The gleaming silver motor coach pulled into the guitar-shaped lane and rolled to a stop in front of a side entrance just for VIPs. Luggage was attended to by a group of attentive bellmen. As Latham® dealers and special guests walked through the doors of the Hard Rock Cancun on January 30, they were greeted with a smile and a cold drink.

A one-man band played popular cover tunes. A buffet of chips with guacamole and pico de gallo, beef skewers and a variety of Mexican appetizers was provided. Fender guitars were available for anyone wishing to get into the rock ‘n roll spirit. (Did you know guests at the Hard Rock can check out a guitar and then turn to a TV channel to learn how to play? This is just one of the cool amenities offered at this all-inclusive resort.)

What more does a rock star need… How about unlimited food and drinks? Complimentary room service? Multiple swimming pools, white sand beaches and turquoise waters? Some of our guests enjoyed the Rock Spa for a massage on the beach. Others treated themselves to facials, pedicure and manicures. The more adventurous went ziplining, snorkeling, four-wheeling or horseback riding.

One especially notable excursion provided by Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds was a day trip to Chichén Itza (pronounced chee-chehn eet-sah), located on the Yucatan Peninsula. While visiting this wonder of the modern world, we learned many fascinating facts:

• The sun and the moon were significant in the daily lives of Mayans, so there is symbolism throughout their architecture. El Castillo pyramid has four sides containing: 365 steps, or one for each day of the solar year; 52 panels, or one for each year in the Mayan century as well as for each week in the solar year; and 18 terraces, one for each month in the religious year. During the fall and spring equinoxes, the sun’s shadow forms an enormous snake’s body, which aligns with the carved stone snake head at the bottom of this pyramid.

• Ball games, featuring a soccer-sized ball with a set of intricate rules, drew huge crowds of spectators. Carvings around the courtyard display rules of this sacred game. One carving even shows the captain of the losing game being beheaded, which was thought to be a way of dying with honor as a sacrifice to the gods.

• Corn (teosinte) was developed at least 7,000 years ago in Central Mexico. Early cultures literally depended on this staple for life, so corn greatly influenced religion and mythology. The Maya believed that gods mixed their own blood with corn flour to create humankind, and the elite members of society shaped their babies’ heads to resemble a tamale to honor the corn god.

While my family enjoyed visiting Chichén Itza and experiencing the Mexican countryside, we also loved every minute we spent at the Hard Rock Hotel. Honestly, our favorite restaurant at the Hard Rock Cancun was wherever we were dining that night! We tried them all: Zen hibachi grill, Ciao Italian, Ipanema Brazilian grill, Frida Mexican restaurant, The Market for International cuisine and Pizetto.

In honor of our fabulous sales incentive trip to Cancun, today on TheFieldPosition we’re featuring a Tex-Mex recipe courtesy of the Iowa Beef Industry Council. Click on the posts below for a recap of some of our past company trips, including recipes from those regions. NOTE: If you’re interested in learning how you can earn your own trip to another tropical destination next February, call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).

Related Posts:

• Hanging Loose in Hawaii
• San Diego, a Cure for the Winter Blues
• Cheeseburger in Paradise

One of my friends commented how she wished she had the knack for throwing parties. She said she finds hosting people in her home intimidating because she’s not the world’s best cook and she doesn’t own any fancy serving dishes. So… her comment inspired this blog post!

Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to set a table that looks like it’s straight from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens or create meals that are Pinterest-worthy? When someone invites me over, I couldn’t care less if they serve me a frozen pizza or bake a calzone from scratch. I’m just thrilled with any invitation to get together with friends. Plus, it’s a bonus when I don’t have to fix a meal or do any dishes. What about you?

That’s why this Super Bowl I’m keeping the menu simple. I’m going to focus more on being a hostess rather than being a caterer. I hope “5 Fast Foods to Feed Football Fans” grabs your attention and inspires you, too.

