After Saturday's rain in Northwest Arkansas, there's a definite feeling of fall on the farm. I'm thinking about getting 'souped up' on Monday with a recipe I found on the Dairy Makes Sense website.
Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion,chopped
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups low-fat milk
1 (16-oz) package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
11/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation:
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Add flour and stir until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Heat until slightly thickened. Add milk,
broccoli and potatoes. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender. Stir in cheese and seasonings.
Happy Monday!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Back Porch Makeover
If the back porch of our old farmhouse could talk, I know it would have a lot of stories to tell. My mother-in-law was born and raised in this house and told me a few of those childhood stories of how they would eat on the porch in the summer before the days of air-conditioning or used it for overflow dining when company came to visit.
Today the back porch of our 92 year old farm house is not only the walk through to inside the house, it's also the storage place for items that Farmer-Husband might need occasionally but must keep it on the back porch to be sure it's handy, a dozen raincoats for four people, and an assortment of boots and shoes for every occasion and event on the dairy farm.
The planned porch make-over happened this week. My Mother and I marked our calendars for this special project--she's my partner in crime on projects like this! It's not that it's such a big space but the fact that there was so much stuff to move and so much dirt to clean out before we could start the project!
Here's how the steps of the project went:
Today the back porch of our 92 year old farm house is not only the walk through to inside the house, it's also the storage place for items that Farmer-Husband might need occasionally but must keep it on the back porch to be sure it's handy, a dozen raincoats for four people, and an assortment of boots and shoes for every occasion and event on the dairy farm.
The planned porch make-over happened this week. My Mother and I marked our calendars for this special project--she's my partner in crime on projects like this! It's not that it's such a big space but the fact that there was so much stuff to move and so much dirt to clean out before we could start the project!
Here's how the steps of the project went:
- First step was to wait till Farmer-Husband left town for three days. This first step allowed me to move everything with out listening to any complaining about moving the stuff that might be used.
- Second step was moving everything out to another space which actually required a move of more of Farmer-Husband's stuff without his permission. Good reason for step number one.
- Third step was back-breaking , knee bruising scrubbing to prepare for the woodwork and floor painting.
- Fourth Step was to paint and allow plenty of drying time and keep the porch off limits for an extra day for drying.
The back porch is now clean , shiny and clutter free!
I'm still hearing a little grumbling from the Farmer-Husband about where I've moved his stuff, but it's worth it when I look at the improvement to our old farmhouse from the back porch makeover!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Dairymom's Thankful Thursday
It was a bit foggy this morning when we fed calves and found this mama with her new baby in the pasture. New life is always a celebration on the dairy farm.
I'm thankful for these early morning life- on- the farm pictures I
experience every day with my family.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Celebrate National Farm to School Month
October is a perfect month for fieldtrips and farm tours. The Farm to School Program strives to connect schools to local farms, with the objectives of serving healthy meals in schools, improving student nutrition and promoting agriculture, health and education opportunities to support local and regional farms.
In case you aren't able to visit a dairy farm this month, here's a few dairy facts I'd like to share with you for National Farm to School Month:
I'll be celebrating with milk--how about you?
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Dairymom's Sunset Adventure
Early in the summer, Ryan cut the hay on an acreage surrounded by subdivisions at the edge of Centerton, not too far from our farm. Since we're considering renting the pasture for cattle, I was asked if I would like to take a ride on the four wheeler to check fences all around the property. Sunset adventure rides with a dairy farmer are pretty irresistible!
It was worth all the adventure --blackberry briar scratches, chigger bites and a few tense moments when I wasn't sure the four wheeler would carry us out of the jungle of weeds above our heads--to see the beauty of an overgrown Arkansas meadow in early fall.
Underneath all these colorful weeds (I call them flowers), is a pasture of carpet thick grass.
When you compare this year to last year's drought--we are so blessed!
The earth is the Lord's and all it contains.
The world, and those who dwell in it.
---Psalm 24:1
Happy Sunday!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Dairymom's Thankful Thursday
Silage chopping has a lot of moments of frustration and irritation when dealing with a machine that has so many moving parts that often create mechanical breakdowns.
I'm thankful for the never give-up attitude of these young farmers and the not so easy lessons learned on the farm about dealing with disappointment and frustrations beyond our control on the dairy farm.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Celebrate World School Milk Day
World School Milk Day is an international, annual event started in 2000 to celebrate the importance of school milk in children's diets and increase global awareness. Students from over forty countries throughout the world will be celebrating World School Milk Day on September 25th.
Midwest Dairy Council is sponsoring a World School Milk Day Contest to help schools kickoff Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2013-14 school year.
All participating Fuel Up to Play 60 schools are eligible to enter the World School Milk Day Contest by October 2nd. You can find contest information at Midwest Dairy.
Happy World School Milk Day!
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