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!

Okoboji Ice Cream Favorites

For the last couple of years, our family has fallen in love with weekend getaways to the Lake Okoboji, Iowa area. When traveling, our family is always on the hunt for the best ice cream and the Okoboji area has several we make sure to stop at.

5 Family Friendly Iowa State Park Trails

One of our family's favorite ways to explore and enjoy the outdoors is by going on trails at different state parks in our home state of Iowa. With 83 state parks and recreation areas, you're never too far away from creating your own adventure.

10 products you need to buy at Kwik Star other than fuel

*I am a Kwik Star Ambassador.

All views and opinions shared are my own.*

When Kwik Star entered my life five years ago I never knew I'd become such a faithful shopper for everything from fuel for my vehicle, to bananas for my daily breakfast, to kitchen staples like milk, eggs and butter.  It has been fun to see the growth and expansion of Kwik Stars across Iowa and sharing with family and friends when they get a new store close to them what deals they should look for and what my family's favorite products are.

Camping at Sheffield, Iowa's SafeT Home

* I received a complimentary stay provided by the City of Sheffield, Iowa.

All views and opinions shared are my own. *

If you are looking for a unique, camping experience in the Midwest, you should check out Galvin Memorial Park's SafeT Home, a grain bin esque structure built by Sheffield, Iowa business Sukup Manufacturing.

Carrie Chapman Catt: Suffrage, Courage, Leadership

Carrie Chapman Catt was always defying the odds.  From graduating high school and then college, to becoming a school superintendent, to becoming a leader in the women's suffrage movement and founding the League of Women Voters.  She was always pushing the envelope, and it all started growing up on a farm outside of Charles City, Iowa.

Slice of Iowa Pizza

It's National Pizza Day and why not celebrate with my Slice of Iowa Pizza, with two of Iowa's top agricultural products and "the sauce America loves to eat."

When I found out that today was National Pizza Day I couldn't pass up the chance to:

• #1 eat pizza
• #2 share my love of Iowa
• #3 talk about my farm 😊

Who doesn't love pizza?  My family and I have a weekly tradition of having pizza every Friday night.  We make a couple pizzas (because one doesn't cut it anymore for my growing kids), pop a bag of popcorn and throw it in our "official" popcorn bowl with some M&Ms, and have a picnic in the living room and watch a movie.  Pizza always hits the spot for people of all ages and I love how you can top your pizza with anything.

When we make homemade pizza at home the kids usually ask for one of our go-to favorites - pepperoni or sausage and mushroom for one of the pizzas and the second is deemed "the parents" pizza, so we usually do a little more with it.  So I decided it would be fun to make an "Iowa" pizza topped with some of our favorite Iowa foods.

The first thing I thought of was shredded pork.  I love making shredded pork with and for everything.  Plus it is a great make once, eat twice freezer staple of our house.  We raise pigs on our farm so we always have a lot of pork on hand.  And did you know that Iowa has more pigs than any other state in the nation.  In fact, Iowa raises nearly one-third of all pigs in the United States.

The second ingredient that I added was sweet corn.  Now, Minnesota is actually the top producer of sweet corn, but Iowa raises the most corn total (field, sweet and pop) in the nation.  A large majority of that corn Iowa raises is field corn, which primarily goes towards livestock feed and ethanol.  But I figured I couldn't claim to have an Iowa pizza with out sweet corn on it!

And the last ingredient that completes the Slice of Iowa Pizza is Cookies BBQ Sauce.  Cookies is made in Wall Lake, Iowa and they make several flavors of BBQ Sauce, other sauces, seasonings and salsas.  I use their Flavor Enhancer on everything and love their Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce and Wings-N-Things Hot Sauce.  Using one of the BBQ Sauces as the pizza sauce was the perfect way of pulling the Iowa pizza all together.

Slice of Iowa Pizza

1 prepared Pizza Crust (in true Iowa fashion I used Fareway's Crispy Pizza Crust mix)

1/2 cup Cookies Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

1 heaping cup Shredded Pork

1/2 cup Sweet Corn kernels, drained

2 cups Pizza blend shredded cheese

Prepare pizza crust as directed by package, or use your favorite homemade recipe, and bake at 425°F for 3 minutes.  Then top the crust with the BBQ Sauce, Pork, Corn and Cheese.  Bake 10 to 12 additional minutes until the top is brown and bubbly.

