I'm Inspired

to make cheese again...sigh. If I only had extra time and milk.

This year I only have two does fresh because I knew I wouldn't have the time I needed to devote to a lot of kids and milking. In a month or two however, I will bring a nice little Miniature Nubian buck in from a friend for some new blood lines and get my yearlings bred.

We are driving to Oregon in a week or two to get a very nice Nubian buck kid with nice Remuda lines from a farm that carries those lines as well as SAND-BUR-KIDS, which I'm pleased to bring back in. Humfleet Nubians.

 

I'm really dreaming of having this place spruced up and having classes and tours here a few times a year. I love this place and the critters, soaps, and cheeses, and I'd love to share it all.

THis summer I am going to practice this cheese, a nice raw aged chevre' with a bloomy rind.

 

The photos below are from several  years ago...nostalgia setting in. *U*

 

Christian Devotions Speak UP!

Would you like to listen in on part of my testimony? I'm the 2nd half of this program. Christian Devotions Speak UP! is a great program and I was honored and inspired when invited on.

Down Home Photo Shoot

Yesterday we were blessed with a free photo shoot! There is an organizatoin called Red Threads Sessions that has a group of photographers who will do a free photo session for adoptive families.

As usual, we were not terribly well prepared nor were we particular about poses or dressed in fancy clothes. We did get some fun shots though and the photographer was a super sweet and patient soul. We had nasty wind and off weather but we had a great time with it all.

These are just a sample of what Jessica did and I thought they were too cute not to share. Besides, you might like to get this lady out to your place and have some good shots too.

Jessica Greenfield's facebook page and her website

Red Threads Sessions

Cheese!

Now that my newsest sweet baby is 4 months old and sleeps at night (most of the time) I am starting to enjoy some of my hobbies again. I actually read a book. Amazing.

He's got respiratory issues still so I havent been able to make soap yet. I really need to though!

I have been feeding my bees syrup still. Nectar flow is around June sometime or the 1st of July around this valley, depending on which bee keeper you ask, so until then I am busy making a simple syrup for my bees every week. They are drinking about a quart every day or two. I'm also just stubborn enough to try taking the Journeyman level Bee Keeping course with my local bee association. This, in spite of the fact that most days I am so busy making bottles and changing diapers that I am still working at 10 pm- rushing a load of laundry and hiking out to the barn in the dark to milk the girls. I am determined to not just give up all the things I love!

In addition to the bees, I am going to learn a couple new cheeses this year. I just put in my order at New England Cheesemaking Supply for everything I'll need this season.

I have several cheesmaking books, including the two below, which are right up there with Ricki Carrol's great book, which is still my favorite even though it's not full of luscious glossy cheese photos.

I'm using this book first, and making Pyrenees, Romano, Cabra al Vino (a semi soft goat cheese soaked in wine), and I'm really excited about this: a mold ripened soft goat cheese called Crottin. That will be my 1st attempt at a mold ripened cheese. Wish me success!

I'm getting quite a bit of milk so I really need to use it up. I have been busy making chevre', feta, and of course icecream, but my aging cave (the fridge in the garage) is full of black mold from last year's cheddars aging in there and then me forgetting to turn the temp back up and letting it sit all winter. yikes. Anyway I need to get that cleaned and get busy with a supply of cheddar. Raw goat milk cheddar is so expensive to buy, and I can make it so I might as well. My husband loves the stuff.

 My lovely feta in herbs and oil awaiting to go to dinner with a salad :)

I think the best part of this arrangement is that after the cheese is all eaten up you can use the oil and goodies left in the jar to make a wonderous salad dressing. Just add some good vinegar.

My chore buddy with the Royal Palm turkeys. I love that I have another little guy helping me out on the ranch in diaper and muckboots! We are just waing on a court date for the adoption and then he's legal!! All in all, it's a great spring so far, God has certainly blessed and made us fruitful and multiplied around here with all the babies and critters and milk and eggs I am feeling very satisfied with it all.

First 2012 Goat Kids on the Ground

Yesterday after church we pulled into the driveway and my ever-diligent eyes noted all the sheep and goats out of the barn except Penelope. So of course I hiked up my skirt and went right out to the barn. I found Penelope in a stall with two still-wet babies. Obviously she was bred early by Blackberry the Houdini goat before I put her in the pen with Handsome Rob. So, we have 1st generation mini Nubians again. The little mostly red boy has blue eyes. I guess that's some consolation for not getting the kids I had planned. They are cute~

These are not the greatest pictures, but...look anyway.

Here they are still wet with their mom.