Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

After our cows are milked and fed ,

we're heading to town for  Thanksgiving dinner at my Mother's house. Even though I miss those that are no longer with us around the table, I'm thankful for the wonderful memories and stories that we will laugh and talk about as we make more  family memories for the younger generation.                                                                  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Got Milk and Chicks

Deviled eggs are a family favorite any time of the year but it's just not Thanksgiving unless you find them among the many dishes on the holiday table.  I must admit, this year I have a new appreciation for all the chicken farmers--both egg farmers and chicken farmers!

 Back in October when I went to a local elementary school to talk to a first grade class   about dairy farming, I also delivered the Farm Bureau poultry  incubater and a dozen eggs from a local hatchery. And like Paul Harvey, here's the rest of the story: 

 

 

After the kids watched the chicks hatch, the  chicks needed a home--so they came to the dairy farm.

They were kept inside on my front porch in a large box under a heat lamp for a couple of weeks until they began to jump out of the box. At that point, they graduated to the chicken coop outside!

 

 

So far, all eleven chicks are still alive and I am enjoying watching how they  grow and change everyday.  Chicken chores do have their perks!

Maybe someday, I'll even  have a few home grown eggs!

 

In the meantime, I'll be buying eggs produced from egg farmers and thanking them for their dedication to providing eggs for Thanksgiving and everyday of the year!

 

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Deviled Eggs

Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise; remove yolks and mash with these seasonings:

For 6 eggs:

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt,

dash pepper

Refill whites and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Fantastic Fescue Survives Drought

 

Fescue is a common cool season grass found in pastures and hay fields  across the United States. It was planted in mass in Arkansas in the early 1940's to increase grass for livestock and soil conservation. Fescue is usually baled and fed as dry hay but in this year of extreme drought that has created a shortage of forage feed, we are harvesting fescue  after frost to add to our dairy cow's diet.   Even though many fields of fescue in Northwest Arkansas  have died due to the drought, we are fortunate to have a few fields of mixed grass and fescue that are being harvested and hauled to the silo.

 

 

A sample of the chopped feed will be analyzed by  a forage testing lab to provide  our dairy nutritionist with information in  designing  the nutritious diet for our cows. High-quality milk begins with taking good care of our dairy cows by making sure they eat a balanced, healthy diet.   Efficient use of every feed ingredient is even more important in a drought  year when  feed availability  is limited.

 

 

We added some of the "green chop" fescue with the other feed ingredients and the cows are enjoying every bite! 

Season of Thanksgiving

After last week's freezing temperatures, I'm sure this is probably the last rose of summer in my garden. It's a perfect reminder of God's faithfulness  in bringing each season for us to enjoy. As summer becomes a memory, we're enjoying the harvest of crops and the anticipation of winter rest to prepare for spring growth. I find thanksgiving in each season.

 

 

The second verse of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness says it all:

 

Summer and winter,

and springtime and harvest,

Sun,moon,and stars in their

courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness,mercy and love.

 

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord,unto me!

                                                                                 
                               Blessings to you and your family in this season of Thanksgiving!

Dairymom Goes Bananas!

What happens when two lonely over-ripe bananas are found in the fruit bowl at the end of a busy week?  You find a tasty recipe and provide a dairymom goes bananas  experience for the family. I found this recipe on the Dairy Makes Sense website. 

Yogurt and Banana Spice Muffins

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounces) box spice cake mix
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 large eggs
2 ripe large bananas,mashed with fork
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon powdered sugar,optional

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix,yogurt,eggs,bananas and milk until just combined. Fold in walnuts. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup,pour into muffin tins coated with cooking spray. Bake for about 25 minutes or until center of muffin tests clean with toothpick.
Let cool for 5 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove muffins from pan,cool completely. If desired, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar over each muffin before serving.

 

       For an even more special Dairymom Goes Bananas experience--serve with a big glass of milk!
                                                         




 

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!