

Step 4. Pull out a slice an enjoy! 

There you have a it! There is hardly any mess, and it is a super easy way to serve your family or guests. Plus if you are making a salad or need cubes you can quickly slice up these sticks. 

In other news we are officially done calving! This little heifer calf was our only black calf this year and the second last calf to be born. I stole the picture from the Boy's @jjbcattleco Instagram account so you will have to go check him out. 

Be #ThankfulforAg and Fight Hunger

I don't think I have really ever experienced what it truly is like to hungry. Not the I just ate lunch and now I'm hungry so I'll have a snack, and a glass of milk, and now I am stuffing my face and not really hungry. I'm talking about the kind of hungry that happens when you haven't ate for awhile, and you have no idea where your next meal is coming from. As farmers we are blessed to know that our freezer and fridge is full of beef that we raise ourselves and other products that our farmer friends grow or raise.

This year I have made a conscious effort to donate to our locate food bank. It has been pretty simple to buy a few extra cans at the grocery store or make a pile of the things that have sat in our cupboards for too long and then run them over to our local pantry. Also, when we butchered our steers we took frozen meat in. I made me so excited that families were going to get nutritious and healthy beef.

This is a great video that explains what a lot of Americans are going through.

The holiday season is here and I have been thinking of other ways that I can help the 1 in 6 Americans that struggle with hunger. I admire the numerous ways that Feeding America helps raise dollars and awareness about hunger. A trip to their website showed me lots of different way we can make a difference this holiday season.

1. Shop online at Zappos.com on Black Friday. For every order placed 10 meals will be donated to Feeding America. 
2. Target and TOMS are teaming up to provide simple ways for Target guests to give back. For every item purchased from a limited-edition collection, Target and TOMS are giving a blanket, one week of meals, or shoes to those in need through American Red Cross, Feeding America, and TOMS. They have everything from TOMS shoes to sweatshirts to candles and bracelets. Shop here! 

And finally my personal favorite. The #ThankfulAg campaign from Bayer Crop Science. When you visit www.thankfulforag.com you get to build your holiday meal, while learning facts about some of our favorite holiday foods. Did you know "One bushel of corn converts to the amount of feed to produce 15.6 pounds of pork." - Iowa Corn Promotion Board

Once you create your meal Bayer Crop Science will donate $1 per share or #thankfullag hashtag to Feeding America. That $1 donation is equal to 10 meals! 

Farmers work hard year round to ensure that there is food for all to eat. Now let's make sure everyone no matter what their situation is has access to that food. If you have ideas of how you support families during the holiday season share them below. 

Valentine's Lucky Charms Chex Mix

I am not a huge over the top Valentine's Day person. However, I do find it fun to remind others both friends, family and significant others how much they mean to you. Since the Boy and I began dating we have spent either in a barn or at the Iowa Beef Expo (an auction where we sell cattle each year). The first year we were dating I got roses in the barn and last year I got brand new fitting mats (foam mats that you stand on when grooming cattle. They are a knee, feet, back lifesaver). If you have a meat lover in your house or find humor in cookies that say "Let's Pork" you might like this post from last year. 

I love making treats for Valentine's Day and this year I whipped up a new recipe. 

Valentine's Lucky Charms Chex Mix

Ingredients

5 cups Lucky Charms cereal (with marshmallows removed)

5 cups Chex Mix

2 bags of melting white chocolate

Valentine's themed sprinkles (one bottle will be more than enough)

1 1/2 cups of Lucky Charms marshmallows (pretty much all the marshmallows in the box. 

1. Begin by combining Lucky Charms and Chex Mix in a bowl and then spread onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or parchment paper

2. Melt you chocolate. The easiest way I find to melt chocolate is to pour it into a large Ziploc bag. Then microwave in 30 second intervals in the microwave, massaging the chocolate in-between cycles. 

3. Pour melted chocolate over cereal mixture. Ensure all the cereal is coated. 

4. Cover cereal chocolate mixture with sprinkles. I like to use the tiny little balls because the sink down beyond the top layer. Let this mixture set until hardened. You can speed up the process by putting it in the fridge. 

