I am about to tell you a secret.

Take a deep breath because we've got your memorial day party food planned. So check that box off your planning list and use our quick, simple, and must have options for your get together.

We have a wonderful steak rub recipe that will suit any diet plan, and is loved by all who have tried it. It can work on any true steak, including Flank, Skirt, and Hanger, but we like it best on our classics: Ribeye, T-bone, and NY Strip. Here goes!

JM2's Kickin' Steak Rub

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup salt
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp dried granulated garlic
• 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 4 JM2 Steaks (1.5" thickness)

Directions

1. Thaw your steak (JM2 Steaks work best ;), preferably in the fridge, 24hrs in the package should be enough.
2. Mix your dry rub until the color is consistent throughout the mixture.
3. Rub liberally on all sides of the meat. You will probaby have some leftover.
4. Allow the steaks to sit at room temperature, covered, for about an hour.
5. Prep your grill and get it to temperature (425 Degrees F) before putting your meat on it. This is important for an even cook.
6. Cook on each side about 5 minutes. Avoid opening your grill while the meat is cooking.
7. Cook the edges of the meat by holding it against the grill toward the flame. This should only take about a minute per steak.
8. Remove from grill, allow steaks to rest 2 minutes, and ENJOY!

Notes

Avoid cutting and stabbing the meat. It releases juices that are necessary for tenderness and flavor. If you must use a meat thermometer, try not to flip the steak again and use the same hole.

The hand test is best to eliminate the loss of juice.

We strongly suggest a medium rare to medium cook. Overcooking beef causes it to become tough and flavorless.

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One of the biggest components to weight loss is the acceptance that it is gradual. Everything in weight loss is gradual, even the life changes you make. I didn't realize this until I got to this point in my diet.

I started with Keto, so dropping "carbs" wasn't hard. When I say carbs, I mean grains. I had reduced my high glycemic index foods too. Switching to Paleo was a whole new monster though.

Paleo is about "Whole foods". It's often called the Hunter-Gatherer diet. The idea is that you take foods from their natural state, then do the preparing yourself. There are some shortcuts that are accepted, but for the most part, you're supposed to take the food as it would be found in nature. This means no Bacon, Sausage, or other prepared meats that were staples in Keto.

I went from easy to make meals, to peeling, chopping, and seasoning everything by hand. It's also focused on high protein. I couldn't believe the changes that were required to go from high fat to high protein, and I still often have a higher fat protein day just because of how much fat there is in meat.

Needless to say, our household went through a bunch of changes. It takes time. Switching from the traditional "Plate" or "Pyramid" to a Paleo diet is challenging. First you have to figure out all the foods that don't fit. I had to get those foods out of reach. If we had chips in the house, I was going to snack.

I was really surprised at how negatively my body responded to carbs once they were truly out of my digestion for a while. I was bloated and sick when I tried them again. I tried higher sugar fruits again, and my body didn't respond well to those either. I was hitting a strong sugar high and then crashing. Finally, trying to get enough calories and keep the fat content down was becoming difficult.

Phase one was getting rid of all chips, crackers, rice and pasta. We finished of what we had and didn't buy more. This took maybe a week. Learning the new recipes was hard because we didn't like a lot of the alternative options. It took a solid 6 months for us to find a groove that we could maintain. I had a month of eating perfectly Paleo, and we decided to have a "cheat" with Pizza. Oh my goodness I was sick for a week. I was still eating tomato sauce, cheese, and the occasional meal with pepperoni and various other meats, but my digestion was not up to the task of the crust.

It took months for me to balance it all out. The loss is gradual, yes. We all know and expect it. But figuring out how to make a new nutrition plan work for you also takes time. Planning meals and executing them, finding new recipes that meet your nutritional needs, convincing other people of the required dietary changes, and balancing your emotional needs with your dietary ones all take time and effort. Some days you just take a break and eat junk. Some days you just need that 1 piece of chocolate. And still some days you have everything on target with your goals.

It takes our bodies time to adjust to certain dietary choices. That doesn't mean that the change is good or bad. We have to figure that out for ourselves. Personally, I feel better. I have more energy. It's not as difficult to do the same things. I ache a lot less. And, I'm losing the weight that has fought me for so long. I never really did a bunch of junk food. I was just choosing foods that had more negative than positive impact on my body. It really is more than just calories in vs calories out. We ask too much of our body sometimes without giving it the balance, simplicity, nutrition that it needs.

