Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The first flowers of spring to appear are always a welcome sight. I'm thankful for the mild winter weather and for the flowers that remind us to  enjoy the beauty around us each day.

Dairy Characters

Even though we do many of the same chores everyday to produce a perfect product, each day  on the dairy is different because of the various cow  characters:

Sweet babies!

 Fiesty Teenagers!

Mature Mother

                                                                        Perfect Food

 Although everyday presents new challenges and situations to deal with on the family  dairy farm ,we love what we do and  are committed to providing high-quality,nutritious  milk  by  taking good care of our cows and land.  I love all these characters!

Are You at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency?

Recently when I was attending a continuing education nursing workshop, I was informed about the need for increased amounts of Vitamin D  in the aging population. Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin" because the body can make it when exposed to enough sunlight. It is considered to be an essential nutrient needed by every cell in the body and works with calcium to build strong,healthy bones. Deficiency of vitamin D affects all age groups. Only three out of ten individuals (>1 year old) consume the recommended daily intake of vitamin D--and most individuals over 50 years do not achieve adequate intakes.(http://www.thedairyreport.com/)

Pasteurized milk has been fortified with vitamin D in the United States since the 1930's virtually eliminating the bone crippling disease of rickets in children. Ongoing research from the Institue of Medicine is suggesting that vitamin D may help support a healthy immune system, improve brain function, and may protect against diabetes,heart disease,hypertension, and certain cancers.

You may be at higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency if:

• You have limited exposure to sunlight
• Your diet is deficient in dairy or other sources such as cod liver oil,sardines, or salmon
• You are aging
• You are a woman
• You have dark skin color

Milk is the leading source of Vitamin D in the American diet. Three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk provide seventy-five percent of the current recommended daily value.  More information about Vitamin D and ways to increase your intake can be found at http://www.dairyspot.com/ or http://www.getyourd.com/.

                       As a member of the "aging" population, I think I'll have another glass of milk!!

Fixing Fence and Picking Flowers

When the neighbor calls to tell us that  a Holstein heifer is looking in his  bedroom window, we respond as quickly as possible. Oldest son Cody received the call this afternoon and I was quickly voted to be the assistant for this cattle round-up.  Fortunately for Cody, it was only  one heifer that happened to be loose and  I didn't get a real chance to show off all my cattle skills! My main job was to help head her in the direction of the gate.  While Cody mended the fence, I walked down the fence row checking for other broken wires.

One by one, the heifers came to watch Cody fixing the fence. I wonder if they sensed that they would no longer be able to visit the neighbor's yard?

Not finding any other gaps in the fence, I began to notice daffodils blooming around a few trees.  When I got back to the truck, Cody was ready to leave and noticing the bouquet in my hand, his smile said it all as he shook his head and said, "I'm fixing fence and you're picking flowers!"

                         I wouldn't take anything for these moments on the dairy farm with my family!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Delivering a check from Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee to the Northwest Arkansas Foodbank was a great way to celebrate Food Check-Out Week. I'm thankful for  America's farmers and ranchers who work hard everyday to  provide the safest,most affordable and healthy food supply in the world and for those who work to feed people in our communities.

Dairy Delivers Bang for Your Buck

Even in these tough economic times, Americans are still enjoying the safest, most affordable and healthy food supply in the world due to the dedication and hard work of farmers and ranchers across our great nation. Food Check-Out Week, February 19-25, is being celebrated and observed this week in recognition of this very fact in communities across the nation.  Dairy farm families are working everyday to produce safe,high quality milk that provides nutritional and economical value for you and your family. In these tough economic times, dairy delivers a bang for your buck!

