Hey guys! Long time, no see! With spring rolling around I haven’t had much time to write, but I have came up with some great new ideas to blog about! I was planning on a writing-spree during spring break, but that didn’t happen. Spring always gets me itching to clean out closets, barns, and all sorts of other things so I tried to disconnect from electronics for a little while. My dad and I actually cleaned out our saddle shed and built new saddle racks (which are awesome, by the way)! I tried to stay home, relax, bake with my grandma, and tag baby calves! I would say it was one of my more productive spring breaks that I have had over the years.
One of the delectable pies made over spring break! Hoping to have a post about them soon, also!
If you are like me, spring brings visions of summer and all the events that take place during that wonderful season. It is hard to pull my mind from day dreaming of warm sun and days spent at cattle shows, specifically the Iowa State Fair. I have been many places, but nowhere can top my love for the Iowa State Fair. You can bet I am counting down the days. In fact, there are only 126 days left until the beginning of fair! There are bubble blowing contests, baked goods competitions, the Ag building, 4-H and FFA projects, food on a stick and the famous butter cow sculpture to keep you busy while at the fair. If you have been you know exactly what I am talking about. I go every year and try to soak up as much “fair” as possible! I usually exhibit cattle at the fair and spend most of my time in the iconic cattle barn. However, one of my favorite things to do is to indulge in the the treats and foods offered by the many vendors that come to fair. If you have been around me, or my sister Alyssa, at the fair it is no secret that we have an obsession with trying out new fair foods every year. From German chocolate and red elvet funnel cakes to fried pickle dogs, we have tried (and mostly loved) it. In addition to the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters, one of our favorite places to eat is the Iowa Turkey Federation’s tent. Since we were little we would walk to the tent and buy huge turkey legs (drumsticks). I wish I had a picture of the two of us holding our turkey legs just to show you their size! I am not sure how the tradition started for the two of us, but we try to go together every year. This year it might be more challenging as she left Iowa for Boston and an awesome new job. I suppose we will get her back for a few days of the fair (hopefully)!
Anyways, being a beef producer myself if it is sometimes hard to admit that one of my favorite foods is actually not beef (big surprise, I know). I really love turkey, and do not eat it nearly enough. From my grammie’s turkey and noodles to turkey on Thanksgiving day, I can’t stay away! At the 2016 Iowa State Fair there was a new food introduced by the Turkey Federation called, “Not Your Mamma’s Taco.” That sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it? Well, it is as good as it sounds and even won the prestigious People’s Choice Best New Foods Contest. They are made of a fried, flour tortilla, shredded turkey tenderloin, veggie slaw, and mango salsa! They only cost $5, are packed with flavor, and under 600 calories. I am not even going to tell you how many I ate during the week I was at the fair. They seriously are addicting!
“Not Your Mamma’s Taco”
So, along comes spring and this itch for all things summer. I kept telling my grandma how much I wished I could get my hands on the recipe for the “Not Your Mamma’s Taco,” and have them for dinner. Well, I got the nerve to actually Facebook messaged the Iowa Turkey Federation (seriously) and got the recipe. It is not the exact recipe used at the state fair as some of the ingredients are family recipes, but I sure do appreciate them fulfilling my craving. I got the recipe a few weeks ago and just had the opportunity to make them tonight. They were pretty well everything I had dreamed of and even Austin liked them. I highly recommend you like the Iowa Turkey Federation on Facebook and follow along as they post other recipes frequently! Below is the recipe that they gave me and are allowing me to distribute from my blog! I hope that if you haven’t tried them at the state fair that you will now! Turkey is such a great protein source and Iowa turkey farmers alone raise over 11 million turkeys annually, contributing $1.5 billion to the state’s economy. Just like beef producers they are stewards of the land, believe in animal welfare, dedicated to food safety, implement biosecurity and vaccinate against diseases to produce healthy birds. Something that I didn’t realize is that there are over 130 turkey farms in the state of Iowa which ranks Iowa 9th in overall production. I encourage you to check out their website to learn more because it is really interesting! Why not support other agriculturists like these turkey farmers?!
Here is the recipe from the Iowa Turkey Federation. Season your turkey however you wish, and note that tenderloins can be hard to find. I used breasts which were equally tasty! Enjoy! 
Make sure to follow the Iowa Turkey Federation on Facebook and check out their website! Let me know how you liked the tacos.
Until next time,
Syd
What's The Beef With Syd? 