For me, and likely for most of you as well, simplicity, natural foods, low sugar, and high protein is the best way to get healthy. Whether it's Keto, Mediterranean, Paleo, or some other plan, take the time to see how your body responds to it. It took 6 months for me to really get into Paleo. Do a little research and see what it requires. If you think it could fit your lifestyle, take the time to see if it works. Personally, I believe Paleo is the way to go, but it is lifestyle dependent. If you don't have the time to cook or meal prep, it may not be for you.

Good Luck and happy weight loss!

Besides being delicious, honey is amazing for other uses as well. Honey is great for relieving a sore throat or cough. If you want an easy homemade cough syrup, just mix 2 tbsp of honey with 1 tsp of cinnamon and dissolve in warm water. (Do not give honey to children under 1 year of age.) Honey has long been used in the healing and treatment of wounds. It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that promote rapid healing. Having trouble sleeping? Honey may promote melatonin formation to initiate sleep, as well as promoting hormones to aid in recovery during sleep. Some studies suggest that honey may offer antidepressant and anti-anxiety benefits can aid in the battle against memory loss. It may even provide itch relief from mosquito bites!

For more information, visit our website to subscribe for our upcoming honey hacks that improve, skin, hair, and lips.

Any guesses on what honey is made of? If you think it’s sugar, you’re like most people, but you are only partially right. Honey is primarily made up of fructose, glucose, water, and a variety of other sugars. But here is the good part. It is nutrient packed with a variety of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, iron, and zinc. Wow! I know, right! Table sugar is just fructose and glucose. That sounds boring next to honey! According to the Mayo Clinic, there are about 320 different varieties of honey that vary in color, odor, and flavor. Honey is used in cooking as a natural sweetener, as an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and an antibacterial agent. It is used to treat sore throats, burns, and to promote wound healing. Research is currently being done to understand if the antioxidants reduce the risk of heart disease. Current studies suggest the honey can act as a reliable cough suppressant for some. There is also evidence that supports honey as effective for relief from gastroenteritis or as a part of an oral rehydration plan. Some studies suggest that honey could offer anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, antidepressant benefits and may even prevent some memory disorders. Apparently, honey is pretty amazing! Who knew? So, the next time you need a little snack, ditch the chips, and reach for the honey instead.

Hey there!

Wow March was great! We got lots of rain, and the grass seems to finally be recovering from the freeze. Yeah, you read that right. We have been struggling since that FIRST freeze. The mud has been annoying, but it is so comforting to see grass again and just in time because we ran out of hay. The hawk that was getting the chickens has not returned, and the chickens are back out, happy, and laying every day. Calving season is just about over. We try to make sure we don't have any after May, and it seems we are right on track.

We've had to sell a bunch of cows because the grass wasn't growing. We are down to a little more than half the herd. Two of these cows went to a family member. They recently bought a little land and we are so happy to know these animals went to a loving home. We have 3 new young bulls that will be joining the ranks soon. Our little pullet chicks are growing well! They should be ready for the move to the big farm in no time. A friend donated 5 new chicks as well. We are always excited to be introducing the new animals to the farm. It's fun too to see which hens lay different colored eggs.

We've been continuing our improvements as well. The floor of the new tool room is coming along. Hopefully we will soon be able to move the materials out of the old tool room and start clearing it up for the store front!

April is looking busy. It's been too muddy to put out fertilizer. We hope to be able to do that soon. The same for overseeding our summer grazing. We plan on getting both done in the next couple of weeks. Maintenance on equipment has been picked up. We got cylinders off the backhoe for repairs, tires on the cattle trailer and Massie need to be replaced, and oil on the Case is a must.

We have field trips going on, so there is always something to do. We are so excited about the groups coming out and can't wait for them to learn all we can teach about the farm. These kids are in for a treat! We have our big road signs ready to put up, and hope to get that done soon. Then by the end of the month, we will start weaning the fall calves. There's always so much to do, but we love keeping busy. Check out our other blogs for recipes, how to's, and other stories. We've got a great one for dying Easter Eggs! We pray that God continue His blessings and joy for all of you.

-John

You've all heard how much I hate working out! :D Running is awful. My knees hurt. My lungs hurt. I can't breathe right because the rhythm of running messes me up. My nose is too small to get enough air through it. Sweat is dripping in my eyes. It's a thing I only do if a carnivorous dinosaur is chasing me.

