Healthy Resolution Review

I'm almost sad to see January end since we've had such nice weather!  Today was a beautiful  light jacket day on the dairy farm.  On my short,brisk walk to the dairy barn after we fed baby calves this afternoon, I was enjoying the late afternoon sunshine as much as this group of calves that were watching me as I passed by.  While walking home, I was thinking about two of the resolutions I made for the New Year to improve my diet and exercise more.

One of my healthy choices for improving my diet is to drink low fat milk, also known as 1% milk.  When comparing low fat and whole milk, low fat milk has:

• same calcium
• same protein
• same minerals and vitamins
• less fat
• fewer calories

If you're considering changing to low fat milk, here are steps suggested by the National Dairy Council:

1. Switch between whole and 2%
2. Stick with 2% if you like it, or switch between 2% and 1%.
3. Stick with 1% if you like it, or switch between 1% and fat free.

You can find ways to use milk and low fat milk and great recipes at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/ or http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  By the end of January many people have given up on their resolutions.  I'm not a complete failure but I have plenty of work to do for the next eleven months!  How about you?

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                   I'm not sure who has the most fun  learning about dairy--me,the students or their teacher! 
Agriculture in the Classroom activities teach children where their food comes from in a factual fun  way.  I'm thankful for teachers who have a heart for children, share enthusiasm for learning  and value teaching students about agriculture.

Rain Ready

Just in case the weather man is right and it starts to rain tonight as predicted, we've been getting rain ready by loading, hauling and applying cow manure from the liquid and dry manure storage areas  to  cropland and pastures today.  Since 1985 our farm has been permitted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality allowing us to build holding areas for both liquid and dry manure and to follow a nutrient management plan that determines how to utilize the manure on our farm. 

Land applying liquid or dry manure on rainy days is a no-no due to the possibility of runoff pollution.  Because we live and work on our farm, we take our responsibility to protect the land and water seriously by carefully using best management practices that are outlined in our farm plan and by following the rules and regulations of the permit.  Caring for the environment protects the health of my family, our cows and the environment.

Manure is a natural nutrient that builds the soil, increases the water holding capacity of the soil and also fertilizes.  Utilizing  every bit of natural manure nutrient will help save money by decreasing the need to purchase more commercial fertilizer.  Now that's a dairy deal-- an all in one economic product naturally from the cow and rain ready!

Art with a Purpose

What can you make with a gazillion small pieces of colored tissue paper cut into little one inch squares? Flowers,of course!  That's exactly what the students at Decatur Northside Elementary were making in art class today after a lesson about the famous artist  Georgia  O'Keefe. Early this month, the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee purchased art supplies for this school.   I was invited  today by Mrs. Raymond, the art teacher, to see the supplies we donated and receive thank-you notes from the students.

Mrs. Raymond teaches all the art classes for students in the rural Decatur school system. With a limited budget for art supplies, she was very appreciative of the donation for her elementary students. Students will have plenty of markers,paper,modeling clay and even a crayon melting machine to recycle bits and pieces of crayons. It is our hope that by furnishing more art supplies that the students will benefit academically by enhancing their opportunity for more creativity.

Seventy plus years ago the first Farm Bureau Women's Committee in Arkansas was formed to make a difference in the rural communities. I'm proud to be working for that same purpose today as a member of the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Happy Birthday Baby! We woke up Saturday morning to find the arrival of a new baby calf in the pasture.  We try to avoid having  dairy calves in the coldest months but we always manage to have a few new babies scattered through out the year.  As mild as our January weather has been this year, it's too bad we weren't  having alot more birthdays!

This baby calf stayed with his mother for about twelve hours in the pasture before being moved to the calf raising area.  Calves are separated from their mothers to ensure the best individual care and monitoring. Each of our calves is placed in an individual hutch and fed twice daily. Our babies are bottle fed for three days with the colostrum milk from their mother and then taught to drink from a bucket.  Grain is added to their diet when they start drinking from the bucket. I'm their momma for the next eight to ten weeks before they will be moved to a small pasture.

Experiencing new life on the  dairy farm is always a blessing and a reminder to me of the commitment we have to provide high-quality milk by taking good care of our calves and cows.  I think we may name this baby--January! 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Early last fall Ryan found two little orphan kittens in the feed barn hiding between hay bales. The enclosed front porch of our house became home to Blackie and Fuzzy  until this past Sunday when I took them to their new home in the haybarn at Cody's house. Even though I moved them from the house, I'm thankful  for the fun I've had watching these cute curious  kittens grow into being  part of the farm family.

Wednesday's One-Dish Meal

Christmas in January is what we're celebrating tomorrow night when my church friends (my sons call us the "Blue Hairs") gather at my house for supper and Bible study. We usually just have dessert but since we canceled our annual potluck Christmas dinner in December, I'm hosting and preparing the main dish tonight. I find that I enjoy making Chicken Tetrazzini for my family or guests because it is simple,can be prepared in advance, and is a great dish to share with others.  It is also an easy recipe that can be prepared and frozen.

Chicken Tetrazzini

12 oz spaghetti,uncooked
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
5 Tablespoons water
1 cup + 3 Tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese,shredded
1/2 to 3/4 cup pepper-jack cheese, shredded
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

Cook spaghetti until tender,drain and mix with one tablespoon melted butter.
Place spaghetti in bottom of greased 13x9 inch baking pan. In skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter; add soup and water. Stir until smooth. Reserve 3 tablespoons cheddar cheese. Add all other cheese into soup and cook over low heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Fold in chicken. Pour soup and chicken mixture over spaghetti; sprinke with reserved cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

                  When I add a tossed green salad and homemade rolls--I'll call this the Blue Hair Special!