On the mend

Ugh, it's not been a good week around here for me...I've been sick, and I don't do sick to well. *giggle* Poor DH has had to do my chores (the ones that couldn't be put off till I'm better anyway) and his own, as well as put up with me...which isn't always pleasant, especially when I'm sick. Course in a way it's better than when I'm at the stage I am now, and getting better but still not feeling real whippy and having to play catchup. I hate playing catchup especially when it involves cleaning...which backs up when I'm sick. DH is sweet and all...but tends to let dishes stack up (although he did send three loads through the dishwasher...but there was still a clutter when I walked in there this morning) and counters to be left dirty even more than I do, and I'm not great. Nothing is better at getting me in a bad mood, than staring at a cluttered kitchen that I have to clean, especially when I'm not really feeling to good yet.

I wish my headache would go away...that would help things out a bit. I have taken an Advil three days in a row already, and it looks like I'll have to have another today. I hate taking meds, so don't do it unless I just HAVE to, however if I am going to get more work done today I think I'm going to have to. *cry* I managed to get milk skimmed, the dishwasher unloaded and loaded, and a gallon of clabbor started, so maybe tomorrow I can make some cheese, but had to come sit down and rest before finishing cleaning the kitchen. DH did wash the pans so least I don't have that to do when I go back out there.

DH got this heavy cold/flu first, so he has been recovering too, but is a few days ahead of me. I felt it coming last weekend, but Sunday felt better than I did on Sat, so thought (stupidly) that I just wasn't going to have it as bad...so I started some milk clabbering on Sunday. *giggle* Since it hit me big time on Monday and was even worse on Tuesday DH had to make the cottage cheese on Tuesday...with me supervising so I didn't get my germs all over it.

It was the first time we made cottage cheese this way, (found how to do it here) and so we didn't really know what we were doing, but it turned out good. We didn't add cream to it, so we can use it on other things and have had it on potatoes so far...will have to try it other ways eventually...and someday I may even get around to making some homemade lasagna and using it in it...although with our milk supply getting low it may have to wait till we start getting more.

We also made our first cream cheese this week! I had found this post here, last week, but hadn't gotten around to trying it, so since we had some yogurt sitting in the fridge that needed used, I had DH help me get it started yesterday. I took it out of the cloth this morning and had to get a photo. I did whip it up a little with the spoon before I took the photo, so it doesn't look like the store bought stuff, that has the texture of the wrapper it's in...but this did have the towel texture on it, before I whipped it, so it is kinda like the store bought stuff, although maybe a bit tangier. Now if only I could think of something to make with it! *giggle* I just wanted to try it, before we didn't have milk to play with...but didn't really have anything in mind to use it for. Maybe I'll think of something before it goes bad. :)

I'm always so excited to find that I can make my own things from scratch, instead of buying them!! If I had some heavy cream (need to use the cream separator for that though, and don't have enough milk to make it worth using right now) I'd make either cheese cake, or frozen fruit salad with the cream cheese...but since I don't I need to find a recipe that just needs cream cheese, and not whipping cream to. Hmmmm the only thing I can think of right now, is cream cheese frosting....which is good on carrot cake, but have no desire to make carrot cake now. *giggle* It's a lot of work, and I don't feel THAT good yet! Let me know if you have any ideas for me!

I did put a cup of the little heaver cream into a pint jar this morning when I was skimming the milk, and started some sour cream (like is talked about here). Maybe tomorrow we will see how that turned out. Getting that clabbored milk to finally take has really opened up some options for me...even if I did have to cheat and use cultured buttermilk from the store to get it started (although if we are getting any milk this summer, I plan on trying it from scratch again once it is warmer here).

I'm so excited now about getting another cow (if we can ever find one we can afford that is...DH did hear of one that is just over what I wanted to pay this morning, so who knows, maybe I'll have to come up with a little more money. I am a major cheap skate after all, so know what he is asking for the cow is a good price...just more than I wanted to spend.) or having Mabel pick up on her milking...either would work to get me more milk! *giggle* I am enjoying playing with milk far to much lately. The number of things you can make with it is wonderful, and with it being Raw Milk, it's so much better for you too. It's just to bad I didn't figure out to get cultured buttermilk before now (or clabbored milk which I think is pretty much the same thing...depending on what website you read), so I could have played with clabbored milk, when Mabel was giving a little more than she is now. It's so fun...to me anyway. Course then again, I AM kinda odd. *snicker*

Ok, better get off here gotta find something for lunch (kinda late), then I need to try to finish cleaning the kitchen at least, and finish the laundry. Maybe once I stop having these headaches from this cold I can scrap...Blushbutter has a new kit out I want to play with here...although, next week is looking a bit full...so we will see. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend, I think if I'm feeling ok, I'll be busy tomorrow so won't get another post written, this posting once a week thing has got to change! LOL

***Quick update***

I went out to clean and DH had done more than I thought while I was resting, the counters were pretty clean (bout as good as I would do anyway *giggle*) and all I had to do was put the dishes that were stacked in the drainer drying, away!! *yippee!! LOL I do have a sweet SWEET Man and am so blessed!! Thanks so much Dear!! :)