Sugar Cookies

Baking always seems to put me in the Christmas Spirit. When I was a kid you knew Christmas was near when the decorative tins showed up at your house filled with an amazing amount of sugary treats from hard candy to homemade fudge. Something that always goes quickly in our house (usually before we can get them frosted) are sugar cookies! If you have the cookie cut outs shaped like Christmas Trees, Angels or Santa it makes it even more fun but if you have a hard time justifying all that work for such quick consumption a simple cookie shape does the same job.

For frosting I always cheat and get it at the store but you can make an easy frosting by mixing confectioners sugar and milk to the thickness you want. (Thicker: add more sugar. Thinner: more milk!) Of course you must decorate them with sprinkles and add food coloring to make them extra festive! (You can skip frosting all together and just do sprinkles and sugar!)


Try this recipe below!

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Hot Cocoa Mix

At May Farms we're always looking for ways to make people feel at home. What feels more like "home" than a hot cup of cocoa while sitting by a warm fire?

This recipe is not only simple but it makes an excellent Christmas gift for teachers, a party host or just to keep in your cupboard for a snowy day!

You can package the ingredients however you'd like but we like putting it in a jar and using some Christmas themed fabric to decorate the lid and secure it with a rubber band and ribbon. Use cinnamon sticks or candy canes to add additional decoration.

It's really easy... Here's the recipe!

Ingredients
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you're ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

How to make a homemade pumpkin pie!

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 pastry crust
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree (instructions below)
2 Tablespoons melted butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch salt

Directions:

How to make pumpkin pie puree from a pumpkin (not a can!)

1. Split a medium pumpkin crosswise, remove and discard seeds and fibers.

2. Place pumpkin, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 325F until tender, about 1 hour.

3. Scrape pulp away from skin, discard skin.

4. Place pulp in blender or food processor fitted with metal blade, process in batches, until smooth.

5. Push puree through a coarse sieve. Measure 1 1/4 cups puree for recipe, store remaining puree up to 6 months in the freezer (tightly covered).


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat.

3. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl until frothy. Add scalded milk, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in pumpkin, butter, sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Whisk until thoroughly blended.

5. Pour filling into prepared crust, bake until center is firm, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Jack-O-Lantern Carving Tips!

CARVING TIPS

Plan on carving no earlier than a day or two before Halloween--jack-o'-lanterns have short "step" lives. And remember to bring your porch pumpkin indoors on nights when the temperature is expected to drop below freezing.

• Draw your design on the pumpkin with a water-based marker beforehand. Mistakes are erased easily with a damp sponge.

• Cut the top and any large areas with a sharp, straight-edged knife. A dull blade is not a safer alternative.

• Serrated metal saws, now widely available in carving kits, are a safer alternative to knives and allow younger children to get in on the action.

• Carve away from yourself; kids should carve only under adult supervision.

• Never hold the knife in a stabbing position.

• When carving, keep a portion of the knife blade in the pumpkin and use slow, steady saw strokes.

• Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside.This prevents the top from falling into the pumpkin when it shrinks.

• Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh with a large spoon or ice cream scooper.

• Carve the facial features closest to the center first and work outward. Cut out the larger features in sections.

• Use an X-Acto knife for details and the tip of a potato peeler to make small circles and curves.

• Remove carved portions by gently pushing them into or out of the pumpkin.

• Reattach a section that is accidentally removed by using a toothpick to pin it back in place.

• Make design holes large enough to provide adequate ventilation for the candle.

• Flatten a spot in the base of the pumpkin for the candle but avoid digging too deep because the pumpkin becomes prone to rot.

• Make sure the flame is not too close to the top of the pumpkin.

• To prolong the life of the jack-o'-lantern, seal in moisture by coating all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil, or cover it with a damp towel when not on display.

• Consider giving smaller children stickers, tempera paint, or markers to decorate their own pumpkins.

Fall decor!

Over the years we've seen many different creative ideas to ring in fall using pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and more. Here are a few of our favorite!

