Making Goats Milk Cheese

This is my first attempt posting using Windows Live Writer so bear with me, blogger has has some issues lately so I figured I’d try something different.  This past winter I gave one of my neighbors a Muscovy (not live, the ready for the oven kind).  In trade she said she’d give me some goat milk come Spring when her does were freshened.  She did just that!  With that milk I made goat cheese and Maine Man absolutely loved it.  He has recently figured out he has issues with milk products yet this cheese I’d created did not bother his gut.  Long story short……we purchased a goat.  Another one of those things I’d said I would never do again…LOL.  Her name is Dolly.  We are not quite sure what breed she is, maybe an Alpine/Nubian mix.  Regardless she is a big girl and she is sweet as ever and we’ve really enjoyed having her around.  She is producing between 1 – 1 1/2 quarts twice a day.  EXCITING….scratch another item off my grocery list ….MILK.  Besides using it for cooking & drinking I’ve only used it to make this cheese.  It is a FAVORITE with MM & Flower Girl and I like it too.  It’s also Wicked EASY to make so that helps. 

• Slowly heat milk to 185 degrees
• Add 1/4 cup of vinegar
• Keep temp @ 185 stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.  Soft curds will form.
• Line strainer with cheesecloth then pour curds/liquid into strainer (remove liquid)
• Sprinkle cheese with salt (I use a coarse sea salt)
• Tie corners of cheesecloth together and hang allowing it to drip for a few hours.
• Add seasonings (dill, pepper, and/or garlic) if desired
• Break up with fork & refrigerate

 

No Cream Creamy Broccoli Soup - day 5

Last weekend I made this soup. It is currently Flower Girl's favorite soup. She is a soup lover just like me. There is just one big problem the base is chicken stock as most of the soups I make are. I am currently out of stock and flipping out because I refuse to buy that watery, overpriced crap in the store. Here we are in the midst of soup season....waaaaa. Not only am I out of that but I am almost out of chicken. Can you say CRISIS? Somebody was not paying good attention to the freezer stock and Maine Man is not into getting broilers for a couple more months. Booo Hooo.... I am going to have to buy flippin' chicken at the meat market. That may just about kill me. Enough with the drama, right? ;)

This recipe comes from a magazine titled Kraft food & family

• 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• Approx 30 ounces of chicken broth ~use the canned stuff if you must ;)
• 2 cups of water (I used all broth, NO water)
• 2 small bunches of broccoli, trimmed, cut into 3 inch lengths (whatever, I don't follow directions well. Maine Man will agree to that. He also says I have issues when told what to do.....I disagree)
• 1/2 cup on uncooked minute rice (I used regular whole grain rice)
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (I used more)

Lots of salt & pepper (my own addition)

1. Cook & stir carrots, onion, and celery in hot oil in large sauce pot on medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and water (again I say no water). Stir & bring to boil.
2. Stir in broccoli & rice. Reduce heat simmer for 10-15 minutes (I did longer to cook the rice.) or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add soup in batches to blender or food processor. Blend until pureed. Return soup puree to pot. Add milk & cheese. Cook until heated.

So in my hysteria I went to the butcher shop and ordered 40lbs of chicken bones. MM thinks I'm insane. I kinda like it that way :) I MUST have chicken stock! I'll admit I am a bit of a food hoarder. Is there a TV show about that. Maine Man would sign me up.....LOL

Wicked Easy Yogurt - day 4

This recipe comes from one of my co-workers. I will make it again for sure!

Supplies needed: 1 gallon of milk, 1 small plain Greek yogurt, cheesecloth (a fine strainer may do the trick)

• Pour milk in pot and heat to 190 degrees, whisk as heating.


• Cool to 120 degrees (I place the pot in a larger bowl with cool water running into the bowl until it reached temperature)


• Add yogurt


• Place in a container, then I put it in one of the kids insulated lunch boxes. My friend says she uses a cold/hot bag


• Place it in the oven overnight


• In the morning pour onto cheesecloth and let drain 2-4 hours


• Stir & refrigerate.

