Place an order of $25.00 this month and receive a free reusable John Deere Grocery Bag!  Great way to carry home all the ingredients for your Red Velvet Cupcakes!  Add the part number AI1763WSL to your card and then use the coupon code below when placing your order.

  Coupon Code:  BAG  (case sensitive)

Offer Expires: February 29, 2012

Happy Valentines Day

Red Velvet cake is full of history, there are so many different stories behind the cake and how it came about.  Most stories start with the rationed foods during World War II, some bakers used boiled beets to enhance the color of their cakes.  Boiled grated beets or beet baby food are found in some red velvet cake recipes.  During the Great Depression John A Adams of the Adams Extract Company gave away free copies of red velvet cake recipes modified to use some of his best red food coloring to drum up sales.  A resurgence in the popularity of this cake is due to the 1989 film Steel Magnolias in which the groom’s cake is a red velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo.  

Red Velvet cake is a popular cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color.  It us usually prepared as a layer cake topped with a creamy vanilla icing or most popularly, cream cheese icing.  The reddish-brown color of the cake was originally from a reaction of the cocoa powder with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk; however red food coloring is often added.

Common ingredients include buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa, and beetroot or red food coloring.  The amount of cocoa used varies in different recipes.  Cream cheese frosting in most commonly paired with the cake, as well as the traditional butter cream.

Here is a copy of an easy, delicious recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (1 ounce) bottle Red Food Color
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not over beat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
4. Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Meet the Deckers from Calhoun County, Iowa.

Tom Decker had been in the seed business for over 30 years selling seed corn and soybean seed. Over the years he has grown dent field corn, yellow high oil field corn, soybeans, soybean seed, yellow popcorn, yellow popcorn seed and white popcorn.  Besides being the Vice president at the local bank in town Tom’s wife Diane also helps out with farming along with his two daughters, Katelyn and Megan.

Farmers Best

Tom only sells the white popcorn under the Farmers Best Popcorn Label.  The only one tender premium white hybrid-never blended with lesser quality hybrids-virtually hull less.   My grandfather used the name “Farmers Best” when he produced and sold feed for livestock back in the 1940′s and 1950′s, said Tom.

The tradition of quality on our farm continues today. We chose the same “Farmers Best” name because we feel we have the best tasting and highest quality white popcorn available. Tom grows GMO free popcorn in a field, on a cob, just like conventional corn or sweet corn. It is harvested by our combine, dried to the correct moisture and then conditioned. After conditioning, the popcorn is packaged into bulk packages and microwave bags.  Before shipment, Tom stores the popcorn in a climate-controlled warehouse, something you won’t find with large commercial popcorn companies.  He  also uses Soybean oil in  Farmers Best Microwave brand popcorn instead of imported palm oil like competitive brands.

The Shop

Popcorn Packaging Equipment

With the nice Winter we had, the workers at the new store in Glenwood are ahead of schedule!!  Looking to move in the end of March.  The three big openings will be windows, facing the West.  Great view of Lake Minnewaska.

They have the cement poured for the new shop area and I believe they poured the top floor yesterday, January 18th.

Glenwood is also receiving the Salute to Industry Award. Here is a portion of the news paper article.

Midwest Machinery of Glenwood is the 2011 recipient of the Salute to Business and Industry award. Midwest Machinery of Glenwood is Pope County’s only John Deere dealer.

One of the reasons that Midwest Machinery of Glenwood was chosen for the award is the company’s ongoing expansion. Midwest Machinery is adding 15,900 square feet of shop space and 15,650 square feet of space for an indoor showroom, sales area, parts area and office space in Glenwood.

The Salute to Industry award is presented by the Glenwood/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the City of Glenwood, the Glenwood Development Corporation, Pope County and the State of Minnesota. The award is used to highlight one business or industry in Pope County that is contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of the county.

Midwest Machinery was started on April 1,1988 as Glenwood Equipment by Curt Weber and Charlie Swenson. Gene Seipel joined the ownership team in 2002. More than 20 years later, on June 1, 2008, Glenwood Equipment became Midwest Machinery.  The name change brought nine Minnesota John Deere dealer locations under one name. In addition to Glenwood, Midwest Machinery has locations in Alexandria, Paynesville, Glencoe, Sauk Centre, St. Cloud, Howard Lake, Stewart and Princeton.

As Midwest Machinery grew, it became a family affair. Curt Weber’s sons Brian and Corey, Charlie Swenson’s sons Andrew and Ben, and Gene Seipel’s son Paul all joined the ownership team for all nine locations. Gene Seipel said, “It is kind of nice to have family be a part of the business.”

This is our CREW at the Glenwood location.

