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Love this Crazy Life
Time flies when you are having fun, right? I can’t believe how fast the last month has gone!
Jonathan and Laura returned from Tanzania full of stories, videos, and photos. I’ll let Jonathan tell you about his experiences in another blog.
After the travelers returned home, we jumped right into a full schedule. Laura wanted to head back to college right away to try and catch up on more assignments, so I took her back to USF just a day after they returned home. A day later, Jonathan and I had an organic farming seminar to attend a few hours from home, so he basically hit the ground running as well.
The following week was Thanksgiving. We were hosting this year, so I was able to plan the event how I wanted it. My rule this year – nobody brings anything, and everyone stays out of the kitchen until time for dishes. The exceptions were Christina, who made the dinner rolls, and Laura, who was my sous chef. The day was awesome. It was the most stress-free Thanksgiving I have ever hosted!
Our menu was partly traditional, and partly not. As in, we didn’t have any cranberry anything, and no marshmallows made an appearance on sweet potatoes.
We started the meal with a Squash Soup appetizer. While our guests were eating their soup, Laura and I set the rest of the meal on the table.
The rest of our menu looked like this:
Mashed potatoes
A Simple Gravy made with chicken stock (no drippings)
Dinner Rolls (recipe follows)
For dessert, I made a pecan pie, double layer pumpkin pie, and chocoflan
After our meal, everyone pitched in on dishes, and then we relaxed. We took our Olson family photo (minus one nephew who is currently studying in India) so Grandpa could send out his Christmas letter. It was nice to celebrate with Anita and Charles, who will be heading back to Canada in a couple of days to celebrate Christmas with Charles’ family. They will be heading back to the mission field after the New Year.
I am so thankful for my family, my in-laws, the outlaws, my friends. The list could go on forever. I have been so blessed this past year! Thank you, my dear readers, for being a part of my life for the last two years. I look forward to sharing more stories about my family, my farm, and successful ventures in the kitchen.
Fly Off the Plate Dinner Rolls
1 egg
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons instant dry milk
3 Tablespoons oil
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
Mix egg with fork. Add ingredients in order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer. Put pan in bread machine. Select dough cycle, push start. After about 10 minutes, push finger into dough. If it is sticky, add more flour. When bread machine is done, shape into buns. Allow to rise about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 10-15 minutes
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Nutrition – Only a Part of the Whole Picture
While I no longer have kids in high school, the school lunch issue has my attention. I can’t help but think that the new directives that have come down from the USDA is missing the mark.
We all need to pay attention to the calories we take in on any given day. The quality of those calories must also be taken into account. If I were to eat a 500 calorie meal of Twinkies and soda, I don’t think I would feel as good as if I ate a 500 calorie meal of meat, potatoes, vegetables, and milk. Our bodies were designed to require nutrients found in the foods we eat. Our bodies were also designed to move.
I have been wearing an electronic pedometer for the past few weeks. I thought that I was being fairly active, but I have had many days where I cannot seem to reach the 10,000 step goal for the day. I don’t work in an office where I have to walk from a parking lot, into the building, and up a couple flights of stairs to my desk. My computer is 14 steps from my bed, three steps from the kitchen table, and five steps to the meal prep area. Not a lot of calorie burning going on in my mornings. I have to be very deliberate to get exercise in, or I will gain weight.
So, what about just controlling the amount of calories in? I tried that. I was thinner, but I wasn’t healthier. My triglyceride levels were still higher than my doctor wanted them, and I was borderline anemic. I was also a wimp. I couldn’t run as much as I wanted to because I didn’t have the stamina or muscle tone to endure a good workout. When I started exercising with the calorie control, I felt so much better.
This is where I feel the nutrition guidelines are missing the mark. We need to encourage healthy eating, but we also need to be encouraging physical movement. There is a great program, called Fuel Up to Play 60, which is sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the NFL. Click here to see what they are about. This program encourages healthy eating, and 60 minutes of exercise a day. They teach nutrition – the why of eating healthy – and make exercise fun. To see what makes them different, click here. This is a program model that I think would be a better way to address the childhood obesity issue than the nutrition standards that the schools are dealing with now.
There is one more area where I think we should focus on. Our school district has 175 student contact days. That leaves 190 days when the students are at home. For the students that eat both breakfast and lunch at school, they will eat 350 meals with calorie restrictions. Those same students will be eating 745 meals outside of school. We are sorely mistaken if we think that calorie restrictions at school are going to solve the obesity issue.