I typically do not care for plain yogurt but I liked this. Just had to add some granola to spice it up a bit. Next time around I may try to flavor it. Anyone have any experience with this? I could use a little direction. I am also curious as to how long it is good for?

Making Crutons - day 3

The other day I had a few bread ends I thought I'd make use of.

It was super quick & easy!

1. Cut the bread into cubes
2. Drizzle w/ melted butter
3. Add spices - I used garlic & onion power, basil, and oregano

Bake at 225 until crunchy (15 minutes or so)

The kids LOVED them and so did Maine Man.

It is always nice when you make everyone happy!

Quick & Easy Biscuit Mix

I came across this idea & recipe in Backwoods Home Magazine (May). I am always looking for new ideas that are easy and inexpensive. This is the mix I made up:

• 10 cups flour
• 10 Tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 Tbsp. sugar

Mix, Make your first batch, Store remaining for future biscuit making.

I used a tuna can to cut the dough. They were a big hit with the family.

Then wrote the directions on my storage container because I'd never remember.

This is what you do....

• 2 cups of mix
• 6T. of butter (softened)
• 1 cup of milk

(or buttermilk for fluffier biscuits)

I mixed the biscuit mix with butter in my kitchen-aid then added milk. Turned onto a floured board & kneaded for 30 seconds. Do not overwork dough. Pat into 1/2 inch-thick circle and cut with biscuit cutter or tuna can). Place on ungreased oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

P.S. Country Boy & Flower Girl want to send a Hello & THANK YOU out to their Great Aunt in Florida!!

Garlic Scape Pesto

Confessions....it took me a year or two to figure out what a garlic scape was.

Not sure why it was so trivial.
Someone on facebook mentioned garlic scape pesto. I was interested so I googled it. Found a recipe here.
Then I made it in no time. SIMPLE & DELICIOUS!

*Pick it

*Wash it

*Chop it

*Blend it

Add olive oil & Parmesan cheese

*Eat it

*Freeze it

1/2 lb garlic scapes
1 cup olive oil
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese


BLEND & SERVE

Good in scrambled eggs, omelettes, quiche, over pasta, home fries, on toast, pizza......
For long term storage I froze in ice cube trays then placed cubes in a ziploc.

Nothing like the smell of Lilacs

I have no doubt the kids will have flashbacks of their childhood when they catch wind of a lilac in their adult life. Since they were born I have filled the house with vases and jars stuffed full of these aesthetically pleasing blossoms. Just wish they lasted longer! The season of fresh flowers starts here with daffodils and ends with sunflowers. Nothing like a bouquet of fresh flowers adorning your kitchen table or better yet when you gift some to an elderly couple.

My brother says I've been a bad blogger lately but I try. It's really is not about the lack to topics but yet the lack of time. My goal is to post weekly which I seem to pull off even if they are sometimes brief. Short and sweet is ok, right? I have TONS of pictures and stories to tell....they will come with time. Well it is 7:30 now and I am getting ready to attack a sink full of dishes, make some banana bread, and can some rhubarb for the first time ever. I will let you know how that comes out. Last night I made some blueberry rhubarb jam. It was my first time making jam and the consistency was a little runnier then I expected. Instead of messing with it any further I resised to using it as compote on ice cream, crepes, or angel food cake. I would like any advice any jam makers have on that issue. This week I plan to make up some salsa so I am looking for a recipe if anyone has one posted and is willing share the link here.

Blessed Week to you all!

How do you....

How do you do it all? That is a question that I am asked frequently. The answer.....I DON'T! As I sit and type tonight I should be folding laundry but I'm NOT, MAYBE I'll do a load or two later. The to do lists are ENDLESS and I just prioritize what I think needs to be done most. Laundry obviously not at the top of my list tonight. I always like to go to bed & wake up to a clean house but there are some things I let slide.
The work of any farm can be OVERWHELMING! Especially from this time of year through fall....the lazy days of winter are always welcomed! As I've said before if it wasn't for Maine Man this farm would NOT be a farm. It definitely takes TWO!

