Coconut Cupcakes – Always in Fashion!

Yesterday we introduced you to Celeste Settrini, the Couture Cowgirl and rural American fashion guru. She spends the end of each week talking with Trent Loos about what’s “in” in rural America and authoring a Fashion Friday blog post.

Celeste says guys have been driving fashion trends without even knowing it! Hear what she has to say about faux fur, camo-inspired creations and the Power of Orange. (Search for “Settrini” on Faces of Ag for more fashion-inspiring tips.) After reading yesterday’s blog guest post on The Field Position, now I know I’m in dire need of a shopping trip for some fun orange accessories. (Yes, Honey. It’s a “need.” Not just a “want.”) Looks like I’d better plan a visit soon to my Big City (a.k.a. Des Moines) while the getting is still good. Valentine’s Day is approaching, and that means Midwest retailers will soon have clearance sales on spring lines to make room for their new summer arrivals.

In addition to having a flair for fashion, Celeste has a penchant for fun – even fun foods. Today she’s sharing with us one of her favorite sweet treats. Celeste says Ina Gartner’s recipe for Coconut Cupcakes is “pure happiness. These cupcakes are fun for a birthday party, a baby shower or just because.”

How do you define “pure happiness”? Feel free to share your thoughts by commenting here.

Click here to watch Ina Garten, from the Barefoot Contessa and the Food Network, demonstrate this recipe.

Recipe Details: Coconut Cupcakes – Always in Fashion!

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Yield: 18 to 20 cupcakes

Ingredients: • 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:
• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions: Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

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HAPPY 95TH BIRTHDAY!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Today we pay tribute to the 1962 Master Homemaker
and Matriarch of the Latham family

How would you begin telling a story about someone for whom you have the utmost respect and who has lived a very full 95 years? That’s a lot of time to cover in a short amount of space!

After much thought, I’ve decided to begin with an excerpt from memories that Evelyn Latham penned a few years ago for her family. “My story is one of love and hard work, interspersed with joys, tragedies, achievements, and a lot of family pride. I was born on December 17, 1916, to John A. and Nora Ladegaard Johansen at our farm home near Latimer, Iowa.”

Yes, Evelyn Latham – grandmother of John and Chris – turns 95 years young tomorrow! We’re blessed that she still lives in Franklin County, and there’s nothing she enjoys more than visits from family members and friends. Each time we visit, she is sure to ask about our seed business. And, it’s no wonder! She’s been a very integral part of the Latham family business since it began nearly 65 years ago.

“In 1947 Willard bought a large seed cleaner,” Evelyn writes in her memoir. “He built a trailer to transport it, and that was the beginning of our seed business. He made a home-made seed treated, and he and John Hill went from farm to farm to clean oats that were full of weeds and infected with smut fungus disease. They almost froze to death, so the next year Willard had farmers bring their oats to a shed on our farm where they could be cleaned and treated.

We soon outgrew that, so Willard remodeled our corn crib (granary). I’ll never forget how hard he worked putting in an elevator and machinery! He had a man helping him. When they started the equipment, they discovered the elevator wasn’t high enough. He was just sick about it. He came into the house and said, “Eve, come, we have to go for a ride”. So we went for a little ride. Then, of course, he had to rebuild it.”

(Click here for Evelyn’s video)

Evelyn helped support Willard and their business in numerous ways. The family’s kitchen table served as the company’s office, so she made numerous trips daily from the house to the outbuildings whenever Willard was needed to a phone call. Known for her cooking skills and hospitality, it wasn’t unusual for Evelyn to feed a room full of hired men and customers.

In addition to serving as secretary and caterer in 1947, Evelyn was busy caring for four boys ranging in age from 6 to 1. (The Latham’s fifth son was born in July 1948.)

It’s no wonder Wallaces Farmer magazine recognized Evelyn as Iowa Master Farm Homemaker of the Year! An excerpt from the December 15, 1962, issue of Wallaces Farmer states, “Mrs. Willard Latham, Franklin County, shares her interest in music with her husband and sons… she loves music and likes to read when she has time.”

No matter how busy and full her life might be, Evelyn has been known for making time to share coffee and fellowship with family and friends. She’s one of those rare people who puts you at ease from the first meeting. When John first introduced me to her, Evelyn pulled me into a hug. Her smile reached her eyes as she told me how glad she was to meet me. In the next breath, she said, “Let’s go into the kitchen for some coffee and cookies. You’ll have some, won’t you? Sure you will.”

