Thankful Thursday

It was a bitter sweet moment as I watched the group of 

bred Holstein heifers being checked by the veterinarian

before being loaded on a truck for a trip to their 

new home in Texas. 

The heifers will be having their babies in just

a couple of months.

 

We have almost three years invested in the  daily

           care of each of these heifers.

I was with them on their first day on the farm

when we moved their mother to the milking barn and

I became their caretaker feeding them with a bottle.

I'm going to miss seeing their babies !

I'm thankful to have married the dairy farmer 

that has shared his calling with me  to be a caretaker

of these beautiful animals and a steward of the 

land we call home,

                             
                                                        the continued daily work on the farm,

and

for the opportunities that appear through transitions

in life on the farm.

 

Slide into May with Dairy

No matter what the occasion you're celebrating--Derby Day,graduations, weddings or just welcoming warmer weather--Beef Sliders with Chipotle Yogurt Sauce and Cheddar Cheese is a perfect recipe  for kicking off  the May grilling season.  You can find this recipe highlighted at Dairy Makes Sense.


Beef Sliders with Chipotle Yogurt Sauce and Cheddar Cheese


Ingredients:
For Sauce:
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 to 2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce,chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For Sliders:
1 pound ground beef chuck
6 whole wheat slider buns
1 1/2 slices mild Cheddar cheese,quartered

Preparation:
For sauce, in a medium bowl, combine yogurt, chipotle pepper(s), adobo sauce, and cumin. stir until well blended. cover and chill to allow flavors to blend.

For slicers, shape beef into 6 patties about 3 inches in diameter. Cook beef on an outdoor grill or a grill pan over medium heat until center registers 160 degrees with a quick-read thermometer, turning once during cooking. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 tablespoon,divided, Chipotle Yogurt Sauce, on top and bottom of each bun. Transfer each beef patty onto a bottom bun. Add a cheese quarter and top bun to each slider. Serve warm.

                                                                                   

My Type Recipe

Long before it was common to see men helping with housework or child care, my Daddy was  self sufficient in the kitchen. As I was trying to figure out what to fix for lunch, I found the full page   collection of family recipes that my Dad typed on his old Remington typewriter and  gave me soon after I married. These were recipes that he and his favorite wife (#3) loved to prepare for family dinners.

This typed sheet is my Dad's signature--his handwriting was so eligible, he always typed letters or notes if he wanted me to get the message. Those typed letters were always special because I knew  he was sending love with each tap of the keys.    Hamburger Casserole is just one of those typed  recipes that will always bring alot of sweet memories for me  and smiles from my family!


Hamburger Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion,diced (or none)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 package potato tots
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Lightly grease 13 x 9 in. baking dish; press hamburger loosely in bottom of dish. Spread onions over hamburger. Cover with potato tots. In a small bowl, blend soups together.  Pour blended soup over mixture in dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees fifty minutes. Uncover,sprinkle with shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese and bake for another 10 minutes to brown.

Family Farm Tradition

I keep thinking of the phrase "it's a family tradition" in the Hank Williams song as we begin a new part to our family farming operation. Ryan's parents and grandparents produced and sold beef and pork to local consumers from 1921 when the farm was established until the early 1960's. We made the decision to market Anglin Beef as a way to diversify our family farming operation and continue the tradition. I invite you to check out our website at http://www.anglinbeef.com/. Our day to day activites on the farm are the same because we have been dairy and beef farming at the same time since before we were married. Ryan and I are still learning about how to add this new marketing and selling activity to our daily to do list! Ninety eight percent of all farms are family farms just like ours. Family farm traditions bring strength to our nation and provide food security that many countries envy. It's a family tradition and a great honor to be an American farmer!