Dairy Recipe Winner

If you're looking for a fun and delicious  party idea, this dairy recipe is it!  Natalie Lester of Williford,Arkansas (Sharp County) placed second in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest with Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Parfaits.
Served in a small mason jar, tied with a pretty ribbon, it would be perfect for any party.

As we watched Natalie prepare this recipe, it is obvious that she mastered whipping cream. If you follow her recipe directions, you too can be successful!

Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Parfaits

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups pretzels,crushed
1 cup pecans,chopped
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter,melted
4 cups strawberries,diced
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese,softened
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Whipped Cream: The most important step before you begin to make homemade whipped cream is to make sure everything is really cold. Place the beater and the bowl of the mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Also place the heavy whipping cream, in the freezer at the same time. Place the cream, 1/4 cup granulated  sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on low at first. until all the ingredients are fully mixed. Then turn the mixer on medium speed. Medium speed is key to making the best homemade whipped cream. Whip the cream until almost stiff peaks form. The best way to tell if it is ready, is when the beaters are lifted out of the cream you can see little peaks that do not fall right away. If yo mix too much you will make butter. The best whipped cream is right before it gets to the butter stage.

For remainder of the dish: Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. Spread on a large baking sheet with sides and bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces. Beat together softened cream cheese,remainder of granulated sugar and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream mixture. Now layer in the jar as follows: pretzel mixture, strawberries, cream cheese mixture and sprinkle a little more of the pretzel mixture on top.

Dairy 3 for Me

June Dairy Month is the perfect time to get serious about making sure 

that your daily diet includes the recommended three daily  servings 

of dairy to ensure a well balanced diet.

By taking the Dairy 3 for Me Pledge you are committing to getting the three 

servings of dairy daily and promising to enjoy your

 favorite dairy products like milk,cheese and yogurt every day.

Consider these Midwest Dairy tips for including  dairy in your diet:

                             -Substitute syrup on pancakes and waffles with flavored yogurt

                             -Top sandwiches and salads with your favorite cheese

                             -Prepare oatmeal and other cooked cereals with milk instead of water

                             -Make milk your mealtime beverage

                             -Use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or mayonnaise

                             -Recover from a tough workout with a tall glass of chocolate milk

Contestants and judges from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods 

Contest took the Dairy 3 for Me Pledge last week.

Will you take the pledge?

Sunday's Peace

Abide With Me

Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide.

The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!

when other helpers fail and comforts flee, 

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day. 

Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away.

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the Tempter's pow'r?

Who,like thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Thro' cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

I fear no foe,with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting?Where,grave, thy victory?

 I triumph still if Thou abide with me.

Hold thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; 

Shine thro' the gloom, and point me to the skies.

Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee!

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

                                              --Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Julie Griffin of Benton County was selected to serve as the 

 2016 Arkansas Dairy Ambassador

 during the 4 State Dairy Days Show in Benton County last weekend. 

I'm thankful for the dairy programs that are available for youth participation,

for the opportunity to watch the growth and development of our youth

 and

                                                     for the adult leaders that invest their
                                                     time and talents for our young people.

Dairy Recipe Winners

The Main Dish category winner of the 2016  Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest is Christen Talley of El Dorado (Union County). Christen told us that she selected the recipe and modified it slightly because she wanted to use dairy products in a recipe that wasn't a dessert.

 As we watched her prepare Cajun Corn and Crab Bisque last week during the contest in Little Rock, it was obvious that she developed a variety of culinary skills, especially her knife skills. Watching young people develop life skills and supporting them through volunteer activities like the Dairy Foods Contest  is a rewarding experience for me. The other positive of being invited to judge the contest is the tasting of a lot of great dairy foods!


Cajun Corn and Crab Bisque


Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 medium onion,diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1/2 cup carrots, diced or grated
2 cloves garlic,diced
2 cans chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn (frozen)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
6 green onions,diced (divided in half)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 pounds lump crabmeat
1 teaspoon liquid crab boil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions;

In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour and brown lightly. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables are soft. Stir in garlic at the very end to keep it from overcooking. When vegetables are soft, stir in chicken stock,bay leaves, Cajun seasoning and corn. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Reduce the heat and slowly stir in heavy cream,milk, and cream cheese. Add in half the green onions (retain half for garnish) and allow to return to almost boiling. Once heated through and cream cheese is completely melted, combine into bisque. Add liquid crab boil, salt and pepper to taste. Fold in crabmeat (if you stir too much, the crab falls apart). Serve immediately garnished with diced green onion.

Dairy Paradise

I can't think of a better way to kick-off June Dairy Month than getting to taste  delicious recipes made with a variety of dairy products at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest in Little Rock. It truly is a dairy paradise of good eating!

Recipes are judged on the use of dairy products, originality,the availability of ingredients and preparation and  serving technique. It's always fun and rewarding to observe the contestants, who can range in age from 9 to 19, preparing their recipes for the contest.  As a Farm Bureau member I take pride in the programs that support the development of our young people because it's obvious that each one has learned a variety of life-long skills by participating in this contest.

Congratulations to this year's winner of the Party Idea category  Emma Williams of Searcy (White County). She described her recipe as a mixture of all the foods she loves. When you taste this pie, you will definitely agree it's a bit of dairy paradise!



Paradise Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

20 pecan shortbread cookies (crushed)
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Filling:

1 small package vanilla instant pudding
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large banana (sliced)

Topping:

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
11/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup toasted flaked coconut

Directions:

Crust: Mix cookie crumbs, 1 cup coconut and melted butter in a small mixing bowl and blend well.
Press into a pie plate to make crust. Bake at 10 minutes at 325 degrees or until lightly browned.

Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and vanilla pudding and whisk until stiffened. Fold in 1 cup coconut and sour cream until blended. Set aside. Arrange sliced bananas on the bottom of cooled crust. Cover with pudding mixture; Set aside.

Topping: Combine whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff. Add sugar and continue to beat until mixed. Fold drained pineapple and prepared whipping cream together, spoon over the pudding mixture of the pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Planning a harvest time for any crop can be tricky when the weatherman

 is predicting a chance of rain everyday.

When it looked like we might have a day of sunny weather  to allow

 just enough drying time before chopping and hauling to the silo,

 the mowing began

Watching this process is fascinating when it goes according to the plan.

Most of the crop was hauled to the silo but  when mechanical

 issues stopped the process,

I'm thankful 

we still managed to harvest the crop by 

changing the plan to  wrapping and baling.