Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Working in this triple digit heat to care for our dairy cows and calves has been a challenge this week. Ryan's new dog,Jute, found the perfect solution--just jump in the water tank! I'm thankful for the joy and the smiles that our farm pets bring to us everyday as we work on the farm.

Chocolate Lover's Healthy Snack

I tend to work up a sweat while feeding calves or working in the garden and I'm finding that water doesn't always quench my thirst. Hot weather also tends to decrease my appetite so it is important that snacks provide good nutrition. Chocolate milk is a perfect nutrient-packed thirst quenching snack that offers the same nutrients as regular milk and will help keep me hydrated. Milk contains protein,carbohydrates and is about ninety percent water. If you compare chocolate milk to other beverages such as juice,fruit punch,cola or diet cola,bottled water or sports drink, milk is the only beverage that contains nine essential nutrients. You might want to consider chocolate milk as a choice to offer your family after sporting events,exercising, or outdoor family activities to refuel healthy muscles and quench thirst.

Yesterday I returned from the grocery store with my favorite chocolate candy bar. When I compared the label of the candy bar with an eight ounce serving of 1% low-fat chocolate milk, it's pretty easy to see the nutritional bang I can get from chocolate milk plus help to quench my thirst. You can find more dairy nutrition information at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/.

Our weather man is predicting another scorcher today---think I will have that big glass of cold chocolate milk now! Will you join me?

Trait of a Farmer

Weather patterns everywhere have been unusual this year. In May our crop planting was delayed because we had thirty inches of rain with flooding. In the last thirty days, we have had less than an inch. Every year we grow one hundred acres of corn that will be made into corn silage for our dairy cows. This corn silage will be added to all the other feed ingredients that we purchase to make a completely balanced diet for our cows to enjoy throughout the year. High quality milk from our dairy cows occurs because of the nutritious ingredients in their diet.

One of my jobs yesterday was to help move spray equipment to the corn field. It was at least one hundred degrees,humid and steamy in the corn field.
Spraying a corn field for weed eradication usually happens earlier and in cooler weather but one of the lessons I have learned with farming is that the conditions or circumstances that we work with are not always perfect. Weather is definitely a condition beyond our control.

As I watched Ryan moving through the field on the old John Deere spray rig, I thought how amazing the American farmer is in the best or worst conditions. Farmers are dedicated to protecting the land,air ,and water while producing the most abundant,affordable and available food for Americans and the world by using sound science and modern technology and if you need a dose of optimism, find a farmer to talk to--he's got it!

Routine Commitments

Our daily routine on the dairy farm includes milking 300 Holstein cows at seven thirty in the morning and seven thirty at night,twice a day, three hundred sixty five days a year. We are committed to providing quality milk which begins with consistent routine daily care of our dairy cows. Routine daily care includes activities such as feeding the dairy cows,milking the cows and making sure the cows are comfortable. The word routine might sound dull and boring but I can tell you that when working with cows, there is never a dull moment. In everyday's schedule we must have flexibility to deal with the unplanned events such as delivery of a calf,repairing equipment, mending fences,or driving to town for an item that we didn't plan on needing. The intense heat that we have had in this past week also adds increased monitoring of the water supply and comfort of the cows.

As I walked back to the house tonight from a trip to the dairy barn before the evening milking, I noticed about half of the first herd of cows were already standing at the gate, ready to enter the parlor to be milked. Cows are very much creatures of habit and when time to be milked, you will often find the same cows at the head of the line. Routine makes the cows happy! Just like the dairy cows, I find a certain amount of comfort in following routine and schedule--it's one of the reasons I do like living on the dairy farm and working every day with my family!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

In the middle of the afternoon these dairy cows enjoy the shade provided from trees in our yard. I am thankful for the rain we received this week that cooled our triple digit temperatures and provided a much needed drink for our crops,pastures,flowers, and trees.

Youthful Cheese

While preparing for our 4th of July picnic, I was looking for an easy dessert that would go well with homemade ice cream and be easy to pack up with the picnic food. Deep in the back of the recipe drawer that contains everything that I can't find, was the perfect recipe --Black Bottom Cupcakes. The ingredient that makes this recipe stand out is cream cheese. Cream cheese is considered a fresh or unaged cheese. Its mild,fresh tasting and sweet flavor makes it one of the most widely-consumed cheeses used in a variety of recipes.

Here are a few tips for storing youthful or unaged cheese:

-unaged cheese is highly perishable, keep refrigerated

-the fresher the cheese, the better the flavor

-open within the package dating code and use within one week after opening

-keep tightly wrapped or sealed until gone

-if mold forms on any part of cheese, discard all of the cheese

-freezing is not recommended due to change in texture when thawed

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Filling:

1 package (80unces) cream cheese,softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

Sugar

Chopped almonds,if desired

Combine cream cheese,sugar,egg and salt in a small mixing bowl;blend until smooth. Stir in chips. Set aside. Sift toether flour,cocoa,salt,sugar,and soda. Add egg,water,vinegar,oil and vanilla; beat until well combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins half full with chocolate batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of batter of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers. Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

You can find more delicious cream cheese recipes at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Hope you find the perfect recipe for youthful (unaged) cream cheese!

Freedom to Celebrate

Happy July 4th! Our traditional holiday celebration begins after all the daily chores are done on the dairy. Our celebration will include a picnic this evening in a shady area next to our largest pond that we call Anglin Lake. Anglin Lake is actually a spring fed pond that we enlarged by joining two smaller ponds together several years ago. Our traditional picnic spot is perfect for watching fireworks from the surrounding cities of Centerton,Bentonville, Rogers and even a few from Springdale. With the rain we are having today, we can also plan to shoot a few fireworks of our own without the fear of setting a fire!

Today's celebration would not be possible without the dedication of the men and women who have served and are presently serving our country to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. Ryan's father,Bill, served in Japan during World War II. As a family we appreciate the sacrifice that members of our military make to serve our country. July 4th is not only the time to celebrate America but also to remind us of how blessed we are as a nation!