V is for Volunteer

Each June my family and I volunteer to serve cookies and milk after our church services in celebration of National Dairy Month. Here's the smiles that 21 dozen home baked cookies and 6 gallons of icy cold milk brings to our church family.

Another empty gallon!

Thanks to everyone for supporting the dairy industry by enjoying dairy!

C Is For Cookies And Milk

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. 

 C is for Cookies and Milk

 What could be a more perfect pairing than cookies and milk? 

In honor of June Dairy Month, Bremer Farms provides cookies and milk to our church friends after the Sunday morning services on the first Sunday of June. This has become an annual event and a fun way to share our dairy story. We provide recipes, coloring sheets for the kids, and every one goes home with an "I met a dairy farmer" sticker. 

Cookies paired with cold, refreshing milk. Yummy! 

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies
 

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Roll in 1" balls and press down with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar.  Bake 6 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 8 dozen.

 

Christmas Eve As A Child

Today I have chosen to re-post something I shared last December. My  Christmas Eve traditions as a child is still one of my favorite holiday memories.

Christmas Eve day began as usual, except for the fact that my mom was probably putting the finishing touches on the matching dresses she had sewn for my sister and I to wear that night. My dad started farm chores early on Christmas Eve afternoon. Calf feeding and milking began about an hour earlier than usual so that we could get to the annual Sunday School Christmas Eve program on time. My sister, brother, and I each got to open one gift before church. It was often a new pair of socks or something else that we needed to complete our holiday attire. Mom rushed us kids off to church, while dad stayed home to finish the milking, only to slip into the back pew just in time for the program to begin.

 

My dad's family is close, and I mean close. Besides getting along very well, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all lived within five miles of our farm. Each of my uncles were dairy farmers too. We all went to the same church too, so all our Christmas Eve schedules were quite similar. After church, we all invaded  Grandma and Grandpa's home. The 16 grandchildren couldn't wait to dig into the Christmas gifts, but we had to wait until after digging into the feast that the mom's had prepared. Due to our dairy farmer schedules, Christmas Eve dinner was after church. While the moms cleaned up the dishes, the kids separated the gifts into piles for each person. We each got a gift from the family member who was lucky enough to draw our name from the hat on Thanksgiving Day, when we were all together to celebrate "turkey day." Of course there was always a gift from Grandma and Grandpa too. Often times we each received a pad of rainbow colored paper, and we always patiently waited for Grandma to hand each of us an envelope with $2.00 tucked inside!

As midnight quickly approached, it was time for the mom's to return to church to sing in the church choir for the Midnight Carol Service. Grandpa was comfortable in his tan leather rocker, smoking his pipe, while the dad's each found a spot on the couches to take a little nap. The cousins, however, were exploring the newly received gifts and sharing their hopes for what Santa would deliver the next morning.

I'm the one in the burgundy jumper with the cool glasses.

Faith, family, and farming, it was a perfect way for our family to celebrate Christmas Eve. What childhood memories do you have?

C Is For Cookie

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z through the land of dairy! 

There's no need to pack your bags, just come along! 

 C Is For Cookie

In honor of June Dairy Month, Bremer Farms provides cookies and milk (of course) to our church friends after the Sunday morning services on the first Sunday of June. This has become an annual event and a fun way to share our dairy story. We provide recipe booklets, bookmarks, coloring sheets for the kids, and every one goes home with an "I met a dairy farmer" sticker. 

 Many folks share stories of growing up on a farm, or visiting Grandpa's farm for summer vacation. Others ask many questions about farming because they have never had a personal connection to farming. 

Either way, my hope is that everyone goes home with a little better understanding about dairy farming, dairy foods, and realizes how proud we are of what we do and that we love what we do, down on the farm.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

•   1 cup butter, (of course!) softened
•   1 cup shortening
•   1 and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
•   1 cup granulated sugar
•   2 eggs
•   2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•   4 cups all-purpose flour
•   2 teaspoon baking soda
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   4cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions 

Heat oven to 350°F.  Beat butter and shortening in large bowl until well blended. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 to 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Learn more at Dairy Makes Sense

I am making a commitment to share as much as I can with you each day this month, about the life of our dairy farm family including what we do, how we share our passion for dairy, and dairy foods we enjoy.

 See you here tomorrow...D is for Doo-Doo.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Holidays seems to be a time of reminiscing. Here is my memory of Christmas Eve as a child.

Christmas Eve day began as usual, except for the fact that my mom was probably putting the finishing touches on the matching dresses she had sewn for my sister and I to wear that night. My dad started farm chores early on Christmas Eve afternoon. Calf feeding and milking began about an hour earlier than usual so that we could get to the annual Sunday School Christmas Eve program on time. My sister, brother, and I each got to open one gift before church. It was often a new pair of socks or something else that we needed to complete our holiday attire. Mom rushed us kids off to church, while dad stayed home to finish the milking, only to slip into the back pew just in time for the program to begin. 

 

My dad's family is close, and I mean close. Besides getting along very well, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all lived within five miles of our farm. Each of my uncles were dairy farmers too. We all went to the same church too, so all our Christmas Eve schedules were quite similar. After church, we all invaded  Grandma and Grandpa's home. The 16 grandchildren couldn't wait to dig into the Christmas gifts, but we had to wait until after digging into the feast that the mom's had prepared. Due to our dairy farmer schedules, Christmas Eve dinner was after church. While the moms cleaned up the dishes, the kids separated the gifts into piles for each person. We each got a gift from the family member who was lucky enough to draw our name from the hat on Thanksgiving Day, when we were all together to celebrate "turkey day." Of course there was always a gift from Grandma and Grandpa too. Often times we each received a pad of rainbow colored paper, and we always patiently waited for Grandma to hand each of us an envelope with $2.00 tucked inside!

As midnight quickly approached, it was time for the mom's to return to church to sing in the church choir for the Midnight Carol Service. Grandpa was comfortable in his tan leather rocker, smoking his pipe, while the dad's each found a spot on the couches to take a little nap. The cousins, however, were exploring the newly received gifts and sharing their hopes for what Santa would deliver the next morning.

That's me in the center, with the cool glasses.

Faith, family, and farming, it was a perfect way for our family to celebrate Christmas Eve. What childhood memories do you have?

Beyond Hot Dish and Jello

 Perhaps it is because I live in Minnesota, but the long standing joke is that us Lutherans love our hot dishes and Jello salads. I am not here to debate this fact, since I have been to many amazing "potluck" dinners at my church, but today St. John's Lutheran Church proved that they love milk and cookies too. Bremer Farms served milk and cookies after each service today in celebration of June Dairy Month. After twenty-five dozen cookies and many gallons of milk, no one had to be convinced how tasty and refreshing a cold glass of milk is! 

My sugar cookies were a hit today, so I included the recipe for all of you to enjoy.

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Roll in 1" balls and press down with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar.  Bake 6 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 8 dozen.

 

 There are more great recipes at Midwest Dairy