Harvest Round-Up

This year's drought has created a severe shortage of hay and pasture grass for our dairy cows and calves. Harvesting every bit of hay available is vital to our farm.  With the weather man predicting a hard freeze and the chance of rain, we seemed to be going in every direction to complete the hay baling and crop planting last week. I knew oldest son  Cody was desperate when he asked if I could help him get the bales loaded on the trailer in the field.

 

 My job was to drive the tractor and trailer to each group of bales in the field so that he could load them on the trailer.

 

 

 In the olden days (that would be before I married the dairy farmer), small square bales were picked up by hand and thrown onto a truck and stacked. It was then the hay crew's job to unload them by hand and stack them in the big hay barn.  I have a great appreciation for modern machinery when I think about hauling hay by hand in 100 degree weather!

 

As you can see, these bales are loaded by a skid loader with a grapple and stacked on the trailer.

 

 

Once the trailer was full, the hay was taken to the feed barn for storage.

 

 

I love watching Cody unload  and stack the bales --every move is made with precision!

I was also feeling pretty proud--he smiled really big and thanked me for my help!

Black Friday Prep

Besides getting ready for the holiday season's cooking,baking and shopping, we women must begin to get our Black Friday shopping plans laid out. Depending on your Thanksgiving holiday schedule, you may need a quick meal for pre or post Black Friday shopping or perhaps just a quick alternative to the Thanksgiving leftovers in the frig!

My strategic Black Friday plan includes making sure that I stock up on the ingredients for BBQ Ranch Quesadilla Wedges. Even if I choose not to  shop on Black Friday, I can see this recipe fitting perfectly  with calf feeding and farm chores besides the decorating and baking that I plan to do!

BBQ-Ranch Quesadilla Wedges

Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) frozen pepper stir-fry blend
1/4 cup diced onion
11/2 cups prepared shredded barbecue beef
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup light ranch dressing
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:
Prepare stir-fry pepper blend with diced onion added and heat barbecue beef according to package directions. While vegetables and beef are cooking, mix barbecue sauce and ranch dressing in small serving bowl; set aside for dipping sauce.

On a tortilla, evenly layer 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons each of shredded beef and cheese. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetables. Cover with a second tortilla.

Repeat for total of 4 quesadilla. Spray large skillet or counter-top grill with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook each quesadilla for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese is melted. Cut into 8 wedges; serve with barbecue-ranch dip.

Serves:8

                       You can find other great Black Friday  recipes at Dairy Makes Sense!

Freedom

 

Senator John McCain was the guest speaker at the Bentonville Veteran's Day celebration. Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel for the men and women,past and present, who have served to make sure that we can enjoy freedom  that is too often taken for granted.

 

 

 

And ye shall know the truth,

and the truth shall make you free.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Live as free men,

but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;

live as servants of God.

                                                              John 8:32,36; 1 Peter 2:16

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe Keepsakes

This weekend I'm going to ease into preparing for the holiday schedule by baking one of my favorite pumpkin recipes to take to our annual Thanksgiving dinner at church. If you love anything pumpkin, you'll enjoy Pumpkin Pie Squares!

 Each time I bake  this recipe I am reminded of the sweet co-worker that shared it with me more than twenty years ago. It's a great reminder of how I have been  blessed by so many special friends and family members. Good recipes that are enjoyed by friends and family  are keepsakes that  just keep on giving through the years. Holidays are the perfect time to share a little love from the kitchen!  You can find other nutritious and delicious recipes for your holidays at Dairy Makes Sense.

Pumpkin Pie Squares with Cinnamon Sugar Yogurt Topping

Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter,melted
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
Cooking spray

Filling:
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans,chopped

Topping
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl,mix together graham cracker crumbs,oats,brown sugar,butter and 2 tablespoons milk; press into a thin layer in a 9x13 inch pan greased with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. While the crust is baking, in another bowl,beat together pumpkin and  other ingredients except for pecans. Pour over crust and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Sprinkle pecans over pumpkin filling and bake another 10-15 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly in pan.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Mix in yogurt. Top each square with one tablespoon of yogurt topping.

 

Share a little love from your kitchen this weekend!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                                                
    Even though we desperately need rain and  would welcome  it,  I'm thankful for the   beautiful fall days  that are allowing us to harvest hay and  plant fall crops of wheat and rye that  will be used to  feed our dairy cows.

                                                                  

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!