Hey, Mom...You're on YouTube!

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to hear: "Hey, Mom...you're on YouTube!" 

Nope, I can honestly say that I didn't see that one coming.  Apparently my youngest son and some of his friends were on the computer and found a video of our farm on YouTube.  It was the video from the Farmers Feed Us campaign.  You can take a virtual "tour" of our farm at http://bit.ly/youtubetopwinds and learn about what goes on at Topwinds Farm.

You just never know where your picture (or video) will show up these days!

These Yogurt & Banana Spice Muffins can be
 prepared the night before...just grab a glass
of milk & a muffin for a breakfast on the go!
http://bit.ly/ibHrlX

Spring has finally arrived!  New calves, warmer weather, longer days, green grass...yes, Spring is finally here!  The cows aren't as interested in their hay - they'd rather have the new grass that's coming up.  I can't blame them... it's like a choice between something garden fresh or something from a can.

As we spend more time working outside, I find it important that everyone gets a jump start on the day with a good breakfast.  Sometimes we don't have time to sit down and have a full breakfast, so it's important that the we have something that is easy to grab on our way out the door.  This muffin recipe can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ along with several other dairy good recipes! 

I knew Spring had officially arrived when I got home from work yesterday and our youngest son had already started mowing the yard.  I'll let you know how his enthusiasm holds out on that particular chore...  Happy Spring!

Celebrate National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month.  Probably no big deal to most people, but it should be...for a number of reasons.  I had a bit of a wake up call earlier this month when it comes to the school lunch menu.  Growing up, we had basically 3 choices: 1) Eat what the school cafeteria has for that day (only 1 choice); 2) Bring your lunch for home; 3) Don't eat...period.  Starting this month, the school my son attends (the same one I attended) now offers choices at lunch every day.  Honestly, I wasn't sure that was a great idea.  Do kids really need 3 menu choices?  After taking time to look the menu over, I had to agree that this was a good change.  The menu items sounded pretty good and they were healthier options.

So why all the fuss over National Nutrition Month?  Have you ever taken time to check what your kids eat?  Most busy moms on the run serve whatever's quick and/or easy.  There's nothing wrong with that, but  ssometimes a little planning ahead before you head to the grocery store can make meal time less stressful and more nutritious to boot.  There are some great recipes at www.midwestdairy.com along with tips and information if you need a little help.  Believe me, I need all the help I can get!  Since the time change, we seem to have pushed dinner time back here on the farm.  It's only been a few days and I've already started the "I need a quick recipe" mode on a daily basis...and I don't even have any kids going to baseball practice after school!

The other wake-up call I had was today.  I spent over an hour shopping with a couple of kids and their FFA advisor buying supplies for a backpack program.  We filled 3 carts with food that will be sent home with children who might not have enough to eat on weekends.  These kids usually get most of their meals at school (breakfast & lunch) but go without (for a variety of reasons) at home.  It's a wonderful program that our county Farm Bureau decided to contribute to in honor of National Food Check-Out Week that was held in February.  Snow and school closings postponed the shopping event and ironically our trip landed during National Ag Week.  We were able to work with an FFA chapter and get the members involved not only in the shopping, but preparing the packs as well.  It seems to be a win-win situation all the way around.

So Happy Ag Week and Nutrition Month from our farm to you!

Marching On

March 1st, the first day of a new month, National Nutrition Month, National Pancake Day, the beginning of March Madness...  There are so many things to celebrate &/or recognize this month, where does one start?  As a dairy farmer, I'd like to think March is going to bring me warmer days and the beginning of green pastures, budding trees and spring flowers.  Occasionally March brings snow to the Ozarks, but I'm cautiously optimistic that Mother Nature will be kind this year.  We've had enough snow, thank you very much.

On the farm, we've had a few new babies and the green grass is emerging in the pastures, much to the cows delight.  Robins and toads have been spotted, spring peepers have started to serenade us and the teachers tell me the kids are getting cabin fever at school.  Spring is definitely arriving...thank goodness.

Every month seems to have a celebration theme and this month is nutrition.  As we start to give way to old habits and forget our New Years Resolutions, we can begin eating healthier meals and snacks.  There are wonderful resources at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ to help you find tips, recipes and information to get you back on track.

