kids and cheese recipes

Here is newest set of arrivals, a doe and a buck. Shwanli had them on sunday. They are so

cute! The other day I went to the barn to check up on them and I could not find the anywhere. I asked hannah if she knew were they were, she did not. We look and looked around all around the barn. Then I saw a little bit of white and this is where they were.

I got a request for the chevre recipe so here it is:

Things you need:

all words in green are links to where you can purchases the required things if you do not have them.

One gallon of raw milk freshly milked.

1 T. yogurt

1 drop of rennet deluded in a T of water

Very clean stainless steel pot and spoon. Thermometer* , butter muslin** ,and colander

Heat the milk to 100 degrees F.

Stir in the yogurt very well.

Add the rennet deluded in water

Stir with a gentle up and down motion for 1 min.

Let set in the pot for 12 hours

Now the milk is coagulated it should be thick almost like yogurt. If not let set a little longer.

Then take the colander and line it with the butter muslin.

tie up the corners and hang to drip out the whey for 6-7 hours. At room temperture

Remove the cheese from cloth and place in bowl. Weigh cheese then add 1% of the weight in salt. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

*If you do not have a thermometer just warm the milk up to how warm it feels when it comes right out of the animal.

**. you can use a piece of muslin fabric that will fit in the colander and hang over quite a bit.

the sites that I gave the links to are the places that I get these cheese supplies. I would highly recommend getting both Thermometer and butter muslin .

Other things that you can do with milk is. Instead of adding just a drop of rennet add a 1/8 teaspoon of rennet deluded in a 1/4 cup of water.

Do the same as the recipe but it will make something more like a small cottage cheese.

Or another idea is add the same 1/8 teaspoon deluded in a 1/4 cup of water. But instead of putting the cheese into a cloth lined colander. Using a long-bladed knife,cut the coagulated milk in to vertical strips about 3/4 inch wide. Using a skimmer, cut through horizontally until you have cut it all into 3/4 inch cubes. stir gently for 5 minuets. Let stand for 10 minuets.

Ladle curd into a cloth lined colander and let drain in colander for 45 minuets.

Prepare a draining container by placing a rack inside. Then place a cutting board on top, follow by a cheese mat, then the molds. Using skimmer, fill molds with curds. Cover container and let drain for 3 hours at room temperature. Flip cheeses over in the molds and let drain at room temperature for 10 hours. Keep container covered to maintain warmth around the cheeses.

Unmold cheeses onto a clean cheese mat and replace on the rack in the draining container. Sprinkle top of each cheese with 1/4 t. salt. Cover container and let drain at room temperature for 6 hours. Turn cheeses and salt the other side. Cover container and let drain at room temperature for another 6 hours.

Transfer cheese to a clean cheese mat (traditionally a straw mat) in a ripening container. Let dry for 4 or five days at cool room temperature. Remove any collected whey from the container and flip the cheeses daily.

I also age these molded cheese in a ripening container for about 6 weeks and they get very delicious and earthy flavors. Keep flipping them and taking the whey out for 3 to 6 weeks in a 55-60 temperature dark room. After 3 or 6 weeks put the cheeses in the refrigerator. Eat them with bread and olives and that is so yummy!

Place a sprig of fresh savory on the cheese and consume immediately.

If you would like to buy cheese molds this is where I get them: Cheese Molds

For a cheese mat I use these: "Handmade Cheese Mats"

For a ripening container I use those big round cake containers. Here is a picture of the one that I use. "Cake container" it is the seventh picture down from the top.

Cheese making can be either something that you get into and spend a lot of money on supplies, or you can look around you and find things that you can use and make with your hands for cheese making. Try to recycle as much as you can and makeshift alot of your cheese making supplies and then you will save a lot but get the same kind of product.

And if you have milking animals and you are making a lot of cheese but you still can't keep up with the flow of daily milk income. Then get a pig or chickens and turn the milk into pork and eggs or grilled chicken.

I hope these recipes and ideas are helpful to you and that you make wonderful cheeses.

If you have any questions or if something doesn't make sense, just ask in a comment below.

The days doings here in my little corner

A spring lunch with sisters and nephews. Yesterday Rebecca invited me and hannah over for a visit. It was very enjoyable.

Me and three of my siblings and my nephews went to a garage sale. I got these two shirts. They are so pretty!

Making Chevre' The first goat cheese I made this year. The vest thing that I am wearing in the pic is another thing that I got from the sale.

carding wool

Leeks that I picked out in the woods this morning

Pickled Leeks

There was a very nice classical guitar at the garage sale for $150. We went to the sale on tuesday and bought stuff. Yesterday evening I decided that I would go the next day and look at the guitar some more and play it. I went this evening and the guitar was sold. The people said that the lady who has the ducks and goats just before the big hill bought the guitar. I am glad she was able to get it. She likes to sing and play so it will be a nice thing for her to have.

