Jam, Cheese, and Beer

Oh, me.

I get antsy so easily. My garden is content and as big as it can be this year, my food processor and ice cream maker are well broken in, my cookbooks have all been read, my bikes are all fixed up (minus putting a brake back on the Kilo), my apartment is the right amount of cluttered, my finances are in order, and I'm in a nice every other week routine of farmers market/CSA box.

So what that means- is that I'm bored. Which does NOT mean that I should further clean my apartment, or finish old sewing projects, or make myself lunches for the week. Nothing responsible like that.

Oh no. Not even close.

It means that I need a new hobby! Or even two!

I have been DYING all year to make my own jam. But after looking up local U-Pick farms via PickYourOwn.org, I decided to wait until mid July when I'll have a lot more berry options. Seriously though- realizing that I can go and pick blueberries and raspberries until my little fingers fall off pretty much made me the happiest I've been in a long time. I grew up on a dead end street with a "yard" that was more or less a massive patch of blueberry bushes, and then a giant mountain. Now my "yard" is a bunch of overgrown grass and a freakish monster-looking rhododendron, with a heavily used street on the other side. NO GOOD. So- jam will be my July project. If you want in on this- seriously hit me up before then. To this day- one of my all-time favorite Seattle days was when my dad was in town, and we drove out to Snohomish with Amy to pick pumpkins, which was something that none of us had ever done before. It was probably the closest thing I've had to any of my childhood experiences with my dad, since I turned 14. OKAY enough of that. I'm getting smushy.

Anyway. Back on track. The chapter I'm on in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle right now is all about cheese making. The thing that caught my eye the most- especially since Matao has been on a bit of a mozzarella kick lately- was her recipe and guide for making 30-minute mozzarella. Which is actually from The New England Cheese Making Supply Company. Recipe: here. And since I'm lacking in rennet and citric acid, I did a little internet investigating, and figured out that The Cellar Homebrew in Greenwood actually carries cheese making supplies, as well as beer and wine supplies. Oh, sweet heaven, I have found you.

Is it really bad that I have the slightest hunch what my next project might be...? La la beer la la la la.

So, anyway- tomorrow: we pick up our CSA box, then cheese making supplies, and proceed to make the best dinner there ever was. Or, at least that's the plan. I'm thinking grilled pizzas? I'll probably cheat and pick up crusts at Trader Joe's, but whatevs. I'll post pictures and a basic recipe if we succeed!