Quick Time

This is quite a short post, just wanted to update and let you all know that no, we haven't had any kids yet...but within the next week we should have our first of the season! I'll definitely have the camera ready. Gem could go anytime this week. (That's Gem and her baby bump in the blue collar on the right in the photo above.) Jen and Scott have had her for 4 or 5 years and she's never kidded here. She is most definitely pregnant this year! And she should be the first to go. Her due dates are Monday (already past) and Friday...here we go!

And today I joined a forum for cheesemakers called cheeseforum.org. I already posted a question about an experimental batch of washed rind cheeses that I'm trying out and I'm learning a lot about this cheese! The cheese I'm trying to duplicate I believe is Epoisses. (Ay-Pwos) I think this is the mystery cheese that I tried in London back in October. I was pretty burnt out from the end of the season here and I wasn't thinking too much about cheese...just tasting some at the Borough Market. A French style of washed rind, it is no bigger than a camembert, covered in a nice orange rind. Should have a strong, ripe smell but should not taste as strong as it smells. Today I made my first attempt and half way through I realized a mistake in my cheesemake and went with one pressed wheel of cheese instead of the multiple small rounds of cheese that are drained under their own weight and not pressed. I let the pH get away from me and the curds would not have knit well unless they were pressed into a wheel. I'll attempt it again on Friday this week and hope that Gem either has her kids Thursday or Saturday. :)

In the meantime, I'm milking the ladies over at Clovercrest Dairy (our partner cow-farm) and Wednesday, we have a possible 2nd apprentice coming for a visit and tour of our farm. I've been taking the goats out for walks in the snow the past week. They hate the snow...but they LOVE to eat all the pine needles off the white pine and fir trees around the fields. Tomorrow should be another beautiful day for a walk with some goat friends of mine.