Ahem

Still not got round to making more cheese. I am too busy re-reading Terry Pratchett books, as I seem to do every winter.

Cheese experiment 1

Making cheese is easier and harder than I thought. In my optimism I got some very pretty red wax but it will be a while before I get to that level. I tried making mozzarella last weekend, when Jo visited. It was a bit messy but good fun and in the end I did think it looked pretty good! Tasted nice too. After bagging the cheese it kind of melted back into its former liquid form.

I will try again in a few weeks. Just need to order more milk!

Busy

I have just had a cheese making kit delivered including some pretty red wax. I also got some kefir culture. I am very excited and looking forward to the weekend (it is Monday after all).

Me and sister. My secret santa gift (it also plays music). Our pretty tree (kicked out earlier today)

Unreliable escalator

On my way to work is what must be the most unreliable escalator in New York. If it works 50% of the time that is good. I am not sure if this is pure shoddy mechanics or if the city feels we need the exercise.

Time flies

Thanksgiving has been and gone. Then the mayhem that is the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Suddenly it was time to go to Sweden and see family and friends for a whole 10 days. That flew by as well. Now a new year and back in New York.

This year I want to try more restaurants, see more plays, check out more museums and have lots of guests! Oh and I am going to read an embarrassing amount of books on my Kindle, most of which I will have bought as I am going take forever before I get my bum to the library to sign up for e-book lending.

Hard at work

Phew! We are all set for Thanksgiving now. We collected the heritage turkey at Essex Market yesterday along with two pies and some cheese (in case we don't have enough food).

Today I started off by roasting the sweet potatoes and acorn squash. The sweet potatoes were mixed with sugar, eggs and spices for the casserole (will be finished off tomorrow with caramelized pecans). The acorn squash were mixed with softened onions, carrot, garlic as well as orange juice, cinnamon stick, pinch of chili and cream - delicious soup!

While I was on a roll I made corn pudding - adding panchetta and two eggs and skipping the cheese from this recipe. A tomato/red onion/green bean salad is resting in vinaigrette in the fridge along with a new round of cranberry sauce, this time back to a tested (brilliant) recipe from Williams Sonoma.

Tomorrow we do turkey (of course), mashed potatoes, leek gratin and bacon wrapped dates. Oh and gravy of course!