A Birthday and some Work

We have been working almost non-stop for the past month or so, so thankfully, for Emily's 4th birthday, we decided to take a couple of days rest.
The following pictures were taken by a family friend almost 2 years ago when he stopped in to visit, and it just so happened to be on a cheese make day. This was when Al and I were being taught by my mother-in-law. So, I thought I'd share a couple of them. We're really excited about having some pictures, and I'm working on a scrapbook featuring our farm and cheese. This is very helpful at the farm markets.

Dixie & Renae putting curds in what is called the "moulds".

This will form the curds into the wheel later on during the press time.

Renae & Al stirring, lots of stirring.

On May 23, Miss Emily turned 4 years old, and announced that morning to her dad that she was now "mature". Hmmm..yeah, sure! She had a very nice birthday, we lit a bonfire that evening and had some family over for some hotdogs and marshmallows. Yum! Then we moved on to cake and ice cream. She picked out Black Raspberry, which I have to say I had never tasted and it's delicous! She picked it out because the ice cream was purple.

Emily in her birthday dress
right before going to church.

Emily and her birthday cake.

Celebrating being 4!

The birthday was a wonderful chance for us to "slow down" a bit. Took the evening to sit back and have a nice visit with Al's brother, his wife, her brother and niece.

We've been doing our best to make as much cheese as we can right now. We have so much milk, and a lot of rain. We have 14 of the cheese moulds, and really could stand to have about 4 more, but after pricing them, I'm afraid we'll just have to wait until we have a bit more $$. We're averaging about 150 lbs. of cheese each make. That's a wonderful yield!

I'm still doing 2 farm markets, which is like running a marathon around here! Although I think I will be doing the Cambridge market every other week, due to the upcoming haymaking schedule.

I actually have a slow day today! Yay! We did have an interview for a local newspaper earlier, and we'll be doing milk testing on the cows tonight. That's a slow day. I took time and made a nice lunch, which I will post the recipe in the "Recipe of the Week" section. And we rested for about 1/2 hour. Emily and I took a short walk to pick some of the purple flowers along our road, but didn't take too long because it is so HOT! And it sounds as if another thunderstorm is coming through.

I think I will now go and put the batteries in Emily's Lucky Duck game she got for her birthday and play for awhile with her.

Being so busy makes me really appreciate the days I can take it slow.

My idea of taking it slow tonight will be:

enjoying the thunderstorms, I LOVE THEM!!

Playing a game with Emily

picking out what I can fix for our dinner tomorrow.

Helping Al in the barn tonight, yes that is relaxing today for me! We turn on the radio and Emily rides her tricycle and Al and I chat while we work.

Our First Cookout of 2009

We had our first cookout for the year. You know that spring/summer is here when you can eat unhealthy food out on an open fire and enjoy it! We had some junk wood and crates that needed to be burnt and clean up the yard, so one evening after we milked the cows we decided to have a fire and cook some hot dogs and marshmallows. Mmmmmm... Emily is patiently (sort of) waiting for the fire to die down a bit so we can roast the marshmallows.

She skipped the hot dogs and went for the good stuff first!

Emily is not sure about this fire stuff!

The goodies!!!


The fire. We had to wait for a good while
before we could even get close enough to
roast the hot dogs.

Emily was nice and warm, even that far from the fire.

Now that spring is here in full force, I've been running in circles, and feeling like I have not accomplished anything. But, it seems that some things are getting done. We are going to be making our 8th batch of cheese this Friday, and the amount of milk we've been getting from our cows to make just one batch of cheese has been amazing! Yesterday we started out with 1300 lbs. of milk, and made 154 lbs. of cheese, which is a really good yield. I've been looking through some of our books of recipes and would love to try my hand at doing another cheese. Of course, we can't seem to keep up with the cheeses we do make, but it's just me wanting to have another challenge! I have looked into putting a cookbook together, and have started testing some recipes with our cheeses, and have put together some of my own recipes. I'm hoping in the next year or so to have cookbooks available. It seems a little overwhelming to even think about doing something like that. I don't know why, it's just something different to do.

Along with making a batch or two of cheese each week, I am taking in 2 farm markets. Both are wonderful! Cambridge market is outside, and wouldn't you know, it's rained for both weeks so far. I won't be going there this Friday, since we'll be making cheese. I will have to take my camera one of these weeks that I go, the courthouse and area in front of it is beautiful! Now that I have a new memory card and fresh batteries for my camera, I'm armed and dangerous! ha!

