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Life is too short to eat bad food! Sharing great recipes, farm life, stories and photography from our Northern California dairy farm.

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March 29, 2013

Bunny Cookies "BOTW"


Are these not the CUTEST bunny cookies you have ever seen?!  

I thought so when searching for my 'Best of the Web' post for this week.  Almost too cute to eat...almost.  The recipe came to me from Pillsbury.  How cute would these be on the Easter Sunday dessert table?!


















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March 28, 2013

How To Hard Boil Eggs

Easter's right around the corner and it's time to boil those eggs!  I don't know about you, but when I used to boil eggs, they would crack and the inside would have that ugly greenish rim around it. And I never knew exactly how long to cook them. 

After a little research on the matter at hand, last Easter, I found a sure-fire way to hard boil, actually, hard cook eggs.  They turn out perfect every time.

And, if you're like me, you've had questions regarding the safety of eating dyed, hard cooked Easter eggs...do you eat them, do you toss them?  I found some answers.




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March 27, 2013

HealthyEating Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the HealthyEating.org giveaway basket is commenter #5, Heather Hartley!  Congratulations!  The basket will be mailed to you from the Dairy Council of California!

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March 22, 2013

HealthyEating Giveaway!

I have this cool giveaway for you all to enter!  It's a fabulous basket of goodies from HealthyEating.org that includes some handy gadgets and things like, a pizza cutter and storage container from Dairy Council of California; a spatula, cheese knife, serving plate, reusable grocery bag and flavor straw from California Milk Advisory Board; and a T-shirt, cereal spoon, pin, flavor straw and recipe card from GotMilk?




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March 19, 2013

Upcoming Marin County Farm Day!

Marin County Farm Day is a fun, child oriented event that is coming up this Thursday, March 21st. 

Held at the Marin Civic Center,  this free event provides hands-on educational experiences outside the classroom for school children of all ages.  Over 30 Northern California ranchers, growers, producers and educators provide interactive exhibits on agriculture, health, farm animals, gardens and environmental education.

If you come by, make sure to stop by and say hi to me at the Tri-Valley 4H and Marin County Farm Bureau tables where we'll have rabbits to pet and calves and sheep to visit.  

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March 18, 2013

Mug Monday ~ Broccoli & Cheese Omelet

After a difficult workout on a Monday morning, a little bit of protein is definitely needed.  After scanning the fridge, I decided that a broccoli and cheese omelet in a mug would be just perfect.  It's quick and tasty and had the protein I was craving.




















Chop your broccoli.


















I raided my sister's chicken coop for some farm fresh eggs.....I used two for this recipe.
























Mix the eggs, broccoli, some grated cheese and salt and pepper together.






















Spray a mug with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the mixture.























Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and then in 10 second intervals until the egg is set.  It was a total of 1 minute 50 seconds in my microwave.





















Hope you enjoy!
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March 15, 2013

Crock Pot Corned Beef {Recipe}

If you're looking for an easy corned beef recipe for St. Patrick's Day weekend, I've got a great Crock Pot recipe for you.

Set it and forget it.


Goes extremely well with a pint of Guinness.....or some red wine.

Click here for the recipe!----------> Crock Pot Corned Beef

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March 14, 2013

'BOTW' Stout Floats


I have a new love for something thick, rich and dark....Stout.  I admit, I've always been a Coors Light kinda girl...and still am, BUT I am loving my Guinness or any sort of chocolate tasting stout.  I can normally only consume one, cuz when you're used to light {very light} beer, stouts feel heavy and rich.....or at least it does for me.

So check this week's 'Best of the Web' by Bon Appetite!  

Stout Floats.

Oh yeah.





















photo and recipe courtesy Bon Appetite
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March 12, 2013

St. Paddy's Day Green Apple Guinness Melt

St. Patrick's Day is just ahead of us.  I love new St. Patrick's Day inspired recipes so when the U.S. Apple Association sent me this recipe for, get this....Green Apple Guinness Melt, I HAD to try it!  

