Thankful for the Buddy Seat

I've been around farming my whole life. So many memories created from being in the field.

Riding in the combine with dad.

Meals in the field.

Hay season.

Learning to drive the tractor.

.... and so so much more...

I remember back to my early childhood days riding in the combine with my dad. There wasn't a buddy seat in the combine back then, so we sat on the cab floor a lot, even taking naps occasionally laying on a Carhart coat. My dad created a make-shift buddy seat in the inside of his old Gleaner combine by bolting a board up behind the seat.

These days, I am thankful for the Buddy Seat! Every year I help my dad in the field during hay season and harvest. Much of the time I have at least one kiddo with me. I'm thankful that I can bring them with me.

It makes me so happy that I can raise my family with the same upbringing that my husband and I had. Equipment is more modern now, and technology has advanced a great deal, but they are seeing where food comes from and involved in the process themselves. From planting the seeds, working the ground and to harvest, my kids understand the value of the harvest.

My youngest started trying out the buddy seat at 2 months old. The older kiddos might ride for a few hours after picking them up from school. They are getting a front row seat at full production. I love seeing them enjoy the same type of experience I had as a child.

My childhood memories all carry over into my adult life and I cherish them so much.

Something that I particularly love is the fact that I am able to share those same memories with my kids between our own small farm and helping out with our family's farm.

One of my favorites growing up, jumping the round bale rows. So fun to share the same memories with my kids.

From helping plant seeds in our garden, to doing chores for our farm animals, to riding in the buddy seat in the tractor or combine during harvest, I'm thankful that my children get to experience farm life, even from the buddy seat.

Top 9 Thanksgiving Desserts

The month of November is here. Thanksgiving.  A month we celebrate being Thankful! Time to think about what we will bring to Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends. Here is a collaboration of delicious desserts from myself and some farmwife friends that are perfect for that Thanksgiving feast.

The fall season is also the harvest season! For many of us we are busy helping bring in the bounty, whether it be directly in the field running equipment to harvest or preparing meals to feed our farmers on a daily basis and everything in between.

Fall season on the farm means a final harvest in the produce fields, harvesting the last of the seasons' vegetables.

Fall season on the farm means preparing for winter so livestock are well cared for. Silage may be chopped and packed, the last cutting of hay may be baled, repairs on barns, fixing fences while the weather is nice.

November, the end of fall season, when all the hard work comes together and looking back at the whole year and can celebrate the growing season. Thankful.

We celebrate with a bounty of food at our Thanksgiving meal. Just like we celebrate bringing our harvest in!

Enjoy these delicious desserts to top off your Thanksgiving meal as we celebrate another year of growing crops and raising livestock.

Pumpkin Pie from Stacy at The Backroad Life

Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies from MaryBeth at The Fearless Kitchen

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing from Liz at Farmwife Cooks

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie from Leah at Beyer Beware

Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake from Jeanette at Fencerow To Fencerow

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from Megan at These Old Cookbooks

Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread from Crystal at Chasing Saturdays

Pumpkin Hand Pies from Jent at Farmwife Feeds

Apple Cream Pie from Stacy at The Backroad Life

This post is sponsored by Indiana Soybean Alliance, but all thoughts/opinions are my own. 

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, the traditional pie for the Thanksgiving season. All the spice flavors blended together with the sweet pumpkin flavor is just so delicious! Topped off with a dollop of cool whip makes the perfect dessert for the great feast!

Pumpkin pie is right up there as one of my favorite pies along with Apple Cream Pie. I love them any time of year, but especially in the fall season when you can use fresh produce!

Since we grow pumpkins, I always like to make pumpkin puree from some of the pie pumpkins at the end of the season! I love pumpkin flavor stuff, especially baked deliciousness!! AND why let good pumpkin go to waste!!

So even though pumpkin in most popular in the fall season of the year, pumpkin can really be made anytime if the year...another reason why I like to freeze pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned-15 oz. can)
1 can (12 oz. ) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie crust (or 2 regular crusts) - premade or homemade

whipped cream topping (optional)

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, ground cloves and mix together until well blended. In a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk and mix together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mix together with a hand blender until well blended. Place the pie crust dish on a cookie sheet to prevent any spill over while baking. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared/premade pie crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Knife check the center of the pie at the end. Cool. Serve with whipped topping.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Enjoy!!