Here are five recipes that can literally be made in minutes:

1. Bacon Wrapped Smokies Blanketed in Brown Sugar & Butter – put a new twist on a tried and true crowd favorite with three variations of the same recipe. One version is spicy; one is sweet; and one is traditional.
2. Buffalo Chicken Dip
3. Queso and Chips
4. Toffee Apple Dip and Apples
5. Jalapeno Meatballs – see recipe below

These recipes are all about minimizing your time in the kitchen and maximizing your time in front of the big screen with family or friends. Enjoy the game!

P.S. If you do enjoy taking the time to prepare a feast and set fancy table, check out our Pinterest page for ideas. The following #vintage posts also provide you with more menu options from appetizers and entrees to desserts.

Related Posts:

• Scrambling to Prep for Super Bowl Sunday?
• Keeping it Simple on Super Bowl Sunday
• Super Foods for a Super Weekend

Right after the first of the year, headlines in major magazines and newspapers are filled with tips for losing weight and eating healthy. Truth is, many of those headlines are either vague or misleading.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest lean meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Did you know that beef is a small package with beef nutrition? One serving of beef, which is 3 ounces or about the size of an iPhone, provides our bodies with nearly half of its needed protein plus 10 essential nutrients including zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins.

Eating beef also can help stimulate muscle growth in older Americans, and that protein can play a key role in weight management. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating four ounces of lean-beef protein each day can help enhance muscle development by 50 percent.

Evidence from a second study published in the Journal suggests that a moderate increase in dietary protein combined with physical activity can help a person manage weight by increasing heat produced in the body, which helps a person feel full longer, prolongs energy expenditure, helping maintain lean muscle mass and improves metabolism.

“Being able to educate consumers about agriculture and their food choices is vitally important. Iowa’s beef farmers are dedicated to raising safe and wholesome beef – and that is a promise from their families to yours,” says Chris Freland, who graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Kinesiology and Public Health. She has a nursing degree and experience in the health care community.

Before being selected recently as the executive director of the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Freland owned and operated a dairy for 20 years. She also served as Industry Relations Manager for the Midwest Dairy Association, as well as Associate Director for the Iowa State Dairy Association.

“Iowa’s beef farmers do an incredible job every day caring for their land and their animals. It is our job at the Iowa Beef Industry Council to be their eyes, ears and voice to market their great products,” adds Freland. “We want consumers to understand with confidence where their beef comes from, and we want to help Americans continue to choose lean beef more often as a part of their diet.”

Beef is the perfect partner to fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Today the beef industry council is sharing a recipe that pairs skillet steak with bright colored vegetables. It’s not yet officially grilling weather in the Midwest, so this quick and easy recipe will let you serve up a meal that will take your taste buds on Spring Break!

guest blog post by Mary Lovstad of Farm Girl Cook’n

I grew up in the quintessential big farm family.  As the first girl after eight boys, I kind of ruled the roost, at least for a short time, until a baby brother and twin sisters came along and spoiled that gig.  Farm life needed all of those helping hands in those days because no one had huge tractors or gargantuan combines. We had little red Farmalls – As and Cs – to help do the work on our Century farm.  And after all of the farm work, my mom had some starving boys on her hands.

My mom was really not the greatest cook in the world; she just didn’t have time to fuss with fancy foods. She did, however, have some classic dishes that were wonderful.  Her big challenge every day was to put a lot of food on the table, fast.  Those boys could eat a lot of food and you’d better guard what was on your plate or it would be gone, too!  To help keep up with the volume, my dad had a potato truck and a bread truck deliver to our farm.

Thus when I get out one of my mom’s recipes to make something, I almost always have to brush up on my fifth grade fractions to bring them down to  “normal” serving sizes.  One recipe I looked at recently was for “icebox” sugar cookies. (Side note: She almost never made cookies as they were gone almost before she was done baking. Her recipe calls for 8 cups of flour and 4 cups of sugar – this will be a blog for another day!)

One of those wonderful recipes I remember was Swedish Meatballs.  She only made them once a year – at Christmas – because it takes a lot of meatballs to fill up a dozen kids.  I hope you enjoy my version of her recipe.

