I've been chided in comments, in e-mail, and in person. Please accept my sincere apology and know that I've missed you, as well.
Let's see. Since we last spoke, we've done our best to spend 2.5 days a week at Shell Cottage. More if we can. The spring was kind of cool and wet, which didn't stop us from enjoying much! It made the grass a bit harder to cut, but not for long. Because right behind the cold and wet Spring came the hot and wet summer. (We've had good luck, though, with cutting the grass. Only one weekend so far was too wet each to find a window of opportunity to mow.)
When I said hot, by the way, I wasn't kidding. More days over 80 degrees than in any summer since they started keeping records. Our guest room isn't air conditioned, which has cut down on summer company a little -- but not entirely. (One weekend Norbert slept on the floor in our bedroom, and another Myfanwe and I slept in Norbert's room while he was at camp. We took turns -- one of us in the bed, the other on an inflatable twin mattress.)
Just in time for Flag Day we found a piece of folk art that we love and had to have. (It is made from remnants of now demolished Three Oaks barns!)
Flag Day, which is a major holiday in Three Oaks, Michigan, was great fun. We had an open house and friends and neighbors filled the house up, ate, drank, then watched the Flag Day parade.
I have started making my own cheeses -- fromage blanc and chevre. It has been too hot to bake much, but I did find a wonderful recipe for Amazing Corn Cake in a Nebraska 4-H cookbook that I'm very happy with.
Norbert, Myfanwe, the pets and I are all happy and healthy. M & I are working a LOT, but feel lucky to have jobs. And lucky to have jobs that challenge us. Norbert is at camp until the 14th -- we miss him lots, but also are so glad to know he's having so much fun.
I've got to run and take a cake out of the oven. Stay well. I'll try not to take so long between posts. Love. Peace. Cake.
5 comments:
Love to hear from you and know that life is treating you well. Yes this summer is a scorcher for sure. I have started more "small" projects,nothing much accomplished.
Eat cake...lol
So glad to see you're enjoying shell Cottage. I was hoping that you were too busy to post. Do you go to the Acorn much? We'll be in Three Oaks Aug. 13. I hope we can meet up.
By the way, it's going to be 106 on the thermometer and 116 with heat index. It makes 80 look heavenly.
Sarah
Yay! You're back :*) It's great to know that you are enjoying your cottage so much and that you have survived that summer heat! Super also that you are making cheese. I live on the chevre that comes from our small herd of goats.
I am SO ENVIOUS! I want a few goats and maybe a dozen chickens! I have made a friend in Michigan who is soon to take posession of a flock of goats, but I can't purchase milk for human consumption. I can only buy the milk to feed to my dog or cat. Which I plan to do.
What do you use for molding your chevre? Where do you source your cheesemaking supplies? (My fromage blanc was REALLY, R E A L L Y delicious! Myfanwe approves!)
Hi Aidan,
I get my supplies from two sources: Dairy Connection and Glengarry Cheese. You can get the cultures and rennet from either, but I usually buy my molds from Dairy Connection. For my chevre, I usually use crottin molds, they drain better than the "Goat cheese mold with flat bottom." But the best cheescloth in the *universe* comes from Margaret at Glengarry cheese. She also has a great cheesmaking book. http://glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca/
We have only had goats for 4 years. We raise sheep as well. I come from the suburbs outside of NYC, but my husband grew up on a dairy farm in No. Jersey. We live on the coast of Maine now and love our critters to pieces! If I had the money I would get licensed for the dairy. It's the best... raw milk chevre.. Nothing better!
Nina
http://ruitfarm.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/lobster-and-shrimp-to-the-rescue/
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