Today is craft day, some friends are coming over for a day of cutting and gluing. I can't imagine a prettier day, the weather is ideal. But most of this summer has been that way. I guess it isn't summer any more, but typically, September in Kansas is still muggy and hot, I guess that is called the "Dog Days" of summer. But not today, it is a glorious fall day. So, we are lunching out doors and taking advantage of the sunshine.
My garden is bursting with tomatoes, and they are the heavy, meaty kind, the ones that are just right for slicing into a salad, so I chopped up 3 kinds of basil and layered them with an olive oil, garlic, sea salt and balsamic vinegar dressing. Since all that was sounding so fresh and wonderful, I thought I'd go all out and make fresh mozzarella to go with it.
I read up about it online and it seemed pretty easy. The tips I gleaned were to use un-chlorinated water (and I have well water, so that was no problem) and to use local milk, as fresh as possible.
Sugarwing's Daddy and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen together, and he was excited about trying to make some cheese too. He's one of those all organic, all the time type of hippy guys and won't even eat anything that goes into the microwave or gets stored in plastic. So homemade cheese was right up his alley. He's hard to cook for, but since he loves cooking so much and is so great at it, he can be as quirky as he wants. Because that means he does most of the cooking and it is always fantastic.
The trouble is, he and I are both the type that cook without recipes. We throw it all together and guesstimate amounts. But for cheese, you have to pretend to care about temperatures and timing and measurements.
So I bought a digital thermometer (which brought my total for expenses up to almost 40 bucks). After studying and printing off lots of recipes, we saw that 55 degrees and 105 degrees were both very important numbers in the art of cheese.
Well, we aren't chemists or scientists or even semi good at following recipes. This is the mass that I salvaged from the batch. It was supposed to be kneaded like bread dough, and I thought I did, but I guess, not so much.
Adam is a massage therapist, so he worked his healing magic on the lump I couldn't repair and actually turned it into a series of little cheese balls.
4 hours into making what was called a 30 minute recipe we had a very small series of very little, very rubbery, cheese balls.
$40 worth?
Well, the olive oil with fresh herbs they are marinating in is tasty at least. I poured some over pasta last night. But I've not been brave enough to eat the cheese yet. They were so expensive to make I feel like keeping the little lumps of gold in a lock box.
But I'd probably be better off using them as toys and bouncing them around with Sugarwings.
Somehow, I don't think that I'll be serving today with the tomatoes and basil….
Well, my pot of cheese didn't do so well, but this little witch's cooking pot filled with pretties is much better. Its the giveaway for September and I added a fall colored enameled butterfly pin to go along with the leaf and rhinestone brooches.
Why am I feeling so fallish? I'm a warm weather person and hate the thought of winter approaching. I also love soft, sweet colors, and am not usually so attracted to the fall tones. Maybe its that perfect weather that is winning me over. Any way, I whipped up this
Raven's Wreath and enjoyed working with the old millinery in the rich, Halloween colors.
Well, dur, it was still old millinery! I love that stuff in any color!
(the wreath is available in my Boutique)
I kept on using the deep, rich, colors on these book covers from
Mary. Each is filled with water color and other art or journal pages, cut to fit. And they are tied up with hand dyed silk ribbons that I tinted to match each cover.
On some, I used inks and markers to embellish the existing pattern on the covers. I'm always happy when I get to play with markers.
Now, I'd better go shove the crap off my craft tables and make room for guests to join me today. But first, I need to run to the grocery store for some fresh mozzarella…
You are a tonic Karla! I’m always reading blogs where people cook stuff that turns out brilliantly, seeing your attempt at cheese making has been brilliant, and I think it’s turned out really well! A bit pricey, but still a good attempt. I would NEVER attempt to make cheese of any kind. I’m too lazy ;o) Humbug and I are going to lots of baking this autumn/winter (I am a cold weather girl, but in all honesty you don’t have much choice when you live in England ha ha ha), so I’ve been building up a stash of cake cases, icing stuff, decorating bits and bobs. HOpefully it will help me improve as I never seem to be able to make cakes that look the way I want them to look i.e pretty!
Time I was off. Thanks for your email. I agree, it’s good to shower a child with lots of love :o)
xx
I’m sorry your cheese didn’t go too well, but that pot of Halloween goodness is gorgeous!
