Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
2 lbs. frozen hash browns, thawed
3/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream with chives
1 dollop regular sour cream
1-1/2 to 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese **
1-1/2 c. cubed ham
Corn Flakes

Grease 9×13 pan and place hash browns on the bottom of the pan.

Melt margarine, then mix together with pepper, soup, sour cream and cheese. Add ham and pour over potatoes. Top with crushed Corn Flakes.

Bake at 350 degrees, covered for 45 minutes. Uncover the casserole and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

NOTE: can use 1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese and then slice Velveeta on top to make it creamier.

Do you have some recipes that you make up after the holidays to make good use of holiday left overs?  Share them with us in the comment box below!

Hot Cranberry Punch

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsps. whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks

Place above in basket of large coffee maker.

2 qts. cranberry juice cocktail (Cranberry/Pomegranite)
2 qts. pineapple juice
1 qt. apple juice

Perk through cycle. (I usually start it an hour before I need it.)

I love to serve this at New Year’s Parties.  Hope you can enjoy it as much as we do! Happy New Year!

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water (add 1/4 c. brown sugar to water)
1 tbsp. molasses

Cook hamburger, onion and garlic until hamburger is brown and onion is soft. In a small saucepan, dissolve the brown sugar into the water.  Add this mixture and the ketchup to the hamburger mixture.  Boil until some liquid has evaporated. Add molasses. Simmer about 15 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns and top with cheese.

• E1857L- this variety is a Late Group I seed brand with a 1.8 maturity.  It features great emergence, good IDC tolerance nd is a medium-bush type plant.  The variety features the Rps1-c gene for Phytophthora and has some field tolerance to Soybean Cyst Nematode.
• E2678L- this variety is a Mid-Group II soybean with a 2.6 maturity. This medium bush plant type features the K gene for Phytophthora and has excellent SDS tolerance.  It also has the PI 88788 gene for SCN resistance.
• E2800L- This tall showy plant type has a 2.8 maturity placing it in the Late Group II soybean category.  This bean also features the K gene for Phytophthora and shows good tolerance to iron chlorosis.  This bean will show consistency East to West.

Soybeans with the Liberty Link trait have built-in tolerance to Ignite® herbicide. Ignite is the only nonselective alternative to glyphosate, or Roundup® Ready products. Ignite provides post-emergent control of more than 120 broadleaf weeds and grasses including woolly cupgrass, velvetleaf, cocklebur, foxtail, marestail, morning glory, ragweed and waterhemp, along with ALS- and glyphosate-resistant weeds.

“LibertyLink soybeans offer growers an opportunity to rotate their herbicide systems,” says Mark Grundmeier, Latham’s soybean product manager. “Rotating the Roundup Ready system with the LibertyLink system is one way to retain the convenience of non-selective weed control and to extend glyphosate’s effectiveness.”

Because LibertyLink was only recently approved for sale, commercial availability is limited. Contact your Latham dealer soon to place an order!

Have questions on these new LibertyLink varieties?  Leave your questions in the comment box below.

Christmas Morning Orange Toast

Toast:
1 egg
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/4 c. sugar
3 slices bread
butter or margarine
2 oranges, seeded and sliced or sectioned
confectioner’s sugar

Golden Orange Sauce:
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. fresh orange juice
2 tsp. grated orange zest

For toast, beat egg lightly in a mixing bowl. Add orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, orange zest and sugar. Mix well. Cut bread slices in half. Dip in egg mixture, coating both sides. Saute bread in butter as needed on both sides until golden brown.

For sauce, combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat; pour into pitcher.

To serve, arrange orange slices on each slice of toast. Sprinkle each slice lightly with confectioner’s sugar. Pass sauce. Serves 2-3.

The new L2958R2 Roundup Ready2 Yield Soybean had a 7 to 11 percent yield advantage this season, so it’s living up to the expectations we had for the new technology’s enhanced yield performance. We’re really looking forward to seeing what this seed brand will do next year when it’s planted on more acres throughout our marketing territory.

Latham’s L2958R2 is a Late Group II soybean. It’s a medium-tall plant with the C-gene for Phytophthora resistance, as well as Soybean Cyst Nematode resistance from PI 88788. It also has very good score against Iron Chlorosis.

