Tips and more tips!

We've got other things to talk about!
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Did you know that you could make dairy products (Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt) using powdered milk? I just recently discovered how this is done and am very impressed!

Let's start with an easy one:

Sweetened Condensed Milk: On the stove, bring to a boil 1/2-cup of water, 1-cup of sugar and 3-tablespoons of margarine or shortening. Add a dash of salt. Stir the mixture every now and then. When it comes to a full rolling boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Add a cup of instant dry milk powder. Use a whisk to stir it smooth. A fork or a spoon will not work out all the lumps. You really need a whisk, or egg beaters. There, you are done. This is the equivalent of a can of sweetened condensed milk. This will keep unrefrigerated for a day or two because of the sugar. I have never kept it longer than that without refrigeration. In the fridge it will keep for 2 weeks. For longer storage than that, I freeze it.

Cheese Curds: In a large pot combine 6-cups of fresh water and 3-cups of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Heat the milk over a medium flame until it is very warm, about 120°. This is hot to the touch, but not scalding. Stir in 1/2-cup of plain white vinegar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. There should be a large mass of curds in an amber pool of whey. If the liquid is still milky, add another 1/4-cup of vinegar. Stir and stand again for 10 minutes. Line a strainer with a clean cloth and drain off the whey. It can be used as the liquid in bread or muffins or biscuits. Rinse the curds under cool water and store in the fridge. This recipe makes about 1-1/2 to 2-cups of curds.
Ricotta or Cottage Cheese: The dry cheese curds from the above recipe will work for ricotta cheese in most recipes. To turn it into cottage cheese add a little evaporated milk or yogurt to "cream" it and stir to combine. You can divide the mixture in half and make some of each if you want to give them both a try.

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How are your gardens growing? Hopefully, very well.
So far our kids have harvested Strawberries (eaten-on-the-spot). We are looking forward to Tomatoes and Peas (also using eaten-on-the-spot harvesting methods). The kids are dreading the zucchini but I am quite pleased to watch it grow. I still haven't seen our carrots come up and now I finally starting to wonder.... because everything else is poking up- lettuce, watermelon, cantaloupe.

Tips for June and July Gardening (Which I stole from the internet):

JUNE
Thin out your carrots now to avoid over-crowding (This tip is for everyone who did get carrot sprouts!)
Push thin stakes in to the ground near your tomatoes to support new growth. The same applies for peas that are now going to need a bit of support.
Onions should be starting to get bulbous at the base. This is a signal that all is well.
June is the month to plant dahlias in sandy or loamy soil. If you are gardening on heavy clay, lots of organic material should be dug in a few weeks before planting the dahlias.
Rhododendrons will have nearly finished flowering now. Remove the seed heads to allow for new growth.
Weed now or face double the effort in a few weeks time. Couch Grass, bindweed and thistles need to be dug out, roots and all.
Even if we get a long dry spell, and slugs appear to have gone, come a little rain and the slugs will be out to reap havoc. Keep slug traps full and empty any slugs you catch regularly.
JULY
Build earth up around your brussels sprouts for healthier growth.
Remove the side shoots of tomaotes growing outdoors.
Keep watering everything. Do it daily if possible
Hanging baskets - a hidden insulated container with a hole in the bottom can be filled with ice-cubes for a slow release of water through the day.
Pinch back snapdragons after blooming to promote a second flush of flowers.
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I read a great quote today:
"The most expensive food you buy is the one you don't use!"
This was from an article promoting pantry inventory and food rotation. A kind of "Use what you have before you buy other stuff" mentality which I find very practical.
In honor of this practical thinking, I have a bag of stuffing in my pantry that has been there for too long. So tonight I am feeding my kids a chicken stuffing casserole. We'll see how this goes over....
If you're curious about the recipe, I'll forward it to you. As of right now, it is an un-tested in my household recipe... so cook at your own risk...
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