Are you hungry now?  I love the flavor combination of BBQ Sauce with the shredded Corn, and the sweet corn gives a nice little sweet pop in each bite!  I hope you gather with your family and enjoy a Slice of Iowa Pizza soon!  What is your favorite flavor of pizza?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Farmers Helping Neighbors on National Ag Day

Living in the country, the term "neighbor" has a pretty broad meaning.  Factually saying, my nearest neighbor is one mile away.  But if we limit neighbors to just one mile, then I only have three neighbors.  So like many rural residents, I stretch the boundaries of neighbors more than Wikipedia probably accepts.

One thing I love about the farming community is that we stretch our community boundaries, and are always willing and wanting to help out a neighbor.  Several years ago we partnered with many other neighbors to help out some neighbors (they live 5 miles away) harvest their husband/father's fields after he unexpectedly passed away.  We were there for Therron's family not expecting anything in return.  We were there because it is what a neighbor does.  We help each other out.  We are a friendly face giving the farmer wave driving down the road.  We care for the well being of our entire community.

The harvest crew for the Therron Miller family, October 2011

Right now is a time that the farming community is coming together to help our neighbors in Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas that have been impacted by wildfires.  Through these wildfires, more than 2,300 square miles have been burned and tragically seven people have died and thousands of cattle have been killed.

Last Friday, Iowa's Governor Terry Branstad signed a proclamation to allow the transportation of oversize and overweight loads of forage on Iowa's roads for the next two months.  This is allowing people to drive large bales of hay and other forages to the ranchers in need.

Another way Iowa's farmers are lending a hand is by an online auction happening on Friday, April 7th at 10 a.m. to raise funds for victims of the recent wildfires.  This is being hosted by the Iowa Cattlemen's Foundation, Iowa Cattlemen's Association and Dream Dirt.  You can learn more about the auction by checking out my friend, and neighbor, Cristen of Food & Swine's recent post.

You can also find a list of other aid efforts on AgWeb.

Do you know of any other ways to help our neighbors affected by the wildfires?  Be sure to share in the comment section below and always remember to Comment for a Cause!

Girls Night Out: Christmas Edition

* I received a discounted rate to facilitate my review.  

All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Between spending most of my time with people ages 4 and under, getting ready for taxes, and making sure I'm keeping up on my holiday check list, I was in desperate need for a Girls Night Out!  Luckily for me, the North Iowa Bloggers had a fun night planned this week at the Carlson Tree Farm in rural Coulter, Iowa, which is only 6 miles away from my house.

The North Iowa Bloggers at the Carlson Tree Farm
Mary of Natural Plus Nursery, Katy of Learning As I Go, myself,
Donna of DonnaHup.com and Alicia of The Pork Diaries

For the second year in a row with the North Iowa Bloggers, and third year in a row for me, I made a wreath as part of the Carlson Tree Farm's weekly Wreath Workshops.  The Wreath Workshops begin in mid-November and wrap up in mid-December.  They announce the workshop times and dates in the fall on their Facebook page and this year all the spots were filled in literally just hours!  From an idea that started five years ago as a fun thing for Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm's Moms Group to do, to having 250 people participate this year, I'd say the Wreath Workshops are a success!

Wreath in Progress

And why wouldn't they be?  In an hour and a half you go from a wire wreath frame, to picking out your favorite combination of evergreen branches to clamp down on the frame, to picking out your favorite ribbon, cones, berries, ornaments, etc. to make the wreath personalized to you and your home.  The atmosphere is casual, fun, and dare I be corny by saying merry!  Cathy and Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm are great leaders in both stages of making the wreath and want to see you succeed and have a good time.

Me and my wreath!

And I have to give a special thank you to Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm.  The North Iowa Bloggers have changed a lot in the last year.  There were a few of us that participated both last year and this year in the Wreath Workshop, but we were without some great members from last year - Beth Ann and Jeni who both moved to North Carolina and St. Louis respectively, and Amy who passed away in a car accident.  Amy left an impression on Michelle, as she did with so many people, so she made a wreath for this year's group to decorate that was then donated and given to Amy's parents.  This meant so much to all of the North Iowa Bloggers and Amy's parents.  We had fun decorating the wreath with "Amy's style" and reminiscing about our dear friend.