Oh my gosh.  It is SO good!  Perfect for a party appetizer on St. Patrick's Day OR any other occasion.





















Okay, here's what you need for success......




Slice up the Granny Smith apple into thin slices, set aside.  {full printable recipe below}




In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and cook til bubbling and golden.


















Add flour and whisk.


















Add the Guinness and stir, reduce heat to medium.


















Reduce heat to low and add cheese, mustard and Worcestershire, until cheese is melted.


















And looks like this.......


















Dig out the center of the baguette pieces and slather the mixture on to the pieces.


















Arrange the apple slices on top and broil for 2-4 minutes.




Serve hot.


















And pair it with the rest of the Guinness!




Green Apple Guinness Melt

Ingredients:
1 baguette, cut into thirds, then each piece cut lengthwise in half {6 pieces total}
2 1/2 T salted butter
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
6 oz dry stout, such as Guinness
14 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 T whole grain mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Turn broiler to high and set a rack about 6 inches from the heating element.  Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side up.  Arrange the baguette pieces, cut side down, on the sheet and broil until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Remove from oven, turn the pieces over, and use your fingers to scoop out enough bread to make a channel  in the center of each piece.  Set baguette pieces aside, still on tray.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until bubbling and golden brown.  Add flour and whisk it in until the mixture is smooth and chestnut brown.   Add the beer and whisk until smooth, then reduce heat to medium and continue stirring until thickened and smooth.  Reduce heat to low and add cheese, mustard and Worcestershire, stirring continuously until melted and smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a generous amount of the cheese sauce into each baguette piece.  Lay a few overlapping apple slices over the cheese, then transfer to the oven and broil until browned and bubbling, 2-4 minutes.  Serve hot.
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March 11, 2013

MUG Monday: Baked Oatmeal

I am loving these Mug recipes.  Today after boot camp class I was famished!  Many calories burned today so I needed something that was going to stick with me for a few hours.  This 'baked' oatmeal has an egg included in it for a little more protein.



















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March 8, 2013

CA Artisan Cheese Festival ~ Say Cheese!

It's that time of year again....the 7th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival is happening in Petaluma March 22nd-24th at the Sheraton.  If you love artisan cheeses, you don't want to miss this event!













Some of the things you may choose to enjoy during the festival are:

  • Hands on Cheesemaking
  • Farm Tours {most are sold out}
  • Wine and Cheese Pairing
  • Beer and Cheese Pairing
  • Cheese-inspired Culinary Delights
  • Cooking Demos
  • Panel Discussions
  • Artisan Cheese Tasting Marketplace

The weekend offers a lively lineup featuring top artisan cheese experts, authors, chefs and winemakers conducting seminars, pairings, tastings, farm tours, cheese-making classes and cheese-focused demonstrations.Throughout the weekend cheese enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience limited-production, rare artisan cheeses and learn about the art of making cheese, while supporting local and sustainable farmers and cheesemakers in California.There are still plenty of tickets available for several popular events throughout the weekend including the Grand Cheese Tasting and Best in Cheese Competition on Saturday night, Saturday's cheese-making seminars,  a cheese-centric Sunday brunch by 2013 James Beard nominee Mark Stark and Sunday’s Grand Marketplace.


 


 

All photos taken by Derrick Story

Purchase your tickets online, they're going fast!  California Artisan Cheese Festival
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March 7, 2013

NYC Recap ~ Including Eataly!

I love almost everything about NYC.  I go any chance I can get....which isn't often enough but twice within one year is good with me.  This NYC trip was a short one, thanks in part to flight delays and airplane break downs....but that's a whole other Southwest Air story.  Flying over the Rockies during winter time was pretty cool, I must say.


















I basically had one full day to spend in NYC before flying back to CA.  I tried to pack in as much as I possibly could.

