Searching for Direction & Purpose in Life's Sea of Opportunities
A little while back, there was a television commercial that portrays cable tv subscribers as settlers. My mind does not make the leap to where someone who has cable gives them a pioneer mentality – Yes, I know it is supposed to mean that they are completely behind the times, but self-sufficiency is not a negative… Continue reading Settling for Self Sufficiency
I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets: I've written about my sauerkraut maker (which has ultimately ended up molding more often than fermenting) and DH2U's grandma's food mill (a classic!). I thought I was over it ... until I saw an awesome price on something I'd been considering buying anyways - turning zucchini into "noodles". I… Continue reading Gadget Queen
In the play "Bake Off," there is a discussion between two competitors about recipe development. One baker talked about trying the exact same recipe over and over, adjusting the bake time by one minute each time to find the optimum process. I simultaneously admired her dedication and thought she was insane for all that tedium.… Continue reading Tedium
At the end of my cheese tasting post, I hinted at big news to come, and now it arrived: The reason I had the tasting party was to figure out which cheese to perfect ... to enter it at the Fair! During my cheese class, the instructor mentioned this cheese competition. I thought she was… Continue reading Fair Day
A couple of months ago I came home with a HUGE bag full of lemons from Hillary’s dad’s tree. I’d been dying to make preserved lemons, and Hillary came through with primary ingredient. I was a bit concerned about asking for 15-18 pieces of fruit – it sounded greedy. When Hillary relayed my request to her… Continue reading Devil Egg
Yesterday was a big day for me: I had friends over to taste my first batch of cheeses. I was so excited being able to share my new passion with these people from all different aspects of my life. We started with the first pressed cheese I ever made (top left in the picture), the… Continue reading All About the Cheese
For years I have been enjoying oatmeal flavored by peanut butter and bananas. I’ve always done it the same way: Heat half a banana and the milk in a microwave for 30 seconds. Take the banana out and heat the milk another minute. Meanwhile put the peanut butter on the oats and slice the banana… Continue reading Watch out for the Banana
One of the items I purchased after my cheese class was a thermometer: The Big Daddy Dial Thermometer. It is super cool because it has a nice long stem, and it can be calibrated. My previous thermometer didn't register at low enough temperatures for some types of cheese. I put the instrument into rapidly boiling… Continue reading There She Goes Again
This past weekend I finally spent my birthday money from Ma and Tom. I was looking for the perfect-for-me opportunity, and then my job loss delayed things even further. But finally I found exactly what I wanted, and I spent Saturday afternoon in a cheese making class. Gisela, the owner of Curds and Wine, taught the three-hour… Continue reading Cheese Fundamentals
My year of exploring is going really well so far, especially in the kitchen. A present I received from DH2U for the holidays has become my new favorite snack maker. Considering how likely I am to spill blood in the kitchen, I must admit I was quite scared of my new mandolin at first. That… Continue reading Chip Queen
Grown Up, Now What? 