Need a brunch recipe?

I was working on a brunch menu recently and came across this recipe. It is one of my favorites and I thought blog readers might enjoy it as well. The recipe comes from a friend of mine in veterinary school. This breakfast casserole is wonderful to feed a crowd and since you make it the night before, it's the perfect "force me to be organized" breakfast dish.

Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 boxes of Pepperidge Farm croutons or 8 slices of bread, cubed (I use the croutons)
3 cups of milk, divided
4 eggs
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of broccoli soup
2 to 3 cups of cheddar cheese (more or less to your liking)
1 pound of ground sausage
Package of ritz or saltine crackers
2 tablespoons of butter, melted

Spread bread/croutons in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix 2 1/2 cups of the milk, eggs, and mustard. Pour over the croutons. Brown the sausage. Sprinkle the meat over the crouton mixture. Top with the cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the soup. Pour over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Crush a sleeve of crackers. Mix the crackers with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 2

Why do you do photography?

I have been in love with visual stories since my sisters and I would fight over who got to read Life and Look magazine first when they arrived in the mail on Tuesdays. I spent many years as a magazine art director and loved finding photographic solutions for editorial content so I see the potential for narrative everywhere. But the simple answer to the question is that photography has connected me to a wonderful community of people and taken me to places I would never have imagined I could go. I simply think about making images all the time.

Photo credit: "Cheek 2 Cheek"

Click here to learn more about this sheep photograph

Monday's agriculture website of interest: #AGCHAT FOUNDATION

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Monday, veterinarian, jewelry artist, and gallery owner Kathy Swift shares an agricultural themed website with readers.*

I am excited to share today's agriculture related website with everyone, the Agchat Foundation. This foundation was formed to help farmers and ranchers use social media to tell their stories to the 98.5 percent of the population not engaged in the production of food, feed, fuel and fiber. I am proud to say that I have been a part of the weekly #agchat discussion group on twitter that discusses issues facing agriculture on a wide range of topics since its inception one year ago. I have made many friends as a result and feel empowered to help agriculture at more than just my local level.

I am also proud to say that I was asked and accepted a position to be on the Agchat Foundation board of directors. I am looking forward to helping farmers get their story in front of consumers. I invite everyone to view the Agchat Foundation website and join us in the conversation on twitter, Tuesday evenings, from 8 to 10 PM ET. (Follow @agchat to learn the details of the topics and how to join in.)

A Happy Easter

Cow Art and More wishes everyone a happy Easter with loved ones today. Thank you for making us a part of your family as well.

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 1

How did you get started?

My older sister set up a darkroom in the attic of our house when we were in our early teens and I joined in and quickly became addicted.

Picture credit: "Brown Swiss"

Click here to learn more about this cattle photograph

Friday's art themed article of interest: DONATING ARTWORK

With tax time upon us, charitable donations are one way that people can help others and receive tax relief at the same time. Donate art, save taxes is an article that details what people should know before and after donating a piece of art to a charity or charity auction. It details the rules for donating art and instructions on how to determine its value.

April's featured artist: Meg Birnbaum

Cow Art and More is excited to showcase photographer Meg Birnbaum for April. Meg enjoys capturing the American pastoral as a way to catalog rural American history. Meg recently returned from Japan, where some of the images from her "Corn Dogs and Blue Ribbons" collection were featured. Enjoy the question and answer sessions all month with Meg on this blog as she details her thoughts and processes. Her photography will be featured in the Cow Art and More specials section. Purchase any of her photography this month and receive free shipping.