Make your own Mozzarella

What a wonderful day. Mike spent day with family today, due to being laid off again.
After watching the cooking channel, we decided that french onion soup was definately in order for dinner today, since it was cold and rainy out.
Not just any soup, but the kind with a slab of french bread that is smothered in shredded cheese then broiled. OMG good..
Decided if we were gonna go that far to make a gourmet dinner, may as well whip up some cheese. Here is a recipe for those that have access to REAL milk. You can use other but WHY..


How to make this cheese :
The Milk:Make sure the milk you use for this cheese is NOTULTRA- PASTEURIZED--Homogenized milk will work fine.--Fresh farm milk will also work well but we encourage you to try with 1 gallon of store bought whole milk first.--Low fat milk will work but the cheese will be drier and less flavorful
You will need:--A 6 to 8 quart stainless steel pot. Aluminum or cast iron will not work.--A stainless steel or strong plastic slotted spoon.--A two quart microwave safe mixing bowl--measuring spoons--A thermometer which will clearly read between 80 - 120 degrees F.
Prepare your work area:Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese. Put all food products awayMove all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water. Finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces.
Process:crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool unchlorinated water and set aside to use later.
Heat this milk to 90F and add 1.5-2 tsp. of citric acid. This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later. As you approach 90F you will notice your milk beginning to curdle due to acidity and temp.
When at 90F add your rennet (which you prepared in previous step) to the milk and stir in a top to bottom motion for 30-60 seconds...then stop.
Now turn the heat off (it may continue to rise as high as 105For so)
Let the milk remain quiet for the next 3-5 minutes during which it will form a curd as seen in photos above. A longer set will result in a firmer curd.
Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern (as in photos above) and then scoop with a slotted sp0on into a heat proof bowl to be used in the microwave. (If the curd is too soft at this point let sit for another minute or so)You will now press this curd gently with your hand, poring off as much whey as possible. Reserve this whey to use in cooking or making ricotta.
Microwave the curd on HI for 1 minute. You will notice more whey has run out of the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before.
Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point)
Microwave 2 more times for 35 seconds each and repeat the kneading as in the last step. Drain all of the whey off as you go.
Knead quickly now as you would bread dough until it is smooth and shiny. Add salt near the finish.
At this point the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch like taffy.
It is ready to eat when it cools. Form it into a ball and drop into ice water to cool and refrigerate. When cold you can wrap in plastic wrap and it will last for several days but is best when eaten fresh.
Option:--A substitution of reconstituted dry milk and cream is very viable and is a great option if you can not find the right type of milk--Lipase may be added to the milk to provide a typical italian cheese flavor--If you want a softer texture, do not let the curd set as firm and work less when draining and kneading.. this will make a moister cheese.
What you may need :
Citric AcidRennet
SaltLipase

Dont throw away the whey, reheat to 195-200 degrees then let sit for 10 mins. pour into cheese cloth and drain, this will be fresh riccotta cheese. I make it every time I do cheese, and freeze till I have enough to make a BIG batch of lasagna for winter. Can toss with some cheese salt, and spices if you like as well.

Fed the left over liquid to the hogs.. wow.. they thought they had died... HAHAHA.. not yet, but soon.....
If you have questions about this recipe, email me and I am happy to help you.

Fibers fit for a King.....

Our fiber animals seem to know that its going to be a serious winter to contend with.
The alpacas and llama are pushing coat slightly faster than the norm, and the sheep...wow.. they have unbelievable fleece already.
The photo is of our huacaya (wa-ki-a) alpcaca male. His name is Ollie, short for Oliver. He is going on 4 years old and has been with us since he was weaned at 6 months. Ollie is a very gentle fella. He is not regestered due to his larger than most size, and slightly crooked legs. The breeder and vet felt this was a deficiency while in utero. He is currently bred to our Mini Llama, Jazzy, short for Jasmine. she is a beautiful rose grey with the most amazingly soft fiber I have ever felt on a llama, and trust me that's ALLOT of fiber I have fingered thru.
we are hoping to keep her wonderful Llama personality, as well as her beautiful quality of fiber, but hope to add some density to hers with her cria. We are hoping that in July we will have a new addition to the camalid part of the farm. I am STILL washing fleeces and fibers, and have to get it finished soon as I Will be needing to make our annual trip to the processor.
As usual, we will have a blend of fibers from the llama, alpaca and sheep as well as angora rabbit. I personally like the colors of nature, so I always leave the fibers their natural color, and in order to create beauty I blend them carefully to avoid muted or muddy colors.
We do still have some fibers left from last year if you are a spinner or felter or would like to try your hand at a braided wool rug. If interested, drop me a note to totrllamas@yahoo.com.

Turkeys Gobble Gobble that tomato!

They turkeys have been a blast to raise. Such personality for dingy birds.

