ifof

From Tractor to Truck to Table: IN Agriculture Appreciation Month

by Ann-Marie on March 18, 2013

Little_Eataly_Pasta

When you think of Indiana, what comes to mind?

The Indianapolis Colts.
The Indy 500.
Corn.
Basketball.
And for many, Home.

What about these add-ons?

Duck.
Watermelon.
Wine.

Gov_Pence Huh? Yep, it’s true. Indiana is THE leading commercial producer of duck, in the top 10 states for watermelon and 13th in wine production! Who knew?! (Well if you’re an Indiana farmer you may ‘knew’).

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a Legislative Luncheon to kick off Indiana’s Agriculture Appreciation Month, hosted by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. The event included talks by Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann along with representatives from Indiana’s agricultural associations, farmers and (my favorite part of all) … food trucks (such as the divine dish above from Little Eataly)!

As I’ve worked with Indiana’s Family of Farmers over the past year, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for agriculture, and respect for the process of moving “from tractor to truck”, and I’ll add “to table”.

One of my kids’ favorite things to do in the summer is to pick berries, and I love visiting farmer’s markets to try new cheeses, herbs and tomatoes. I love that my kids are getting their hands dirty and willing to try new things when they’re picked fresh from a field. Last summer we grew tomatoes for the first time, and we’ll be repeating it with new varieties this year. We may not grow duck, or watermelon or grapes, but we can still involve our kids in planting, watering, picking and tasting.

Here are a few fun facts I have recently learned about the foods we eat:

Family farmers grow a whopping 90% of corn in the U.S.
Most milk travels only 100 miles from the farm to the grocery store.
Pork is the WORLD’s most widely eaten meat, and 25 million people each year are fed by Indiana pork producers!

So the next time you’re at the grocery store buying milk, remember it likely came from your own state, and remember the farming families that are responsible for providing your family’s meals!

Learn more about Indiana’s Family of Farmers, Indiana Pork Producers, Indiana Wine Grape Council and American Dairy Association of Indiana.

This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. All opinions are 100% mine. See my disclosure policy for more information.

{ Leave a Comment }

Brown Sugar Shortbread Recipe & Handy Tools for Holiday Baking

by Ann-Marie on December 5, 2012

Maybe it’s because I have been blogging Christmas deals since mid-November, or maybe it’s because stores have been playing Christmas music and selling their holiday wares since October, but I feel like Christmas is coming up fast, and I’m so not ready! Our house is 70% decorated indoors, and only 25% outdoors. Shopping is 50% done. Baking, something I truly enjoy, was 0% until today when I made these absolutely delicious Brown Sugar Shortbread cookies.

Several times this year I have had the privilege to share some recipes, tips and fun facts as a Table Talk contributor for Indiana’s Family of Farmers. I enjoy cooking and baking not just for my own family, but to share with others. Whether it’s a for a friend with a new baby, someone who is ill, or just because (which is my favorite), it brings me great joy to share meals and treats with others.

Indiana’s Family of Farmers sent me an array of wonderful baking tools, and a couple of them came in handy for baking these cookies today:
[click to continue…]

{ Leave a Comment }

The New Normal and Slow Cooker Chicken & Noodles Recipe

by Ann-Marie on August 30, 2012

This week has been an “Aaah” kind of week. My two older kids are finishing their 2nd full week of school, and my youngest has started preschool. Need I say more?

This is my New Normal.

Four days a week, I now have about 3.5 hours completely to… myself? Hmm, let me think on that one:

What My Husband Thinks I Do

Blog. Play on Facebook. NOT clean the house.

What My Kids Want Me To Do

Go through toy catalogs searching for the price of whatever they’ve been asking for.
Research hamsters and bunnies, their ideas of the next family pets.
Coordinate playdates for every day that ends in “y”.

What I Do When The Kids Leave

[click to continue…]

{ Leave a Comment }

2012 Indiana State Fair: SuperDogs and Spaghetti Ice Cream

by Ann-Marie on August 13, 2012

Those of you that live in the Hoosier state, have you had a chance to visit the Indiana State Fair yet? You still have plenty of time to take in your fill of the fair, now through Sunday August 19th!

I took my three children last Wednesday, using my free ticket from the Indianapolis Star (plus my youngest was free!). And I’m going back today to enjoy another fun day (daddy joins us this time!) thanks to the folks at Indiana’s Family of Farmers!

When it was just the kids and me, we took things a bit slower, knowing we’d be back at least once more. Here are the fun things we hit up:

SuperDogs in Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park: This was a must-see for my kids! We were able to grab a spot on the ground near the back side, and even my 3 year old sat in awe at these amazingly fast dogs (as noted by the red arrow pointing to the black & white blur)! The show was about a half hour, and although I was itching to move on to something else, my kids were really enjoying it so we watched until the end, and even were able to pet a few of the dogs afterward.

Mapapa African Acrobats at the Free Stage: High energy abounds with this group in the 20-minute show. I’ll admit the beginning could have moved a little faster – there was a bit too much dancing in between turns at the limbo stick, but it picked up quickly and the crowd loved it. There are picnic tables so you can even grab your lunch at one of the nearby vendors and eat while you watch.

Sheep, Horses, Cows … and we’ll be back for more!

Spaghetti Ice Cream: This delectable won the 2012 State Fair’s “Signature Food”, and it was To. Die. For! Despite my son’s wretched face when I mentioned it (he’s not a pasta fan), I assured him there was no actual pasta involved and he was on board. It’s vanilla gelato in spaghetti-like strings, with strawberry “spaghetti sauce”, shredded white chocolate “parmesan” and chocolate malted milkball “meatballs”.

