7 Quick Saturday Takes

--1--  It's Fridurday!

I am a day behind because we went to the fair on Thursday. We homeschooled today and morphed our Friday into Saturday. We shall dub it Fridurday!


--2-- Suspicious Nefarious Plots Are Brewing

We saw an exotic bird show that featured trained macaws at the fair. It has generated a lot of dinnertime discussion. On a related note, we are suddenly interested in visiting South America around here. I suspect bird smuggling could be on the itinerary.

--3-- It's Getting Cheesey

Wednesday I made a cheddar cheese. It's drying on a rack and will be ready in a few months. Today I made a mozzarella. That's a fresh cheese that is ready straight from the pot.

It's not too shabby to be milking one goat and still have enough spare milk in order to store some of it in an aged cheese.

--4-- Eye Surgery Update

I'm still adjusting and healing. As they heal I have fluctuations in my near sight. So far my mid and far sight is pretty steadily excellent. Eye strain is still a factor and will be for a few more weeks. So far so good, though. Thank you for all your prayers.

--5-- Mr. Baby Update

He is a real Summer Baby. He's not too sure about these cool Autumn breezes. He can't decide whether to be offended by them or afraid of them. He is certain, though, that they are an aberration and must stop.

--6-- ACTS Retreat Coming to Amarillo

Our Lord calls to us in different ways and wants each and every one of us to come into His arms to share His love and graces. If you are a Christian woman who wants to draw nearer to our Lord, renew her spirituality, and give new depth and meaning to her prayer life, then an ACTS Retreat is for you. The next ACTS Retreat will be in Amarillo, Texas, October 17 to 20 at the Bishop de Falco Retreat Center. To register or for more information, go to http://www.actsamarillo.org today.

As one of the ACTS Team Members, I will see you there!

--7-- Speaking of the ACTS Retreat

The acronym stands for Adoration Community Theology and Service. It's a great experience, and no, it is not just for women. They have Men's ACTS and Teen ACTS as well, and they are in many states. Go to the ACTS Homepage and see if there is one coming up near you.



P.S. Jennifer Fulwiler has a link for a free personality test over at Conversion Diary in this week's 7 Quick Takes. Go have some fun!

7 Quick Takes

Hypocrisy Girl needs a better uniform
(and a picture of a woman wearing it)
P.S. Anyone else creeped out by the lack of arm hair?

1 Hypocrisy Girl: Self-Serving Humanity Since 2003!

My husband and oldest son were both cranky and tired after a long and stormy night kept them from getting enough sleep. Both were reacting to minor irritations by increasing their volume. Since I'd suffered through the same sort of night, the noise was getting to me. Finally, after my husband delivered a routine instruction at full volume, I snapped, "Can we cut the yelling? John's been at it all day. You coming in and doing the same thing is just...blah...blah...blah..."

I hope I was kind, but I realize I was in full Teacher Mode (i.e., obnoxiously lecturing). Mercifully I was busy enough to be brief. As soon as I turned back around to finish getting dinner, my youngest son grabbed the cup I was in the process of filling with his powders and supplements and turned it over.

"No, Simon, no!" I yelled. He gave me his patented you-clearly-have-no-idea-what-you-are-doing eyebrow lift before dumping the cup again, showing me in his nonverbal way that I hadn't filled it before donning my Hypocrisy Girl super suit of moral infallibility. I blushed furiously, met my husband's eye, and pantomimed a grisly moment from the original Men in Black movie. I reached behind my head, pretended to pull my skin tight, stretched my mouth wide and said in a cockroachy voice, "Is that better?" Without missing a beat, my husband leaned in and whispered, "More sugar" before kissing my cheek.

You've gotta love that man.

2 Nieces: You gotta love them, too!

President Bush Bikes Here

My youngest niece flew in for a visit over her very short Spring Break. I've not seen her since she was in elementary school in California and now she's a Freshman BYU, Utah. To tell you the kind of awesome kid we're dealing with here, not only did she opt to visit a houseful of Martins in lieu of partying in someplace like Cancun, she happily took charge of canning a flat of tomatoes that came our way unexpectedly. Not only that that, this Freshman will be graduated before the end of next year. She sings opera, too. Sings it well, I mean.

