Heart, Hands, Home: Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

Check this out.  I think i am going to try this with some whole milk from Shatto Dairy, but will probably have to make a trip to Trails End Trading Post bulk food store in Cameron  first to get some of the other ingredients.

Click on the link below--she has great step by step directions with lots of pictures.  It looks very very easy to make.  Would make a good 4H project as well!!

Heart, Hands, Home: Homemade Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make, it only takes 30 minutes and the taste can't be beat! The ingredients are simple althoug...

OK--to add to this, If you use Junket Rennet--adjust your recipe:::

I used Junket Rennet tablets, and if you use those, don't get discouraged waiting for the batch to curd as Junket tablets have significantly less rennet concentration than other brands..  You have to use double the rennet (1/2 tab) and wait 1-2 HOURS before it will curd. Just keep the lid on your pan and don't touch it or cook it when you get to that stage. You also have to cook it on the cooktop at 108 degrees for 35 minutes after it curds.

Our Easter

We have a nice Easter, and hopefully you did too. Friday night we went to church for our annual Passover dinner. The dinner had the highest attendance so far. The dinner follows the Old Testament traditional Passover and is very informative as to the hows and whys of Passover.

Sunday morning we were up at 5:30 to be to church at 6:30 for an outdoor Sunrise Service. After the service, we had a carry in breakfast, followed by our usual Sunday School and church.

Sunday afternoon I took the twins to Shatto Dairy in Osborn MO. Every Easter they have a large outdoor egg hunt, and let people tour the barns and visit with the new spring calve, and peek into the bottling plant and the cheese room. As we were leaving Shatto, it began to cloud over and started to sprinkle. Shortly after we got home, we had hail and the wind picked up and the rain started. It didn't last too long however, and we were able to grill out. My mother in law and sister in law joined us for dinner.

Easter egg hunt at Shatto

On April 4th, you and your family are invited to the 6th
Annual Easter Egg Hunt. This free event is one you
and your family will not want to miss. Last year we had
more than 400 participants in this fun event, and hope
to get an even bigger crowd this year. The Easter Egg
Hunt starts promptly at 2:30 p.m. Kids of all ages are
welcome. There will be three areas divided by age,
one for children ages 4 and under, another for ages 5
to 7, and a third area for kids ages 8 and older. Prizes
will be awarded to those children that find the “special
eggs”.
There is no charge for this fun event and we suggest
participants arrive 20 minutes before the event, so
everyone has time to check in, find their line and get
ready to go! If the weather is iffy, we encourage folks
to check our Facebook site as we will have up to date
information on the status of the event.
Peter, the Easter Rabbit, will be present, so bring your
cameras and have your child's picture taken with him
and a Shatto Milk Company Cow. Your family can
cherish this for years to come.
If you have any questions or would like more
information about this or any other event, please
contact us via phone at (816) 930-3862.

http://shattomilk.com/newsletter/March_2010.pdf

We survived the zoo

Today JD and I took 8 kids to the Kansas City zoo. It took 2 vehicles to haul everyone. We took 2 strollers and that was a big help. We had the 2 babies in one, and the food in the other. The kids had blast. It was a little on the crowded side, since it was $2 day, but it was a well behaved crowd. The weather was good, but a little on the hot side after lunch. The morning was overcast, with no rain so that helped. We walked and walked and walked. We should all sleep well tonight. The kids took a swim in the pond when we got home to cool off. I know for a few years it seemed the zoo was getting a "tired" look, but it was clean and had several exhibits that were not there the last time I visited, which was in 1998.

We took a lot of animal pictures which we will print off and work into our animal books. Some were animals we already studied, but we came across a lot of new ones as well.

Tonight we are making home made ice cream, butter and having BBQ chicken wings (from JD's grilling) and watermelon. Earlier this week we got a gallon of cream from Shatto Dairy in Osborn. The kids were all excited to make the ice cream and butter, but no one wanted to crank. So, we replaced the old Daisy for the night with the Kitchen Aide mixer for the butter and are using an electric ice cream freezer.

"Week of the Cousins"

No, its not a new horror film (not yet anyway)...This is the week that we have the cousins who are all around the same age as our younger 3 girls come and spend a week at our farm. Our week started yesterday.

Yesterday was our annual Shinabarger Espey family reunion in Maryville MO. We had a smaller number than usual, as one was in the hospital, one was with her sister and some went to bike week in Sturgis. But still, there was plenty of good food and visiting. My parents and my brothers family went up several days earlier and camped at Lake Monzingo. The first night that they had the tent up, and huge storm came through and they split up and ended up in the RV with my parents and part in a vehicle for the rest of the night. Typical camping... After the reunion we brought back a suburban full of kids. So, for the week, we have 2 4th graders, 2 5th graders and 2 th graders.

Today we went to the Shatto Milk Dairy in Osborn MO. If you haven't been there, homeschooler or not, I recommend you go visit. If you call ahead, you can arrange a tour. From their store/gift shop they have windows where you can stand and watch them bottle the milk and make cheese. While we were there, they were bottling strawberry milk. (We looked for the pink cows when we left, but didn't see any). We bought some cream and some chocolate milk and strawberry milk. Wednesday we plan on making ice cream and butter with the cream (after we get home from the zoo).

After we visited the dairy, we stopped by the conservation area that is just off of hwy 33. They have several ponds there which are fish and release ponds. The kids had fun exploring the ponds and finding fish in the water. Of course part of the fun was seeing how much noise they could make while stopping on the metal dock.

On the way home we stopped by one of our local cemetaries and visited the grave of Plattsburgs claim to fame--the president for one day, David Rice Atchison.

So far, the most drama this week has been a lost hair brush and lost rubber bands for braces. But, both were found (Yes the bands are on the braces now!!!)

JD has mowed around the swimming pond and around the fishing pond. The girls have gone swimming twice now and Sam helped JD dig some post holes. Later this week they plan to move my new chicken coop and then set up the fence post-(weather providing). Since Sam is the only boy, he and JD are pals this week. Later this evening they plan to go fishing.

Shatto Dairy announces Family Day at the Farm

Regardless if you are a homeschooling family or not, your family will love Shatto Dairy outside of Osborn MO. It is a locally owned dairy that still bottles their milk in glass bottles. We enjoy their milk and buy cream from them to make our own butter.

This year their "Family Day at the Farm" will be on June 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy a free lunch (while they last), pet and milk cows, tour the farm and bottling plant, take a hayride, enjoy samples and play games.

Each month the Shatto Dairy puts out a "moosletter". You can subscribe to it by going to their website: http://www.shattomilkcompany.com/


Afterwards, while you are still in the area, come to Plattsburg for the Clinton County 4H small animal show.