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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Mother Nature’s not letting up: A hearty meal for cold days
I heard on the news today that we’ve received the same amount of snow already this winter that we would normally receive in an entire season!

The one good thing about snowy days is that I get in the mood to bake and cook, so this winter has provided me with plenty of opportunities to do just that! Today – as local schools are closed again and all community activities are being cancelled – I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite recipes to make when the snow starts piling up.

Making a hearty meal and then spending time with my family, watching a good movie or playing games, helps brighten my spirits. If we’re really lucky, it might get warm enough for us to hit the nearby sledding hill.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and some quality family time, too.

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup butter or margarine softened (I use butter)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 2/3 cup milk
- 2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar, Combine eggs, and milk. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
2. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 22-27 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
3. Cut into squares; serve warm.
Honey Butter

Ingredients:
- ¾ c. butter, softened
- ¼ c. honey
Directions:
1. Cream butter and honey.
Team Latham

January 7, 2010

Beef, General, Recipes, Sides
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Christmas Cookies without the Calories!

The story of the Little Gingerbread Boy has been a favorite of mine since I was a little shaver, sitting on my grandmother’s lap. It’s also become a favorite of my kids. When they were in preschool, we made little, hand-made puppets that help bring the story to life. Now that they’re older, they enjoy spending an afternoon with my mom, decorating gingerbread men and women in various shapes, sizes and colors.

All of us can enjoy this classic holiday tradition in a whole new way with virtual decorating this year. As the folks at farms.com say, “Enjoy! These cookies have no calories, but they are deliciously fun.” Best of all, there’s no mess in the kitchen!

Decorate your “virtual” gingerbread cookie by clicking here.

Team Latham

December 23, 2009

Desserts, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Recipes for the Thanksgiving Table
There’s a lot to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, and on that list is the amazing food we get to enjoy during the holiday. I wanted to share a couple of our family favorites with you.

I love easy-to-make recipes, especially during the holidays. We have enough going on trying to get everyone around the table at the same time, let alone watching a pie to keep the crust from burning. That’s why this Pumpkin Pudding recipe is one of my favorites, because all it takes is a quick mix, and then you can pour it into the crockpot and forget about it until it’s ready to serve.

Another “pour it and forget it recipe” is for cranberry salad. It puts a new twist on a traditional Turkey Day side dish.

What I like about both of these recipes is that, while the food is either warming in the crockpot or cooling in the fridge, it leaves me – and you – time to do exactly what we should be doing on Thanksgiving: enjoying time with family and friends.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Mold

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
- 1½ c. boiling water
- 1 package (8-serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) JELL-O® brand Cranberry Flavor Gelatin
- 1½ c. cold water
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 medium apple, chopped
- 1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
Directions:
1. Stir the boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and cinnamon. Pour 2 cups of the gelatin into medium bowl. Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression). Reserve remaining 1 cup gelatin at room temperature.
2. Stir apple and cranberry sauce into thickened gelatin. Spoon into 6-cup mold. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched and should mound).
3. Stir reserved 1 cup gelatin gradually into cream cheese in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Pour over gelatin layer in mold.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
5. Unmold.
Team Latham

November 19, 2009

General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Vote for Euken Farms- local farm family in national competition

As part of their ongoing commitment to supporting the National FFA Organization, Campbell’s Soups will be preserving 5 barns across the country to help develop America’s future farmers and leaders through agricultural education. The barns will be chosen by voters like you across the country in a contest that will be held from now until January 5, 2010. The Euken’s barn in Atlantic, Iowa was chosen as one of the 10 barns in the competition and is the only barn from Iowa. Campbell’s will donate a dollar for each vote to the National FFA Organization, and when the Eukens win, they will get their barn restored in cooperation with the Atlantic FFA Chapter. Here is their story:

A Hundred Years of Farming
As told by Michelle Euken

“My great-great-grandparents purchased the 320-acre farm, where the barn sits, in 1912. The barn was built in the late 1920s. Originally it was used for hay storage, animal shelter, milking cows, and housing horses. Since then the farm has been passed on down the family all the way to my parents who purchased the farm in 1987.

