Whipped Cream Tips

No matter how much we eat  during the Thanksgiving  dinner, the meal won't be complete without the pumpkin pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream.  Is it  the pie or the whipped cream that makes the meal complete?  It could be debatable!

Cream is the higher butterfat layer skimmed from the top of the milk before homogenization. Heavy whipping ceam is 36%  butterfat compared to Half n Half at 18% and whips best because the increased butterfat traps air bubbles when being whipped.  We enjoy many other products that contain cream such as butter,sour cream and  in food ingredients  like ice cream,sauces,soups and drinks.

It is suggested when whipping cream:

• keep cream cold before whipping
• chill the mixing beaters and the bowl that you will use for whipping
• once whipped,refrigerate
• cover and store leftovers in refrigerator for 1-2 days

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

Whip cream until soft peaks begin to  form; beat in vanilla and sugar. Don't overbeat. Refrigerate.

                                                        
If you can't make the whipped cream come out even with the pie, a dollop of whipped cream in a good black cup of  coffee makes a delicious drink for a weary shopper the day after Thanksgiving!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Monday night I had an emergency appendectomy in San Diego,California. When I returned to my hotel room last night   after being discharged from the hopital , I was greeted with this beautiful bouquet and get well wishes.  I'm thankful to have received great care from doctors and nurses, the  love of friends   and to have traveled safely  home to my family and the  dairy farm .



Dairy Love

When you truly believe in something, your passion for that subject never dies.   Ryan has been involved in promoting dairy since before we were married.  In case you can't guess, he's the guy with the hat.  We were promoting dairy at our wedding reception and it has never stopped!

Today we are attending the joint National Dairy Board,National Milk Producers Federation and United Dairy Industry Association meeting in California. Ryan has been privileged to represent dairy farmers and  serve as chairman of the  National Dairy Research  and Promotion Board   this year.
 

Appetizing Appetizer for the Holiday Menu

My church, like all churches, is filled with great cooks with a lot of experience.  Last night after our women's Bible study, we were treated with this delicious Vegetable Bar recipe.  Our hostess, Thelma, is an experienced cook , gardner and long time member of the Vaughn Home Extension Club. She shared with us that  this recipe came from a collection of holiday recipes from extension club members several years ago.  It's really tasty and has got to be healthy with the variety of vegetables and dairy products!  Like all good cooks, Thelma generously shared her recipe with all of us.

Vegetable Bars

2--8oz. cans Crescent Rolls
3/4 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 8oz pkg cream cheese,softened
1 envelope Ranch Style Dressing
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped sliced green onions
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
3/4 cup sliced or chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped cauliflower
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Place the Crescent rolls on the bottom of  a 11x17 inch jelly roll pan,cover the pan completely by gently pushing edges of dough together.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Mix salad dressing,cream cheese,sour cream, and Ranch Style dressing together and set aside.
Chop each vegetable and then combine all together.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of baked rolls; spread vegetables over cream cheese mixture and then top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Tips:  If you make half a recipe, use a 9x13 pan.
          Can be made 24 hours before serving.

If we're lucky, maybe Thelma will bring this to the next church dinner!  Have a dairy good weekend!! 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Patriotism is important to our dairy farm family.  Both of our fathers served during World War II and taught us much about love of country and how blessed we are as a nation.
I'm thankful for all the men and women who have served and are serving our country to protect the freedoms we enjoy daily and often take for granted. Veteran's Day is the perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for the many sacrifices made by our service men and women.

Are You At Risk for Developing Diabetes?

November is American Diabetes Month.  According to the American Diabetes Association,recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless steps are taken to stop diabetes. Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes and another 79 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors for diabetes include:

• overweight
• high blood sugar
• history of diabetes in pregnancy
• high blood pressure
• unhealthy cholesterol
• physical inactivity
• smoking
• unhealthy eating
• age,race,gender and family history

Diabetes is a serious debilitating  and costly disease. Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. The national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion.
It's time to get serious about what we can do personally and for our families in preventing this devastating chronic disease. Ask yourself--

• Do I eat a healthy diet?
• Do I exercise daily?
• Do I maintain a healthy weight? 
• Do I smoke?

You can find more information about diabetes at http://www.diabetes.org/. and the important role of dairy in preventing diabetes at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/.
I'm taking the pledge to STOP DIABETES.  Will you?

Farm Tour Conversations

If calves could talk, what would they say when approached by twenty five college students?
Petting the baby calves seems to be the highlight of the dairy farm tour for all ages.  Last week when University of Arkansas students came for a tour, it was fun to watch the reaction of the kids and the calves.  It always seems to be such a surprise when the calf gives them a big slobbery lick on their hands!

Although every dairy farm will have their own system of caring for baby calves, consistent care and good nutrition are necessary for raising healthy calves. After the calves are born, they are separated from their mothers to ensure the best individual care and monitoring. On our farm, we raise baby calves in individual hutches for eight to ten weeks.   Each calf is fed milk and grain twice daily and monitored through the day.  By weaning time, each calf will be drinking water and eating  four pounds of grain per day.

Dairy farm tours are great opportunities for conversations about how we work everyday to produce high quality milk by providing good nutrition,medical care and healthy living conditions for our calves and cows. The calves and I are already looking forward to our next farm tour conversations!