Anyone who has ever met Evelyn knows there is no choice but to make time for coffee and cookies. Fast forward 16 years, and the greeting is still the same. Evelyn’s eyes still light up when she has company and she’s always more than ready to share a cup of coffee with family and friends. The coffee is sure to be flowing as Evelyn celebrates her 95^th birthday with friends and family.

In honor of this milestone, today we’re sharing two recipes straight from Evelyn’s recipe box. The first one is for popcorn balls because they were also such a hit with her 12 grandchildren during the holidays. In fact, Evelyn was still making her notorious popcorn balls even after great grandchildren arrived. The second recipe is for a classic ice cream dessert because no birthday celebration would be the same without ice cream. You’ll see Evelyn has even included a note about how you can make this ice cream dessert fitting for the holidays. We hope you’ll enjoy these family recipes as much as we do!

Popcorn Balls from the kitchen of Evelyn Latham

Ingredients:

Popped popcorn, about 1 gallon
Butter

Mixture:

2 c. sugar
1 c. dark Karo corn syrup
½ c. milk

Directions:

Cook mixture until it cracks by dropping a teaspoon of mixture in cold water. Then pour over popped popcorn. When it is cool enough to handle, coat hands with butter and shape popcorn into balls.

Ice Cream Dessert from the kitchen of Evelyn Latham

Ingredients:

½ gallon vanilla ice cream (softened)
2 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. coconut
½ c. nuts
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Crush Rice Krispies with rolling pin and then mix them with coconut, nuts, brown sugar and butter. Put 2/3 of this mixture in the bottom of a 9×13 cake pan. Next place the ice cream put the rest of the Rice Krispies mixture on top. Place in freezer.

COOK’S TIP: Use peppermint ice cream for Christmas.

MAKE SPIRITS BRIGHT WITH A DASH OF N.P.K.!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

One week ago today I was in Chicago, attending the Top Producer Magazines Executive Women in Agriculture Conference. More than 125 women from 25 states came together discuss everything from fertilizer efficiency and commodity marketing strategies to property insurance and succession planning, plus social media and agvocacy.

I believe Celeste Settrini of Settrini Ranch in Salinas, Calif., stated it most eloquently when she wrote, “I walked away with a keener sense of purpose to my industry and a whole new network of extraordinary friends. I realized that all of us came from so many different backgrounds we all shared in one common trait and that was the passion we shared for American Agriculture!”

While talking with women from all walks of life last week, I was reminded that we all have a story to tell and need others’ help in telling it. Too many times the uninformed and the misinformed are telling the story of agriculture, so myths and half-truths replace facts.

“Nothing but the facts” has become the mantra of the Nutrients for Life Foundation, which informs the public of the role of nutrients in both the production of nutritious, abundant food and preservation of healthy green spaces through the development of educational resources and an outreach campaign to people across the country.

All information developed by the Nutrients for Life Foundation is based on soil and plant science and supported by agronomists, including those at the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Its educational materials are based on a curriculum that has been reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution, and more than 4,000 requests have been fulfilled in the past five years.

Click here to see how teachers and students are benefitting from this hands-on curriculum. Click here to learn how to you can request the curriculum for your local school. As a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother, I’m eager to see how this curriculum can help my troops earn badges!

Also included with this campaign is a series of recipe cards that help “plant a positive message” about the role nutrients play in growing the foods we all love. Try the following recipe for Raspberry Crumb Bars (with a dash of potassium) and use it as a conversation-starter with your family this holiday season!

RASPBERRY CRUMB BARS with a dash of potassium

The most important ingredient in this – and every recipe – is fertilizer. A dash of potassium, a pinch of nitrogen and a sprinkle of phosphorus grew the raspberries for these bars. Drawn from nature, fertilizer helps kids grow up healthier and live longer lives because it adds both nutrition and taste to the foods we love.

NECESSARY INGREDIENTS:

NPK to grow the raspberries
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
4 cups fresh raspberries
½ cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if so desired. Use fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the raspberries. Sprinkle the raspberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

This recipe is courtesy of the Nutrients for Life Foundation. To learn more about how fertilizer feeds the world, starting with your own family, visit NutrientsforLife.org.

SIDE BAR:

Fertilizers are drawn from nature – they are not man-made.
Farmers are not adding fertilizer to the ground. They are replacing nutrients that are lost each harvest.
Fertilizer use is responsible for 40 to 60 percent of our food supply.
By helping to conserve land, fertilizers safeguard recreational land and wildlife habitats.

Farmers care about the environment as much as anyone.