This is the life...

[Melissa]

Got my wood cookstove going with a big pot of potato soup simmering on it, bread is raising, made a batch of cheese this morning. The house is warm and cozy, can't complain about any of that now can I!?!?!?

[Nette]

Mmmm, sounds nice! Have you posted your cheese method/recipe before?

[DocM]

Originally Posted by Melissa

Got my wood cookstove going with a big pot of potato soup simmering on it, bread is raising, made a batch of cheese this morning. The house is warm and cozy, can't complain about any of that now can I!?!?!?

Sounds lovely - enjoy it while it lasts... heh heh

So, do you use bacon in your potato soup?

[Lilandra]

hope your day continues to be a good one!

[nduetime]

I sure miss the smell of a wood stove.

[Reptyle]

Anyone have a good potato soup recipe while we're on the subject?

[Melissa]

No, I don't think I have posted my recipe. I have only been making cheese for about 1 1/2 months. Some have turned out great, others not so great, but even the bad ones aren't too bad.

I use the rennet tablets and culture the milk with buttermilk or yogurt. I use two gallons of milk, two cups of buttermilk or yogurt, and heat it very slowly to 85 degrees. Then add the two rennet tablets which have been previously dissolved in 1/2 cup of cold water. Let it sit until you get a clean break-varies for me from 1/2 hour to one hour. Then I cut it and bring it up to 100 degrees.

Let it sit for an hour or so sometimes more-because I get busy- then strain it through my fine collander. I use my fingers to shred it into little pieces adding about 1 1/2 tsp of salt and sometimes some herbs. We really liked the dried onion and chives. I have tried garlic and dried tomatoes, plain garlic, I still want to do one with Italian herbs, and one with dried basil and garlic (when I get my basil dried that is!)

Then I press it out. I made my own press using a stainless steel utensil holder that I drilled holes into. I line it with cheese-cloth, drop the curds in and place my follower over it. For weight I use a tomato juice can filled with nuts and bolts, which is about 8 pounds. It is supposed to be 10 pounds, but the eight pounds seem to work. Flip if every thirty minutes for the first few hours, then leave it sit overnight.

The next day I dip it into boiling water and smooth it over, then wrap it in cloth, I used a cotton sheet cut into squares. I boil these too. Leave it in the fridge for a week or so at which point you can eat it, or dip it in wax and store it for a few months. I have three wheels storing in my fruit cellar. I have two wheels we are ready to cut and try whenever Roy gets time to come over, because he gets half of what I make.

[patnewmex]

There are many, many days I wish I could be at home doing my thing. But alas, I must work for a living until Hubby is out of school, and then, even after he graduates, until I'm 65. This is one of those days I HATE being a grunt at work. That's pretty rare.

Be happy with where you are, I totally envy you!

[Melissa]

Originally Posted by DocM

Sounds lovely - enjoy it while it lasts... heh heh

So, do you use bacon in your potato soup?

Sometimes I use bacon, today I used about a cup of chopped ham leftover from Sunday dinner.

My 'recipe' -I hesitate to call it that as soup is often whatever we have on hand- is simply about a cup of chopped ham, about 5-6 cups of chopped potatoes, a few onions, a few stalks of celery, 3-4 carrots, some garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, I thicken it with about 1/2 cup of flour and water, then fill the pan with water and cook it slowly. Sometimes I use turnips, leeks, might add a bit of corn, just depends.

[DocM]

Potato soup without milk? That's not potato soup, that's vegetable soup without enough veggies....

[DocM]

Novice cheese makers - Melissa's recipe sounds a lot like the one from this site, which is an excellent resource

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html

Specifically, Neufchatel http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser...neufchatel.htm

[BAmaBubba]

Oh man, Melissa! Wish I was there, just to smell the wood stove and enjoy the chilly weather.

[Melissa]

That cheese recipe does look pretty close. I actually found this recipe in The Little House Cookbook. It does not use herbs, I just added those on my own.

This recipe looks a lot like it, except I don't leave it out the night before, might try that too.

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser...e/Cheese98.htm

I don't usually add milk to my soup , but I do add some shredded cheese when I serve it.

[mwhit]

Originally Posted by DocM

Potato soup without milk? That's not potato soup, that's vegetable soup without enough veggies....

I use milk too. I usually make a roux to thicken it and should probably call it chowder. I always add green beans, onions, garlic and crumbled bacon.

Michelle

[Topaz Farm]

Originally Posted by Reptyle

Anyone have a good potato soup recipe while we're on the subject?

I just posted one in the ONLINE COOKBOOK. It is very good.

I have more, but will have to get them into the computer again. Thank goodness for hard copies.

[Christine in OK]

Sounds tons better than what my mom and mother-in-law call potato soup. They boil the potatoes with onions in water, drain and add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Yuk.

I have sort of a recipe - I saute' onions and carrots in about 2 tbsp. of butter until tender, then add diced potatoes (I like red best), 1 quart of chicken boullion or broth (broth if I have, boullion if not), salt, pepper, dried parsley and thyme, and about 1 quart of half and half. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, then add a cornstarch or flour and water mixture and bring to a boil. It's really good with a little grated cheese and/or bacon bits on top.

[Cindy in NY]

Potato soup (made with milk) is really good if at the end you add shredded cheddar cheese and sliced kielbasa!! YUM!!

[Nette]

I'm going to have to try that cheese recipe. Thanks!

[NeHomesteader]

Melissa you are so lucky to have a wood cookstove. I've been looking but havent been able to find one.
Here’s a potato soup recipe that my kids love.
3 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup celery
medium onion
3/4 cup carrots
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Cook all of the above in 1 1/2 cups of water until done. Stir in 1 can cream of chicken soup, add
small amount of chopped ham and 2 cups of milk. Let heat through a bit.
I serve that with these VERY EASY rolls:
Double quick dinner rolls
1 cup warm water
1 pkg. yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
dissolve yeast in water, add sugar-1/2 of the flour and the salt. Beat until smooth,add egg and
shortening. Beat in remaining flour. This is a soft dough and can be completely done with a
mixer. Let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour. Grease 12 muffin cups and divide dough among them. Let
rise 30-45 minutes . Bake 400 degrees 15-20 minutes.

[NeHomesteader]

Forgot to say that on the soup recipe you do not drain the water off the vegetables before adding the milk.