Sixteen-year-old Joyce Wiltsie is the reigning 2016-17 Chautauqua County Dairy Princess. She will be promoting 3-A-Day for the next year, a campaign that encourages everyone to drink and/or eat three dairy products per day, including milk, cheese and yogurt.

As Dairy Princess she has participated in many events and made several appearances at schools and events all over Chautauqua County. She has participated in multiple parades and an appearance at Farm Credit’s 100th anniversary celebration, where she and the Ambassadors made butter were a few of those events. She also spent time playing dairy trivia with 75 children at Jamestown Boys and Girls Club.

She handed out ribbons and samples of pizza, ice cream, cheese, yogurt and milk and played games with children at Chautauqua County Fair.

“All of the Ambassadors brought their favorite toppings, so it was a group effort,” she says.

When they found a few minutes between the times they were working with the children, they took cheese and apples to the fair policeman as a thank you for their protection of fairgoers.

Earlier this summer she spoke with kindergarten students visiting the Ormond Farm in Kennedy about how the farm’s milk gets to the store.

“My favorite part is telling the children the difference in dairy products and non-dairy products. Only one child knew the difference before I explained. We had fun and got to make ice cream.”

She will continue to promote dairy products at schools after they resume next month.

In order to qualify to become a Dairy Princess an applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 24 years old and live on a dairy farm or have a sponsor. The Chautauqua Dairy Princess program has 16 Ambassadors, which is more than most counties in New York State.

Miss Wiltsie became interested in coin collecting when she was a little girl after a woman at her church paid with coins for an item she was selling. The shiny coins caught the young child’s eye and held her fascination. She is the member of a coin club and Circle Eight, a square dance group. She was a middle school cheerleader and was the recipient of the 2015-16 Frewsburg Girls Basketball Coaches Award while she played JV basketball. She participates in cross country, basketball and track and received one of the NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete Awards in her school for track.

She is also a member of 4-H, where she has learned many skills and acquired an interest in sewing. She sews and models what she makes and has sewn numerous items, such as dresses, a snuggie and skirts and pajama pants, culottes and a unique inside-out quilt made from recycled jeans provided by her sewing leader. She was also a mannequin model at the State Fair for five days.

On impulse while at the State Fair, her 4-H sewing team joined a cooking challenge requiring them to use a Philadelphia cheese steak and a fruit. They chose a watermelon from a neighboring stand to make a Panini which won the team first prize. They had just formed the team that week and had not met before.

She was awarded the 2016 Robert W. Spinler Memorial Award for Most Improved 4-H Member at the Chautauqua County Fair. She also received a ribbon and trophy for Chautauqua County Fair 2016 Best in Class-Egg Production and was awarded second place in Showmanship for Cows, as well.

Joyce comes from a long line of dairy royalty. Her sister Roxy Wiltsie Kelley was crowned Dairy Princess in 2005 and another sister, Rochelle Wiltsie, was chosen as an alternate in 2008. The State Dairy Princess pageant will take place in February when Ms. Wiltsie will compete with Dairy Princesses from around New York State for the state title.

When she isn’t participating in a school or Dairy Princess obligation she finds time to cook and bake.

“I was always cooking with my sisters,” she says. “Every Christmas my Grandma Barb Wiltsie and cousins would make gingerbread houses. Then it was bread in a bag and then I started calling her to say ‘you want to make cookies or brownies?'”

She is able to taste a dish and know of what ingredients it consists, a gift that most cooks don’t possess. She is able to duplicate many dishes without use of a recipe. At this time a career as a pastry chef appeals to her.

“I am constantly making chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Cooking is chemistry. The bond changes from when you start with ingredients and after you put it (the dish) in the oven you have something different.” She loves science and looks forward to taking chemistry in high school.

Several of the recipes she has shared were contributed by the Chautauqua County Dairy Ambassadors. She raised the chicken that went into the Spinach Dip Chicken Bombs.

Joyce is the daughter of Jill and Randy Wiltsie of Frewsburg, New York and a Sophomore at Frewsburg Central School where she is an honor student.

The Chautauqua County Dairy Princess Program is made possible through the support of the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council: the local planning and management organization funded by dairy farmer check-off dollars.