The North Iowa Bloggers with Amy's Wreath

So thanks to the North Iowa Bloggers and Carlson Tree Farm for helping me have a great time at a much needed Girls Night Out.  Have you ever made a wreath before?  What is your favorite "Christmas" Girls Night Out activity?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Agri-Tourism in Iowa - Showcasing Iowa's Agriculture Legacy at Tyden Farm No. 6

* I received complimentary admission to facilitate my review.  
All views and opinions shared are my own. * 

Agri-tourism is a growing area of interest in Iowa - from going to the National Toy Tractor Museum in Dyersville, to touring the World Food Prize in Des Moines, to visiting Blue Bunny in Le Mars, there are many options on how to get a look at the wide world of agriculture.  One fun trip that the kids and I were able to take last week before school started, was a tour of Tyden Farm No. 6 near Dougherty, Iowa (which is about 30 miles away from our home).  We had a great time touring this 10 acre homestead, owned and operated by Ted and Judy Pitzenberger, with the North Iowa Bloggers.

The North Iowa Bloggers in front of the Tyden Farm No. 6 Barn
(Photo courtesy of Donna Hup of donnahup.com)

What is Tyden Farm No. 6?  Tyden Farm No. 6 is a historic farm that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.  The Tyden Farms (there were eight total) were started by Emil Tyden in the 1930's.  The farms were a source of jobs and were always on the cusp of new technologies in the Dougherty and Greene, Iowa area.  In 1994 the Emil Tyden family started selling the farms.  Tyden Farm No. 6 was bought by Ted and Judy Pitzenberger.  Shortly after buying the farm, they looked into the history of Emil Tyden and Tyden Farms more, and decided to start restore the farm back to it's original glory.  They enjoyed preserving the farm so much that they now open it up to visitors by reservations.

Who is Emil Tyden?  Emil Tyden was a Swedish immigrant who arrived in America in 1882 as a teenager with only $20 in his pocket.  He worked various jobs across the United States, including working for the railroad and serving in the Army as a "$1 a year man".  While working for the railroad he invented, the Cargo Seal, which kept (and still keeps) train cargo safe and secure.  At the same time he went on to creating one of the world's first automation systems to help supply the mass amount of Cargo Seals needed in Hastings, Michigan - a decade before Henry Ford started mass producing automobiles.

In 1920, a fire destroyed his Cargo Seal factory so Tyden resolved this issue by entering the fire sprinkler business.  He started manufacturing fire sprinklers and valves, and today, you can still see his product in office buildings across the world.  Tyden had over 200 patents, and while he loved inventing and made his wealth in manufacturing, he had a love for agriculture and farming.

Ted Pitzenberger telling us about the cement 
they made on the farm including for the cement water tower 
you see to the left of him and a cement corn crib not pictured

So with his profits, he invested in farm ground in the Dougherty and Greene, Iowa area during the Great Depression.  His farms were well respected in the area.  They employed many people during a time of high unemployment, and they were always on the cutting edge of technology.  His farms were some of the first in the area to have cement and electricity.

MP and LP had a lot of fun on the tour,
 especially in their large garden area

Why should I look into Agri-Tourism for my next trip?  Agri-Tourism is a great way to help better understand and appreciate the land and the people who live and work on it.  Many aspects of the agricultural landscape have changed over the years, so it a great way to learn about the science that goes into farming - something that Emil Tyden was very proud of.  Agri-Tourism is also simply a lot of fun where you can get a personal look and experience into agriculture.

In their museum, located in the old hog house,
I was drawn towards their kitchen display

Touring Tyden Farm No. 6 was a lot of fun for us to see what farming was like decades ago.  It was also great to see the pride that the Pitzenberger's take in Tyden's story and their own farming heritage.  They not only have several farm implements and buildings that were used on the Tyden Farms over the years, but they also have a museum with several of their family's memorabilia and history.  You can tell how much farming is a family business and how agriculture really built and supported communities in the area.

You can learn more about Tyden Farm No. 6 by visiting their website, or by scheduling your own tour by contacting Ted and Judy Pitzenberger at 641-426-5277 or tyden6@netins.net.

Have you ever visited any Agri-Tourism destination before?  If so, where?  What did you like about the Agri-Tourism experience?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

LEGO Creativity Tour coming to Iowa in September! Win Tickets!

