Two Straws, One Glass

Do you remember, as a child, how exciting Valentine's Day was? It was one of my favorite school days. It was so fun to make our Valentine's box at home to bring to school so our classmates could stuff it full of Valentine's. Most of my Valentine mailboxes were made from shoe boxes or tissue boxes covered with paper, and if I was really lucky my mom would let me use wrapping paper as the covering! Most classmates made red or pink construction paper hearts and our "best" friends got the special hearts with the lacey paper doily attached. Of course as I got a bit older it was the "secret crush" that got that special decorated heart!

Working as an Elementary School educator, I still get to experience Valentine's Day from a child's perspective. The mailboxes may not be shoe boxes or tissue boxes and the Valentine's are probably bought and not home-made, but one thing stayed the same...the excitement! It's nice to know some things don't change.

Wishing you and your sweetheart a wonderful Valentine's Day.

Enjoy this smoothie recipe with someone you love.

Add some romance...two straws, one glass? 

D Is For Dairy Makes Sense

It's June Dairy Month! The barn doors are open, 

so join me on my daily A to Z journey 

to learn more about dairy. 

  D is for Dairy Makes Sense 

Meet my friend Bessie...

You may have seen her before...

She's quite a party animal...

 

and she loves dairy!

Bessie is the mascot for Midwest Dairy Association, and she makes an appearance on many of my blog posts. So why does she grace the pages of My Barnyard View, besides the fact that she is so gosh darn cute? 

 

Dairy farmers in the Midwest invest 15 cents for every 100 pounds of milk they sell. Midwest Dairy Association™ (Midwest Dairy) receives 10 cents of this mandatory funding for regional programs. The remaining five cents goes to the National Dairy Board to fund national promotional, research and export programs. 

 

So just like Ford, or Abercrombie, or Culvers- dairy farmers promote their products too. Perhaps you have seen or heard, "Got Milk?" and the famous mustache campaign, or "Ahhh, the power of cheese" or the new "Milk Life" slogan. These are a few examples of how we dairy farmers, with the help of Midwest Dairy and the National Dairy Board, share the good news about dairy foods.

Now, back to Dairy Makes Sense... Dairy Makes Sense is the website sponsored by Midwest Dairy Association. Dairy Makes Sense is filled with videos, nutrition facts, and if you click on the Midwest Dairy Farms tab, you will see photos from dairy farms including our very own Bremer Farms! Don't know what to make for dinner? No problem, there are many dairy recipes on the site also.

 

Not Your Typical Mother's Day

Since our career is not a "typical" 9-5 job, why should we expect our holidays to be "typical"? Mother's Day is no exception. Whether it be a holiday or just any old day, we are committed to taking care of our animals. And we are o.k. with that. We knew about this commitment when we signed on to this somewhat crazy journey called farming.

So what is our holiday tradition to celebrate Mother's Day? Chores, church, and family lunch; usually with a few twists along the way. I remember Mother's Days that began with a visit from the veterinarian because a new momma cow was having difficulty bringing her newborn calf into the world. I remember times when we missed church on Mom's Day because the Spring weather did not cooperate and the corn seeds were desperately in need of being planted. Other years Farmer John worked in the fields while the kiddos and I went to church and then brought slightly cold fast food to the field, spread a blanket on the edge of that newly plowed field and enjoyed our gourmet feast for Mother's Day. But I'm o.k. with that. Being with family is what matters to this mom...and I enjoy a few twists along the way! 

Happy Mother's Day!

Sara and I celebrating Mother's Day, farmer style.

Daughter Sara shared her Mother's Day thoughts as a guest blogger for Dairy Makes Sense. Read about her 132 Mother's Day Wishes On A Dairy Farm.

I'm Nuts for Pecans

Pecans are one of my favorite nuts to bake with, and today being 

National Pecan Day, what a better way to celebrate than with

English Toffee and a glass of milk!

English Toffee

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
³/₄ cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
¹/₈ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Toast the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant.
With heavy-duty aluminum foil, form a 10-inch square shell with 1-inch high sides. Place the foil shell on a baking sheet, and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard-crack stage), stirring occasionally (watch closely after it reaches 290F because the temperature will increase rapidly). When the mixture becomes dark golden brown, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the foil shell. It will spread but may not reach the edges of the square. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, or until hard.
Melt the chocolate according to instructions on the side of package. Spread melted chocolate over the cooled toffee, and sprinkle with the pecans, pressing lightly to set pecans into chocolate. Let set at room temperature 1 hour, or until the chocolate is set. Break toffee into pieces. Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Another delicious pecan recipe can be found on Dairy Makes Sense.com

Rice Pudding with Praline Topping

You may just go nuts for pecans too!

 

Have a BERRY Good Day!

I have a real love affair with strawberries! I think it goes back to my memories of spending time with my Grandparents, picking berries in their HUGE garden. My strawberry basket never seemed to fill as fast as Grandma and Grandpa's. I think they picked faster, but they said I ate faster!  

Today is National Strawberry Day! You may not find a greeting card to help you celebrate the day, but I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make this yummy strawberry recipe. 


Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Squares.


Servings: 9
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients  

1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk, divided
Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup Post Grape-Nuts™ or similar cereal
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries (about 2 1/2 cups) 

3 cups fat-free strawberry yogurt

 

  Preparation 

Measure 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk; set aside. Line 8x8-inch baking pan with foil; spray with non-stick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine cereal, cinnamon, cloves and remainder of sweetened condensed milk. Spread cereal mixture evenly on bottom of pan, place in freezer.

Place strawberries and yogurt in a blender; cover and blend. Add 1 cup sweetened condensed milk; blend until smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, smoothing to edges of pan. Cover with foil (or plastic wrap) and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
Use edges of foil to loosen and remove from pan; let recipe thaw for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

 

Substitution Idea

Squares may be individually wrapped and stored in freezer for single servings.

Besides this recipe, you can find more Dairy Recipes at Dairy Makes Sense.