TV Time Talking Malts

If you know me, you know that I can be quite a talker, (alright friends and family- quit snickering) and one of my favorite things to talk about is dairy. Imagine that! So when I get the chance to talk dairy, you don't have to ask me twice.

I recently appeared on a couple television programs introducing this year's Flavor Of The Fair, which is the one-year-only flavor of malts and sundaes served at the Dairy Goodness Bar at the Minnesota State Fair. (Don't worry ice cream lovers- all your yummy favorite toppings are still available.)
I blogged about this year's choices here- Flavor of the Fair.

I then visited WCCO TV so Jason and Kylie could taste the 3 finalists.
See which one they chose by clicking here.

So the votes are in, and ta-dah, the winner is...
Pie n' The Sky.
It's Minnesota dairy farmers secret recipe vanilla ice cream, tart and tangy lemon curd, spicy crisp "airplane" cookies, all topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup, and it is GOOD!

So good in fact that the Minnesota State Fair featured it as one of the New Foods of 2017, a very elite list! So off I go again to talk a little dairy. This time I went to FOX 9 TV to help present the winning malt along with a few other folks that had their food make the elite New Foods list also.

L-R, Mobster's Caviar, Duck Bacon Wontons, Pie n' the Sky Malts, and Maple Cream Nitro Cold Press Coffee

FOX 9's Cody was more than willing to sample the food, and I'm happy to say he gave the Pie n' the Sky Malt rave reviews. Am I surprised? No. After all, it's brought to you by Minnesota's dairy farmers! Did I mention Pie n' the Sky is also available in Sundaes?

So there you have it. TV personalities Cody, Jason, and Kylie all agree that it's delicious!
See you at the Fair!

Flavor Of The Fair

Who doesn't love ice cream? No one I know!

But ice cream with hot sauce, or dill pickles?

That's right, folks. These fun combinations were all ingredients in this years nominations for the #FlavorOfTheFair at the Dairy Goodness Bar at the Minnesota State Fair.

For the third year in a row, you can pick the Flavor Of The Fair, a special malt or sundae flavor available for only one year, and you get to help choose the flavor. Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

This past Friday I was invited to be an official "unofficial" taste tester as Midwest Dairy unveiled the three choices for this years fair. It was all captured on Facebook Live. 

The three choices, created from suggestions collected at the 2016 MN State Fair, are all unusual, creative and fun. We first sampled "Pie 'n the Sky" a delicious combination of our secret recipe vanilla ice cream, lemon curd, dark chocolate drizzle, and topped off with those crunchy little cookies you get when you ride on an airplane. Hence the name 'n the sky. Get it?

 Next we moved on to "Nacho Average Malt" and it sure wasn't! Imagine vanilla ice cream, tortilla chips, shredded Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle on a bit of hot sauce! Now I admit I am not a hot sauce fan, but since I was an official "unofficial" taste tester, I dug right in. The first bite was tricky since I didn't stir the ingredients together. Wowzer, that first bite was HOT! But it was surprisingly good when stirred together!

Finally, it was "Vanilly Dilly." Now, when a cup of vanilla ice cream, dill pickle potato chips, and a pickle slice was set before us, I had flashbacks to my pregnancy days. But since my mouth waters whenever I even think of pickles, I knew I wanted to give this one a try, and boy, I'm glad I did! My only comment...it needs more pickles!

It was now time for each of us to cast our vote.

Yep, "Vanilly Dilly" got my vote. 

Now it's your turn. Head on over to cast your vote by April 17. Who knows? You may be enjoying your pick at the 2017 Minnesota State Fair. Only 136 days until the start of the Fair!

I have shared the entire taste test on My Barnyard View's Facebook page. Check it out.

Dairy Every Day

I am so pleased to introduce you to April Graff, my guest blogger. She is not only really smart when it comes to good food choices, but she is a fun person that I met at a conference in Kansas City, and again in Chicago. Today she shares the benefits and tips of including dairy in your diet.

 

Top 5 Ways to Add Dairy to Your Day

As a supermarket dietitian, I often get asked about the role of dairy in health. What benefits does dairy provide and how to pick the best products. Here’s my top 5 ways to add dairy to your day. 

