Gouda, June 5

Bob and I made Gouda cheese this weekend instead of Camembert. The Gouda takes several months to age so better to start now. After eight hours we ended up with two two pound cheeses. The process should go faster next time considering our now, vast experience. We started with four gallons of milk. After pasteurizing, adding culture, letting the milk rest, adding rennet, cutting the eventual curd, stirring, maintaining the temperature, stirring, stirring, placing the curd in molds, increasing the weight and pressure on the curd in the molds, flipping, remolding, pressure, flip, re-mold...you get the idea. It was great fun! I waxed the cheese yesterday after it spent the night in the wine chiller. I found a great chiller at Lowe's on Thursday, we picked it up on Friday. The finished cheese needs to be flipped every couple days, remaining in the chiller at a balmy 56 degrees. We'll have a coming out party for the cheese August 4 and let you know how it tasted. The kids received their CDT injections and worm medicine Sunday. Nobody objected too vigorously. They are growing like weeds. Bug's horns are slowly growing...open frontal sinuses and blue fly spray sprayed in them is not something I want to experience again. The chicks are gaining weight, they go Monday morning to see Brian. Bob will take them along with freezer bags for processing. We could have dropped them off on Sunday night but wanted them to experience the least amount of stress possible. Cee-Lo, the exotic chick will remain behind, waiting for the new batch of chicks in the chick area in the barn. He, I am assuming he, is too small to fend for himself outside with the laying hens, cats, and rooster. The cats can see him through the chicken wire... they are way to interested to release him. The garden is planted, root-tilled, and strawberries weed. Some strawberries are ready, enough for a batch of jam, waiting to be picked....tonight? Carmen