Elbows, Ducks, and Cheese

It was spring all winter; now it’s definitely summer. I’m dealing with the odd seasons oddly—I’m confused and rushed. I haven’t done a thing in the garden, in part due to the tennis elbow I’ve developed working at the dairy. Tennis elbow isn’t a joke, as it turns out—it’s seriously debilitating! I may have to give up my remaining shift at the dairy to let it heal.

We sold the two Dexter cross calves—Hester from last year, and Maeby’s new calf. We just don’t like the Dexters, and there’s always the issue of breeding when you have a breed that’s smaller than any of the other breeds in your area. We would have to find Dexters to breed to, or Dexter crosses, and they’re not very common here.

I’ve also sold the Khaki Campbells. They are just too much of a pain to deal with; a pond or stream would help, but it also turns out I don’t really digest duck eggs all that well. Chickens and chicken eggs are more my thing. We’re keeping our little flock of Anconas and one Muscovy—they’re so much calmer than the Khakis, and then we’ll have a few duck eggs for DH.

I’m spending a lot of days in the kitchen making cheese right now. The girls are bringing in 6-7 gallons of milk a day, and we’re about to have a goat and a few sheep in milk. The relentless tide has begun! ED and I (and DH and Bernard to a lesser degree) are revisiting the idea of a small licensed cheesemaking facility—a micro-creamery. I’ll keep you all posted on those plans! Meanwhile, I’m pleasantly lost in the world of acid titration, butterfat, and flocculation.

Suddenly

Pearl’s milk production has picked up to 2-3 gallons a day, and suddenly I have to be making cheese. I’m trying to make enough feta to get through the summer, even though I much prefer making it with goat or sheep milk, partly for flavor, but mostly because yellow feta looks wrong to me!

The weather has been so, so lovely, but I can’t get a thing done in the garden, because it rains so often, the ground won’t dry out enough to work!

Baby tomatoes are up, and peppers, and cardoons. And nicotiana.

The girls and I are all burned out on the dairy. There’s too much to do here, and way, WAY too much to do there.

Maeby looks gorgeous. Her sister, Maude’s daughter, just had a calf and it sounds like she’s doing well.

Ok—off to the kitchen.

A Rainy Day in the Kitchen

It’s yet another dark and rainy day—which, along with uncommonly mild temperatures, has been the default for this winter. No, that’s not fair—there’ve been quite a few beautiful sunny days, too, but it really has felt like a dark, damp winter.

So today, stuck inside with the rain driving down outside, I have spent the day in the kitchen. We started with hashbrowns made from our russet potatoes that DH dug this morning, fried in lard from our neighbor’s pig. Those were pretty dang good. Then for a late lunch we had twice-baked potatoes with smoked sausage, also from our friends, and cheddar cheese. Wow, were those good! But now, being a little burned out on the (admittedly delicious) combination of potatoes and pork, I’m making homemade pop tarts, some chocolate, some blueberry.

Here’s hoping the sun comes out tomorrow.

Snapshot of a Cozy Evening

It’s a strange, mild, rainy day. It’s really been a strange winter so far—delightful, but strange. That may end next weekend, with a cold (and snowy?) change.

I just made a batch of Meyer lemon pudding. DH has been working with someone who has a house in Jacksonville Florida, and has been keeping us supplied with Meyer lemons from his trees. They’re wonderful, and we have enough of them that I need to find ways to use them!

There’s a pot of lamb and lentil soup with potatoes and sweet potatoes simmering on the wood cookstove, which is all the fire we have on this mild wet day. It smells delicious and comforting.

The dogs are scattered around on towels, because they can’t go outside without getting soaked. Thank goodness they’re not particularly dog-smelling dogs!

DH is sharpening his chainsaw at the kitchen table, ED is at work at the goat dairy down the road, and Bernard is on her way home from Asheville with friends.

Altogether a cozy evening.

Seasonal Festivity

Bernard painted her (fake) fingernails last night, and I thought it was very creative and crafty and festive:

In other seasonal news, Ray said this morning’s temperature (22 chilly degrees here) was the coldest we’ll see for the month of December, and that there’s no chance for a white Christmas this year. I’m rejoicing, because to me that means we get a whole month off of winter this year! And after the last two, that sounds just great! So Happy Holidays everybody!