I loved running around my neighborhood when I was a kid. I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis in the ’70’s and ’80’s. We played outside all summer, riding our banana seat bikes, playing H-O-R-S-E, and playing various forms of tag….along with tormenting the siblings then running like crazy to escape the wrath. We didn’t have home video games then. Is it any wonder that obesity rates have increased after the home video games and computers became household objects? We need to move. We need to make exercise a lifelong habit, starting at a young age…and as parents, we need to be setting a good example.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite workout songs on my iPod….
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Fun Food Friday
I was craving some ice cream today, but ice cream doesn’t really like me. I figured out I was lactose intolerant while eating ice cream at my niece’s graduation reception. Not a fun day. I have tried taking Lactaid with the ice cream, but it still doesn’t like me. So, when a craving hits, I like to see what kind of substitutes I can find.
A few posts back, I shared a photo of my new favorite State Fair treat – a frozen banana on a stick, covered in chocolate and rolled in peanuts. It made a good ice cream substitute at the fair, so why not make them at home?
I started by cutting up a couple of bananas into more manageable sizes than the one offered at the fair. This way, if I only wanted half a banana, I wouldn’t have to try cutting it in two after it was on the stick.
We had some some bamboo skewers left over from Laura’s graduation reception, so I used those as my stick. You could probably get by just fine with bigger round toothpicks, depending on the size of banana slices.
I dipped the cut banana pieces in a bath of water and FruitFresh. You could also use lemon or lime juice in water. I dabbed them dry with a paper towel, and placed them back on the plate. I covered the plate with plastic wrap, and placed it in the freezer.
When the bananas were frozen, I assembled the rest of the ingredients.
I coarsely chopped some salted peanuts in my food processor, and put them in a shallow bowl. I had some Magic Shell ice cream topping in the pantry, so I used that for the hardening chocolate. I have a narrow measuring cup that holds about 1/2 cup of liquid. You could use a small juice glass as well.
I poured a little bit of the Magic Shell into the bottom of the measuring glass, since I was planning on having three chunks of banana. Once it is poured into the glass, you cannot put it back into the bottle.
Tipping the glass slightly, I rolled the banana in the chocolate, making sure it was coated well.
I held it above the glass until the chocolate began to harden. Then, I rolled the banana in the coarsely chopped peanuts.
I repeat the process for the other banana pieces that I wanted to prepare. Then placed the rest of the bananas back into the freezer for the next time I had an ice cream craving.
The bananas satisfied the craving. They tasted just like a banana split…okay, almost like a banana split!
My next challenge is to try different combinations – splitting the bananas down the center, and spreading creamy peanut butter on one half making a pb banana sandwich to freeze. After they are frozen, dipping them in a homemade chocolate shell mixture, and letting them freeze again. Mmmm. I think I need to go buy more bananas!
Have fun with your food today!
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Another Fun Filled Summer in Photos
The house is pretty quiet this week. The laundry piles are smaller, and the milk lasts a little longer. It is official. Jonathan and I are empty nesters!
This summer was pretty busy, which is how we prefer our summers to be. I’d like to share some of the fun with you in the photos below.
Most of the family was able to surprise my brother and his family at a Twins game in the beginning of July. Bruce had the honor of raising the Twins Territory flag. It was pretty cool.
The family – 14 out of a possible 19 made it!
The game: Twins won, with the help of a couple home runs at the hands of Trevor Plouffe.
A week later, Christina left for a five week stay in Costa Rica as a part of her Spanish studies. She missed out on our intense 48 hours of fun at Lake Ethel.
Jonathan likes to work hard, and play hard.
After we returned from the lake, Jonathan and Laura attended a national youth gathering for a week. They had a great trip, but were very happy to be back home again. Pretty much as soon as they returned, it was time to harvest wheat.
I took my turn in the combine for a little while.
Jonathan harvested most of the wheat, while I helped Laura get her projects ready for the county fair. Laura did the work, but I was her adviser.
The vanity Laura refinished, which is now displayed in my entry.
Laura competed in her final horse show at this years fair. She enjoys participating in the trail class the most. I think she’s pretty good at it.
