Table Talk: Picnics, Potlucks and Pitch-ins

As summer is quickly passing us by, this month our Table Talk Contributors are still getting the last bit of fun out of their summers by sharing all about their favorite summer memories and pitch-in recipes and tips!

Beth at IN Good Cents is whipping up her Oven Fried Picnic Potato Chips

Sara at Solid Gold Eats is sharing her Lemon and Herb Pasta Salad.

Ann Marie over on Chaos is Bliss is baking up an Easy as Blueberry Pie Recipe.

Heather is sharing how the Cosmo Moms take Pitch-ins to the next level!

And last but not least, Heather over on 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs shares about her summer of coming "home" along with her recipe for Beef and Noodles.

How about you? Have you and yours enjoyed this summer? What foods remind you of summer picnics and potlucks?

#DairyGood Table Talk!

By Sarah Correll

A group of our favorite Indiana bloggers is celebrating June Dairy Month with us!  Some of them are having a ball with ice cream, one got a little cheesy with cheese making, and one is feeling a bit like a cow herself…  

Check out their dairy month adventures in the links below!

 Homemade Ice Cream Play & Freeze, Bargain Briana

Did you know Indiana ranks second in ice cream production? Briana had a great time making ice cream with her kids!

Royal Recipe: Delicious BLT Dip, The Queen of Free

The Queen of Free tested out- and loved- a new dip recipe! It includes Greek yogurt and cream cheese and is shared on her blog!

I Scream, You Scream, Fencerow to Fencerow

Where do you find the best sundae in Indiana? Jeanette talks about two of her favorite ice cream shops!

Summer Cool Down, Everyday Mom’s Meals

If you’re looking for a simple and refreshing summer treat, look no further! Krista combines to summer staples in this strawberry ice cream recipe.

Where I Feel Like a Dairy Cow…, Katie Unscripted

Did you know chocolate milk is the official refuel beverage of IRONMAN? Katie talks about her own fitness plans, and how dairy fits into them, in this post!

That’s So Cheesy!, Design Her Momma

Have you ever thought about making your own cheese? Emily shares her adventure in mozzarella cheese making!

June is Dairy Month, Alarm Clock Wars

Cookies and cream? Mint? Blackberry? Chocolate or vanilla? Marybeth chats about her favorite homemade ice cream flavors here!

Looks like everyone is having a #DairyGood June!  How are you celebrating?

Hoosier Bloggers Celebrate with Special Holiday Dishes

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

"The holidays are a great time to fix main entrees that are special and unique for your guests," says Amy Ott.

On Amy's blog, A Latte With Ott, A.  Amy shares several delicious recipes with her readers as well as household tips, crafts, and the occasional canning recipe. The new mom also shares stories of her new job as a stay-at-home mom. 

Amy shares her "go to" recipe of Orange Lamb Roast that is perfect for a holiday gathering and will definitely impress your guests.

 

Orange Lamb Roast

Ingredients:

1 lamb roast

½ c. orange juice

½ c. orange marmalade

2 tsp. garlic salt

2 T. butter

1 c. Sprite

¼ c. lemon juice

In a small bowl mix orange juice, marmalade, garlic salt, sprite and lemon juice.  Place roast in a greased crock pot.  Pour mixture over roast.  Add butter then cover and cook on low for eight hours.  Amy suggests letting the roast cook all day so the juices and flavors can bake right into the roast.  A helpful tip when using a crockpot: Don't remove the lid until it's done because you lose about 30 minutes of cooking time when you do.  When you are ready to serve, simply remove the netting and cut into your desired portion sizes.

To find more of Amy's delicious recipes, visit her blog at www.alattewithotta.com.

Check out our Table Talk Contributors below to see how they are celebrating Hoosier Holiday style!

Katie Unscripted's Turkey and Noodles 

Basilmomma's Brown Sugar Chicken

Everyday Mom's Meals' Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Writrams' Holiday Bake 'n Take Mini Ham Sandwiches

Indy with Kids' Tart Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Choas is Bliss' Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

4tunate's Andes Mint Brownies

Angel's Homestead's Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Frosting

Mom for Less' First Memorable Christmas Traditions

Table Talk: This Time of Year

It is that time a year again. 

While farmers all over the Hoosier state are finishing up harvest, the fall air is turning crisp and cool and causing everyone to grab for those warmer clothes in the back of the closet.

This season also marks the time of year that a lot of Hoosiers settle into some familiar traditions. So, we asked our Table Talk Contributors to share with us about this time of year and loved seeing all the great activities Indiana families are digging into.

