Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

If cows could ride a sunbeam,

 it looked quite possible this afternoon when the sun was setting.

My thought really  was that after  an afternoon of  eating whenever I felt like 

it and resting leisurely in the pasture, a quick ride to the milking  barn

 would be appreciated.

                             I'm thankful for these extraordinary  natural scenes of beauty down
                                         on the dairy farm that occur on ordinary days.

Holiday Helper Recipe

As I was thumbing through my recipe file this past week, Sausage Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes  was the perfect holiday helper  recipe for my Christmas morning schedule that included calf feeding and making it to church on time.

I heartily recommend Sausage Breakfast Casserole for anytime you need a holiday helper recipe or trying to feed a hungry family!


Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage, (cooked,drained,crumbled)
4 1/2 cups cubed day old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs slightly beaten
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup peeled, chopped tomato (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium high. Break up the sausage into chunks and cook, working in batches if need be, until browned all around. Make sure the chunks of sausage have some space around them or your meat will steam and not brown. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan and let sit on paper towels on a plate to soak up the excess fat. Crumble into smaller pieces.

2. Place bread in a well buttered  9 x 13  inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage and optional ingredients over the top.

3. At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If not, let sit for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Merry Dairy Traditions

Our Christmas tree is full of ornaments that have been lovingly

 received as gifts from friends and family over the last thirty-two years.

Placing these special ornaments on the tree each year is 

an important part of our family tradition, a celebration of friendships

 and a thankfulness for the relationships of those who are no longer with us.

These two ornaments always bring a smile to this  dairy farmer!

Christmas Day on the dairy farm will be busy as usual  as we 

 milk the cows, make sure all the cows and calves are fed 

 and add the usual fun family Christmas traditions

 of eating a lot and opening presents.

A merry  day on the dairy  indeed!

From down on the dairy farm...

Merry Christmas!

           

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It seemed like the calves were celebrating the first day of 

winter with a moooving song  while waiting on their morning milk.

Since it's just a few days before Christmas, 

they may have been singing their version of Jingle Bells

 or letting us know how they appreciated a warmer

 morning with bright sunshine.

Although we don't like to dwell on the type of winter weather we may face,

I'm thankful for the warm sunlight and the promise of longer daylight hours.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

On a cold,damp dreary day, 

                                      I'm thankful for the blessing of new life that brightens
                                          the day and warms the heart of the dairy farmer.

Cafe-Au-Lait Kind of Day

                                       Although winter won't begin until December 21st,
                                    Sunday afternoon calf feeding chores  must have been
                                     a trial run just to see how many layers of clothes we can
                                                               get on under the rain suit.

Midwest Dairy's Hazelnut Cafe-Au-Lait was a perfect beverage

 choice after feeding calves on a damp and chilly Sunday afternoon. 

                            

Hazelnut Cafe-Au-Lait                           


Ingredients:

3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups brewed coffee
3 tablespoons hazelnut-cocoa spread*
Dash ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons whipped cream


Directions:

Microwave milk,coffee and hazelnut spread in a large,heat proof glass bowl on high for 2 minutes or until mixture is hot,not boiling. Whip with a hand mixer or whisk until frothy. Pour into 3 serving cups. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.


Yield: 3 servings


Helpful Tips:

*Nutella was used for this recipe
To save time, use a can of pressurized whipped cream to top the drink.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The Arkansas Farm Bureau 82nd Annual Convention was held

 in Hot Springs last week. 

It's always great to connect with other Arkansas farmers and ranchers

  to share information and celebrate the activities

 that have occurred during the year. 

The conference theme "Our Common Ground" was a perfect fit.

I'm thankful for the many Farm Bureau  contests like Sew With Cotton 

that  highlight commodities raised in Arkansas and provide

 opportunities for competition and learning for 4-H members,

                                     
                         for the grassroots policy developed by the members of Farm Bureau,

and

 for the many volunteer opportunities allowing me to contribute

 and work with others to  benefit our  communities across Arkansas.