Summer Cool Down {Indiana Family of Farmers}

Summer time and ice cream. Two things that were made for each other. From waiting to hear the music of the ice cream truck outside our front door, to evening trips to the local ice cream shop, for us, while we enjoy the creamy stuff year round, it's something we must have during the warm months of summer. And with June being National Dairy Month and July Ice Cream Month...there is no better way to celebrate both!     

We are so blessed to live in a dairy loving state! There are more than 1200 dairy farms in Indiana, with 97% of them being family owned, something to be very proud of! The average herd size is 129 cows, and some of them wear pedometers to measure the number of steps the cow takes in a day. Why? Because time spent walking can be a sign of how healthy a cow is! The average cow produces 90 glasses of milk every day, and nearly 200,000 glasses in a lifetime!   

Dairy farming and processing contributes $810 million to the Hoosier economy each year and creates 8,220 Indiana jobs! We love our dairy farmers! Plus, Indiana ranks 2nd in the nation for ice cream production!!

So when I had the chance to share a little bit my home state's connection to the oh so good creamy treat, I knew the perfect way to do so. Combine it with another summer time tradition in our house...strawberry picking! Yep, we love hitting our favorite farm for U-pick season, and this year my little man hauled in 10.5 lbs! He was so excited to bring them home and start eating. So imagine his surprise when I told him we would be making fresh strawberry ice cream too! 

We've never made homemade ice cream, so he was completely fascinated! He could barely wait for the mixing to be done so he could dig in. But when he realized he could watch the ice cream form before his eyes, it only added to the experience!

If you are looking for a delicious cool treat for summer, look no further! This is bursting with flavor, and is so simple, make sure you get the kids in the kitchen to help out! They will love every minute....and every bite!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream From Cuisinart

1 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, hulled

2/3 c. sugar

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pinch Salt

Place berries in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, milk and salt until sugar dissolved. Stir in vanilla and cream. Mix well. Add chopped strawberries and all juices. Stir. Cover and place in fridge for 2 hours to overnight. When ready, place in ice cream machine and follow directions. Mine stirred for about 20 minutes for a soft consistency. If a harder ice cream is desired, place in large bowl, cover and freeze for 2 hours. Makes about 5 cups.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain June 12, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook June 14, 2013

Learn more about Indiana Family of Farmers at the following links:   

IFOF Website

 IFOF Blog

      IFOF Facebook

   @FamilyofFarmers

Disclaimer: I was provided with a gift pack for inspiration, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Strawberry at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

Summer time and ice cream. Two things that were made for each other. From waiting to hear the music of the ice cream truck outside our front door, to evening trips to the local ice cream shop, for us, while we enjoy the creamy stuff year round, it's something we must have during the warm months of summer. And with June being National Dairy Month and July Ice Cream Month...there is no better way to celebrate both!     

We are so blessed to live in a dairy loving state! There are more than 1200 dairy farms in Indiana, with 97% of them being family owned, something to be very proud of! The average herd size is 129 cows, and some of them wear pedometers to measure the number of steps the cow takes in a day. Why? Because time spent walking can be a sign of how healthy a cow is! The average cow produces 90 glasses of milk every day, and nearly 200,000 glasses in a lifetime!   

Dairy farming and processing contributes $810 million to the Hoosier economy each year and creates 8,220 Indiana jobs! We love our dairy farmers! Plus, Indiana ranks 2nd in the nation for ice cream production!!

So when I had the chance to share a little bit my home state's connection to the oh so good creamy treat, I knew the perfect way to do so. Combine it with another summer time tradition in our house...strawberry picking! Yep, we love hitting our favorite farm for U-pick season, and this year my little man hauled in 10.5 lbs! He was so excited to bring them home and start eating. So imagine his surprise when I told him we would be making fresh strawberry ice cream too! 

We've never made homemade ice cream, so he was completely fascinated! He could barely wait for the mixing to be done so he could dig in. But when he realized he could watch the ice cream form before his eyes, it only added to the experience!

If you are looking for a delicious cool treat for summer, look no further! This is bursting with flavor, and is so simple, make sure you get the kids in the kitchen to help out! They will love every minute....and every bite!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream From Cuisinart

1 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, hulled

2/3 c. sugar

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pinch Salt

Place berries in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, milk and salt until sugar dissolved. Stir in vanilla and cream. Mix well. Add chopped strawberries and all juices. Stir. Cover and place in fridge for 2 hours to overnight. When ready, place in ice cream machine and follow directions. Mine stirred for about 20 minutes for a soft consistency. If a harder ice cream is desired, place in large bowl, cover and freeze for 2 hours. Makes about 5 cups.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain June 12, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook June 14, 2013

Learn more about Indiana Family of Farmers at the following links:   

IFOF Website

 IFOF Blog

      IFOF Facebook

   @FamilyofFarmers

Disclaimer: I was provided with a gift pack for inspiration, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Strawberry at Very Good Recipes
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Soul Food Saturday #2

Good Morning, and welcome to the second week for Bekki to be in the EMM kitchen. And this week, she has a super yummy dessert that I know you're just gonna love at first sight...and bite!