Like many families, Michelle and her crew took every advantage that this past October had to offer. From pumpkin patching to apple picking and corn mazing, they got their fall fun in.

Bloggers Beth and Angie also participated in all the fall fun by visiting a local dairy farm. Angie soon discovered that once her kiddos got up close and personal with "Where milk comes from," the questions started flowing and used this seasons ample opportunities to help teach them about the food they eat.

Last but not least, Sarah shares how this time of year gets her back to baking, much to her family's delight. Sharing that this season leaves little to want... except more counter space.

What is it about this time of year that you love most?

Table Talk: Healthy Snacks On the Go

It seems as though the busy season is upon us... Between practices, games and fall family fun, a lot of families are constantly on the go. So, this past month, we asked our Table Talk Contributors to share a bit about the healthy snacks they prepare their families on-the-go.

Crystal over on Mom For Less reminds us that even healthy snacks can turn unhealthy quick if they aren't handled and stored properly. She shares resources for keeping food safe and goes on to give readers a great list of snack ideas for busy families.

Heather over on Miscellaneous Mom has three very active girls that keeps her calendar full and her need for quick and easy snacks constant. Check out her tips for planning ahead to keep her girls full of energy for their full schedules!

You might recall a while back that DeDe from Winners Drink Milk shared her tips for after school snacks. Here is a taste of what she shared:

Try to avoid non-nutritious goodies as in chips, sweets and sweetened beverages and stock up with healthy, fun foods from the FIVE food groups.  Here are some easy suggestions: DAIRY: go for lower-fat dairy treats, as in: 

• String cheese or small chunks of cheese
• Top a small bowl of cottage cheese with applesauce or salsa.
• Mix some herbs into fat-free plain yogurt and serve with carrot and celery sticks, or small broccoli or cauliflower bunches.
• Have flavored yogurt on hand for them to gobble up.
• Make smoothies with milk, yogurt and fruit.

What are your favorite snacks for the kiddos?

Crock Pot Table Talk

Summer is coming to a close and school is back in full swing. This means a more hectic schedule for many. There is homework to complete, practices to attend and games to cheer on your athlete at on top of everything else on your plate.

The evening meal is an important one. If you are fortunate enough to be able to eat it together, you still have to have time to make it. If schedules do not allow for everyone to be at the table at the same time, you need something that will work for everyone at the time they can eat. Whether you are a meal planner or not, our Table Talk Contributors are here to help you figure out how to feed your family on a tight schedule.

Ann-Marie from Chaos is Bliss shares what her "New Normal" is now that the kids are back in school as well as her Slow Cooker Chicken & Noodles recipe.

Over at Angel's Homestead, April shows us how to make Crock Pot Roast Chicken. She also tells us of the many benefits of using a crock pot for preparing a meal.

Chicken Curry with Chick Peas is what's on the menu at Katy's house from Indianapolis with Kids. Katy also clues us in on how even someone who isn't an organized food planner can make meal time easy with a slow cooker.

Heather, the one and only Basilmomma, gives us tips on packing lunches, healthy snacking and dinner in a snap. We also learn the secret to her yummy Crock Pot BBQ Chicken.

Are you in the mood for some mouth watering ribs? Check out WritRam to see Jacqueline's Easy Crock Pot Barbecued Baby Back Ribs.

Whatever the reason for the fast paced schedule in your life, these recipes are sure to give you a delicious meal that is low maintenance and easy clean up! Now that is something that everyone can appreciate.

Table Talk: Cool Treats and Grilled Meats

Summer is sizzling on. The temperatures are high and the days are long. We are all looking for ways to keep cool. What are two ways to beat the heat in the kitchen? The grill and frosty treats!

The Indiana Table Talk Contributors have been freezing and grilling up a storm and are kind enough to share all the recipes with you!

Michelle at Gotchya Baby gives us the 5 step recipe for Tin Foil Potatoes that she uses while her kitchen is closed for the summer.

Krista over at Everyday Mom's Meals includes her son on the fun of making homemade popsicles that are sure to be a treat for everyone in the family!

Angie at Just Like The Number shares with us the magic meal appeal of summer in her Grilled Marinated Flank Steaks.

Sarah at Redefining Perfect is enticing all her neighbors over to her backyard with her Quick Pop Bar.

Beth at In Good Cents lets us in on the recipes for her Garlic Butter Vegetable Rub and Ragin Cajun Rub . Be careful how much Cayenne Pepper goes into the Cajun Rub, or you might be playing the same game as Beth's family!