Recent phone conversation with Country Boy

CB: Hi Mom, Dad didn't buy one. He was too cheap!

Me: That doesn't surprise me. I don't even know why you guys went. I knew he wouldn't buy one.

CB: We'll be home in a bit.

Several minutes later MM & the kids pull in tooting the horn and CB ran into the house laughing hysterically. Guess what they had in the trailer.....T-Bone (above) the newest addition.

We are raising him for some friends that have always went above and beyond for us throughout the years. They have been saving for our children's college fund since their births.
Cocoa is happy to have a companion. Have I mentioned, I LOVE having cows out grazing the fields!

Latest hoop house picture. Please click to enlarge the photo for a better view. We have been eating from it daily and giving lots of goodies to friends & family.

currently harvesting: kale, swiss chard, lettuce, bok choy, spinach, beet greens

patiently waiting for: onions, garlic, turnip, carrots, zucchini, squash, beets, peas, squash, cukes, and tomatoes.

Guess what? We have already been struck with EARLY BLIGHT....MM is treating with copper. Hoping that this fungus does not devastate our crops again this year!

Last a recipe link to share..... BOK CHOY SALAD I made it this week. Quick, easy, and tasty!

Keeping It Simple - Crustless Quiche

I am all about throwing together a meal in a few minutes. It doesn't happen often but I recently came across a simple recipe that makes for a quick, delicious, nutritious meal that can be eaten at anytime of the day.

I have made in 3 times in the last couple weeks using different ingredients and everyone has liked except Country Boy. He is a little finicky compared to the rest of us. Have I ever mentioned that Flower Girl eats just about ANYTHING? Love That! In comparison to most kids CB isn't too bad. I guess I'll keep him ;)

So this is what you need:

1 1/2 Cup of chopped meat (cooked) and sauteed vegetables
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup of dairy (milk, half/half, and or heavy cream)
handful of shredded cheese
Salt, pepper, and an herb or two


For meat- I have used ham and sausage, bacon would be good too.
Vegetables...onions, peppers, shredded carrots, mushrooms...basically what ever you have around that needs to be used up.
Dairy- whatever is available. I usually combine 2 of the above. I am sure all cream would be very tasty but not without the price of 1,000 calories per serving so I mix to help preserve....for desert;)
Herbs- I have used garlic and basil but next time around I may use dill.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, grease a pie plate or shallow round glass container with a slab of buttter. Spread meat and vegetables at the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with a handfull of cheese, mix eggs, dairy, and spices and pour atop. Cook for 30-35 minutes. Isn't that SIMPLE?

When life gives you Lemons......Make Lemonade!

Squeeze em'
I always have lots of volunteers around

~We use equal parts lemon juice to sugar

~Bring approx 1 cup of water to a boil, add sugar, stir until it dissolves

~Fill a glass pitcher with ice, add water to taste

Next "blindfolded makeovers"


You just NEVER know what your kids will do when they visit Achorn Farm!

Best Potato Leek Soup

Over the years I have heard of leeks but I had yet to try them. I considered asking Maine Man to plant some but I thought it may be a good idea to give them a try first.

I googled "Best potato Leek Soup" and I came across this recipe at Pinch My Salt's blog.

It is a MUST try! I will be making a crock full for Tuesday's celebration at work for Doctor's day per request of my co-workers that sampled this SACRED soup.

I encourage you to peak over at her blog. There is a story behind this recipe, it was her late mother's. She also has a photo tutorial that walks you through all the steps. For whatever reason I put my camera up after sauteing the onions & leeks. This is the ingredients as posted on Pinch My Salt. I will write my modifications below.

3 Tablespoons of butter

3 leeks, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

6-8 russet potatoes, thinly sliced 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)

1 cup of heavy cream
salt and ground pepper to taste

1. Melt butter, add onions and leeks. Cook until limp and just slightly brown.

2. Add potatoes and broth. Cook until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes until desired consistency.

3. Add heavy cream, salt & pepper. Cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

So here is what I did for modifications:

*I did not use russet potatoes, used what I used what I had on hand

* I used homemade chicken broth rather than store bought. I have been making broth since 2008. I refuse to buy it in the store when it can be made for virtually nothing and there is NO doubt that it is better for you.

