Butter and Vegetables

After a few early morning errands, I started the day with some butter-making.

Mmmm...buttermilk!

Then I started the yogurt maker.

Rose infused honey yogurt.

AND I finally got out to the garden to take some pictures.

Lettuce

Beets

Carrots

Kale

Peas

Bell Peppers

Beans

Tomatoes

Hot Peppers

Salad Turnips

Cinnamon Basil

Freckles Lettuce

Cilantro

Dill

Mizuna Cabbage

Radish

These are only the impressive ones.  There is so much more work to do!  My car has been broken for a month, so I have had lots of garden time.  Come visit me!!!

Keeping up with chores.

It is hot.  I do not like heat/humidity.  This kind of weather makes me useless and keeps me awake all night.  So how can I get anything done when I just want to lie in front of a fan drinking water?

It is not easy.

Jon is out there, working on a wall job.  I have no idea how he can do physical labor right now!  That does give me some motivation to get up and get a few things done, though.

So far, I have swept the kitchen and bathroom, washed yesterday's dishes, made rhubarb yogurt muffins (pear butter instead of oil), I started some chicken broth, and some whole wheat yogurt flax/sunflower seed maple bread (I changed the recipe a bit) is rising.  My motivation has ended for the moment...but after the worst of the heat is done, I plan to make a chicken soup with the broth, mop the floors, scrub the tub and sink, clean the bunny cage, sort through peat pods and get rid of empty ones, brush the bunny, and then vacuum everything.  That is a very ambitious list, considering I haven't moved in half an hour and I am trying to give the appearance of not being home right now.

The garden is doing surprisingly well right now.  Lettuce is abundant.  Any ideas for uses other than salad?  Everything except arugula and parsley germinated.  I should have salad turnips and radishes next week.  And, only half of the garden is covered in weeds!  I fell behind with various trips to VT, MA, and this terrible weather.  The beans are doing very well at my parents', but as of a week ago, the sugar beets were not visible yet.

I now have a yogurt maker that is calling for me to experiment with it.  The cheese making supplies are in at my friend's house.

Also, the best method of making butter that I have tried is simply skimming the cream into a small tupperware, putting on the lid, and shaking it.  It takes a lot less time and I get a lot more butter simply using human power.  I can also walk around the house, put away dishes, watch tv, with only minimal cream splashing.

I probably should mop all of the floors now that I think of it...

Cottage cheese and keeping busy!

Update on yogurt making:  the yogurt may possibly have worked, but I should not have used a bath towel to insulate it...there was a hard green/blue mold that grew on the outside of the glass.  The yogurt looked fine.  I still got rid of all of it, though, and washed everything.  The glass was ruined.  So, I broke down and ordered a yogurt maker with an automatic shut-off.  It just wasn't worth the hassle!

I am also getting some cheese making supplies in the mail!  Soon, I will be able to make wonderful mozzarella, feta, and mascarpone!  I am overjoyed!

In other news, the lettuce is almost big enough to harvest.  Most everything has germinated.  There are little bell peppers.  There is an absolute ton of weeding to do...which I am less enthusiastic about...

Yesterday, I made cottage cheese for the first time.  I heated 4 cups of milk up to 120, added 1/4 cup white vinegar, stirred for 2 minutes, let it set for 30 minutes, separate the whey with a cheesecloth in a strainer, rinsed the curds, then added a little salt to them.  I cannot describe how wonderful they are.  Rich and fresh tasting!  There were a little less than 4 cups of whey left, which went into bread.  I got maybe 1/4 cup of curds.  But it is so worth it!

As soon as I can find my camera again, I will take pictures of everything that has been going on.  For now, I am exhausted and am ready to close the laptop and sleep =)

Sheep shearing and gardening

I finally have a quiet moment to gather my thoughts!  Fresh milk bread is rising (Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book).  I am experimenting with a new way to incubate yogurt that does not take up my oven and require me constantly checking the temperature:

(Heating pad on high covered with towel, mason jar with candy thermometer inside some water that was 110 F when I started, and then covered with towels)

After 1 hour, it is now at 106 F, which is decent.  If it doesn't go below 95 F after 4, this will be my new method!  The heating pad is also a cheap model that doesn't have a safety turn off.  I am not leaving the apartment while this is going on, and the counter is insulated with tiles.  So it should be safe.  Should be.  (After 1 1/2 hours, it is at 104.  I took out the towel between the heating pad and the jar to see if that helps.)

