Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

This is what we do on Spring Break...

get together with the herd!

                         I'm thankful for the ordinary but beautiful  days down on the dairy farm,
                                   the first day of spring and for the blessing of celebrating
                                                  my Mother's 86th birthday with my herd!

Milk Lover's Spring Break

What do I  love about spring break?

The opportunity to share what life is all about down on the dairy farm!

 My spring break happened today,

 on just an ordinary day down on the dairy farm,

  with  two young families wanting

  to know more about where their milk comes from.

All farm visits include watching the cows eat. It may not be the most exciting

place to visit but it's my favorite spot to explain how

 the cows eat a balanced,nutritious diet everyday  to produce high-quality milk. 

Spring break gave me  the opportunity to share how we care for our dairy cows

 everyday from the milking parlor to the feed barn and all the chores in between

 that are required to care for our land and the animals but most of all,

 I've got new friends that share my love for milk!

Dairy-Style Spring Break

                                          Spring break  on the dairy farm...

                               always includes feeding our new baby calves and a chance to share

                            how we celebrate during spring and  every day down on the dairy farm!

                 Caring for our calves is an important part of our day because these calves grow up to

                                           become the cows that produce milk on our farm and 

                                                it's a priority to get them off to a healthy start.

                I gave up my bottle feeding job this morning so that Cody could let Margaret's cousin

                     and her friend get a little dairy  farm experience during their college spring break. 

                                              I'm sure it was the highlight of their spring break!

                                                 

                           You have to admit, you can't have  dairy style spring break just anywhere!

Dairy Spring Break

Triple A Farms, also known as Anglin Dairy, was the first  stop on the spring break tour for University of Arkansas animal science students  in search of  knowledge about different types of dairy production and the day to day activities on a dairy farm.

 

Only one or two of the students had ever been on a dairy farm so I'm pretty sure we provided the start of a unique spring break--much more entertaining than a  sunny, sandy beach!

 

 

The cows were curious about visitors in the feed barn but they kept on eating!

The students saw first hand that dairy farmers care for their cows by providing a nutritious diet.

 

                                                                                   
Although the baby calves are the last stop on the tour, it's always the favorite for any visitors!
These calves are the future of our dairy farm and it's easy to understand that we make it a priority to get them off to a healthy start with individual care and attention.

 

                     A fun dairy spring break tour  always ends with plenty of cheese, milk, ice cream
                                                                                  and
                                               a lot of smiles from both farmers and students!

                                                                               

Dairy Style Spring Break

I haven't been on spring break like most of the families in our area, but I did attend the Dairy Farmers of America Annual Meeting in Kansas City at the beginning of the week. It was great to see friends from across the country, receive updated information about our dairy cooperative and sample a variety of delicious  dairy products--especially Elsie's Borden cheese!

  You can probably guess that one of my favorite activities is to go say hello to Elsie. It's hard to decide which one of us has the best smile!

Even though Elsie stays busy making visits around the country, you can find a great selection of recipes on Friends of Elsie. Saturday night I'm planning  to celebrate the end of spring break (that I didn't have), by baking Elsie's  Easy Cheesy Honky Tonk Chicken.

 

Easy Cheesy Honky Tonk Chicken

 

Ingredients:

 

 4 slices Borden Applewood Bacon Cheddar Singles Sensations

 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

 1 cup Barbecue sauce

 2/3 cup French Fried Onions (150mL can)

 4 slices of crispy fried bacon

 4 tablespoons sour cream

 9 jalapeno slices (optional)

 

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken in a glass baking dish.

Pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the chicken.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until liquid runs clear.

While chicken is baking, pan fry bacon until extra crisp. Drain grease and set bacon to the side.

When chicken is donem place one slice of Applewood Bacon Cheddar Single on each chicken breast. Then top with a slice of bacon. Sprinkle with French fried onion.

 

Place chicken back into the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts.

After you take the chicken out of the oven, put a 1 tablespoon dollop of sour cream on to each chicken breast and then 2 slices of jalapenos on to each dollop of sour cream.

 

 

 

Happy Spring!