Dairy foods deliver a powerhouse of nutrients that include calcium,vitamin D,riboflavin, phosphorus,
protein,potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and niacin. At just about twenty five cents a glass, milk is a nutritional bargain. You can stretch your dairy dollar and get a nutritional bang for your buck  by:

• buying milk by the gallon and make it your family's mealtime beverage
• use milk instead of water when preparing eggs,oatmeal,soups, side dishes,and baked goods
• buy cheese in block form and shred it yourself to use in recipes
• cut block cheese into individual portions for a fun snack
• buy low-fat, plain yogurt by the quart and flavor it with fresh fruit,granola or nuts
• use yogurt as an ingredient for healthier dips and sauces

                You can find more information about dairy's nutritional value and great  dairy recipes at

                    http://www.dairymakessense.com/ and http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  

Nut Pleasing Recipe

Trying to please everyone in the family gets a little tricky when you want to experiment with a new dessert recipe that includes nuts of any kind. Nuts should not cause a dilemma so I decided to put nuts on half the cake for the nut lovers in the family and none on the other half.   I found this interesting Pumpkin Cake recipe shared by Joe Riddle in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette  newspaper a couple of weeks ago  and decided this afternoon to give it a try.    It turned out to be a very easy delicious recipe and loved by all the nuts in my family---with or without nuts! 

Pumpkin Cake
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup pecans,chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
In mixing bowl combine pumpkin,milk,sugar,spice,eggs and flour and beat with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Pour melted butter over top and scatter chopped pecan pieces on top. Bake until center is set, at least 35 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.

                                                     Hope you have a dairy good week!

When Do You ACT FAST?

You never know when you may find yourself assisting a friend or loved one who may be experiencing symptoms of a stroke. We found ourselves in this very situation last weekend when our relative called and asked us to come to his aid. Thankfully, he did not have a stroke but it did make me realize how just knowing a few ways to detect stroke can make a difference in the outcome for the person.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or severly reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and food. It is a medical emergency and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can minimize brain damage and complication. Know these  signs and ACT FAST:

• Face       Facial droop or uneven smile
• Arm        Arm numbness or arm weakness
• Speech    Slurred speech, difficulty speaking or understanding
• Time        Call 911  and get to the hospital immediately

Arkansas ranks third in the incidence of stroke. To improve the health care outcome for stroke patients across our rural state, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Center for Distance Health as designed the Arkansas Saves program to ensure treatment of stroke patients. Arkansas Saves (http://www.uams.edu/saves ) is a new telemedicine program that liks emergency room doctors at participating medical center to specially trained neurologists via live, two-way video that is available 24 hours per day. ACT FAST and get the life-saving treatment your friend or loved one may need!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

This week we began our Benton County Farm Bureau membership drive with a lively discussion about agriculture and the benefits of Farm Bureau membership on  KURM's  Partyline radio show.

I'm thankful to be a member and a volunteer for an organization that has the mission to advocate the interests of agriculture in the public arena,share information about the value and importance of agriculture and provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members and citizens of our state.

Snow Day on the Dairy

Before I looked out the window early yesterday morning, I knew we had snow just by listening to the excitement in the TV weatherman's voice as he updated us on the winter weather conditions. It was announced that school was closed but not a word about Anglin Dairy closing for snow!

Snow days on the dairy are considered a little more challenging because it takes us longer to move from one chore to the next and to deal with any unexpected problems that may arise from extreme cold such as equipment breakdowns or frozen outside water tanks that must be thawed.

All days on the dairy farm, snow or no snow, are spent providing consistent care for our dairy cows, heifers and calves by making sure they have plenty of nutritious feed and water and making sure they are as comfortable as possible.  From my snow experience last year, I can verify that a two inch snow day on the dairy is a lot easier to manage than a twenty-four inch snow like we experienced last year in February!

Love's Circle

While baking Valentine cookies for my family, I realized that some of the most extraordinary moments of love that I share with my family  are found in the most ordinary times on ordinary days as we work together on our family dairy farm.  On this special day of love and friendship, I wish to share with you a passage from the book Thoughts of Gold written by Leroy Brownlow:

Circle of Love

     The more we love the closer we approach the likeness of God.
     Build a circle of love. For love changes things. It converts a shack into a palace and turns a hamburger into a feast. It smooths the rocky road, and pulls down the hills. It gives courage because it stands with us. It makes pain less painful, sorrow less sorrowful, and joy more joyful. It takes some of the disappointment out of failure, and puts more delight in success. It does because of its ability to share, and much of what life is all about is sharing.
     A ray of love is what we all need--to give it and to receive it. So let love shine and shine and  shine, in me and on you, in you and on me.

                                                                  Happy Valentine's Day!