* I received complimentary admission for hosting this giveaway as a 

US Family Guide Blogger.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Do you have a LEGO® fan in your household like I do?  Well then, you don't want to miss out on the LEGO Creativity Tour as it stops in Des Moines, Iowa September 18-20 at the Iowa Events Center.

Big Brick Pile at the LEGO Creativity Tour

To tell you a little bit about how much I have two little LEGO fans in my house, there are some days walking through our play room I feel like I'm walking in a giant pile of LEGO bricks... This is not a fun experience, but the LEGO Creativity Tour's Big Brick Pile looks like fun and not painful - well maybe!  This is just one of the features that will give your children the opportunity to build, create and immerse themselves in the LEGO experience.

I'm excited to be giving away (2) tickets to the opening night on Friday, September 18th from 5:30-8:30pm.  The winner will be randomly chosen by USFG on Thursday, August 20th and announced on my blog and notified via email.  You must be 18 to enter and are allowed 1 entry per day.  ENTER HERE

I encourage you to also Like and Follow the LEGO Creativity Tour on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram for all the latest ticketing updates.  The LEGO Creativity Tour stops have been selling out, so you should buy tickets in advance online.

Do you have a LEGO fan in your house?  What would your little builder look forward to the most?  The Big Brick Pile?  The Race Ramps?  The Construction Zone?  Others?  Remember to Comment for a Cause and enter the giveaway!

Top Iowa Ice Cream Picks!

Happy National Ice Cream Day!  This just might be my favorite holiday.  I mean, who doesn't like an excuse to eat ice cream!  Every June, in honor of National Dairy Month, my family goes on an Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip.  This is a fun and sweet tradition that not only lets us see new places across the state, but we get to eat great food too.  Through our travels we've had a lot of great ice cream, and through some hard deliberation around a bowl of ice cream, we have selected our top soft serve and hard ice cream in Iowa!  Someone has to do the hard work, and for you Iowa, our family has sacrificed calories to do so. ;)

Top Iowa Soft Serve Ice Cream:  The Whippy Dip in Decorah, Iowa

The Whippy Dip is a seasonal walk-up ice cream stand that serves creamy and rich soft serve ice cream in the heart of Iowa's "Dairy Country" in Northeast Iowa.  This ice cream shop even sources its milk from a local dairy - you wouldn't expect anything less would you?

The Whippy Dip keeps its ice cream simple by offering vanilla or chocolate.  While the ice cream alone is good, our family thinks it is even better by adding some mix-ins and creating a Tornado (think Dairy's Queen's Blizzard - but better!).  Our top recommendation is their Cookie Dough Tornado.  They layer real cookie dough (none of that frozen cookie dough mini-ball stuff - we're talking a slab of real cookie dough you could actually bake into a cookie) in their soft serve and then mix it up.  They then add an extra scoop of cookie dough and mini chocolate chips on top!  Every bite is guaranteed to have cookie dough in it.

Top Iowa Hard Ice Cream:  Heyn's Ice Cream in Iowa City, Iowa

Heyn's Ice Cream is in the heart of Iowa City.  Their cute Holstein dairy cow decor and over 40 flavors of hard ice cream make for a fun ice cream experience!

Their flavors of ice cream offer so much variety and rich flavor, we feel like the best way to eat it is simply served in a cone (or maybe in one of their Dream Cones which are hand dipped and rolled in sprinkles or Butterfinger crumbles).  Our pick, which is also their top seller, is their Monster Mash, a vanilla ice cream with monster cookies mixed in it.





So there you have it!  Our pick's for Iowa's top soft serve and hard ice creams!  Enjoy and celebrate National Ice Cream Day today!  What is your favorite ice cream shop?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at Snookies Malt Shop in Des Moines

Happy National Dairy Month everyone!  Our family loves dairy products and we appreciate all of the long hours and hard work that dairy farmers go through 365 days a year.  Did you know that Iowa has over 1,400 dairy farms?  During June Dairy Month last year our family made an effort to celebrate dairy farmers by visiting small town, local ice cream shops throughout Iowa (and if they're open only seasonally, the better), and we're doing it again this year!  I know, a small price to pay to show our support, right?  We are an ice cream loving family and it is fun to go on Iowa road trips to discover these fun and nostalgic places.  Last year we visited The Whippy Dip in Decorah, Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy in Hudson, Blue Bunny in LeMars and Birdsall's in Mason City.