We did attempt to entertain her in more traditional ways than peeling tomatoes. We took her to Palo Duro Canyon days before the media discovered it. She can always say, "I was there before the President made it cool." If she mentions her visit to outsiders, that is.

3  Cheeses
I have officially made my first solo batch of goat cheese cheddar (solo, yet well supervised by my friend Rozanne). I had to get up a little early this morning in order to take it from the press and salt it. It's happily drying out on a make-do cheese cradle consisting of Pyrex and plastic cutlery. I got the curds a little too hot a little too soon, so they matted up on me. It won't be a pure cheddar, but since cheddar recipes are the basis for most cured cheeses, I think we'll have something edible. More news on that when it cures.

4 Sold!

We have now committed to the switch from Nubian goats to La Manchas. We bought one La Mancha goat and she outproduced the combined total of milk from all three of our Nubians. With last year's drought still a prominent factor in our decision making, we had to make the difficult choice of selling goats. Last year we barely had enough milk for daily use and I could only make a fresh cheese once every two weeks or so. Now I am getting enough milk from our new goat that I can make plenty of fresh cheeses, like ricotta and mozzarella, and still have enough left over to "store the milk" in aged cheeses. Truly a goat worth her feed!

5 Moths and Drought Effects
We have been inundated by a plague of moths. They aren't a new species, just a whole lot of our usual ones. Explanations have varied from "climate changes affecting migratory routes" to unseasonably warm temperatures speeding up the annual life cycle timetables. I think a simpler explanation may serve. Last year the drought was so severe that only the earlier emerging moths survived long enough to breed. Any later developing varieties were either burned out or scooped up by birds desperate for food before they abandoned the region. Not only was there no greenery last year, there were no bugs and hardly any birds. I know this because I am in charge of cleaning windshields and lawn mowing. After April last year, I didn't clean bugs off the windshields once. Nor did I mow a single blade of grass. Birdsong was absent all last year. This year each blade, each chirp, each flapping moth has been a relief. The biggest effect of the drought has been an increased tolerance for such nuisances as mud, moths, and bug splattered windshields. It's annoying to clean tracked in mud, gross to remove bug parts from wipers, and eyewateringly itchy to mow a weedy lawn, but it's much more disconcerting to live an entire year without ever needing to.


6 Lot's of short stuff

Nothing says Spring quite like a girl and a hammock!

The blogging has been a little sparse lately. We're busily schooling, renovating, living. The usual. I've been reluctant to get up early enough to write, so there you go. June will be a breather, so I'll be blogging more then. Meanwhile here's a few random shots of the kids.

Sylvia smiling at her favorite neighbor!

Anna exploring nature.

That look, that one right there...that's why!
(It explains everything.)

P.S. I am in desperate need of some shots of John! He's got a charmingly gap toothed smile at the moment. We've chewed through several cameras in the last year and our latest computer is the usual Martin Clunker, so current pictures are scarce. These were all glommed off of friends.





7 A Disturbing Report
The neighbor boy came by with the alarming news that we have two dead chickens. It turned out to be one dead rooster, one wounded rooster, and one missing hen. It looks like our skunk is back and our chickens' days of "free range" are over. Back to the tractor, the lot of you! 

Le sigh...

Thanks to Jennifer Fulwiler, a fellow Texan, for hosting

7 Quick Takes Friday 

over at Conversion Diary.com

 

Homesteading Stuff

A cute,
nubby eared La Mancha kid

Michelle
one of our Nubian kids

Our milk production has been low for the past two years. Last year was almost a disaster due to the stresses on our goats from the heat and drought. The quality of the plants in the pasture is very poor. It's been a tough row to hoe for us and our animals. We are even considering selling our Nubian breeds to replace with La Manchas, who are supposed to fare better in extreme conditions. With another drought year on tap for 2012 we may have no other choice.

Despite all that, yesterday I made cheese. I was so happy to be able to make a wine and garlic ricotta and a mozzarella. For dinner we had a cheesy pasta made with 2010's garden canned spaghetti sauce. Everything but the rice noodles was produced right here.