Today we’ll have a fun day with other bloggers, enjoying Indiana Dairy, Indiana Beef and Indiana Pork plus some behind-the-scenes of the livestock barns and more family fun. Oh and we are SO meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog!

When you go, be sure to follow along the Indiana Family of Farmers Recipe Trail, as one pound of food will be donated to a food bank in Indiana for every person completing the trail, with hopes to donate 3,000 pounds this year! Visit the Indiana Family of Farmers booth in the DuPont Food Pavilion for more information.

Don’t forget tomorrow is $2 Tuesday, just print this voucher from Turkey Hill for $2 admission to the Fair all day Tuesday, August 14th.

Take advantage of more Indiana State Fair discounts and deals so you can experience the fair with your family, and browse around here for some great local Indiana deals too!

{ Leave a Comment }

Hoosier GIVEAWAY: Win Tickets to Family Night at the Indianapolis Indians

EXPIRED
This deal has ended.

by Ann-Marie on May 26, 2012

Nothing screams summer in Indy like a trip to Victory Field to see the Indianapolis Indians!

Now that our kids are a bit older, we can relax without worrying about chasing a toddler around. We love to arrive early for the fun giveaways, games and people-watching. My kids are in wide-eyed every time we step inside Victory Field and they see the huge playing field and the stands with “all those people”.

Indiana’s Family of Farmers would love to send one lucky Chaos Is Bliss reader to Family Night at the Indians!

One winner will receive up to 8 tickets to the June 11th game at 7:05pm vs. the Rochester Red Wings (gates open around 5:30pm). Bring the whole family! If you don’t need all 8 tickets for your family, we’ll share with a second winner!

Guests are also invited to join IFOF’s In-Game Picnic in the Coors Light Corner (note: this is a different location than last year.) The picnic starts at 7:30 and goes through the game. You will have the option of watching the game from the picnic area or from your seats, which are in 120 on the first base side.

Kids 2 and under are free on a lap or on the lawn.

The contest is open NOW and will end at midnight Thursday, 5/31/12. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Increase your chances of winning! Several Indiana blogger friends are hosting their own Family Night at the Indians ticket giveaway. Sign up on any or all of them to up your luck!

~~Angel’s Homestead~~ ended
~~Redefining Perfect~~ ended
~~4th Frog~~ ended
~~Basilmomma~~ ended
~~Kat’s Cafe~~ ended
Family Fun in the City still open!
Gotcha Baby still open!

Sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. For more information please see my disclosure policy. Contest is open to Indiana residents only, ages 18 or older. For each task you complete, you will gain one entry. By clicking the green “I did this!” buttons you are confirming that you completed the task. You are also agreeing that you are entering on your own free will, and are interested in winning. Winners will be verified of completing the tasks listed prior to the winners being announced. One (1) winner will be selected at random, duplicate entries and falsifying entries will be disqualified. Winner will be notified by email on Friday, 5/25/12 and will have 24 hours to respond. Should the winner not respond in the time allowed, another name will be drawn.

still open!

{ 8 comments }

Gearing Up for Memorial Day Weekend: Dirt Cake Recipe

by Ann-Marie on May 24, 2012

Fire up the barbie, it’s almost Memorial Day weekend! Here around Indy this weekend there’s a little thing going on where cars are being absolutely noisy going ’round and ’round in circles. It’s an exciting time kicking off summer, whether you follow the race or not. Families gather for grillin’ out, cornhole in the backyard, kids running around scraping their knees, cold lemonade, colder beer … it couldn’t be more perfect!

Indiana’s Family of Farmers provided me with a marvelous basket of goodies to help me kick off my Memorial Day weekend. The best part is the amazing recipes I was given from Indiana farmers, called the Food for Thought Recipe Trail.

But before I get to the ‘good stuff’, here are a few tips for food safety to keep in mind as the temperatures start to climb when you’re enjoying your meals outdoors:

Keep your food cold with an iced party tub, cooler, or I like to use an oversized galvanized tub. If your container would leak water from melted ice, be sure to keep it on the ground or with a folded towel underneath so you don’t have drips destroying paper napkins! My mom turned me on to these ice sheet mats that you freeze and can keep containers on top of, or fold and keep in a cooler. Whatever your method, make sure you keep your cold food stored at 40 degrees or colder.
Use a picnic food umbrella to keep bugs away, and you can even spritz a solution of peroxide and water to ward off insects (fill a spray bottle 1/4 to 1/3 with peroxide, fill the rest with water).
Make sure to use a meat thermometer so no one gets a tummy ache from undercooked food! The internal cooked temperature should be at least 145 degrees for pork and beef, and 165 for poultry.

Here’s a recipe for Dirt Cake, provided by Starkey Farm Parnership in Brownsburg, IN.

Dirt Pudding Photo credit and alternate recipe: Designs by Vanessa

Prepare ahead of time:

1 chocolate cake (from a box mix), baked and crumbled

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Oreo cookies, crushed
1 C powdered sugar
1 large box chocolate pudding
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 8oz container Cool Whip

To make it purty, you’ll need:

8 1/2″ plastic flower pot
Garden trowel
Plastic flowers
Gummy worms

Spread one package of crushed cookies in the bottom of the flower pot, for the “dirt”. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip. Mix and spread over layer of “dirt”. “Plant” the flowers as you add the layers. Mix chocolate pudding with slightly less milk than in the package directions, making the pudding thicker. Spread over Cool Whip mixture. Sprinkle crumbled cake over pudding. Add gummy worms here and a few on top. Spread remaining crushed cookies on top of crumbled cake. Serve the dessert with a garden trowel!