Use a pie pumpkin (about a 10 inch pumpkin) and scoop out the insides like you are getting ready to carve it. Try not to scrape too closely to the bottom as you don't want the bottom to be thin. Fill the pumpkin about 1/2 full with water and use it as a vase for flowers! This will often last a couple weeks but keep an eye on the skin for bulges or cracks as after time, it may leak. Always put a plate or dish underneath the pumpkin just in case your vase eventually springs a leak!

Another beautiful fall centerpiece includes a variety of gourds of all shapes, textures and sizes, placed in a fall basket or platter. This looks nice in the center of your kitchen table or coffee table. Be sure to scrub your gourds to remove any dirt or bugs that may have come home with them from the farm!

As an alternative to traditional pumpkin carving try sketching a "dotted" design on the outside of your pumpkin. After scooping out the insides, use a drill to poke holes in the design you have sketched on the outside of your pumpkin. After your design is "drilled" out, use outdoor Christmas lights to fill your pumpkin. Plug them in and your design will shine through!

Have fun!

Spuds

At May Farms, we’ve got a thing for potatoes and it sounds like a lot of you do too! We learned that more than 41 billion pounds of potatoes are enjoyed each year by U.S consumers. That's a lot of spuds! Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, one medium potato (5.3 ounces) with the skin boasts more potassium than a banana, provides 45 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, has just 110 calories and is fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free.

Often when people think potatoes they think of Idaho however, Colorado is the 5th largest producer. Potatoes are the largest vegetable crop in the sate and at May Farms we grow a variety of potatoes including Yukon, Russet, Red, Purple Majesty (yes they are purple!) and a variety of fingerlings.

A potato plant is a vine that grows above ground with tubers that grow from the roots under ground. When you visit May Farms you are able to take home these potatoes dug fresh from the Colorado dirt. In fact, one of our favorite activities on a fall field trip is watching children dive after a freshly dug potato as the spud peeks through the soil.

Not only do we enjoy watching kids connect with nature but we are promoting a healthy snack! Potatoes are a low calorie, fat and cholesterol free vegetable high in Vitamin C, potassium and a good source of the vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. The skin of the potato contains the majority of the potato’s fiber and many of the nutrients are located close to the skin.

Here is one of our easiest and favorite potato snacks that we often serve fresh during our fall festival. We like to use a variety of potatoes, like red and purple, to make a more colorful dish. Try that at home with any meal to add a little color to your plate!

Ingredients:

4 potatoes

Vegetable oil

Seasonings of your choice.

Chop potatoes in to bite size pieces. Toss with vegetable oil, use enough to ensure that they will not stick while baking but not too much that then end up greasy. Add seasonings. We like to use something with a little zip like Cajun or Cayenne but salt and pepper is just fine too.

Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 25 minutes flipping half way.

Smother with chili or sprinkle with chives.

Salsa!

A great way to preserve your garden fresh veggies is through canning. Tomatoes are coming on strong at May Farms and we look forward to canning and preserving them for a taste of summer in the middle of winter!

Traditional Salsa

7 cups diced, seeded, peeled , cored tomoatoes (about 5 lbs.) Chop them to the "chunkiness" you desire

6 green onions, sliced

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs. minced cilantro

2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vinegar, 5% acidity

2 tbs. lime juice

4 drops hot pepper sauce

**combine all ingredients ( use the food processor to dice/mince/chop all of the ingredients) in large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. (it takes longer than this to reduce the water off the salsa...it takes about 1 hour actually) Carefully ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe jar rims clean. Place lid on jar with seal next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met-fingertip tight.

Process in boiling water 15 minutes making sure the water is over the jar by 1 inch.

Makes about 4 pints. (if you are lucky)

Tips for Picking Colorado Produce

Tips found in the Colorado Farm Fresh Directory.

Know what to look for when selecting fresh Colorado Produce!

Apples:
Choose apples that are firm to the touch, without bruises, with good color and a pleasant smell. Avoid fruit with bruises or broken skin. Apples are sodium free, fat free and a good source of fiber. Most Colorado apples are harvested in September, however you can find them from August through June.