We almost acquired a beef heifer yesterday. Herd an animal mooing out in the field with our cattle, but it didn't sound like any of our girls. One of our neighbors had a heifer get loose. He just bought a group this past weekend, and they are as nervous as can be! It took two halters and two men (Al and our neighbor) to load her up and take her back over to our neighbors place. He had her by herself, the fellas at the stock yard told him to do that, but most cows that I know hate to be alone, and will look for a way out so they can find friends. And she found our cows, and was pretty content too. He turned her in with other cows this time around, so I think she'll be fine now. She seemed happy to be home, started munching on some grass right away. We ended up getting one of those self-standing basketball hoops (is that what they are called?) out of it. Worked out ok, now Emily can shoot some hoops.

Happy late Mother's Day to all mom's. I'm late at wishing that. Heaven help me this past week was my week to be "late" at everything. I still have to mail my dad's birthday present out tomorrow. His birthday was last week. I feel like a bad daughter. :P Need to mail out the Mother's day card to my mom, but I did call her, so...that is good, right? My Aunt's birthday was last week, and my nephews birthday on the same day too. Will be mailing those cards out.

I used to be the one in the family that sent a card, even to those who were always wondering why. Now I just plain stink at keeping up with it all!! If folks would have their birthdays in the winter, I will do just fine...I'm not so frazzled at that time.

You know you live in a small town when they close of the main section of street for a funeral. The owner of a local towing company, and I believe he was on the fire dept. also, passed away. We had to run to town for a "quick" errand. There was 2 fire trucks parked on both sides of the main street with their ladders up high and crossed over each other, with an American Flag hanging in the middle, 2 of the big tow trucks were parked on up from there. People were parking wherever they could. The bad part was, they had to detour the semi-trucks through the narrow back streets. One poor trucker ended up stuck on a turn that he could not get around. It's a turn that is difficult in a small car. But, that's small town life. Gotta love it! Soon, the streets will be closed off for the towns Alumni weekend. They set up concession stands, and have all kinds of specials going on in all the small stores. I met a fairly well known photographer who had worked for the Columbus dispatch, and had taken several popular photographs of various ball players. So that was really cool. That's been a few years ago.

Now I am off to continue the vicious cycle of LAUNDRY! When I do finally get a day that we're not doing anything much cheese related, it's time for laundry and dishes. For some reason they multiply when I'm not in the house.

Monkey Cookies & Some Other Odd and Ends

I've started letting Emily pick out one recipe each week before I go grocery shopping that she would like to make. The children's recipe books from Gooseberry Patch ( www.gooseberrypatch.com ) have some really neat stuff that kids love and easy enough for them to help out too! For our first week of doing this, she picked out Monkey Lollipops. Well, our creation did not become a lollipop, but a cookie instead. I couldn't get the silly lollipop sticks to, well, stick in the rice crispy part like the recipe said. My job was making the rice crispy treat part, attaching the ears and face (with chocloate frosting). Emily stuck the eyes and nose on with the frosting, and made the mouth. It was messy but fun!

Last Sunday we stopped at the pet store. Emily thinks of it as a zoo! She likes the lizards and spiders and snakes. Thankfully, we came home with a hamster, that isn't creepy! She took the money that her goat sold for, and decided to get a hamster with a nice cage, food and bedding. So Princess has now been Emily's pet for a week, and they seem to really like each other. Each evening we put Princess in her run around ball, and she just runs all over the place and Emily has fun running with her.

I have my garden spot all tilled up and waiting. I'm waiting for a few weeks before I really plant much, because we have killing frosts clear into early June. It's a small garden, but that is just fine this year since I have so much going on. Our asparagus is just now poking through the ground. I like to steam it, and just put a little bit of butter or cheese on it. Mmm...

It's a beautiful day today, with a nice breeze. I'm going to do up some laundry, hang them out to dry, save some electric, and have nice smelling blankets to tuck in with tonight.

I lost a week..

