Cherries and Berries in the Snow

It is a good thing February has an extra day this year so I can still share this with you!  As you know February is a month in which we celebrate former Presidents’ birthdays.  Many times from our early introductions of George Washington we tend to associate him with a cherry tree.  However, George Washington devoted much of his life to improving American agriculture.   Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation is a source for some interesting facts about Presidents Day and agriculture.  Farmer George Plants a Nation is one example of a resource available from the lending library.  (I actually had the privilege to hear the author speak at the National Ag in the Classroom Conference last summer and received the book.)

Farmer George Plants a Nation provides more lessons to use with the book.

 

 

Following is one of may favorite desserts using cherries:

Cherries and Berries in the Snow

6 egg whites                         ½ tsp. cream of tartar

¼ tsp. salt                             1 ¾ cups sugar

*Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff. Add sugar and beat until glossy, about 15 minutes.

Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake one hour at 275 degrees. Turn off and leave in oven for 12 hours.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese             1 cup sugar   1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and fold in the filling:

2 cups whipped cream                  2 cups mini marshmallows

Spread on meringue shell.

Topping:

1 can cherry pie filling                    ½ tsp. almond flavoring

2 cups sliced strawberries ( I usually use a quart bag.)   ¼ cup sugar

Cut the dessert in 15 pieces. Spoon the cherry/berry mixture over each serving.

*I like to use eggs at room temperature for the meringue (Jacob thinks that there is not much difference between room temperature and the refrigerator temperature in our house this time of year!  He can use a blanket!  We’ll see how warm he keeps his house some day when he is paying the electric bill??!!) 🙂  BTW – He is watching his Hawkeyes loose. 😦

Following are a few photos that highlight some of the happenings on the farm this past month:

The first of February was a snowy morning for selling pigs.  This was my view from the calf shed.  When I walked out to the calf shed it was not doing anything; and this is what it looked like an hour later!

So, after loading two loads of pigs “the young buck” (Jacob) and “the old man” (Grandpa) thought it was a good morning for a quick game of ROOK as the snow was falling!

Snickers, the faithful calf shed helper!  She is sitting on a pile of milk replacer bags and in the background are pallets of milk replacer and starter feed for this group of calves.

Emily does a great job of getting the new calves to drink their milk!

Jacob is putting a calf coat on a new calf.  Since the calves are older now and the weather has warmed up we have taken their coats off.  Since every calf in the calf shed had a coat on that means I have a little additional laundry!!

These steers continue to grow.  They were the babies in the calf shed last May.  I love to see “Red”!  He always comes on the run for attention when someone comes close to the hoop!

This was my view from the calf shed Sunday afternoon.. The clouds were beautiful!

Thanks to Key Cooperative Emily, Kate, and I were able to attend Producers in Perils featuring  FarmHer  as the keynote speaker on Saturday.

To conclude  – on this last day of February – here is a quote I came across today.  No other human occupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought, as agriculture.  – President Abraham Lincoln

Good night! (Sounds like March will be coming in like a lion.)

Julie