This was the state of the pastures at the start of the summer.
Sparse was the word then. Bare was the word at the end of it.

Tonight, I have some stale breads to eat up. I will slice and toast some pieces, then fry them with more homemade spaghetti sauce and my mozzarella melted on top. It is divine.

Those of us who homestead know that there is no satisfaction quite as total as watching your family dig heartily into food brought into the world through your own labor, especially during a drought year.

For those of you who can only dream of homesteading, here is a recipe you can also try using store bought milk:

Wine and Garlic Ricotta

2 quarts of whole milk, 
3 tablespoons of vinegar, 

3 tablespoons blush or white wine
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cloves garlic crushed


The equipment: stainless steel or ceramic pot to heat the milk, stainless steel spoon, candy thermometer, colander, cheese cloth

How to:
Prior to the process place cheese cloth in a colander and place colander in the sink.

1) Place milk over medium heat until, stir constantly until almost boiling (approximately 195 degrees F).

2) Slowly add the cider vinegar while stirring.

You will see a change in the milk when enough vinegar is added. The liquid whey will separate from the solid curds. The curds will look like very small globules (a little like cottage cheese) floating in a yellowy liquid. If this does not happen after 3 tablespoons of vinegar is added, raise the temperature for a few moments before adding more. Over acidified milk will ruin the curd. Once the curd begins to form, turn off the burner and let rest for 10 minutes.

3) Pour the contents of the pot into a colander lined with cheese cloth and let drain 5 to 10 minutes

4) Add the wine, salt, and garlic (or other spices of your choice) and gently stir into the ricotta

5) For this step, you have a choice: you can put the cheese into a recipe at this point (or in the fridge) or you can knot the ends of the cheesecloth and hang the "bag" over the sink for an hour or two to continue draining. The longer it drains, the drier and more sweet it becomes.

Some ways to use it:

• Make spaghetti as usual and simply add the ricotta to the sauce.
• Prepare fusilli or egg noodles and drain. Coat pasta with 1 Tbs of olive oil and salt. Add ricotta and some minced olives.
• Add it to make a hearty salad.
• Make lasagna, of course! 

A ricotta will take on the flavor of foods surrounding it. It is made to be eaten fresh. Enjoy!

Who you calling 'The Momma'? and Ricotta Bread

My neighbor who owns a family cow is out of town to attend to her sick mother in Washington. Her boys are milking their cow, the girls are in charge of the butter, but The Momma makes the cheese. Cheese is not a task you assign to children, even very responsible older children, due to the exacting nature of the recipes and the molds that can result.

I am going to be The Momma substitute. I am heading over to spend a few hours there and will make enough mozarella for their dinner tonight and enough ricotta for a garlic ricotta bread. I imagine that will be a nice hearty and heavy bread. Perfect.

So, that's my Saturday. I love having goats, making cheese, and greeting the chickens and my neighbor's cow over the fence in the morning. Sometimes I feel anachronistic, but the food is good.

Italian Ricotta Bread

Timing: 10 to 15 minutes to knead, 30 to 60 minutes to ferment, 60 to 90 minutes to proof, 20 to 30 minutes to bake (about 3 hours)
Equipment
stand mixer with dough hook
clear 2-quart/2 liter container with a lid, lightly coated with oil
baker’s peel or rimless baking sheet
parchment paper
bench scraper
plastic wrap
baking stone
small cast iron skillet (I use a 6-1/2 inch skillet.)

Ingredients, Volume (Metric Weight)
3/4 cup water, 70 to 78° F (200 grams)
1/2 cup milk, 70 to 78° F (100 grams)
1 tablespoon instant yeast (20 grams)
3-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (500 grams)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (30 grams)
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta, room temperature (150 grams)
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt (10 grams)
OTHER
1/4 cup ice cubes

