Over the years our refrigerator has chilled many jugs of milk. While caring for other parents children plus feeding and cooking for my own family, milk has always been an important part of our diets. These days I drink more milk myself, not because my age dictates more calcium in my diet, but because my taste buds and my thirst buds crave it.
My soda intake has decreased greatly, mostly enjoying cola with my Friday night pizza. But if pizza is left over for Saturdays lunch, more than likely I am washing down my reheated pie with a Mason pint of ice cold milk. And no other beverage goes better with peanut butter and jelly, bologna and cheese, or any breakfast food whatsoever. I drink milk at nearly every meal prepared at home, and I pour it over ice cubes. I dont order milk with my restaurant meals, even with a waitress served breakfast I will order juice.
The best deal I have found on my two jug milk lug is buying from the gas station closest to my home. They have a great buy two price. I may not always remember to stop and get gas, but I always remember to pick up milk. And when the gallon gets low, I pour the remainder into a Mason quart jar and twist on a reusable plastic cap. Milk is so much colder when stored and chilled in a glass. When the quart jar gets low, its poured into a pint jar. Always ready to drink.
Drinking milk directly from the plastic jug is frowned upon by whom; girlfriends and moms? I am sure there are others out there, probably from a medical field or an inspector of sorts, but we all know, jug tipping still happens. Us moms; we scold, we holler, we try to teach our milk drinkers (young and old and those that should know better) that pouring your serving into a drinking container is the best way to serve yourself your ice cold, thirst quenching dairy.
But, lets face it; the milk jug chug-a-lug is practiced even when we ourselves are standing in the kitchen. Our backs may be to the refrigerator, but we recognize that sound, the quiet twist-off of the cap, the slow milk tipping of the gallon, but even the silence of the most experienced jugger can be radar-heard in the next room. I hear it; I ignore it. I have my own jug of skim and my guys arent going to chug from my gallon of blue water, they can enzyme-add to their two percent milk if they want to.
Send your dairy recipes to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Road, Wooster 44691. Emails are also welcome to thewritecook@sssnet.com.
Dairy Filled Coffee Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy sour cream
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Add eggs; beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients and sour cream alternately, beat until smooth. Put into a buttered 10 inch tube pan. Sprinkle a mixture of 3 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
Blend together well and refrigerate until the coffee cake is cooled. Split in half and spread between.
Cow Pie Cookies
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick oatmeal (dry)
Melt butter in milk over low heat. Add sugar, cocoa. Cook to boiling. Remove from heat, wait 1 minute and add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Mix quickly. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Cool.
Moo Cow Candy
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups light corn syrup
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cook sugar, corn syrup, butter and 1 cup of cream. Bring to boil; when boiling, add the other cup of cream (add a little at a time to let mixture never stop constant boil). Bring to a firm ball stage, 240 degrees on candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Pour into a greased 13-by-9 pan; refrigerate and cool 1 hour. Cut into 36 squares and wrap individually.
Dairy Twice-Baked Potato
1 large baked potato
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
Dash salt
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
Paprika
Slice potato in half lengthwise; scoop out centers, leaving 1/8 inch shell. Combine potato, butter, milk and salt. Beat until fluffy. Stir in cream cheese. Fill shells; sprinkle with paprika. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until warmed through. Makes 2 servings.
Moo-Cow Milkshake
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1/8 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup milk
1 (2 cup size) plastic jar with tight fitting lid
1 tall glass
1 ice cream scoop
1 spoon
Remove ice cream from freezer. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Scoop ice cream into jar until half full. Add chocolate syrup to ice cream in jar. Pour milk into jar until its about 3/4 full. Put lid onto jar and tighten. Shake jar hard until ice cream and milk are mixed, about 3 minutes. Pour into glass.
Dairy Main Dish
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen broccoli
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup dairy sour cream
2 cups shredded medium sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
Cook broccoli, drain. Arrange broccoli in buttered 11 1/2-by-7 1/12-by-1 1/2 baking dish. Put chicken on top. Combine soup, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, curry powder and pour over chicken. Sprinkle top with a little cheese. Work melted butter and soft bread crumbs together with fork and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Brown Cow Drink
Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a large glass. Pour a can of root beer over the ice cream (Coke can be used also). Stir until ice cream is half melted and drink.
Double Dairy Salad
2 cups large curd cottage cheese
2 cups dairy sour cream
1 cup cucumber, diced and pared
1/2 cup radishes, sliced
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix together cottage cheese, sour cream, cucumber, radishes, onions, salt and pepper. Chill well. Serve over wedges of lettuce or tomato slices.
Purple Cow Shakes
1 (6 ounce) can frozen grape juice concentrate
1 cup milk
2 cups vanilla ice cream
Pour the juice concentrate and 1 cup of milk into a blender container. Scoop in 2 cups of ice cream. Cover and blend on high speed 30 seconds. Serve right away.
Banana Cow
1 medium banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crushed ice
Lime wedges
Combine banana, milk, honey, vanilla and ice in container of electric blender; whirl until smooth. Pour into 10 ounce glasses. Garnish with lime wedges.
Moo Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon instant onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes
Mix ingredients together. Form into burgers. Broil 3 or 4 minutes on each side.
