New Year Dairy Dippin'

Did you  receive any new kitchen gadgets for Christmas?  I did!

 A few weeks before Christmas, after making the statement that I did not want to receive any appliance gift, my twenty plus year old hand- me- down  food processor died. Thanks to the Dairy Farmers in my family,   I'll be ringing in the New Year in kitchen gadget style  with Roasted Red Pepper Yogurt Dip--thanks  to my new shiny silver  Cuisinart Food Processor!


Roasted Red Pepper Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

1 (12ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 (8ounce) containers low-fat plain yogurt
1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chilies, drained
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation:

Puree red peppers in food processor or blender; drain again. Add remaining ingredients; mix until blended and refrigerate. Serve with assorted cut vegetables or pita wedges.






                          You can find other tasty and nutritious dairy recipes at Dairy Makes Sense.

 

HAPPY  NEW YEAR!

Christmas Eve Eggnog

Before Santa arrives on Christmas Eve, you may want to whip up Vanilla Eggnog to share with your family. There might even be enough left for Santa!



Vanilla Eggnog

Ingredients:
3 pasteurized eggs (or 3/4 cup pasteurized egg product, like Egg Beaters)
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups lowfat milk
1cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whole nutmeg,grated

Preparation:

In a blender, mix eggs and sugar. Add milk, yogurt, vanilla and salt; blend until frothy. Pour into serving glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Servings: 7

             This recipe was created by Merri Post, dairymom from Middleroad Acres--Minnesota.
                               You can find this and other great recipes at Dairy Makes Sense.

Twice Baked Turkey

Even though my family enjoys the left-over Thanksgiving turkey sandwich or warmed up turkey and dressing, we're ready for a  cheesy twice baked  turkey twist in a short time.  Turkey Tetrazzini  (also known as Chicken Tetrazzini) is also perfect for an easy supper after a day of Christmas shopping!

Turkey Tetrazzini

9 1/2 oz. spaghetti, uncooked
3 Tablespoons onion,
chopped (optional)
1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional)
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
5 Tablespoons water
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese,shredded
1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese,shredded
2 cups diced, cooked turkey

Preparation:

Cook spaghetti until tender, drain and mix with a little melted butter.   Cook onions and garlic in butter until tender; blend in soup and water. Stir until smooth. Add cup of cheese, stirring until melted. Stir occasionally. Fold turkey into soup mixture.

Place spaghetti in bottom of greased 13x 9 inch baking dish. Cover with turkey mixture. Top with remaining grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Dairy Goes Bananas

I love this month of gathering with friends and family to celebrate and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy on a daily basis.  As I flipped through a new cookbook, 'What's Cooking at Wye', that I picked up on my visit to see the spring daffodils on Wye Mountain, Banana Pudding seemed to be the perfect choice to carry to our Thanksgiving church dinner today. It meets my criteria for using dairy products and serving a crowd!

The recipe didn't have a lot of detailed instruction so I decided on my own to line the bottom of the 13x 9  serving dish with a layer of vanilla wafers with a layer of banana slices on top,pour the pudding mixture  and top it with the rest of the vanilla wafers. I can tell you from licking the spatula--it's mmm... good!

Banana Pudding

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese,softened
1 can condensed milk

Mix ingredients above together and set aside.

1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the above ingredients together; then add to the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture.

8 bananas-sliced
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 package of vanilla wafers

Add to the mixture above: 1 large tub of Cool Whip (fold one big blob of this into the mixture above)
use the rest to top the pudding. Pour into large bowl, top with remaining cool whip...place in the refrigerator.

                                                                          Happy Sunday!

Power Up With Cheese

Even though there are more than 300 different cheeses in the United States and 2000 in the world, you can always find Cheddar,Colby or Monterey Jack in our refrigerator. We've never had any cheese that we didn't like but these are our  favorites for snacking, to use as a salad topping or shredded and combined with other recipes.