Well, you never know until you try! Good for you. I guess there’s a reason we buy some things at the store. Aren’t we fortunate to live in a society where we can do that and so have time to create pretty things? And your journals are very pretty.
Lorrie
when i saw the top chef episode where Ashley made her own ricotta…i was like…you can make your own cheese? i thought it was a rule that it had to be made in a factory or something…LOL…bravo to you and your son for trying…it doesn’t look half bad either…try it and let us know…i am really curious Karla!!!
LOVE the wreath!!!
I love that wreath! Those book covers are beautiful. Are they going to be in the shop?
If you never shoot you are always missing the bear! Now I am so curious how it tastes. I remember my mother and me making a large pâté (like foie gras). A lot of the most delicious ingredients went in there and we had to buy a special dish to put it in the oven. Very very elaborate and when we ate it on Christmas it just tasted like meat balls…not bad, but we could have spend a lot of time, sweat and money!
Oh WOW, this is a great post & you have the most gorgeous site here. It’s all perfect !
Thank you and best wishes….
You make the prettiest stuff! I love the outside table, it’s just beautiful!
You are a brave woman trying to make cheese!! I love the wreath!
ha ha, hilarious post!!! mental note to self not to attempt to make cheese….stick to supermarket….Rachaelxo
Years ago, when we were homeschooling, a friend invited our family over to make cheese. Maybe, I should back up. They had goats. We milked the goats, then made the cheese. lol It was lengthy process but my kids never forgot the experience. I loved the goat cheese. They did not.
Maybe next time it will be easier and more like you imagined.
I can feel the lovely cool breeze blowing through my hair while eating that tomato salad. Still hot here in Middle Georgia.
What a wonderful post,Karla! You’re very adventurous making cheese! A great idea though! Your cottage table and chairs look lovely in the garden~so fresh and cool there~
Tinaxx
Sorry your cheese didn’t quite turn out…but it sure made for an amusing story. LOL
Your outdoor setting is so lovely. I hope you had a fun crafting day.
Kimberly 🙂
Hi Karla..I would love to try your cheese..I once tried to make soap..we had the pigs..so I had the fat,Ibrought scented oil,lovely shaped molds,various required ingredients,and the book of instrutions, my husband fiqured by the time I finished, the soap was only $28.00 a bar ….so I do know how you feel… cheers Lorraine in Canada
I received my lovely charm and lovely note card today! Opening the mail has rarely been quite so exciting…I called all the girls at work to the counter where we oohed and ahhed over it for quite a while…but lucky me, ’cause I got to take it home…Thank you so much 🙂 What a great day!
At least you tried! You must do the cheese again sometime so I can learn by your mistakes 🙂 The journals are very nice, I like the old ones best. Have a great day!
I’ve never braved making moz and I don’t think I will. Love that wreath!!!
Blessings,
Christine
Making you own cheese? Aaarrrggghhhh I don’t Think Id be able to that just that. It seems like it is a complicated process. Isn’t it so sad to spend so much and then . . . At least you get to save some. Funny with finding it hard to eat because it much was spent 🙂 I baked once and I end up with a burnt cake! It really was a shame. Ever since I’ve been scared of attempting LOL
Li
(Enjoyed looking through photos of the little fairies with their fairy grandmother :-)And then to see a baby dragon born? Nice!)
That’s funny Karla. I cook alot and I won’t even try cheese. Very ambitious of the two of you:) It looks like cheese in the oil and herbs. Maybe you should lock it up like fine truffles;)
You are brave trying to make cheese! At least it looks really pretty in the jar! hee! hee!
I love your book covers, they are beautiful. Have fun crafting today, can’t wait to see what you make!
karen….
The fact that you even attempted to make that cheese is over-the-top impressive to me!! The crafts weren’t too shabby, either!! : )
~ Wendy
http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
Thanks again for an absolutely LOVELY day yesterday!
Well, at least you tried with the cheese — a noble experiment! I envy your tomato bounty, as Michigan tomatoes are small and pithy this year. The wrong weather, I guess. Lovely creations, though!
Just dropped by to say hi and as I get ready for bed I will be laughing and smiling all the way. Love the picture of Sugarwings and the tomatoes. Happy happies.
Karla, the book covers with pen & ink added are brilliant. They remind me of some photo holders that would be wonderful with added ink & markers. What kinds of markers and ink did you use? Thanks.
~Marilee
The book covers are lovely! You are so lucky to have such good friends that share!