A thing to remember: "When you see something at a sale get it right away if you really want it".

Here is the recipe for the pickled leeks/ramps

20 small wild leeks/ ramps* (10 oz.)

trimmed to one inch of greens and cleaned well,

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup of Honey

1/4 cup of sugar

1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon whole black pepper

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the ramps, and boil for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge the ramps into the ice water to stop cooking.

2. In the same medium pot (emptied of water), bring the cider vinegar, honey, sugar,red pepper, peppercorns, fennel, coriander, and bay leaf to a simmer, and then remove the pot from the heat.

3. Put the drained ramps into a clean pint jar. Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar. When the mixture is cool, cover it tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating. The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month.

*If you do not have wild leeks you can substitute 10 medium shallots, peeled, with root end trimmed but left intact

I'm Awarded!!

I was awarded by Grace@grace'sgardenwalk

and Laura @sharinghislove

Thanks so much Ladies!

Here are the rules:

1. Post about the tag.

2. Choose 5 bloggers who deserve this award.


3. Leave a comment on the blogs of the people you tagged, letting them know they were awarded.

4. Answer the questions along with your post. (Omit questions you don't want to answer)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


1. Apples, Oranges, or Bananas?
Apples for sure! They grow up here in the north. Wild and cultivated . We have a apple orchard of our own. All our apple trees are old heirloom verities. We have several Wolf River apple trees and they produce very big apples. I realy enjoy our apple trees!

2. How many siblings do you have?
I have five. I have an older sister who is married and has two very adorable little boys and I am so happy that I am their aunt! My bro.-in law is very special to me. I am so glad God brought him in all of our lives and made him apart of our family.
I have a dear brother who is 18 months older then me. I have a sweet sister who is five years younger than me. I have a beloved brother who is eight years younger than me. And a joyful brother who is ten years younger than me. They all bring a lot of joy to my heart ever day.

3. Do you live on a prairie, Woodland, city, or other?

We live in the Marilla Hills. It is a rural area of farm land with beautiful hills and forest roundabout.

What is something you enjoy doing with your family?
going to lake Michigan and having a summer picnic at the Audubon. And morel hunting

5. Is your room clean?
NO! and you shall never see a picture of it on this blog!

6. Italy, Greece, France, Spain, or England?
France


7. What is the scripture that encourages your the most?
The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.Malachi 2:6


8. Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans?
Chocolate
but it HAS to be either "Green & Black" or "Dagoba" and it has to be organic and either 78% or 85% chocolate


9. What are your favorite types of books?
Mysteries, Novels, Inspirational stories, stories of Missionaries,

10. Favorite ice cream flavor?

any flavor of homemade


11. If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be?
Fresh raw greens


12. Are you an outside or an inside person?
Outside in the woods



13. Describe yourself in three words.
Blessed joyful maiden



14. What chore do you like to do the most?

Hanging Laundry on the Line

Now, I’d like to award:

Any of my followers that have not been awarded with this tag yet. If you are going to do it let me know in a comment so I can see yours.

Then & Now

Five + sixteen =?

I reenacted this picture of me sixteen years ago. What do you think?

I hope you all are having a fine day.

A Poem. . .

Can You Honestly Judge?

Pray don't find fault with a man who limps
or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears or
struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your
back might cause you to stumble too.
Don't sneer at the man who's down today,
unless you have felt the blow.
That caused his fall, or felt the shame that
only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows that
were his, if dealt to you.
In the self-same way at the very same time
might cause you to stagger too.
Don't be too harsh with a man who sins or
pelt him with words or stones.
Unless you are sure, yes, doubly sure that
you have no sins of your own.
~ Author Unknown ~

I found this poem and I like it alot so I thought that should share it.

The Weaker Vessel

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. 1 Peter 3:7

The teacup is very a fragile vessel, but used with tender care it can last a life time or more. It is also very beautiful. When sipping a tea with it, one will take much care to what they are holding in their hand than if they were drinking from a mug or cup. As women we are like this vessel, beautiful and unmarred made from the finest materials yet the most fragile. I like to picture the time when God first made woman and how beautiful her presence must have made the earth. I like to think of how it must have been for Adam after he awoke from his deep sleep to behold her in her pure beauty. Woman was taken out of man. As virgins we have a longing and hoping for the time when we can be brought back to the place where we have come from. Right now our husbands are in a deep sleep and God is bringing us to him. We are vessels and we are beautiful and God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. Some of us may be still in the mold,in the fire or being painted on, or even in the ground still in the raw form or are being used in the home or abroad. But all of us are being made into something beautiful and God has a clear vision of what we are to be. His hands have fashioned us and His work is outstandingly beautiful beyond any thing else!