2014 Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip
Top Left: The Whippy Dip, Decorah, Top Right: Hansen's Dairy, Hudson
Bottom Left: Blue Bunny, LeMars, Bottom Right: Birdsall's, Mason City

Earlier this week we headed down to Des Moines and figured we needed to go to one of their classic ice cream shops, Snookies Malt Shop in the Beaverdale neighborhood.  An added bonus was that we were able to invite some of our extended family that lives in the area to join us!

Snookies Hot Fudge Shake
with a Maybe cookie on top!

Snookies Malt Shop is a retro ice cream drive-in that serves soft serve.  They are known for their malts (hence their name...) and their free puppy cones.  When I stepped up to their walk-up window (they also have a drive-in and sit-in dinning room) I asked the staff what their top seller was and they replied with chocolate malts, but then one of the gals working added that her favorite was a hot fudge malt.  So, I told her I'd take a hot fudge shake (sorry, I just don't care for malt flavoring).  It was a classic, soft serve shake and I enjoyed the hot fudge.  A fun treat that they add to all of their shakes and malts is a short bread cookie as garnish (and an animal cracker on other classic ice cream dishes).

MP and LP didn't even want to look up
from their dishes of ice cream for a photo...

What makes Snookies special is the atmosphere.  It is family friendly and you can tell that the Beaverdale neighborhood takes a lot of pride in it.  In fact, there are people that camp out for their opening day every April!  It was fun to meet up with one of my sisters, my nephew, a cousin, and her son for our initial stop on our Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip.

They were all tuckered out by the time we left Snookies (MP is on the right)

Have you ever been to Snookies Malt Shop in Beaverdale?  Do you prefer malts or shakes?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Iowa Staycation in Des Moines

*I received complimentary admission to facilitate this review as a 
US Family Guide Blogger.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

My family loves exploring our "backyard" and traveling around our home state of Iowa.  One place we love to take a day trip or a weekend vacation to is   Des Moines.  Besides being the state capital and home to several family members, there are a variety of fun, family-friendly destinations.  A new spot we recently checked out was Monkey Joe's in West Des Moines.

LP with Monkey Joe

Monkey Joe's is a fun, inflatable-filled indoor play and party center perfect for kids ages 12 and under.  When we visited the West Des Moines location.  There were seven inflatables, including two for kids ages 3 and under.

LP on the "Pirate Ship"

LP loved the "Pirate Ship" inflatable.  He especially loved the slide part of it.  I was surprised how fast the slide was, but he thought that was the best part!  He definitely had no fear when jumping and bouncing around the entire play center, but really, what four year old boy does???  LP was the perfect age for Monkey Joe's.  There are other indoor play places in the Des Moines area; I really feel like Monkey Joe's is the best fit out of all the options for preschool and elementary aged kids.

MP watching her big brother LP go down a slide

MP wasn't sure about all the bouncing and jumping, but she loved pointing out all of the monkeys in the play center.  And boy are there a lot of monkeys.  She also enjoyed checking out the arcade area, running around and watching her big brother go down slides.

As a Mom, my favorite part was that adults got in for free and there was no time limit.  I also appreciated their pride in keeping the place clean and safe.  I saw each employee at one point or another cleaning around the center.  And to keep kids safe, when you enter they give each adult and child in the same group a matching number bracelet system; they then check each bracelet before you leave to make sure the correct kids are leaving with their parents or guardians for the day.  Even our 4 month old daughter JP got a bracelet!  She never left the comfort of my baby carrier I was wearing on my chest, but she still got one.  Also, one quick Mom Note: remember socks for the entire family, including yourself.  Socks must be worn around the play center, and if you don't bring your own, you can purchase a pair from Monkey Joe's.

The Des Moines Monkey Joe's is located at 1600 Valley West Drive, Suite 200 in West Des Moines, across the road from Valley West Mall and next to Hy-Vee and Goodwill.  It is open Monday-Saturday, 10am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 6pm.  I recommend you follow them on Facebook and Twitter to receive special discounts.  Also, you can get a $2 Off Admission coupon right now for the West Des Moines location from US Family Guide.

