Friday, March 2, 2012

more cheese, please



Ricotta cheese was made. Oh my gosh, I had no idea how good ricotta cheese can be. I say "can be" because I've tasted other homemade ricotta cheese and it was just okay. But this, no credit to me, is fabulous. Following the recipe at smitten kitchen, I used our raw cow's milk, store-bought organic cream, and fresh organic lemon juice. It was good by the spoonful and on toasted sourdough bread with caramelized onions and chunky sea salt. It was good dolloped in homemade pumpkin soup. It was good with honey drizzled on top sprinkled with chunky sea salt. It was good. And then it was all gone. More, please.



I'm painting my nails up there.

I don't know about you, but January and February went by way too fast for me. January usually seems to last f-o-r-e-v-e-r, what happened? Then February whooshed by. I have high hopes for the month of March, a full-count month. 31 days.

Thanks for visiting and happy weekending to you! xo


24 comments:

  1. Yes...it certainly has flown by.
    Cheese, toast and onions look delicious....and I love those nails.
    Have a lovely weekend.xxx

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    1. Trish, thanks -- have a fun time gardening!

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  2. MMmm never thought of making my own ricotta but I'll give the directions a good looking over. There's so much variation between store brands. Lunch for me will be some Polly-O whole milk ricotta dotted with lime and grenadine, whole fresh blueberries and a dash of Cinnamon dusted over all.

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    1. Deb, oh you definitely should, it is the easiest thing ev-er. Your lunch sounds like heaven, thanks for the idea!

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  3. How brilliant. How satisfying, Peggy. I rushed to google if we have the same scheme here...nothing yet :~( I grew up in a small village and we had milk delivered from one of the local farmers every morning... Jersey cow milk...very creamy and delicious. All your uses of your ricotta are making my mouth water!

    Those painted nails and those eyes are wonderful.....is this a stand alone cloth, or part of a bigger (Magic?) cloth? That leafy pattern has a great depth of field. I feel I could walk in it!

    I so agree about January and February racing by...even with an extra day!

    Happy week~end to you and yours :~) x x

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    1. Helen, here is a link you might want to check out for some traditional foods chapters in the UK: http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-a-local-chapter#uk

      They could help you find cow shares, I think. I don't know if your store milk is as highly processed as ours is here though, maybe you can buy good fresh milk at the grocery store?

      Thanks about the nails & eyes on the green hand -- I thought it'd be part of the magic diaries cloth but you never know....

      Happy weekend to you, too!

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    2. Thank you for this Peggy....the link itself had nothing local to here, but it had another link which I followed and ended up on a farm 12 miles away!! :~))))) I do not think they cow-share, but we will be taking a trip out there to see them. They live along the coast from us and I had a day~dream that if we had a canoe, we could row over to pick up our milk every week!! Wouldn't that be great!

      Thanks again...I'll let you know what transpires :~)

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    3. and I forgot (twice), to say how much I like your new banner :~)))

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    4. Helen, I am so happy to read about the farm you found -- oh my, rowing over to pick up your milk -- that would be so cool. I'm hoping it works out for you, at the very least you'll have a nice farm visit. Please do let me know what happens! Take pictures. xo

      Thanks about the banner!

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  4. Rainbow nails and a trip down memory lane! Oh, I can taste the ricotta in my mind! My Gram had this fantastic box in her fridge. It was always filled with homemade cottage cheese or ricotta. There was also a pitcher of buttermilk. I remember standing on my stool in my apron helping her stir until my arm wanted to fall off. I agree about the speeding months. I am pining for spring, but it really doesn't seem like it is time. I think this goofy weather has my internal clock confused! Wishing you a happy and creative weekend.

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    1. Jeannie, what a good memory of your Gram! You were so lucky. What I remember about mine is how much I loved to wash dishes at her house, something I detested at home. But with a grandmother beside you, it was wonderful, she knew how to make it nice. I'm torn, too, because I want another few weeks to do house stuff, but am itching to work outside. Sometimes it seems like I'm never satisfied, I always want something different!

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  5. cheese-my weakness, your images & words make me weak in the knees.
    and your stitching is so joyful & mysteriously wonderful. love the nails! last time i had nail polish on, i was in labor w/Blue, i'd only got one hand done the day before & was screaming for remover between contractions. there's a photo of my removing the polish in the middle of it all.

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    1. Cindy, thanks -- and you better make some cheese asap because you'll love it!

      Funny about your labor!

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  6. I remember painting my nails like that in Jr. high! Time is whipping these months away, quick as a wink!
    Haha good story Cindy!

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    1. Nancy, fun memory -- artsy girl! Hope March takes. its. time....

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  7. I love the color the nails add! It's the perfect touch. The cheese with onions looks yummy.

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    1. Thanks, Kathy -- a way of bringing the full-color spectrum to the cloth. Now I'm staring at it again trying to decide what's next!

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  8. oh, yum! i haven't made cheese in ages and i'm green with envy!

    those nails are fabulous, too!

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  9. Joe, thanks -- you gotta make some cheese now, it's time!

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  10. Hi Peggy,

    I love your new blog header and new blog look. I remember painting my nails like that in HS too! lol!
    That cheese and roasted onions look yummy...mmmm! I love how you saw all of those eyes in that
    fabric. Sometimes it feels like eyes everywhere. You know what I mean? Like these invisible eyes watching
    us. Have a happy weekend <3

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    1. Thanks, Marie, figured I should get rid of the snowflakes since spring is on the way! ;-) I didn't get more cheese made yet, maybe tomorrow....

      Yes, there's so much that we don't see (but we might feel). Sort of comforting that someone's watching over us, yes? Hope you're having a great weekend, Marie!

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  11. Made ricotta last weekend and have been eating it by the spoonful... yum!

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    1. Yum is right! You've made such great-looking food including your cheeses (plural!), I've been so inspired by your making-from-scratch.

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    2. That just made my day! :)

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