WOW! This is definitely a new experience for a city raised girl. We began milking our goats and we are getting about a half gallon a day from our two does. We only milk once a day and they are left with their babies all day after the milking until about 6 in the evening when we lock the babies up in a separate pin.
My son Lance and I are both lactose intolerant and this has been a great experience for us both. Not even one little gurgle after downing some of our fresh goats milk. My other son Logan is not as excited. He is missing his store bought milk but is slowly coming around either because he is beginning to get over the thought of where the milk comes from or because he is deciding he likes milk to much to go cold turkey. Jared does not seem to care one way or another but he is enjoying the fact that we are no longer paying for milk and that we are finally beginning to see our farm animals come to... fruition?
We do not pasteurize our milk so, it is raw. This is a new thought process for me but so was gathering eggs out of the coop the first week the chickens started layng rather than buying at the store. I do have to give props to Dansha Farms ( http://www.danshafarms.com/ ). We bought a battery operated milker from them through eBay. This was a better idea for us than a pump you pump constantly by hand because if we are out of town 9 times out of 10 my mother-in-law would be the one coming to pump and we were thinking of her arthritis. With this pump you just press a button : ). It is a closed system so this helps keep our milk clean from debris (poop, hair, mud, etc.). I am new to this but I have to say that I love this system.
We now have milk, eggs, canned food from our garden, meat from our chickens (soon goats) and gonna start raising rabbits this year as well. Jared goes fishing and keeps the freezer stocked with fresh fish and hunting in the winter and if things go well (this year they didn't) we have venison as well. We are also hoping to start raising hogs next year. My herb gardens are going in this year. We are as busy as it sounds but we love every minute of it. Self sufficiency is the goal and we are getting pretty darn close. I need a good bread recipe that can replace our store bought bread and I will feel more complete.
For the bread, are you going to use a bread machine? ~ Kim Saville
ReplyDeleteI hadn't planned on it. Unless we come across one. Just need a good recipe and a day for attempts.
DeleteHi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI've been making my own bread for a few years now and have mastered several that are easy and we really like. I'm all about simple since I'm doing the same thing you are - attempting to become self-sufficient. This recipe doesn't require kneading or a second rise and makes a sourdough like bread with a hearty crust.
In a large bowl, add these ingredients:
• 4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (not Rapid Rise, just Active Dry. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a pouch or a jar.)
• 1 tablespoon salt (I prefer non-iodized, like kosher or pickling)
Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl .. then slowly start adding water .. I use about 1.5 cups. Go slow until you get the hang of it. It should look like playdough when it’s ready. I use a stand mixer to mix it, but you can do it by hand. I don’t kneed the bread, just get it mixed and smooth.
Cover the bowl with lid (I use a plate) and place in a warmish place. I keep mine in the oven with the light on.
The dough is ready when it’s really bubbly and has about doubled in size. At this point, pre-heat the oven to 450.
Sprinkle some flour on a work surface (I use a flexible cutting board) to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface. Turn the bowl over with the dough in it, and just let it fall out onto the work surface .. it may take some time 5 minutes or so. This also allows the dough to “rest”.
After resting, shape the dough. I usually just fold the ends in toward the middle, and flip it over to make it roundish.
Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough as needed. This will keep your hand from sticking to it.
I bake my dough on a pizza stone, but a baking sheet will work or even in a dutch oven. Place the formed dough on to your cooking surface (pan, oven, stone) and Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.
Remove from oven, carefully. Place it somewhere it can cool on all sides (like a stove element or trivet).
That’s it! The best part, is I start over again right away .. don’t bother cleaning up that bowl and lid! Yeast is a living thing, and the bits that were left in your bowl will make the next batch taste even better. You can let the dough “rise” for days at a time. The longer it sits uncooked, the more sourdoughish it gets. I’ve left mine for 5 days before. It will have fallen by that time, but it’s extra yummy by that point.
By the way ... our farm is just a mile or so from yours! We are open to the public on Saturdays .. I'd love to have you stop by :-) Here is all the info: www.StonewallAcresFarm.com. If you do, I'll fill you in on some of the subtleties that make bread go from okay to great.
Kimberly Clark
Stonewall Acres Farm
stonewallacres@live.com