What do you look for in a family friendly staycation?  Have you ever been to a Monkey Joe's?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Iowa Roadway Identification - Corn and Soybeans

Summer is that time of year where we find ourselves in the car a lot.  And if you are traveling down a black top road or the Interstate highway in Iowa, there is a good chance you are going to see a lot of two things - corn and soybeans.  So what are corn and soybeans besides Iowa's two main field crops?

A field corn cob near harvest in August

Corn is a tall, stalky, annual field crop.  What you are primarily seeing along Iowa's roadways is Field Corn.  Field Corn makes up 98% of the corn grown in the United States.  This variety of corn is primarily used for livestock feed and ethanol fuel.  On our farm we personally sell our corn to both local cooperatives, who grind the corn for livestock feed, and to ethanol plants, who extract both fuel for our vehicles and dried distiller's grains (DDGs) to feed to livestock, from the corn kernels.  Field corn is also used to make cereal products (corn flour, corn meal, tortillas, etc.), corn starch, corn oil, corn syrup, and even beer and whiskey.

Here is a picture of some corn starting to emerge last week

Corn planting has almost reached 100% completion in Iowa and there is a lot that has started to emerge.  From your car window right now, corn probably looks like perfect rows of grass.  Over the summer, it will grow a strong stalk with long, green leaves and one ear of corn.  A typical ear of corn has around 800 kernels on it.  By the end of the summer, field corn in Iowa usually is 8 feet tall or higher.  (Check out our past family photos on the 4th of July to get an idea of how tall it grows by the half-way point of the growing season - 2014, 2013, 2012)

A soybean pod near maturity

Soybeans are a bushy, annual field crop.  Soybeans are processed into two products - soybean meal and soybean oil.  We sell our soybeans to local cooperatives and directly to soybean processors (in fact, we are hauling soybeans today to Cargill).  When soybeans are brought into a processing facility the first thing extracted is the soybean oil.  Soybean oil is a common vegetable oil and it is made into products like margarine and salad dressings.  The oil can also go through at refining process and turned into biodiesel fuel.  After the oil has been taken out of the seed, soybean meal is left.  Soybean meal is used for livestock feed, primarily for poultry, pigs and a growing aquaculture (fish) market too.  Soy is a great and high protein source!  In fact, soy is a complete protein; it has eight essential amino acids in it needed for dietary needs of humans and animals.

Some newly emerged soybeans from today

Soybean planting isn't as far along in Iowa, compared to corn, but should be close to finished by the beginning of June this year, if I had to guess.  We hope to finish this weekend!  Earlier planted soybeans are just now starting to emerge.  If you look out your car window and can tell a tractor has been in a field because you see dirt worked up, but don't see anything emerged yet - there's a good chance there are soybeans in it getting ready to pop up out of the ground.  Over the summer, the plant will grow many stems that will have green leaflets on them with pods of soybeans.  The number of pods on a plant varies from variety to variety and growing season to growing season.  In Iowa there are anywhere from 30 to 40 pods on each plant typically.  Each pod has an average of three beans.

Combining soybeans in September

In the fall both corn and soybeans dry up, and that is when you'll start seeing combines out in the field harvesting the crop.  We then sell and deliver our crop to our coops and ethanol plants throughout the year.

So the next time you're taking a road-trip through Iowa, or just a Sunday stroll, I hope you now know a little bit more about what's growing in the fields along the road.  I hope you can identify corn and soybeans, and that you might know some fun facts to impress the others in the car!  What questions do you have about the corn and soybean growing cycles in Iowa?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

#PizzaTasteOff2015 - Who has the best pizza in North Iowa?

It's Friday!  Which means it is pizza night at our house, but I celebrated early with the North Iowa Bloggers on Wednesday night by participating in the #PizzaTasteOff2015.  So what is/was the #PizzaTasteOff2015 you might ask?  Well, it all started a few weeks ago when one our North Iowa Bloggers, Beth Ann, admitted that she had never had Casey's breakfast pizza on Twitter.  Now, if you are from Iowa or the Midwest you might be wondering how could anyone living in Iowa never had Casey's breakfast pizza - afterall Mila Kunis even mentioned that it was her favorite "junk" food earlier this year.  Well, Mila or Casey's weren't the first to respond to Beth Ann's tweet, instead it was Kum & Go, Casey's competitor, and they said she needed to try Kum & Go's instead.  So after some tweeting back and forth as a group with Kum & Go, Casey's and even Godfather's in Mason City, before we knew it we had several donated pizzas to determine who the true pizza king was in North Iowa, henceforth becoming the #PizzaTasteOff2015.