While waiting, something that is good to do is, instead of getting our minds all worked up on the who, what, where, when, how and why thing and worry about how it is all going to work out in this life and what kind of man we are going to marry and if we will ever marry.

I have found that if I think about what kind of woman my husband is going to get, instead of what I am going to get. And focus on the now and where I am, and ask the Lord to work on my heart, to prepare me for what He has for me. In this I find such rest, and I no longer feel like I am wearing myself out by getting caught up and carried away in my thought life.

Right now even if there is not a man on the horizon, God is still bringing you to a man. He already knows and has it all laid out perfectly.

If everyone on the face of this earth was filled with the Holy Spirit and walking in Christ's ways, fully relying on the Lord, resting in Him, and having their eyes fixed on Him. There would be know more courtship, no more dating, no more confusing thoughts of wondering the big IF this is the right one, and fall outs of relationships that should have never been made. Everyone would be fully rested and trusting on the Lord taking one day at a time. I think as young women we can find a place of resting in Jesus in that he has everything in his hands and will work out everything in his time. Look to Him to work in your heart and mold you and make you into the image of his son. Give Him the desires of your heart and delight yourself in him and he will give you the desires of your heart. Find time to go before him in quietness and thank Him and praise Him for every thing He has done and is doing and will do in your life. Sing to him, sing praises to him. Glory in His name. Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. He has made you beautiful and He is making every thing beautiful in you life. Let Him fill you, a beautiful fragile vessel with all that He has to give. And with what He gives you give unto others and more will be given to you. That is why we are here. He has made all things beautiful!

He gave us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that we might be trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

birth announcement, my morning thoughts, and spring pictures...

Three more kids joined the herd. On sunday Hopli had triplets and they are so adorable! Two does, one white and one grayish brown with dark brown markings, and a big white buck. The buck weighed seven lb. and eight oz. The brown doe weighed five lb. and four oz., and the white doe weighed six lb. two oz. All together Shneahopli was carrying nineteen lb. and four oz. I think that would be alot to hold! They are doing very well. They already want to run and play outside. It is a little cool out this morning so I am going to wait till it warms up a little and I will bring them out in the sunshine today. I took Hopli out to get some grass this morning. It was so pretty out there. The morning sun shining on the dewy grass as she ate. I sat on a stump and sang while out there watching her. One of my favorite songs to sing in the morning is Morning Has Broken. When I sing and give thanks and praise to God, everything that seems so big and overwhelming in this life melts away and I know it no more. I think this has been the most pleasant of springs ever. It is so beautiful and nice outside. David has been getting the fields ready for planting. Lambs and kids are running all around the barnyard. Robins hoping about the garden. Busy birds finding nesting materials. Freshly wash wool drying in the sun and wind. Clothes on the line. Wild flowers in the meadow and woods. Leeks and morels sprouting up in the woods and orchard. Geese trying to set on eggs. Ducks trying finding good nesting spots. Daffy-down-dillies a blooming in the ditch along the road. Crisp frost in the morning covering the freshly plowed earth. Beautiful little pink blossoms on the peach tree. Bright green catkins on the birch trees. Golden dandelions popping up there cheery faces everywhere. Barefeet running everywhere. Buds on the lilac bush. Compost piles steaming in the morning sunlight. New leaves on the rose bush. Bright new leaves on the maples. Forsythia bushes in full bloom. Wild cherry trees clothed in white blossoms like star clusters. Bunches of new onion plants to plant in the garden. Chickens scratching everywhere. Wooded hills covered with new growth. Rivers and streams flowing down where they are directed. Lower and lower still,ever singing, giving water and life to every thing they touch. This is my Father's world! A place that He has made for His pleasure. May every thing that we say, do and think be pleasing to Him. He has made us for His good pleasure.

(I wrote the above at 8:24 AM this morning)

Here are some pictures from today:

my nephew's flowers

planting peas

pounding in a stake

smiling sisters

Fun!

Big Smile!

This morning me and Hannah visited with Rebecca. Daddy,David and the boys had to go to a farm and pick up some bees for David. Hannah and I were going to go to the library but it was closed so we had Daddy drop us of at our sister's. We helped her plant peas and onions in her garden. It was very fun. Then Daddy came and picked up some bales of hay that my sister's husband said we could get. We visited for a little longer then we left. Went to the library and checked out some books. Last night I finished the book "The Meeting Place" by Janette Oke ,and I had to get the sequel. If you are a book worm like me then you know just how it is. When you finnish a good book and it says at the end that there is a sequel to it and that sequel is 9 miles away on a library shelf you just have to get it in the fastest possible time that you can. Then when we got there I saw that there are even more sequels to that sequel so I got three more books all in the same series. On the way home we stopped and got more hay from a neighbor. We are still feeding our animals hay as the grass is still growing.

