Fall Dairy Recipe

Happy Fall,Ya'll!  As I was browsing through the recipes on the Midwest Dairy website, I found a recipe just made for filling the kitchen with the smell of fall...Baked Apples with Cinnamon Yogurt Topping. 

Just reading the recipe brought back memories of my childhood when my Mother would bake apples in the fall or winter. The sweet smell of cinnamon and apples would fill the house. I'm ready to make some fall memories with a little dairy...how about you?

Baked Apples with Cinnamon Yogurt Topping

Ingredients:

4 Granny smith or Gala Apples with or       without skin

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice or apple cider

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

For Baked Apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Core and thinly slice apples. Place apples in a medium bowl and toss with apple juice. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch,cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in small bowl. Sprinkle over apples and stir gently until apples are coated.

Pour apples into prepared baking dish. Bake 40 minutes or until apples are slightly browned at edges and sauce is bubbling.

For Yogurt Topping

2 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Line a colander with several paper towels and place over a bowl to catch drips. Pour yogurt into colander and allow to drain refrigerated about 30 minutes. Spoon yogurt into a small bowl and stir in honey and cinnamon.

For each serving, top 1/4  of the warm apples with 1/4 of the yogurt topping.

September's Smoothie

How are you celebrating  the first day of September?

So far, we're celebrating birthdays down on the Arkansas dairy farm.

I think that calls for a September Smoothie!

If you need a quick,nutritious, refreshment  for your action packed Saturday,

try a Apple Yogurt Smoothie I'm sharing from Midwest Dairy

                                 Apple Yogurt Smoothie

Ingredients:

                                                       2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt                                                         

1 medium Granny smith apple,cored,

    peeled and diced

  1/2 cup orange juice

  2 tablespoons honey

 5-6 ice cubes.

                                                                       Directions: 

                                Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
                                                                 Pour into 2 tall glasses. 

                            Garnish with sliced almonds, fresh mint and dollop of honey, if desired.

                                                          Happy September!

Dairy Pride

My dairy farm family takes great pride in working everyday to produce high-quality,nutritious milk. 

Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet for children and adults but it has been found that most Americans are not meeting  the recommended intake for the dairy food group.

I would love for milk to be your first choice but I know that is not realistic.

 However, I do want you to have the correct information in making healthy

 choices for you and your family.

It's a fact, all milk labeled products you find in the dairy case are not created equal in nutritional benefits.

 

   Marketing of any product can create myths and misconceptions but it is 

hard to deny the truth of dairy nutrition science and research.

                             Dairy farmers are supporting the Dairy Pride Act "to protect the
                      integrity of dairy products by enforcing existing labeling requirements."

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee sponsors a 

Dairy Foods Contest for 4-H members  every year  as an effort to 

promote dairy products and provide a learning experience for our youth.

Each contestant chooses to make a recipe in either the Main Dish or Party Idea category.

As a dairy farmer, I love this promotion of the product we work to produce.

It's always inspiring to see how the contestants use their creative talents 

to select a recipe that  will use as many dairy ingredients as possible,  

 present their creation in a beautiful table setting and describe how 

they enjoy  serving their particular recipe at home or with friends.

The winning recipe of each category will be submitted

 to the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest.

I'm thankful for the judges who take on the task of choosing the best recipe,

the 4-H members who choose to learn about dairy foods,

and 

for other dairy farmers  and members of our committee 

who support  youth activities and dairy foods!

                                                        It was an Undeniably Dairy event!

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.

Thanksgiving Dairy Shake

I'm not suggesting that any recipe can take the place of the traditional Thanksgiving  pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream or ice cream, but you may want to ease into the holiday  season with Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake.  It meets one of my most important   requirements for a busy schedule---easy!

You'll find Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake  and other delicious, nutritious dairy recipes at DairyMakesSense.


Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake


Ingredients:

1 can (14 ounces) pumpkin,chilled
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese                        
1 container (6 ounces) low-fat  vanilla yogurt
2 cups low-fat milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
6 teaspoons graham cracker crumbs,optional



Preparation:

Place all ingredients (except graham cracker crumbs) in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and top each serving with a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs, if desired.

Servings: 6

Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait

I picked 5 strawberries from my three brave  strawberry plants that survived our harsh winter. What can you do with 5 strawberries? The simple answer is--just eat them! Thanks to strawberry farmers, I bought fresh strawberries this weekend  and can combine them with my five to try  Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait from the recipe collection of Dairy Makes Sense.


Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:
 1 can (15 oz) peach slices in juice
1 can (8oz) pineapple chunks in juice
2 kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 cup strawberries,chopped
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ground ginger
1 carton (32 ounces) non-fat vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
Drain peach slices, discarding juice. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Chop peaches and pineapple.

