Bad, Bad Kitten!!!

Look what my cat did to my plant while I was gone!!!  A lot of thanks I get for trying to protect him from getting eaten by coyotes and foxes by keeping him inside!!  WHAT A BRAT!!!

Sometimes he is a little DEVIL in disguise!!

Recipe Club Tomorrow -- Look What I Made!!!!!!

FRESH MOZZARELLA!

Can you believe it???

Our theme this month is "cooking something out of your comfort zone". 

This SURE was!!!

Here was what you needed.

It took me THREE tries to get it right.  Finding the FRESHEST ...

RIGHT kind of milk is the key.

  After that, it only takes about 30 minutes to make. 

The first try, my milk wasn't fresh and it separated quickly,

causing the whey to come  off so fast that it

 became a dry, hard cheese.

In the next attempt ... the milk was fresher (from Colorado) but was TOO ultra-pasteurized.  The high temperature that they pasteurize it at, kills the good bacteria that enables a large curd to form.  As a result the curds were small and soft like cottage cheese -- but guess what?  That is how you make Ricotta Cheese!

The final try that worked the best was with fresh, "vat-pasteurized/non-homogenized" whole milk.  The milk was just brought into the store today and it's a brand that is pasteurized in a vat at lower temperatures. 

After you add the citrus acid and rennet, the curds were a lot bigger.  You pour off the "whey" and heat the curds in the microwave to warm them.  You then knead the warm curds into a nice shiny ball

 and plunge it into ice water so it stays round.

I can't wait to slice it and try it!

 

Kelsey's Off to BYU-Idaho!

Packing up the car and heading out! 

Made a stop in Kamas to spend the weekend before heading up to Rexburg, Idaho on Sunday night.  Kelsey could start moving in on Sept. 6th (Labor Day).  Decided to go to Swiss Days on Friday and to celebrate Jessica's 27th B-day on Saturday. My sister-in-law Koreen was up there visiting, also.

  Wish I would have taken more pics!!!

Didn't get any pictures of Jessica opening her new Heart Rate Monitor that we bought her for her B-day .... but somehow got pictures of things growing like they are "radioactive" in Grandma's yard.

A huge mushroom and a Praying-mantis that I had never seen before.

 

Jessica and Kelsey settling in at the hotel -- Kelsey was nauseous and nervous about moving and then boyfriend problems added to the drama.

Jessica tried to cheer her up the next morning by bringing her back a little

 "happy" continental breakfast!

Move-in Day!!!

Waiting in line to check-in and get her keys!

Her new home!!!

Her new "room" room-mate Amanda.  Lots of family there to help.

 Jessica was a big help!  Didn't get any pictures of the other 4 room-mates in her apartment or any pictures of the rest of her apartment. 

It was a CRAZY day -- to say the least!!!

She basically got things the way she wanted -- pretty shocking for a girl who has NEVER shared a room.  We had to go get sticky stuff to hang things on the walls.  MANY trips to Walmart and the grocery store.

Kelsey and Amanda

Getting check into I-Connect -- she is assigned to a group of about 4 apartments with girls and guys and they got to do all sorts of things.  Welcome breakfast, welcome BBQ, hiking, games, a danceand concert, and lots more before school started on Thursday.  Great idea so theycould at least meet some people right away.

Waiting in line at the bookstore.

Some pictures around campus.  Beautiful buildings, gardens and the Rexburg Temple close by.  The whole thing changes in winter -- we bought her new boots, coat and an umbrella!

Jessica had to go home and Kelsey and I went to an orientation in the big auditorium.  All the freshman went off into their I-Connect groups and the parents stayed for a question/answer session with the president of the college.

A whole new stage in life!!!

My last picture of her saying good-bye on the porch --

enough to tear a Mom's heart out! 

Talked to her tonight over a week later, and she and Amanda were cooking spaghetti for dinner!  They had gone bowling with their group over the weekend and had a bunch of people over to watch movies.  Seems like she is adjusting ... she will remember these times as some of the happiest in her life!!!