Tuna Fish Melt

2 cans of tuna, drained

1/8 c onion, minced

stack celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

c mayonnaise

1/3 c shredded cheese (I like American)

salt and pepper to taste

1 T olive oil

6 slices bread

6 T butter softened

Directions

Drain water from tuna; put into a medium bowl. Add onion, celery and garlic. Combine, then add mayonnaise and cheese. Combine all ingredients until well incorporated. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Place a non stick skillet on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the skillet is hot, take a slice of bread and generously spread butter on one side. Place the bread (buttered side down) in the hot skillet. Be sure to keep the temp at a consistent heat.

Using a spoon, scoop about 2 to 3 tablespoons of tuna salad on bread while it is browning. Butter another slice of bread and place the non butter side on top of the tuna. Using a spatula, check to see if the bread is toasted brown. If so, turn the tuna melt over and grill the other side until it’s golden brown. Serves 3.

Spinach Soup

6 c water

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 lb. Spinach

1/3 cup Cream of Wheat

2 c plain yogurt

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add bouillon and stir until dissolved. Add Cream of Wheat, stirring with whisk. When Cream of Wheat is nearly done, add spinach and finish cooking until spinach is tender. Add yogurt before serving.

Orange Julius

Felicia Winton

c orange juice concentrate

1 1/2 c cold milk

c sugar

t vanilla

9 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in blender at high speed for 15 seconds. Serve Immediately. Yields 3 servings

Spinach Dip Chicken Bombs

Ambassador Jasmine Estabrook

1 T olive oil

5 oz baby spinach

salt and pepper

8 oz cream cheese

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 T garlic powder

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups panko bread crumbs

cup canola oil, for frying

Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, season liberally with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the cooked spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, and garlic powder, and stir to combine.

Slice chicken breasts in half cross-wise. Cut a slit into the center of each half to make a pocket. Take a heaping spoonful of the spinach dip and pack it into the pocket. Pinch the edges of the chicken closed.

Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Take 1 piece of stuffed chicken and roll in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the floured chicken in the eggs, and then dredge in the bread crumbs, making sure to coat all sides evenly. Repeat to bread the remaining chicken.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain. Yield 8.

Pretzel Salad

Ambassador Leighanne Swan

2 cups pretzels-crushed

margarine-melted

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 8oz cream cheese

1 c sugar

8oz whipping cream, whipped

6oz pkg strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

2-10 oz pkg frozen strawberries

Mix pretzels, margarine and 3 tablespoons sugar. Pat into 9×13 pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and whipped cream; spread over pretzel crust. Dissolve gelatin in the water, stir in strawberries. Cool until mixture begins to thicken. Spoon over cream cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares before serving.

Three-Every-Day Fun: Milk Punch!

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1 quart sherbet (our favorite is rainbow)

gallon of milk

1 liter lemon-lime soda (we think the tangier the better!)

Allow ice cream to soften slightly. Mix ice cream and sherbet with milk, then gently stir in the soda. For an extra cool treat, serve in chilled glasses! Enjoy!

Loaded Potatoes

Maddie Woodis’ (Past Dairy Princess)

8 Large potatoes, cooked

8 oz cream cheese

4 oz sour cream

1 packet ranch dressing

2-3 c shredded cheese

bacon bits

Combine first four ingredients. Stir in cheese and bacon bits. Bake in 350 degree 30 minutes

Cream puff cake Recipe

Ambassador Tesika Kilmer

1 c water

1 stick butter

1 c flour

4 eggs

1 large box instant vanilla or chocolate pudding

3 c milk

8 oz package cream cheese softened

8 oz carton whipped topping

chocolate syrup

Combine water and butter in a medium sauce pan; bring to a boil. Add flour and mix well. Cool slightly and stir in eggs, one at a time. Mix well and spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Note: crust will spread into sides and this is supposed to happen.

Combine pudding, milk and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until lumps disappear. Pour into cream puff crust. Spread whipped topping over pudding, then drizzle with syrup. Refrigerate. It will keep for days in the refrigerator.

Cow Pies

c butter

2-1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate

2 c sugar

c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped nuts

1 c coconut

3c quick-cooking oats

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Add sugar and milk; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in vanilla, nuts and coconut. Fold in oats. Drop by teaspoonful onto wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.