Toss peaches, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, brown sugar, spices and reserved pineapple juice in a medium bowl.

Layer 1/2 cup yogurt with 6 tablespoons of fruit salsa in each of 8 parfait glasses or dessert dishes. Serve immediately.

Dairy Cow Approved Weather

It was a Dairy Cow Approved Weather Day  and I'm going to recommend a bonus for the  weatherman's perfect prediction of today's cold weather in Northwest Arkansas.  As I waddled out the back door this morning  all bundled in my warm coveralls, hoodie, coat and gloves--I wasn't too stylish looking but I was    prepared for that cold north wind!

 

Our dairy cows actually seem to thrive on colder  temperatures.  They embrace and enjoy  the cold weather  by eating more hay.

 

 

 
 From now till spring, one of our daily tasks will be  making sure hay is in the manger to provide good nutrition during cold weather   for these pregnant cows.

 

As I watched the cows enjoying their bale of hay, I couldn't help but think

 we're a lot like cows--eating is the natural thing to do when the weather gets chilly!

 

 

Nutritious dairy products--- always in style and perfect for any weather!

                                                           

                                                       ---Dairymom Approved Statement

 

 

June Dairy Month Blues

Fresh locally grown blueberries in Northwest Arkansas are the perfect addition for this last week of June Dairy Month celebration. Even though we have access to frozen berries throughout the year, there's nothing that shouts out summer more than  sweet, fresh blueberries blended with low-fat yogurt for a cool, refreshing smoothie.




Blues Buster Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce container low-fat blueberry flavored yogurt
1/2 cup apple juice
2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3-4 ice cubes

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glass and enjoy.






You can find other very dairy recipes for celebrating beyond June Dairy Month  at:

National Sandwich Day

The 18th century  Earl of Sandwich would probably be shocked to see the variety of creative and nutritious sandwiches enjoyed today!  Sandwiches on the dairy farm are usually meals of convenience when schedules are too busy to linger at the dinner table or dairymom's favorite  excuse--" just no time to cook."  One thing for sure, no sandwich is served without cheese of some kind.

Celebrating National Sandwich Day calls for a little more stylish sandwich so I'm planning to give Sirloin Pita  Salad Sandwich a try!   You can find other delicious and nutritious recipes at Dairy Makes Sense.

Sirloin Pita Salad Sandwich

For the dressing:
2 (8 oz.) containers of fat-free plain yogurt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced chive
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the sandwich:
1/2 pound sirloin or rib-eye steak,trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (4-inch) whole wheat pita bread rounds,cut in half moons
2 1/2 cups mixed salad greens (such as arugula,radicchio,and baby spinach leaves)
2/3 cup crumbled Blue cheese
1/2 small red onion,sliced and separated into rings
8 cherry tomatoes,halved

Preparation:
Spoon yogurt  into medium bowl and stir in garlic,parsley,chive and oregano until well blended.Set aside.
Rub both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Heat medium, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak about 6 minutes on each side (for medium) or until desired. Allow steak to rest 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
Warm pita halves in toaster. Into each pita half, spoon 1/4 of the yogurt dressing,mixed salad greens,Blue cheese,onion,steak and tomato. Spoon additional yogurt dressing over top.
Serves: 4

Happy National Sandwich Day!!

Dairymom's Fueling Station

While your schedule may be increasing with outdoor activities and spring sports practices, our spring schedule on the dairy farm is totally out of control as we harvest spring crops,prepare to plant crops and have a lot of new baby calves to care for. During this hectic time, my kitchen seems to become a fueling station with a revolving door. Keeping plenty of milk,cheese and yogurt available is my number one fuel station priority because it provides essential nutrients that we all need and it is my family's favorite grab and go fuel-up food.

Essential nutrients are defined as "dietary substances required for healthy body functioning that must be received from food because the human body doesn't manufacture them in sufficient quantities to meet daily needs." Milk and other dairy foods provide nine of these essential nutrients. Dairy's powerful nutrition package contains:

1. Calcium: Helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
2. Potassium: Helps to regulate the body's fluid balance and maintain normal blood pressure. It's also needed for muscle activity.
3. Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy in the body's cells.
4. Protein: The protein in milk,yogurt and cheese builds and repairs muscle tissue, and serves as a source of energy and satiety.
5. Vitamin D: Promotes the absorption of calcium and enhances bone strength. it is one of the nutrients Americans lack most.
6. Vitamin A: Helps maintain normal vision and skin. It is also important for bone growth.
7. Vitamin B-12: Helps maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve cells.
8. Riboflavin: Helps convert food into energy the body can use. Also known as vitamin B2, it's important for normal eyesight and healthy skin.
9. Niacin: Helps bodies digest carbohydrates and fatty acids.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend increasing intakes of low-fat or fat-free milk  and milk products in the following amounts:

• 2 cups for children 2 to 3 years
• 2.5 cups for children 4 to 8 years
• 3 cups for those 9 years and older

You can find more information about dairy nutrition for fueling up at http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.

