December 2011 | Simple, Good and Tasty, page 2

Venison & Mash: One Girl's Love for this Minnesota Meat

Posted in Recipes on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 8:00am by Rachel Huntzicker -

It's that time of year again, deer-hunting season is wrapping up. Thousands of Minnesotan's brave the frosty-cold mornings to sit in tree-stands and ground-blinds each year and wait for a big buck or nice doe to come into range. Over opening weekend alone this year, the DNR had approximately 73,000 registered deer. For anyone who partakes in this tradition or just knows someone who does, you are probably painfully aware that hunting can be anything from stimulating and invigorating to totally disappointing and everything in between. There is no debate that even a good, well-seasoned hunter will have to play the inevitable waiting game, which can be hard work in itself. In the end, the hard work and perseverance pay off and there are a lot of freezers out there chuck-full of venison for the winter months to come.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine: Food Cures by Joy Bauer

Posted in Books & Media, Health on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 8:00am by Leigh Ahmad -

Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Conduct a search for “food as preventative medicine” and you won’t yield much of a discussion, nor enlightenment. This is surprising given the harrowing facts about Americans’ addiction to bad foods and the resulting astronomical bill we have been so duly served by our health care system. One would think that discussions centered around the use of food to prevent and/or cure disease and ailments suffered by so many would be plentiful, but unfortunately this is not the case.

Up the Ante This Holiday Season: Improvising With Local Foods

Posted in Family & Home, Recipes on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 8:00am by Kitty Baker -

Food traditions make the holidays. Hosting a big family gathering has been my pleasure for many years. Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the event is pretty much a collective effort, with each family member bringing a favorite appetizer, side dish or dessert – or two or three. The host is it for turkey, dressing and potatoes. In addition, my contributions typically include a large citrus salad and cranberry relish.

A Few Weeks With "The Northern Heartland Kitchen"

Posted in Books & Media, Recipes on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 8:00am by Lawrence -

It isn't very often that I use a cookbook. I tend to gaze at them now and then, often for inspiration more than to study how something is done or to check measurements. Therefore, I am surprised at what I am about to say: I love The Northern Heartland Kitchen and since it arrived in the mail, nary a day has gone by when neither my wife nor I has picked it up.

Giving Thanks on the Farm: An Update From Peterson Limousin Farms

Posted in Farms & Gardens on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 8:00am by Andy Peterson -

This has been an unbelievable autumn. The weather has been gorgeous and it’s made for a warm invitation to finish summer projects before winter sets in.

This year’s crops yielded really well. Our hay and corn silage supplies for winter are some of the best in recent memory. The timely rainfall this summer really played a critical role in keeping plants nourished and productive. Although summer started rather cool, July and August provided the necessary heat units to spur plant growth. Our cows came off of grass this fall looking plump and content. They weaned off strong, healthy calves that are really starting to settle in and grow well.

Last week we pregnancy-checked our cowherd and saw good results. Pregnancy-checking is critical to the survival of a cattle operation. Open (non-pregnant) cows lose money. They consume feed and have nothing to show for it.