Dessert, anyone? Now how can you say no to that? This week I decided in honor of my mother’s birthday I would put together 3 of her favorites all in one. I am taking about strawberry shortcake, cheese cake and a pudding all in one. Yep, it’s a celebration in a glass! Champagne glass that is! So here’s a toast to you, my sweet mother and soul food Saturday!

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait

1 small  box cheesecake instant pudding

2 c. cold milk

1 package vanilla sponge cakes

1 container fresh strawberries approx 1 pound

Whipped topping

Mix pudding following package instructions. Place in refrigerator to chill and set. Cut sponge cakes into pieces. Set aside. Rinse strawberries gently under running water and lay on a kitchen towel to remove excess water. Remove tops from strawberries and slice. Set aside. Take pudding out of refrigerator and mix again lightly. Spoon pudding into Ziploc bag and remove air and seal bag. Set aside.

In a champagne glass, add some sponge cake pieces to the bottom creating a layer. Next place strawberries in another layer. Take zipped bag and cut one corner off the bottom, creating a piping bag. Add pudding next, creating another layer. Top with whipped cream. Continue layering until you have reached the top. Garnish with a sliced strawberry on top if desired.

Serves 4

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Good Morning, and welcome to the second week for Bekki to be in the EMM kitchen. And this week, she has a super yummy dessert that I know you're just gonna love at first sight...and bite!

Dessert, anyone? Now how can you say no to that? This week I decided in honor of my mother’s birthday I would put together 3 of her favorites all in one. I am taking about strawberry shortcake, cheese cake and a pudding all in one. Yep, it’s a celebration in a glass! Champagne glass that is! So here’s a toast to you, my sweet mother and soul food Saturday!

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait

1 small  box cheesecake instant pudding

2 c. cold milk

1 package vanilla sponge cakes

1 container fresh strawberries approx 1 pound

Whipped topping

Mix pudding following package instructions. Place in refrigerator to chill and set. Cut sponge cakes into pieces. Set aside. Rinse strawberries gently under running water and lay on a kitchen towel to remove excess water. Remove tops from strawberries and slice. Set aside. Take pudding out of refrigerator and mix again lightly. Spoon pudding into Ziploc bag and remove air and seal bag. Set aside.

In a champagne glass, add some sponge cake pieces to the bottom creating a layer. Next place strawberries in another layer. Take zipped bag and cut one corner off the bottom, creating a piping bag. Add pudding next, creating another layer. Top with whipped cream. Continue layering until you have reached the top. Garnish with a sliced strawberry on top if desired.

Serves 4

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Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Alyssa}

Welcome to another Saturday here at EMM. The day when I welcome a fellow foodie into my kitchen to share something yummy with all of us. Remember, if you are reading this thinking, "This looks like fun." You do NOT have to be a blogger to be my guest! My fans love joining in the fun, and I'm so excited to get them onto the blog too. So, if you are interested, drop me a line and I can give you more details!

Today, I have to give a big THANK YOU to our guest because she stepped up at the last minute when I discovered I didn't have anyone signed up, and within 24 hours had this post ready to go! So grab a mimosa, or I guess a cup of coffee will do, and welcome Alyssa~

Hello Everyone,

I guess I will start off by introducing myself :-) My name is Alyssa and I am 28 years old. I am a stay at home mom of two girls,Meghan (4) and Karina (2).My dearest and I live in Massachusetts.  Aside from taking care of my two daughters I also work with an organization,, who raises money, does clothing/food and toy drives..It's very fulfilling to me. I also own a blog as well. My blog is Cooking From A SAHM(Stay at home mom). http://cookingfromasahm.blogspot.com/and https://www.facebook.com/CookingFromASAHM The goal of my page is to bring kids in the kitchen, I want to bring family together in the kitchen to learn and grow together. 

The recipe I am sharing wit you today is my Strawberry Filled Coffee cake muffins. These are simply amazing and taste like a nutri grain bar. Plus it's simple :-) I came up with this recipe one day when I was really stressed out. Cooking/baking in the kitchen keeps my stress level down. So here ya go :-)

Strawberry Filled Coffee Cake Muffins

1 1/4 C. Flour

2/3 C. Quick Oats (but could use regular)

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Apple Pie Spice

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg

1/3 C. Oil

2/3 C. Milk

Jar of Strawberry Preserves

Strussel Topping

1 C. Old fashioned Oats

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

Sprinkle of Apple Pie spice

4 Tsp of melted Butter

In a bowl combine your milk, oil and egg. Gently mix. Then add your flour, oats, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt and baking powder. Mix all this until its well mixed together.  Take your muffin tin and line it with your cupcake liners. Put about a tablespoon of batter on the bottom and spread it out. Take about a tsp of Strawberry preserves and spread it as best as you can. Then top with another table spoon or more of batter. Do this for all of them. 