There were nine pizzas that were apart of the #PizzaTasteOff2015 on Wednesday:  Casey's Cheese, Casey's Hamburger, Kum & Go Taco, Kum & Go Sausage, Mushroom, Onion and Black Olive, Kum & Go Breakfast, Godfather's Chicken Bacon Ranch, Godfather's Combo, Pasta Bella Italian Restaurant's Margherita, and Udi's Gluten-Free Margherita.  (A special thank you to Casey's, Kum & Go and Godfather's for donating all of their pizzas.)  Now, to start off, I will have a full disclaimer, I didn't try every pizza.  I am not a fan of olives and saw no point in having a slice of cheese.  But I did try six of the pizzas.  I asked my Twitter followers what criteria I should judge the pizzas on and they suggested sauce, flavor combination, crust, proper ingredient ratio, general appearance and overall experience - so I took all of those into suggestion as a pizza critic for the night.  And I must have had a similar experience as everyone else because my top three pizzas were the top three voted pizzas from the group.

First place (and my first choice) went to a local Italian restaurant, Pasta Bella, with their Marherita Pizza.  This pizza had great flavor and I loved the seasoning and tang of the sauce.  I felt like it was the most "authentic" pizza in the taste test.  Whenever I've been to Pasta Bella I've always gotten a pasta dish but I'm going to have to check out their pizza menu next time!

Photo from Beth Ann Chiles of It's Just Life

Second place (and my third choice) went to Kum & Go with their Breakfast Pizza.  Now, I will admit, being a fan of Casey's Breakfast Pizza, I had some doubt on how Kum & Go's could ever stand up to the classic Casey's version, but it was good!  With its nice, thick and fluffy crust, paired with a good surprise of string hashbrowns as one of the toppings, it was a very filling pizza.  Another reason I loved Kum & Go's pizza was because of the service we received from both corporate and our local station.  They all went out of their way to make the North Iowa Bloggers experience a positive one.

Third place (and my second choice) went to Godfather's of Mason City with their Chicken Bacon Ranch.  This was another filling pizza as it had a thick crust and was loaded with toppings.  I also loved that there was a lot of cheese on this pizza, because who doesn't love a nice helping of cheese on their pizza, right?  One of the North Iowa Bloggers, Loni, was very passionate about Godfather's you could say...  Check out this video to fully understand.




In the end, we had a lot of great food, great conversations and a lot of fun.  And we think we'll need a second installment of the North Iowa Bloggers #PizzaTasteOff2015 because we've already heard from the local Pizza Ranch and Little Chicago that they need to be in the next challenge.  So what is your favorite pizza place?  Who do you think should be apart of our next #PizzaTasteOff2015?  What do you look for in a good pizza?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Also, be sure to check out these other reviews from the #PizzaTasteOff2015:

• #PizzaTasteOff2015....in PANTS?!
• #NorthIowaBloggers + #PizzaTasteOff2015 = Epic
• The Great #PizzaTasteOff2015

Why I Choose to Live in Rural America

On Wednesday I had the opportunity and privilege to meet with Iowa's Lt. Governor, Kim Reynolds, and twelve other women in agriculture for a round table discussion as part of the Lt. Governor's state-wide tour with women leaders (#kimtours99).  The group talked about several issues including regulations, the importance of high speed internet for rural areas, and young farmer credits and programs.

One underlying theme of the luncheon's conversation was providing opportunities for young people to stay, work and live in rural Iowa.  I am proud that I grew up in rural Iowa and continue to live, work and play in rural Iowa.  But I acknowledge that not everyone is doing this, as we see school consolidations, abandoned store fronts, and fewer grocery stores.  So why do I choose to live in rural America?

The main and first reason is because My Farmer and I obviously farm, but we were encouraged to come back home.  I feel like a lot of high school seniors are advocated to leave their hometown and to find opportunity in the "big city".  Why do people do that?  We should be encouraging our youth to come back as doctors, to plumbers, to farmers.