About Mary:

Growing up on a family farm near Forest City, Iowa, her eight older brothers, prepared Mary for life in ways she couldn’t imagine.  She has spent most of her career in a male dominated career field of technology and is currently working as a software quality engineer in Clear Lake, Iowa.  You aren’t really intimidated by much when you have all those brothers making you tough.

A few years ago, Mary decided to finally taking some time to express her passions for cooking, gardening, and all things vintage in her blog, Farm Girl Cook’n.

Mary lives on her family’s Century farm established in 1873, with her husband, Eric, where they have been restoring the farm, building by building.  She is also attempting to write a cookbook sharing vintage and family recipes.

You can find her blog, Farm Girl Cook’n, at http:// farmgirlcookn.com.

There aren’t many things that will prompt a farmer to leave the field early on an October evening. But many Northwest Minnesota farmers will park their equipment for the Kasin’s 4^th Annual Halloween Party.

“Mark wanted to have an appreciation party for our seed customers in the fall, and I had always wanted a Halloween Costume party,” explain Karen Kasin, who has helped teach special education for 17 years at Rossman Elementary in Detroit Lakes. Her husband, Mark, farms and has been a seed dealer since 2005. “We decided to combine the two ideas. Our first party was a great success, so we’ve continued the idea ever since.”

The Kasin’s annual Halloween costume party raises funds for local charities and/or local families in need. “We have hosted five benefits for local families,” says Karen. “We ask for free-donations at our Halloween party, and all the money raised goes to a family in need in our community.”

Each year the number of guests at the party seems to grow as word spreads throughout the area, and people who attended in the past invite other friends to join them. While the prospect of feeding hundreds of people seems daunting to many, Karen says “many hands make light work.” Many of the couple’s friends help decorate and prepare the food.

“The decorating is the best part!” says Karen. “Our friends and neighbors spend a night, helping us decorate both the inside of our barn and the yard with lots of orange lights and decorations!”

In addition to their annual Halloween party, each May the Kasins host the Hawley Lion Club’s Breakfast on the Farm. Similar to Wisconsin’s Dairy Days of Summer events, “Breakfast on the Farm” brings farmers and consumers together to foster greater understanding of how food gets from the farmer’s field to a family’s dinner table. Last year an estimated 4,500 attended Breakfast on the Farm!

Planning for a big event begins months in advance, says Karen. She booked the band for the Halloween party months ago. Decorating and food prep begins a few days in advance, so that way everyone is able to enjoy the party.

Today on TheFieldPosition, Karen has agreed to share her simply delicious chili recipe. Whip up a pot this weekend, and stir up some good family memories!

If you want to get into the spirit of the upcoming holiday, you might also be interested in these past blog posts:

• Simple Tricks for Making Halloween Treats
• Enjoy Spook-tacular Halloween Goodies
• Celebrating a Merry (Not Scary) Halloween

Twelve days of fun, during the 2015 Minnesota State Fair, will come to an end on Labor Day. While Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban headlined this year’s grandstand shows, that wasn’t the highlight for 16-year-old Zachary Mattson. This 11-year member of the Ben Wade Blazers 4-H Club won Division II Dairy Steer and took home the plaque for Overall Reserve Dairy Steer.

“Last year I received the second purple in my class but didn’t place in my division,” says Zachary, who has shown steers at the Minnesota State Fair for the past four years. “The thrill of competition and the opportunity to meet new people keep me coming back. Through 4-H, I’ve learned to always set a goal and shoot for it.”

Participating in the Minnesota 4-H Purple Ribbon Livestock Auction is a dream come true for any young livestock producer. This year’s sale on August 29 set a record by raising $498,000 from the 101 animals on the auction block. Each 4-H exhibitor who participates in this “Cream of the Crop” auction is responsible for finding sponsors. Zachary would like to thank the many friends, local business owners and agribusinesses who helped sponsor his steer including: Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, American Foods, AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Bright Seeds, Concessionaires, Croplan, Hagens Repair, Kensington Bank, Mergens Family, Midwest Machinery, MinnWest Bank, Paffrath Jewelers, Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op, Runestone Insurance, Staples Seed Service, Tendrleen, Villard Implement, Watkins Family and WestCon.

