Spring Greetings From Buffalo Valley Pastures

A Springtime Note From A Farmer's Wife

Cherry Spring Greetings are Being Sent to Each Home From Here On The Farm, Here on the farm, we are enjoying the beauty of springtime. The daffodils and other spring flowers are showing their lovely faces. The grass is growing - perhaps not as quickly as we would like, but growing nonetheless. The farmer, my husband, often says his favorite color is green! And the cows… oh, you should see them as they eagerly begin grazing on the lush pasture. It is truly a sight to behold. No one in our family wants to miss those first moments when the cows are left out to graze. The farmer leads the way, opening the fences and calling to them, and they come running, galloping and kicking up their heels with joy. As the cows begin eating fresh green grass, the nutrient levels in the milk rise right away. The cream and butter take on a rich, golden color, reflecting higher levels of CLA (a beneficial compound), Omega-3s, and other nutrients. We try to make as much butter as we can in the spring, when the cream is at its very best. At this time of year, the milk may occasionally develop a slightly off taste. When that happens, it is due to the sudden change in the cows’ diet as they switch from hay to fresh grass. We are continually working to reduce this by introducing grazing slowly and supplementing with dry hay. We sincerely apologize if you ever receive milk with a different taste. Please be assured it is not caused by anything harmful, but is simply a natural result of the seasonal change. Before closing, I will share a favorite recipe of ours: Creamy Egg Custard 12 egg yolks (whites discarded) 1 quart raw milk 1 quart raw cream 1 teaspoon salt ⅓ cup maple syrup 2 drops lemon essential oil (optional) Beat or briefly blend all ingredients. Pour into ramekins, small glass jars or a glass baking dish. Place these into a larger pan and fill partway with water. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set. Enjoy, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Blessings to each heart and home, The Farmer’s Wife, Barbies Stoltzfoos

A2 Hot Cocoa

It's the Christmas Season! What's better than a cup of hot cocoa? A cup of hot cocoa made with milk you can trust!Make this A2 Hot Cocoa Recipe to make this season extra special! This recipe uses healthier ingredients, but you can easily make this with traditional hot chocolate ingredients. INGREDIENTS 2 T sucanat (reduce to 1 T or 1.5 T if using raw sugar or refined sugar) 1 T cacao powder or cocoa powder 3 T water 1 pinch of salt 10 oz raw A2 milk (less than 5 days old) ⅛ tsp vanilla extract or a quick splash 1 jumbo marshmallow Sprinkle of cinnamon 1.In a small saucepan over medium low heat, add sucanat, cacao powder, water and pinch of salt. 2. Heat mixture for a few minutes until ingredients are combined and turn into a dark syrup. Don’t burn! 3. Add milk and whisk until combined. Heat until steam begins to emerge. Don’t boil! 4. When the cocoa is nice and hot, pour into your mug. 5. Top with marshmallows and sprinkle with cinnamon! Notes: Older milk tends to curdle when heated. Use milk that is less than 5 days oldTry sweetening your cocoa with maple syrup. It’s a great option because it’s a complex sugar and it will give it a great taste!Cacao powder is different from cocoa powder. It’s less processed and contains antioxidants and more nutrients than cocoa powder.Sucanat is an unrefined cane sugar similar to raw sugar with notes of molasses. It's not as sweet. When do you enjoy a cup of hot chocolate the most? After being out in the snow? Reading a book? Doing a puzzle? An evening with friends and family?

A2 Cheese Dip: A Healthy Junk Food?

I prefer eating real, nutrient dense food for the sake of my health. Eating processed foods from stores and restaurants is really unappealing, but it took me a long time to get there because it can taste so good! I used to enjoy bar food such as hot wings, chicken tenders, onion rings, french fries, pizza and good old fashioned chips and dip. Once in a while I get a craving for these things! Thanks to Buffalo Valley’s food, I have been able to make real/ healthier versions of my favorite bar foods without the implications. A few things I used to enjoy at a restaurant were soft pretzels and cheese dip, Mexican queso and corn chips and cheesy fries! The problem with a lot of store bought and restaurant cheese dips is that they use processed cheese or ingredients that only resemble cheese. There is likely to be oils that are dangerous to our health. I didn’t even mention preservatives, flavorings, texturizers or colorings! Buffalo Valley offers Melting Cheese/ Homemade Velveeta as an answer to this problem! Our melting cheese includes skim milk of our A2/A2 grass-fed raw milk. We don’t want anything to go to waste after making cream, so we found a way to make melting cheese with the bi product! Melting cheese can be used to make mac and cheese or other casseroles that need a cheesy texture. Seasonings and other cheese will need to be added to achieve your desired flavor. The melting cheese is like a blank canvas. All it is is skim milk, whole milk, light cream, butter, salt, soda, cultures and annatto for color! I have come up with a White Queso Cheese Dip recipe that I often enjoy during taco night. I use it for my corn chips and drizzle it on top of my tacos or nachos. The FDA, PDA and many other state government organizations do not approve of raw dairy for human consumption. White Queso Cheese Dip Ingredients 16 oz tub of Buffalo Valley Melting Cheese Sauce57 g Cheese cut up into small pieces for melting (I prefer Colby or Cheddar) 2 Tbsp White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar⅛ tsp Onion Powder ⅛ tsp Garlic Powder 5 dashes Hot Sauce 5 pinches Chipotle Powder Hot Pepper to taste Directions -On the stove, place a small saucepan over low to medium heat. -Add the 16 oz tub of Melting Cheese to the pan. Stir the cheese and allow it to melt until the texture is smooth and uniform. -Add the cubed or shredded cheese of your choice to the pan. Stir until melted. Avoid simmering or bubbling. If necessary remove the pan from the heat while stirring and adding the rest of the ingredients. -Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and mix until thoroughly incorporated. -Return the pan back to the heat. Stir constantly and allow it to simmer/ bubble for about 5 seconds. This will help any of the powders that may have clumped together to break down. -Remove from heat, cool and enjoy! *Be sure to continuously stir to avoid cheesy build up on the bottom of the pot and to avoid burning. *Your sauce may be runny, but it will thicken as it cools. Use your favorite corn chip, quinoa chip, cracker or bread to dip! Enjoy! Don’t be afraid to experiment with this cheese sauce! You can easily invent your own! You can take this recipe in so many different directions by adding different kinds of cheese (bleu, swiss etc.)! You can use turmeric to give it a yellow color. You can also add herbs instead of chipotle to give it an Italian flavor. You can put green onions, chili, tomatoes, corn and beans in it. What do you think? Feel free to share your ideas or recipes with us!

Spring Greetings From Buffalo Valley Pastures

Spring Greetings to Everyone from Buffalo Valley Pastures.

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A Springtime Note From A Farmer's Wife

A2 Hot Cocoa

A2 Cheese Dip: A Healthy Junk Food?

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