5. Break up mixture in bowl and add Lucky Charm marshmallows. 

6. Quickly give away to all your family and friends before you consume it all yourself! 

I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day! 

I'm OK with my decision about Chipotle

Seven years ago I gave up Chipotle, and each time I see another one of their half-truth advertising campaigns I couldn't be happier. Chipotle has release another video (I'm not linking to it, as a refuse to give it more attention).

If you would like a description of the Chipotle video you can check out this great blog by potato farmers Black Gold Farms.

Now not everyone has jumped off the No More Chipotle Bandwagon as fast as I have. However, today this is another young woman named Diana, who is a pork producers in Michigan, that will also no longer eat at Chipolte. Why? Well because of a conversation with Chipotle corporate spokesperson, Chris Arnold. If you are still on the fence about Chipotle I hope you will take a minute and read her blog.

Diana sums up her thoughts with this.

“…wouldn’t it be a better company policy to just not lose any customers to shady marketing techniques?” I asked. And Arnold came back with a non-answer, but a telling one: “Our portrayals are doing exactly what they are intended to do,” he responded. And remember, at this point, what they are “intended to do” has become pretty obvious: “teach” people (who don’t know any better and have no frame of reference to realize they’re being misled) Chipotle’s skewed version of American agriculture in such an entertaining way they’ll be inclined to tell their friends and then take the whole clan out for “ethical” food marketed by (apparently) unethical people.

I like this girl a lot.

Chipotle thinks I am and many of my friends are Big Ag/Factory Farming because we use modern techniques like using antibiotics when our animals are sick. Yet, this company who is providing me with "amazing natural, antibiotic ethically raised meat" still admits to using 15-20% of the other stuff (the kind of meat that my family raises) because they can't source enough meat that hasn't been raised to meet their guidelines. The stuff that is portrayed in their new movie as the really bad stuff, the stuff that they are trying to save you from, is the stuff they still can end up selling you! Yup, real ethical.

Your thoughts on Panera and Antibiotics

Panera, you just had to go there. Using slick marketing terms like Chipotle to try and convince the consumer that you are doing the "right thing" in terms of the food you are serving in your stores.

Completely confused about what I am talking about? For awhile Panera has used the statement that they serve antibiotic free chicken in their stores. This statement in itself is confusing as all the meat that you consumer, whether it comes from a farmer's market, Wal-Mart, McDonalds or Panera, is antibiotic free. There are strict withdrawal times that farmers and ranchers must adhere to. It is illegal to sell meat that has antibiotic residues.

Now there is a difference in how livestock can be raised. On our farm we only administer antibiotics when a calf or cow is sick. I don't want to see them suffer and I don't want them to infect other calves or cows.

Now back to Panera and their claims. Yes, what they are posting on their menu upsets me, but what infuriates is their new marketing campaign. Introducing Ez Chicken.

EZ Chicken is the new character that Panera Bread has created. He portrays that farmers want to take the easy route aka too lazy to do its Panera's "right way." 

As blogging friend and dairy farmer Dairy Carrie points out...

She/he seems to be guilty of sloth. I mean who knew that they even made chicken sized hammocks? Of course chickens aren’t really out there holding up pharmacies to get drugs. Even if they somehow pulled off looking intimidating, chickens can’t get the pill bottles open. While you can order some chicken fingers with your fries, chicken thumbs aren’t on the menu. It doesn’t take a genius to understand what you’re really saying here.

But wait you say, Panera isn’t calling all farmers and ranchers lazy! They are just calling the ones that use antibiotics lazy! I used antibiotics to help a sick calf get better last week, my friends the organic farmers had a cow with pneumonia and they gave that cow antibiotics to make her better. They had to sell her, but she lived. Does that mean we are lazy? Is it lazy to take care of our sick animals?

Panera let me tell you one thing: Even though the boy and I choose to farm conventionally (use antibiotics) we are not lazy! I hope you will read Dairy Carrie's entire blog post about Panera, the Ez Chicken and antibiotics as she makes some really good points. And as consumers I hope that you continue to seek farmers out and ask questions about where your food is coming from and what these marketing campaigns really mean. 