We purchased 7 birds, and surprisingly enough, we still have 7! We have decided to butcher the 5 belted whites, and save the 2 chocolates for breeding next year. The cost of keeping 2 turkeys through the winter I don't feel Will be too significant, as compared to purchasing poults. We can also get a MUCH earlier start one them. Plus with the demand of turkey poults and the ease of raising them, I am anticipating selling poults or hatching eggs to help them pay for their feed.

We ended up with 4 white toms and one hen, and a pair of the chocolates. Not too bad for picking them when they were so tiny.

They look gimungus when they display, but when smooth, they are only about 8#.

They have been SLOW growers, however. I am HOPING to have them ready for Thanksgiving.

I still have not decided where I will take them to be butchered. I am thinking I had better get to business on that soon.

The photo was a hoot to take, as we had thrown in a piece of tomato and they were chasing the one bird that was carrying it and running like his tail was on fire to keep it away. In the end, he dropped the tomato, and the flock converged and he was forced to share. LOL

If you want comical, definitely get heritage turkeys. And YES they are MUCH different than Broad Breasted Birds. Who are NOT at all active. They tend to be allot friendlier tho, as the heritage breeds are fast and they do fly. Ours could hop out of fence of their pasture, even with their wings trimmed, but they seem content where they are. The photo, also taken today, shows allot of growth but not like those chickens did.

Pigs 8-23-09 Making progress

As promised, we have new updated pics and information on the pigs.

We have, gone thru all but apx. 20# of the original 500# of feed purchased in July.

I go to the elevator and get another 500# tomorrow. They are currently eating at a rate of apx. 55.5# every 3 days. Since we were not convinced with the measuring tape method to figure out weight we are guestamating it. However.. the Wiggly, the female as well as the RUNT, is apx. 75# and Piggly, apx. 80-85#. Wiggly is catching up quickly.

There is a huge difference in body style as well. Piggly, is a very LONG bodied pig. Being part Landrace, they will often have an extra rib length. This is good for a few reasons.

will make apx 6" more length to loins, ribs, and bacon area. However, he is not a BEEFY boy.

He is rather lean, with allot of bone. So there are good and bad aspects to him.

Wiggly on the other hand, looks as tho she didn't get the extra rib genetics, she is much shorter and VERY stocky. She is wide and deep, with short fat hams and much smaller bone.

We will see what the final out come is at processing time.

As close as we can figure now, we will have less than $300 into feed and purchase of pigs.

We do have to deworm them soon. When they hit 100-125# we will hammer them with large doses of garlic and cayenne pepper. We are trying to keep all synthetic/man made drugs/meds. completely out of their system. The only thing thus far they have had is Iron shots when born.

I think if you compare the photos from earlier to the photos taken today, you will agree, they have definitely hit a growth spurt.

This week at WoodSpryte Farm "Reflections"

Photo of an Amish straw field... REFLECTIONS of days gone by...........
Taken by Tiffany Rich August, 2009.

August 22, 2009...

WOW.. where is the time going! Have been starting the canning "season". Did 2 rows worth of carrots. Robert (7) very much enjoyed REAPING THE HARVEST. Each carrot dug was like a personal achievement for him. If only we could all see thru the eyes of a 7 year old again! So much amazement to simple surroundings.. its just refreshing and I hope I never loose that feeling. Each day is total amazement. Beautiful sunrise's that graces our living room in the early morning, stretching its sleepy arms across the fog laden pasture illuminating the the livestock as they peacefully await the warmth of her embrace. or The brilliance of the orange sunset glowing upon the white wool of the sheep, as they eagerly devour the last of the days fresh greens, as the alpaca lay quietly upon the warm grass quietly enjoying the company of the sheep never far away. So... what do people in the city look at? Cement and sidewalks and smog, still makes me curious as to what people see in the confinement of city.

I have met a few new people, with similar interests. Its always fun and exciting and educational to meet new people with new ideas!

Chatted with some old new friends when I dropped off their delivery today. Was so nice seeing them. They are always full of energy and excitement.

I have started a new way of life.. well at least for a while. A little over 2 years ago I was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer. In September of 2007 had a hysterectomy. Feeling much better, but boy between the surgery, my ONLY daughter leaving home for the army, and the loss of my job, all within 2 week period, my metabolism went haywire.. or maybe should say it just plain went AWAY! went into surgery thin and 3 months later had gained 60#, despite what I do to loose. Then developed psoriasis of the scalp. Spent allot of time recently researching both. Treated the scalp with everything known to man with NO luck.. then started to read up on the garlic I love so much. VIOLA.. made garlic juice and scrub the areas once a day one time a week and its nearly healed up and gone! How is that for WOWING ya with the power of garlic. Began to eat a raw clove once a day as well, no wonder no one visits anymore. Decided to take it to the next step and do a total body detox and change my eating.

I did the detox starting last Sunday, did it for 1 1/2 days, then started a raw food diet. Feel great! RA is feeling much better, but boy am I tired of preparing 2 meals each nite.

Day 5 of the program, has been a positive influence, as I have actually LOST 8#. How exciting.. hoping I can keep it up for at least the 30 days.

