My Barnyard View : Mint Brownies

Friday, January 1, 2016

Gone, But Not Forgotten 2015

2015 Top Ten Most Viewed Blog Posts

My Barnyard View

10. 100 Reasons To Love Dairy - 2015 marks National Dairy Council's 100th year! Here are my top 10 reasons I am in love with any, and all things dairy...

9. Earth Day Is Everyday -
My family and I live by the motto, “Leave this world a little better than you found it”. We became farmers because...

8. It's About Time - Tator Tot hotdish -
For some reason Minnesotans are associated with hotdish, or to those of you non-Minnesotans...casseroles. I had never made Tater Tot Hotdish before. It's about time!

7. "Never A Dull Moment" Dinner - "Never a dull moment." If our family had a motto, this would be it! Fortunately, my family and I thrive on being busy...

6. #FarmLikeAGirl - Of course when you are farmers it is impossible to call your boss and declare a sick day, and you certainly can't just roll over and pull the blankets over your head pretending this day is not happening...

5. Coming Soon...Princess Kay Of The Milky Way! - This is a fun, exciting and nail-biting weekend for dozens of young ladies from Minnesota...

4. A Day In The Life Of Princess Kay - One of my duties as Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator is to chaperone Princess Kay and the eleven princess finalists at the Minnesota State Fair, so from August 26th to September 8th, I packed my bags and moved from the farm to a hotel near the state fair to spend morning, noon, and night with 12 of the best Minnesota farm girls I know!

3. 12 Good Reasons - On July 1st I was contracted by Midwest Dairy Association to be the new Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator. So what does this mean?

2. Christmas Cookies And Holiday Hearts - Of course, being dairy farmers, butter made its way into nearly every cookie recipe! Dairy farmer, or not- there is nothing better than the flavor of butter in baked goods. I'm sure Santa would agree, and who knows Christmas cookies better than Santa?

1. G Is For Giveaway - It’s more than a cookbook. It’s a way for each of us to learn where our food comes from and the dairy farm families around the nation that make milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and all our other favorite dairy foods possible.

When I began writing My Barnyard View I thought, "I'll try blogging and see how it goes." Nearly four years later I have you to thank. Without your encouragement, support, comments, and blog topic suggestions, I wouldn't be sharing our story about the farm life we love. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts

Christmas baking has always been a big part of our family holiday traditions. Growing up, my mom, sister, and I would spend several days baking Christmas goodies each year. Cut-out cookies were always an all-afternoon project. I think the decorating was just as much fun as the eating! My mom also made the world's best fudge and divinity (okay, I may be somewhat bias) and each Christmas my sister, brother, and I would prepare goody boxes for our school teachers, school bus drivers, and Sunday School teachers. The mailman found a box in our mailbox too.

When Sara and Michael were very young, I was asked if I would be interested in selling home-baked Christmas cookies to my sister-in-laws co-workers. Making some extra holiday shopping dollars while doing something I enjoy seemed like a great opportunity. Making 10 kinds of cookies became a whole-family activity. Sara became the expert at Russian Tea Cakes. Michael rolled the balls for the sugar cookies. John always helped with the date balls. My mom and I spent a day rolling the dough for the gingerbread people! The first year of cookie sales, we sold 79 dozen cookies, enough profit to buy a new front door for our house. Fifteen years later, we topped off our sales at 652 dozen (that's 7,824 cookies)! We no longer have our cookie business, but we will always have the "sweet" memories.

A sampler of our 10 varieties of Christmas cookies.

Of course, being dairy farmers, butter made its way into nearly every cookie recipe! Dairy farmer, or not- there is nothing better than the flavor of butter in baked goods. I'm sure Santa would agree, and who knows Christmas cookies better than Santa?

One of my family's favorite recipes is Mint Brownies. These fudgey squares of goodness, topped with mint, and more chocolate deliciousness spread on top, appear at our house all throughout the year. Something this good can't just be baked at holiday time!

Mint Brownies

Brownies:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup walnuts, optional

1 cup chocolate syrup (I use Hershey's)

Mix well. Pour into 11x14 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/8 tsp green food coloring

3 tsp milk

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

Mix well. Add more milk if frosting is too thick. Spread on cooled brownies.

Glaze:

Melt 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 9 tablespoons butter in microwave. Stir until smooth. Pour over frosted brownies immediately.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe?

Since Christmas is the season of giving, I'd like to introduce you to some of my fellow dairy bloggers. They have some amazing #DairyChristmas recipes and stories to share.

#DairyChristmas: Peanut Butter Balls by Messy Kennedy

Winter Iowa Corn Chowder (as featured on Cheeserank) by Little House on the Dairy

#DairyChristmas Farm Barbie

The best Christmas cookies in the world by Truth or Dairy

Recipes for a Dairy Christmas by Cow Spots and Tales

#DairyChristmas: Cherry Mint Sugar Cookies by Kimmi's Dairyland

Perfect for a Party – Cheddar Olive Bites by DairyCarrie

Dairy Christmas Traditions by Knolltop Farm Wife

#DairyChristmas: Love and Latkes by New Moon Dairy

Family at the Table by The Deere Milkmaid

French Onion Soup – Our Family Christmas Tradition by Eat Farm Love

Dairy Delight by Spotted Cow Review