Barns are a symbol of rural heritage and are landmarks in Iowa. The barn on our farm also is part of our family heritage; the barn will be designated a ‘Century Farm’ (Iowa recognizes farms that have been owned by one family for 100 years) in 2012, so this is an ideal time to revive the barn.

The project will benefit my family to help preserve it for use for many more years. It will bring together current FFA members and Alumni to work on a project that has significance and symbolism for the agricultural heritage of the community. It will re-confirm the family farm heritage in Iowa and the role of the barn on family farms. The publicity about the barn revival will help educate the public about food production and the hands that produce it.”

So follow this link and vote everyday for Euken Farms! Let’s put this Iowa barn in the top 5!

http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/barn_euken.aspx

Gary Geske

October 8, 2009

Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Sunday Dinner
Now that autumn is “officially” here, it was high time to make some of my family’s favorite fall recipes. Since we were hosting friends on Sunday, I opted to prepare a meal that was easy to make ahead of time. All of the meal prep was complete on Saturday, so all I had to do was pop everything in the oven on Sunday. Our menu consisted of meatballs, party potatoes, caramel apple salad, green beans and zucchini bread.

What’s your favorite fall menu? You can submit your recipes by simply clicking on the “comment” button below.

Caramel Apple Salad

Ingredients:
- 6 small apples, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1- 8oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple (do NOT drain)
- 1- 8oz. box sugar-free butterscotch pudding (unprepared)
- 1 c. miniature marshmallows
- 12 oz. Cool Whip®
- 1/4c. chopped peanuts (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients together and stir well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip, and then transfer to another bowl. Chill and serve. (NOTE: Nuts will get mushy, so I usually wait to add the nuts until right before serving.)
Team Latham

September 30, 2009

Pork, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Summer Picnics

There’s nothing better than a summer picnic! I love being outdoors, enjoying beautiful weather and the company of family and friends. I especially enjoy listening to bullfrogs croaking, birds singing and kids giggling?or shrieking with delight as they chase one another with water balloons and squirt guns.

I also think summer picnics are a good opportunity to branch out from the standards: fresh fruit, potato salad and baked beans. I wanted to make use of fresh vegetables from our garden, too. So this weekend I served something new that was a real hit with my family and friends.

Try the following Lemon Orzo Primavera, courtesy of www.allrecipes.com. I’d love to know what you think of it!

Team Latham

August 8, 2009

General, Recipes, Sides
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Summer Sunday Supper
My little garden provides me with big-time enjoyment. I take great pride in producing fresh fruits and vegetables and truly enjoy using as much “home-grown produce” as I can in a single meal. This weekend I was delighted to see the green beans were ready. There’s nothing quite like the first picking of the season!

As I picked beans, I thought about the Hot German Green Beans my great grandma used to make. (Of course, she didn’t use a recipe. Thankfully, I was able to find one online at AllRecipes.com). Memories of time spent with her in the kitchen – wearing my pint-sized, dark green apron with a pocket across the front – brought a smile to my face. Grandma believed that cooking up a special meal was an act of love, so yesterday I treated my family to a home-grown, home-cooked feast. To complete the meal, I baked my mom’s chocolate zucchini cake. I have to admit that I was skeptical to try it the first time she made it, but now it’s one of my favorite desserts.

May these recipes put a smile on the faces of your family members, too!