I don't care much for weight lifting. The motion and resistance feel good, but I'm a girl! I don't want man muscles. If all you do is lift weights, you will eventually put on muscle...and I look like a man when I do this. :P It also gets dull. You're always doing the same motions for the same muscles. It's a bit too repetitive.

So what else is there? Calisthenics, Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Boot Camp, etc? Everything that requires a group. I am extremely shy with working out, and I am more likely to eat Brussle Sprouts and Black Eyed Peas than work out in a group.

Does anyone else relate to any of these? Maybe all of them? I don't have the discipline, drive, or energy for most of it. Enter Little Bug, and I finally have the drive/motivation/desire. Discipline and energy are still very lacking. Maybe accountability is needed...Pete. Someone to write the workout, and check-in to see that I did it.

Despite having a degree in Kinesiology (the study of the movement of the human body), I learned a new style of workout. You heard of Circuit Training? This takes circuits and made them both easier and harder! HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training uses so many different things to get your heart rate up, keep it up, and tone your muscles.

I still hate working out, but doing HIIT workouts, along with 1 day of yoga and 1 day of cardio (walking/rowing), keep me motivated and not bored.

We have a weights cage (see image), that was gifted to my husband a few years back. Then there's the workouts Pete writes. They do everything. Squats and lunges, lat pulls and rows, crunches and leg lifts, not to mention the different stuff like iron cross and chair steps. I am doing all kinds of different things. Some times he focuses on arms. Other times he pushes legs. Mostly its a bit of everything.

Each week he writes a new one. He has a workout selected for each day. Mondays are my "day off" because, well, Monday. Tuesday he goes back to an older workout. Wednesday is usually the new workout. Thursday is yoga. Friday and Saturday are old workouts again. Sunday is something cardio, usually walking. Little Bug likes Sunday walks.

We have over 30 workouts already. I have my favorites, and the ones I hope fall on a late working day. ;D He always seems to put those on my bad weeks. If you're like me, and working out is just not your thing, but you know you've got to do it, here are my suggestions:

1. Figure out what motives you to be HEALTHIER!!! Looking better, feeling better, those things are almost never enough. You've got to want to be healthier. For me, it was my desire to be a good mom, a good example for little bug. That was my push to be healtheir.
2. Give yourself ways to remember that motivation all day every day. Right before my workout isn't enough for me. I need it all day. Every choice I make with food, with physical effort, and with drinking water requires this motivation. I need it to make me feel good all day about what I am doing.
3. Find that person that can get you there. I needed someone I could hate in the moment. Someone that could push me, make me mad, and it wouldn't hurt our relationship. If you haven't already had the motivation to get up and do it, you're unlikely to find it without that person.
4. Do HIIT! A few days of HIIT along with a couple of days of lower level activity (walking, yoga) will keep you interested and motivated without burning you out. It's not cardio, and it's not weight lifting. It's natural body movements that feel good and change things up.

I hope you find what you need for that healtheir you!

If you have been following us, you saw our post about How to Poach your Farm Fresh Eggs. I promised in that post that we would share a delicious Hollandaise recipe the following week. HERE IT IS!!!

8 Steps to a Deliciously Healthy Hollandaise

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (fresh is best)
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• Pinch Cayenne
• Pinch Salt
• Sauce pan or double boiler
• Water
• 2 Glass Bowls
• Container for egg whites
• Towel

Instructions:

1. This is probably the most difficult step of all...Separate your eggs. Filter your egg whites into your chosen container, and put your yolks into one of your glass bowl. You only need the Yolk for this sauce, but subscribe for a recipe with an alternative use for your egg whites!
2. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together. This should be done vigorously until the mixture is thick, even, and doubled in volume. I usually use a mixer ;D
3. While mixer is whisking, put about 2" of water in your sauce pan and bring it to a simmer.
4. While your water is coming to a simmer, melt your butter in your second glass bowl. The microwave works just fine for this, but the classic way to do this is in a small skillet or sauce pan.
5. Place your egg bowl on top of your sauce pan of simmering water. The water should not touch the bowl. Continue whisking (by hand now).
6. Pour in small amounts of butter, continuing to whisk in between pours, until all of the butter is in the eggs. Do not let the eggs scramble. If the eggs start to cook fast enough to scramble, remove the bowl from the pan while whisking and gradually reintroduce to the heat. If the water is simmering, not boiling, this shouldn't happen.
7. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thick, creamy, and doubled in volume.
8. Remove from heat, whisk in salt and cayenne, cover, and place in your microwave until you are ready to eat it.