In a bowl put your 1 C. Oats, brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix it. Put the crumble on top of each muffin. Bake at 350 for ten minutes or until the tooth pick comes out clean.  Put them out and let them cool.

Pin It

Welcome to another Saturday here at EMM. The day when I welcome a fellow foodie into my kitchen to share something yummy with all of us. Remember, if you are reading this thinking, "This looks like fun." You do NOT have to be a blogger to be my guest! My fans love joining in the fun, and I'm so excited to get them onto the blog too. So, if you are interested, drop me a line and I can give you more details!

Today, I have to give a big THANK YOU to our guest because she stepped up at the last minute when I discovered I didn't have anyone signed up, and within 24 hours had this post ready to go! So grab a mimosa, or I guess a cup of coffee will do, and welcome Alyssa~

Hello Everyone,

I guess I will start off by introducing myself :-) My name is Alyssa and I am 28 years old. I am a stay at home mom of two girls,Meghan (4) and Karina (2).My dearest and I live in Massachusetts.  Aside from taking care of my two daughters I also work with an organization,, who raises money, does clothing/food and toy drives..It's very fulfilling to me. I also own a blog as well. My blog is Cooking From A SAHM(Stay at home mom). http://cookingfromasahm.blogspot.com/and https://www.facebook.com/CookingFromASAHM The goal of my page is to bring kids in the kitchen, I want to bring family together in the kitchen to learn and grow together. 

The recipe I am sharing wit you today is my Strawberry Filled Coffee cake muffins. These are simply amazing and taste like a nutri grain bar. Plus it's simple :-) I came up with this recipe one day when I was really stressed out. Cooking/baking in the kitchen keeps my stress level down. So here ya go :-)

Strawberry Filled Coffee Cake Muffins

1 1/4 C. Flour

2/3 C. Quick Oats (but could use regular)

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Apple Pie Spice

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg

1/3 C. Oil

2/3 C. Milk

Jar of Strawberry Preserves

Strussel Topping

1 C. Old fashioned Oats

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

Sprinkle of Apple Pie spice

4 Tsp of melted Butter

In a bowl combine your milk, oil and egg. Gently mix. Then add your flour, oats, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt and baking powder. Mix all this until its well mixed together.  Take your muffin tin and line it with your cupcake liners. Put about a tablespoon of batter on the bottom and spread it out. Take about a tsp of Strawberry preserves and spread it as best as you can. Then top with another table spoon or more of batter. Do this for all of them. 

In a bowl put your 1 C. Oats, brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix it. Put the crumble on top of each muffin. Bake at 350 for ten minutes or until the tooth pick comes out clean.  Put them out and let them cool.

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Extra Calcium

I am a lucky mom. I have a child who has such a wide palate that we can honestly say "If it's food, he likes it." Sure he has his favorites, and even his few things that he doesn't truly care for, but for the most part I never see meal time as a struggle. Now there was a time though when he was about 13 months old, we did have a small conundrum on our hands; but in the scheme of things, and compared to other parents dealing with picky eaters, I know it was on a very small scale.

You see, as soon as Alex could drink whole milk, and we could finally stop buying those pricey cans of formula, he wanted no part of it! The only way he would drink milk was in is bottle, warmed up, the same as he enjoyed his formula. Well, by this time, he was down to only 1 bottle per day, right before bed. I remember feeling so helpless because I could not get him to drink it any other way, any other time of day. I spoke to my doctor and she suggested a couple things. One, he's only a little over 1, so if he still wants a bottle, wait a little while to wean him. So we did. My child took that bedtime bottle until he was 15 months old, and then one night quit cold turkey! Two, she suggested flavoring it to help ease him into drinking it from a cup. She said to try a powdered mix that contained extra vitamins and minerals. I must have had a look of horror on my face upon this suggestion because she said "Look, I know as a parent you don't expect me to tell you that, but sometimes parents make it so hard on themselves, and if putting a little flavoring, that does have some nutritional value, into his milk makes your day a little easier, and does indeed result in him drinking it, I say go for it." So that's exactly what we did. For those few months until he was weaned, the milk he drank through the day was vanilla flavored, and I was okay with that. He was getting the milk he needed and I wasn't in tears during lunch anymore. Then when the day came when the bottles were a thing of the past, and he was used to drinking it, and even enjoying it, the flavoring became not so necessary.

