Up until Wednesday

On Sunday I made clabbered milk

I placed ½ gallon milk out with only a paper towel over it.  I secured the paper towel with a rubber band.  On Monday I had clabbered milk.  I froze the mixture in ice cube trays for mesophilic starter. 1 cube equals 1 oz. of starter. I can’t wait to try it out on hard cheeses.

I went to see my Sister in Law from Chandler.  We had lunch/dinner.  Then we went through her craft room.  She is not crocheting as much as I do.  She also watches the hoarders and has decided to get rid of things she no longer uses.  I came home with 3 boxes of yarn.  I am so excited.  This will save me tons of money.  Thank you, Thank you.

I also brought the dog kennel back when I went home.

On Monday I made yogurt

Place 1 gallon milk in crockpot turn on low for 2 ½ hrs. (mine took 3) until temp is 180

Unplug crockpot for 2 hrs. until temp is 110

Add 1 cup yogurt with live cultures

Wrap whole crockpot, base and all with a large beach towel

Put in oven with only light on, leave in for 8 hrs.

I froze mine in ice cube trays and put remainder in easy serving cups

I ended up with enough yogurts for 4 Thermophilic starters (I plan on using frozen cubes for next time)7 cubes equals 1 cup yogurt.

And 12 cups to eat later

Of course this is after I ate some.  I couldn’t resist.

On Tuesday I made mozzarella

Place 1 gallon milk in stainless steel pot, add ½ cup lemon juice, heat slowly to 90

Remove pot from burner and slowly stir in 1/4 tab rennet diluted in 1/4 cup coold water 

 Cover and leave for 5min

Cut curd in 1 inch squares

Put pot back onto heat and heat slowly until 110 stirring slowly

Take off burner and continue to stir slowly for 2-5 min

Transfer curd to glass bowl with slotted spoon

Press whey out with hand until curd gets cold

Place into microwave for 1 min press and fold cheese draining whey out until cold

Place into microwave for 30min press and fold cheese draining whey out until cold

Press into a ball place cheese into cold salted (non-iodized) ice water

I served mine to my oldest with wheat thins.

Tuesday night an egg hatched from the homemade incubator.  I named him/ her Uno.

Isn’t the duckling darling.

On Wednesday I made laundry soap

Long ago my sister from the north taught me how to make this laundry soap.

Fill a pot with 1 gallon water heat on stove while shredding zote soap with cheese grater.  Stir to dissolve.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons water.  Add 2 cups borax and 2 cups washing soda

After water soap becomes liquid add that to 5 gallon bucket.  Stir and cover until the next day

Soap will become a gel.  Pour into user friendly containers.  I use gallon sized vinegar bottles.

You can use as much or as little as you like.  I use ½ cup in my new washer.  I was worried because it wasn’t High Efficiency soap.  It works great.