Mario Batali's Eataly is one stop I'm glad I had the chance to visit.  Sharon, at The Daily Meal suggested I check out this Italian mecca.....a must see if you love all things food.



Upon first setting foot inside, I thought what in the world is this place?!!  The crowds were massive, the volume-loud, counters everywhere with just about anything Italian and lots of Italian being spoken.
























Eataly is a massive space with countless food counters, delis, restaurants, grocery outlets, fresh produce, a butcher counter, fish counter, you can buy freshly made pasta, they have olive oils galore and cheese counter that would put a smile on any dairyman's face.  

I was in total heaven here.

















I had just eaten lunch when I visited Eataly but wished I was still hungry.  It was just after 2 p.m. and the place was completely packed.















I found out later that they even have a rooftop restaurant and brewery!  Next time for SURE.
















I was really tempted to buy, buy, buy but didn't because I didn't think I could safely cart the goods home on the plane.




As I made my way to the back, through volumes of people, I found this delectable counter....still too full to eat anything, a photo is all I could do.




















I will be back.





To end my day, after a tiny bit of shopping for the kids, I headed back to my hotel....The Sanctuary Hotel.  I was headed back to the bar area to have a drink before meeting friends for dinner when the sweet hostess stopped me and asked if I wanted to go up to the rooftop bar, Haven for Happy Hour.

PERFECT.




I could've stayed here the rest of the evening.  Cheers!





Until next time, NYC.




















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March 6, 2013

TT w/Linky: Quick & Tasty Chicken Taco Braid

Do you ever use Pillsbury dough to create an easy and quick week night meal?  I rarely do, but after watching  a show about the uses of Pillsbury dough on the Food Network channel Saturday morning I was completely motivated to try one of their recipes.

Enter:  Chicken Taco Braid, modified.



















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March 5, 2013

The Daily Meal NYC

I just came off the most fun adult field trip ever.  While in NYC this past week I met with some folks at The Daily Meal.  The Daily Meal is an online newspaper for all things related to food and drink.  Great recipes, top stories, recipe of the day, culinary content from 300 food bloggers, restaurant reviews and lots of fun stuff.

My lunch date was at noon, which left me with ample time for some shopping in the a.m.  By the time 11 a.m. rolled around I had made the decision to walk the distance to The Daily Meal offices.....women can do just about anything in heels, why not walk 27 blocks?

Plus, I thought by walking I could really experience my surroundings.  I love visiting NYC and I wanted to soak in as much as possible...really get the feel, the sounds and smell of the city and see some really cool NYC architecture all at the same time.  I wasn't disappointed.  The Flatiron Building is probably my favorite piece of architecture in NYC.....so cool.





















Once I arrived at The Daily Meal offices, I caught my breath and got to chat with Sharon Gitelle, Executive Director of Community Development and Arthur Bovino, Senior Editor.  They showed me The Daily Meal's newly complete state of the art Test Kitchen, where good things are going to happen.....like hosting celebrity chefs, online live streaming and fun food events.















After touring the offices and Test Kitchen, Sharon and I went out to lunch at Zero Otto Nove where we shared a La San Matteo, a pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, sausage and broccoli rabe that was fired up in their pizza oven....SO GOOD.











above pic courtesy ZON

So, if you get a chance, check out and bookmark The Daily Meal  as your online source to all things food......and you might even see some of my posts in the Culinary Content Network section.

Thank you Sharon and The Daily Meal for having me!

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March 4, 2013

Mug Monday~Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug

Mondays....blah.  Why do Mondays seem to be the roughest day of the week.  Not a great way to begin the week, is it?

Typical scenario in my house......I don't want to get up early and out of bed.  The kids, who have woken up before the crack of dawn over the weekend, have decided that Monday would be a perfect day to sleep in.  And if I'm to have technical issues with the computer, it's always on a Monday.....like it was today.

What's a mama to do?

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug is what this mama did.



















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