Hansen's Dairy will be downtown at the Waterloo Riverloop Public Market Open House on Saturday, Dec. 4, celebrating from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be Hansen's egg nog and hot chocolate with our real whipped cream.

Reminder: We have fresh baked goods on Tuesdays and Saturdays by bakers Jean Moseley of Hudson and Carolyn Adolphs of Traer. Plan now for your special holiday needs.

Tip: A customer suggested replacing milk with egg nog when preparing french toast. It's a real treat!

Cheese boxes/baskets/trays are available. There will be some already assembled and customers may request whatever cheese they would like. We can also do Iowa baskets, depending on the price requested. Please give us some advance notice, if possible. We can ship cheese, butter, curds, and some of the Iowa products as well.

We will be having spiral hams this month from Delaware Co. Meats. If you would like to order, please let us know so we can have them at which ever store is convenient.

Also, we still have some turkeys, ducks, and chickens available for your holidays - don't wait too long to get yours. There will be lamb toward the end of December. Available at both stores from Groothuis farm in Nashua.

Founded in 1885 by five dairy farmers, Chalet Cheese Cooperative continues to flourish as a cooperative, owned and operated by its 29 members. One of the cheese they specialize in is Swiss, emphasizing on top quality and true workmanship.

This Wisconsin Baby Swiss Cheese is buttery, sweet and only slightly nutty, with a hickory-smoked flavor. Try it with sweet fruits and berries, croissants and muffins.
Wisconsin Baby Swiss is made by substituting water for the milk's whey to slow bacterial action. Wisconsin Baby Swiss cheese has smaller holes and a milder flavor. It is often made from whole milk.

Ideal temperature for cheese storage (Muenster, Havarti, Cheddar, Colby, Baby Swiss, Swiss, Farmers, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Queso): 40-45 degrees F

Recommendations after cutting
Option 1: First, wrap in parchment or waxed paper to avoid direct exposure to plastic wrap. Wrap cheese again in plastic wrap to retain moisture.
Option 2: Wrap tightly with plastic wrap to retain moisture, making sure that entire surface area is covered.

If you find mold: Use a clean knife to trim mold. Moldy areas should be cut 1/2 to 1-inch from rest of cheese and discarded.

Have you looked inside your jug lately? The big CA$H COW prize is now $800 for December! If you see a "5" or a "800" under the wallaby on the label, YOU WIN! View details on our web site. The beginning of the month is the best time to look for the big winner!

November's $5 winners were: Kari Knutson, Raymond; Kelli Headington, Waterloo; Matt Oliver, Waterloo; Judy Kester, Waterloo; and Isaac Davis, Waterloo.

There have been several people who have asked about local meats. We are hoping to have a meat tasting in January at the Moo Roo with our local meat providers. If you have any questions about the meat, just give them a call. Several of these farmers do not use antibiotics and do not use the added hormones.

Tom & Connie Dreesman, Tama (bison), 641-484-6725

Scott & Julie Buss, Denver (Belgium Blue beef), 319-984-5125

Craig & Darlene Groothuis, Nashua (chickens, ducks, turkeys, lamb), 319-231-3344

Josh Wolff, Cedar Falls (Red Angus beef - natural, cornfed), 319-269-8252

Dennis & Jennifer Deppe, Waverly (cornfed Angus and Duroc hogs), 319-239-1824

John Fay, Waverly (pasture-fed beef), 319-352-6458

December's Cow of the Month is Holiday. She was born Oct. 9, 2008, so she has only been milking for 75 days. During that time she has produced 3,500 pounds of milk and 200 pounds of fat. That's above average compared to other cows her age.

Holiday is one of only four cows in the herd whose name starts with "H." We thought she would be a great cow to help wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

COW WISDOM: The gate you slam behind you today may look like opportunity tomorrow. ~ Moozie's, For Life's Little Beefs

Some members of the Hansen family are performing in "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" presented by the Hudson Community Church. Join us for the performances on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 10:10 a.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.