Laura also brought three Boer goats to the county fair. This year’s fair was filled with a little drama. During the goat show, a severe thunderstorm rolled through and we all needed to take shelter. A few days later, another storm rolled through and we were once again waiting it out in the horse barn.
Laura in the show ring.
For the first time in my life, I was in the ring during the State Fair line up. Can you spot my shoes? I won’t quit my day job…
In between the county fair and the state fair, I worked at Farm Fest. Farm Fest is a three day agricultural event where vendors bring their equipment, software, expertise, or whatever they have that serves the agriculture community to southwest Minnesota. I help to sell pork chops on a stick in the Farm Bureau tent. I totally forgot to take photos this year, so you’ll have to close your eyes and imagine a delicious pork chop being handed to you by a local FFA member or Farm Bureau volunteer. After a good day of recovery, I always look forward to the next year!
During the county fair and Farm Fest weeks, we had a visitor! Our former exchange student, who we now refer to as our German daughter, spent two weeks with us. It was great to catch up in person!
Viktoria at Alexander Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls. A beautiful park that we went to a few times while she stayed with us for a year.
While I was running around like a crazy woman, Jonathan was home being a great husband and dad. When he gets hungry for cookies, he just whips up a batch. They typically don’t last very long.
This brings us to the Minnesota State Fair. I love the fair! Laura went up with other 4-H members from our county for the 4 days of the Livestock encampment. Christina and I went up to watch the goat show, and then we walked around a tiny bit. We saved most of our fun for when we planned to go back the following week.
Laura earned a purple ribbon in showmanship! She was pretty amazed, since this goat had been super jumpy at our county fair. He calmed down quite a bit once he entered the show ring.
We always check out the Agriculture/Horticulture building to see if Jonathan won any ribbons for his seed samples. He did! This year he received blue ribbons on both of his wheat varieties that were submitted.
Before we left, Christina and I had to find my new favorite treat. I am lactose intolerant, and ice cream really affects me, even when taking Lactaid. It was super hot, so this frozen banana on a stick was just the thing.
After our second visit to the fair, it was time to finish packing. All three girls moved to college last weekend.
Part of what we moved. I am so blessed that all three girls are in the same town. Two at one college, the youngest four blocks away at another.
We are now in the patiently waiting for soybean and corn harvest mode. There is still plenty that needs to get done before we are ready. Jonathan is loading up wheat that was sold, and will be sweeping out the grain bins when they are empty. He will be making sure that the combine and trucks are clean so we do not have any wheat in our soybeans. I will be working on getting our house ready for family to stay. Once the soybeans are ready, I’ll be running the combine while Jonathan hauls the loads in the semi. We plan on fitting in a few dates here and there as well. So far this empty nest thing is looking pretty good!
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Catching Up Is Hard To Do…
I cannot believe that January is almost over! Typically this month is filled with farming book work, getting tax stuff ready, and all the other end of the year stuff that comes with running a business. This year we started out a little differently…
On December 26th, Jonathan’s sister and family came from the Chicagoland area for a few days. We had a fun Christmas celebration with that side of the family on the 27th. I love reconnecting with family, and catching up on their activities.
My side of the family arrived on the 29th. We celebrated Christmas with them on the 30th, and stuffed ourselves silly (again). On New Year’s Day we drove down to Iowa to see relatives that were gathering at my aunt’s house. It was fun to reconnect and catch up on their lives.
Mom and my sister Pam spent the night with us once again, while Sheryl’s family stayed overnight at aunt’s house. On January 2nd, everyone headed for home. That is when Jonathan and I started packing for our trip. 🙂
On January 2nd, Jonathan and I left for Fargo, ND. We had an early morning flight from Fargo to Salt Lake City, UT. From Salt Lake City, we flew to Honolulu, HI! We were going to attend the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, which was held on the 8th and 9th.
We were traveling with cousins Andy and Heather. We have traveled with them to Nascar races and Disney World, and they still like us, so we thought it would be fun to go to Hawaii together. We were right. We had a blast!
Our travel agent arranged for a tour company to meet us at the airport where we received a fresh flower lei, and an invitation to a free breakfast the following morning. We all thought, “Free breakfast? Okay!” It was a sales pitch of sorts, telling us about the various tour packages they have available. Since we had about 4 days before the AFBF stuff started, we gave a look at what we thought would be fun. For once in my life, I really didn’t care what the plan was. I chatted with a tour company employee while Jonathan signed us up for events. It was quite nice to be able to just let go.