Where did this past week go?!? Oh, now I remember, my week went by in a daze because I was taking some Vicadin and seemed to sleep the week away. I had my appointment with the oral surgeon on Monday, funny, I didn't even meet him, so I suppose the dr. is the one who took out my wisdom teeth. I remember them putting the IV in my arm, then suddenly I felt really dizzy and weird. I do remember chatting it up with the nurse, I hope they ignore what is said when a patient is drugged up. I remember waking up, sort of, again, I was chatting up a storm. I have no idea what about. Of course, it probably couldn't be understood since my face was swollen and I looked like a chipmunk. It took us about 2 hours to get to our hometown where I could get my pain med. prescription filled. That was a long 2 hours on the road. The nurse told Al that I was supposed to eat, I did not want to eat. Not at all. I do remember Emily wanted to go inside at the McDonald's because they had a play area, I didn't feel up to that either. The trip home was a bit foggy.
The rest of this week has been a bit here and there, since I've been taking the pain meds. every 4-6 hours. They zonk me out! Al has been taking Emily with him as much as possible. When she stayed with me, she would hang out in my room and somehow we ended up having all of her stuffed toys, a baby doll stroller (which by the way, smacked me in the jaw a couple of times) and all of her blankets. I remember her using my arm as a cave for a teddy bear, or at least I think that's what she was chatting about. I also noticed that Vicadin makes a person have some really odd dreams. Wow... what a week. Glad it's over.
I did miss the Ohio Proud meeting today, and was disappointed about that. But, I was still groggy today and don't think I could have made the 3 hour drive, plus sit at that long of a meeting and face 3 hours driving home. I hope to make the next one. I've made myself take only Motrin today, that way I don't have the weird foggy thing going on.
Tomorrow we're planning on going to New Concord to visit a store that handles our cheeses. They are having their Grand Opening celebration. www.buttonwoodmarket.com If you are in that area of Ohio, stop over, from what I've heard, she handles some really good stuff. And our cheese!
Saturday, I'm planning on being at Marietta farm market, bruised face and all. We're having a customer appreciation breakfast planned, so anyone stopping in is welcome to a bite to eat, all it costs is a donation. www.rivercityfarmersmarket.org And the weather is going to be beautiful! Sunny and warm. We've already opened the big doors to the building, and have vendors lined up inside and outside.
We got our issue of the newspaper today, and we're featured in it! We dropped off one of our brochures that was issued by American Dairy Assoc. and the local paper made a note of it in this weeks issue.
That's pretty much the happenings around here, that I can remember anyway!!
No cheese made this week, which is a good thing, because I would have messed that up considering where my head has been. But, I did finish up last weeks batch, it had to be taken out of the brine (salt water), dried and coated. I still need to coat the other side of each wheel later tonight. Tomorrow I will be packing for Saturday's market. Our packages of cheese look pretty cool with the "Ohio Proud" logo stickers on them!

Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung, and with it comes work, and a lot of it! I should have enjoyed the winter rest a little more, but I suppose being indoors all winter gets a little boring.

The cows are out on pasture and they seem to be so happy and content. They are coming up on milk fast too. We've had several more freshen (calve), and that adds to the bulk tank. Unfortunately, it's been mostly bull calves born, we really need more heifers.

It's been such a hectic week here. Monday we made a batch of cheese, and things went fairly well, until the hot water heaters decided to stop heating water for us. We use the hot water to circulate through coils in the vat to heat the curds and whey to cook it. Thankfully, we squeezed the last bit of hot water out of those tanks to just get it cooked to the correct temperature. But, that was 12 wheels of cheese added to our cooler.
Tuesday I spent the afternoon washing up, after we went to town to pick up our taxbooks from our accountant.
We've recently been featured in a brochure that was put together by the American Dairy Association (www.drink-milk.com ), that has been exciting, and customers at the farm market have enjoyed getting their copies. (We ended up with close to 4oo of them to hand out).
I spent yesterday morning in Zanesville at the oral surgeon's office. I'm scheduled to have 3 wisdom teeth out on Monday. Ick.... Thankfully it's at a time that Al is able to drive me home. I'll be driving over since my blood pressure is supposed to be normal, and his driving makes me nervous! And, I know where the place is at, only after going around the block about 3 times.
We made another batch of cheese today, that makes 2 for the week, which is enough to wear me out! It looks like we've made about 250 lbs. of cheese this week. I won't know exactly until later. The wheels are still in the press until about 10 ish... Was hoping to be done sooner, but that's just how it goes this time of year. I won't clean up until tomorrow afternoon, after the farm market, and before I mow yard. If I let it grow anymore we'll have to just make hay from the yard!
Our first baby chick hatched out today. I'll have to get some pics of it, it's a cutie! I had an old hen wanting to sit, so I figured I'd put some eggs under her and see if we could get some babies to come out. Out of six eggs, so far one showed up, hoping to see the rest pop out soon. The hen is such a good mama hen. She growls and clucks at anything that gets close to that little baby.
We are also proud to announce that we are now members of Ohio Proud. www.ohioproud.org We are so excited about this. We've thought about doing it for about a year now, and finally decided to sign up this month. So many benefits to being a member. A lot of marketing material and promotional stuff. I'm planning on going to a meeting on Thursday near Columbus. Seems I'm getting A LOT of travel time in lately.
On Friday we're planning on going to the Grand Opening celebration of a new specialty store. They handle our cheese, and this will be our first visit to their store.
So, since spring has sprung, the work has picked up along with other things going on. I guess it's good, but I'm sure tired right now. Will be glad to put this batch of cheese "to bed" and tuck in myself. Will be heading to Marietta around 6:30 in the morning...night night...

