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Farm Girl Cook'n

Nothing Fancy

America’s Test Kitchen in Tuscany with Farm Girl

December 30, 2019 By Mary 2 Comments

 I am so excited to be the tour coordinator for this amazing Food tour of Tuscany with Americas Test Kitchens and I hope you can join us on this fabulous foodie trip. This is only the 4th tour that America’s Test Kitchen has scheduled — the first 3 filled in 2 days each so signup today! Find more information and book your trip on my trip site: https://grouptoursite.com/tours/atkmarylovstad Booking is open now. You will need to… Read More

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: cheese, Cooking Lessons, FOODIES, Italy, Olive oil, Travel, Tuscany, Wine

Rhubarb Crunch

Later, I Shall Eat Pie!

April 25, 2019 By Mary Leave a Comment

I am so excited to be talking about all things Pie, –yes, I said Pie in this episode with my guest will Cristen Clark, an Iowa farmer, an Iowa Food and Family Project, contributor, a skillful baker whose Harvest Pear Pie brought $3,000 for the Blue Ribbon Foundation at the Iowa State Fair and a Cooking and Baking Contest Judge, just to name a few of her talents.   Listen to my interview and learn how… Read More

Filed Under: Humor, Pastry, Recipe Tagged With: Blue Ribbon Pie, Farmher, Iowa State Fair, Pie, Pigs, Recipe

Podcast: 3 Pork Chops, Ham Balls, and Sausage Gravy

March 22, 2019 By Mary Leave a Comment

Recipes From My Podcast Guests Alicia: Brandy and Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Alicia: Biscuts and Gravy Casserole Val: Hamball Recipe, An Iowa Classic Val: All-Purpose Pork Rub – Tractor Approved Recipe Val: A Look Inside Our Pig Barns Helpful Sites About Raising Pigs and Pork 7 Pasture Pig Breeds for the Small Farm: How to Choose the Best Pigs to Pasture Raise How to Choose Pig Breeds For Your Farm Five Pigs for Your Hobby… Read More

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: Farming, Hobby Farm, homesteading, Pigs, Pork, Sustainability

Podcast: Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

February 28, 2019 By Mary 1 Comment

Resources Martzahn’s Farm Poultry Processing Healthy Harvest of North Iowa Iowa State Extension: Establishing a Backyard Poultry Flock The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself   Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock (Hobby Farms) How to Care for Chickens 101: Causes & Solutions for Chickens Losing Feathers Can You Keep Chickens For Eggs When RVing Full Time Chicken Coops Urban Coop Company Tractor… Read More

Filed Under: Chicken, Church Cookbook, family, farm, Recipe Tagged With: broilers, chicken, homegrown, homesteading, raising chickens

quiche

Fresh Eggs and a Five Hundred Dollar Quiche

February 12, 2019 By Mary 5 Comments

A few springs ago, my husband, Eric, after much thought and planning, decided we were ready to start our chicken adventure.  Our local farm/hardware store has live chicks in the spring.  You just reach into the cow tank and try to grab the ones you like the best — a little like carnival night in grade school, and put them in the cardboard box you have to put together yourself.  Ironically, the same shape as… Read More

Filed Under: Chicken, Church Cookbook, homesteading, Iowa, mom, Recipe, Vintage Recipe, Vintage Recipes Tagged With: Breakfast, breakfast bake, chicken, chickens, eggs, family dinner, fresh eggs, vintage recipes

cupcakes with glaze

The Great British Bake Off Inspired Me to Bake a Cake…

February 12, 2019 By Mary 11 Comments

I have been binge watching The Great British Baking Show this winter — all seasons and the Christmas shows and it made me think I wanted to be a better baker.  It has inspired me to start a cake project and to begin with recipes in my grandmother’s handwritten cookbook.   One of the cakes they talk about all the time on The Great British Bake Off is a sponge.  While digging through those old family recipes… Read More

Filed Under: Cake, Church Cookbook, Foodies, homesteading, Recipe, The Great British Baking Show Tagged With: baking, British, Dessert, family, farm, FOODIES, Mary Berry, Orange Cake, Recipe, sponge cake, The Great British Bake Off, Vintage Cakes

I Was Shocked to Find This Hidden Art Treasure in North Iowa…

January 17, 2019 By Mary 6 Comments

This winter I when was doing a cooking class for a travel blogger group in Charles City, Iowa. The first night we were staying at the lovely Red Cedar Lodge, getting to know each other, eating treats that would make any foodie jealous, laughing A LOT and having a little too much wine when one of the bloggers,  Theresa Goodrich, author of of “Two Lane Gems, Vols 1 & 2” asked if I was interested… Read More

Filed Under: Art, Iowa, Local Travel, Travel Tagged With: Chagall, Famous Art, FOODIES, friends, Iowa Finds, Matisse, Picasso, Wine

Beef Stew

Winter Glamping, Cooking with friends & Beef Stew guest blog.

January 7, 2019 By Mary 6 Comments

Recently I did a cooking class at a Winter Glamping blogger event at the beautiful Red Cedar Lodge in Charles City, Iowa. Winter Camping for me was a new adventure and it was lovely. Winter walks, cozy cabins, Christmas shopping in town, baking bread and sharing this beef stew with new and old friends. Perfection. One of my blogger friends enjoyed this stew enough to share it on her blog. I hope you enjoy as… Read More

Filed Under: Beef, Eat Local, Foodies, French Cusine, Recipe Tagged With: beef, crockpot, dutch oven, easy, french cuisine, instapot, oven stew, slow cooker, stew, VEGTABLES

Lefse and the Real Importance of Holiday Traditions

December 1, 2018 By Mary 16 Comments

Today, I was reminded why we jump through all of those holiday hoops.  We make dozens of cookies, we drink hot chocolate or eggnog, we shop and we trim the tree.  Just when we think we can’t do anymore, we clean the house and make 250 Swedish meatballs for the crew descending on us for our family Christmas Party (or whatever holiday you celebrate). Every year we say we are going to cut down, make it simpler, but… Read More

Filed Under: Breads, Dessert, Ethnic Foods, Holiday, Human Interest, Snack Tagged With: Christmas, family, flat bread, Holiday, Holiday Baking, Holiday Traditions, lefse, Norway, Norwegian, Traditions

1 Week Spring Challenge: If you have it ..eat it!

March 14, 2018 By Mary 4 Comments

Last night when I was searching through the pantry, freezer and fridge trying to figure out what to eat for supper I realized I still have a lot of my fall harvest items left.  I don’t know if you are like this but I savor them and am kind of stingy sometimes with them — saving them for a “special meal”.  Now it is the middle of March and I am planning my garden and… Read More

Filed Under: Challenge, Recipe Tagged With: eat well, freezer, freezer meals, garden produce, healthy meals, Healthy recipes, Iowa Food and Family Project, prize, save money, win

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Welcome to my blog!
I am an Iowa Farm girl who aspires to write a cookbook featuring vintage and favorite recipes from my family and friends. I'd like to bring you the art of cooking like your mother, grandmother, or whoever is your cooking inspiration.
Keep it simple and enjoy!
--Mary
Food Blogger, Travel Writer, Photographer, Computer Geek, & Gardener
Read More »

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