Happy Hollandaise! Subscribe to see our alternative use for the 4 egg whites.

You may have noticed that JM2 does not sell the traditional WHITE egg. Did you know that different varieties of chickens lay different colored eggs? Ever seen a blue, pink, or green egg?

We have all of the colors! So now that you can get multicolored JM2 Farm Fresh eggs, how do you get the other fun colors for Easter? What about purple, yellow, red, orange and the different shades of each? We have your natural, kid safe dye options!

You will need:

• Medium and small sauce pan (pot with long handle)
• Water
• White Vinegar
• Hard-boiled eggs (JM2 eggs would be preferable)
• Beets
• Yellow Onion skins
• Turmeric
• Purple Cabbage
• Blueberries
• Red Onion skins
• Spinach
• Red Cooking Wine

We tried several different options, but this is what we liked best.

Red : We chopped 3 beets in a food processor, then boiled it in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. We filtered out the beet pieces, and let it cool to room temperature before we put the eggs in. We put 1 pink egg and 1 brown egg in the juice, and we put 1 egg in a separate cup of juice with 1 tbsp of vinegar.

Orange : We dehydrated 4 yellow onions rather than collecting skins from 4 onions. We boiled them in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes. We removed the onions and let it cool to room temp before putting eggs in. We actually had difficulty with having enough liquid, and suggest collecting skins and using more water. We put 2 brown eggs in this dye, without vinegar.

Yellow : We boiled 2 tbsps of Turmeric in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. It turns a very bright yellow, and the Turmeric should mostly dissolve. We cooled it before adding eggs. We did 2 brown eggs in this dye. 1 cup had a tbsp of vinegar.

Green : We boiled 3 cups of Spinach in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. We removed the spinach and it cooled before adding eggs. We used 1 blue/green egg in one cup of dye, and 1 brown egg with dye and vinegar in another cup.

Blue : We used 2 cups of Welch's Concord Grape Juice. We didn't do anything extra with this. We put 1 blue egg and 1 brown egg in this dye.

Purple : We used 1 cup of red cooking wine. We didn't do anything with this wine. We have no idea if any alcohol content does actully get tranferred. We dyed 1 pink egg, and 1 brown egg in this dye.

Violet : We boiled 4 cups of blueberries in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. We made sure to mash them up and then removed them after the 10 minutes. We let it cool, then added 1 brown and 1 pink egg.

Teal : We chopped 2 cups of purple cabbage and boiled it in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. We then removed the cabbage. After it cooled, we added 1 brown egg with vinegar, and 1 blue and 1 green without vinegar.

Lavender : We dehydrated 6 red onions. Then, boiled them in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. We removed the onions, and had difficulty with volume again. We suggest collecting skins and using more water. After it cooled, we added 1 brown egg.

Little bug is still a bit too small to do this, but it would be so much fun to do with the kids. I have a few tips for you before you get started. First, boil your eggs while your dyes are cooling. Expect at least the morning to prepare the dyes. It takes a lot of time. We had 3 or 4 pots going the whole time, but it still took a very long time. We let our eggs sit overnight in the dye.

I suggest some kind of clothing cover. You could go to GoodWill and buy an old painting smock and roll up the sleeves. (we use this for everything) I also suggest using gloves. Latex gloves are very difficult to find in kids sizes, but we have just used smalls and tied the fingers and wrists.

The vinegar is supposed to help pull the natural color from the egg, but it seemed to also prevent the dye from bonding. We wouldn't suggest using the vinegar in the dye. Next time I hope to try another method where the egg sits in vinegar for a short time before going in the dye. If you do this, remember that vinegar eats at the shell and may completely soften it if left too long.

One recipe suggested using olive oil on the eggs after taking them out of the dye. This is intended to help keep the dye on the egg. We found that the dye came off rather easily, so this may be an option.

We also suggest doing all of this very close to the timing of your Easter Egg hunt. It seemed the longer the eggs sat after dying, the easier the dye came off.

They definitely didn't turn out perfect, but it is a fun way to use a natural dye for edible Easter eggs.

We saw another idea online to dye the whites of Deviled Eggs. They looked so cute in the picture that we just had to try it with these dyes. We used our favorite Deviled Egg recipe. In the step where you cut the egg and take out the yolk, we took the egg white and set it in the dye in the fridge for a couple of hours. This is how they turned out!