Detour To A Healthy Dairy Snack

Our county fair is rich in tradition and one hundred seven years of history. What makes each fair special are the families and individuals that are involved in all of the fair activities. Friday at our county fair has always been "Kids Day" which allows all children to come into the fair for free. Today as I watched all the 4-H members in the livestock barn preparing their animals for these special guests, I couldn't help but feel a measure of pride in the dedication of these 4-H members that are devoted to making our county fair a great success. One of my favorite groups of course is the Benton County 4-H Udder Dairy Club. This morning club members used a theme of "Body Under Construction" to draw kids to the dairy area. As children walked through the barn to watch the cows being milked in the parlor, dairy club members were sharing information about their 4-H dairy projects and dairy nutrition,exhibiting their dairy animals and providing a squeezable yogurt for every child attending Kids Day.

Yogurt is a healthy snack choice for any time--at the fair,after school or at work. It provides a package of nine essential nutrients that improve overall diet quality,keep hunger in check, and help provide energy through the day. Besides squeezable yogurt, you might try these yogurt snack ideas:

-Tropical Smoothie: Blend fresh orange slices with strawberry yogurt and ice.

-Freeze squeezable yogurt for a quick and creamy popsicle.

-Parfait Pleaser: Layer granola and fresh fruit with your favorite lowfat yogurt.

You can find other healthy snack suggestions at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/. Think I'll go see if I can find any yogurt on my way back to the fair to work in the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo!

Yogurt Casserole for a Crowd

After arriving at Central Presbyterian Church in Ft. Smith for the Arkansas Presbyterian Women's Spring Gathering, my friend and I were offered a delightful continental breakfast prepared by the ladies of the church. You can always be assured of good food when the women of any church are doing the cooking! The presentation of each recipe was beautiful. To my surprise and delight, one of the main dishes presented in a large decorative glass casserole dish was a yogurt parfait. The yogurt was layered with blueberries,strawberries,raspberries,and peaches and topped with granola. It was delicious and a great idea for serving a crowd with a nutritious and tasty dairy recipe. If you need a quick breakfast for yourself or a special treat for your family for Easter, you may want to try Easy to Please Yogurt Parfait!

Easy to Please Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup crunchy low-fat cereal or granola,divided

1/2 cup fresh fruit,sliced (i.e. strawberries,blueberries,bananas)

Preparation

To assemble parfait,begin with spooning half of the yogurt in the bottom of a bowl or tall glass.

Add 2 tablespoons cereal and 1/2 cup fruit. Spoon on the rest of the yogurt. Top with remaining 2 tablespoons of cereal.

Substitution Ideas: Use any favorite flavor of yogurt as a base. You can also substitute canned fruit(drained) for fresh fruit.

You can find a variety of yogurt recipes at http://midwestdairy.com/. Have a dairy good week!

I_Blog Experience

If you ever travel to Des Moines,Iowa, you must take a detour to the quaint town of Perry,Iowa. This past weekend I attended the I_Blog Conference at the Hotel Pattee in Perry with two other dairy moms. Hotel Pattee has a rich history and is very unique. Each guest room is decorated depicting the people or places in the community of Perry. I stayed in the Band Room which was sheer delight! The headboard to my bed was made of musical instruments; the lampshades were made of drums and the band leaders hat with a fancy red plume! During the conference I gained great information about blogging and met a wide variety of very creative women. It is hard to believe that Spotted Cow Review is almost a year old! As I was returning home yesterday, I thought a lot about how writing has caused me to think about where I live and work and the blessings of my life. In the next few weeks, I am planning to make some changes to my blog space. As a dairy farmer, agricultural advocate,a wife,a mother,a church pianist, a nurse,a Farm Bureau volunteer,a friend--my life is rich and very blessed. Thank-you for reading my blog! My dairy mom friends and I served delicious Blues Buster Smoothies and promoted dairy for one of the conference breaks with the help of our Midwest Dairy friends. You can find more nutrient-rich recipes at http://www.dairymakessense.com/.

Blues Buster Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce container low-fat blueberry flavored yogurt

1/2 cup apple juice

2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3-4 ice cubes

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glass and enjoy!