Last night, I got to thinking, "There must be a way to make your own cheese. People didn't get factory made cheese 100 years ago..."
So, off I went to research and there is, indeed, a way to make your own cheese. Not just the simple cheese either! Can you imagine - making and aging your own block of blue cheese?? Mmmmmm... I now know what I want for Christmas - I cheese making kit! It may seem like buying a kit is not really making your own cheese, but I need the coagulating enzyme to avoid having to butcher a calf, cut up its tummy, and soak out said enzyme. Gross, I know, but that's how it was done. Now, we order it online. OK, so I'm a modern pioneer!
After realizing that a lot of cheese making may be in my near future, I starting wondering what other products I could technically make on my own. Here is some of what I came up with:
I wondered how one might go about making butter and looked it up. There turned out to be a very easy method requiring no expensive equipment which also yielded buttermilk in the end, a product many of the women here have been lamenting over not having access to. What the butter making process did require, however, was cream. Thinking that cream is quite expensive, I wondered how one would go about making cream. As it turns out, that is also quite easy! So, I came to realize that with a cow of my own, I could make any cheese imaginable, cream, sour cream, milk (of course), ice cream, and even butter. Wouldn't that be fantastic?!
Dairy, however, is not the only thing I came up with! I kept looking more and more. I was anxious to know what potential project was around the next corner! I know have the know-how to make ketchup, mustard, pesto, tortilla shells, and much much more! Honestly, I've had my epiphany that every product we buy had to have been produced from scratch somehow. Most of those products probably have a process that is simple enough to follow at home. With all of that said, I will share with you my dreams for our house back in Canada:
- A solar-powered greenhouse so I can grow veggies and herbs all year long.
- A tiny orchard of fruit trees, including apples, plums, pears, and cherries (basically the only ones that will grown in Canada)
- As many berry bushes as I can possibly line our fences with. All berries are welcome!
- Grape vines...Mmmmm...fresh grapes!
- A walnut tree (yes, they will grown within Canada) and any other nut tree that might withstand our weather.
- Two chickens (which is sufficient to provide enough eggs for a single family, I am told)
- A nice cow or two for milking
- Daniel would also like a goat, for goats milk and proper feta cheese
That's all I can come up with for now, but I think it's a wonderful plan! I know many people might say that it is easier, and maybe even cheaper, to go to the store and BUY all of these things, but that isn't quite the point, for me. First, everything tastes better homemade. I don't know why that is the case, but I do know that it is! Aside from that, I enjoy the thought of working our own land and teaching our children how to grown things on their own. Last, but not least, making as much of your food as possible at home ensures that you know exactly what is going into your food, rather than counting on the preservatives and additives of major companies. I think, overall, my plans for being a modern pioneer housewife are quite appealing!
I will admit, it is a bit strange to me to think that between homeschooling, working a mini-farm, and keeping house I will most likely be doing more labour than when I was in the workforce, and getting paid a whole heck of a lot less (see: nothing). It's even more strange to me to realize that the prospect does not bother me in the least. The payoff for my family is worth far more than any job could ever pay me.
Now...all I need is some sheep and a spinning wheel...
Aside from my aspirations to live as if I were 100 years in the past, nothing terribly exciting has been going on, however, I will leave you with this - today's random overview:
For today, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Outside my window...it is a dark night, but quite pleasant! The weather was so beautiful today that I barely needed a jacket. I almost feel like I should be outside right now, just staring at the sky. You wouldn't believe the beauty of the stars where we live. Because we are outside of town, on a clear night it seems you can see every star in the sky. I have never wanted a telescope more than I do now! I'm also looking forward to the meteor shower in December. Although there will be a 3/4 full moon that night, we still should be able to see lots from where we are!
I am thankful for... my life in general. I really do feel very blessed. I have wonderful family and friends, I am healthy, happy, and have very little that I could possible complain about. I am also grateful for my gift of patience. I was accosted by someone today insisting that I must get married before the baby is born - there is no way I could be a good parent otherwise. Rather than get angry or upset with this person, I calmly explained that I didn't feel that was correct, that we are very happy with our life, and that I am more that happy to agree to disagree. I then thanked them for their concern. There was certainly a time in my life where I would not have been able to handle a similar situation with such grace. I am certainly growing as a person.