I'm thinking my family might enjoy celebrating National Pancake today with pancakes for supper, and an ice cold glass of milk! 

Trip to the Grocery Store

Lately I've noticed that some of my most interesting conversations happen in the grocery store or feed store.  Everyone is so busy these days that it's not uncommon to run into friends that we haven't seen in ages and catch up...even in the grocery store.  I don't know how many times I've told hubby that I was going to make a quick trip to the store, only to be asked what took so long when I finally make it home. 

I learn all kinds of interesting things at the store; activities going on in the community, an illness of a neighbor, new businesses, upcoming events, etc...  Sometimes the feed store is the place to be.  Farmers solve all kinds of world problems at the feed store.  It's really not much different from a bunch of parents waiting to pick up kids at school or ball practice.  We all know our ideas won't go much further than our conversations, but it's almost like therapy finding out you're not alone in your ideas and opinions.

Inevetitably, the price of fuel, living expenses and groceries comes up.  I'll be the first to admit that going to the store to buy groceries isn't the most favorite chore on my list.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting people to realize that we have the safest, most affordable food supply in the world right here in the United States.  Americans spend less disposable income on their food than any other country.  Still not convinced?  Try taking out the non-essentials and tally up what you consume as food.  It might surprise you. 

Here are a few facts that I received from Missouri Farm Bureau:

Americans spend approximately 10% of their disposable income on food.
58% of food is purchased for consumption at home; 42% away from home.
Amount of income spent on food in other countries: Pakistan 50%, Philippines 38%, China 32%, Japan 14%.

Remember that dairy products give more bang for your buck by providing essential nutrients needed in the daily diet.  You can find more information and recipes at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.dairymakessense.com/.  Be sure to Thank A Farmer for the safe, affordable we enjoy here in the United States...after you get caught up with all the news while at the grocery store!

Cookies & Milk

We're finally digging out of some of the ice & snow here on the farm.  The guys were kind enough to let me get caught up on some of the chores here in the house today.  I was almost excited to get the laundry & dishes caught up!  My only problem is that once I get the kitchen clean, I get the urge to cook something.  Kinda defeats the whole purpose of cleaning.

Cookies.  We hadn't had cookies in awhile.  So I made cookies...3 batches.  No-bake, snickerdoodles & something new called soft pudding cookies.  My biggest problem was that I didn't have the right kind of pudding mix, so I improvised.  They turned out okay, not quite what they were supposed to be, but good.  If you're wondering why so many cookies, well, I'm just like that sometimes.  My family is spoiled and I enjoy it (most of the time).  I wonder if they know how lucky they are...

Tomorrow may be one of those hectic days and I may not get to fix them anything special, but at least they'll have plenty of cookies to go with a glass of milk for a few days!

Spring Teased & Winter Smacked

We were teased Friday (just 4 days ago) as we enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures.  I'm talking t-shirt weather in the January - almost unheard of in winter around here.  Saturday was almost as nice and we were relieved when the cow we'd been monitoring had her calf on such a beautiful day.  We started the pre-storm preparations by bringing more hay in for easier access, moved cattle around and I made my much needed trip to the grocery store Sunday evening as temperatures started dropping and the winds picked up.

The vet clinic was unusually busy yesterday with appointments and prescription refills.  I was glad I didn't need anything at the store as I made my way home in the evening; the Wal-Mart parking lot resembled the day after Thanksgiving and the grocery store lots were more like the day before.  I saw a picture of the bread shelf and there wasn't a loaf of bread to be found; I just wonder what the milk shelf was like.  I made it home in time to help with the last of the chores and final details of getting ready for nasty weather.  The other cow we were keeping an eye on had her baby and was tucked away in the barn.

New addition from Friday.  She's a cutie!

I just couldn't make myself post a picture of the winter wonderland we're experiencing right now.  Instead, my mind keeps wondering back to our wonderful Spring-like weather just a couple of days ago.  After 6 hours of sleet and a day filled with snow & high winds, I keep hoping Spring will hurry up and get here.  The weatherman said we could expect "blizzard-like" conditions all day.  Personally, I prefer my blizzard with oreos, strawberry cheesecake, or maybe cookie dough...