June Dairy Month Celebrates Health

It's a perfect theme for June Dairy Month--Healthy People,Healthy Communities,Healthy Planet! It was pure coincidence that I attended a nursing continuing education program today on osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that weakens the bones and commonly leads to fractures of the wrist,hip and spine due to compromised bone strength. As Dr. Wright, a practicing geriatrician, presented facts about the benefits of dairy products in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, I felt very proud to be a dairy farmer working every day to produce nutritious,healthy milk.

Prevention of osteoporosis begins in childhood with an adequate intake of calcium that is important to bone health. Milk and other dairy foods are the perfect choice in helping to prevent a disease that threatens 52 million Americans and costs seventeen billion dollars in direct medical care. June Dairy Month is the perfect time to celebrate a product that provides health and wellness for all of us consumers! It's a fact that milk,cheese and yogurt play a critical role in the diets of children and adults by providing nine essential nutrients, including calcium,magnesium,potassium, and phosphorus, in addition to 48 percent daily value of protein.


Although every day is a celebration on the dairy farm as we produce high quality milk by taking care of our cows and the land, June Dairy Month gives us a unique opportunity to participate in fun activities with our community like other dairy farm families across America. You can find great information about dairy,learn how others are celebrating June Dairy Month and find a lot of tasty dairy recipes at: http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.

I hope you'll celebrate with us. Let the party begin--Happy June Dairy Month! 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Our pastures and crops are thirsting for a good soaking rain.

 I'm thankful for the little bit of  rain this  week and hopeful for more to come. 

                                                                               
                                                                                

Banana Split Dessert

Schools out, swimming pools are open,and it's hot in Northwest Arkansas--perfect time for an ice cream dessert! A dear family friend shared this recipe with me soon after Ryan and I were married. Recipes that have been given to me  always bring a smile whether I'm reading   the recipe or eating the finished product!  It's a great make ahead dessert for any celebration or the perfect treat for an ordinary day when you need to bring a smile or lift a spirit.

Banana Split Dessert

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups  graham cracker crumbs (2pkgs)
3 large bananas,sliced
1/2 gallon Neopolitan ice cream
1 cup pecans
1 pint whipping cream

Reserve 1 cup crumbs; sprinkle remaining crumbs to cover bottom of 11x15in. pan. Slice banannas over crumbs.Slice ice cream in 1 1/2 inch slices, place on top of bananas. Cover with pecans. Place in freezer.

Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter, add chocolate chips, melt; add powdered sugar and milk. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Cool and add vanilla. Pour over ice cream mixture. Place back in freezer. Whip cream ( sweeten to taste) , spread over sauce. Top with remaining crumbs. Freeze until serving time.

                                                                       
                                                               Have A Dairy Good Day!

Summer Snack Tips

Our quick trip to Texas to celebrate our uncle's birthday was three days of family togetherness centered around a lot of non-stop snacking, meal eating and being entertained by the boundless high powered energy of young children. The children seemed to be powered by the snacks they grabbed when passing through the kitchen, but by meal time, the kids were not hungry. This was the perfect reminder that snacks should fit into the day's nutrition plan to make sure that  nutritional needs are being met without competing with meal time nutrition.

With summer time full of activity and  erratic family schedules, winning snacks should provide carbohydrate,protein,fiber and some healthy fat. Low-fat dairy products are powerhouses of calcium and protein and make great choices for snacking for adults and children. Here are just a few healthy and economical snack suggestions found on the Web MD site (http://www.webmd.com):

• Whip up a smoothie using any fresh or frozen fruit,plain low-fat yogurt,100%fruit juice, and ice
• Low fat microwave popcorn tossed with Parmesan cheese
• Low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit
• Snack size (8oz) of low fat plain or chocolate milk with whole wheat pretzels
• Whole grain crackers,string cheese and mango slices
• Cooked or raw vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing, and a hardboiled egg
• Bowl of whole grain cereal and low fat milk
• Small container of Greek yogurt
• Substitute low-fat frozen yogurt for premium ice cream for added nutrition and fewer calories

You can find more great recipes and snack ideas at http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.

                                                                
                                            I'm ready for a healthy snack---how about you?

Memorial Day Tradition

When I arrived at the cemetery today to decorate the graves of family members, I was surprised to see two men walking through the cemetery.  The men were checking a list on a clipboard and pulling a small wagon that was full of flags. Row by row, they were placing a flag by each veteran's grave. I found out that these men were continuing  a tradition that their grandmother had started  to show her appreciation for the sacrifice others had made for the freedoms we enjoy today. 

All the freedoms we enjoy today have come with a cost.  Looking across the cemetery with a strong wind blowing, each flag appeared to be standing at  attention and givng a salute. It was a perfect picture to remind me of all the freedoms that we enjoy as a nation because of the sacrifice of others.

                                                                                 
                                                                    God Bless America!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I learned alot about the dairy industry in Benton County when preparing for our Arkansas Heritage program. This farmer was delivering his milk to the Kraft Plant in Bentonville in 1948.  I'm thankful for the improvements in the dairy industry like refrigerated milk tanks on the dairy  farm  that keep the milk cool  before being transported to the processing plant and for our faithful  milk truck driver!

VOTE DAIRY

Arkansas primary voting is Tuesday,May22. Campaigning has been hot and heavy in our area and tough decisions will be made on Tuesday. Although voting for dairy isn't on the Arkansas ballot, including dairy in our diet every day is an important choice.

The 2010 Dietary guidelines for Americans recommends three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products for those ages nine and older. It's a fact that on average, Americans are consuming only two dairy servings a day. Making wise nutritional choices is important to lifelong health. Here are a few reasons to consider  casting your vote for Dairy:

• Milk contains essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium,protein and phosphorus and it's fortified in vitamins A and D.
• Milk's powerful nutrient package of calcium, plus eight other essential nutrients, helps nourish your body, not just your bones.
• The protein naturally found in milk helps to build strong muscles for your active lifestyle.
• The dairy case has something for everyone--low-fat,fat-free and lactose free products to meet taste and nutritional goals.
• At about 25 cents a glass, milk is a nutritional bargain providing incomparable nutrition, value, and taste.

You can find more nutritional information and great recipes for you and your family at http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.

                                                                     

                Dairy farm families are working everyday to provide safe,high-quality milk  by
                                                  taking good care of our cows and the land.

                                           VOTE DAIRY---It's a  Healthy Choice!