I used to avoid cooking prime rib because I was scared to mess it up. If you're afraid to cook it, too, we're here to help. Just watch our step-by-step video loaded with tips and tricks and you, too, can make the perfect prime rib to please your family!

Use any seasoning combination you like. Don't forget to have Au Jus sauce and creamy horseraddish on hand. Remember that the more rare the cook, the more tender and flavorful the meat will be. Rest assured that this cut is truly very simple to cook. No more difficult than any other oven roast.

Visit our website and subscribe for more tips, tricks, hacks, and lot's of other great stuff!

Poaching eggs has always been one of those things that scared me. Is the water spinning fast enough? Is it too fast? Is the water hot enough? How long do I leave it? Do I stir the water more with the egg in there?

Well, I've done a bunch of eggs, and I've finally figured it out. So now I'm here to tell you what I've learned. I truly believe if you follow these steps, you'll get the perfect, round, yummy poached egg every time.

Tip 1: We're all told to salt water before boiling it, but in this case, salt tends to make the egg white stringy. Crazy thing, you need to use a light brown vinegar instead. The acid in the vinegar helps to hold the egg white in shape. 1 tbsp of a light brown vinegar in 4 cups of water is plenty, and it won't flavor the egg.

Tip 2: You definitely need to use deeper water. A sauce pan/pot that holds 1 qt of water is perfect. The egg needs to be able to completely submerge with inches of water above it.

Tip 3: Have you ever noticed eggs have a watery egg white, and a thicker egg white? The watery white is what whisps in the water. If you use a fine sieve, you can separate the watery egg white without breaking the egg.

Tip 4: Put your egg in a small cup, bowl, or ramekin to pour it more easily, a fluidly into the water.

Tip 5: Last thing, swirling the water is only helpful if you are poaching 1 egg at a time. If you are cooking multiple eggs, swirling the water makes the eggs collide and may break.

Ok, so now you need the steps right?

1. Set your sieve over a cup/bowl big enough to hold the watery egg white for the eggs you will be cooking.
2. Break egg over sieve. Gently shake sieve to get the softer white separated and pour egg into your small cup, bowl, or ramekin. Repeat for all eggs, using a different cup to hold each egg.
3. Bring at least 4 cups of water to boil in a deep pot. (You can do steps 1 and 2 while water is heating if you feel confident in your separations)
4. Turn water to low (or off), and add your vinegar. If you are only doing 1 egg, this is where you stir. You only need enough swirl that the "vortex" goes about half the depth of the pot when you pour the egg in.
5. Gently pour 1 egg at a time right over the surface of the water. It doesn't have to be super slow. You just don't want to make the water plop.
6. Let the eggs cook 3-4 minutes. I only do 3 minutes, but you might want a slightly firmer yolk than I like.
7. Use a slotted spoon, or similar utensil to lift your egg out of the water.

Place it on your dish and enjoy the golden goodness of a perfectly poached farm fresh egg!

Subscribe to see our next email with our Hollandaise Recipe

I've plateaued! -_-

In the last, nearly year, I've been losing consistently. Everyone hits this at some point during a weight loss journey. It's frustrating, demoralizing, and heart breaking. It's still part of it.

There are a few different things people employ here. #1 on the list is "Boost your Workout". I can't say this enough: I HATE WORKING OUT!!!! That isn't going to be my path. I simply wont work out harder.

I've hit a couple of these along the way, but they were small. A couple of nights of protein shake in place of dinner, and I'm all good. It is very imporant to note that this isn't a decrease in calories. I have snacks and larger meals to ensure that my calorie intake isn't too low. I just replace dinner with a shake to stimulate intermittent fasting. This one is not falling to that tactic though.

A suggestion Pete made was to try and eat simpler. Crazy thought, right?! Why would simple eating help? Well, it turns out that the more complex the food is, the longer it takes to break down. During that break down time, your body is actually likely to store some of it as fat, rather than break it down to more energy.

The secret there is, avoid sauces and keep it to 1 protein and 1 veggie in each meal. This is surprisingly difficut and, as I'm sure you can guess, boring. We've tried it though, and it's not enough. This plateau just won't break.

So, attempt number 3, we are combining a bit of everything. We have very simple meals planned. I am eating clean proteins: JM2 beef, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, and cod. We are also having steamed fresh veggies, baked sweet potato, and roasted asparagus. I'm also doing 2 meals of protein shake, just to force my body to boost digestion.

