Winter White Chili

Recipe courtesy of The Other White Meat

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 16-oz. can white beans, drained
1 14-oz. can corn, drained
1 14 1/2-oz. can chicken broth
1 4-oz. can diced green chilies

In large saucepan, brown pork with onion, stir in cumin and chili powder; stir. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and flavors are blended.

Serves 6

Calories: 236 calories
Protein: 22 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 565 milligrams
Cholesterol: 40 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 25 grams
Fiber: 8 grams

Psst... Don't forget to enter our Grill Set Giveaway thanks to Indiana's Pork Farmers!

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Grill in Style this Holiday Season

Still seeking that perfect holiday gift for your honey?  

Got a family member who is a self-proclaimed master of the grill?  

Enter to win this all in one grilling set brought to you by Indiana’s pork farmers, and the lucky recipient will be cookin’ in style.  

Plus, by grilling up some yummy pork loins, pork patties or bone-in chops you’ll be supporting Indiana’s 3000 family pork farmers.  

So enter today, because a holiday just isn’t complete without The Other White Meat.

To enter please leave a separate comment below for each of the following entries:

1. Follow the Indiana Family of Farmers blog through Google Friend Connect (see right column)

2. Follow @familyoffarmers on twitter

3. Become a fan of Family of Farmers on Facebook

4. Visit The Other White Meat and tell us which recipe looks good to you!

Entries will be accepted until 9 pm EDT on Thursday. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning.

Guest Post: a lOTT of Christmas decorations

Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the winner of the Huber's Gift Certificate Giveaway.

Guest Post by Ott, A. of The Real Farmwives of America and Friends

Ott, A the gardner, canner, baker over at a Latte' with Ott, A. A frequent customer at Starbucks, this farm girl fasionista is just as comfortable back home on the family livestock and grain farm wearing work boots as she is wearing stilettos in a trendy store in downtown Indianapolis. She spends her time shopping, scrapbooking, decorating, collecting Longaberger baskets, wine tasting and hanging out with family and friends. Professionally she is the Director of Operations and Grants for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and is author of the Ag Grant Guru blog. Married to her best friend and a fellow Boilermaker, (affectionately called Ott, E in this blog) the two spend their time together traveling and cheering for the Boilers. 

Blog: http://alattewithotta.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @SunflowerOtt

Facebook: Amy E. Ott

a lOTT of Christmas decorations

I was up in my attic this past weekend getting down my Christmas decorations. It was cold up there so I was in a hurry to find the box labeled “ornaments.” As I rushed down the stairs to get to a warmer section of the house my thoughts lingered back to my teenage years of this one time when I was in the upstairs of my grandparents farmhouse looking for decorations to get their house all ready for Christmas. My family’s farm is located in North Central Indiana, in Fulton County. My grandparents have a big old farmhouse that is probably about 150 years old. It is white with green shutters and a large front porch with cobble stepping stones leading up to it. You step in the front door and right on into the living room which has higher ceilings and this beautiful 6 inch wooden trim with curves and a circular design which runs along the floor and all around the window and door frames. Just south of the house a few hundred feet sets a large red barn with some sheep usually grazing in a pasture out in front. On this farm they raise corn, soybeans and purebred Shropshire sheep. 

Growing up I always looked forward to that one weekend in December when I would go out to their house and decorate for Christmas. I’ve always enjoyed decorating for the holidays, but there is just something about Christmas time with the tree and lights that just made this farmhouse all the more warm and welcoming. 

The day usually started with me in the upstairs storage room looking for boxes of decorations, lights, ornaments, candles, bows, nativity scene and holiday linens. My grandmother pretty much gave me full reign to decorate her house as I pleased and I could use as much of her holiday stuff as I wanted. (Looking back on this now, she probably let me do so much because she knew I would also be the one coming back in January to take everything back upstairs to be stored after the holidays were over.)

Next came the tree.

This is a picture of my grandfather and brother in the wind break on the farm. In the background you can see the barn.

On my grandparents farm there were a number of White Pine trees planted as a wind break along one of their fields. My grandfather and I would drive back to the field and pick out two trees which he would then cut down with an axe and we would drag to the truck to be taken back up to the house. One nicer tree would be picked out to put in the living room. And one tree that wasn’t quite as nice would be selected for the front porch. This second tree would usually be a little thinner or not shaped as nice or bare in one area, but it really didn’t really matter because it was just going on the porch where I would put lots of lights on it and no one would be able to tell the difference. 

We would drive back up to the house where Grandma would have hot cocoa waiting on us and as we pulled into the driveway she would step out the front door and onto the porch to inspect what we had selected. Grandpa and I would always pull that thinner, funny shaped tree out of the back end of the pickup truck first. We would hold it up to display this tree to her, and trying very hard to suppress our laughter we would ask; “Well what do you think of our Christmas tree for the living room this year?” (Knowing full well that it was going on the porch.)

Grandma would look at it and say, “Now why did you pick out that Charlie Brown style of a Christmas tree? It’s bare over here and one branch in longer than the others over there.”

Usually at that point we would started smirking and she would figure out what we were up to. I would prop the “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree up on the porch as Grandpa would pull the nicer tree off the truck and make his way on into the house with it. After warming up with some hot cocoa and wresting the tree into its stand it was finally time to decorate.

