elanya

So, the past few days have been a write-off so far in terms of getting schoolwork done, for various reasons. Sunday I wasn't expecting to get anything done. Saturday wasn't *so* bad, all things considered. Friday was decent. I'm re-calibrating my brain as regards to what I'm doing with some things and its hard to keep it all straight in my head long enough to get it on the page. Of course if helps to actually have a chance to do so.

I have been busy doing a ton of other crap instead!

Yesterday, I got home at 11 PM, and made butter - as you do. I got some raw milk on Friday through a friend from a local-ish farm, let it sit until Sunday morning them poured of the cream, added some yogurt to let it culture and left it sitting on the cupboard all day @_@ Lacking both patience and a large enough jar, I used my hand mixer to make it. Basically it is like making whipped cream, only you keep going :3 And Going. And Going @_@ Either it took a lot longer than I was expecting or I was just terrible at realizing when it was done. but! I made butter! I experimented with my friend's super cute butter mold but .... I didn't have nearly enough to fill it, and also I had no idea what I was doing so mostly I made a mess :V

I also tried to make yogurt. I have done it in the oven at my old place, but it had a dial as opposed to a digital... thing what sets the temperature. So the old one I could set so that it was just baaaarely on and it would be the right temp to culture yogurt. I had actually tried to start it with a heating pad and my crock pot crock, but the pot was too big I think. I should add that this was my solution with with to do with the rest of my milk. You can make yogurt from skim milk.... It'll be runny unless you strain it, but I usually do that anyway. And then you can make ricotta from the whey :)

Anyway, but the time I was done, it was after midnight, and I have to get up by 6:30 to get to work on time and take care of the dog, so... yeah @_@ i woke up in the morning to find no yogurt, just slightly cooked milk. No way in hell was I wasting it though, after what I paid for it, so I shoved it in the fridge to consider my options.

I got off work at 1 today, picked up a prescription, and got groceries in preparation for intense cooking! I got home around 2, and wasn't done in the kitchen until around 6:30 @_@ On the other hand, I succeeded in making the following things!

-Banana bread! With red bananas I had in the freezer, and a splash of rum for extra deliciousness
-Chicken corn chowder. With leeks, and carrots and mushrooms and probably other things I'm forgetting. And, oh yes, fucking Milk. Victory! it is sort of a waste to cook raw milk.... Okay it is a huge waste, but this was a better option after I fucked up the yogurt than chucking it. I am going to have to work out my yogurt making system with cheaper milk before I try this again.
-Shepherds pie! The way we used to make it at the lunch counter where I worked like... ten years ago @_@ I still have other recipes memorized from then too.
-Bread! Well breadmaker bread. It just finished and I need to see if it rose properly, considering it was on top of the dishwasher, which was running :p Oatmeal brown bread, anyway.

I also cleaned the kitchen twice - once before I started (to clean up from the butter making stuff), and once after. Actually possibly there was an intermediary stage in there also.

Speaking of the dishwasher though, I use the little cascade gel pack thingies, but I have been having issues with the, where the gelatin or whatever wrapper around them doesn't actually dissolve and release the soap :p Did I just get a shitty batch? Should I get a different brand? Just use regular dishwasher soap? Bah....

I am in the middle of transferring files, then I need to go pick up my dog. Despite my intentions, I don't think I am going to get any kind of writing done today. Also maze has been puking a bunch today... just hairballs I think/hope, but of course he decided to do this right when I *finally* had a chance to sit down and eat some of the mass quantities of food I prepared. And the spray I used on the carpet tried to kill my already weakened lungs ;_;

Annnnnnd... that is probably way more than any of you really wanted to know about my day :V