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It's been a while. And it was tough. When I go to ground, crawling back out of the hole, just on it's own, is a bit of a trick. Tossing in shopping and I get what I get. It read 81 F in the early afternoon, here, before the shower, recovery from that, and then the trip in. As I was leaving town, the readings suggested it was still 81 F in town. So, yeah. It is, at least lately, cooler here than there. It is amazing how much cooler it can be out of the "city". And that is simply not a very big city, it isn't very industrialized, it isn't stacked, it is well treed, it even has farming and ranching acreages within the city limits. And still it can be ten degrees warmer or more, depending on a few things. It is never cooler, save sometimes in the winter when a storm blows past us out in the open and runs into the mountains that back the town. That isn't even all that common given the shape and size of the valley, along with normal weather patterns.
Anyway... It wasn't so much, for example, picking up the five gallons of milk. It was putting them into the cart, checking and helping bag them, carrying them in, putting them up until it was time to juggle some of them in order to mess with the kefir grains I had been growing, and putting away the last of the last of the two gallons I ended up using (one of the gallon jugs was mostly used already). I did, however, get half of a pint jar full of whey water, and might get more before long. While I have lemon juice, and I bought some of the "raw" cider vinegar, that will give me something else to experiment with when soaking grains, seeds, or such, overnight.
Which reminds me, I need to consider ordering the wheat grinder. I will be ordering the manual one first. But I will, also, most likely, also order an electric one. Simply put, the manual one would only honestly be used if that was all I had. It's just too much damn work and fuss, when I have a hard time just lumping it out of my chair to go into the garage and figure something fairly simple out. Yeah, heat. Yeah, mostly dead heart. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My... never mind. Right or wrong, true or false, good or bad, I... If it comes to manual use, guess what? Those with tin grinders, which wear out or can't keep up? For every lot of their grain they do, they do my lot first. Deal? Yeah... That is how capitalism was born, boys and girls. Someone stuck some coin in, took a risk, then offered others a bit of the profits for all of the work. Urhm, give or take.
I also found several packs of cheesecloth. I probably got taken, price wise, but not having to stop at another store was worth it, for now. I bought enough so that I can practice making some things, just to have on hand in case something else comes up, and specifically to produce dairy kefir cream cheese. I am curious, now. Food can be fun. I won't do absolutes, as I suggested. Not having had a dessert in a while, I purchased strawberries and pound cake. I always have cream for the whipping on hand. I also bought donuts! I eat those so rarely, at least compared to the times my eyes yearn and I dance on by. Yeah, two already. But that will be it for donuts tonight. Hopefully I'll get the strawberries set up tomorrow. Oh, and I purchase pure cain sugar tonight. Same calories, same carbs... not sure if it will be any different, honestly. Still I was curious and it was right there. I just hope it doesn't have that nasty maply flavor. I love that, from time to time, but wouldn't want it in everything I use sugar. I also looked for cut leaf stevia. All I could find was stevia extract put on some chemical or other. Flavored chemical! Yum! I'll... keep looking.
Well... I didn't just sit. I wanted to. I didn't just go and return. I've already used some of what I bought, and put the rest away. I have the Xt'er outside, in case I can make it out to work on the boat. No promises. If I can't do it, I'll try to remember to back her into her favorite place before the sun comes out and does bad things. We'll see. Later.
That is a lot of milk .. I am jettlaging .. So, that is the only thing
ReplyDeletei can think of to say right now. :/)
True. But beside having a couple of gallons to drink a week, plus a couple of gallons of kefir, add in the want for producing whey water and kefir cream cheese. Some of the kefir will be used to soak grains and legumes, perhaps meat too (experimentally), along with the whey water for soaking. And... that is before I get started using the whey water as part of vegetable fermenting (such as sauerkraut, pickles, and some other things).
ReplyDeleteIt'll tame down in time. Currently I am running extra for experimentation. Hmm... actually though, four gallons will be pretty much the norm... if more every or every other week or so, give or take. I AM twice the size of even most men. I am bound to consume a bit more, no?
Jet lag? Bist du yetzt schon zu deine Haus?
Ja, ich bin jetzt daheim. :-). I have been back about 36 hours or so, i think.
ReplyDeleteI perused your last post. I too feel like i am coming down with something. My body is fighting a virus. My cousin had an very bad cold before i left. I slept most of the day yesterday and up to right now... 4:20am .. And I am not finished.
Anyway, let us both be well and here is to succesful kefir cream cheese making!
I hope, at least, that the sleep is good. Sometimes, if it's just a small lapse, a bunch of extra sleep can somehow be a beautiful thing. So long as the body doesn't get achy and begin falling apart from the stress of it. I hope you can just enjoy. Travel can do that, with or without the jet lag part, or to me... sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYeah... I am curious about the cream cheese, and some other things. I need to get whole grain rice, then I can soak that, the beans, and even the kefir... see if that actually helps with digestion and other things. It'll be a bit before I have a grain mill, so can hit sprouted wheat, on top of fermented a bit, then on top of sourdough. If nothing else, it is sort of fun, interesting, and rather tasty.