Cantaloupe:
Ripe cantaloupe will have a distinctive aroma and the blossom end should yield to gentle pressure. Cantaloupes that were kept on the vine until fully ripened will have a clean depression where the stem was attached. Avoid cantaloupes that are shriveled, bruised or that have punctured or cracked rinds. Cantaloupe are very low in sodium, fat free and are high in Vitamins A and C. Look for ripe Colorado Cantaloupe August through mid -October.

Carrots:
Carrots should be vibrant orange and well shaped with firm, smooth exteriors. Avoid soft or wilted carrots or those with growth cracks or splits. Carrots are low in sodium, fat free, high in the antioxidant Vitamin A and a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C. Look for Colorado carrots August through November.

Cherries:
Look for cherries that are plump with firm, smooth and brightly colored skins. Good quality cherries should have green stems attached. Avoid cherries with blemishes, rotted or mushy skins, or those that are shriveled and dull. Cherries are low in fat, sodium free, a good source of fiber and a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin C. look for Colorado cherries mid-June through mid-July.

Leaf Lettuce:
Leaf Lettuce should be crisp and well colored. Avoid leaf lettuce with yellow leaves or with leaves showing cracked ribs. Lettuce is fat free, very low in sodium and high in the antioxidant Vitamin A. look for Colorado leaf lettuce June through October.

Onions:
Good quality dry onions should be firm and hard with short, tight necks and dry papery skins. Slightly loose outer skin is common and should not affect quality. Avoid onions that show mold, decay, or blemishes. Onions are fat free, very low in sodium, a good source of fiber and high in the antioxidant Vitamin C. Look for Colorado onions August through March.

Peaches:
Peaches should be picked with the background color (not the red side toward the sun, but the backside of the fruit) has changed from green to white or yellow. If the peaches are to be eaten quickly, the best possible peach is one that has already started to soften on the tree, however, if they are to be stored then they should still be firm, but with the light background color.

Potatoes:
All potato varieties should be uniformly sized, fairly clean, firm and smooth. Avoid potatoes with wrinkled skin, soft dark spots, cut surfaces or green appearance. Potatoes are fat free, sodium free, a good source of fiber, high in potassium and high in the antioxidant Vitamin C. Look for a variety of potatoes including Yukon Gold, Russet, fingerling and purple year round in Colorado.

Sweet Corn:
Sweet corn should have fresh green husks with silk ends that are free of decay or worms. Ears should be evenly covered with pump consistently sized kernels. Avoid corn with discolored or dry looking husks, stem ends or kernels. Sweet corn is sodium free, low fat, a good source of fiber and a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin C. Look for Colorado sweet corn mid- July through mid- October.

Tomatoes:
Tomatoes should have bright, shiny skins and firm flesh. Avoid tomatoes that are soft or mushy, lacking in color or have blemishes or growth cracks. Tomatoes are low fat, very low in sodium, a good source of potassium and high in antioxidants Vitamins A and C. Look for fresh Colorado tomatoes mid July through Mid-October and greenhouse tomatoes year-round.

Watermelon:
Choose a symetrical watermelon that is heavy for its size. Watermelons are fat free, very low in sodium and high in the antioxidants Vitamins A and C. look for Colorado watermelons August through September.

What do I do with all this squash!?

If you've got a squash or zucchini plant you may be trying frantically to use it as quickly as the plant produces. Or if you are like me, you have probably killed yours. Fortunately, our neighbors are delivering squash and zucchini weekly from what seem to be the most prolific plants in the world.

If you don't have access to a garden, keep in mind that this stuff is in season! Visit a farmers market and get a great deal on what's in season here in Colorado and support your local farmers.

My husband, Mark and I tried this recipe on Sunday and it was delicious, easy and healthy too! We modified a few things from the original recipe to use up the few things that I've managed not to kill in our garden. (i.e. pepper and parsley)

Feel free to make your own modifications to make this recipe your own.