But during this time I also made sure he was getting calcium in other ways too, which to this day I still to, even though he will happily sit down and drink a glass of milk...heck, he will even ask for it! He takes 6 vitamins per day, a multivitamin, one with extra immunity and one with extra calcium. And he is the kid that loves cheese and yogurt. Not likes. Loves! And I know there are many of  parents out there simply trying to get your kids to eat ____. Fill in the blank. But for those that would finish that sentence with calcium or dairy, I've got the perfect treat for you! It's 2 ingredients, and one of those is yogurt! These are super fun, and the kids can even help make them. They make a great mini dessert or even an after school snack. And with all the yogurt/gelatin flavors the combinations are endless.

While I am very lucky to have the child who pretty much eats anything and everything, I do sympathize with those out there who aren't so lucky and hope this helps even just one make dinner time a little easier.

Strawberry Yogurt Bites From JELL-O
3 (6 oz) containers strawberry yogurt
1 (0.3 oz) package strawberry gelatin
Fresh strawberries, optional

Line muffin tin with paper liners. (Mine made 10 large) Mix yogurt and dry gelatin mix in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 2-3 minutes more until gelatin completely dissolved, stirring after each minute. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Chill for at least an hour to set. Top with fresh berries. Peel from paper and serve.
*NOTE* This can easily be made with light yogurt and sugar free gelatin.

Shared on Make Ahead Meals Jan. 21, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Jan. 22, 2013
Shared on Hun What's For Dinner Jan. 22, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Jan. 24, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 25, 2013

Strawberry at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

I am a lucky mom. I have a child who has such a wide palate that we can honestly say "If it's food, he likes it." Sure he has his favorites, and even his few things that he doesn't truly care for, but for the most part I never see meal time as a struggle. Now there was a time though when he was about 13 months old, we did have a small conundrum on our hands; but in the scheme of things, and compared to other parents dealing with picky eaters, I know it was on a very small scale.

You see, as soon as Alex could drink whole milk, and we could finally stop buying those pricey cans of formula, he wanted no part of it! The only way he would drink milk was in is bottle, warmed up, the same as he enjoyed his formula. Well, by this time, he was down to only 1 bottle per day, right before bed. I remember feeling so helpless because I could not get him to drink it any other way, any other time of day. I spoke to my doctor and she suggested a couple things. One, he's only a little over 1, so if he still wants a bottle, wait a little while to wean him. So we did. My child took that bedtime bottle until he was 15 months old, and then one night quit cold turkey! Two, she suggested flavoring it to help ease him into drinking it from a cup. She said to try a powdered mix that contained extra vitamins and minerals. I must have had a look of horror on my face upon this suggestion because she said "Look, I know as a parent you don't expect me to tell you that, but sometimes parents make it so hard on themselves, and if putting a little flavoring, that does have some nutritional value, into his milk makes your day a little easier, and does indeed result in him drinking it, I say go for it." So that's exactly what we did. For those few months until he was weaned, the milk he drank through the day was vanilla flavored, and I was okay with that. He was getting the milk he needed and I wasn't in tears during lunch anymore. Then when the day came when the bottles were a thing of the past, and he was used to drinking it, and even enjoying it, the flavoring became not so necessary.

But during this time I also made sure he was getting calcium in other ways too, which to this day I still to, even though he will happily sit down and drink a glass of milk...heck, he will even ask for it! He takes 6 vitamins per day, a multivitamin, one with extra immunity and one with extra calcium. And he is the kid that loves cheese and yogurt. Not likes. Loves! And I know there are many of  parents out there simply trying to get your kids to eat ____. Fill in the blank. But for those that would finish that sentence with calcium or dairy, I've got the perfect treat for you! It's 2 ingredients, and one of those is yogurt! These are super fun, and the kids can even help make them. They make a great mini dessert or even an after school snack. And with all the yogurt/gelatin flavors the combinations are endless.

While I am very lucky to have the child who pretty much eats anything and everything, I do sympathize with those out there who aren't so lucky and hope this helps even just one make dinner time a little easier.

Strawberry Yogurt Bites From JELL-O
3 (6 oz) containers strawberry yogurt
1 (0.3 oz) package strawberry gelatin
Fresh strawberries, optional

Line muffin tin with paper liners. (Mine made 10 large) Mix yogurt and dry gelatin mix in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 2-3 minutes more until gelatin completely dissolved, stirring after each minute. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Chill for at least an hour to set. Top with fresh berries. Peel from paper and serve.
*NOTE* This can easily be made with light yogurt and sugar free gelatin.

Shared on Make Ahead Meals Jan. 21, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Jan. 22, 2013
Shared on Hun What's For Dinner Jan. 22, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Jan. 24, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 25, 2013

Strawberry at Very Good Recipes
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