Home Events Recipes Cooler Shop Products




Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tasty Tuesday: Recovery Drink

If you are anything like me your workouts have intensified a bit as swimsuit season approaches! Cherry juice helps prevent and alleviate muscle soreness, making it a great recovery drink after any rigorous activity. Cherry juice can be enjoyed alone, but isn't everything a little better when chocolate is involved? Recipe provided by the Cherry Marketing Institute.

Cherry Chocolate Recovery Drink

Ingredients:

4 oz (120 mL) chocolate milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) Red Barn tart cherry juice concentrate
2 tbsp (30 mL) plain yogurt
½ oz (14 g) dark chocolate, melted 1-2 tsp

Melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat or in the microwave for a few seconds. Add chocolate milk, tart cherry juice concentrate, yogurt, and melted chocolate together and blend or mix well. Chill and serve.


Nutrition Info:Nutrition Facts per 208 g serving: 210 calories, 10 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 8 g protein, 3 g fiber, 105 mg sodium; Daily Values: 8% vitamin A; 43% vitamin C; 20% calcium; 20% iron

Monday, June 14, 2010

Early Tasty Tuesday: Berry Parfaits

Don't be alarmed - it's not Tuesday yet, but I won't have internet tomorrow so I wanted to post early! This is a classic treat that can be served as a simple after school snack, or jazzed up for a more formal dessert depending on the type of container it is served in. So simple!

Mixed Berry Parfaits

Ingredients:
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh blackberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries
2 cups yogurt (vanilla, strawberry, or other favorite flavor)
2 crunchy granola bars

1. Divide berries among 4 parfait dishes, top with ½ cup yogurt.
2. Crumble granola into coarse pieces, sprinkle over fruit and yogurt. Serve immediately.

*This can be made with thawed frozen berries, like the ones from The Red Barn freezer.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Garden Girls: Growth

I think everyone can agree that the temperamental Utah weather has really taken a toll on our gardens. Here's how our gardeners are doing despite the setbacks.

Chelsea (Classic Garden): So far my garden isn't very impressive. The only produce that I would say is really thriving are the onions since they are a cool weather plant anyway. Our squash were on the recovery from the cold snap, but the peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes don't look so good. I am actually considering starting over if things don't improve soon.

AnaLee (planter boxes) – Our herbs are getting taller every day, and are really doing well this year. Our strawberries are blossoming and should have ripe fruit in a few more weeks. Watering is going well, but sometimes I worry my planters don't get enough sun, since they are along a fence, overshadowed by a large willow tree.

Paige (Containers): So I got a little excited and started my garden too early for Utah's ever changing weather. I had plants die and go into hibernation. Now the weather is finally warming up and I replanted a few things and they have just flourished. My gardening tip - don't get too excited and plant too early...the plants don't like it! My tomatoes are looking healthy and grow everyday. My herbs have just shot up and are looking so good! I can't wait to use them! One other mistake I made with them was over-watering. I got too excited and tried to water them everyday. As soon as I waited to water until the soil was dry (like the directions said!) they grew!









Janae (Trellises): The cool weather vegetables are looking great. I am doing a good job keeping the weeds down, which will be helpful as the warm weather plants start to sprout. I have my trellises up for my beans and tomatoes, and so far everything looks to be right on track.


Keep up the good work ladies!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Tasty Tuesday: Strawberry Frosting

Last weekend I was in a real jam - I was all out of frosting and needed to bring a cake over for a birthday party. Lucky, I had just that - jam! Here is a simple recipe for a Strawberry Jam Butter Cream Frosting, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, graham crackers, and more! Thanks Laura for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Red Barn Strawberry jam
red food coloring (enough to make it a pretty pink color)

Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out. Put on your favorite treat, pictured above is Devil's Food Cake cupcakes.

*If you decide to use a different brand of jam, it must be smooth, like The Red Barn's or it will not turn out correctly.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Oraganic Gardening

I was reading an interesting article about Organic Gardening, found here and wanted to share the Question/Answer portion, which I found interesting.

How often should a garden be weeded?
Weeds may often look unthreatening, but they steal water and nutrients from your vegetables, so pull them when you see them. This is especially important early on.

What’s the best fertilizer?

The better question to ask is, “What does my garden need?” Contact your county or state agricultural extension service to get a soil test. (Utah State has a great one) This will diagnose your dirt’s nutrients, pH, and texture. “It will help you avoid adding unnecessary nutrients, which can cause problems for your garden,” says Linda Chalker-Scott, associate professor of horticulture at Washington State University.

What’s an easy way to protect fruit trees from being attacked by bugs?
Look in your kitchen drawer. Plastic sandwich bags can serve as a shield, and they won’t interfere with growth. When the fruit is the size of a quarter, place a bag around each one and staple it shut. Cut a small hole in the corner to let water escape, and leave the bag on until harvest. In very hot climates, try using panty hose as a barrier. (I have never tried this myself, but if you try it let me know how it works out for you).

Will releasing ladybugs and earthworms improve a garden’s health?

While lady beetles—the correct name—do consume harmful pests like aphids, the ones you import probably won’t stick around to do so. Lady beetles sold in stores “have been hibernating,” Gillman says. “When they wake up, their instinct is to fly away.”

Earthworms are superb garden multitaskers. They aerate the soil, digest organic matter and provide nutrients for roots to absorb, and create an environment that encourages beneficial microbes. So, should you get some from the garden center? No. If you have healthy soil worms are already there. And if you don’t, work in compost or aged manure to your garden, and they’ll come on their own.

There are many old wives’ tales about how various foods and kitchen scraps can be used to help gardens. Are any of these claims valid?

Eggshells are a good source of calcium, essential for tomatoes; without it, they develop brown patches known as blossom-end rot. Just crush the shells and sprinkle the bits on the soil.

In a later post, I will also explain how to use milk and peppers to make an organic spray to ward off pests and mildew. Happy Gardening, from The Red Barn!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tasty Tuesday: Cran-Orange Almond Salad

If you are anything like me and ate WAY too much at yesterday's BBQ, and the left overs only remind you of how much you shouldn't have eaten, then this recipe is for you! A crisp light salad, good anytime of the year. This can also be altered to include your left over grilled chicken or other meats for a more hearty salad.

Cran-Orange Almond Salad
  • 1 large head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and broken into pieces
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (the thinner the better)
  • 2 – 3 Red Barn oranges, peeled and sliced then cut into chunks (You can use 2 cans of mandarin oranges, drained – but the fresh orange is fabulous)
  • 1/2 jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Red Barn dried cranberries

Serve tossed with orange dressing and sugared almonds. (recipes below)

Orange Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix

Combine ingredients in blender or shaker jar.

Sugared Almonds

  • 4 ounces slivered almonds
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar

Place almonds in a small skillet and sprinkle with sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring until almonds are coated and starting to brown (a nice tan color) and sugar has dissolved. (Be careful not to burn) Allow almonds to cool.