Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

In the late afternoon on a beautiful spring day in Northwest Arkansas ,

 there's nothing more peaceful than watching the dairy cows graze or rest in the field. 

 This new calf was born in the early hours this morning 

after a terrific wind and  thunderstorm.

                                 I'm thankful for this picture of peace down on the dairy farm
                                      that serves as  a reminder  there is calm after any storm.

Mother's Day Trifle

A couple of years ago, I thought it would be great to have some mint growing in a flower bed. You probably know the rest of the story. With the invasive characteristic of mint, I could share mint beyond my local community!

What better way to use a few sprigs of mint than on servings of Midwest Dairy's 

Mint Brownie Trifle.

It will be a perfect addition to any Mother's Day celebration

 and a delicious way to share an abundance of mint. 

Mint Brownie Trifle

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray

1 package (19.5 oz.) milk chocolate brownie mix

1/3 cup vanilla non-fat Greek-style yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

14 creme de menthe chocolate layered

      mints (Andes mints) cut into small pieces

For pudding:

1 package (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 cups fat-free milk

For topping:

3 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese

1/3 cup vanilla non-fat Greek-style yogurt

4 teaspoons confectioners sugar

For mint curl decoration: 6 creme de

menthe chocolate layered mints

Directions:

For brownies,preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of a 9x13 in. baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix,eggs,yogurt, and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon until well blended. Stir in mint pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of brownies has moist crumbs attached. allow brownies to cool completely. Cut into small pieces.

For pudding, combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Mix according to package directions.

For topping, combine cream cheese, yogurt and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Beat with electric mixer until well blended.

For mint curl decoration, use a vegetable peeler to make small curls by shaving down the long edge of the mint.

Layer the pudding and brownies in a 3 quart trifle bowl in two layers. Spoon the topping over the top layer. Decorate with mint curls. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Yields approximately 20 servings.

To serve as individual portions: Use 12 4-ounce jelly jars. Spoon one tablespoon of pudding in each jar.Then cut approximately 2" square brownie and break it apart into 4-6 chunky pieces. Drop brownie pieces into the jar on top of pudding. Repeat process with one tablespoon of pudding and chunky brownie pieces until jar is full. Finish with one tablespoon of topping and garnish with mint curl decoration. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This method yields approximately 12 servings.

Earthday Everyday

On Earth Day, like everyday down on the dairy farm,

you'll find us milking our cows twice a day,

feeding our cows nutritious feed,

and watching our crops grow.

Earth Day is Everyday down on the dairy farm.

We understand the importance of taking 

good care of this land we call home.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                           After a few rainy gloomy days.
                                            rays of sunshine were a welcome addition in the
                                                     late afternoon down on the dairy farm.

                                   I'm thankful for the  rainy days that watered our spring crops,
                     refreshed the pastures and encouraged the iris in the flowerbeds to bloom!

Dairy Q&A

                                                                     Question:

                                                              What is a heifer?

                                                             
                                                                       Answer:
                      A heifer is a young cow over one year old
                                 that has not produced a calf.
                   Heifers  become the milking cows on our farm.

                        It's always exciting to witness the birth 
                      of the first calf of these magnificent  dairy
                animals that we have watched grow and develop
                               over a  two year period of time 
                                  and   cared for  since  birth.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

You never know when you may witness a miracle down on the dairy farm.

I missed the delivery but was just in time to watch this

 new mother clean up her baby with a good licking

 and encourage those first wobbly steps. 

                                     Even though it was just an ordinary walk to the mailbox,
                               I'm thankful for the miracles in my life down on the dairy farm.

Arkansas Dairy Question

What would it take to get you to become an Arkansas dairy farmer?

With fewer than 60 dairies left in the state of Arkansas, this is a thought provoking

 question for these University of Arkansas animal science students that visited

us down on  our dairy farm Saturday morning.

Ryan  gave information and answered questions about dairy

 production,animal welfare and environmental issues.

I got the easy questions about calf raising.

Of course, no dairy farm tour would be complete without a little dairy promotion.

We served string cheese,ice cream and a sample of Fairlife chocolate milk 

with a touch of education about dairy promotion  funded

 by dairy farmers across the nation.

My question from down on the dairy farm:

                                             What's not to love about being a dairy farmer?

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

"Babies take us on a special journey 

into the land of love."

We began our journey with 

Hattie Clair Anglin, 8lb.,3 oz.,20 inches long,

April 6.2016.

                                           
                                         I'm thankful for the blessing of this first grandchild
                                                                                  and
                         the  opportunity to welcome the 5th generation to our family dairy farm.

Have you taken the Dairy 3 For Me Pledge?

I took the pledge not just because I'm a dairy 

farmer but to re-enforce my commitment to improving my health and following

 the 2015 Dietary Guideline's nutritional recommendation. I'll admit, it's probably

 the easiest pledge I can make since there is such a large variety of  dairy to choose from!

Including dairy in the recipes I prepare for my family is one of the best

 ways to keep my pledge and make sure we're all getting the needed servings of dairy.

  Fiesta Rice Skillet Dinner  will be on the menu this week. 

Fiesta Rice Skillet Dinner

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup diced onion

2 1/2 cups cooked turkey,chopped

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 (15 ounce) can black beans,drained,rinsed         

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes  with green chilies,drained

1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels

1 cup mild picante sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and cook onion until soft (about 10 minutes). Add turkey,rice,beans,tomatoes, corn,picante sauce and chili powder. Stir to mix well. Heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Serve hot.