Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for over a decade (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Signs You’re Less Than Two Weeks Away from the County Fair

As the County Fair approaches, the excitement and anticipation are high. Here are seven telltale signs that you're less than two weeks away from the big event:

Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars, Iowa

It's June Dairy Month, which means our family is continuing our tradition of visiting different ice cream shops as part of our Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip! What better way to kick off this year's celebration than by sharing about our visit to the Wells Blue Bunny Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor in the Ice Cream Capital of the World, Le Mars, Iowa.

2024 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

It's the last day of school and the unofficial start of summer for our family! To celebrate, we spent some time this week creating our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

Northeast Iowa Greenhouse Road Trip

Happy May Day! Today, alongside preparing May Day baskets with my kids for our neighbors, I am also planning my annual trip to Floyd, Chickasaw, Howard and Mitchell Counties, where I love exploring the various Mennonite Greenhouses. These greenhouses are bursting with colorful flowers, robust vegetables and thriving plants, and are worth the trip to see!

1 Pork Loin 3 Meals

Have you ever glanced at those big pork loins on sale at your local grocery store and wondered what you could possibly do with all that meat beside throw a party? Well, I'm going to show you how to utilize a whole loin by cutting it into three versatile portions for a roast, chops and stew meat. Not only is buying a whole pork loin a budget-friendly option, but it also ensures you have a high-quality source of protein for several meals.

Easter Dinner Menu and Recipes

Easter Sunday is just around the corner and we are looking forward to hosting 24 family and friends at our home. I've been working on our menu for the last couple of weeks and even started buying groceries last week. Now, as the final details fall into place, I couldn't resist the urge to share our Easter dinner plans with all of you. Whether you're seeking inspiration for your own gathering or simply curious about what's cooking in our kitchen, read on for a taste of what's to come this weekend!

4 Ingredient Crockpot Apple Cobbler

Apple Cobbler is something that can warm you up on a cold, winter night, make you excited for the upcoming spring, is an All American dish in the summer and is one of my favorite fall flavors. So, I experimented with flavor combinations and my new casserole crockpot, and came up with a new go-to dessert, my Crockpot Apple Cobbler!