"Never A Dull Moment" Dinner

I feel certain you have heard the phrase, "Never a dull moment." If our family had a motto, this would be it! Fortunately, my family and I thrive on being busy.

Sara and the 8th grade class of 2015.

Daughter Sara is thinking back to school. It's not only the students that prepare for, and anticipate the first day of school, but teachers like Sara have school in mind as well. She has been rearranging and reorganizing her classroom library, "beautifying" her classroom, mentoring new 8th grade Language Arts teachers, and preparing for a student teacher from a nearby college. Never a dull moment! 

 She is a great example of one of those people that was born to teach! I know I sound like a bragging mom, but she, like so many other great teachers, always put the students first. She's creative and is always coming up with new ideas. I mean, let's face it- how many new and different ways can you think of to teach historical fiction and grammar, and still keep 14 year old's engaged? She goes the proverbial extra mile for the kids. Which is why there is never a dull moment for Sara!

So in honor of Sara, and dedicated teachers everywhere, I'm sharing one of the first recipes Sara learned to make-

 

Sara's Impossible Cheeseburger Pie 

1 pound hamburger

1/2 cup minced onions, if desired

1 cup milk

3 eggs

3/4 cup Bisquick

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onions, drain. Beat milk, eggs, Bisquick, salt and pepper. Put browned meat mixture in 10" pie pan. Pour liquid mixture over this and bake at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Take from oven. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Return to oven and bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (5-8 minutes) Serves 6-8.

And then when Sara's school day is over, it's on to farm chores.

 Never a dull moment...

Batter Up For America

I don't claim to be the biggest sports fan in America, but I do enjoy following our Minnesota teams. I'm also one of those people who gets a bit "star-struck" when I get the opportunity to meet one of these athletes. 

 
When I recently got asked to represent dairy farmers at an autograph signing with Minnesota Twins own baseball rookie, Eddie Rosario, I thought wow! A Minnesota sports celebrity and promoting dairy? That's a win-win situation!

The focus of this event was to share the importance of the
 Great American Milk Drive
which, with your help, makes milk available to children and families in need,
 especially in the summer months. 

According to Feeding America, more than half a million people in Minnesota are food insecure. Nearly 1-in-6 children throughout Minnesota struggle with hunger and may be at risk of missing out on milk's nutrition during the summer months.

Bob Chatmas, of Second Harvest, shared that milk is the single most requested nutritious item by food bank clients, but it's rarely donated. On average, food banks are only able to provide one gallon of milk per person per year. This means food bank clients can't even come close to the recommended three servings of dairy each day!

Most of us don't have to think twice about picking up a gallon of milk when we run out, and yes, even though I'm a dairy farmer surrounded by milk, I buy my milk at the store, just like you. But some families in our communities are missing this nutrient rich beverage. It's a problem that impacts all sorts of families - in urban, suburban and rural communities. Hunger is everywhere.

The Great American Milk Drive is a Feeding America program that's made possible by the nation's milk companies and dairy farmers, like me. It is designed to make it easy for all of us to donate much-needed milk to local food banks. I've donated several times by clicking on the link above. 
Won't you?