We just received a delivery of steel siding for our barn project, and the delivery man went crazy over our goats. He went right up to them and they were not scared. I guess they could tell that he grew up with goats. His mom started into milk goats when he was fourteen, following the advice of some who said his asthma would improve if he started drinking raw goat’s milk. (And it did.) He said they used to milk twelve to fifteen nanny goats twice a day. Boy, that’s a job! I keep up with three nannies. 
(Though by next year, I hope to have more.)
We started talking about cheese and how his mom and aunts would get together for cheesemaking days as soon as they had alot of milk built up. I suppose that wouldn’t take long with twelve to fifteen milkers! I wondered how it was possible to have that much cheese in the making in one kitchen, but he told me that his mom kept it simple. They didn’t use presses, just cheesecloth in big pots. His mom would twist up the top of the cheesecloth, with the curds inside, and squeeze, then let it sit, then come back and squeeze some more. No hooks, no molds. Just bags of cheese. It reminds me to take a step back and ask myself if there are areas in my kitchen that could benefit from simplicity. Perhaps some tools keep my kitchen from being simple.
He asked me, “You know what my mom used for the cheesecloth? The cloth from the old flour bags.” That sounds dreamy. Back when flour sacks were fabric. He said some of it had floral patterns, and his mom would make dresses for his sisters out of it. By the end of the conversation, I told him that I would like to meet his mom. That won’t be possible, as she’s in California, but still. I know I could learn alot.
I’m sharing this post in Fight Back Fridays! at FoodRenegade.
About Wardee Harmon
New: 
Two hard 'g's and stress the middle syllable. 
Wardee!
I enjoyed that so much! How neat!!
Thanks, Linda. I enjoyed it, too.
It really “woke” me up.
I love conversations like that. My husband’s co-worker is from the Caribbean and he said growing up, they kept a huge crock of vinegar and spices, and just threw in any veggies they had, and pulled them out for meals. He said it was the same vinegar and crock for 20 years.
Talk about simple fermented vegetable making! I am ready to take that step and start making and serving them, but I’m overwhelmed by what I think I ‘need’. That definitely helped me to get a better perspective on the simplicity of the project ahead of me as well!
Now I’m trying to get my husband to invite him over for supper one night so I can glean as much as possible from him. He’s afraid his co-worker would be bored.
.-= Sarah´s last blog post… Meal Plan Monday =-.
Very cool.
Sounds like a lady I’d like to meet too.
.-= Marg´s last blog post… The CSG (Household servants) =-.
I just got two dairy goats at the end of September and am LOVING it! We have one Nubian and one Saanan and they are just the sweetest things in the world. We’ve been milking the Nubian (well, I say we…it’s been me!) and her milk is so delicious – it is creamy and rich and just fabulous.
I have made cheese a few times myself and I have never used a mold – I just use cheesecloth and squeeze, like he said. It’s so good
– RFM
Loved this posting.
How interesting about the simplicity thought.
I’ve been having more and more thoughts along that line myself lately.
Our houses can become such clutter that it slows us down in accomplishing
what were doing because we end up having so many “things” to make life easier. In the end they don’t necessarily do that.
Like today! I fought my kitchenaid juicer / strainer attachment for making jelly. Had to take it apart several times to clean it before continuing on. It would have been simpler to just pour the apples / liquid into a pillow case / tie up / hang over a pot and go about my day with other projects while it dripped!
.-= Pamela´s last blog post… Fresh New Look……… =-.