Week in Review

You know what I love, weekends that are wonderful. We all look forward to the weekend but how often can you say you had a fantastically lovely weekend? This past week was also pretty great, so coming to work on Monday was not so hard!  We need more of these in our lives!  Can I put my order in for this week and weekend already?

Recently, I said good luck and see you soon to a new adventure for a dear friend and co-worker of mine, Jodi. She has been part of the Hy-Vee Dietitian group for over 12 years and I have been so lucky to have known her for the 8 years I have spent with the company. Jodi is someone I admire professionally and personally. She is smart, kind, hilarious, fun and inspiring. I am so proud of her and hope this new job is everything she is looking for in her professional life. They are so lucky to have her and I am so lucky to know her. 

I got the chance to get in the kitchen this past week and whip up a delicious low-lactose pizza for an upcoming blog I wrote for the Midwest Dairy Council for February, which celebrates Lactose Intolerance Month. My secret to a delicious, flavorful and gooey pizza:  Asiago Cheese! 

If you know me, you know how much I love all kinds of music. At the perfect time, a friend of mind shared their new magically artistic melodies with me. I couldn't be more excited for what their future holds!  I am just grateful for them sharing it and the experience with me. Looks like it will be occupying my playlists for awhile....

I also had the joy this week to witness Oskaloosa Elementary School's 1000 students, Food Service staff and Physical Education staff be awarded the Healtheir US School Award for excellence in nutrition and physical activity. So much fun!  Their Food Service Director, Julie Miller, works so hard in proving healthy food and worked diligently to apply for this award in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Education. Congrats to this amazing team and school! 

Friday, I was very fortunate to spend the morning with various Iowa farmers at Iowa Farm Bureau's F.A.R.M. team training. It was great meeting and talking with farmers about what consumers are looking for in the grocery store, how farmers and dietitians can partner, and trends for 2016. I love farmers and the more we can work together, the more it just makes sense. I also got to meet a special family that has 2 dietitian daughters and one on her way to becoming one!  Passion for health starts at home and I just thought it was so awesome how this family raises delicious veggies and passionate dietitians. 

Now to the weekend...I was so excited my mom came to visit and we spent a whole weekend together!  We had a wonderful weekend of conversations, smiles, laughter, shopping and food!  I took her to one of my favorite Des Moines restaurants, Noah's Arc. We yummied down a delicious cappuccino, pizza, homemade ravioli and rolls. Pure foodie heaven! We then hit the town and shopped away, finding some very fun things. 

Sunday we headed to brunch and delicious Bloody Mary's at Django with my friends Amanda, Justin, Jason and his mom, Connie. I couldn't help but think what joy my mom and friends give my heart!  I am so thankful for the time with my mom and couldn't have asked for a better weekend. I am also so proud to be the daughter of my beautiful mother.   There could not be a better comparison! 

Week in Review: Blogging with Coffee, Cream and Midwest Dairy

I had an great experience last weekend representing Midwest Dairy at a conference called Go Blog Social (http://goblogsocial.com) in Kansas City. The conference brought together bloggers from all different walks of life and from many places across the United States. 

Midwest Dairy is an organization near and dear to my heart because of my love for dairy foods and because they are about education and communication of accurate nutrition messages. I was fortunate to help serve our delicious coffee bar and hang out with two link-minded ladies, Sami and Jen. 

We had great conversations about dairy health and interacting with bloggers about truth and myths of milk. 

Midwest Dairy offers individuals to go visit a dairy farm and learn the ins and outs of this locally produced food. Did you know it takes less than 48 hours from when the cows are milked to when it hits your grocery store shelves? That's because milk is locally produced by more than 8000 family farms in the Midwest. You probably have a local dairy less than 30 miles from where you live. Jen is one of those local farmers. She is great and I learn so much from her and life as a real dairy farmer with her husband. (Did I mention she is also a structural engineer?) You need to follow her informative blog HeimDairy https://heimdairy.wordpress.com and her beautiful photos about life on the farm on Instagram @jmheim33. 

 

Skim milk continues to be my all time favorite beverage. And if you know me, I only drink 4 things:  water, tea, skim milk and an occasional coffee. Skim milk provides 9 essential nutrients (meaning we have to get it from the food we eat) and my favorites are protein, calcium and Vitamin D. So much bag for your buck at $0.25 per 8-ounce serving! And it's real!  No crazy ingredient list, which this dietitian is so happy about! 

Cream was the big hit at the conference!

And we shocked many individuals that lactose-free milk existed. 

If you love to blog and love to talk food like I do, take advantage of the resources Midwest Dairy has to offer to expand your blogosphere. 

June is Dairy Month and a great opportunity to whip up some of the delicious recipes they have. Visit http://www.midwestdairy.com for recipes and all the dairy information you need. You can also contact them to set up a dairy farm tour of your own. This is a priceless experience!  Trust me!  

In June, I am going to do a weekly recipe courtesy of Midwest Dairy and share with you the many reasons I love dairy foods. 

 

It was great to meet everyone, share ideas, learn about being a successful blogger, talking about diary and sipping on coffee.

Couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

 

Week in Review: The Dish on Dairy

This week was rejuvenating and full of so much priceless information, my brain is still processing all of it. I was invited back to the Dairy Ambassador Conference as one of their nutrition communicators. Last year was invigorating and this year proved to be the same. All I wanted to do is sit back throughout the workshop and just gain knowledge of the amazing people who also were a part of this life-changing experience.

Being a dietitian can sometimes be one sided and this conference has opened me up to really wanting more knowledge about the food I consume and recommend to my customers. It is so important to "tell the story." We all have our own wellness journey and so does our food. I truly believe dairy foods are the most wholesome and well-balanced foods on the market. These foods are not only cost-effective, but give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to nutritive value. Who can beat a glass of milk for $0.25 that is full of 9 essential nutrients?  A glass of soda or juice does not even compare in cost or nutrition. Low-fat and fat-free milk should be a go-to grab in our homes and on the go. 

I had the privilege to be amongst other dietitians but also dairy farmers and moms. I learned so much about the sacrifice these individuals make each day to provide healthy dairy products to their customers. Dairy farming does not stop or have vacation time. These girls need attention all day long and need to be tended to all day to keep producing fresh and nutritive products. Milk is one of the freshest products in the grocery store; farm to shelves in around 2 days. I also learned a ton about the different types of farms, milking times, feeding times and new technology some farmers are using. So amazing!  

My team created Cinnie, our dairy goddess. Without these pretty amazing women, I would still be in the dark of what care they put into their livelihood and the product I consume from the shelf. Knowing where my food comes empowers me as a dietitian and knowing it comes from the hands of these beautiful and inspiring women, bestows the joy to help tell their story. Thank you team Cinnie: Becky, Janet, Brenda and Cindy for making this week "dairy" good! 

Bode Dairy and Feedlot Company http://50.63.181.239/~bodedair/

Cindy Brison

http://www.nutritionknowhow.org/blog/team-view/cindy/

Bremer Farms

http://mybarnyardview.blogspot.com/?m=1