“Our biggest thanks goes to our Heavenly Father for watching over us and for giving us strength and patience during those days of training when it was especially hard,” says Kerri. She and her husband, Matt, farm in partnership with Matt’s parents.  “To Him goes all the glory for our success. He brought us through and continues to walk with us as we prepare for next year.”

As a new 4-H year year begins, you can bet the Mattson children will sign up for 4-H Beef and Dairy projects as raising cattle is a family tradition for this family. Zachary and his siblings, 12-year-old Austin and 10-year old Taylor, help their parents and grandparents on their farm in west central Minnesota. Their operation consists of a 120-cow dairy, 40 cow/calf pairs and a 200-cow feedlot. They also raise corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa.

“We really enjoy working side by side,” says Kerri, who grew up on a Wisconsin farm. “It’s so rewarding to be involved in an operation where parents, kids and grandkids work together to accomplish the day-to-day goals. Our kids learn to handle many situations. They accept responsibility at a young age, and they develop a work ethic they can use everywhere.”

Right now the family is working to help educate consumers about their products. Dairy steers are raised and sold under identical USDA grading systems as traditional beef breed steers. Beef is an excellent food source for protein, vitamin B12, zinc and iron. To help support the product they produce, today the Mattson family is sharing one of their favorite recipes for Upside Down Meatloaf.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of enjoying more beef in your diet, click on the links below:

• Beef provides nutrients needed for brain function
• Protein Packed Day begins with Beef
• Beef is an excellent source of nutrients

Guest blog by Darcy Maulsby

Blame it all on her roots. Not only did Melanie (Wagner) Edge show up in boots, but she’s kicking things up a notch, thanks to 4-H, her family’s western store and a new line of custom-designed cowboy boots.

“Our roots are in the western and rural lifestyle, which is the heritage of America,” said Edge, a Franklin County native whose family runs the Western Edge, Ltd. in Humboldt and Ames. “4-H is also an important part of who we are.”

While the Western Edge has long been known for its stylish apparel and hats, along with tack, saddles and more, the business has expanded into custom-designed boots for men, women and children. Edge, her son, Clay, and daughter, Jessica, travel to Dallas, Texas, once or twice a year to work with the Ferrini boot company to create original designs.

“You can get boots at the Western Edge that you can’t get anywhere else in the nation,” said Edge, who has had other companies approach her about designing boots for them, too.

The creativity required to create unique cowboy boots also helps Edge design eye-catching displays in her family’s stores. She credits 4-H with helping her develop this expertise, along with many other life skills, thanks to her involvement in horse and sheep projects, horse judging, home improvement and clothing exhibits and citizenship projects.

“4-H taught me how to become more creative, set goals, work hard and communicate effectively,” said Edge, a former member of the Reeves Rosettes 4-H Club in Franklin County. “I use these skills in all sorts of ways, including reading my own radio commercials that are broadcast on Des Moines radio stations.”

Growing up country
When Edge was growing up on a farm near Hampton in the 1970s, more than 700 kids participated in 4-H throughout Franklin County. “If you were a farm kid, joining 4-H is just what you did,” said Edge, a 1976 graduate of Hampton High School. “It was fun and offered a good way to meet friends.”

Edge also kept busy helping part-time at Wagner’s Western Store, which her grandparents, Glee and Thelma Wagner, ran for decades in Hampton. One of her favorite jobs was selling the store’s merchandise at the Iowa State Fair.

“I’ve worked at the state fair since I was nine years old, and I still love going there,” said Edge, who opened her own western store after graduating from Iowa State University, marrying her husband, David, and starting a family.

The business started in the 1980s in a farmhouse on the Edge family’s property, with tack and saddles displayed on the porch, gift items in the kitchen, boots in the family room, clothing in the dining room, kids’ toys in the bathroom and more merchandise upstairs. “The business was successful and we wanted to help it grow, so we decided to create a destination store,” Edge said.

