Tag Archives: dessert recipes

Field Fare & Family Fun Abound in Franklin County

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Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of helping host eight bloggers and their families for Harvest Tour 2011 in Franklin County, Iowa. It was a weekend filled with friendship, fellowship, field fare and loads of fun.

We began with star gazing at Maynes Grove on Friday night. (Editorial Comment: If you’ve never before seen the moon through a telescope, add it to your Bucket List. It’s a must see! From the “oohs and ahhs” I overheard Friday night, I believe several others share my opinion.)

Saturday began with an 8 a.m. tour of Machinery Hall, followed by boutique shopping on Main Street in Hampton before a feast of field fare at Roy & Jeanie Arends’ farm in Alexander. Their soybean field was just a stone’s throw away from Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, where our scales were busy with growers bringing in varieties of Latham® brand soybeans.

Sunday brunch at Country Touch B&B with bloggers Jocelyn Wallace, Nathan J. Taylor, Claire Celsi, Jody Halsted, Laura Gaulke, Sara Broers, Heather Lilienthal , Nancy and Jon Swanson.

Carrying on Grandma Evelyn Latham’s tradition of hospitality, we offered our guests coffee and homemade apple cider plus apple crisp and pumpkin bars. Since I received so many compliments on my baking, today I’m sharing both recipes on TheFieldPosition.com.

One of my favorite comments made on Saturday came from Jocelyn Wallace. You can see her quote, as well as comments posted by other bloggers, below. Click on the links and see photos they’ve posted, as well. Click here to read a related blog, “All In An Iowa Mom’s Day.”

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jocelynwallace_ Jocelyn Wallace
In the cleaning room – does that thing do laundry too? @LathamSeeds [pic]: http://4sq.com/n5iTDH

allauremkt Laura Gaulke
I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised at how interesting the #ag conversations have been since I don’t know about farming! #harvesttour

naswanson Nancy Swanson
corn, soybeans, combines, trucks, wind turbines, stars, Jupiter, Old Stone House, Maynes Grove, friendly people. #harvesttour

saramomof2 Sara Broers
Hampton, Iowa is the place to be~ Check out this awesome crew on the #Harvesttour 2011~ going on this weekend

deb works Deb Works
I posted 24 photos on Facebook in the album “Harvest Tour for Bloggers 3rd day” http://fb.me/MW1uAlO8

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APPLE CRUNCH

  • 6 apples, peeled
  • 1 c. water
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • ½ c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. sugar
  • ½ c. flour
  • ¾ c. oatmeal
  • 4 T. butter

Slice the apples into a baking dish. Add water and sprinkle with cinnamon. Combine brown sugar, sugar, flour and oatmeal.

 

PUMPKIN BARS

  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 c. pumpkin
  • 1 c. oil

Sift dry ingredients. Add to slightly beaten eggs, pumpkin and oil. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes two, 9×13 pans.

Top with cream cheese frosting.

Chase Away the Grey with Rainbow Cupcakes

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Spring is just around the corner, I can’t wait for the snow to melt and for the temperatures to rise. I’m looking forward to blue skies with puffy, white clouds. Until then, I’ll brighten up the greyest of days by whipping up some “Taste of Rainbow Cupcakes.”

This recipe has been a favorite of mine around St. Patrick’s Day. When I was in high school, I spent several nights babysitting for neighbors, friends and teachers. I always lined up special games, a craft project or baking project to help keep us entertained while their parents were away. The kids loved dying the batter into rainbow colors and watching their creations “puff up” in the oven.

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day favorites in your recipe book? If so, please share them on TheFieldPosition.com!

“Taste A Rainbow” Cupcakes

White cake mix
Food coloring (red, blue, green and yellow)
Baking cups
1 can of white frosting

Prepare the cake mix and divide the batter evenly between six, small bowls. Following the directions below, dye each batter a different color:

Purple: 9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue: 12 drops
Green: 12 drops
Yellow: 12 drops
Orange: 12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red: 18 drops

Line the muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups (approximately a heaping half-tablespoon of each), then the blue, and so on, following the order above. (Remember “ROY G. BIV” from your grade school days? That’s how I still remember all of the colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.)

As you go, gently spread each layer of the batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath. But be careful not to mix the colors!

Bake the cupcakes according to the cake directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping to show the colors and top each cupcake with a “frosting cloud”. For added affect, find small gold-wrapped chocolates to add for the “gold at the end of the rainbow.”

Sharing a little “Christmas Magic”

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Santa appears everywhere, holiday lights twinkle, snow glistens, carols fill the airwaves, holiday cards fill our mailbox, irresistible treats line the countertop and beautifully wrapped gifts nestle under the Christmas tree. For all of these reasons and more, I believe Christmas is the most magical time of year! 

Speaking of Christmas magic, have you seen Santa Claus’ PNP (Portable North Pole)? Santa is taking time out of his busy day in the toy shop to send personalized messages to girls and boys. I can only imagine how excited a child would be to watch his or her own personal video from Santa! Perhaps there is a little one with whom you can share this magical Santa memory.

Santa’s journey from the North Pole to Iowa always intrigued me as a kid, and it was even more fun to track Santa’s progress with my own small children. Their little faces would light up like Rudolph’s nose as soon as the meteorologist spotted Santa’s sleigh on the Super Doppler radar.

Because Santa will soon be making his way to each little “good” girl’s and boy’s home, I’ve decided to share a recipe (even though it’s not Friday) that will surely put a smile on the jolly man’s face. I always requested that my mom make “Ho Ho Cupcakes” for my birthday parties in grade school or whenever we hosted 4-H meetings at our house. (The “Ho Ho” in this recipe is really named for the Hostess snack cakes, but I figure it’s also symbolic of this season. Maybe if I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll decorate the tops like Santa’s face. Hmm…) Everyone who ate one of these cupcakes loved it, so I honestly believed my mom worked magic in the kitchen. (To this day, I still do!) Perhaps if I leave one or two of these cupcakes for Santa this year, he’ll leave me something extra special. After all, Mom always said, “Believe and you will receive.”

 It’s certainly fun to receive, but my parents also taught me that it’s better to give. This time of year many people open their hearts for those who are less fortunate, and that’s why I’d like to share the following heart-warming story with you. “Christmas Adventure with Grandma” serves as a great reminder of what this season is all about – magic!

“Ho Ho” Cupcakes

Make a boxed cake mix according to the directions on the package. (My mom says banana is good, but I’ll take her word for it. Why waste those calories on banana when you could have chocolate?) And nothing goes better with a chocolate cream-filled cupcake than a big glass of milk, so remember to leave one for Santa! 

 Cream Filling

  • Beat 3/4 cup white sugar and 1 cup Crisco.
  • Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk with 1½ teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1½ tablespoon water. 
  • Mix well and add 3/4 cup powdered sugar. 
  • Force into middle of cupcakes with a cake decorator tube.