I will attempt to get photos and information on the growth of the pigs and turkeys this weekend. We are pretty busy now preparing for winter. Its deworming time for everyone again, time to body score the sheep, and clean the clippers up for crutching.

The new ram and ewe will be joining the flock soon, and preparations for breeding in October are beginning. I am still washing this past springs fleeces, so that I can make the annual trip to Frankenmuth to Zellingers. If you have never been to Frankenmuth, it personally think it should be mandatory for everyone to see at least one time. The colors, smells and shapes are a beautiful site, at least once a year. We usually take a day and have dinner and "window shop".

I find it especially entrancing in the fall with the change of the leaves and the crispness in the air that carries all the sweet aromas thru out the town, and the clattering of freshly shod horse hooves upon the stone streets, and the beautiful lines of the husky carriage horses eagerly awaiting a pat on the neck from the passers by, or even better, the chance to share their view of the town from their highly polished carriages that they tow.

Hope you have enjoyed my "Reflections". If you have any to share please we would love to Reflect with you too..

Happenings..

August 13th, fall is quickly approaching.. I found myself becoming concerned yesterday as the leaves are falling ALREADY!
The pigs are growing rapidly. The turkeys are getting big and we got a second freezer. Preparation for the fall "Harvest" is under way.
I spent a good part of the day yesterday searching for "reasonably" priced garlic seed. Seems garlic is the thing to have! Most are selling for $18.00 a lb! How crazy is that!!!
I have decided to increase the garlic production on the farm. I LOVE garlic.. so took the plunge.
Hoping to plant around 500-1000 plants this year. We will be using MUCH of our organic fertalizer to add the the ground for the garlic. I am anxious for next harvest and the production of some garlic powder. We are also going to be using garlic to worm the livestock with.
Our SUMMER garden is progressing nicely. Not as well as I would like, but getting there. The ground needs work still, which will happen this fall when the hoop house comes down and the BIG daddy tiller comes out! We will also Increase the size of the garden as well.
We have been eating tomatoes since June.. a real treat, thanks to the hoop house. But they are starting to come on really strong now. Should have some to can in just a few days. Our cabbage are OUT OF CONTROL.. HUGE heads, 3 of the 6 are as big as basketballs! NO KIDDING!!
The onions are coming. some are small but have many that this fall will be wonderful. I will be drying many and making into onion powder for winter use. The leeks... not sure about them.
I did pull one early this week and eat it. Its not very big, but WOW.. talk about packing a punch! I suspect I will have many of them to dry as well. Soon we Will be able to set up our farm stand at the end of the drive.
We contacted a NEW butcher for the pigs. They are less expensive but not by allot. They are apx. .06 cents a lb less expensive to smoke the meat tho. They are in Ionia instead other side of Saranac so somewhat closer.
Well that is about all the HAPPENINGS on WoodSpryte Farm...
I am hoping to get a more accurate weighing on the pigs soon so will update when I do.

llama/alpaca/sheep beans for sale

We currently have large amounts of llama/alpaca and sheep pellets for sale. 99% of what you get will be llama/alpaca, but we do have some sheep so are bound to get some from time to time.
Being sold for $5.00 per bucket. let me know how much you want, and I will have it ready for you. Bring your own buckets or bags to transport in. This is a great price. If you look on the Internet you will find it for apx $40.00 for 10#. It does go a long way, but we have allot and its produced daily. LOL.. drop me an email with how much you want. Smaller packages are sold and can be shipped. Comes in a 1 gallon bag, and is labeled for use. cost is $5.00 a bag plus shipping.
still a good deal, but obviously the bucket is much better value.
We are located apx. 10 miles SW of Lansing, Michigan.
To place your order.. email me at totrllamas@yahoo.com

LLama Bean Information:

1.8 -1.4 -1.6
Llama Bean Fertilizer is an organic fertilizer and soil amendment consisting of processed llama manure. That's all. No chemical additives.
Naturally odor free, this product smells like dirt.
The benefits to your plants lie not only in the nutrients, but in the rich organic matter (soil amendments) which makes up the bulk of Llama Bean Fertilizer. This humus provides your soil with living earth.
The advantages of 'living earth' include:
~Supports living soil organisms
~Helps dissolve the mineral forms of nutrients from other fertilizers
~Improve water holding properties of soil
~Improves soil to provide aeration
~Protects soils from chemical imbalances
~Releases nutrients in rhythm with plant needs
We call it yogurt for your soil because it increases the viability of your soil, in much the same way that yogurt promotes good intestinal health.
Add approximately one cup of Llama Bean Fertilizer to 2 quarts of potting soil to enhance the vitality of your plants and soil. Use as a top dressing quarterly, to provide a continuous supply of 'living earth'.
The Chemical Analysis of Llama Bean Fertilizer:

Nitrogen =1.77% Phosphorus =1.43% Potassium= 1.56%Calcium 1.4% Magnesium .51% Sodium 652ppm