Rambling in the Woods

Today was a wrestling match with taxes and trying to tie up loose ends on a job that needs finished up.   I am so ready to move back into food, health, gardens, kids, church and all the other stuff I love.  I have missed you guys... the community.... while I was buried in these other chores.... OK, I'm still buried in them, but am digging out.

Several people have been messing around with the raw milk and other things and I just wanted to note some of the various truths, discoveries and links. 

Truth:  It is good to hear the piano while you are making dinner.  I see a sweatshirt that was obviously worn for bike riding in puddles needs to hit the washer tomorrow.

Discovery:  If you mix raw milk with the red label Organic Pastures milk and leave it on the counter, it clabbers.  These cows are on grass I THINK.  Anyway, my sister did this experiment and it is more affordable.  She plans to mix hers half and half until a cow comes into the picture.

In Process:  Low temperature yogurt  is runny.  It is good in smoothies, as a milk substitute for soaked granola or mixed with juice and drank as a snack...... I read a very long blog on kefir and they claim that putting kefir beads into low temperature yogurt will firm it up.  So..... I have low milk yogurt with kefir beads in it.  Stay tuned.

Another possibility is Greek Yogurt.  Evelyn Fields is working on that.  We are both going to try raw cottage cheese.  Again... stay tuned.  No one ever said this stuff was fast :)

Discovery:  Clabbering is just like sourdough starter.  You use clabbered milk for a starter for almost all milk products.  Clabbered cream is a yummy sour cream.... or a really easy way to make butter.  Clabbered milk is the beginning of cottage cheese, Farmer's cheese and all other types of cheese.  My first bunch is looking good and almost ready for cottage cheese. 

I am just kind of wondering if I can make a greek yogurt out of clabbered milk.  Maybe half of my clabber should go for that.... hmmmm.  Would I put my yogurt culture into the clabbered milk?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Truth:  I need ten more hours in the day.  It is time to get to the garden..... the one outside.  I have stuff coming up in the cold frame and stuff ready to plant and stuff to get started.  SPRING IS AWESOME!


Truth:  And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

“While the earth remains,
      Seedtime and harvest,
      Cold and heat,
      Winter and summer,
      And day and night
      Shall not cease.”  

Genesis 8:21-22

It is my desire to learn old skills and combine them with knowledge and wisdom so the rhythm of our days is pleasing to the Lord.

Cindy