*For dairy I used nearly 2 cups. Instead of heavy cream I used half half & half and half whole milk. That is what I had in the fridge and the substitution saved on calories.

* After sauteing the onions & leeks I put them aside in a bowl rather then cooking with the potatoes. I think it preserved it's crispy nature. I did mash the potatoes but left them chunky.

I do not know about you but I prefer chunks to puree. I'll have my share of puree when I'm in "the home". ;)

Flower Girl is big on soups. Actually that girl will eat just about ANYTHING! She said this was "the best soup you've ever made" and "make sure you write down the recipe." So here it is FG!

p.s. MM liked it too!

Pumpkin Custard

Attempting to use up some frozen pumpkin I came across this tasty recipe. Then I made it for a second time the same week. It comes from Taste of Home. I will definitely make it again and again and.....you get the point!
I didn't have custard cups so I used the above dish. I didn't even cook it in a water bath as the directions said and it still came out good.

Next time I may attempt to make it with milk to lighten the calorie load. If I had a milking cow almost all the ingredients would have originated from the farm. I did use duck eggs in this recipe as I am starting to use in all my baked goodies. Not sure exactly what it is about them but they just seem to make things fluffier and tastier.


Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup half-and-half cream
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt


TOPPING:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, optional


Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into four greased 10-oz. custard cups.
Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; pour hot water around cups to a depth of 1 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes.
For topping, combine the brown sugar, pecans and butter. Sprinkle over custard. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled; top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 4 servings.

Feeding our Feathered Friends

This past weekend we went up to visit my Dad in the deep north woods of Maine. He and my Step-Mom feed a multitude of birds and other critters. The bird above is a Pileated Woodpecker.

The local grocery store gives my Dad all the fat he wants and he saves all his bacon grease and makes food for his feathered friends. He inspired me to make some of my own. If you click on the above picture to enlarge you will get a better view of the feeder I will refer to (top right, green). You can buy suet blocks which usually cost around $1.00 or you can make them.

Instead of copying his recipes down I took that lazy way out and took pictures of them.

All of these recipes come from issues of Birds N' Bloom. I had some fat in the freezer that I had planned to make some soap with but instead thought I'd give a try at this.
I placed the fat in a crock pot, MM cut it up after it thawed a bit, then I removed the gristle and use the remaining melted fat to make the above recipe. I then packed it down into a cake pan and placed it in the fridge. The next day I cut it into blocks placing one in the feeder and the remaining blocks in the freezer. My Dad saved the molds from previously purchased suet blocks & reuses. That would have been ideal as it makes for a perfect fit but I did not have any.

Looking at these recipes you could really just throw together your own version using whatever goods you have on hand as long as the proportions are close.

The bird food smelled so good with the blend of peanut butter and oatmeal the kids wanted to eat it. I then had to make peanut butter oatmeal cookies to satisfy the cravings. Had I followed the recipe they may have been edible, instead Barbie & Q (the pigs) enjoyed them. That is the first time I have ever messed up a batch of cookies.

Easy as Pie

Where did that saying ever come from anyway? Who ever thought pie making was easy? I never did until I attempted making it Angie's way from over at Children in the Corn.
I've been making pie crust for about a year now with NO failed attempts. Bread making.....well that is a different story!

So here is the secret...

* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 8-10 tablespoons of water
* 2 sticks of butter

Place the first three ingredients in your food processor, pulse for a moment.

Like my new dishes? I picked up a set for REAL cheap at a local thirft store. Beats the mismatch dishes they replaced! I considered starting a collection of fiestaware until I priced it out. I quickly changed my mind.

Soften the butter, cut it up into several pieces then add to the food processor.

Mix until it gets crumbly.

Then add water, mix

Form ball, cut in half

Wrap with saran

Refrigerate for 2 hours

Easy as pie....Maine Man took over from here.

There is something sexy about a man in a kitchen. Isn't there?

