Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Today was "test"day on our dairy farm.

Once a month, Greg comes to "test" our milk. Actually,  he takes  a sample of milk from every cow that is in the milking herd and sends it to the MidSouth Dairy Record's  lab to be analyzed. The information from this test helps us to monitor and manage the production and health of  our dairy herd.  I'm thankful for people ,like Greg, who are part of our dairy farm family helping us to produce high-quality milk from healthy cows.

My Type Recipe

Long before it was common to see men helping with housework or child care, my Daddy was  self sufficient in the kitchen. As I was trying to figure out what to fix for lunch, I found the full page   collection of family recipes that my Dad typed on his old Remington typewriter and  gave me soon after I married. These were recipes that he and his favorite wife (#3) loved to prepare for family dinners.

This typed sheet is my Dad's signature--his handwriting was so eligible, he always typed letters or notes if he wanted me to get the message. Those typed letters were always special because I knew  he was sending love with each tap of the keys.    Hamburger Casserole is just one of those typed  recipes that will always bring alot of sweet memories for me  and smiles from my family!


Hamburger Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion,diced (or none)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 package potato tots
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Lightly grease 13 x 9 in. baking dish; press hamburger loosely in bottom of dish. Spread onions over hamburger. Cover with potato tots. In a small bowl, blend soups together.  Pour blended soup over mixture in dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees fifty minutes. Uncover,sprinkle with shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese and bake for another 10 minutes to brown.

I'm Just the Marrying Kind!

I was asking myself if I was  really the marrying kind and why in the world would I perform a marriage ceremony as I left the farm and drove to the beautiful Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville to perform my first  ceremony that had been quickly arranged by telephone last week.

Arkansas law allows an elected Justice of the Peace the right to perform a marriage ceremony. Although I can decline this privilege of the office, I decided that when possible, I will perform the ceremony as a service to citizens in my county.



Larry and Vanessa were ready and waiting when I arrived and had found a great spot outside in the sunshine on the Museum grounds. The ceremony was short and sweet, all the proper papers were signed and I departed almost as quickly as I arrived. I think I was more nervous than the bride and groom--no--I'm sure I was!

After this first wedding ceremony adventure, I can easily say, "I'm just the marrying kind"!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

From feeding calves,

 

 

to fixing fence,

 

 

I'm thankful for these two 4th generation dairy farmers!

Snow Day Comfort Food

While we were feeding calves this morning, the snow was flying fast and furious. Although we're doing the same chores whether it's snowing or not--milking,feeding cows and caring for calves--, filling up on some good old hot bubbly baked  macaroni and cheese seemed to be the perfect snow day  comfort food.

Three Cheese Macaroni

Ingredients:
12 ounces dried elbow macaroni (2 2/3 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (black pepper works,too)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces American cheese,cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese,shredded (2 cups)
2 ounces mozzarella cheese,shredded (1/2 cup)
20 rich round crackers,crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot cook macaroni according to package directions;drain. Return to pot.
Add milk,melted butter,pepper, and salt.Stir in cheeses. Transfer to a greased 2 quart casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Carefully stir mixture. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake 5 minutes more or until crackers are browned and mixture is just heated through. (don't overheat or mixture will curdle). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

Farmers love snow day comfort food!

How about you?

Dairy Recycling Fights Drought

Even though winter isn't over yet in Arkansas,   it's easy to feel a touch of spring fever when I look across the lush green rye grass that our cows will be enjoying in a few weeks as part of their nutritious balanced diet. This crop is extremely important to our dairy farm's sustainability as we work to recover from last year's devastating drought.

 Dairy recycling is managed year round on our farm by a  plan designed specifically for the amount of cow manure produced on our farm. By utilizing the cow manure produced on our dairy farm to fertilize crop lands, the water holding capacity of the soil is increased,   the groundwater is protected  by   the crop absorbing  the manure  nutrients and  the amount of commercial fertilizer that would be needed is decreased.

    Our commitment to producing high-quality milk means taking good care of our cows and the land!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Food Check-Out Week (February 17-23) celebrates the fact that America's farmers are producing safe,affordable and abundant food for the world's population. Across Arkansas, Farm Bureau women are taking this opportunity to  educate others about the importance of food and the local farmers who grow it.  Benton County Farm Bureau's Women's Committee is donating money to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and with the help of Benton County 4-H members donated canned food to a local food pantry. I'm thankful to be a  dairy farmer that produces food for others and to belong to an organization like  Farm Bureau  that strives to help others in our community.