Here's what we used -

6 medium sized squash
1lb hamburger
1/4 red onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 jalapeno chopped
1 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Optional Toppings (be creative)

Pasta Sauce
Parsley
or Cheese

Boil the squash for 10 ten minutes until you can lift it out with tongs and poke a toothpick into it. Remove the squash from the water, and set it aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 350.

While the squash is cooling lightly brown hamburger with 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to keep it moist. (Don't over brown it as you will be baking it as well and it will get too dry.) After you've browned the hamburger add garlic, onion, pepper and bread crumbs and mix that up. Cover and set to the side.

Cut the stems off of the squash and split them in half. Scoop out seeds and leave the flesh. Scoop in hamburger mix by the spoonful into the squash.

Lightly oil the bottom of a pyrex dish and place halves in the dish. For extra taste you may add the following toppings. Pasta sauce, parsley or cheese!

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 min.

This will make 12 halves. Mark ate 3.5 halves and I ate 1.5... We have plenty of left overs but I'm looking forward to popping it in the microwave for a healthy easy lunch today.

Enjoy!

Krista

Purple Haze

In May we planted 6000 lavender plants on the hill side just to the East of our fish pond. Now, they are just little plants that need lots of loving care. We all take turns walking the lavender and checking for plants that may not be getting enough water or struggling a bit. Even with out the large purple branches you run your hand over the plant and it stirs up a strong lavender smell that fills your nose. I imagine, a few years from now you'll be able to smell it from a half mile away!

Lavender can be used for many different things, cooking, oils, candles, potpourri, lotions, perfumes and more! We look forward to sending the smell your way!

Check out this cool article on the front page of the post that mentions OUR field!

http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_15572869

A day in the life of a kid on the farm....

By Theresa May 13 years old

Every morning I get up about 6:30 and go down to feed the animals. We have 2 donkeys, Dolly and Clementine who get 2 flakes of hay and 9 goats who get 5 flakes of hay. My favorite goat is Peanut. She's the small white one. Her pictures are on the facebook page. My brother and I also feed the chickens, ducks, geese and cats. We check their water and make sure they have enough through out the day on really hot days like today.

When I am all done with the animal's chores, I get a hoe out of the shed and jump on the four wheeler and drive down to the pumpkin patch and start hoeing out all of the weeds. We hoe out the weeds so that they do not grow over the pumpkins and take water away from them. We do that early in the morning while it's still cool and not scorching hot. We usually are down there for 3 hours.

After we finish with that there are lots of jobs around the farm like laying down or picking up irrigation pipe that we use to water some of the other crops like the corn, wheat or pumpkins. Some days we have to mow all of the grass or check the garden and lavender that we have planted.

At May Farms we often have events during the week in the event center, like business lunches and we help serve food and clear plates. After the event we will clean up the building and set up for the next event.

At the end of the day when it cools off my brother and I usually go fishing in the pond or go four wheeling in the creek. By the end of the day we're all pretty tired from all of the hard work we have done and we try to rest to get ready to do it all again tomorrow!

How I learned to pick sweet corn...

The summer before my Junior year of High School, my sister Veronica and I took on what our parents called "a good learning experience." With 10 acres of land at our disposal we ventured out to grow sweet corn as our summer "money maker." In addition to our everyday chores on the farm we spent hours planting, watering and many long hot days in the sun caring for what was sure to be our cash cow. We walked between the corn rows digging up weeds, checking for bugs and signs of raccoons or deer nibbling our crop.

We made it through the early summer and the harvest season was upon us. As the corn ripened, each morning we would pick a trunk load of ears and sold them 10 for $1 out of the back of our 1976 Lincoln Continental by the fire house in our small town. We sold to people passing through, locals and even to the owner of the local grocery store. We took orders from old ladies for pre-shucked corn which they spent hours scraping off the cob and freezing for the winter. We stuffed full 13 gallon trash bags of shucked corn and delivered it to their front door for an extra couple of bucks. I think we only made $250 a piece that summer....But we were left with tan skin, toned muscles and dirty finger nails. Though much of that has faded I still recall some of the best memories of my life from that summer, the value of hard work and of course how to pick the perfect ear of corn.