Driveway and sidewalks are no match for the new Get Around Gator!

Features include:

• Dual opening doors.
• 360 degree pivot steering.
• Squeak horn and clicker key.
• Parent push capability.

  Age grade: 18 months +

I found this recipe and have to share it with you it is absolutely fabulous!!  I added portabella mushrooms, delicious!!

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
• 4 zucchini, thickly sliced
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish.
2. Combine vegetables in prepared baking dish, and lightly salt. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with dry soup mix.
3. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until vegetables are tender. You can feel with a fork when they are ready.
4. allrecipes.com

Some people are adamant about NOT using their credit cards online. When pressed to give specific concerns, the answer is usually some variation of “It’s not safe.” Fact: There has never been a single, documented, verifiable instance of credit card information being intercepted while being transmitted over the Internet, whether by e-mail or using any online form, encrypted (secured) or not.

Using a credit card on the Web to make purchases is actually LESS risky than using it to make purchases at “brick-and-mortar” establishments (“stores”). When you use your credit card to pay for dinner, for example, your food server will typically take your credit card to the back room and bring back a slip for you to sign. You sign it and then what happens? You take your copy of the receipt, leave the other copies on the table and walk away. Talk about bad security!

For some strange and illogical reason, many of the same people who refuse to use credit cards online are very comfortable making credit card purchases by telephone. This is referred to as the “talking-to-a-live-body” syndrome: The misperception that speaking with a person is more secure than interacting with a computer. Think about the “security” associated with that process: You provide your credit card information to somebody you don’t know, at an undisclosed location, and if that’s not bad enough, you usually receive no proof of purchase! We should be worried sick about it, but most of us don’t give the process a second thought because we’re comfortable with using a TELEPHONE!

Credit card fraud is rampant in the world, yet you never read stories about the “dangers” of the telephone or fax machine when those devices are utilized as a vehicle for transmitting credit card information. Have you ever faxed your credit card number on an order or application form? Didn’t you feel just a twinge of apprehension thinking, “What if I dialed the wrong number?”

Let’s examine what happens on the receiving end of your fax: The fax containing your credit card number – and probably your name, address, telephone number – is printed on a piece of paper that will reside in the paper tray of the receiving fax machine until somebody – it could be anybody – comes along and retrieves that piece of paper.

In all probability your order will be processed appropriately, but do you have any idea how many copies are made of the information you fax? The first step for many retailers is to make photocopies of the order information for distribution to appropriate departments within the organization. But what’s to prevent Rudy, the disgruntled copy boy, from making an extra copy? Succinctly stated: Absolutely nothing.

The bottom line is this: Using a credit card online is about as safe as it gets.The next time you read a story involving the Internet and credit cards, ask yourself, “Is it really a story about the dangers of using the Internet to shop online? Or is it a story about an unscrupulous merchant failing to deliver merchandise, bad Web site design and/or questionable business practices?” 

There is one golden rule that applies to using credit cards in general: Check your credit card statement each month. If there are any charges you don’t remember making, call the phone number that appears on your statement. If you’re convinced you didn’t make a charge, challenge it, don’t pay for it and wait for the merchant to produce a proof of purchase or some documentation that will jog your memory. If proof is not forthcoming, you’re home free. Safely and soundly.

seniortech.us

Fact:

In the early days of Internet commerce, websites did not have adequate security; but things have dramatically changed.  The first sites popped up in 1994 and did not really take off until 1999, but fear of credit card theft kept many shoppers offline. In 2004 the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council realized the need for strict guidelines for online shopping. Companies such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover developed a protocol for Internet retailers that include constant updates and testing, firewall installation, and anti-virus software to prevent data mining with worm viruses.  These regulations have made using credit cards on the internet safer that using them at restaurants and gas stations. Although many sites are secure, there are several precautions that you should take to make sure you are fully covered.

computerbilities.com

A customer’s Father, from Calvary, KY, made this for her.

This is the large mailbox version

Below are her words when she sent us the picture.

“Just wanted you to see this mailbox my dad had made for me from scrap metal.

You have to pull the lever down in order for the door to open to get the mail out.  This is pure talent I think it is the greatest thing in the world.

FYI I will put it out in my front yard in my flower garden though and not use it as a mailbox in fear someone will try to take it.”

This is something she will treasure for a long time.

It has been awhile since we had any update, mainly because nothing has changed.  We have been waiting for steel.  What a waste of a great Fall.  The weather has been perfect for working outside.  So all I have for you is some pictures of steel beams that have finally gone up.  Have a Great Christmas Holiday Season.  Hopefully we will have some bigger changes for you after the new year.

I am excited to stock the floor with John Deere toys and Licensed Merchandise!