(Pic: At the airport after landing in Honolulu…we had been up for about 18 hours at this point, and it is starting to show)
Our first activity was whale watching, while Andy and Heather chose to go snorkeling in an area with sea turtles. I get motion sickness really easy, so I made sure I took meds for that. Good thing! I had never been out on a boat in the open ocean, so I was a little nervous about the waves. This was a lunch cruise with a buffet of great food to eat while cruising out to the whale watching waters. At least that was the plan. The whales had a different idea. Two of them were in the harbor that morning. They think it was a mom and a juvenile calf that had followed a fishing boat for 6 days and over 800 miles! We got up close enough to be sprayed three times with whale snot. I gave my new camera a workout!
(Pic: one of my whale photos. I have others that I am not sharing online…)
That evening, all four of us went to a magic show dinner theater thing. We met some really nice people from Australia and Canada. After that ended, we went to the Lani Misalucha show. The best part was when she did impersonations of different singers. She had some of them spot on! Sadly, no photos were allowed for our evening adventures.
The next highlight was Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, where the weather was beautiful. The museum grounds had been improved since we were there in 2004, making it an even better experience. Three survivors were at a book signing for a few hours.
After Pearl Harbor we went on a city tour and saw the State Capitol building and the Iolani Palace. Friday night we went on a supper cruise where we would see the sunset while at sea, and watch fireworks over Waikiki. There were Polynesian dancers on board, so between the sunset and the fireworks we didn’t get bored. The night was beautiful. The fireworks had to compete with a great full moon over Waikiki for my favorite scene of the cruise.
(I’ll let you decide which you like better…the full moon or the fireworks)
Saturday we had some beach time, and just took it easy most of the day. Sunday brought the start of the AFBF Annual Meeting. The opening ceremony sets the tone for the entire event, with an address by President Bob Stallman. We were really impressed by what he had to say, and it made us proud to be a part of such a great organization. We believe that there is room for all types of agriculture – organic or conventional, crop or livestock, etc. We need to work together, which is what President Stallman mentioned in his speech. The keynote speaker on Monday afternoon was Dave Barry. He was hilarious! It was a great way to end a great meeting.
(Pic: AFBF President Bob Stallman)
We also attended a luau, and went on a Circle Island Tour with a bunch of our Minnesota friends. We started our journey back to Minnesota (and reality) on the 11th, and made it home the afternoon of the 12th. Our flight schedule took us from Honolulu to Los Angeles (no celeb sightings, but it was 5:00 am when we landed). Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Fargo. Then a 4 hour drive home. This didn’t quite work with us. Thursday evening was Parent’s Night for the dance team. Laura is a senior this year, so in my mind this was a big deal. If we were to catch our flight from Minneapolis to Fargo, we would not have made it back in time. I was bummed when we discovered this before we left, but Jonathan made a few phone calls…
Cousin Denise picked us up from the airport in Minneapolis, and brought us home. Andy and Heather flew on to Fargo as planned, picked up our luggage (we checked it in under their names in Honolulu), and drove our van to their house. Jonathan and I made it back home in time to shower and change clothes before heading into the school. It was worth making it back in time!
The following morning, Jonathan and I ran some errands, then packed our bags to head to an organic farming conference a couple of hours away. We picked up our van on the way home from the conference the following day, and kinda crashed once we got home. That was a week ago.
I still have a few loads of laundry to do, and gifts to distribute. I finally caught up on reading all my emails as of this morning. Jonathan and I both feel like we are finally back in our time zone, and that our brains have finally caught up with us. Hopefully, we’ll get caught up on the book work this week as well.
Vacation was great, but catching up is hard to do!
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Reading Between the Articles…
I was reading a women’s health & fitness magazine this morning while drinking my coffee. Most issues of this magazine have typical headlines on losing 10-15 pounds this month, or getting the body you want by (insert holiday here). The healthy cooking sections are touting the latest research in fat burning meals, or which fruits and veggies give you the best anti-aging antioxidents. Then I looked at the ad right before their big motivational section. It was for Tonalin…a pill you can take for reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass.