I am minimizing salt, and drinking 80+oz of water every day. The water helps keep me from feeling super hungry, and paying attention to salt helps keep me from retaining too much water. Salt is necessary for the Sodium Pumps that allow nutrients into our cells and muscles.

Finally, I am boosting my workouts a bit. I've been inconsistently doing 3-4 workouts a week. To get over this little hump, I will be pushing to do at least 5, and trying to get a little more out of them. I don't run! Pete has me doing workouts called HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training. This stuff is great. It's my kind of workout. My heart rate gets up, but I don't feel crazy out of breath. I'm doing resistance with bands and some small weights. If I have to work out, this is what I'd like to do.

Our Baby Chicks are here!

It's important to bring fresh genetics into our flock so 30 little bundles of cuteness have arrived!

Stay tuned for our chick naming contest!

#farmlife #familyfarm #localfarm #jm2farms #jm2agandcattle

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In December of 2020, while we were trying to get pregnant, I weighed 280lbs. Yep, I was almost 300 lbs. I am quite tall, but this is still a very unhealthy weight. It really scared me. I was wearing a size 22. God blessed us with this pregnancy despite my weight issues. During the pregnancy, I lost about 30 lbs. I wasn't trying to lose it, but it was nice to see the scale at 250 a month after I delivered. During the holidays, Little Bug's first Christmas, I gained back 5 lbs. I was wearing size 20. I was still very unhealthy. I've never liked working out...it just feels like a waste of time and I hate being hot and sweaty. By March, though, I finally had my motivation. Little Bug had abs and I had rolls. That seemed backwards. I asked on Facebook if anyone knew of a personal trainer. Pete, that's what I will call him, reached out and has been my guiding light.

He pushed me to start Paleo. I thought it was just a bunch of craziness, but he really believed in it. My Dr agreed with him, so I joined the band wagon. Believe it or not, IT HAS WORKED!!! This morning I weighed in at 226! I've lost a total of 36lbs since I started with Pete. I still have a long way to go. At 5'10" I hope to get down to 175. I have learned a ton about myself and my body. I've learned so much about healthy foods and the value of that food. Stay tuned to hear about all I've learned.

We've all had those moments that we all feel like we have no clue what we're doing. We assume that everyone else has a handle on life, but the real secret is: NO ONE DOES!

I saw a sweet family at the grocery store the other day. This young mother of two was holding her little girl, maybe 2 or 3 years old, who was screaming and crying and squirming. Big brother was in the cart seat that daddy was pushing. Mom was asking dad what to do to try and get through groceries because this little girl wasn't calming down. As a young mother myself, I felt her pain. When I'm in those moments where Little Bug just won't calm down, I feel like the word "Clueless" is stamped on my forehead.

Well, here on the farm is no different. We feel like we have no idea what we're doing sometimes. Do we try to fit the organic label? How do we protect our chickens from predators like hawks and coyotes, but still make them free range? How do I fix the hydraulic cylinders on the backhoe? How do I keep my chickens out of my garden? How do I get the word out to potential customers about our products and events?

Like many of you, we find some of these answers online, or hire people to help us. Much of it, we have to learn. The last few weeks, we have been learning how to sell our products. I never thought a farmer would have to market anything. It seems obvious now, but we don't have the education to back it. With all of this in mind, I have a question to ask.

• What brought you to our farm?
• Why do you continue to buy from us?
• What show of appreciation do you prefer: discount, free new product, farm tour, other?

This delicious soup is packed with flavor and gets its name from the wild west slang term for "using whatever is available."

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Coarse Ground Beef (chili meat)
• 32 oz. Beef Stock
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 2 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
• 2 pkg. Taco Seasoning
• 3 15 oz. cans Mixed Vegetables, Corn, or whatever you like (drained)
• 3 cups Nacho CHeese Doritoes
• 1 cups Sour Cream
• 2 cups Grated Cheese

Instructions

1. Cook ground beef and onions in soup pot over medium-high heat until beef is brown. Drain.
2. Add stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add crushed doritos to individual bowls. Pour soup on top. Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Coarse Ground Beef (chili meat)
• 1/2 c. Onion (chopped)
• 1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
• 3 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 2 cups Grated Cheese (we like cheese)
• 12 Taco Shells

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cook ground beef and onion in a medium-sized pan over medium heat until beef is brown and onion is transparent. Drain.
3. Add spices and stir.
4. Add tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce and stir until warm.
6. Place taco shells in oven safe taco stand in casserole dish. Fill with ground beef mixture.
7. Top with grated cheese. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and shells have begun to brown.
8. Serve with toppings of youor choice. We used sour cream, salsa, and more cheese.