Preparation
1. MIX THE DOUGH: Pour the milk and water into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the yeast, flour, butter, ricotta, and salt. Stir just until the dough comes together.
2. KNEAD: Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on medium speed (4 on the KitchenAid) until it’s very supple, smooth, and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. (My old 300 watt mixer started dancing across the counter at that speed, so I cut it back to 2 and added 3 minutes to the kneading time.)
3. FERMENT: Transfer the kneaded dough to the prepared 2 quart container. Use a piece of masking tape to mark the point at which the dough will have doubled in volume. Put the lid on top and leave to rise at room temperature (70 to 75° F) until the dough doubles and inflates into a dome, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. It should deflate slightly when pressed.
4. SHAPE: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Use the bench scraper to cut the dough into two equal pieces. Roll each piece around the counter, shaping into a ball. Cup your hands around the ball and move in tight circles, until the dough surface becomes taught and smooth. Place the shaped loaves smooth side up on a sheet of parchment paper, about 4 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap.
5. PROOF: Allow the loaves to rise at room temperature (70 to 75° F) until the look puffy and have nearly doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. The dough should spring back slowly when you press a finger into it.
6. Preheat the oven: About 1 hour before baking, put the baking stone in the middle of the oven and the cast iron skillet on the bottom rack. Heat the oven to 400° F.
7. Bake: Put a fresh piece of parchment on the bakers peel/rimless baking sheet and dust with flour. Gently flip the rounds onto the parchment so that the bottom side is up. Slide the parchment with the loaves onto the baking stone. Pour the ice cubes into the hot skillet and close the oven. Bake until the rounds are golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.
8. COOL AND STORE: Slide the peel/rimless baking sheet until the parchment and remove the loaves from the oven. Slide onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the parchment and allow the loaves to cool completely, about 1 hour. Store in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature. Will keep for 2 to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Texas Lasagne

One of the things I can not cook is traditional lasagne. Everyone seems to have a "fool proof" recipe to share, and I prove to be the fool every time. So, here's a recipe I've developed out of self-defence. It's gluten-free, too, so I can salvage my dignity. *sniff*

Texas Lasagne

1 chub of sausage (or 1 pound ground beef)
1 pound (about 2 cups) of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 small onion diced (optional)
1/2 bell pepper diced (optional)
1 1-ounce package taco seasoning mix
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
7 corn tortillas cut into 1 inch strips
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large skillet, brown the meat. Add the onions and diced bell peppers when about halfway done and continue browning. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and then add the ricotta cheese. Drain the excess fat from the meat, add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, tomato sauce and chilies. Mix well. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of the meat sauce, half of the tortilla strips, half of the ricotta cheese mixture, and half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook Ahead Hint
Since you are messing up the kitchen anyway, go ahead and get out another 13x9x2 inch baking dish and double the recipe. Bake one and eat it tonight. Freeze the other uncooked. Cover it with heavy duty aluminum foil, write "Texas Lasagna" on the foil in big letters and the date you prepped it, and tah-dah! You've just planned ahead and made some future moment easier on yourself with minimal effort today. Then you get to do a little dance in your smarty pants. Whoot!

"Can't Be!" Gluten Free Salmon Patties

These are my dear husband's creation. They are incredibly good and worth making regardless of your dietary needs. The addition of canned tuna brings the cost of the dish down considerably. Of course, if you are serving guests and cost is not a concern, don't make the substitution and use 4 cans of salmon.

"Can't Be!" Gluten Free Salmon Patties

2 cans tuna drained
2 small cans deboned salmon drained
2 eggs
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes
1 cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal
1 small chopped onion
4 celery sticks chopped
2 Tbs butter (or oil)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp dill
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onions and celery in butter (use olive oil if milk allergies are a concern) over medium heat until translucent. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until moist and evenly distributed. Make balls about 3 inches in diameter and press flat onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Serves 8 to 10.

Suggestions: Serve with a slice of pepper jack cheese* melted on top, drizzled with a zingy cocktail sauce--I make mine with a dash of horseradish in ketchup. Rice pilaf is a great side dish. Be sure to double check the ingredients for allergens. A side of wilted greens and dried cranberries topped with a sweet vinagrette would round it out nicely.

Happy fasting!

*Use a goat milk cheese if dairy allergies are present or skip the cheese entirely.

Food for Thought Thursday

Make Dos

Everyone must know this experience: the eyes are coming out on the potatoes and the baby carrots are getting a little damp looking. It's time to dump a bunch of stuff together into a pot before the food turns into compost in the refrigerator. Usually I dump it all in a pot and call it a Make Do Stew. But I really wasn't in the mood for a stew, so this is what I came up with.