I have almost finished planting.  I have 4 rows left to do of beans and sugar beets, which I will do at my parents' once they have tilled the soil under for me.  The garden out back has three rows left open for transplants.  

 Four trays plus two six packs planted and some have just germinated.

Cucumber seedling and one summer squash getting some sun to harden them off before planting.

Tavie doesn't mind that part of his cage makes a nice table.  He is enjoying his recent shearing in this warm weather!

The garden looks really good right now.  I want the plants that have already come up to be a bit bigger before I go at the weeds.  Half of the garden was just planted and has not yet germinated.

 Lettuce mix

 Kale

 Beets

 Peas

 Green beans

 Sweet onions

 Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers

My beautiful garden space!

I have also been assisting with sheep shearing and fleece sorting and skirting at Kelly Corner Farm.  Jeff Jordan is the best shearer in the state and I learned a lot!

Yogurt cheese = cream cheese!

It worked!  I left the yogurt to strain overnight in the fridge, and now I have what looks and tastes like cream cheese!

Three cups of yogurt created one cup of the cheese and two cups of whey.

Beautifulness.  I have enough to make 6 individual cheesecakes.

This is how excited I am right now (actual jumping for joy).

Actual cheesecakes with strawberry puree.
Homemade: cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla, granulated maple sugar, and egg from a friend
Bought: graham crackers, salt, strawberries, butter

Now I just need strawberry season, a trip to the ocean, some extra cream, and a recipe for graham crackers to make this an entirely homemade recipe.  I can see this happening this summer!

Yogurt cheese, violet jam, and a name for the rabbit.

There isn't enough coffee in the world.

I have been incredibly busy.  I sold the two doe kits to a very nice lady with two teenage girls.  She couldn't stop giggling over how adorable they were and I could tell that they would be well loved =)  It was still very sad to see them go!

We named the buck kit we are keeping Tavşan.  His new favorite place is under the dresser between the weights.

He is understandably upset with us for taking away his sisters.  The first few days, he turned from being sweet and cuddly to skittish and sulky.    Today, I was grooming him, and he decided to start licking my leg.  He loves me again!  I gave him some treats while he sat in my lap for a while after that.  He is still not quite himself, but he is getting more trusting every day.  He also requires the lowest maintenance that I've ever needed for a rabbit.  He doesn't chew, go to the bathroom outside his cage, and mostly prefers to hang out with me.  He is curious and likes to climb on little things, but doesn't try to find the highest spot in the room like one of the does.  His favorite toy is an old cardboard box, which he stuffs himself into and peeps out at the world.

I haven't had much time for baking recently (trip to NH, helping Jon build a workbench, helping Jon with a job), but I have been able to do a few projects: 64 oz of yogurt, peanut butter, grapefruit juice, 2 loaves of maple oatmeal wheat bread, granola bars, best cake ever, roast chicken, violet jam...alright...so I have been able to get quite a few things done!

The violet jam is beautiful!

I picked 4 cups of violets.  This is about half of what I needed.  I ended up having to use white violets as well, but the color still turned out quite beautiful.

This pictures does not do justice.  I got a total of 10 half pint jars done, in two batches.

Each batch had:
2 cups tightly packed washed and dried violet blossoms (wild, non-sprayed, clean)
1 3oz pouch liquid pectin
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups water

I blended the water, lemon juice, and blossoms in a blender.  Then I added the sugar 2 cups at a time, blending.  I put this blend into a large pot and got it to a rolling boil, skimming off the white/greenish foam.  Then, I added the pouch of pectin and boiled for 2 minutes, stirring.  The mixture will rise up quite a bit, so make sure that you have a big enough pot!  Then I poured the mixture into sterilized half pint jars, up to about 1/8 in. from the top (I cheated a little here).  The jars were put through a rinse cycle in a dishwasher, but could be boiled in water or for just jam, kept in the hottest tap water in a clean sink.  I put the lids on as tight as I could, then put them upside down to help with sealing.  They need to set for at least 24 hours, then I will check to see if the lids have not popped.