Think you're too busy for a fancy dish like beef bourguignon? Think again! This amazing recipe from JM2 Farms features tender fall apart chunks of beef simmered in a rich red wine gravy and will make an incredible family dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Bacon (cut into 1 inch sections)
• 3 lbs. Brisket, Chuck, Stew meat, or Tenderloin Tails (cut into 2 in. cubes)
• 6 Baby carrots (sliced)
• 1 large White Onion (diced)
• 6 Cloves Garlic (minced, divided)
• 3/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Flour
• 15 Pearl Onions
• 2 cups Red Wind (Merlot, Pinot Noir, CHianti)
• 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 1 small can Tomato Paste
• 2 Beef Bullion Cubes (crushed)
• 3 tbsp. Parsley chopped (divided)
• 1 tsp. Thyme chopped
• 1 lb. small mushrooms (cut into quarters)
• 2 tbsp. Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place bacon pieces evenly spaced on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until pieces are crispy. Using tongs, place bacon on a paper towel covered dish.
3. Pour bacon grease in a large heavy pot. Pat dry beef with a paper towel and sear in bacon grease, browning on all sides. Move to dish with bacon.
4. In remaining bacon grease, saute carrots and diced onions until oonions are transparent. Add 4 cloves of garlic and stir for 1 minute. Drain.
5. Return beef and bacon to pot. Add salt, pepper, and flour. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently until brown.
6. Add wine, stock, peral onions, tomato paste, bullion, thyme, parsley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
7. When the beef is almost done, heat butter in a medium size pan. Add remaining garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms. Cook for several minutes stirring regularly to coat mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add mushrooms to pot and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
9. Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Slow Cooker Option: Replace stove top cook time with 8 hours in slow cooker on low.

Instant Pot Option: Replace stove top cook time with 30 mintues in Instant Pot.

This tasty one dish meal is a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 1 package Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust (thawed)
• 1 box Refrigerated pie crust
• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 Medium Onion (chopped)
• 3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)
• 2 tsp. Garlic Salt
• 3/4 tsp. Pepper
• 3 tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 package Baby Carrots (cooked, sliced)
• 1 1/2 jars 12 oz. Mushroom Gravy

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Place thawed deep dish pie crust on baking sheet. and place in oven according to package directions.
3. In large skillet over medium high heat, cook beef, onion, garlic salt, and pepper stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Drain.
4. Stir in corn starch. Add potatoes, carrots, and gravy. Cook until hot (4-5 minutes).
5. Pour into pie plate. Place refrigerated crust on top, pressing firmly to seal edge. Cover edges only with foil. Cut 3-4 slits near the center to vent.
6. Bake 30 - 40 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Try this South American dish with a Texas twist that combines the smoky spice of its Venezuelan ancestry with familiar Texas ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 2 pkg. Biscuit Dough (total 10 biscuits)
• 5 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp. Garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup Onion
• 1/2 cup Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 3 Chili Peppers (chopped)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes and chili peppers
• 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 2 cups Cheddar Jack Cheese
• 1 cup Pico de gallo
• 1 cup Sour Cream (if desired)

Instructions

1. In large skillet heat 2 tbsp. oil on medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add onions, peppers, and ground beef. Cook until beef begins to brown.
3. Add chili powder, paprike, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, tomatoes, and tomato paste.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll each bisuit on a well-floured surface until approximately 8 in. in diameter.
6. Place 1/3 cup of meat mixture in center. Gently pull dough up and over meat, pinching together at the top. Gently press top down to flatten creating a 4 in. diameter empanada.
7. Preheat oven to 375F.
8. In medium skillet heat 3 tbsp. oil on medium high heat. Place empanada in oil seam side UP. Cook until bottom turns slightly brown.
9. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet seam side DOWN.
10. Bake 14-16 minutes or until bottom starts to brown.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 cup Onion (finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp. Butter_12 Eggs (beaten)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 1 cup Cheese (grated)

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef and onions in skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and drain. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet. Add eggs, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly until eggs are no longer runny.
3. Add cheese and stir until melted.
4. Stir in ground beef.
5. Serve immediately.