People feel that there are limited jobs in rural America but I think because of the entrepreneurship spirit of its citizens, there are endless possibilities.  Rural America is the perfect place to get inspired to start your own business.  Since much of rural America has a strong agriculture sector - think of the potential businesses that are needed to help make agriculture more efficient.  In fact, there are a group of young men in Iowa that just won the Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge with their ScoutPro businesses, an electronic crop scouting program.  With quality internet (which is something the group talked to the Lt. Governor about) people are able to work and build their own businesses from home.

Lastly, the thing I probably like the most about rural America is the sense of community.  I have family members that live in larger cities, and yes, they know at least a couple of their neighbors and will attend the neighborhood block party (if there even is one), but rural America has a huge reach. I consider people that live miles away my neighbors.  We help each other out, even if we don't know each other that well.  I am so proud of my community so that is why I volunteer so much.  I also strive to support my local businesses.  Many people in rural America see volunteerism and supporting local as high priorities, so that just adds to the feeling of community.

Do you live in rural America?  What ideas do you have to support and grow rural America?  What advice do you have for young people who are living or want to live in rural America?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Be sure to check out Shannon and Katie's takes on the meeting with Iowa's Lt. Governor too.

Wordless Wednesday - Latimer, Iowa Little Free Library

If you are ever around Latimer, Iowa be sure to check out our Little Free Library in Downtown.  We have a large selection of books for babies to adults - check out some of the titles circulating through the Library on my blog's new Little Free Library tab.

What is your favorite book of all-time?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

June Comments for a Cause - La Luz Hispana

It is the first of the month and time to report my Comments for a Cause results for the previous month and announce the new month's cause!  So first thing, in the month of May I had 44 comments which equals a $22 contribution to Team Red, White & Blue.  I'm happy to support such a great veteran's organization that has personally helped members of my family transition back into civilian life.

Now onto June's cause!  I'm proud to be donating $0.50 for every comment during the month of June to La Luz Hispana.  I have talked about my community's diversity before and I wanted to show my support and pride for my community by highlighting an organization that is helping our Hispanic population in so many ways, La Luz Hispana.  Here is some information on this center provided by Sister Carmen Hernandez:

A brief history of La Luz Hispana

La Luz Hispana is a center for the Hispanic people, sponsored by the Sisters of the Presentation of Dubuque, Iowa, is located in downtown Hampton, and serves not only Hampton, but all of Franklin County, and the surrounding area.  It is a result of over four years of study and experience working with and meeting the Hispanics of the area.  The Hispanic people requested the center, wanted to have a place where they could safely meet, learn English and other necessary skills, and capitalize on their own cultural values and gifts.

Sisters Carmen and Maura hit the streets of Hampton to locate the Hispanics, to acquaint themselves with the service agencies of the area, and to find a location for the center. 

At the end of 2012, a retired lawyer and his wife offered to refurbish their building, according to the needs of the new project.  The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on March 27, 2013 and the inauguration the following month on April 12.

La Luz Hispana's mission is to offer a welcoming spirit and supportive services to all, especially the Hispanic community.

Programs offered

Since opening their doors in March 2013, La Luz Hispana has successfully offered a variety of programs and services that have helped foster relationships, celebrate strengths and personal gifts and educate the many Hispanics who have visited the center.  Some of the programs offered include: container gardening, English as a Second Language (ESL), computer education, Spanish for English speakers, Zumba, crocheting, rosary and scarf making, greeting card creation, health and beauty, immigration, healthy cooking, nutrition, math tutoring and Exito en el Norte which focused on finances, banking, renting an apartment and/or house, starting a new business, personal rights and furthering education. While these are only a few of the programs initiated, La Luz Hispana continues to have hopes and dreams to begin other new services and programs.

The Sisters and volunteers provide transportation and interpretation services at the court house, banks, police stations, dentists, and insurance agencies.  They assist many families to navigate the social service systems, and help to fill out forms for assistance programs.

So lets be sure to Comment for a Cause a lot this month to support this great organization that is helping and supporting so many families and individuals in Franklin County!  I am so proud that my community provides these resources and support to our community members.  My community is what it is today by us taking advantage of our diversity and helping all of our citizens strive.  Thank you to Sisters Carmen and Maura and all of the volunteers for all they do to help La Luz Hispana serve so many people.

If you are from Franklin County, what do you love the most about La Luz Hispana and our community?  If you are not from my local community, what other services do you see that are needed for communities with a growing diversity?