I tasted a little of the jam, and it is marvelous!!!  Kind of like the flavor of rose water, but less strong, and with a more wild flower scenty-taste.  The color is a bold purple.  I am really going to enjoy using this jam, giving it away, and just looking at it!  Violets also have tons of vitamin a and 3 times the amount of vitamin c than an orange.  All for taking the time to pick them from the yard.  Violets are also great fresh, with their leaves, in a salad.  Or candied violets.  The entire plant is edible except for the rhizome.

I am thinking of getting a Level 1 Homesteading license...to sell some baked goods, jam, and jelly at a farmers' market.  I could also bring along some veggies.  The cost of the license is pretty cheap in NH, and I would only need to have the water tested and fill out some paperwork.  Anyone want to go in on this with me?

Today's baking project is yogurt cheese.

I wanted to get enough to make a cheesecake with, but I can only fit 1 cup of yogurt in my strainer.  The web says that 1 cup yogurt = 1/3 cup yogurt cheese (pretty much the same consistency and taste as cream cheese).  I need 2 cups of the cheese for cheesecake.  It also said that it would take 1-12 hours to drain.  I am also thinking up uses for the whey after this is done.  This project may take several days, but I am super excited!  I hope to branch out into other types of cheese, and then ones that need rennet.  Jon should build me a cheese press.

My day started at Walmart and will end with yogurt.

I know, I shouldn't go to Walmart, especially if it makes me mad.  But I did.  I wanted to look at a Virgin Mobile phone that I saw was highly recommended.  My experience in their electronics department made a very bad start to the day.  Let's just say it included not being able to actually look at the phone outside of a box clamped into the bottom shelf, an employee that told me that my research about their plans were wrong because 'some guy came in and told her', and I left after being handed a pamphlet and with no questions being answered. Then a lady came at me with her cart and I walked into a display sign, causing quite a bit of amusement for the young man behind me.

*face palm*

So I am at the point where I might give up cell phones entirely.  I'll see.

The rest of the day hasn't been much better.  The bunnies got sick from the spinach I gave them...for no reason than probably I gave it to them out of their usual eating schedule.  They are like piglets, and don't know when to stop.  As I cleaned them up, and my jeans and sweatshirt got covered in bunny sick-poo, they were NOT happy about what I was doing, so they scratched up my hands and wrists like kittens.  To the point of drawing blood.  I got them calmed down, we cuddled (after we all were clean again), and they are now happily bouncing around the cage.  I took pictures of the two does to sell on craigslist.

Pretty bunbuns!

Then my band aid came off.  I had sliced my finger and nail open with a carving tool, and a few days ago half of my nail fell off...so doing the dishes and making food is slightly painful right now (it needs to breathe anyways)...

I tried making yogurt in my mom's yogurt maker from the year I was born- 1987.

 I started as usual, and got everything ready to incubate.

But the machine didn't seem to be heating up.  The cover would NOT fit on properly, either.  After pinching my finger and getting a blood blister (*sigh*), I decided to scrap the machine entirely and just put the little jars into the oven with the pilot light on again.  They are doing well and are at the proper temperature.  Should be done around 9pm.  I also made some tomato sauce to keep in the freezer for future pasta.

Now I am making turtle bean soup with some ham thrown in to satisfy Jon.  I am exhausted.  The apartment building electrician is here, again, this time drilling the wall outside the kitchen.

But I am proud that I made it through Walmart without buying any chips.  Or blue cheese- even though I had it in my hand for a while.

___________________________

Earlier this week, I made the world's best bagels, substituting all of the flour for whole wheat and I added 1 Tbsp flax seed.

Before boiling.

*Love my Le Creuset pot!

Out of the oven...and one already eaten!

Really pretty with the flax seeds =)

The raisins also came out wonderfully!  They are tart, a little more chewy, and look a lot different than the store ones.  The fruit leather is AWESOME.  The best I've ever had, and Jon agrees with me, so there's none left to photograph.  Next time!

I give up for today.  I'm going to go hug some rabbits.