The Church In The Wildwood

There's a church in the valley by the wild wood.

No lovelier spot in the dale; No place is so dear to my childhood

As the little brown church in the vale.

That is an old hymn we sang often at the little country church that I grew up in. And for some reason, when Easter and spring roll around that song and my memories take me back to that dear little church. I woke up the other morning with that song in my head, and before long, I was singing it. And I've been humming it for a few days now. In fact I went and looked it up in our old hymn book and refreshed my memory of the rest of the words.

My dear grandma saw to it that I went to church. I didn't realize at the time, but she was making sure that my faith, even as a little child was well established. I honestly believe if it had not been for her, and my roots starting back in that little church, I would not have the faith that I feel so strongly now in life. It has seen me through so many difficulties.

The church attendance was down quite a bit when I was a child, so many members had passed away, or married and moved, or just lost interest in such a quiet, "boring" service. I admit, I didn't understand most sermons, or hymns that we sang, but I always felt so comfortable and welcome there.

Oh, come to the church in the wildwood,

To the trees where the wildflowers bloom;

Where the parting hymn will be chanted,

We will weep by the side of the tomb.

My grandma and grandpa both are buried in the cemetery. I also remember having our Easter egg hunts in the cemetery. Amazing how many good hiding places that can be found around grave stones. There are many civil war veterans buried there. I found the dates on the stones very interesting, so that is probably why genealogy interests me. I think the funniest moment that occured during church service was when the black snake fell out of the ceiling. Oh my!! That sure did liven things up a bit! One poor lady stood up and hollered "It's the Devil!" As a kid, that was fun!

How sweet on a clear Sabbath morning,

To list to the clear ringing bell;

It's tones so sweetly are calling,

Oh come to the church in the vale.

When I reached a certain age, my job, along with another girl that was about my age, was to ring the bell. Which was a fun job for a couple of ornery girls. Pull that old rough rope down with all our might, and we'd soon be lifted up, up and up. Seemed very high, but looking back, it was probably because we were not that big yet. I always loved to hear that sound of the bell ringing, loud and clear, as if waking up the morning to let it know that Sunday had arrived. I also had the job of passing out the program for the service. I felt so important handing them down the pews, just as I had seen it done.

From the church in the valley by the wildwood,

When day fades away into night,

I would fain from this spot of my childhood

Wing on my way to the mansions of light.

Pastor Conrad O'Diem was a minister that I loved dearly. He was a German immigrant, and came to America and didn't know English. He was self taught. I don't remember a time that he didn't come through the church doors (they were the old swinging type), saying "Good Morning! Isn't it a beautiful morning??" He would say that no matter the weather. He was also a farmer, which made some sermons a lot of fun to try to follow. Somehow we would end up in the hayfield, or talking about "little yellow fuzzy things" that a mama chicken hatched out, but they were not chicks.. maybe ducklings, or baby turkeys. He has since passed away, I think about 15 years ago. Not sure. He sure was a happy man though.

I feel blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful little country church and be raised around some good, country folks who worked hard, and did their best to take care of each other. That little church is still there, meeting each Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Pleasant Hill Methodist, Logan, OH is still a wonderful place I like to go every now and then for some wonderful memories of my childhood.

Hope everyone has a very blessed Easter. Remember the reason why we observe the day, not because of the Easter bunny, as fun as that little fairy tale may be.

Daffodil Time

Our daffodils have bloomed, and are probably sorry for it too! It snowed today. Once we come to the first day of spring, I'd rather not see snow until maybe November or December. I'm in Easter/spring mode, not Christmas/ Jingle Bell mode.

We took Emily to our back hayfield. It is the one farthest from the house, so we took our truck and drove around the road to our back entrance to the field. Thankfully we have 4-wheel drive, it was muddy! It was so warm that day, almost 70 and sunny.

We finally bit the bullet and bought a used-but-new-to-us truck. It is a nice one, for a Ford. haha.. I've always been a Chevy person, but I figure if it runs, how can I complain? And it is an automatic, so I can drive it, with an extended cab. Al had been in love with it from the time our local dealer got it in. You know how you're not really supposed to let the dealer know how badly you want a vehicle? Well, I don't think Al followed that rule very well!! LOL

Hoping to do our 3rd batch of cheese this Thursday, but that will depend on how cold it will be! We have to keep the make room warm, but don't want to have the furnace on during make. So, the day should be fairly comfortable to plan on that day. If not, Monday will do just fine. I'm already picking up goodies to put in gift baskets this Christmas, and I already have some ideas about 4th of July this year too. I BBQ gift basket with cheese would do good for those cookouts this summer!