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
- 2 pounds chicken or chicken breasts
- ¼ c. flour
- 2 T. oil
- 1, 6-oz. can lemonade (thawed)
- 3 T. brown sugar
- 3 T. catsup
- 1 T. vinegar
- 2 T. cold water
Directions:
1. Combine the flour with 1 tsp. salt. Coat chicken thoroughly. Brown chicken on all sides in hot oil; drain. Transfer chicken to slow cooker.
2. Stir together the lemonade, brown sugar, catsup and vinegar. Pour over the chicken and cover. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours (time varies). Remove chicken and pour liquid into saucepan. Return chicken to cooker and cover to keep warm.
3. Blend cold water slowly into cornstarch, stir in hot liquid. Cook until thick. Service chicken with gravy over rice. Serves 6.
Hot German Green Beans

Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green or wax beans, about 2 cups frozen or canned
- 4 to 6 slices bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook fresh beans in a little salted water until tender; cook frozen beans according to package instructions.
2. Drain beans; reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking or can liquid.
3. Cut up bacon and sauté with onion until bacon is cooked and onion has lightly browned.
4. Add bean liquid and cook until liquid has reduced to 1/4 cup.
5. Add next 4 ingredients and the cooked beans.
6. Heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
Fresh Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 cups seedless grapes, halved
- 1 (8 ounce) container plain or vanilla yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. In a large salad bowl, combine strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and grapes.
2. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla; mix well.
3. Serve with fruit.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:
- ½ c. margarine
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ c. oil
- ½ c. sour milk
- 1 T. vanilla
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 2 T. cocoa
- 2 ½ c. flour
- 2 c. grated zucchini
- ½ c. nuts
- ½ c. chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Cream margarine, sugar and eggs.
2. Add oil and vanilla.
3. Sift dry ingredients, and add alternately with milk.
4. Fold in zucchini.
5. Pour into 9×13 cake pan.
6. Top with chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
8. Serve with whipped topping.
Team Latham

July 20, 2009

Poultry, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

April is Soy Foods Month

April is Soy Foods Month, so we’re featuring soy menu items on our blog. All of them have been taste-tested by yours truly. In fact, I liked the Crisp Summer Salad so much that I’m planning to make it for our family’s Easter dinner. It’s certain to be a conversation piece!

The tofu-stuffed pasta shells, edamame and corn salad and chai soy latte all earned rave reviews last week at the 2009 Iowa Soy Day on the Hill. One goal of our March 31 visit to the Iowa Statehouse was to showcase the variety and value of soy products, as well as the value of services offered by the Iowa Soybean Association. In addition, the Day on the Hill highlighted the 45th anniversary of the Iowa Soybean Association.

Here is the recipe for Crisp Summer Salad from our Soy Menu, courtesy of the Soyfoods Council.

For more great soy recipes see their website at The Soyfoods Council.
Have a favorite soy recipe of your own? Share it with us!

Team Latham

April 6, 2009

General, Recipes, Sides
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A Hearty Meal After a Hard Day’s Work

Planting will soon be getting underway, and after a long day’s work in the field, a hearty meal is just the fix. Here is a recipe for Pork Chop and Stuffing Casserole. The combination of tender pork chops and vegetables makes this a great suppertime option on a brisk spring evening!

Team Latham

March 24, 2009

General, Pork, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Bring a Hint of Spring to Your Breakfast Table

Here we are mid-February and with this recent taste of warm weather, I am ready for Spring! Here’s a recipe that I love to make for my family. The fresh taste of fruit and the warm gooey french toast is the perfect start to your day!

Have a favorite breakfast recipe of your own? Share it with us in the comment box below!

Team Latham

February 19, 2009

General, Recipes

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Mother Nature’s not letting up: A hearty meal for cold days

Buttery Corn Bread

Honey Butter

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Christmas Cookies without the Calories!

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Recipes for the Thanksgiving Table

Cranberry Cream Cheese Mold

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Vote for Euken Farms- local farm family in national competition

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Sunday Dinner

Caramel Apple Salad

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Summer Picnics

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Summer Sunday Supper

Lemon Chicken

Hot German Green Beans

Fresh Fruit Salad

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

April is Soy Foods Month

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A Hearty Meal After a Hard Day’s Work

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Bring a Hint of Spring to Your Breakfast Table