Update (7/25/13): Thanks to Carrie Dairy kicking off this speak up campaign and all those who followed Panera Bread started removing all the references to Ez Chicken on their Facebook page and deleted the Twitter account! When we speak up together we are heard. 

Update: (7/25/13): Carrie Dairy was promised that someone from Panera Bread would contact her and that has not happened. They almost have only removed a couple of the Ex Chicken pictures. If you want to show support to farmers of all kinds use the hashtag #pluckexchicken whether you are on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Let's continue to make our voices heard! 

Five Guys and Raspberry Coke

I love burgers, which is a good thing. This month is National Beef month so I'll have even more reasons to grab a burger. I have blogged about my love of Five Guys Burgers before but now there is even another reason to visit them... Raspberry Coke!

I was so excited about my Raspberry Coke discovery that I am now just noticing that machine had Coke with Lime. 

Yes, you heard right. Forget about vanilla and cherry it is time to grab a Raspberry Coke. During our hours of Food Network watching the Boy and once watched a show about the history of Coke. During the show it featured something called the Coca-Cola Freestyle. This single machine contains every Coke product that exists and some unexpected twists like Raspberry Coke.

Now, I'll admit when I saw Raspberry Coke I was excited, but nervous. So I only put a little bit in my cup, and it was pretty sweet. So I decided that half a cup of regular Coke and half a cup of Raspberry Coke would be the perfect combo - and it was.

(If you click here you can find the closest Coca-Cola Freestyle to you.)

Nothing washes down a juicy burger like a Raspberry Coke! 

GMOs are Unnatural

GMOs - now there is a touchy subject. I kind of wonder why it is such a touchy subject. Maybe it is because people feel so strongly that they should have a choice about what they put into their bodies. However, if they feel so strongly about choices shouldn't I have the choice to eat as much GMO food I want? I also feel strongly that if we can feed more people, more efficiently on that land that we have (we can't make more land to grow more) I feel that the usage of biotechnology is smart. I know there is way more too it, but today thanks to an awesome blogger named Meg (The Beef Jar), I found this article called GMOs are Unnatural? And Other Thoughts on Biotech by Fourat Janabi.

The blog is quite long but I would encourage you all to read it. The following three paragraphs by Fourat Janabi really hit home with me.

Since 1961, we’ve increased yield by 300% using only 12% more land. How? We used technology to make drastically increase yield and avert the predicted disaster of Ehrlich and many others. Said differently, if we kept farming organically, mass famine would have ensued. Without such yield increases thanks to plant science, we would have had to use two Latin America’s of arable land to compensate, or, more likely, the predicted mass starvation would have occurred. If in the 1960s when the world population was less than 3 billion people, the propagation of organic farming as the sole agricultural method would have resulted in disaster, how it will help us now when we are 7 billion people and on the way to 9-10 billion people? The majority of that increase in yield has come from plain ol’ conventional agriculture, but now our yields are coming up against a glass wall for that type of plant science, and GE foods are the next process to take us forward to surmount the coming set of problems. And, while we still have a starving billion today, it is not because we can’t create the food, but we can’t get it to them. The solution to world hunger is for those most afflicted by it to be able to grow their own food, instead of relying on food aid and handouts as band aids applied to a broken bone. Organic farming will not suffice for Sub-Saharan Africa; they need heat-tolerant and drought-resistant strains. (They already don’t have any biotechnology or conventional agriculture, ergo, organic farming, which is what remains, has failed them.)

We need to stop pretending that only Big Ag and Monsanto lobbies, undercuts, and undermines democracy; the organic movement spends $2.5 billion a year on advocacy. We need to stop thinking that Monsanto is after world domination: the global GM seed market in 2012 was $14 billion (world GDP is $70 trillion–world domination with 0.0002% of the purchasing power of the planet), while organic food sales are $60 billion worldwide. (The total value of those GM crops when harvested was around $65 billion.) We need to know that all farms strive to use the least amount of pesticides required, as it is their biggest expense, and that synthetic chemicals are nota priori worse than organic chemicals, in fact, quite the opposite. In other words, we need to get real, and deal with the facts as they are, not as we want them to be.