Cheese packs a powerful protein punch that can curb hunger,supplies calcium,vitamin A and B12,riboflavin,phosphorus,potassium, magnesium and maintains muscles and builds strong bones and teeth. If you're counting calories or portions, one serving of cheese is 1.5 ounces of natural or 2 ounces of processed cheese. A serving is also the equivalent of 4 cubes the size of playing dice.

  If you are needing a quick,calorie light lunch or dinner to fit a busy holiday schedule, you may want to try Colby Cobb Salad. It's perfect for the Colby Cheese lover!

Colby Cobb Salad

For the dressing:
2 cups fat-free yogurt,divided
4 large basil leaves
1/4 cup parsley,stems removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon additional pepper (optional)

For the salad:
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce (1 small head)
1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup diced cucumber
2 slices cooked turkey breast,cut into strips
2 tablespoons bacon bits
1 egg, hard boiled and chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby or Colby Jack cheese

Preparation:
Place 1 cup of yogurt,basil,parsley,chives,lemon juice,honey and pepper in a blender or food processor. Cover and pulse until smooth (dressing will be green in color). Pour yogurt mixture into a medium bowl; stir in remaining yogurt and mayonnaise until just blended; refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the salad: Place lettuce at the bottom of a bowl and sprinkle the tomatoes,onion,cucumber,turkey,bacon bits, egg and Colby cheese on top. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss lightly. (Dressing may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated)

                    You can find Colby Cobb Salad and other delicious recipes at DairyMakesSense!

Crazy Day Recipe

 I'm not sure what possessed me to try a new recipe when my friends from church were coming to my house for our December Christmas potluck, but I'll just say I was crazy. I  found Creamy Italian Chicken   in Ecclesiastical Cuisine, a cookbook I purchased last year from the Central Presbyterian church Women's Association in Fort Smith,Arkansas.Whether you're having a crazy busy day during this holiday season or just feeling crazy--here's a recipe you may want to try!


Creamy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:
4 bonesless,skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8 oz.cream cheese,softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz. can mushroom pieces,drained
Dash garlic powder

Put chicken in slow cooker. Combine dressing mix and water; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Mix cream cheese,soup,and mushrooms. Add garlic powder and pour over chicken. Cover and cook 1 hour longer.

Creamy Italian Chicken turned out to be very tasty and a great success measured by clean plates and everyone requested   a copy of the recipe!

Healthy Holiday Breakfast

It's not every one that can get excited about Homemade Low-Fat Granola! Last week while grocery shopping, I gave up on finding a plain granola that I could put with my low-fat vanilla yogurt. Lo and behold, this recipe is on the Dairy Makes Sense website.  What's even better, why not make this  for a    special person on your Christmas list that enjoys a low-fat nutritious and tasty breakfast! 

Homemade Low-Fat Granola

Ingredients for the granola:
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal,uncooked
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together oatmeal,almonds,cinnamon,and salt,if desired, in a large bowl. In a seperate bowl,whisk maple syrup,apple juice and vegetable oil; pour over oatmeal mixture and stir to coat thoroughly. Spread mixture in an even layer onto a 15x12-inch baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes,stirring twice during baking time.

Cool mixture in the pan before adding raisins. Store granola in an airtight container. To serve: Pour 1 cup milk over a heaping 1/2 cup of granola. Top with fresh berries, if desired.

Substitution Idea: Instead of milk,top one cup of fat-free yogurt with the granola.

Can't you just see this granola recipe in a cute little mason jar decorated with a holiday ribbon?

Black Friday Prep

Besides getting ready for the holiday season's cooking,baking and shopping, we women must begin to get our Black Friday shopping plans laid out. Depending on your Thanksgiving holiday schedule, you may need a quick meal for pre or post Black Friday shopping or perhaps just a quick alternative to the Thanksgiving leftovers in the frig!