  1. Yogurt. Sales of yogurt have sky-rocketed the past several years, mostly in Greek yogurt sales. Benefits: Calcium for strong bones and teeth, b-vitamins for energy, and protein (6-14 grams/serving) to keep you fuller longer. Greek yogurts will be higher in protein, but traditional yogurt still has about 6 grams per serving. 

Tip: Check the label for added sugars. Plain, unflavored varieties are best (add your own fruit), or look for those with the lowest sugar content (aim for 9-15 grams of sugar, the lower the better). *Note: yogurt naturally contains some sugar (lactose); it is the added sugars we want to minimize.

  2. Kefir. Often thought of as drinkable yogurt, this flavorful drink is a perfect addition to smoothies or cereal. Benefits: Kefir is a great source of probiotics (good bacteria) to help keep your gut healthy. Many kefir products contain 12 grams protein/serving for fullness.

Tip: Just like yogurt, kefir can have added sugars. Choose a product with lower sugar (or opt for plain). 

 3. Milk.Classic milk may not have the flair or marketing that other products have, but this powerhouse is packed with nutrition for just pennies per serving! Benefits: One serving (8 oz) has 8 grams of protein, 9 essential vitamins and minerals, and packs a hydrating punch.

Tip: For those with lactose intolerance, try a lactose-free milk for all the nutrition without the complications. 

  4. Cheese. Many people’s favorite dairy product, cheese often gets a bad rap. Benefits: Protein, fat (yes, fat is a benefit when eaten in moderation), and flavor make this #dairygood food a great choice. 
Tip:  The key to including cheese into a healthy diet is portion size. One ounce of cheese (think a piece of string cheese or a small handful of shredded) can be enough to take any meal and make it amazing (pasta, salads and eggs). 

  5. Ice Cream. Perhaps the most indulgent of dairy products, ice cream can fit into a balanced lifestyle. Benefits: Surprisingly, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus are in that decadent bowl of creamy goodness. 
Tip: Portion size is important. One serving of ice cream is just ½ cup, which can look lonely in a big bowl. Instead, opt for a coffee mug as a portion-appropriate dish. Plus, including a “treat” is all a part of a healthy lifestyle. So eat responsibly! 
  

    About April Graff, MS, RD, LD

          April is a supermarket dietitian working for Hy-Vee. She loves everything there is about food from growing to shopping, cooking and especially EATING! Her passion is to help people translate nutrition recommendations into everyday life – she blogs at www.thisRDeats.com. She started her blog because it seems like every day someone asks her “What do YOU eat?” The reality is, she is a Midwestern girl. Balance is the key. Eating healthy is more than adding in one miracle food to cure all ailments. It is about having a healthy relationship with food. She has collaborated with brands and organizations like Midwest Dairy Council, Nestle and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Magazine. April lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. You can find April on Twitter @AprilGraffRD, on Instagram at April Graff RD and on Facebook.

 

2014 Gone But Not Forgotten

 

 Top Ten Most Viewed Posts For 2014

Haven't read them? Click on the titles!

10. Think Outside The (Pizza) Box Some facts and a few suggestions for National Pizza Pie Day.

9. Waiting To Get Our Hands Dirty How much does it cost, and what do we do to prepare for Spring planting season?

8. Why Do We Do What We Do? Why are we dairy farmers so passionate about what we do? Learn about how and where I met other folks that are just as passionate about dairy as I am. 

7. L Is For Lactose Intolerance This was part of my A to Z journey for June Dairy Month. An explanation of lactose intolerance, and some tips to help cope with it.

6. A Step Closer To Princess Kay Of The Milky Way Mid-May marks the beginning of the process to choose the new Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Minnesota's dairy ambassador. What do the 12 lucky finalists have in store for them?

5. This And That Thursday - 20 A video of Farmer John's birthday gift, Daughter Sara gets nominated for Teacher Of The Year, and it's almost time for bunnies and decorated eggs! 

4. In The Blink Of An Eye Why did we decide to hire farm help after more than 31 years of only family working on our farm? How did we find our new "future farmers" and what do we expect of them?

3. Don't Get Mad...Get Even? Chipotle was attempting to share their concern about questionable farming practices by releasing their online-only television series "Farmed and Dangerous." I felt I wanted and needed to tell my side of the story. 

