Monday, December 31, 2012

cheese for chestnuts



I traded some cheese for Chinese chestnuts at the farmer's market - not sure what I am going to do with so many... 


They are such a beautiful thing


Sunday, December 30, 2012

meet Rudy



Newly adopted house cat Rudy!  Check out her mustache.


Rudy is a senior cat (13 years old) and came from the same shelter as Max & Cozy.  She is super, super affectionate, purrs constantly and walked right into the house like she's lived here for years.  She's been getting along with the dogs just fine and even nuzzling and cuddling with Cozy.  She came with the name Rudy, which I love.  


Thursday, December 27, 2012

My best winter boots, or dog chew toy?



My newly customized heel-less Ugg boots, compliments of cobbler Cozy.  Max checks out her handiwork. 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas joy



A beautiful white Christmas morning


my tree


My favorite gift: a wheelbarrow!


Maybe they named the wheelbarrow for the Abba song.  
Su-pa-pa, trou-pa-pa...


My sister in law Janet's delicious fruitcake


Comfy Cozy is she


Max's Christmas gift was flopping down on everyone's feet


Beautiful vintage needlepoint from Brooklyn sister Amy


Chestnuts roasting


2 month old wheel of Little Piros - stinky yum


An English trifle for dessert!

Monday, December 24, 2012

'Twas the night before Christmas...



Hang your stocking for Saint Nick
And he will fill it up
Don't forget to leave some cookies
And a Christmas cup
Leave some food for all his reindeer
And the Christmas mouse
Leave a little bit of cheese

Somewhere around the house

From Christmas Carousel by Peggy Lee

Saturday, December 22, 2012

what snow?



A beautiful bovine friend at Moomer's dairy, who supply Boss Mouse milk

Friday, December 21, 2012

hey cookie



Potter's in Traverse City is an old fashioned bakery with a great logo


I brought a box of Christmas cookies to work on Thursday - I love how they decorated them

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

on the left hand side


At Christmas I like to pass the Dutchie, but this year I'm gonna pass the Deutsche Küche!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

the beauty of the barter



traded veg from 12/15 farmers market:
golden carrots, beets. onions, squash, potatoes, parsley, bok choy, purple kohlrabi, and radish

Monday, December 17, 2012

left overs



what do you do with a bunch of leftover cheese samples?


make super amazing macaroni & cheese!  The smoked mozzarella kicked it over the edge - OMG

Sunday, December 16, 2012

sky study #81



sunrise December 13, 2012

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Mother Mouse



Packaging cheese takes many hours and is hard work.  There's cutting the cheese (I'm a professional), vacuum sealing, weighing and pricing/stickering, and separating out the orders.  Mom & Dad Mouse generously spent Thursday night out in the cheese room with me until 11:00PM getting together Christmas orders.  Mom showed up with a Santa apron and her positive attitude, and Dad hand-priced all the cheese in his cool drafting handwriting.  What would I do without them?

Thursday, December 13, 2012

bunny scare



This past weekend the rabbits vanished.  I was so worried - no sign of either of them Saturday afternoon, Sunday, or Monday morning.  Did an owl or hawk get them?  How could they both be missing?  They've stayed down in their rabbit holes overnight before, but never for more than a day.  I left for work this morning thinking they might be goners, but tonight when I got home I found their tracks emerging from one of their burrows in the hen yard, and both Bunny Lee & Blackie hopping around inside the hen house, just fine.  Thank goodness. I was so relieved.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I believe


If you haven't revisited the original 1947 film 'Miracle on 34th Street', try to see it this Christmastime - it's such a beautiful movie, from the style and costumes, the old New York City scenes, the set decor, that old fashioned way people spoke in the movies from that era, and the all around glamour of it.  It won 4 Academy Awards that year, too


"Some day you're going to find that your way of facing the realistic world just doesn't work.  And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles.  You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile."  - from Miracle on 34th Street


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

they killed Iron Man



I bought the dogs some Iron Man toys that were on sale, which they immediately tore to pieces


they ate his brain

Monday, December 10, 2012

the beauty of the barter: triamble squash



Triamble squash has dense orange flesh and is ultra delicious - I traded some cheese for this beauty at the farmer's market this weekend

Sunday, December 9, 2012

new roomates



My neighbors asked if I would adopt their three hens, and here they are - a Silver Laced Wyandotte and two Auracanas - the one above has a beautiful mix of brown and blue-grey feathers 


Welcome ladies!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

whatcha smokin'?



 

My new and improved cold smoker, compliments of smoke Daddy Mike Kurta


the unit in action - it worked great


Boss Mouse smoked fresh mozzarella


Boss Mouse smoked butter - yes you can


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Swiss beer cheese family



The finished beer brined Swiss wheels - sometimes if there's a little extra curd, you can make a mini wheel, as I did here.  What beautiful color - the one on the left has caraway seed


The blue cheddar truckles getting good and moldy

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Right Brain Brine



Two wheels of Swiss taking a therapeutic soak in a Right Brain beer bath

Monday, December 3, 2012

the beauty of the barter



1 piece of cheese for 1 pound of chestnuts from Mike the forager guy

Sunday, December 2, 2012

who are you


 

Actual exchange I had at the farmer's market yesterday - I was wearing a Who t-shirt

Amish man from behind his produce stand: "Hey, do you like The Who?"
Sue: "Yes."
Amish man: "I do too, but only the old Keith Moon stuff."