Beth also shares with us her adventures with her Zoku as she makes her Chocolate Chip Malted Milk Ice Pops.

Heather at Inexpensively continues to celebrate National Dairy Month all summer long as she teaches her teen life skills and whips up quick and easy pizzas on the grill.

Whether it is meat, veggies or pizzas on the grill or a tasty frozen treat for dessert, our Table Talk Contributors prove that enjoying summer time foods is fun!

Table Talk: Dairy Tips, Recipes and Activities

As we shift from June Dairy Month to National Ice Cream Month in July, a group of our Indiana Table Talk Contributors have been busy in their kitchens preparing all kinds of dairy goodness for their families to celebrate.

And there is a lot as Hoosiers to celebrate--our state is home to more than 1,500 dairy farms with an average of 102 cows, and all 7 major breeds of dairy cows are represented-- with 98% of Indiana dairy farms being family owned.

We asked our Table Talk Contributors to share us some tips, recipes or activities to celebrate Indiana dairy and they did not disappoint!

Ann-Marie over at Chaos is Bliss shared her tips on how to jazz up your milkshakes while beating the Indiana heat.

Kat over at Kat's Cafe whipped up some adorable infographics to share all kinds of cow and Indiana specific trivia.

Katie at Evoked by Light is very much anticipating this year's Indiana State Fair and the Year of the Dairy Cow. She made a kid-friendly Peanut Butter Fruit Dip with yogurt to celebrate in the meantime.

Crystal over on Moms 4 Less has been busy celebrating birthdays but made time to celebrate her favorite food group with these super yummy Cream Cheese Muffins.

Jen over on 4tunate whipped up some no-cook Homemade Triple Berry Ice Cream just perfect for the Fourth of July and to officially ring in National Ice Cream Month!

Speaking of ice cream...

An array of local personalities representing sports, business and media are flexing their wrists and perfecting their scooping techniques in preparation for Friday, July 13-- The 23rd annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle.

The annual salute to the nation’s favorite summertime treat is sponsored by the American Dairy Association of Indiana. The event takes place from 11 am to 2 pm on the southeast quadrant of Monument Circle, in front of IPL, Hilbert Circle Theatre and the Circle Tower.

Gigantic sundaes made from Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream will be served up for $3 each. This year’s beneficiary is the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, an organization that provides education and support to young people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Whether you celebrate with a tall glass of milk or a sundae for charity, we hope you too will enjoy some dairy this summer thanks to all the hard working men and women that care for the "ladies" that provide you nutritious and delicious dairy products everyday.

Table Talk: Memorial Day Recipes & Traditions

Memorial Day is a of remembrance of all those who have served our country and died in its service. And, it is the freedom that those servicemen fought to protect that offers so many Americans--and specifically Hoosiers-- the opportunity to take a few days over the holiday weekend to celebrate food, family and fun!

Whether we are anxiously waiting to finally watch the Indy 500 winner drink milk or we are cutting into our very own Hoosier Cream Pie, Indiana's Memorial Day Weekend is sure to be steeped in tradition.

That got us thinking... what are the the Hoosier traditions out there? So we turn to a great bunch of bloggers and asked them...

"What are your Memorial Day traditions, tips and recipes?"

With a son in the military, April over at Angel's Homestead  is no stranger to the meaning of the holiday. She and her family celebrate the weekend as the "unofficial kick-off" to summer complete with  2012 Memorial Day Menu and boy does it look good! Cowboy Burgers anyone? YUM!

Jackie over at WritRams encourages Hoosiers to spend less time in the kitchen and more time making memories with her mouth-watering Easy Barbecued Chicken and Easy Grilled Vegetables recipe.

Katy over at Indianapolis with Kids shares her childhood memories of camping with her family and how her family now spends the weekend-- celebrating with at least one big backyard BBQ. This year her tradition will include a trip to the track with a friend... wave hello to farmers and official 2012 Indy 500 Milkmen Dave and Duane for us Katy!

Heather over at Basilmomma is celebrating a "break from it all" while she and her family do a "whole lotta nothin'" this weekend! She also shares how she worked up enough courage to ask her grandmother for the recipe to her "sainted" Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie recipe and she then shares it with us. Doesn't it look divine?

Last but not least, Ann-Marie over at Chaos is Bliss shares some food safety tips and another traditional  Hoosier dessert that is sure to please the kiddos as much as the adults- Dirt Cake.

Thanks so much for sharing your food, family and fun with us ladies!

Do you have a special recipe or tradition around this holiday? We'd love to hear about it. Comment here  , on Facebook or on Twitter using the #TableTalk hashtag.