PHOTO OF THE MONTH

G'DAY, MATES --- The kangaroos (Pogo, Razz and Larry) have been seen playing in the snow this winter on milder days, but mostly they hang out together in their barn to keep cozy.

 CUSTOMERS OF THE MONTH

  We've featured both of these ladies before, but these two are our Valentines this month. Len (left) and Dazzle are the two oldest cows in the herd and have been producing the milk you drink since we started bottling on the farm in February 2004. They have served a lot of customers!

In this photo they are sharing a breakfast of silage. Because of their age, they get special treatment and get to roam free on the farm (not behind any fences). We're not worried about them leaving, as they know who takes care of them!

Together, they:

• Are 24 years old.
• Will be having their 9th (Len) and 10th (Dazzle) calves in the next week.
• Are great-great-grandmothers.
• Have produced almost 540,000 pounds of milk. That's 1,077,760 servings!

Wish them luck on their deliveries and we'll let you know what they have!

Cooking with Hansen's

Truffles are remarkably easy to make - just melt some chocolate and heavy cream. You can add any extracts or flavorings you want, then top with your choice of melted chocolate, sprinkles, dried fruit, nuts, you name it! Make a few of these for your sweetheart this month.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat to almost boiling. Don't let it boil! Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla extract. Stir until completely smooth. Pour into a glass bowl and put in the refrigerator for about 1-1/2 or 2 hours. You want it to be set but not hard. Scoop out with teaspoons or tablespoons (depending on how large you want the truffles) and form into balls with your hands.

At this point, you have two options: roll in a topper right away, or dip in melted almond bark.

If you roll them in a topper right away, just put them on a plate and chill until ready to serve.

If you want to dip them in melted almond bark, melt the bark according to package directions, dip the truffle balls, place on parchment or wax paper, and sprinkle with a decoration/flavor (sprinkles, sea salt, nuts, coconut, etc.). Chill until ready to serve.

Variations:

• Instead of using vanilla, try almond extract, orange extract, or other flavors.
• Once the chocolate/cream mixture is perfectly smooth, add finely chopped dried fruit, nuts, crystallized ginger, or even dried chilli peppers!
• Get creative with the toppers. Chopped, freeze-dried strawberries will give the truffles a fun pop of pink for Valentine's Day! Also fun - crushed peppermints, super-mini-marshmallows, crushed candy bars ... the sky's the limit.