Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Last week we attended the opening of the Austin-Baggett Park in Bentonville. It is a fantastic honor for two long serving city council members--Ed Austin and my mother,Mary Baggett.

 

 

 

Austin-Baggett park is located in a neighborhood just down the street  from a house my grandparents lived in and the Ice Plant where my grandfather worked.  It has the feeling of home!

 

 

It was a beautiful,sunny Saturday with a park full of family,friends and children enjoying the event.

 

 

I'm thankful for my trail blazing Mother who sets a great example for service to community.

Boots and Blog Share the Love

Before I married a dairy farmer,I had never owned any kind of boots. Thanks to my boot loving husband, I now have all kinds of boots. I have the not fun but necessary boots for the everyday jobs on the farm but my favorite boots are the pretty ones I wear to town! When I decided to attend the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference in August, I couldn't believe that I had a chance for new boots.

Country Outfitter, a retailer of Ariat boots, gave me these Brown Oiled Rowdy and Sapphire Blue boots to review.

 

 

Here's my review: Love everything about these beauties! They're my first pair of square toe boots and they are super comfortable.

Hugs and Kisses to my Country Outfitter Friends  and Arkansas Women Bloggers!

 

Now for the fun part,Country Outfitter is giving you (my blog supporting friend) a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to go shopping on them! You could pick Ariat boots like mine or something completely different. We are making it sooo simple for you  to enter in just two little steps.

 

1. Click here and submit your email address to Country Outfitter (you may receive occasional emails from them).

2. Leave a comment here on the blog letting me know you submitted your email to Country Outfitter.

 

A random winner will be selected in two weeks (November 28th.)

 

                            It's true---a girl can never have too many diamonds, friends or BOOTS!

 

 

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.