Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last week I was invited to speak to students at Kirksey Middle School 

about dairy farming. Students at this school are involved in the

 Fuel Up to Play 60 program that is proudly sponsored by the dairy checkoff,

 the National Dairy Council and the National Football League.

I am thankful for this in-school health and wellness program that 

encourages physical activity and good nutrition among youth and 

utilizes our dairy farmer dollars to make a difference for all of us.

I never get tired of sharing  about our Spotted Cows,

 life down on the dairy farm and how we work

 everyday to produce high-quality milk.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

If you need a little inspiration this week, head to the Benton County Fair.

The livestock barn is full of young people  showing livestock

  as part of their 4-H or FFA  projects. Not everyone will go home with an

 assortment of  fair ribbons but  each young person  will have learned 

valuable life lessons that will help them succeed in life.

                                       I'm thankful for the dedication of each young person
                                  entering the fair  and the many adult leaders that guide them
                                 throughout the  year as they work on their individual projects.

Dairy Paradise

I can't think of a better way to kick-off June Dairy Month than getting to taste  delicious recipes made with a variety of dairy products at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest in Little Rock. It truly is a dairy paradise of good eating!

Recipes are judged on the use of dairy products, originality,the availability of ingredients and preparation and  serving technique. It's always fun and rewarding to observe the contestants, who can range in age from 9 to 19, preparing their recipes for the contest.  As a Farm Bureau member I take pride in the programs that support the development of our young people because it's obvious that each one has learned a variety of life-long skills by participating in this contest.

Congratulations to this year's winner of the Party Idea category  Emma Williams of Searcy (White County). She described her recipe as a mixture of all the foods she loves. When you taste this pie, you will definitely agree it's a bit of dairy paradise!



Paradise Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

20 pecan shortbread cookies (crushed)
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Filling:

1 small package vanilla instant pudding
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large banana (sliced)

Topping:

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
11/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup toasted flaked coconut

Directions:

Crust: Mix cookie crumbs, 1 cup coconut and melted butter in a small mixing bowl and blend well.
Press into a pie plate to make crust. Bake at 10 minutes at 325 degrees or until lightly browned.

Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and vanilla pudding and whisk until stiffened. Fold in 1 cup coconut and sour cream until blended. Set aside. Arrange sliced bananas on the bottom of cooled crust. Cover with pudding mixture; Set aside.

Topping: Combine whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff. Add sugar and continue to beat until mixed. Fold drained pineapple and prepared whipping cream together, spoon over the pudding mixture of the pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut.