Amy’s Tater Tot Casserole

A few months ago I was talking with a niece about favorite childhood food memories. Tater Tot Hotdish came up during that conversation, and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. Who doesn’t love tater tots? I had to have it! But I wanted to update the recipe, using lean ground beef, adding more vegetables, and giving it ...

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From Feedlot to Fabrication: The Business of Sustainable Beef Production

By Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND | Founder & President of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, Inc. Disclaimer: I am a member of the Beef Checkoff Beef Expert Bureau for which I receive an annual honorarium. The views expressed in this article are my own. When a colleague told me she’d gotten a new job, having left a global berry producer ...

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Good Intentions and Unintended Consequences

Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND I’m exhausted. Tired of the drama. Weary from the fight. Worried about the future. Our food system is being held hostage by activists with agendas and confused consumers with good intentions who are making demands without understanding the consequences. Every time I see another product labeled “GMO-free” I cringe. Do my cats really need ...

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Fresh Corn with Sweet Onions & Serrano Peppers

Fresh Corn with Sweet Onions & Serrano Peppers I love simple side dishes like this, especially ones my husband will eat with so much enthusiasm! We love serving this side dish with roast chicken or grilled lean beef. Need another reason to love this recipe? It reheats well in the microwave. Makes 4 servings / 145 calories per serving 2 ...

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Baby Red Potatoes with Fresh Dill and Butter

Baby Red Potatoes with Fresh Dill and Butter I love simple vegetable side dishes like this, especially ones that bring back such fond memories of growing up on the farm. In early July my mom would often “steal” baby red potatoes from the plants in our garden. Instead of digging up the entire plant, she’d run her fingers in the ...

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Breeding, Feeding, and Butchery: Why Most Beef is Lean Beef

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Beef Checkoff Beef Expert Bureau for which I receive an annual honorarium. I grew up on a family farm in North Dakota with a large cow-calf operation. Most of the food we ate on the farm came from what we grew, including beef. To feed his family of seven, my dad would typically ...

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Three Cheers to Three Years!

When I launched Farmer’s Daughter Consulting on July 21, 2014, I had no idea how awesome being my own boss would be. I also had no idea how difficult consulting is. The ups and downs of income are quite maddening. And the neuroses caused by riding this rollercoaster include panicked thoughts like, “Ugh. I don’t have any work. What am ...

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Healthy Eating in Restaurants: Barriers and Opportunities

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   In mid-February I attended the Sacramento Business Journal Healthcare Leadership Forum where a panel of CEOs of major hospitals, insurance companies, and managed care organizations discussed the future of healthcare. Despite the uncertainty created by all the “repeal and repair/replace” talk ...

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Cheers to More Produce!

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   As a consultant, I’ve been blessed with many wonderful clients and projects the past three years, but I recently worked on a project that made me a bit crazy.   The client wanted me to take recipes created by chefs and ...

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The New Definition of Healthy

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   In the 1990s, in the mind of the consumer, “healthy” meant low fat. In the early 2000s during the Atkins Diet craze, it meant low carb. While the FDA never issued regulations for low carb claims, both low fat and low ...

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