Wait a minute. This followed an article about fat fighting foods. Isn’t that sending mixed messages? So I started looking a little more closely at all the ads in this mag. There were also full page ads for Fastin (a fat mobilizer) and SlimQuick Razor (America’s Stongest Female Fat Burner). Interspersed were ads for Centrum vitamins and supplements, a coulple of NY Road Runner’s sponsored events, and prescription meds.
I looked at a competing magazine, they were even worse. They had the same SlimQuick Razor ad, but they also had ads for Zantrex-3 (ooh, Snookie was “caught” with a bottle!), Fit stack (a 3 supplement series), Lichi 9 (lose 25 lbs in weeks), 2-Week Boot Camp Extreme Diet (contains bottles of Fat Burner, Colon Flush, Carb Blocker, and Bloat-Less), and Super Antioxident Chews from jealousblueberry.
I moved on to the latest issue of Runner’s World. I was curious, since I hadn’t paid that much attention to all the little ads in the back. There was one quarter page ad for Alphastra. That was it. However, if you are looking for a race or a car, they have an ad for that.
While I don’t always agree with the nutritional advice in any given magazine (I don’t believe in cutting out any one particular food group, especially the Meatless Monday thing, but that is a whole blog in itself), I enjoy the recipes and like to hear about the latest in nutritional trends. I also like the different workout suggestions for cross-training.
I appreciate that RW doesn’t blast us with the next quick fix, but encourages us to push our bodies harder to get the results we are looking for. That is what will work in the long run. (Pun intended?) If you want results – weight loss, Personal Records at races, or just overall fitness – you have to work for it. You have to put in the blood, sweat, and at times the tears.
I am pretty sure I know which magazines I will continue to support, and which ones I will let go.
This was taken after the Long Grove Turkey Trot in 2010. Yes, I look like a dork! BIL Paul is right behind me. He was nice enough to run with Christina and me instead of running at his much faster pace. Christina beat her mommy to the finish line, but stuck with me until the sprint at the end.
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We All Bring Something to the Table…
I have been reading a lot of agriculture themed blogs and opinion articles this weekend in between trips to Sioux Falls. Some have been quite disturbing in their polarizing views of agriculture as a whole. Basically, their way of farming or their choice of food to purchase is the only “right” way. Really?
I understand the desire to support our methods. After all, shouldn’t we all be proud of what we produce? But why the need to put down or demonize someone else’s methods?
Yes, we are organic farmers. We grow corn, soybeans, barley, wheat, oats, and field peas. The corn gets used for many things, and a good majority of the rest is raised for seed. What doesn’t get used as seed is made into livestock feed. This method of farming works well for us, and we love what we do.
That said, we have many friends and family that raise their crops in a “conventional” or “modern” way. That works for them, and they are just as proud of what they grow as we are. They, too, love what they do. We do not put them down because of their farming methods, and they do not put us down.
Why is it, then, that many who consider themselves mouthpieces for agriculture cannot have the same tolerances? Why must they always pit one group against another? It is troubling to me, really.
We are blessed to live at a time, and in a country, where we have many excellent choices when it comes to food. If someone chooses to buy produce from a farmer’s market, they can. If they prefer to buy their produce from the grocery store, they can. Organic, non-organic, natural, grass-fed, free-range, barn raised, corn fed, whatever you prefer. It is available for you to choose.
I look at it this way. My two sisters and I grew up learning how to cook from our mom and the same Home Economics instructors. We were taught how to make the same things, using the same methods. As we all have established our own homes, we all specialize in different courses. My oldest sister is an excellent bread baker. We request that she brings bread items along whenever we have a family gathering. Middle sister is very creative, and finds the best salad and vegetable recipes. She is pretty fearless when it comes to trying different food pairings. We always request side dishes from her. Mom is the expert pie baker. I don’t think I have ever seen her measure the ingredients for her pie crust – and it turns out perfect every time. Her lemon meringue pie is awesome! I like to bake cookies and make lefse, especially for Christmas. I have my favorites, and take requests from family members before we all get together for the Holidays. All of us like to prepare the main meat course, whether it is a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, or shredded pork barbecues for summer gatherings. When you put all of our talents together, we have a complete meal.
To me, agriculture is the same way. We each have a way of farming that suits us. When we put all of the things we raise together, we have a complete agriculture “meal”.
I think it is time we stop drawing lines, and celebrate the differences we all bring to the table.