The Edge family built their Western Edge shop southwest of Humboldt. They opened a second store near Ames about 10 years ago. When people walk in either store, they are wowed by the selection of merchandise, along with the big sales. “While I didn’t necessarily dream of running a store, it has been a great opportunity to work with my family and many long-time employees,” Edge said.

Giving back to the community
Edge and her husband also made sure their three children had the opportunity to participate in 4-H as the kids were growing up. Cole, a steer wrestler who competes on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit, credits 4-H with teaching him a solid work ethic. Clay appreciated the opportunity to learn responsibility and accurate recordkeeping at a young age. Jessica, who was shy by nature, says 4-H helped her develop her leadership and communication skills.

Today, the next generation of the Edge family is involved in 4-H, since the Edge’s grandson, Kaden, participates in Clover Kids. The Western Edge has also launched a new initiative to help young people succeed in 4-H, FFA and rodeo. Talented youth are encouraged to apply to join the “We Team” and receive discounted merchandise from the Western Edge.

“We know it takes a lot of time and resources to be involved in these programs, so we want to help,” Edge said. “It’s important to give back to the community.”

Farmer’s Delight offers a meal in minutes
Since Edge not only gives back to the community but travels extensively for her business, she relies on fast, easy meals to serve her family when she’s home. Her Farmer’s Delight recipe fits the bill.

Sharing the story share of beef with consumers and educating youth about the beef industry are the two things Kelli Loos enjoyed most about serving as Vice President and then two years as President of the Nebraska Cattlewomen.

“I am passionate about sharing the ag story with consumers and other mothers because people aren’t sure where to get the truth,” says Kelli. “The most important thing consumers need to know about the food we raise is that we proudly feed that same food to our own kids. What parent would jeopardize the health of safety of their child by giving them food that wasn’t safe?”

A fifth generation Central Nebraska farmer, Kelli grew up on a diversified family farm just 15 miles from where she and her husband now live with their three daughters. Her parents still farm and raise cattle where Kelli and her five siblings were raised. Kelli and her siblings were involved with sheep production, helped in the hay field, walked soybeans and chopped thousands of musk thistles in the pasture. Kelli also was active in 4-H livestock, clothing and many other projects for 11 years.

The 4-H and farming traditions continue. Kelli and Trent have raised cattle and hogs together for 22 years. They spend hours washing and walking 4-H livestock projects with their daughters: 17-year-old Libbi, 12-year-old Lindsi, and 10-year old Landri.

“We take pride in not only the food we raise but the opportunity we have to raise our children in the family business and teach them the integrity, responsibility and work ethic it takes to succeed in every life endeavor,” says Kelli, who graduated from University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) with an Agricultural Honors degree. She was a member of the UNL Livestock and Meats Judging Teams and was active in Block & Bridle, too. Kelli also earned a Master’s of Science degree in Reproductive Physiology from the University of Kentucky and worked as a Research Specialist at the University of Missouri, Department of Animal Science.

“It’s so important that we share with consumers the message that meat, eggs and dairy products are essential for a healthy life,” Kelli continues. “The marbling that gives meat its flavor and juiciness is good fat – monounsaturated fat. This is a nutrient that your body needs and is especially important to brain function. By cutting out whole milk and meat from their diets, consumers are robbing their brains of necessary fatty acids that help prevent dementia and improve cognition.”

You can be sure protein, like beef, helps the Loos family power through their routines. While there is no such thing as a “normal” day in Kelli’s life, every day usually involves a trip to somewhere either for to pick up feed, deliver pigs or take the girls to softball practice or another one of their numerous activities. Kelli enjoys being self-employed, so she can adjust her schedule around our girls’ many activities.

“We want our girls to know that a strong work ethic is important,” says Kelli. “The chores have to be done, but the girls are always more important. We make sure that we are there to enjoy those growing-up years that go by way too fast!”

Enjoy some family time this weekend with one of the Loos family’s favorite recipes for Stuffed Steak. I have a feeling “stuffed” will be the word that best describes me after this meal, but I’m looking forward to trying it soon with a side of fresh asparagus. Doesn’t it make your mouth water, just thinking about it?!