Whatever is the case, we need to realize that feeding 7 billion, let alone 9 to 10 billion people in the near future, isn’t going to be easy. If it fits on a Facebook photo as a caption, you can rest assured it will solve nothing. This post is 4,600 words long and is barely scratching the surface. Some silly shared photo on Facebook demonizing Monsanto or chemical use not only shows you things out of context, they detract from the conversations we should be having. 

 This probably isn't going to solve anything. 

Like I said I really hope you will read the entire article and perhaps share with it others. I firmly believe that whether you want GMOs in your family's home or not they are important part of our food system. 

Duck Dynasty creates new product for Vegans

We are huge Duck Dynasty fans in our house and can't wait for the new episodes to start again. The Boy recently read their book The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family and Ducks Built a Dynasty. Now that he is finished I can't wait to get started.

Recently, the cast of Duck Dynasty was to appear on Jimmy Kimmel the night after animal activist and vegan, Morrisey, (I guess he is a singer). Morrisey was appalled by this calling the Duck Dynasty gang "serial animal killers." Morrisey told Kimmel it was either him or the Duck Dynasty gang. Duck Dynasty won.

However, the boys felt a little bad and thought they could do a little better job of catering to their vegan friends. Check out Jimmy Kimmel's video for all the details.

Easy Christmas Chocolates

Time for the sweets. 

A few years ago I started making chocolates for Christmas. I like to bake, but the chocolates seem to be easier than decorating dozens of gingerbread men. I have been posting a few pictures on Instagram and some of you asked me for my recipe. It is quite simple.

I like to use the Wilton melting chocolate. I have shopped around and Wal-Mart is usually the lowest price unless Joann's is having a sale. Hobby Lobby seemed to be quite high this last time. It seems to take a lot of chocolate so buy more than you think you'll need. Trust me.

I find it is easiest to melt my chocolate in a plastic bag. You want a slow and steady melt. I like to set my microwave onto defrost and then microwave it for 30-40 seconds at a time. With it being in a bag  you can massage the chocolate to help melt it. 

It you don't got slow and steady this is what you will get. Stuff that looks like fudge, but tastes awful. Just throw the stuff away. Trust me. 

Next I place cookie cutters on wax paper (sometime I do it straight on the cookie sheet), cut a tiny hole in my plastic bag and fill the cookie cutters. To get the chocolate to settle and fill in the corners gently shake the cookie cutter or tap the pan on the counter. You will get a little seepage but that is fine. 

If you want to put decorators on you chocolate or create a chocolate that has two layers of chocolate you will want to throw the cookie sheet into the fridge for about 30-40 seconds. This will firm up the chocolate a little bit so the decorations won't sink or the two chocolates won't mix. 

Once the chocolates are completely hardened pop them off the tray, break off the parts that seeped out, and then gently push out of the cookie cutter. 

This year I also bought this gingerbread mold (Hobby Lobby under $10). One bag of melting chocolates will do about 24-28 little gingerbread men. I find it takes the chocolates in this kind of mold a lot longer to firm up. 

I love using crushed candy canes, gummy bears, Christmas sprinkles and almonds to decorate my chocolates. However, I think the combination below is by far my favorite this year. 

2 Tbsp. chopped almonds

2 Tbsp. Heath toffee chips (find these in the baking isle)

2 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips

1 oz. Craisins (ome for the individual packages)

This year I also have done a few chocolate covered marshmallows. I used cake pop sticks that you can find at most craft stores. Push the stick almost all the way into the marshmallow. I find again it works best to melt you chocolate in a bag, but then pour it into a bowl. Dunk you marshmallow in the chocolate and wipe some of it of the bottom with a spatula so it doesn't smoosh all out when placed on the cookie sheet. Yes, smoosh is a word. 

To decorate you need to choose really light decorations or they will drag down and fall off while they are hardening. Turn the marshmallow on its side and rotate as you sprinkle and then place on the cookie sheet. Let harden in your fridge. 

Have fun spreading the Christmas cheer! 

p.s. you will want to make sure you come back later in the week as I'm having another give away and it involves boots!