Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Don't you just love a new baby?

Through the month of December we've 

welcomed twenty new babies to the farm. 

Each new heifer will be raised to be the next

generation of dairy milking cows on our farm.

This development occurs over a 2 to 3 year period 

as each animal matures and gives birth to their first calf.

You might say Christmas gifts are given  year round

down on the dairy farm!

                                   I'm thankful for the gift we receive of watching each calf
                                     grow  and develop into a milking cow that will provide
                                             high-quality milk for our family and yours.
                               

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I was blessed this week with a sweet but short visit from my friend Nancy.

Our friendship began 43 years ago when we became nursing school roommates.

We still  laugh about our challenges as beginning nursing students

 and the life lessons we learned together.

Although she is an Atlanta city dweller and I am a dairy farm dweller,

friends are still forever.

                                                                   
                                I'm thankful for this precious friend that not only loves me but
                           appreciates the dairy farm and couldn't resist presenting me with the
                                 Fresh "A" Milk Wagon for our assortment of dairy memorabilia.
                                       

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We didn't have any snow for Christmas but we had plenty of rain.

It was a record measurement for rain across Benton County that  

 flooded  property and damaged roads.

The final rainfall  count down on the dairy  farm was 11 inches within three days.

I'm thankful that we did not lose any of our cows and calves

during this stressful weather event

and 

                                                 that Santa had perfect timing for delivering
                                                   my new rain suit and waterproof boots!

Thanksgiving Butter Up

Have you tried to butter up your turkey? I know there are many ways to cook a turkey, but I was intrigued by this Dairy Makes Sense  special blend of butter for turkey basting, vegetable seasoning or serving with hot bread. Not only can you try it for Thanksgiving--you may want to share it as a Christmas gift!

Sage,Rosemary, and Thyme Butter

Ingredients:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter,softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon into an airtight container; store in refrigerator.

Recipe Variations: Use your favorite herbs and/or spices to flavor unsalted butter. Add your own salt to taste. We purchased a combination package of "poultry blend" herbs--sage, rosemary, and thyme--making it super easy to prepare this flavored butter. Sage,Rosemary, and Thyme Butter can be used as a rub to flavor and moisten your holiday turkey. Also, add flavored butter to season any vegetable or serve with hot bread. Give as a gift in an airtight decorative container with lid.

December's Gift for the Dairy Farm

I can't think of a better way to start December than finding a newborn calf on the dairy farm! It's December's gift to our  dairy farm along with extremely warm,mild weather.
Just as soon as we finished feeding our other calves this morning, we brought this new calf to the calf raising area and placed him in his own private calf hutch and fed him  a bottle of colostrum. He's had a great birthday so far!

 Even though we will have many celebrations  through  the month of December, why not celebrate today with a birthday cake? When I came across this Birthday Pound Cake recipe in one of my many cookbooks, I just had to give it a try!

I've already got a couple of pound cake recipes in my collection, but I'm adding this one, too! I loved the lemony smell while it was baking and the lightness of the pound cake (It's amazing that a pound cake can be light!).   Topped with a couple of dips of vanilla  ice cream drizzled with  strawberries, this cake  would be a perfect choice for any celebration!


Birthday Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix shortening,butter,sugar. Add eggs,one at a time. Add vanilla and lemon flavorings. Add small amounts of flour, then small amounts of milk until all is used. Spray tube pan with cooking spray, and pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Cool for 10 minutes and turn cake out on a plate.

                                                                     Happy December!!

Volunteer Gift

As I returned to the farm from the Osage Terrace Assisted Living Facility last week, I felt a great sense of satisfaction from sharing time with a group of elderly residents and young members from the Centerton 4-H Club. For the last seven years, I have been providing piano Christmas music while 4-H members demonstrate and teach how to make an assortment of Christmas ornaments, provide refreshments and enjoy Christmas music while working together. As I was listening to the residents and the children singing softly as they worked on their ornaments, I thought how volunteering always brings me great joy. What would our world be like without the volunteers in every community? Life on the dairy farm is hectic, my house is rarely spotless, and it isn't always easy to volunteer but my life is much richer and filled with contentment from giving to my community. Many volunteer organizations are struggling to find people willing to give of their time. If you aren't already volunteering, would you consider it in 2011? Volunteering is a great year round Christmas gift you can give to your community!