Saturday, December 4, 2010

My Surprise And Mozzarella Cheese Tutorial!


Hello Sweet Ladies...........it is Saturday an I am loving it to the max!!!!!!!!! I have so much that I want to share with.

God's design is incredible!

Here is my surprise. I will tell you up front that we are going through all the proper channels to get this Momma Canadian Goose to her proper place. It is a federal offense and we don't want to do anything wrong, but we don't want her to die. She was found running in traffic on a 4 lane highway. We have called the Dept. of Parks and Wildlife. They have given us a phone number for a Ranger to see what he wants to do with her and where he wants to transport her from here. Her wing has been hurt real bad. We are feeding her so she won't die....... until they get a hold of us. The reason that my son thought it would remind me of my childhood was when I was growing up in Alaska.... my father found an abandoned nest when I was little with 6 Canadian Geese eggs. I am not sure if this was illegal up there then, but he incubated them. They followed him everywhere he went after they hatched. It has been a wonderful memory. Anyway it was after hours when I finally got the Ranger's number................I left him a message on his phone to call me. I am waiting. Just thought you would like to see her before she leaves our farm. I tried to get a permit to keep her and help her get mended........it only takes 100 hours to do that. Not going to happen in my schedule!!!!! Smile. Isn't she so pretty! When you step out our back door there are hundreds of geese migrating now and they are honking in the skies. We have a low place on our farm where all the Canadians and Snow geese come. It is a beautiful site! I am so grateful to the Lord that He has let me live on a farm or homesteaded most of my life.

Just want to thank you soooo much for the orders for all the Winter All Year Long Quilt Kits you have been ordering. We still have lots made up if you want to order one. It is such a super easy pattern .......even for a new beginner. I am taking 20% from your orders and putting it towards bringing Vitaliy to America from the Ukrain.........we are so excited to make his CHRISTmas a special one. Now you are a part of it!

Remember I told you I learned how to make Mozzerella at work? Well here are a few pictures. I didn't get pictures of the whole process, (sorry)....... but here are a few pictures and some info on where to buy the things you will need.

If you go to the internet and put in "making mozzarella cheese" you will find lots of videos and lots of different cheeses to make in your home. I found this VIDEO on the internet to make an easy cheese using yogurt and salt. I am going to try this one when I am on CHRISTmas break. I have an Amish/Mennonite friend Rosa.......who I am going to show me how to make fresh homemade yogurt. I will post about that later. I think I tried making it when I was a young wife. I remember it was very easy.......it will be fun to be with my friend though. It will be a special treat. I have to go down and decorate their little "tea room" for the CHRISTmas holidays. They love to entertain in it. I am thinking I will do an evening and surprise our bosses at work. Something to look forward to. It is such a special place for me to go. I used to get to visit them a lot.......but now that I am outside the home working.........I don't get to see them very often. I loved going and seeing Grandma Yoder though........ she is a very wise Christian woman. Anyway.............

Here is another video cheese that is called Farmer's Cheese using buttermilk and lemon juice. Excuse him for calling it sexy cheese (has nothing to do with cheese)........ but the video shows how to make it a fast and very easy way! For a gift take a small little basket..........place a square napkin of homespun fabric in the bottom...........tie ribbon and a tag on the handle......take some whole grain crackers...... place them into a clear cellophane that has been tied with twine, ripped homespun fabric or a ribbon around the top. I think I would put the cheese in one of my little mason jars with olive oil and cracked pepper on the top......put on the lid. Tie something around the lip of the jar and a tag with the kind of cheese written on it. You could also wrap the cheese in cheese cloth and place it into a cellophane bag. Cute idea and very inexpensive gift for that hard to buy person.

Here is another VIDEO showing you how we made it at work. The lady in the video stretched the mozzerella a different way than Chef Quintin taught me, but same principle. He had me hold the clump of cheese in my hand and gently fold the cheese under to make a ball over and over with my hands pressing it until it had a shiny sheen to it. It is so pretty when you watch this happen. The way we made the mozzerella at work was with milk curd already made up ( I tried to find some, if anyone knows where to buy it please let us know). He used kosher salt and cayenne pepper and mixed it into the curds. He added the hot water.......and let it set until it was soft.

Here is a picture with me folding the sides under over and over again until it shinned!


After it was shiny...we placed it into a pan with ice, water to cover the top of the ice and a 1/2 cup of olive oil to have the cheese rest in. Put the lid on top and place it in the refrigerator. The next day Chef Eric made lasagna..using the freshly made mozzarella.........the kids loved it. The one thing I appreciate about the college kitchen is all the fresh food that is prepared from scratch. They are blessed kids!

You can buy:
RENNET $8.00. this will make alot of batches of Mozzarella cheese for you.


If you are serious about making cheese you can buy a kit.....here........MOZZARELLA KITS, it has everything you need for $24. 95. It is a fun project to do.....if you have children teach them how to do it..........it is not hard and they will love your for it when they get to eat it!


Picture from Amy's blog.........look at that precious hand!

Amy at Homestead Revival made her cookie in a tutorial for us all to see. She was featured in our Prairie Flower Farm Christmas Cookie Cookbook. Go over and see. She has a beautiful site and a forum you can be involved with! You heart will be touched after you read all her helpful posts........making us better prepared woman! She has so many helpful tips! You will enjoy.......I promise! Amy is a sweetie! Tell her I sent you!

If you entered your cookie into our cookbook and make the cookie and post on your blog.......please let me know and I will post about it. Just come and tell me in a comment or email and I will send ladies your way! It will help ladies get to know one another!

I get between 250 and 300 hits a day on my blog and I am getting a lot of ladies from alll over and across the seas.......... but so many don't leave me a comments ( understand that and thats okay!) It's just that I feel like I am missing out on meeting a whole lot of precious ladies. I sooooooo want to meet you and if you have a blog and you leave a comment I can come and visit you. If you have never left me a comment would you do so today. Just say hello and tell us what state or country you live in. Okay? Please!!!!

I will be working on the fence today..........taking my stitches with..........the sun is shining.....makes me thankful that the wind isn't blowing...........yet.......remember we live in Kansas...........it blows..........a lot! Love you bunches! Have a good day.....if you have a minute and you are preparing for CHRISTmas......tell me what you are making today!

Don't forget to download your copy of the cookie cookbook.........it is free! Look on the top on my side bar.......it will take you to my post. Love you all bunches~me

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you.........the snow.........you like? I had it last year and I didn't want to take it off when it was spring.........well I have it back and if you want it here is where you go........really easy to do.......well I think........my daughter did it for me. She said it is easy........just go HERE



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9 comments:

  1. Thanks, Linda for your kind words! You certainly know how to make a gal feel loved and blessed! And I appreciate the mention about Homestead Revival™. Have a blessed weekend with your "visitor" from up north!

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  2. Just found your blog and i must say I love it. I certainly will be stopping by again. I have added you to my blog roll if you don't mind.

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  3. Good morning Linda..

    First I love the goose and wish you could keep it and nurse it back to health as I know you would do a marvelous job!!! God has given you a gift!!!

    And yes,I will try to put that snow up on my blog as I was going to ask you how you did that?? (read my mind!! smile..)

    I too hope you hear from some of the other ladies who read your blog. I saw one signed she was from France!! Now isn't that wonderful??

    Baked a cake today for our CHRISTmas party tomorrow for our MS Support group...that is what I did this morning!! Must work on my CHRISTmas newsletter this afternoon!

    Stay warm and I pray the wind does not come up as I do know how the wind blows in Kansas!!!

    Blessings...
    xoxo Gert

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  4. Oh Linda...I just had to stop back and tell you I did add the snow to my blog and it was soooo easy!! Amazing...I LOVE IT!

    Thank you my dear friend...

    Blessings...
    xoxo Gert

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  5. Hi Linda
    My name is Michelle and I live in New Zealand on a dairy farm. I signed up recently as a follower and really enjoy your blog! Thanks for all the inspiring words you share with us.
    Blessings

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  6. How fun that you should discuss cheesemaking on your blog because...I have a couple of books to teach me to make cheese, and that is going to be my main project this winter! I can hardly wait. Thanks for the tip on the videos. We go through a lot of cheese around here, Wisconsinites that we are, so it will surely come in handy! :-) And your post reminds me that it's time for me to get busy and make my gingerbread boys.

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  7. Hugs from Ohio!!

    Hope the Goose is healing & resting up! What a Sweetie you are, to take her in. Please keep us posted! she is beautiful!

    This was sure a most interestingly "busy" posting! LOL Making cheese sounds fun! And ALL the other ideas you shared..............feel like I just popped-in & had a grand visit!! :)

    Today I worked on making PJ's for the Grandkiddo's (shhhhh....don't tell!) - and made some more CHRISTmas cards!!

    Cooooold & a bit snowy here..........not alot of snow....YET....... My daughter in NC sent picture today....first snow THERE today! Wowie! But will be gone quick from their area. OURS is coming, and will be with US for MONTHS! BRRRRRR! Cups & cups of HOT tea ahead...and Hot Chocolate too!!! Yum!

    Have a Wonderful SONday tomorrow! Hugs to you, and your Family!

    Lori :)

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  8. What a beautiful goose! I had no idea there were such strict laws about taking care of one. It is so sad to see her wing hanging there like that. ~Leslie

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  9. Hi Linda,
    My name is Karen and I live in Hampton, Va. Soon I'm going to make a German Christmas Stollen (sweet yeast bread). Blessings on your sweet, sweet blog.

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Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. It is so appreciated and it makes me feel like I am making a new friend.

God Bless your day!