2. Dooby, Dooby Moo And A Giveaway Too! I was invited to be a guest reader on Playful Pages, a local television show. Surprise! I chose to read a book about farm animals heading off to the County Fair. Watch the video here.
1. I Is For Ice Cream Another edition of my A to Z Journey during June Dairy Month, and it's all about ice cream. There's trivia and a delicious little ice cream recipe that doesn't even require an ice cream freezer.

  

Thanks for visiting My Barnyard this year. I hope I've helped you understand the crazy life of our dairy farm family, both on and off the farm. 

If you like what you've seen, please tell your friends about my blog 
and my other social media sites.  

"Hey, how come you don't have to wear one of these silly hats?"

I Is For Ice Cream

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. 

  I is for Ice Cream

Do you honestly think I would go through all of June Dairy Month without talking about ice cream? I didn't think so.

• It takes 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream.  
• The United States enjoys an average of 48 pints per person, per year. That's more than any other country.
   
• It takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single scoop ice cream cone.
   
• Vanilla is the most popular flavor. There's a lot to be said for versatility!

I wonder how much of that is ice cream?

Have you ever made ice cream? I found this delicious little ice cream recipe, (on Pinterest, of course) and it doesn't even require an ice cream machine!

 Chocolate Dream Ice Cream Cups recipe here

I Is For Ice Cream

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!

I is for Ice Cream 

A treat for the kiddos to make...

Ice Cream in a Bag

Ingredients

• ½ cup milk or cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ⅓ cup salt
• Ice
• 1 gallon size zip-lock bag
• 1 sandwich size zip-lock bag
  ** Use heavy duty (freezer) bags to prevent leaks

Procedure

1. Add milk, sugar, and vanilla to the sandwich bag and seal.
2. Fill the large zip-lock bag about ⅔ full of ice.
3. Add approximately ⅓ cup of salt to the ice in the large bag.
4. Place the sealed sandwich bag containing the milk, sugar and vanilla in the large bag containing ice and salt.
5. Close the large bag and shake.

Shaking vigorously for 5-10 minutes will result in a change from the liquid milk to a semi-solid ice cream that is a mixture of all ingredients and delicious to eat!
Source-Minnesota farmers Feed Us

A treat for Dad, for Father's Day... 

Beer-And-Bacon Toffee Sundaes 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup diced bacon (about 4 slices)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup stout beer (I like Founders Breakfast Stout)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pints good-quality vanilla ice cream
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Put the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until very crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, reserving the fat in the pan. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, beer, butter, heavy cream and a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Scoop the ice cream into bowls and spoon the toffee sauce on top. Garnish with the crispy bacon bits, toasted pecans and sea salt.
Source- Food Network Magazine

 Learn more about dairy 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...J is for Jump.

A Tiny Purple Jersey

"Hi, Flat Aggie here in Minnesota. If you read the previous post you know that I am visiting from California. I'm staying with Jan and her family, learning all about their family dairy farm so that when I return to California, I can share what I learned with Miss Sarah and her class of first graders. Please read on to see what I've learned so far."

"The family has a 120 cow dairy farm, just 20 minutes from St. Paul, Minnesota's capital city. The farm is right across the road from a golf course too! Jan farms with her husband John, daughter Sara, son Michael, and John's parents Roy and Karen. Jan, Sara, and Michael also have jobs away from the farm, so everyone has specific farm chores at different times of the day, but I'll talk more about that next time."

"Since today is Sunday their schedule is a little different. After morning milking and feeding, and attending church, it was family time. As you can see in this picture the family loves their Vikings football. Jan even made me a tiny Vikings football jersey! The family invited some of their family to watch the game too. We had lots to eat while cheering on the Vikings. I really liked the hot ham and cheese sandwiches, and the cheese curds, and the ice cream cake! Jan reminded me that we have the cows to thank for the milk they give us so we can have these yummy dairy foods."

"After the game, we all went to do our chores. I got to help feed calves and milk the cows. I'll send pictures soon. The family said they have to take care of the cows and calves everyday, even Sundays and holidays! The family works everyday, and they still love what they do!"

