Admittedly, I am much more of a caramel person than a chocolate person, but my Husband, he LOVES chocolate, so here is my combination, to keep us both happy! 

When you shop for groceries are you a "organic only" shopper?  I try to buy organic when I can, usually for meats.  Today when I was at Costco, I bought Organic Ground Beef, Organic Ground Bison and Organic Chicken breasts.  In general purchasing meat is very expensive and it is even more expensive to buy organic, this is why I try to buy it in bulk at Costco.

Buying "organic" kind of makes me laugh, since I grew up on a farm where we raised Cattle, Hogs, Chickens, Ducks and at one time Dairy Cows.  We also had fruit trees - Plums & Apples and a large garden.  Back when my Dad was farming, injecting animals with growth hormones was not the norm.  We fed our cattle products that my dad grew in his fields.  The chickens actually scratched the ground looking for corn, etc.  We had fresh eggs, fresh milk and cream and an abundance of meat in the freezer - all hormone free. 

As far as the garden, it was fertilized with manure from the cattle, peelings from potatoes, egg shells etc.  All organic and the ladybugs helped in keeping the bugs from munching up all the plants.  All natural, then my mother would can or freeze all the vegetables for use throughout the winter. 

My Dad retired from farming before corporations took over and hormones in animals food was used and I am glad.  He and my Mother taught me about the true goodness in food and I am trying to pass that along to my own boys.  We have a backyard garden, we use coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels and more in our garden.  They have learned to love fresh vegetables and even requested growing broccoli this year!  They love to eat ground Bison and know that it is a healthier choice.  They know about real food and for that I am thankful.  Please take the time with your kids to teach them about gardening and organic choices when they eat, it is good for their mind, body & soul! 

Leah - Owner & Founder / Peacock Pottery

I grew up in a very small Lutheran Country church in Southern Minnesota with wonderful cooks, nothing fancy, just "warm your tummy" comfort food.  This is one of my favorite recipes - Thanks to Mansfield Lutheran Church for all the tasty food:  Banana Delight


1 C Flour
2 T Sugar
1/2 C Cold Butter
1/2 C Chopped Nuts (I use Peanuts & Pecans)
1 package Cream Cheese - softened
1 C Powdered Sugar
1 Carton of Cool Whip
5 Bananas
2 3 ounce packages of Instant French Vanilla Pudding
3 C Non Fat Milk

Preheat oven to 375*.  In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter and chopped nuts.  With a fork, stir and chop into crumbles, then press mixture into bottom of Polish Pottery Cake Pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, let cool.  In another mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar, then fold in 1/2 container of cool whip, spread onto of 1st layer.  Slice the bananas fairly thin and layer on top of cream cheese layer.  In another bowl, whip the puddings and 3 cups of milk until thick, spread over banana layer.  Put in refrigerator for 1 hour to chill and set.  After 1 hour, top with remaining cool whip.  Keep in refrigerator until time to serve. 

*If you are a fan of chocolate covered bananas, you could drizzle Hershey's chocolate syrup on top of the Cool Whip layer. 

Enjoy!
Leah - Owner and Head Chef at Peacock Pottery

I love the sweet Vidalia Onions - I bought a few the other day and decided to sautee them for a side dish last night, they were delicious! 

I like the "untraditional" Valentines cards / gifts - not a Chocolate girl here!  So of course, my boys don't get to give the traditional things to their friends either!  Last year, we made I Spy* bags for all their classmates, it was so much fun and they loved them.  This year, the holiday snuck up on me, so we decided on Valentines S'mores! 

When I was a little girl I used to spend quite a bit of time with my Grandmother, she lived on a farm so we were always in the barn, garden or kitchen!  She still (at age 98) makes homemade Cinnamon Rolls (which I have done too), but when she was short on time, she would make these Easy Cinnamon Rolls with frozen bread dough. 

A cookie and craft for Valentines?  Yes, it is fun, easy and the kids will love making these tasty treats.

When I was growing up one of my favorite meals was very simple:  Canned Red Salmon with Vinegar and Fried Potatoes, it is still one of my favorites, but my husband isn't real fond of canned Salmon, so in order for me to get my "fix", I make these Salmon Cakes which we both enjoy! 

I remember my Mom making Poke Cakes when I was a kid, I always thought they were so pretty.  So, last week I enlisted my boys to help me make a Strawberry Poke Cake - they loved poking all the holes and then eating for dessert! 

I like to make salads that will keep in the refrigerator for a few days as a quick and easy side dish for dinner.  This Cabbage Pasta Salad is easy to make and quite tasty.