Almost time to stock up ingredients for my most requested cookie:
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The Power of Bundt Cake (part 2)
Now that harvest is wrapped up, and traveling is done for awhile, I can catch up on my blogging!
A few weeks after the visit from Joe, Connie, and Jim, we received a package in the mail. It was a box from Joe and Connie, containing gifts for Jonathan and I…and Pongo, our rat terrier. They sent Jonathan an Hermes tie, and I received an Hermes scarf. They also sent a thank-you note with another invitation to visit them in New York. That really started the wheels turning in Jonathan’s head!
It is tradition in our family that the graduate gets to choose the summer family vacation destination before they head off to college. Anna chose the Iowa Speedway for the inaugural Nationwide Series race. (She was hoping to see Joey Logano, her favorite driver. Sadly, he was not there.) Christina wanted to go to Los Angeles or Hollywood, but I was trying to talk her into staying in the Midwest. Then we received the second invitation to visit New York. Christina, with Jonathan’s full support, quickly chose New York City as her family vacation destination. The first week of July we were still trying to find an open week in our schedules. We narrowed it down to the week of July 10 – 17. That gave us about 3 days to make all of our travel arrangements, and line up help for chores. Not to mention our town’s celebration, and my very first 5k attempt…
Jonathan contacted Connie, who was thrilled that we would be coming. She asked what we were planning on seeing while in the City, and gave Jonathan some ideas. Christina really wanted to see a Broadway show, and walk in Central Park. The girls all wanted a chance to shop a little, which was no surprise. Connie asked which Broadway show we wanted to see, which we left up to Christina. Wicked was sold out, so she chose Mary Poppins, since we all love the movie.
We packed up, loaded the van, and headed east. We put in a long day on that first day, getting past Chicago. Lessons learned…take frequent breaks to stretch and get the blood flowing, drink a lot of water, and don’t eat salty snacks.
Next up – our arrival and first day in New York City.
This is me, back home after my very first 5k at Cottonwood Coming Home Days. We left the following day for New York.
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The Power of Bundt Cake (part 1)
Last spring, my husband, Jonathan, received a phone call from one of our corn buyers. This buyer uses some of our organic corn to make vodka for other companies. They wondered if we would be interested in hosting three people who would be in the area to visit the corn plant and organic vodka bottling plant where their product is processed. We have had the privilege of hosting Dean Phillips and his marketing team when they rolled out Prairie Grains Organic Vodka. We love to tell people our farming story, so we thought it would be alright to host another group. We were given a date, along with their names and the names of their companies. This is when things got a little interesting, and nerve wracking for me. Two of our guests were from Chatham Imports of New York City. I don’t know if you have the same stereotypes that I do, but I instantly felt that I was too redneck to be their host!
The day of their visit, the weather was warm and beautiful. The sky was a gorgeous blue, without a single cloud – a perfect day!
They pulled up in a chauffeured Lincoln Town Car. Not something you see very often in this part of Minnesota! I had to laugh when the driver was eating his lunch…being watched by two farm cats perched on the roof and hood of his shiny car.
We invited Joe, Connie, and Jim into the house, and visited over “a little lunch” of Lemon Bundt Cake, coffee, water, and juice. All three were very interested in the process of a farm becoming certified organic, and asked many questions. After we finished visiting in the house, we brought them outside for a tour of our farm. They were pretty intrigued with all of the equipment that we showed them. We explained what the different pieces of tillage equipment do, and whether we use it in the spring, summer, or fall. They had the opportunity to sit in the combine, and hear how the grain gets harvested. We tried to answer all of their questions regarding the farm, organic farming, and if I really did make my Bundt cake from scratch.
We found Joe and Connie to be very warm and friendly. The 2.5 hours they spent on our farm really flew by. They invited us out to New York City to visit them and see their company, which planted an idea in our heads. But that story will have to wait…
Lemon Bundt Cake
Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 package lemon pudding (not instant)
¾ cup oil
¾ cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling: Mix in small bowl
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar
Put all cake ingredients in mixer bowl and beat for 8 minutes at high speed. Grease and flour bundt or tube-type pan. Reserve 1 cup of cake batter; pour remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon filling onto batter, being careful that filling does not touch sides of pan. Pour reserved batter on top. Run knife through batter to swirl filling into batter. Bake in a preheated 350o oven for 45-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto platter.