Thursday, July 24, 2008

Cheese Is Being Made

Two gallons of frozen sheep's milk was delivered to my cheese making sister yesterday. She's on vacation this week allegedly working on a school paper. She called today to let me know she had already started on the cheese, a Parmesan (spell check said to capitalize that) or something like that. I let her know I already had another gallon frozen and would soon have two more gallons to deliver. She'll probably make yogurt out of that (YUM!). What a difference having five milking ewes makes over just one from last year. And these aren't even real dairy sheep. Or diary sheep, as my sister kept calling them.

So far my plan has been working. That is, the plan where I let the lambs be with their moms during the night, and separate them during the day. I'm able to feed all the animals and milk Baby, the only one who is totally segregated, while my granddaughter is taking her short morning nap. Good thing I've gotten the animals used to being fed later in the morning (usually any time between 9 am and 11 am).

It's really not as bad as it may sound. I know they aren't near lambing or calving, but studies have shown that when the animals are pregnant and they are fed later in the morning, they tend to have their babies during the daylight hours. That makes it much easier for at least this one amateur farm girl, although I have been known to throw a blanket about my naked self and run out back to check the very pregnant girls during the wee hours of the morning. (Let's not all shudder at once.)

And so, without much else new to report at this time, I share with you the latest photos of the baby. She is here with her favorite baby, an unfortunately hideous doll that actually plays some sweet lullabies when you press on her chest. Her face glows red and as the lullaby ends the glow slowly fades.

I guess there's somebody for everybody.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, if everything turns out, you'll be able to enjoy Romano cheese in a few months. There's a little bet of ricotta, too.
And little one is totally enchanting! Love her smile : )
mt

Anonymous said...

I want a cheese making sister! You lucky duck!
I'd take one of those little girls too! She is darling!

Anonymous said...

Is cheese hard to make? Is it a long, involved process?

tina f. said...

Carol, it depends on the kind of cheese you make. My sister can answer better, but basically, mozzarella and feta (softer cheeses) are easier and take less time, like about a day to a week. The medium and hard cheeses take longer and are more involved, some taking several months to cure. I'm going to see if my sister can write up a little note about it and be my "guest blogger".