From the kitchen... pizza! Lots and lots of pizza! Actually, not as many as I would have liked, but after an early morning, a walk to town to get ingredients and a blender, making a batch of pizza sauce, making a batch of dough, forming and baking seven crusts, chopping all of my toppings, and grating my cheese I suddenly got inexplicably exhausted. I will definitely be making more pizzas tomorrow though. Also...I still have not pickled! Tomorrow...really!
I am going... out several times next week, which is rather unusual for me. Monday takes me to Kaifaqu for lasagna noodles, milk, ect. Tuesday I am going to the hospital where I will be giving birth to bribe the doctors. Friday is another ladies tea!
I am reading... lots of information on making cheese and other such things!
I am hoping... for happiness for everyone I love. Also, for the energy to get LOTS of cooking done this week..
I am creating... lots of food? And a really great pizza dough recipe today. Perhaps I will share!
Sarah's Herb and Garlic Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp various Italian herbs (or to taste)
¼ tbsp salt
Directions
1. Add yeast to warm water to activate. Wait approx. 5 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
2. Pour flour, herbs, and garlic powder into large bowl and mix. Form a well in centre of mixture.
3. Pour yeast mixture into well. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Draw dry ingredients into liquid using a spatula.
5. Use hands to mix and form dough.
6. Flour work surface and knead dough until it no longer sticks to hands. Form into ball.
7. Line a clean bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Score top of dough in a cross and fill cross with olive oil.
8. Cover bowl with a cloth and allow dough to rise approx. 1 ½ hr or until doubled in size.
9. Seperate dough in to appropriately sized pieces for your desired size of crust.
10. Stretch dough onto pizza pan (Add all toppings but cheese if not freezing dough) and bake at 210C – 5-8 minutes for thin crust, 8-10 minutes for thick crust, or until slightly golden if freezing, golden brown if eating right away. If not freezing, add cheese approx. half way through baking.
11. Freeze cooked crusts for future use.
Around the house... it's a little flour-y due to the pizza dough making. Mostly clean though, although I need to do the dishes tomorrow before resuming cooking.
Sarah's Herb and Garlic Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp various Italian herbs (or to taste)
¼ tbsp salt
Directions
1. Add yeast to warm water to activate. Wait approx. 5 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
2. Pour flour, herbs, and garlic powder into large bowl and mix. Form a well in centre of mixture.
3. Pour yeast mixture into well. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Draw dry ingredients into liquid using a spatula.
5. Use hands to mix and form dough.
6. Flour work surface and knead dough until it no longer sticks to hands. Form into ball.
7. Line a clean bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Score top of dough in a cross and fill cross with olive oil.
8. Cover bowl with a cloth and allow dough to rise approx. 1 ½ hr or until doubled in size.
9. Seperate dough in to appropriately sized pieces for your desired size of crust.
10. Stretch dough onto pizza pan (Add all toppings but cheese if not freezing dough) and bake at 210C – 5-8 minutes for thin crust, 8-10 minutes for thick crust, or until slightly golden if freezing, golden brown if eating right away. If not freezing, add cheese approx. half way through baking.
11. Freeze cooked crusts for future use.
Around the house... it's a little flour-y due to the pizza dough making. Mostly clean though, although I need to do the dishes tomorrow before resuming cooking.
One of my favorite things... is cooking - I really LOVE cooking. This week, I made Thai curry for the freezer, a big butter tart pie, peanut butter cookies, pizza...
A few plans for the rest of the week... lots more cooking!! Chili, tortilla shells and taco filling, Mexican casserole, corn chowder, seafood chowder, seafood lasagna, and lasagna. I also might try ricotta cheese so I can put it in my lasagnas!
A few plans for the rest of the week... lots more cooking!! Chili, tortilla shells and taco filling, Mexican casserole, corn chowder, seafood chowder, seafood lasagna, and lasagna. I also might try ricotta cheese so I can put it in my lasagnas!
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