Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even though I'm a little sad to say good-bye to summer,

 I enjoy the brightness of the summer  flowers that are numbering 

their days before the first frost

and 

the cooler mornings  that blanket the pasture with fog and seem

 to  make the dairy cattle enjoy being leisurely.

                                    I'm thankful for the transitions we experience as fall begins.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last weekend was full of fun, learning and inspiration  with bloggers from Arkansas,Missouri,Oklahoma, Texas and even one from Nevada attending

 Foodie Friday and the Megaphone Conference in Fayetteville.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to meet  homemade bread  entrepreneur

 and business woman Patricia Barnes, better known as "Sister Schubert"

 and learn  the  secret of making the best bread pudding,

to receive an overwhelming amount of

 social media and blogging information

and 

                                           to find a little milk from  down on the dairy farm.
                                               

Dairy Farmer's Dream Dessert

Thanks to Amanda's Cookin' recipe Pineapple Dream Dessert, I found the Cool Whip made with real cream! I was drawn to the recipe by the ingredients of butter and cream cheese, but finding this new version of Cool Whip made it a Dairy Farmer's Dream Dessert for me!



Pineapple Dream Dessert

Ingredients

Crust:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (2 sleeves)
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Layers:

2 cups powdered sugar,sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter,softened
4 oz. cream cheese,softened
8 oz,  container Cool Whip
20 oz. can crushed pineapple,drained well

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 F.

Melt butter in the microwave and allow to cool. Combine the crumbs and butter and toss together until incorporated. Press 2 cups of the crumb mixture firmly into a 9x9 inch square pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until mixed.  Turn up and beat well for a minute or so. Add a heaping tablespoon of the drained pineapple and stir in with a rubber spatula. Spread the cream cheese and pineapple mixture over the crust.

Fold the remaining pineapple into the Cool Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Welcome to the herd!

It's a great start to any day when we welcome a new calf to the farm.

Soon after I took this picture, Mama went to the milk barn to join 

the milking herd  and baby girl (heifer)  went to the nursery with me. 

Heifer calves on our farm grow up to become the cows that produce

milk,so it's a priority for us to get them off to a healthy start.

                                I'm thankful for my daily job to insure the health of our calves
                                  and  support the  sustainability  of our family dairy  farm by
                                                     raising and caring for our dairy calves.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

A trip to the Washington County Fair is a perfect way to begin September!

Where else can you see...

blue ribbon watermelons,

a variety of pumpkins,

beautiful dairy cattle,

or

                                          hear the laughter of families on the Ferris Wheel?

                                    I'm thankful for the people that participate in making any
                                                  county fair possible for all of us to enjoy.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

This  sweet little golden brown Ayrshire heifer  was born this week.

Do you think she will grow into these ears?

When she reaches her adult weight of 1200 pounds, the ears will be a perfect fit.

                                I'm thankful for Cody's 4-H project that keeps growing and for
                                      the smiles that a sweet baby always brings to the farmers.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last Sunday afternoon dedicated firemen from three different community

 fire departments showed up to save a house located on one of our 

farm properties. Fortunately, there were no people in the house at the time of the

 fire and the quick and efficient  work of the firemen saved the dwelling.

We know many of these firemen personally and appreciate the

 fact that they represent generations of  firefighters in our community.

                                               I'm so thankful for these dedicated men that
                                                 volunteer to keep our communities safe.