Farmers will enjoy the same flexibility, dependability and crop safety that they have enjoyed for years with the Roundup Ready soybeans system. They can also rest assured that Latham Companies will not release any RR2Y soybean that does not meet our standards of excellence.

This second generation Roundup product enables higher yield potential:

• Roundup Ready 2 Yield was developed through extensive gene mapping that allows soybean breeders to identify specific DNA regions in soybeans that have a positive impact on yield. Using advanced insertion and selection technologies, the Roundup Ready 2 Yield gene is situated in one of these DNA regions that provide higher yield potential.
• Four years of research have demonstrated a consistent yield advantage of 7 to 11 percent for Roundup Ready2 Yield soybeans as compared with the first-generation Roundup Ready soybeans. The four-year average yield increase was 9 percent.
• In more than 200 observations including 120 comparisons, Roundup Ready2 Yield soybean plants produced significantly more three-bean pods per plant compared to Roundup Ready soybeans. This higher number of three-bean pods contributes to more beans per plant and higher yield performance.

Have questions about this exciting new technology?  Leave them in the comment box below!

Baked Apple French Toast

20 slices French Bread (1″ thick)
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
8 eggs
2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. cold butter, cubed
1 c. chopped pecans
2 tbsp. corn syrup

Arrange 10 slices of bread in a greased 9×13x2 baking dish. Spread with pie filling, top with remaining bread.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.

Meanwhile, place brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until resembles course crumbs. Stir in pecans and corn syrup. Sprinkle over French toast. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Do you have great breakfast ideas that are your family favorites?  I’d love to hear about them and get some new ideas for my weekend breakfasts.  Leave your recipe or story in the comment box below or email them to laura@lathamhybrids.com.

Due to the unusual growing conditions we experienced this year, Mark cautioned against basing all of your seed purchase decisions on 2008 performance. Instead, use two-and three-year data. For example, if someone loved L2158R in 2007 but was disappointed in 2008, give it another try. Don’t kick something out because it had one off year.

Other highlights from Mark’s presentation:

• Roundup Ready2 Yield technology and LibertyLink will be available for spring 2009 planting.
• 2008 was a difficult year, we received 13 inches of rain between May 1 and June 15- twice the normal amount!
• This season rewarded taller plant types and stronger BSR resistance.
• Delayed planting and cooler weather impacted soybeans, especially V1-V5.
• Challenging growing conditions created problems with harvestability, disease and plant characteristics.
• Bacterial blight and brown spot affected lower portions of the plant more in 2008 than other “normal” years.
• State climatologists expect the next few seasons to be cooler and wetter, but then again some predicted drought in 2008, so it’s anyones guess for 2009.

If you have any questions or comments on things you noticed this season, share them with us in the comment box below.

Scalloped Oysters

1 pint oysters (or two cans- cheaper)
2 c. medium-course cracker crumbs
1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
3/4 c. light cream, I use canned evaporated milk
1/4 c. oyster liquor
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt and a little pepper

Drain oysters, reserve liquor. Combine crumbs and butter. Spread 1/3 of crumbs in greased 8×1-1/4 round pan. Cover with half of the oysters, sprinkle pepper. Using another third of the crumbs, spread a second layer. Cover with remaining  oysters. Sprinkle with pepper. Combine cream, oyster liquor, Worcestershire and salt. Pour over oysters. Top with last of crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Serves 6.

Have any Christmas dinner favorites of your own?  Share them with us in the comment box below!

Potato Cheese Soup

6-8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 carrots, sliced
1-2 celery stalks, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 can (10 and 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled bacon
green onion, diced
shredded cheddar cheese

Place potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in large kettle, cover with water. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in mixing bowl combine softened cream cheese, butter, and cream of chicken soup. Combine until smooth. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper. Before adding to vegetables, drain most of the water from kettle, depending how thick you prefer the soup. Add creamed mixture to the kettle and heat slowly. Before serving, I sprinkle each bowl with a little bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese.

White Chili

3 (15 oz.) cans of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
2 and 1/2c. chopped, cooked chicken
1 c. chopped onion
1 and 1/2c. chopped red, green, or yellow pepper
2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 small can green chilis
3 and 1/2c. chicken broth
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)

Saute the onion, garlic and cumin in 1-2 tbsp. oil. Add all ingredients and simmer 45 minutes to an hour.

Do you have any of your own soup recipes that “warm the heart”?  Share them with us in the comment box below!