Oh my god - they're giving me a garden!!!!!!!

Okay - I know I have yet to post the big Christmas blog - but this bit of news takes precedent. I checked my email today and found a gem! The guy at the White Crane Springs Community Garden (doesn't that sound beautiful) was letting me know that they had a garden plot open up and do I still want it? DO I????!!! With all of my heart and soul, do I want that plot. And dad just bought me herb seeds for christmas. Oh my god, I am SO excited. I'm already planning ways to get the most out of a tiny, 6x8 foot plot.

Here is a picture of the gardens:



This is honestly one of the best Christmas gifts I could have asked for - what a treat! And even better news is that it will only take me one bus to get there. It is located in the Inner Sunset District, which is a little ways away from us, but, as luck would have it, there just happens to be a bus that goes directly there. Oh, I'm going to pee my pants, I'm so excited...

So, I just wanted to send this little bit of excitement out into the universe - I will post the Christmas blog shortly, with pictures. Oh, and I noticed that Charlotte left a comment that she might be making her own cheese at home, so I thought I would post instructions for anyone else who might be interested:

Homemade ricotta:

What you need: 1 gallon of milk (or double recipe), 1/4 cup white vinegar, a large colander lined with cheesecloth (I got mine at New Seasons and Williams Sonoma)

1. Heat the milk in a large saucepan to 185 degrees, stirring to prevent scorching. Don't let it boil.

2. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar and stir the milk a few times. You should start to see the cheese and whey start to separate a little bit, and become thicker. Let the pot sit for a couple of hours, for more cheese curds to form.

3. Drain the cheese through the cheesecloth and colander. Let the cheese sit for awhile in the colander to get firmer cheese. Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth around the cheese and squeeze the liquid out. Again, squeeze less liquid for softer cheese, more for firmer cheese. Salt the cheese to your taste, or leave plain.

The ricotta will keep in the fridge for about a week, so I read. Also, the whey (liquid left over) can be used to make other cheese, or I've also heard that it is an excellent liquid to use to make bread. Oh - and you can't use super-pasteurized milk - pasteurized or raw milk only. Super-pasteurized will not form curds.

I usually only use a half-gallon of milk, but if you want a lot of cheese.

Okay - happy cheese-making all! It's good stuff....