Besides the tree I would set out candles and little Christmas time figurines as well as change the doilies on the end tables and the table cloth on the kitchen table to more festive colors. There were some wreaths for the doors, stockings for everyone in the family and a reindeer with a red nose that lit up, as well as music boxes, snow globes and red candy dishes. There were more lights and decorations to put on the front porch and any place I could find to try a red ribbon around I usually would. 

By the end of the day I would be exhausted but now looking back as I decorate my own house for Christmas I fondly recall these old memories of seeing that big old farmhouse all lit up and ready for the Christmas Day!

Giveaway Announcement: Congratulations to our winner of the $50 Gift Certificate to Huber's Orchard & Winery...

Congrats to Jane! Please email us at indianafarmers@gmail.com and let us know where you'd like us to mail your gift certificate!

Stay tuned for another great giveaway announcement on Monday!

Put a Little Honey in Your Holidays!

Sweeten the Holiday with an old-fashioned gingerbread man cookie (with or without gumdrop buttons) made with an updated and tasty twist - Indiana honey! Try this recipe and you'll discover why folks are buzzzzzing about local honey's delicious all-natural flavor. To find Indiana honey near you, click here.

Honey Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe from National Honey Board

Makes 3 dozen

    * 1-1/2 cups honey

    * 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

    * 1 egg

    * 5 cups all-purpose flour

    * 2 teaspoons baking powder

    * 1 Tablespoon ground ginger

    * 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

    * 1 teaspoon ground cloves

In large bowl, cream honey and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; mix until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When dough is chilled, divide dough in half; return one half to refrigerator. Dust work surface and dough with flour. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters; transfer to well-greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Psst... There is still time to enter our giveaway to win a $50 gift certificate to Huber's Orchard & Winery.

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Delicious Dishes

Something for everyone at Huber’s Orchard & Winery

Just two hours south of Indianapolis, through the rolling hills of southern Indiana near the town of Starlight sits the Huber Family Orchard and Winery. This 6th and soon to be 7th generation family farm was founded in 1843 and has grown into an Agri-Tourism destination for wine, cheese, fruits and vegetables, parties and events, Christmas trees, pumpkins and ice cream. No matter what time of year it is there is always something to do at Hubers. Stop by for a tasty lunch or plan a full day of farm fun activities with the kids, Huber’s Orchard and Winery will showcase Hooiser Hospitality.

Huber’s has meeting and conference space for parties, weddings and get-togethers.

The tasting room is always open to try some of their award winning wines or take a tour of their barrel and bottling rooms.

Stop in for a meal at the Starlight Café for some delicious sandwiches and soups. There is always fresh cheese and hand dipped ice cream waiting in the Cheese and Ice Cream Shoppe.

Need a lovely gift basket? Check out the Farm Market for some tasty treats, including apple butter, fudge, and in season produce.

Hubers also offers tours to school aged kids, music from local artist on their patio and this time of year fresh cut Christmas Trees.

As a bonus Huber’s Orchard and Winery has donated a $50 gift certificate to be used on anything at their farm. Pick up some wine, gift basket or put it towards a Christmas Tree.

To enter please leave a separate comment below for each of the following entries:

1. Follow the Indiana Family of Farmers blog through Google Friend Connect (see right column)

3. Follow @familyoffarmers on twitter

4. Become a fan of Family of Farmers on Facebook

5. Visit www.huberwinery.com and tell us what looks like a fun thing to do on their farm.

Finding Fresh Options for Your Family

Note: Scroll to the bottom to see the winner of the $40 Gift Certificate!

Agritourism as defined by Webster is the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities. Hoosiers are privileged to have a plethora of agritourism sites varying from lettuce in the spring to Christmas trees in December and wineries year-round. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has compiled all of these locations into one handy directory so you can find fresh, local food and products with a simple click of the mouse!

While fresh berries, tomatoes and peaches may not be readily available right now, check out some of these locations which offer wholesome, homemade products throughout the year:

The Apple Works in Trafalgar is open through Christmas Eve and offers pies, jellies, and butters as well as Christmas trees.

Binford Farmer’s Market  has a special Christmas market on December 4th and 11th.

Dull’s Tree Farm is open Thanksgiving to Christmas in Thorntown.
The Boone County operation was the pick-up site for the annual Trees for Troops campaign between the Indiana Tree Growers Association and FedEx. Our state’s producers donated more than 200 trees to be delivered to military bases stateside and overseas. This year, the State FFA officers participated in this event. Check out their blog where they share some of their experiences!

Felke Florist & Greenhouse is a fifth generation florist offering poinsettias and wreaths in Marshall County.

Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards in Starlight offers wine, cheese, ice cream, and unique gifts year-round. Christmas trees are currently available as well.

While this is just a short list, there are many other sites across the state. So bundle up and get everyone in the car for a trip to a local producer. Indiana products make great gifts, especially for those hard-to-buy-for relatives!

And the winner of the $40 Gift Certificate from the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers is....

Congrats to the Haffner Family! Enjoy a fresh wreath from our family to yours!

Please email us at indianafarmers@gmail.com and let us know where to mail your gift certificate.

Check out our blog on Monday for another great giveaway announcement!

Wordless Wednesday: Trees for Troops

Read all about the Merry Mission to provide Trees for Troops and hurry to enter to win a $40 Gift Certificate!

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