If you try this on your own and tweak it in your own uniquely creative fashion, please let me know. It smells heavenly right now as it bakes. Garlic bread anyone?

Baked Chicken Leg Make Do

3 potatoes sliced thinly
1 handful of baby carrots (or 2 medium) sliced thinly
1 onion sliced thinly
3 cups wine and cider rinsed ricotta*
1 can undrained diced tomatoes
1 dozen chicken legs (or 4 chicken leg quarters)
1 cup Italian dressing
1 cup wine (your choice--I used a blush but reds and whites each add their
own lovely notes)
1 TBS thyme
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (a crab/seafood seasoning mix will work adequately
as a sub)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with olive oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking. Layer the potato, carrot, and onion slices on the bottom. Spread the cheese evenly on top of the vegetables. Spread contents of the can of tomatoes on top of the cheese. Top with chicken legs. Pour the wine over the chicken followed by the Italian dressing. Sprinkle chicken legs with the spices, salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 45 min or until the juices from a chicken leg run clear when poked with a fork. Better yet, check it with the meat thermometer.

Here is the final, product. This Make Do recipe is a keeper!


*Here's a reminder for how to make a wine and cider based ricotta.

Equipment needed:
cheese cloth
colander
string

Ingredients:
ricotta cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup red or white wine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar


Line a colander with cheese cloth and dump in a ricotta cheese (store bought or homemade). Pour the vinegar over the cheese and stir. Pour in the wine and stir. Tie the four corners of the cheese cloth together. Tie a string around the knot and hang to dry (You can hang it from the faucet to drain into a sink or from a cabinet door handle over a bowl). Drain for 5 to 10 minutes.

Try Something New--Make Some Cheese

Face it, everyone gets tremendous satisfaction from accomplishing new things. Science even tells you it's good for your brain. Try your hand at something incredibly easy, though meticulous, and enjoy the bragging rights: make cheese. Yes, cheese! Right in your own kitchen.

The following recipe makes a very tasty feta cheese that freezes well. Although I have to admit I have yet to try freezing and defrosting this cheese first hand. My family can hardly stay out of the fridge when there's feta to be had!

You can use the horrible tasting goat milk they sell in the stores for this cheese. The best option is, of course, fresh goat milk from a local source. Fresh milk will hold up to make a firmer cheese, but use what you can get.

The best part about making cheese is the cheese. Of course! You can eat the results. What better hobby can there be than one that produces something so good so cheaply? (Have you priced a good goat cheese lately?!) So try this out and whip up a salad for dinner, or even a vegetable soup, and toss in your masterpiece.






A word of caution: Whey is acidic, so use stainless steel (or ceramic) pots and utensils unless you don't mind an aluminum or plastic aftertaste.

1 gallon whole goat milk
1 package mesophillic starter*
1/2 tsp liquid rennet* dilluted in 1/4 cup unchlorinated water
2 to 4 tbs cheese salt or Kosher canning salt

Heat milk to 86 degrees F (place pan in hot water in sink--works great for low temps like this or in double boiler with flame on low), add starter, stir gently for 1 minute, cover, let set undisturbed for 1 hour.

Add diluted rennet, gently stir for 3 minutes. Cover and allow to set at 86 degrees for 1 hour.

Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Gently stir the curds for 20 minutes (to prevent premature matting).

Pour the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Tie the corners of the cloth and let hang and drip for 4 hours (over the sink or over a large bowl).

Untie the cheesecloth, remove cheese and cut into 1 inch slices, then 1 inch cubes. Salt to taste and mix gently. (It is a salty cheese so don't be shy!)

Place in a covered bowl and let age in the fridge for 4 to 6 days. It may be eaten fresh, but the flavor ripens as it ages.

If you get a mushy cheese, add 1/8 tsp. calcium chloride* diluted in 1/4 cup water (again, unchlorinated if possible) to milk just prior to making the cheese again.

*go to www.hoeggergoatsupply.com or to www.Lehmans.com or possibly a local health food store for supplies.