Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

On my way to Bible study and choir practice, I drove by one of our spring crops that will be mowed and chopped for dairy cow feed  in just a week or two.

 

It's a beautiful sight after a drought.

 

 

 

Even though it's been a chilly start to spring, I'm thankful for the spring rain that is replenishing the earth for a new growing season on the dairy farm.

 

 

 

Milk's Raw Deal

Although we work every day on the dairy farm to produce safe milk by following proven production practices and caring for our animals to keep them healthy, the fact is that pasteurization of milk is scientifically proven to be the key to providing a safe product for consumers. Pasteurization doesn't change the nutritional value of milk but it does kill harmful bacteria. Ignoring the benefits of pasteurization  can definitely lead to a raw deal when it comes to your health.

In today's world, whether it makes sense or not to me, there are folks who believe it is their liberty to ignore the rules of food safety and partake of raw milk without any guidelines provided by government regulations that provide for safe food. I've never thought about food safety as being a liberty issue and I just can't get my mind wrapped around this approach.

There are an increasing number of states that have legalized the retail  sale of raw milk directly to consumers without pasteurization. Each state differs in the rules or regulations but no matter how the rules are written, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that :

• states that allow the legal sale of raw milk for human consumption have an increased number of raw milk-related outbreaks of illness than states that do not allow raw milk sales.
• Bacteria in raw milk is especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems,older adults,pregnant women and children. In fact, 80% of raw milk illness occurs in children and teenagers.

You can find more information about milk's raw deal at Real Raw Milk Facts or MidwestDairy.

I don't eat raw chicken or  raw beef so...why would I  drink raw milk? For me,it's a food safety issue.

April Fool's Day Treat

Although I didn't prepare Easter lunch, we enjoyed a feast at my Mother's table today. Ham is the traditional meat that we enjoy for this holiday meal and  fortunately
for us, we were sent home with the tasty leftovers to enjoy this week.

 There will be plenty of ham sandwiches but for variety, I plan to use part of the left-over ham  for a Hash Brown Quiche that we can enjoy for breakfast,lunch or supper. It might even be a good April Fool's Day treat!

Hash Brown Quiche

3 cups frozen loose-pack shredded hash browns,thawed
1/3 cup butter,melted
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 cup (4 ounces)shredded cheddar cheese
1/4  pepper-jack cheese,grated (optional)
1/4 cup diced green pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Press hash browns between paper towel to remove excess moisture. Press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
Combine ham,cheese and green pepper; spoon over crust. In a small bowl, beat eggs,milk,salt and pepper. Pour over all. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

 

Happy April Fool's Day!

Happy Easter!

 

As I walked down the driveway to the mailbox just before dark, our curious pregnant cows stopped grazing just long enough to make sure I wasn't going to get close enough to interrupt their grass snacking time.  It almost looked like they were hunting for Easter eggs in the grass! 

 

 After a half inch of rain, a partial day of sunshine and the  temperature above 60 degrees for a couple of days, you can almost  see the grass growing. After experiencing last year's drought and continuing to deal with the shortage of hay and feed for our cows, it's truly a blessing to see the new grass and the contentedness of our cows. 

 

Easter, the annual church celebration commemorating Christ's resurrrection, coincides with the beginning evidence of spring in northwest Arkansas. The beauty of our world is a vivid reminder of God's perfect plan for each of us.

 

 From down on the dairy farm...

 

 

Happy Easter! 

 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Spring is full of surprises and celebrations on the dairy farm.  We were surprised with  frigid temperatures frosted  with snow  and the birth of this snowy white calf this first week of spring. Isn't she cute?

I'm calling her Snowflake.

 

 

 

I'm thankful for new life on the farm and for the opportunity to celebrate my Mother's 82nd birthday!

Dairy Style Spring Break

I haven't been on spring break like most of the families in our area, but I did attend the Dairy Farmers of America Annual Meeting in Kansas City at the beginning of the week. It was great to see friends from across the country, receive updated information about our dairy cooperative and sample a variety of delicious  dairy products--especially Elsie's Borden cheese!

  You can probably guess that one of my favorite activities is to go say hello to Elsie. It's hard to decide which one of us has the best smile!

Even though Elsie stays busy making visits around the country, you can find a great selection of recipes on Friends of Elsie. Saturday night I'm planning  to celebrate the end of spring break (that I didn't have), by baking Elsie's  Easy Cheesy Honky Tonk Chicken.

 

Easy Cheesy Honky Tonk Chicken

 

Ingredients:

 

 4 slices Borden Applewood Bacon Cheddar Singles Sensations

 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

 1 cup Barbecue sauce

 2/3 cup French Fried Onions (150mL can)

 4 slices of crispy fried bacon

 4 tablespoons sour cream

 9 jalapeno slices (optional)

 

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken in a glass baking dish.

Pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the chicken.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until liquid runs clear.

While chicken is baking, pan fry bacon until extra crisp. Drain grease and set bacon to the side.

When chicken is donem place one slice of Applewood Bacon Cheddar Single on each chicken breast. Then top with a slice of bacon. Sprinkle with French fried onion.

 

Place chicken back into the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts.

After you take the chicken out of the oven, put a 1 tablespoon dollop of sour cream on to each chicken breast and then 2 slices of jalapenos on to each dollop of sour cream.

 

 

 

Happy Spring!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                                                  
    Although it's a chilly first day of spring, there are signs on the dairy farm to verify it's  the season of new life. Spring brings a fresh breath of  hope  and I'm thankful for the simple enjoyment of experiencing this season on the dairy farm with my family.