Chickylou...Self-Sufficient Spring/Summer Project

[chickylou]

Oh! I realized how unedited my LONG post was.

I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and I've been on painkillers so I was too lazy to reread everything. My kids would get after me for that one! I'm always on their cases about reading their work carefully for editing purposes.

We'll we have 6 blessings! That's why we hide out in the bathroom sometimes. Actually, they are growing to be quite helpful and responsible, but I have found that homeschooling is 24/7 and then I'm still feeding my baby so he's got me ALL NIGHT LONG.

Learning to be patient with interruption...that's my biggest work in progress!

OH! Thank you for the info. I'll take a peek at Easy Garden and the Country Know How book looks extremely interesting.

Thanks for your patience in reading my LONG post.

 

[chickylou]

Here is step one toward self-sufficient milk!

These are our two "soon to be" Nigerian milking goats. We will bring them home after the pool-pen is cleaned out. We are almost there!

I'll be given a milking lesson and they'll be trimmed and I'll also get the milking stool to go with them.

This is Buttercup!

This is Petunia!


Now, if I could just get over the wisdom tooth extraction pain! Today my cheek is blown up like a balloon.

Our kids are flexible and they can't wait to have goats milk and learn to make cheese and hand soap. This will be a REAL learning time for all of us.

 

[Beekissed]

Beautiful goats!!! Looks like you will have plenty of milk from those two! Get a pic of the first milking session, will ya? Its all soooo interesting!

 

[chickylou]

Hi all,

I posted this on the chicken board, but thought I'd add to my journal.

As of today, I have made 2 custard yogurts from our goat's milk and I'm refining my recipes. My children are loving it!

I also made my first "Queso Blanco" which doesn't require a whole lot of experience and my kids ate it with muy buen gusto!

Well, we don't know if it will work, but the logistics are there for a pretty cheap (Menards 10 minute run) Homemade Cheese Press. I'm ready to make my first "pressed" cheeese with my Nigerian doe's goat milk. So far we have already accomplished what I thought would be impossible: yogurt and queso blanco (pretty easy, actually, but our first homemade cheese). Especially from a suburbanite, backyard wanna be homesteader.

Now I want to make Muenster cheese with our goat milk, but we didn't have a cheese press. We also don't want to invest another $75 or more dollars in getting one which may or may not include shipping and handling. So, we invented our own. We will try it out tomorrow and I'll post pictures of the finished product. But for now and for all you resourceful creative types, we thought you might like to take a look at it.

Total cost: $25- $38 depending on what you already have at home.

Now! Off to make the CHEESE! (tomorrow...after my cup of coffee)

Sincerely,

Chickylou

 

[freemotion]

Cool! I need to make a press. And your goatie girls are SOOOO cute!

You might be able to put a bathroom-type scale under your press so you can monitor pressure, too.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Oh your goats are adorable!!!

I like how you made your press! I hope it works out great for your cheese making! Let us know!!

 

[TanksHill]

Wow, You sure are jumping in with both feet. I am really impressed with the goats. I really want a couple but have not yet committed. Keep us updated!!