Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

With March being National Nutrition Month, it's only right that registered dietitians

 have their own day (March 11)  during the month!

Happy Registered Dietitian Day!

This group of dietitians visited our farm last year to find out how we produce safe,high-quality milk. 

Registered dietitians work in a variety of settings to provide nutritional information.

I'm thankful for the interest and educational training  registered dietitians have in helping clients of all ages in making nutritional choices that improve lifestyles ,boost health and especially for their efforts to reduce childhood obesity.

Daylight Saving Recipe

Last week my friend sent me an email with a variety of fast and easy soup recipes with this description: "good the first day but even better the second." Even though I believed her, I had to try it for myself!
Tortilla Soup  fit her description perfectly and is a daylight saving recipe,too!  Even better, it makes enough for a couple of freezer portions to really help the cook when the days are too busy for burning daylight in the kitchen.


Tortilla Soup

3-4 Chicken Breasts,cooked and shredded
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic,minced
3 cans chicken broth
2 Tablespoons Mexican seasoning or 1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can Great Northern beans

Toppings:Tortilla chips,jalapenos,shredded cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken and all other ingredients. Simmer 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips,jalapenos, and shredded cheese.

                                     

                                                I recommend enjoying this with a cold  glass of milk!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Dairy cattle are cared for around the clock 365 days a year.

During these cold,snowy days, I love  watching the cows gather around the hay feeders to enjoy the crop that we harvested on a hot summer day. We care for our dairy cows everyday by providing  a nutritious diet,good medical care and healthy living conditions.

Even though the snow is beautiful and moisture for the soil is appreciated, I'm thankful that we are approaching the end of winter!

Dairy Fuels Greatness

 National School Breakfast Week (March 2-6) is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the importance of good nutrition and physical activity each day with emphasis on starting the day with breakfast.

Breakfast at school  changes lives according to the No Kid Hungry organization. The annual 'Hunger in Our Schools' report identified that 76 percent of educators say that their students come to school hungry and one out of five American kids struggle with hunger.

It's been shown that  on average, students that  eat school breakfast :

• Achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized math tests
• Attend 1.5 more days of school per year
• Improve chances of leading healthy lives
• Avoid food insecurity in adulthood due to achievement of higher academic performance

Dairy farmers are helping schools improve and expand their breakfast programs  through  Fuel Up to Play 60, a program founded by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small,everyday changes at school  that support lifelong health habits and reverse the problem of childhood obesity. Fuel Up to Play 60 is playing a key role in helping schools improve and expand their breakfast program such as the Grab and Go Breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom and Second Chance Breakfast.

                                        I'm proud to be a supporting partner of this formula!

                                                                                   

                                 

Winter's Spring Deposit

Snow days down on the dairy farm not only  provide a  beautiful winter wonderland but 

   a spring deposit  of moisture that will soak into the soil for the green grass that we long to see in the pastures and for growing crops.

 Spring is just around the corner!

 

Happy March!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Our three day weekend together turned into a six day adventure when the friendly skies of American Airline became less friendly with flight cancellations due to winter ice and snow storms. On the second day of being cancelled and more snow and ice, ground transportation seemed our best option.

I'm thankful that 

we  are still smiling after driving 1000 miles together  to get home to the dairy farm, for our two sons who managed the farm while we were away and to be home with the cows!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Feeding our dairy cows a nutritious diet is an everyday activity--regardless of the weather conditions. 

Even though these cows had already eaten in the feed barn after being milked, the snow seemed to create an exciting experience as the feed wagons were pulled into the field  as usual.

On their way to the feed wagons, the cows were running and kicking up their hooves just like kids on a sled at the top of a snowy hill.

I'm thankful for the fun these cows seemed to be having on their snow day down  on the dairy farm!