When we came home I got the clay oven started and mixed up a batch of natural leaven dough. I had taken a little brake from baking bread on the clay oven. The reason why? Well go to this link HERE and you will see something that I made. I was so mad I could not even blog about it at the time. At least someone was able to laugh at what happened! The oven was too hot and I was getting tired as it was getting late in the evening. I put the bread in too soon and that is the result, burnt dough!. In that picture you can see Daddy in the kitchen. He is scraping off the burnt part of the other charred lump of dough.

I hope this time it turns out very well.

I am going to do chicken for dinner. So I must go and get stuff ready for that.... enjoy the spring!

Grace's Giveaway

Grace over at Grace's Garden Walk is having a giveaway! She is giving away soap, a beautiful tea rest, handmade sachets stuffed with homegrown lavender, and a cross stitched drawstring bag for everything to go in. To enter go HERE Don't miss out on this giveaway I think it is the best ever! So nice and just right for springtime.

Giveaway ends May 1st

A fun Tag!

Laura at Sharing His Love tagged me.

Thanks Laura!

The rules are: Please tag eight people and do not tag the one who tagged you. And if you would not like to answer a certain question, simply change it to one you like and answer that.

#1-What song are you currently listening to a lot?

None.

I have been singing though, I have been singing this song:

"Clothe yourself with humility towards one anther for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time.

#2- What books are you currently reading?

The Meeting Place by Janette Oke &T. Davis Bunn

Hope Grows In Winter by Woodrow Kroll & George D. Miller III

I just finished reading, Star Of Light by Patricia St. John.

and The Lost Clue by Mrs. O. E. Walton.

#3-Do you sing a lot?

Just about all the time. I think I sing more than I talk. If I am not singing out loud I am singing in my head. I have been singing ever since I was knee high to a grass hopper.

#4-Sweet or salty?

A little of both!

#5-What is your favorite hobby?

Spinning wool

knitting

#6-What books have you read at least 3 times?

The lamplighter

The door in the wall

Heidi

Little house books

Paula

#7-What sites do you always visit when you get on the Internet?

Maiden in the house of God

Blogger dashboard

My G-mail

#8-What was the last things you bought?

A blue blouse and sandals

#9- What do you get the most bothered by?

Others picking food while I am cooking.

#10-Favorite earliest memory?

When I was very little my mother would stroke my arms and it felt really nice, I would call it the chillys.

Another one is going to a doll factory for my first birthday and watch how they make dolls. I got my first very own doll. I still have her. Her name is Jessica. She is 21 the same age as me! But she still looks the same as she always did except she has a little bit of hair cut off on the side of her bangs. Long time ago me and my sister Rebecca were making baby books for our dolls and we wanted to have a baby curl to put in our dolls books. My sister has the same kind of doll as mine. We called them the "Jessica Dolls".

#11-What do you do to change your mood?

Take a walk and have a conversation with my best friend

#12-What was the last meal you ate?

venison curry and flat bread with rice and lentils

#13-Do you want to learn another language?

Yes! How did you know the right question to ask?

Did you know that I would say yes?

I have always wanted to learn another language. Really I want to learn every language in the world but I don't think that will be ever possible! If I ever do learn to speak in another language I want to learn any one of these: German, Ukrainian, Welsh, Swedish, Polish, and Kurdish.

I think the only way that I will learn is by going to the place where the language is spoken.

#14-Five things you can’t live without

1. The living word of the God

2. breath

3. sun

4. water

5. bread

#15- Find the closest book to you, and flip to page 54.what is the first sentence in the 2nd paragraph?

"When his peers were still delighting in childhood games, Henri Robichaud had been forced to mature beyond his years". ~ The Meeting Place by Janette Oke &T. Davis Bunn

#16-What is something you would like to say right now?

O Love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31:23-24

#17-What are you looking forward to?

I can't think of anything. There is not really any thing that I am looking forward to. I am smiling at the future. I do not know what the Lord has in plan for me. I am find out the greatness of his loving heart. He is the only thing that I hope for in this life.

Now I tag:

Miranda at Travel Notes

Cora at Maiden In The House Of God

Hannah at Hannah Of Marilla Heights

Dawn at A Ray Of Hope

Ginger at Pieces Of my heart

Jennifer at Child Of The King

Enoch at The Pig Farmers Journal

Ms. Patricia at A Blessed Quiet Life