Making yogurt from raw goat's milk

I gave yogurt my first attempt and it turned out far better than I imagined.  It is very easy and similar to making chevre but without all the cultures and rennet. 

Here is how I made raw goat's milk yogurt. 

Ingredients

half gallon of raw goat milk

small container of plain yogurt (to use as a starter)

Heat the milk to 110*. 110* isn't very hot so keep an eye on it.

  While that is on the stove I washed out the jar and put 3 heaping tablespoons of plain yogurt in the bottom of the jar. 

Then fill the jar with the warm milk. Then stir, stir, stir!

Wrap it snug in a dish towel. This will keep it warm.

Turn on the light in the oven, just the light. Pop the jar in the oven and leave it there for 12-18 hours. 

I had  to head to work later so I put notes all over the oven. I didn't want cooked yogurt or a mess in the oven. These are the notes I use when making chevre so I just used them. When not using them I tape them to the inside of the cupboard. 

This is how it looked before refrigerating. 

I added honey from our hives and nuts to take to work. It was so good. 

I did have time on this day to meditate and play my flute outside. The great part of living in the country no one can hear how bad you sound. 

Looks like my playing startled Angelo my goat. 

Oh and I left my candle outside. Dude says I will be reading sideways for a while. 

Have a great day!

peace, health and happiness

Sunday Fun Day

Even though this our way of "relaxing" it was a fun day.

We started with a big breakfast after feeding the animals. Then Dude got his beef that has been marinating into the dehydrator.  But first I had to get the herbs out that I was drying. Parsley, lavendar and cilantro. Oh it smelled divine.

I did get some onion garlic cheese bread made too... Beautiful!

I did take time to do what I love ....  archery and...

Then the fun part of my day was when some friends that came over to work on 4H projects. It was so much fun! Their goal was to "decorate your duds".  They had already tie-dyed jeans...they looked fab. Our goal was to decorate t-shirts. The girls worked so hard and were willing to learn to sew. 

We did get the Christmas tree planted finally!  Thank goodness because it was sprouting pine cones. 

A girlfriend and I were talking the other day and we said on the homestead it feels like you are either weeding or cleaning  poop. Well, I weeded and Dude clean out the goat pens again today.  We had to put the goats in with the chickens while it was being cleaned. 

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Oh and last bit of news from the homestead, we have a broody hen. She is sitting on some eggs. Love to have baby chicks.

Time to check on the beef jerky and put away the bread. 

peace, health and happiness.

Gardens, Cardmaking, and Skeet-shoot

We worked a bit in the gardens today.  It has been a bit difficult this year but things are planted and tilled .  We are finishing up the last of the spinach in the greenhouse and new spinach and lettuce will be planted in other gardens tomorrow. 

                                             Onions

The sides came up on the greenhouse. 

Tomatoes

We are having a problem with the cats running up the sides of the greenhouse and sliding down the other side. (I have to admit it is funny and I hope to get a video of the doing it . Dude is not at all amused!)

Corn

Inside the greenhouse. 

Then headed off to meet friends to make cards. Time with friends is extremely important especially when you live so far from each other. 

Got home around 1pm, cleaned the house and put some finishing touches on some crocheting.

This one is made from scrap yarns and going in the car for cold winter days.  

This is a prayer shawl for my sister-in-law. It is nice a big to wrap around her. 

We later made it over for a potluck and skeet-shoot. It is always so much fun with a gracious hostess, Susanna and her family.  There is always plenty of good food and good friends. 

We did check in with their goats.  The brown and white ones were once Ethel's babies and on our homestead, Heidi and Two Socks.

Our friends also got new dwarf goats. They were very talkative and so funny to watch. They jumped around and did flips. 

And as always, fun to watch those who are competing in the skeet-shooting

Brings us to the end of our day. We made sure the animals are all in their homes and snug for the night. The eggs are brought in. 

Next up Dude is marinating meat for beef jerky and I am going to embroidery. 

Hope you had a great day. 

peace, health and happiness.