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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Day after - Christmas Breakfast

I had to chuckle. The children were delighted and happy with only two gallons of milk, a box of Rice Crispies and homemade cold cereal. The older children relished scrambled eggs and looked forward to having butter. I am actually dreading the grocery shopping. It has been a relief to stay home and concentrate on other household matters.

To answer a couple of questions - I buy ginger paste at the Indian market. There are now 5 Indian groceries in Omaha. All have great prices on spices, wheat, and different kinds of beans that I enjoy.

There is a recipe for cream cheese in the Junket box. I have had trouble with the cheese projects. There is another thing I will need to practice in the next three month's challenge. Basically a gallon of milk is heated to 65 degrees, inoculated with a buttermilk or yogurt culture, and rennet is added (1/4 tablet for soft cheeses and 1/2 or more for hard cheeses). It takes 8-12 hours for the curd to set then another 12-24 hours to drain and press the cheese. I look forward to learning how to make paneer (Indian cheese) from my neighbors. Tasty.

6 comments:

  1. I have so loved your blog. I'm going to miss hearing about your meal creativity and your children's reactions. Thanks so much for sharing this experience.

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  2. Citric acid (sour salt) is much easier to use for cheese making than rennet. I watched Rick Bayless on PBS use it to make ricotta cheese out of a gallon of milk in just a few short minutes. Sounds like it is alot easier and probably cheaper to use than rennet for soft cheeses. Might be worth it to do an internet search on making cheese with citric acid.

    In your list of wish items you mentioned boxed topping mix. If you dig a bit over at Prudent Homemaker she has a recipe to make whipped topping out of evaporated milk so that might be an option rather than having to store another item.

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  3. thank you Crystal and thank you for all the wonderful conversations that were started. I learned more than I ever could have at a one hour RS meeting. You are truly inspired and I cannot wait for May's challenge. I would love it if you post where you do your shopping in order to keep your budget in check. Thank you!!!!
    Marianne

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  4. a dessert recipe you might like:
    cherry pie filling (i used homemade from our cherry tree)
    crushed pinapple
    white cake box (you could make your own mix, I'm sure)

    Layer in order in 9x13pan. push dry cake mix into fruit. Cook until looking golden brown on top. (no eggs!!)

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  5. Crystal,

    I have some questions I would like to ask. Please e-mail me at dawn@apreparedhome.com.

    Thanks
    Dawn
    www.apreparedhome.com

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  6. When will start your next project? I'm on pins and needles waiting for that one. Or does your family want a break?

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