Rural Community Greater Than A Tornado

Rural communities represent the strength of America. The tornado that struck the small community of Cincinnati,Arkansas on New Year's Eve took the lives of four people. One of these victims was a dairy farmer who was doing what he had done every morning for the last fifty years--milking his cows. Although we did not know this farmer personally, this tragedy saddened us deeply. This weekend Ryan and I drove twenty miles into the next county for a fundraiser to support the Cincinnati community. The evening included a barbecue dinner,country music from a local band, and an auction of donated items at the Lincoln community building in the middle of the town square. As we entered the community building, it was obvious that the community came out to support their friends and neighbors who had been affected by this tornado destruction. Every table was filled with folks eating their dinner and the food line wrapped all around three sides of the large room. The folks that planned the fundraiser had hoped for one hundred people--three hundred people came to support the Cincinnati community. Before the auctioneer started the bidding he stated that we had come together to support our friends and neighbors because that's what Americans do for each other when we are hurting and need help. The evening was a great success for this community because of rural friends and neighbors. I felt blessed to have experienced just what the auctioneer stated. Rural communities reaching out to help friends and neighbors is what provides strength to our American way!

Dairymom's Diet Dash

Get ready,get set,go...it's the new year and for probably the last twenty years, I begin the diet dash to lose weight after the holidays. With age, I am really geting a lot wiser and a bit more serious about the negatives of being what some describe as "too fluffy" or "heavy" or "overweight" or just plain "fat"( My sweet Mother also called it "baby fat")! I could probably be considered an expert of knowing how to diet, I just need to execute the plan. I do have a plan and this is what I have done so far. I first stepped on the scales--that took tremendous courage but a necessary step in beginning the plan. The second step is to keep a food diary. This is a great tool for me because it keeps me honest and it helps me to realize why and when I fall off the diet wagon. I am now ready to throw out all the Christmas and holiday goodies. I am really going for the long term changes to my eating habits, so I am going to use the DASH diet plan. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension(DASH). Although this diet was developed to stop hypertension(high blood pressure), it is recommended for overall health by the American Heart Association and the National Cancer Institute. The eating plan is rich in low fat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables and low in fat,saturated fat and cholesterol. You can find out more about this diet at http://www.dashdiet.org/. If you are considering a diet plan of any kind, check first with your family doctor. Nothing comes easy but good health is worth what ever the plan requires. I am dashing on to good health, how about you?

Dairy Farmer's Tart

Fontina asparagus tart and my dairy farmer husband are both amazing. We invited friends to join us for Sunday lunch to celebrate the New Year. Ryan was frying turkey and making Dutch oven peach cobbler. My task was to get everything else ready. As I rushed from the kitchen to get ready for church, he asked me if I had ingredients to make this recipe he found in our newest Country magazine.The three main ingredients needed were fresh asparagus,frozen puff pastry and fontina cheese. I had none of them. As I left for church, he left for the grocery store. When I returned home, the Fontina Asparagus Tart was on the cabinet waiting to be baked. It was delicious! I later read that fontina cheese originated in Italy near the Swiss border in 1477. It is a semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk with a buttery,nutty taste and is used for table or cooking. When I asked him why he wanted to try a recipe with asparagus since I knew he would never have eaten plain asparagus, his answer was--"anything green is better covered with cheese". Amazing!!

Fontina Asparagus Tart

1 lb. fresh asparagus,trimmed

1 sheet frozen puff pastry,thawed

1/2 lb.fontina cheese,shredded,divided

2 Tbsp.lemon juice

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

In a large skillet,bring 1 inch of water to a boil;add asparagus. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or just until crisp tender;drain.

On a lightly,floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Roll into a 16-in.x12 in. rectangle;transfer

to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over pastry. Arrange asparagus on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Combine lemon juice,lemon peel,oil,salt and pepper; sprinkle over top. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until asparagus is tender and cheese is melted. Slice and serve warm.

Yield: 24 servings

*Recipe found in December/January2011 Country Magazine

Resolution for Agriculture

"The declining number of farmers in the USA ought to be a national policy issue since I don't want the USA to become an importer of food and fiber"---this was the comment I received in a letter from a Kiwanis member after my presentation about dairy promotion. During an informal question and answer session after my presentation, we were discussing the efficiency of the American farmer. Although I did not bring out the fact that the average age of the farmer is 55 years old, it was on the mind of the member. This fact does bring one to think about the importance of who will be producing our food in the future. It should be a concern for every American. As we are just days away from 2011, I am resolved to do my part in insuring the future of agriculture and the American farmer by: engaging in conversations about how we produce the safest,most abundant and most affordable food, encouraging consumers and farmers to be active and educated on issues that effect all of us and supporting all efforts of agricultural organizations to foster involvement of young women and men in agriculture. Will you support American agriculture?

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!

Talkin' Dairy

Last Friday I had the privilege of speaking to the Gravette Kiwanis Club about dairy. I chose to talk about the dairy checkoff program because many consumers do not know that the national dairy promotion program was produced by dairy farmers,for dairy farmers and is funded by America's dairy farmers. Because Kiwanis is an international civic organization that works to improve children's health, I really enjoyed telling the members about the Fuel Up To Play 60 program that the dairy farmers are sponsoring in partnership with the National Football League. As a dairy farmer, I am very proud that our money is being used to give children information and incentive to improve their nutrition choices and exercise habits for life long health. Fuel Up To Play 60 is now being implemented in two-thirds of our nation's schools (more than 60,000), reaching 36 million students. The uniqueness of this program is that it engages students directly to take the lead in helping make their schools and communities healthier. Learning to make good nutriton choices and developing exercise habits is a great prevention for obesity and other chronic illnesses. You can learn more about the dairy checkoff program at http://www.dairycheckoff.com/. Before leaving the meeting, we had a drawing for an insulated shopping bag donated by Midwest Dairy (http://www.midwestdairy.com/). My hope is that each member left with new information and understanding about the dairy industry and the nutritious product that we produce!

Holiday Butter Tradition

Although I use butter year round, holiday baking with butter is part of my holiday tradition in the kitchen. My schedule is busy year round with farm,family, and volunteer activities but I will always find time to make special desserts that my family and friends enjoy. As I studied the pile of laundry, the dirty house and the stack of unopened mail facing me after returning from attending the Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention, I then remembered the Sunday School Christmas party that was planned for the evening. What's a dairy mom to do? Get the recipes out and start looking for something easy, quick and delicious! In case you find your self in this situation, I am sharing this special recipe with you. Butter is a main ingredient in Almond Cake Squares providing rich flavorful taste. It is a great recipe for any event and looks pretty presented on a fancy pedestal cake stand or festive holiday plate. Santa might even enjoy these with a glass of milk!

Almond Cake Squares

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup melted butter

Almond Topping

Combine eggs and sugar; beat with electric mixer until thick and lemon colored. Stir in flour and butter; pour batter into greased and floured 13x9x2inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Spread Almond Topping over cake; broil cake 4 inches from heat 3-5 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Cool on wire rack; cut into 2 inch squares. Yield:2 dozen

Almond Topping

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp milk

Combine all in small saucepan; cook over low heat,stir constantly till sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens.