Nevadans?

[sherylreno]

Quote:
Sunny, you don't have to be talented nor even have special ingredients to make ricotta. I use a crockpot and it is super easy. Heat up 2 quarts of whole milk on High for 45 minutes. Add 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. sugar and stir. Heat for 15 minutes on High and add 3 Tbs. white vinegar. Cook on High for 1.0 to 1.5 hours. Turn off crockpot and let rest for 30 minutes. Pour into colander lined with cheesecloth (or smooth nap dish towel). Hang or squeeze out excess fluid. Save some whey for storing cheese in and give the rest to the chickens.

Mozzarella takes a bit more hands-on with the kneading and stretching... I like my cheese quick and easy!

(I do add some extra cream or Half & Half for extra richness in the ricotta) Bon Appetite!


- - -

Tonight I thanked the Fresh Egg gods for some REALLY nice eggs I bought (yes, the curse of those of us henless at present) for a key lime pie. Fresh eggs make really nice meringue and the ones from F&E really stood up to the job. They were packed late last week. This I know from the hint to read the Julian dates gleaned from another thread. BYC is SO awesome....

I bookmarked it yesterday so here you go Ginny! I guess it wasn't Ron after all who posted this, sorry Ron!

 

[SunnyDawn]

Well my Postal Carrier has come and gone and still no eggs! I'm so bummed. I've emailed the breeder for a tracking number - hopefully she checks her email soon.

 

[Eglyntine]

Hey all! Congrats on the 500th page, and to the brother coming home. Also Hi and Welcome to the new person that joined the thread.

Things have been pretty busy around here, my DH wrecked our pickup on a barely there rock this weekend when he was out shooting with my Dad. I want to know at what stage in life do you stop getting the major money sucking catastrophes right before you are about to hit the black on your budget. It happens EVERYTIME!

So we are in the "insurance has to decide if it is worth fixing" stage or just give us the couple of grand to buy a used truck off of Craig's. There is no way this little nothing of a rock did this much damage to our truck. I told my DH someone forgot to put up their invisible titanium wall is what happened.

Anyhoo, second batch of chicks were mailed out this morning so I should be getting them either tomorrow or Saturday. I really hope they show up tomorrow, I do not trust the post office on the weekends.

I lost two baby polish so far, culling of the elite I guess, I have yet to have a whole brood go to adulthood without losing one or two just to nature calling them back for a redo. I just hope they were not hens hehe.

Aubrey, you can get more free pallets on Craig's list to help make the floor and walls bigger. A lot of ppl up in Maine (and even my first one here) make their coops out of pallets. They are uber sturdy and really easy to put together in a structure. My little hay barn is made out of pallets now. Although 7X4 is pretty big for only 16 chickens. My coop now is 8X8 with 50 chickens, the nests and the roost and they still have tons of room in there. Once this batch of babies make it to the coop it will be at it's max capacity of 75. Maybe just make a nesting area out of those pallets and attach it to your existing coop and then you will have the extra space for egg layers. Just a thought, but if you wanted to build a whole second coop the pallet idea is excellent and you always find them for free on Craigs.

Sunny, I totally understand what you are talking about with the shy thing. Just because I plow through my fear and talk to ppl does not mean that it is not killing me on the inside. I have ALWAYS been super shy and really hate to be thrown into situations where there are a lot of new ppl that I do not know. But because I was Daddy's girl, I did not want to appear weak in anyway so I would force myself to act like it was no big deal, usually by being loud and humourously sarcastic and then when it was over I would empty the contents of my stomach of fear out in the bathroom. heh Now that I am older and am somewhat in control of my life I just avoid that sort of thing until I am comfortable. You have nothing to apologize for

*hug*

Well I am off to coddle my hens and feed them. You all take care!

 

[SunnyDawn]

In the meantime to keep my mind occupied and while we are on the subject of cheese... I have found a recipe for Cream Cheese I've been wanting to try as well. Doesn't say to use a crock pot but I think Peeps has the right idea here. I bet a crock pot would be much easier for this as well. OK I'm putting crock pot on my list now before I forget again!

Cream Cheese
1 gallon goat's or cow's milk
1/4 tsp. direct set mesophilic-m culture
2 Tbsp. diluted rennet (add 1 drop of rennet to 5 Tbsp. cool water)

In a large pot (6 qt or larger) add milk. Heat to 80 degrees. Remove from heat and add the mesophilic-m culture and stir well. Add the rennet and stir. Cover and let sit undisturbed at room temperature for 14-20 hours. At this time what you have in the pot should look like thick yogurt. Now you need to drain your cheese.

Line a colander with fine cheese cloth, a large fine woven dish towel, or a clean pillowcase. Set colander inside a large bowl. Pour milk mixture into the cloth covered colander and gather ends together. Tie ends together with twine and hang well above the bowl to drain (you can hang the bag from the handle of an upper cabinet and let drain into bowl below). Let cheese drain for 6-8 hours. You can stir the mixture halfway through if desired.

After draining remove mixture from cloth, add salt* to taste. You may also add any other flavorings you like at this time (herbs, spices etc...) mix until smooth and you have homemade cream cheese. Store leftovers, tightly closed, in refrigerator.

*optional

OK, off to check on my egg shipment.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Nikki just read your post! So sorry about your truck!!! Also thanks for the empathy! Most folks don't get it and swear that I couldn't possibly be shy cause when they meet me I talk sooo much (diarrhea of the mouth I call it) but that is also a symptom of my nervousness.

I think we all know exactly what you mean about the never ending budget busters! It does seem to be a universal pattern!

 

[sherylreno]

Martha laid her egg in the nest box this morning! I couldn't get to it until now because everyone was standing in line to lay in the same box.

Monique was pretty upset with Bella because she pushed Monique out of the way and jumped into the nest box so Monique really gave Bella a mouth full for over an hour, Monique finally stood right in front of the nest box with Bella in it speaking her mind to her until Bella laid her egg and left.

It sure was fun watching them do this all morning long.

But seriously, there are 4 nest boxes for them to lay in so why will they wait for this one.

Sorry to hear about your truck Nikki, I don't think things ever really settle down when it comes to money.

Oh Sunny I do hope those eggs come in today.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Thank you! The breeder got back to me right away and I've been tracking them ever since but the info hasn't changed. It still says they left El Paso TX after 6pm last night and are in transit.

YEA for Martha!!!

 

[sherylreno]

I just got done putting together lasagna for tonight's dinner and I used the ricotta in it, I also made my own noodles and used Martha's egg from this morning and it was a double yoker! Wow, an egg in the nest box and 2 yokes as well. She sure is a good girl, while Monique was chewing out Bella, Martha jumped in my lap and just laid there until Monique was done with her ranting. I call this a good day today.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Wow! You make your own pasta too? You're even more committed than I! After making the sauce (which takes 2 days or 1 very looong day) I don't have the energy left for much else past putting the whole lasagna together. At least the Ricotta can be made ahead of time!

 

[sherylreno]

Quote:
Wow! You make your own pasta too? You're even more committed than I! After making the sauce (which takes 2 days or 1 very looong day) I don't have the energy left for much else past putting the whole lasagna together. At least the Ricotta can be made ahead of time!

I made 10 qts of sauce in May and it does take all day to make as well. I grind my own roast and when I can I use my own tomatoes. Then I put it away until needed. I took the sauce out yesterday, made the cheese yesterday and then all I needed today was make the pasta but I was lazier than usual and used my kitchen aid to make the dough and to make the noodles. I usually make the noodles all by a hand machine but I didn't want to deal with it today. Someday I will open an Italian deli and sell my own eggs there as well, along with anyone else on here who wants to sell their eggs. I can't find a really good Italian deli here in town. I also make cream puffs and Sunny I know you can too, they are easier than making cheese.