My strategic Black Friday plan includes making sure that I stock up on the ingredients for BBQ Ranch Quesadilla Wedges. Even if I choose not to  shop on Black Friday, I can see this recipe fitting perfectly  with calf feeding and farm chores besides the decorating and baking that I plan to do!

BBQ-Ranch Quesadilla Wedges

Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) frozen pepper stir-fry blend
1/4 cup diced onion
11/2 cups prepared shredded barbecue beef
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup light ranch dressing
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:
Prepare stir-fry pepper blend with diced onion added and heat barbecue beef according to package directions. While vegetables and beef are cooking, mix barbecue sauce and ranch dressing in small serving bowl; set aside for dipping sauce.

On a tortilla, evenly layer 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons each of shredded beef and cheese. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetables. Cover with a second tortilla.

Repeat for total of 4 quesadilla. Spray large skillet or counter-top grill with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook each quesadilla for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese is melted. Cut into 8 wedges; serve with barbecue-ranch dip.

Serves:8

                       You can find other great Black Friday  recipes at Dairy Makes Sense!

Dairy Diversion for Hot Weather

As a diversion from the hot weather and stressful weather conditions that we are experiencing on the dairy farm, I'm thinking about next week's holiday celebration that we will enjoy as a family. Even though fireworks won't be part of our July 4th celebration due to the drought, we will be making our traditional freezer of ice cream to go with our hamburgers and hotdogs! If I can find some ripe peaches, I'm going to try this recipe I found in my Jim Graham's Farm Family Cookbook for City Folks which is a collection of recipes from a lot of good cooks in North Carolina.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

1 quart milk
1 10-ounce package of marshmallows
2 cups sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups Half & Half dairy creamer
3 cups mashed fresh peaches

Combine milk and marshmallows in Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows melt; remove from heat. Add sugar and remaining ingredients; mix well. chill. Pour mixture into freezer container of gallon hand-turned or electric ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Pack freezer with additional ice and salt, and let stand for 1 to 2 hours to ripen before serving.

                     Hope you have a safe, dairy good July 4th!

Purple Pudding--A Family Tradition

Trying to fit all the activities of Christmas Day into the daily routine of the dairy farm is quite a challenge. It doesn't seem to bother anyone in my family when we plan to open gifts or eat Christmas dinner as long as I make preparation to serve favorite family recipes that my mother-in-law prepared for us during the holiday season. Serving those favorite recipes that my mother-in-law always prepared for Christmas or through the year is a sweet and comforting remembrance for all of us and has become an important part of our ongoing family traditions.

Purple Pudding (my mother-in-law's recipe) is a family favorite throughout the year.  I chose to include it as part of our family dinner tradition because it is easy to assemble, can be prepared ahead of the event, and of course, it includes a couple of dairy products!

Purple Pudding

Ingredients:
1 can condensed sweetened milk
2 lemons
1/2 pint whipping cream
4 tablespoons black raspberry jam
1 cup nuts (optional)
vanilla wafers

Mix milk with the juice of two lemons,set aside. Whip cream;add jam to whipped cream,mix well. Fold together.

Place vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 9x9 dish. Add pudding mixture; add layer of nuts if desired. Top with vanilla wafers. Chill and serve.

            Hope you have a dairy good week and enjoy time with your family during this holiday season!

Christmas Day Dairy Breakfast

Christmas Day on the dairy farm always includes feeding the baby calves,milking and feeding the dairy cows and caring for all of our livestock.  Since Christmas is on Sunday this year, the schedule will be even more hectic and require a little more advance meal planning to make sure I get the calves fed, feed the family and get to church on time. The Cheddar and Mushroom Breakfast Squares recipe that I found on the MidwestDairy website will be a great recipe to prepare in advance and serve my family as a special Christmas morning treat before chores and church.

Cheddar and Mushroom Breakfast Square

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter
2 cups sliced white button mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onion,including green tops
6 slices country style bread,cubed
2 cups shredded,reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 cups fat-free or low-fat milk
2 cups egg substitute
1 teaspoon red or green hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Preparation:
Spray an 8x8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms about 5 minutes or until softened and brown at edges. Stir in green onion; set aside.