So this summer when you're at the farmers market choosing corn on the cob consider these tips:

• fully ripened sweet corn has bright green, moist husks.
• the silk should be stiff, dark and moist.
• when grabbing hold of the ear it should feel thick.
• you should be able to feel the individual kernels by pressing gently against the husk.
• once you pick it - refrigerate (keep cool & moist) until cooking to keep the corn sweet.

Fresh corn, if possible should be cooked and served the day it's picked for the best flavor, if you wait too long after picking they lose their sweetness. That's why corn from a farmers market always tastes the best!

Hope to see you at our farmers market this summer!

Krista
www.mayfarms.com

On the way to the speedway!

Last week we hosted the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) for a breakfast and luncheon. They were brought a group of writers out to test and write about vehicles they got to drive at the two new race tracks just outside of Byers. This article about our farm and photo of Gary & Stacie was on the front page of the DRIVE section in the Denver post on Sunday! We enjoyed hosting the group and have a great time accommodating people who think outside of the box -- just like us!

New addition to the May Family!

We are happy to announce the newest addition to the May Family! Gary's nephew Jeremie and his wife Stephanie had their first boy, Liam James Knight, born April 23rd 2010 at 9:15. He is 7 lbs 14oz and 19 inches long.

Easter Prime Rib

So... in celebration of Easter we decided to have an meal and make one of our signature prime ribs. When we do an event for a guest it's not very often we get to sit down and actually enjoy the benefits of the meals we prepare. I am sure many of you with busy households can relate!

What a special treat!

Here's the secret! Our signature prime rib is rubbed with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and celery salt, slow cooked for several hours making special note not to over cook because when you pull it from the oven to let it rest it continues to cook. Those flavors some how touch every fiber of the meat. A good prime rib should always be pink! We serve it with horseradish however, I don't think it needs it. It was delicious ... an office Easter to remember!

Movie filmed at May Farms!

On March 6th - Student filmmakers from Colorado Film School looking for a rural location was referred to May Farms for their "somewhere in Eastern Colorado" setting. Film titled "Capturing Demons". We had a great time hosting the group and can say this is a first for us! If you would like to view more pictures follow the link below!

More Pictures!

Do you know your farmer?

What does it mean to promote healthy living? Yeah, yeah, diet and exercise....Everything in moderation. It also means learning more about where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate, so that you can more closely link with your community and the hard-working farmers and ranchers that produce your food.

Local and regional food systems mean fresh food, vibrant communities, a strong connection between cities and the countryside, and support for this and the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

At May Farms we are looking to build partnerships with folks like FUEL CAFE in Denver. Places like FUEL CAFE who look to serve produce grown locally serve as a hub for folks who also want to support our local food systems. We visited today with Bob, Betsy and Nathan from FUEL CAFE and talked about ways in which we could work together to provide our garden fresh produce to their cafe so that they can offer it to their customers. Stay tuned for more information on this project!

Giving back to the cause.

Feed Denver: Urban Farms & Markets builds community-based urban
greenhouse farms and markets to improve year-round access to fresh
food, create training opportunities and jobs for youth and adults, support
food production micro-enterprise all of which impact our local economy
while strengthening and securing the food shed of Metropolitan Denver.

As a family owned agri-tainment venue we see the value in preserving our farm for others less fortunate to vist and enjoy. We understand that as technology advances small farmers are not as abundant as they were in the days of our grandparents and even when we were kids. We also understand that fresh produce isn't as accessible as it once was and informing consumers of the importance of supporting local producers as it relates to our economy.

Recently, we had the opportunity to donate a piece of equipment to this organization to support Feed Denver's cause. We appreciate what you are doing to keep our rural roots alive!

The Future of Agriculture

Yesterday the FFA Chapter from Meeker, Colorado visited our farm to learn about what we do! It was so refreshing to meet a group of kids so passionate about Agriculture and eager to learn more about the path in which Agriculture is taking as the industry evolves. Thank you Meeker FFA Chapter for visiting May Farms!