Grape Nut Pudding

Going into my third year of blogging I have been thinking about what a resource it has become. One thing that I often do is refer back to favorite recipes to create once again. I never post recipes that are not worthy of cooking again! This is a quick and easy dish that I have dug out of my archives many times before. It is especially popular with older folks. This weekend I made it for the farmer & his wife. The kids and I also brought them down a crock filled with a boiled ham dinner. Can't wait to hear how they liked the custard.

-1 cup grape-nut cereal

-1 quart of milk (4 cups)

-4 eggs

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-1/4 teaspoon fine salt

-grated nutmeg


1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 qt glass loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of butter and set aside. Put cereal into a bowl and set aside.

2) Bring milk to boil over medium heat. Pour onto cereal and let it soak for 5 minutes.

3) Beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt into large bowl. Slowly pour egg mixture into milk mixture while whisking constantly. Transfer into reserved pan, set in a deep roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in roasting pan that it reaches half way up glass loaf pan.

4) Bake until just set approx 1 1/4 hours. Let cool then sprinkle with grated nutmeg


I first posted this recipe in June 08' on at the bottom of my post titled Farm Tour

Now I have two questions for some of my readers.

#1 Any advice on food photography? I took thousands of pictures this past year and as I downloaded my files I notice that the pictures I took of food were the ones I struggled most with.

#2 Has anyone ever downloaded their blog archives into a book? If so who did you go through? After a couple years of writing of our beginning farming adventures I would be devastated if I ever lost this. Not only will this be a keepsake for my children but I have lots of recipes and how to posts that I refer to often.

Winter Blues

Come this time of year I am really missing going out in the back yard and picking some fresh greens for dinner.

So I throw some seeds (alfalfa, broccoli) in my bioset, add a little water...

and I have sprouts to put on my store bought greens and to top sandwiches with.

I bought this a year or two? ago from Johnny's for right around $16. Well worth it! They are up to $20 now or they have a kit that goes for $30 that comes with several types of sprout seeds.

Just a thought....they are not for everyone. I bought 2 of these for my two besties and I've yet to hear of either of them ever using it.

What can I say? So I'm easily excited. In Maine the winters are long and we all have our things we do to help us cope. I have been drooling though seed catalogs and will soon be placing an order and cooking lots. This time of year I could easily convert this blog to a cooking blog and really just enjoying the laziness of winter! Warm wood stove fires burning, playing games with the kids, reading good books, lounging with my laptop and I must admit I've even watched some tv.

What are some things you do to get through the winter blues?

A few links to end with (for my recall and you of course)

Giant Craft Stick Snow Flakes at Crafty Nest - going to make these with the kids sometime soon.

Parmesan Garlic Popcorn from Tammy's Recipes - tasty popcorn the whole family loved, will make again.

Making Lacto Fermented Mayonnaise by Cheeseslave - add to my "I want" to make list.

Foraging for Mushrooms in Maine Woods

A while back our friend Lance stopped by to visit. He and Maine Man took a ride out back on 4- wheelers. Knowing he had previous experience in foraging I asked him to be on the look out for edible mushrooms.

Unfortunately, he did not recognize any on our land that were edible. A few weeks later he stopped by with some morels he had gathered on his own foraging adventures. I was so excited well........I took pictures and asked lots of questions!

Above is a Chicken of the Woods he says they are found on dead Oak trees.
Here is a link I found about them with lots of good information,recipes, and facts


Pine mushrooms aka Matsutake - He says they are found in hemlocks. Here is another great web site with information about them.

Last mushroom he shared with us is called a Goats Beard aka Bears Tooth often found on beech trees . Here is some additional information about them.


This last photograph was taken at the Common Ground Fair last month. This was a display at an Asian food vendors fried Shiitake stand. I was thinking it would be fun to try a inoculate some trees and grow these in our back yard.

I will end this post with three referenced sites for your viewing if desired and for easy access for Maine Man and I in the future if and when we ever get a chance to make these dreams reality.

Here is a newspaper article of a Mainer that has written a book about foraging along with a link to his website. Finally a you tube video on inoculating.