Cheesy Valentine

As I was traveling home yesterday I saw several church signs inviting community members to attend their Valentine Banquet this weekend.   If you're needing a special  Valentine dish for your  family or church dinner, you might try this tasty Better Homes and Gardens  macaroni and cheese recipe I found  a couple of weeks ago at http://www.recipe.com/. I just had to give it a try tonight and it was deliciously cheesy!


Three Cheese Macaroni


Ingredients
12 ounces dried elbow macaroni (2-2/3 cups)
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper(can substitute black pepper)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces American cheese,cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese,shredded(2 cups)
2 ounces mozzarela cheese,shredded (1/2 cup)
20 rich round crackers,crushed

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large pot cook macaroni according to package directions;drain. Return to pot.
Add milk,melted butter,pepper,and salt. Stir in cheeses. Transfer to a greased 2-quart casserole.
Bake,uncovered, for 15 minutes. Carefully stir mixture. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake 5 minutes more or until crackers are browned and mixture is just heated through (don't overheat or mixture will curdle). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8-10 side dish servings.

Happy Valentine Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

If you think back to about this time in February 2011, we were having lots of snow and extremely cold weather in Northwest Arkansas. I'm thankful for the beautiful warm winter days this year and knowing that even though we will still  have plenty of cold weather, we're closer to spring everyday!

Fuel Up to Play 60 Beats Childhood Obesity

I didn't make any bets on which team would win or lose the Superbowl game, but I am investing my dairy farmer money with other American dairy farmers  to fight the battle against childhood obesity with the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.   Since 2009, dairy farmers have provided  money for  the Fuel Up to Play 60 program designed to fight childhood obesity. Empowering students to "fuel-up" with nutrient rich foods and "get up and play" for at least 60 minutes each day will  work to fight obesity and  lead to life long sustainable health habits.

The Fuel Up to Play 60 program provides tools and resources that are chosen by the students and teachers of participating schools to meet the wellness goals of each school. Key program elements (http://www.midwestdairy.com/) include:

• Free Fuel Up to Play 60 Quick Start Resources
• Interactive online Playbook with easy-to-do healthy eating and physical activity "Plays"-a collection of strategies that help students fuel-up with nutrient rich foods and get up and play for at least 60 minutes each day.
• Fuel Up to Play 60 challenges are provided through out the school year to keep youth excited and engaged in the program.
• FuelUpToPlay60.com provides program resources and serves as an online portal to share successes and learn from other participants.
• Incentives to motivate students,schools and Program Advisors to meet program and milestone goals and funds to help schools make lasting improvements in nutrition and physical activity.
• Rewards to recognize those who take action and encourage continuous program participation.

For more information about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program or learn if schools in your area are participating go to http://www.fueluptoplay60.com/. 

 I love  supporting the team that makes the pledge to --"Eat Healthy,Get Active and Make a Difference"!

Cheese Lovers Fast Facts

If you're looking for a delicious,nutritious snack for your Superbowl party, cheese is the perfect choice.  There are over 300 different cheeses in the United States and 2000 in the world that can be classified into eight categories.  Midwest Dairy provides these cheese facts:

• It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.
• The dairy food group is the top source of dietary calcium in the American diet.
• Cheese is the No.2 source of dietary calcium for Americans.
• Cheese is more than just calcium; it also provides high-quality protein needed to help stay healthy.
• Cheese accounts for only 9 percent of the total fat and 16 percent of the saturated fat in the U.S. diet.
• Natural cheeses such as Cheddar,Colby,Monterey Jack,mozzarella, and Swiss contain minimal amounts of lactose. 
• Most dairy foods are gluten free. Natural cheeses are gluten-free and in the case of cheeses that have added flavors or are processed, check the food label's ingredient list to make sure ingredients sourced from wheat,barley,or rye aren't added.

Information about cheese varieties,nutrition information, and recipes can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.ilovecheese.com/. Regardless of which team wins the game, we can all enjoy our favorite cheese!!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Just as I returned to the house this morning after feeding baby  calves, I noticed this  small young woodpecker in the middle of the wood pile where the boys had been splitting wood for the fireplace.  I'm thankful for the lessons we learn from all of God's creatures in nature and on the farm.