Dairymom Molded by Buttery Traditions

November is a time of transition on the dairy farm as we finish harvesting our fall crops,plant wheat and rye crops for spring forage and prepare for the winter months on the farm. It also marks the twenty-eighth year of my life on the farm which has been molded by the blessings of farm family traditions. I have transitioned from a city girl that learned the hard way that dairy farmers don't eat margarine to dairymom that uses only sweet creamy butter!

Even though it's recommended to keep butter refrigerated, the butter dish stays on our table all the time to assure the dairy farmer has easy access and spread ability for every slice of bread, homemade roll  or hot biscuit consumed. That happens to be one of the dairymom traditions that I've grown to love because the presence of the butter dish always on the table  was my sweet mother-in-law's tradition and reminds me every day  how blessed I am to live and work on our family dairy farm.

Butter is a staple at our house year round and holiday baking and cooking just don't happen without it! In fact, I'm  stocking up this week in preparation for the holidays  and thinking about baking this family favorite--Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake. It goes great with ice cream or fruit salad or both!

Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 cup butter,softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
1  8 ounce package cream cheese,softened
3 cups sifted flour
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of electric mixer.
Add cream cheese,beating well until light and fluffy. Alternately add flour and eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pick comes out clan. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

                                                                    

God Bless America

                                                                  
        Last night at 5:30p.m.  when I went to attend a committee meeting at the Benton County administration building, people were lined up outside in front of the building and across the parking lot  waiting to cast their vote. Even though the election officials have been talking about the large number of people that will be voting in this general election, seeing the number of people waiting to vote reminded me of how fortunate we are to live in such a great country. Even with our problems, America is Blessed!

                                                          My Country 'Tis of Thee

                                                            My Country, 'tis of thee,
                                                            Sweet Land of liberty,
                                                            of thee I sing:
                                                            Land where my fathers died,
                                                            Land of the pilgrims' pride,
                                                            From every mountainside,
                                                            Let freedom ring!

Cows and Clocks

Thank goodness we don't have to explain Daylight Savings time to the cows ! As long as we keep to the consistent routine of making sure our dairy cows are fed and milked twice each day of the year--they're happy!





Our cows are milked every day at 7:30 in the morning and 7:30 each night. While most farmers may start and finish at earlier hours, we have found that this schedule works best for us in getting the daily chores done on our farm. Our commitment to providing high-quality milk begins with taking good care of our cows by providing consistent and regular milking schedule that allows time for the cows to eat a nutritious diet and rest between each milking time.

 

Through the years, we've found it more challenging to make sure that the humans on the farm get to work at the right time and understand which direction to move the clock for Daylight Savings time than to get the cows to the barn!

 

I'm glad we don't have to explain to the cows: "Spring forward and Fall Back"!

National Sandwich Day

The 18th century  Earl of Sandwich would probably be shocked to see the variety of creative and nutritious sandwiches enjoyed today!  Sandwiches on the dairy farm are usually meals of convenience when schedules are too busy to linger at the dinner table or dairymom's favorite  excuse--" just no time to cook."  One thing for sure, no sandwich is served without cheese of some kind.

Celebrating National Sandwich Day calls for a little more stylish sandwich so I'm planning to give Sirloin Pita  Salad Sandwich a try!   You can find other delicious and nutritious recipes at Dairy Makes Sense.

Sirloin Pita Salad Sandwich

For the dressing:
2 (8 oz.) containers of fat-free plain yogurt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced chive
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the sandwich:
1/2 pound sirloin or rib-eye steak,trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (4-inch) whole wheat pita bread rounds,cut in half moons
2 1/2 cups mixed salad greens (such as arugula,radicchio,and baby spinach leaves)
2/3 cup crumbled Blue cheese
1/2 small red onion,sliced and separated into rings
8 cherry tomatoes,halved

Preparation:
Spoon yogurt  into medium bowl and stir in garlic,parsley,chive and oregano until well blended.Set aside.
Rub both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Heat medium, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak about 6 minutes on each side (for medium) or until desired. Allow steak to rest 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
Warm pita halves in toaster. Into each pita half, spoon 1/4 of the yogurt dressing,mixed salad greens,Blue cheese,onion,steak and tomato. Spoon additional yogurt dressing over top.
Serves: 4

Happy National Sandwich Day!!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

How many mother-daughter combos do you see in the same election year?

We're not on the same ballot, but as natives of Bentonville and Benton County, we desire to represent and serve our friends and neighbors.

I'm thankful for my Mother's example of   caring
for our community with a servant-leader heart.

 

Trick or Treat?

Whether you're planning to see a lot of Halloween  ghosts and witches or opt for a   a quiet evening at home with the family, I've found the perfect treat  for the peanut butter and chocolate sweet eaters in your family!
Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies recipe can be found  on the Hershey  Reese's Peanut Butter Chips package.  I'm convinced that when you top this  warm brownie with a dip of vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup, it's pretty much a perfect dessert choice. 

Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter,softened
1/4 cup Reese's Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups (10oz pkg) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9x2 inch pan.
Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add eggs,one at a time,beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; mix into peanut butter mixture,blending well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread half of batter in prepared pan, spoon syrup over top. Carefully top with remaining batter;swirl with metal spatula or knife for marbled effect.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan or wire rack. Cut into squares. Yield: 36 brownies

                                                                Happy Halloween!!

Where's the ZERO Milk?

I dreamed about a milk called ZERO. Is that not crazy? This crazy dream was so real that it took a trip back to the store where I do my weekly grocery shopping to prove to myself that it wasn't true! Thankfully, all I found was the gallon jug of skim milk with a large zero at the top of the label. My search for Zero Milk reminded me that all milk--whole,2%,1%,skim or zero--provides nine essential nutrients. Essential nutrients must come from the diet because the human body can't manufacture them.

Milk supplies these essential nutrients:

• Calcium to help build and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
• Potassium to regulate the body's fluid balance and maintain normal blood pressure.
• Phosphorus to strengthen bones and generate energy in the body's cells.
• Protein to build and repair muscle tissue and serve as a source of energy and satiety.
• Vitamin D to promote the absorption of calcium and enhance bone strength.
• Vitamin A to maintain normal vision and skin.
• Vitamin B-12  to maintain red blood cells and nerve cells.
• Riboflavin to convert food into energy the body can use.
• Niacin to help digest carbohydrates and fatty acids.

A healthy diet includes nutrinet rich foods from each food group. The Dietary Guidelines for American recommends low-fat or fat-free milk products in these daily amounts:

• 2 cups for children 2 to 3 years
• 2.5 cups for children 4 to 8 years
• 3 cups for those 9 years and older

You can find more information about dairy nutrition and great recipes for your family at DairyMakesSense or Midwest Dairy.

 

ZERO Milk may only be in my crazy dreams but at least

 I know without a dairymom doubt  that all milk is packed with nine essential nutrients!