Harness the ‘Power of 3’: Smock poster wins 1st in county, 2nd in state
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His “Power of 3” poster urges people to get three servings of dairy a day by consuming a glass of delicious, creamy milk, a cup of sweet tooth satisfying yogurt or a slice of cheese, all of which are good nutrition for your body. That’s the powerful punch of calcium and eight essential vitamins and minerals that three servings of dairy each day gives us for strong bones and healthy bodies.
Milk, a nutrient marvel, is a power drink that plays an important part in an active, healthy lifestyle. Milk may not sound that exciting. It’s white, it’s nutritious and it’s been around all your life.
New dairy products are coming out very year, designed to get you excited about drinking your milk and making it easy to be healthy. Everything from single-serve milk beverages to new ways to have your yogurt and cheese have hit supermarket shelves.
The new products appear to be working, but that’s not all that’s new about the dairy industry. Processors are continually concerned about how their products taste. So, milk is not just chocolate-flavored but is also available in coconut and orange tastes. Cottage cheese is being packaged with fruit toppings and cheese, such as Brie, which was once bought to dress up other foods, is coming in flavors such as apricot and hazelnut.
Recipes make the most of dairy products
Pepper Cheese Grits
3 cups milk
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups uncooked regular grits
2 8-ounce cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
2 8-ounce cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, optional
Heat oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 13×9-inch baking dish. In large saucepan, bring milk, water and salt to a boil. Add grits; cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine cheeses. Remove grits from heat. Add butter and 3 cups cheese, stirring until melted. Stir a small amount of grits into eggs; stir egg mixture back into grits. Add chilies and, if desired, pepper sauce; mix well.
Spoon grits into baking dish. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Continue baking until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
Lemon Buttermilk Pie
9-inch unbaked pie crust*
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prick crust all over with fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 8 minutes; cool on wire rack. Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees.
In mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt; mix well. Pour filling into crust. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or just until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool; cover and chill.
*If using a commercial frozen pie crust, purchase a deep dish crust and thaw before using.
Tangy Spud Salad
3 pounds red-skinned potatoes (about 10-12)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup crumbled Blue cheese ( 4 ounces)
Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Cook in boiling water to cover 15 to 20 minutes, just until tender; drain.
In large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and pepper; toss gently to combine.
In small bowl, stir together yogurt, buttermilk, Blue cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt. Add to potatoes: toss gently to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Banana Maple Breakfast Blast
2 cups milk
2 medium-size ripe bananas, peeled, cut into chunks, frozen
3 to 4 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
Ground nutmeg or cinnamon
In blender container, combine 1 cup milk, bananas and syrup; blend until combined. Add remaining milk; blend until smooth. Pour into two glasses; sprinkle with nutmeg.
Cheese Straws
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, at room temperature
2 cups self-rising flour
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In mixer bowl, beat butter, salt and pepper until creamy. Add cheese, mix well. Gradually add flour, mixing until dough begins to form a ball. Form dough into ball with hands.
Fit cookie press with small star plate; fill with dough according to manufacturer’s directions. Press dough onto cookie sheets in 3-inch long strips. Bake 12 minutes, just until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack, Store tightly covered.