Place 1/2 of the bread cubes in prepared baking dish. Scatter 1/2 of the mushroom mixture and 1/2 of the cheese over bread cubes. Layer remaining bread cubes and mushroom mixture; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat milk,egg substitute,pepper sauce and salt, if desired, until well blended. Pour milk mixture over bread cubes and top with the remaining cheese.

Make ahead suggestion: cover dish with foil and refrigerate for 8-10 hours before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake,covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until top is puffed up and cheese is browned at edges. Let cool for 5 minutes; cut into squares to serve.

 

                                           A great assortment of dairy recipes can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or  http://www.dairymakessense.com.  Hope you have a very Dairy Christmas!!

Never Fail Fudge for the Non-Candy Maker

Last weekend I made Fantasy Fudge, the recipe from the Kraft Marshmallow creme jar.  It was very good, easy to make and dispapeared quickly at the church party. I was feeling  pretty good about my fudge accomplishment as a non-candy maker until the words from farmer-husband taste tester,"it wasn't quite like Mom made." I've heard that remark before and often take it as a challenge!  As I was looking for recipe ideas for a family Christmas party this weekend, I found the Never Fail Fudge recipe in my mother-in-law's recipe box.

Never Fail Fudge
Ingredients:
5 cups sugar
1 can Pet milk
1 stick butter
2 packages chocolate chips
1 jar marshmallow cream
2 pounds or more of pecans or walnuts

Mix sugar,butter and milk; boil together 8 minutes and take from fire. Stir in chocolate chips and marshmallow cream; add nuts. Drop from spoon on waxed paper.

                                                   

                     I'm sharing the recipe just as written--and I'll see if I can make it "just like Mom"! 

Appetizing Appetizer for the Holiday Menu

My church, like all churches, is filled with great cooks with a lot of experience.  Last night after our women's Bible study, we were treated with this delicious Vegetable Bar recipe.  Our hostess, Thelma, is an experienced cook , gardner and long time member of the Vaughn Home Extension Club. She shared with us that  this recipe came from a collection of holiday recipes from extension club members several years ago.  It's really tasty and has got to be healthy with the variety of vegetables and dairy products!  Like all good cooks, Thelma generously shared her recipe with all of us.

Vegetable Bars

2--8oz. cans Crescent Rolls
3/4 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 8oz pkg cream cheese,softened
1 envelope Ranch Style Dressing
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped sliced green onions
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
3/4 cup sliced or chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped cauliflower
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Place the Crescent rolls on the bottom of  a 11x17 inch jelly roll pan,cover the pan completely by gently pushing edges of dough together.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Mix salad dressing,cream cheese,sour cream, and Ranch Style dressing together and set aside.
Chop each vegetable and then combine all together.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of baked rolls; spread vegetables over cream cheese mixture and then top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Tips:  If you make half a recipe, use a 9x13 pan.
          Can be made 24 hours before serving.

If we're lucky, maybe Thelma will bring this to the next church dinner!  Have a dairy good weekend!! 

Hazelnut Cafe-au-Lait

Hazelnut Cafe-au-Lait
Ingredients
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups brewed coffee
3 tablespoons hazelnut-cocoa spread (like Nutella,found near peanut butter)
Dash ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons whipped cream

Preparation
Microwave milk,coffee and hazelnut spread in a large,heat-proof glass bowl on high for 2 minutes or until mixture is hot,not boiling. Whip with a hand mixer or whisk until frothy.  Pour into 3 serving cups. Top with whipped cream or dust with cinnamon.

Substitution Idea: To save time, use a can of pressurized whipped cream to top the drink.

With the chill in the air and the holiday season just around the corner, this recipe appealed to my coffee loving tastebuds!  You can find a great assortment of holiday recipe ideas at http://www.dairymakessense.com/.