Flat Aggie From California

Perhaps you have heard the story of Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. Stanley is a young man who wakes up one morning to discover he has been flattened while he was sleeping. Yes flat...as a pancake (only thinner, like paper.) Imagine the adventures you could have if you were small enough to stow away in an envelope to see the world. Stanley did just that! Now think about what a great way this would be to learn about agriculture around the United States. Sarah's blog, House Ag Built along with her first grade students, constructed Flat Aggie (Agriculture, cute, huh?) to visit farms to learn every thing they can through the eyes of Aggie. I invited Flat Aggie to visit our dairy farm in Minnesota. Here is the first of our adventures that I am sharing with Sarah and her first graders.

Flat Aggie went to the Midwest Dairy Expo with John and I. This is one place farmers can go to learn more about being a great farmer and about the newest farm machinery and supplies. Flat Aggie really liked this big plastic cow at the Dairy Farmers of America booth. Aggie learned that the milk from our farm is sold to Kemps, which makes it into yummy ice cream. 

After a tasty ice cream snack, we visited the Midwest Dairy booth. Barb, Jodi, and Sami explained to Flat Aggie that dairy farmers get paid to sell their cows milk and a little money each month goes to Midwest Dairy to advertise how important it is to have dairy foods every day to keep our teeth and bones strong and healthy. Midwest Dairy also teaches people how dairy farmers, like us, care for our animals and our land.

After a busy day, Flat Aggie was getting pretty worn out. His tired little feet couldn't hardly walk another step, but wow, you should have seen him perk up when he saw the sparkly crown on Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Christine Reitsma. She spends many days traveling around Minnesota, representing Minnesota Dairy farmers, to help share our story about how much we love what we do to make delicious milk for everyone to enjoy! (I think Flat Aggie would have liked a little kiss from Princess Kay, but he was too shy to ask.)

Flat Aggie was so sleepy from our long day, he slept all the way home. But he is so excited to help with calf feeding and cow milking tomorrow! Stay tuned!

It's Sundae Sunday

How appropriate that National Sundae Day is on a Sunday. 

Cousins Dara, Sara and Michael

My family has a long Sundae history. We have always been huge supporters of dairy farming and dairy foods. Along with my family, all of my mom and dad's siblings were dairy farmers, and many of my cousins too. You can bet there is always milk and ice cream at our family gatherings.

My mom and dad took their love of Sundaes to another level. My parents own and operate the "Dairy Diner," or what I like to call "Driving Miss Dairy." Miss Dairy served her tasty treats to fair-goers, auction buyers, and festival friends. Every delicious treat served was our way of promoting dairy and showing the pride we have as dairy farmers.  Besides Sundaes, malts, ice cream cones, and ice cold milk, Mom and dad also served other treats, but everything served included dairy. But with age comes change, and the Dairy Diner is now in semi-retirement. Miss Dairy, however, is a frequent guest at family events. Family reunion picnics, my mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary and Sara's butterhead party held after she was named a Princess Kay finalist, have all played host to the Dairy Diner.

Ice cream Sundaes, I salute you. You are like a member of our family, and always will be! 

So what's your favorite Sundae topping? Leave a comment.

The Real Deal

As a child, I spent a lot of time at my friend Kay's house. Her family had a metal insulated box by their back door that collected their fresh milk delivery. How great was that? Since I was a farm kid, we did not have such a delivery service. We did however get Schwans products delivered to our door. "The ice cream man is here!" my mom called. That was back in the 1960's. 

Fast forward to 2012. Jeremy, our Schwans driver, came last week with his delivery truck filled with delicious products, including ice cream. He and I got into a big discussion about real whipped cream vs non-dairy topping, and I am happy to announce that Schwan products proudly wear the REAL® Seal.

The Real Seal is a great tool in the fight against imitation dairy products. Only products made in America with real dairy ingredients are eligible to use it on their packaging. The REAL® Seal logo on dairy products serves as a promise to consumers and food producers that its contents have undergone a rigorous certification process. 

Jeremy delivers the REAL goods!

Shopping at home, or at the grocery store, I always look for the REAL® Seal. I demand good tasting, good quality dairy foods. Don't you?

PS- Schwans was started by a Minnesota dairy farmer!