Farmers are hard working folks. One of the benefits of living in “the heartland” is getting the opportunity to really know and understand how difficult the job of farming can be. I’m married to a man who grew up on a farm, and can tell you that every farmer I know has the most incredible work ethic instilled in them. They seem to be made from different stock.

I recently had the opportunity to take part in a Kansas blogger project with The Kansas Pork Association (KSPA). A group of us each chose one KSPA partner farmer to profile on our blogs and we each made their favorite recipe. I’d like to give a very special introduction to my farmer partner,  Jerry Morris from the Morris & Bohrn Family Farm.

Jerry has been working as a Kansas Pork Farmer since 1968, and he continues to have a passion for farming. Jerry’s grandson, Josh, recently joined the family farm after completing his tour of duty in Iraq. Jerry is happy to be working alongside his grandson each day and enjoys that his great-grandchildren are a part of his everyday as well. Pork farming on the Morris / Bohrn is a real family affair.

Jerry shared that the most rewarding piece of being a pork producer is that he knows he does it well and when you take pride in what you do, it shows. The size of the operations has changed over the years and there are fewer and fewer family farms left in Kansas, but Jerry continues to take all the necessary measures to make sure that he is always delivering on his promise of quality. Even though the industry has faced challenges of health problems and issues with bio-security, Jerry does what he can to make sure he does his part to sell a healthy pig, each and every time.

To find out more about Jerry, his wife of 53 years Mable, and Josh and his family, visit their profile on the KSPA website.

Also, before I get to Jerry’s favorite pork recipe, make sure to head over to the KSPA Facebook page for a really great tailgating giveaway they have going on right now! And if you aren’t from Kansas or aren’t a KSU / KU fan, please make sure to spread the word to your Kansas friends. This $800 giveaway includes (4) tickets to the KSU vs KU football game, a Weber Q 300 grill, 4 fold-able lawn chairs, a Coleman cooler, grilling utensil set, digital probe thermometer, digital pocket thermometer, marinade injector, rib rack, 6 different types of rub, 2 types of BBQ sauces, a ton of other stuff and $50 worth of pork coupons.This is one game they won’t want to miss!

And finally, please make sure to visit the blogs of my Kansas friends for more great farmer profiles and favorite pork recipes!

• Kelly has a really delicious Low and Slow Pulled Pork Recipe
• My mouth is watering thinking about the Pork and Bacon Sliders Alli is sharing
• I bet Amy’s kitchen smelled amazing when she made these Carolina Country Style Ribs
• This recipe for Sante Fe Cured Pork Roast that Jenn shared is going on my next weeks menu
• These Autumn Glazed Pork Chops Amy shared has me ready for fall
• The Honey Pecan Pork Cutlets over on Beki’s blog sound so good

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Kansas Pork Association. I was compensated for my time however all opinions expressed are my own.

My fourth child… the cute yet drives me up the wall one…has made me hate grocery shopping. In fact, I pretty much can’t stand going out in public with her. She’s my fit thrower. My “I don’t want to be in a cart… I want to walk”, independent, opinionated, challenging, one. Love her dearly, but she is giving me gray hair!

When I do go to the store, I want to go to only one store. I don’t want to shop all over town looking for what I need. I want to be able to buy what I need in amounts that will enable me to not have to go to the store all that often (aka – reducing the amount of public store meltdowns I have to endure). That’s my plan, and honestly, my two year old is the reason why.

Since visiting Sam’s Club last summer in Arkansas, I discovered that “bulk” doesn’t necessarily mean buying for huge restaurants and institutions. Buying in bulk can be very useful for my family too. I can buy a lot of something, and Sam’s Club often will have it packaged for smaller, family size, use. For my family, shopping at some place like Sam’s Club is the solution to my “I don’t love going to the grocery store because of my 2 year old” problem!

My friends at Sam’s Club challenged me to buy one of their Whole Boneless Pork Loin’s and wanted to see how I could stretch it out into several meals. I first decided to tackle dinner and created this Asian Style Pork Loin. Check it out, let me know what you think, and come back in a couple of days to see what else I created with the same Pork Loin – stretching out our meals so I can reduce trips to the grocery store. Woo-hoo!

I’m hosting a Twitter party tonight (December, 13, 2011) with Sam’s Club from 7pm-8pm CST. There will be plenty of giveaway opportunities as well as great tips for planning your holiday meal. Follow the hashtag #SimpleSavings for all the great tips and several chances to win!

Recipe: Asian Style Pork Loin (adapted from AllRecipes)

Photo used with permission from The National Pork Association

Last week I had the opportunity to have coffee with Jodi, one of the Industry Relations talents with the Kansas Pork Association. I love working with brands, but I really love working with brands when I can truly get to know the person / people behind the brand. To me, my blog has always been about personal connections. Anytime I can develop a friendship with someone I am working with, it means that much more to me. I choose the brands I work with many times based on the potential for relationship building. I don’t want just a one off partnership. I want to work with people who care about me and my family and I likewise share the same sentiments.

Jodi and I hit it off instantly over our coffee date. She’s a Florida native, a horse lover, and lucky her… she gets to live in Kansas now   She is passionate about her job and the quality of work the Kansas Pork Association is doing across the state. The work she is doing with farmers is important, and I am so happy to partner up with them.

The Kansas Pork Association currently has a grand giveaway going on over on their facebook page! If you are a resident of Kansas or Missouri, simply go “like” the Kansas Pork Association Facebook page to register for one of TEN Holiday Ham gift baskets! It’s an awesome promotion going on now through December 16th.

If you are looking for an awesome recipe to place on your holiday table this year, this Sweet Ale Glazed Pork from the National Pork Association is one of the best you’ll find. Enjoy!

Recipe: Sweet Ale Glazed Pork (Recipe and Photo Courtesy of The National Pork Association)

• 7-8 pounds bone-in ham half, spiral-cut, cooked, with Honey Glaze Mix included
• 3/4 cup brown ale, OR porter beer
• 1 teaspoon mustard, grained
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place ham, face down, on rack in shallow baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake in heated oven for 1 3/4 – 2 1/2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion (not touching bone) registers 135 degrees F. (about 15-18 minutes per pound).
2. Meanwhile, pour beer in small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, until beer is reduced to 3 tablespoons, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in glaze mix, mustard and pepper.
3. Remove ham from oven. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F. Spread glaze mixture over ham. Bake, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes to set glaze until 140 degrees F. Remove ham from oven and cool slightly. Loosely cover with foil and refrigerate until serving time or up to 1 day in advance. Serves 14 to 16

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Kansas Pork Association. All opinions expressed are purely my own.