Powered Spinning Wheel

Powered Spinning Wheel

Powered Spinning Wheel

My husband mounted a sewing machine motor 

on a small side table.

The foot pedal allows for speed control.

A drive band connects the pulley of the motor with 

the whorl of the spinning Wheel.

Two 10 lb. weights give stability to the table. 

Felting a Rug from a Fleece

I will not go into detail about felting, but here are some pictures and tips on

how I felted a whole sheep fleece.

I used a double-coated fleece from our Gabby. ❤

Her fleece was very well connected.  

 I used a slick tarp so there was no friction on the other side. 

 I felted in sections and started at the edges to prevent the fleece from spreading out. 

 It took about 8 hours. 😅

We rolled it up and remove the tarp, then rolled it back out to wash all the soap out by spraying it with the water hose, rolling the fleece up to press the water out and rolling it out again

to spray(on both sides), repeated it until the water came out clear. 

After rolling up the felted and washed fleece we pressed out as much water as we could by walking on the roll. Then we unrolled it, gathered it up and put it into the wash machine on the spin cycle.

I left it to dry for at least 2 days.

Some small thin spots I had to needle felt.

Okay so we are not using it as a rug but as a bedspread.😀

A Woolly Adventure

In March 2016 we acquired 3 Wool-Sheep. I have always been fascinated by wool and its possibilities.

                                                                       Meet Milly,

Shetland Sheep

Biddy & Gabby

                                          1/2 Tunis                      1/2 Navajo Churro

                                          1/4 Navajo Churro        1/4 Friesian

                                          1/8 Friesian                   1/4 Blue Faced Leicester

                                          1/8 Blue Faced Leicester

Here are some pictures of this adventure.

Before and ...

 after shearing.

 Raw Wool

Washing the Wool

With hot water (120 F°) and Dawn dish soap

Getting the water out on the spin cycle

Laying it out to dry

Carding the fiber

Pulling off roving

Spinning The wool

Link to video:

https://youtu.be/bkXLW5t5tg4

Plying the wool

Winding a skein

Knitting a scarf

Finished product.

This took about one month in-between doing other things.

   I have watched lots of YouTube videos and did some research online.

I don't think I will ever be an expert in this, but it is indeed a very rewarding hobby.  

Quick Mozzarella Cheese

1  Gallon of Goat Milk

1  1/4  Teaspoon Citric Acid Powder, dissolve in
  1/4 Cup cool unchlorinated Water

1/4  Teaspoon Liquid Rennet (or 1/8 Rennet Tablet) , dissolve in
   1/4 Cup cool unchlorinated Water
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Put the very cold milk in a stainless steel pot. Add the dissolved citric acid and stir well.

Heat the milk to 88 F

Add dissolved rennet and stir for 10 seconds.

Let milk set for 15 minutes to coagulate. ( Do not stir)

Cut the curd into 1 inch cubes and let rest for 10 minutes.

Slowly heat the curds to 108 F, you can do this by placing the pot in hot water.
Keep at 108 F for 35 minutes. Curds will shrink a little.

Poor curds in colander and let drain for 15 minutes.

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Now for the fun part!

Break up a cupful of curds into a microwave safe bowl.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Heat on high for about 50 seconds.

Now start stretching the cheese. If it is to hot to touch, use a fork to work it. If it is not quite stetchy yet, heat for 20 more seconds.

Form a ball, let cool. Store in container, place in refrigerator. Will keep for about 2 weeks,
or can be frozen!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Ice Cream

(It's so hot outside, so here is another ice cream recipe!)

Ingredients

¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
½ cup granulated sugar
¹∕³ cup packed dark brown sugar
pinch salt
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the milk and, using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa, sugars and salt are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. Turn the Cuisinart® ice cream maker on; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup goat milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups goat cream
1   1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

 

Directions:

Using a wire whisk or hand mixer, mix milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves (about 1 -2 minutes).

Stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Pour into ice cream maker.

Churn about 15-20 minutes or according to manufacturer's instructions.

Add crushed Oreo cookies to ice cream.

Churn for 5 additional minutes.

Start eating!

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

 

For 1 1/2 quarts Automatic Ice Cream Maker

The freezer bowl must be completely frozen before you begin your recipe.

Freeze 16 to 24 hours! 



Ingredients

1 cups whole (goat) milk
3/4 cups granulated sugar

Pinch salt
2 cups (goat) cream
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Drop Dough Biscuits

 Preheat Oven to 450°F

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour…………………………in bowl

2 Teaspoon Baking Powder……………………….add to flour

¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda………………………….add to flour

¼ Cold salted Butter……………………………….cut into small pieces and add to flour.

                                                                                

With fork work mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

1 Cup Goat Milk or Buttermilk…………………… stir into mixture in bowl with a fork

                                                                                  Until well mixed, do not knead.

Drop heaping tablespoon of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.

                                       Bake biscuits for 12-15 min.

                              

                                                                                                                                                    

Goat Milk Rice Pudding

6 cups Goat Milk

1 cup Medium Rice

¾ cup Sugar

2 tablespoon Butter

Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour or till rice is tender.

Stir often!  (Don’t let over boil, watch closely)

2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Stir in after pudding is done cooking.

Let cool.

Eat warm or cold, store in refrigerator.

Goat Cream Butter

Goat’s cream should be at around 55° F

Fill the Mason jar only about 1/2 full

Put the lid on tightly and start shaking

After 10 to 20 min. the cream should 
separate into solid and liquid.

Washing The Butter!

Drain off the milky liquid which can be used for cooking

Fill half way with very cold water (you can add some crushed ice)

Shake to wash the butter, drain and repeat until water is clear.

If you don’t wash the butter it will get bad (rancid) fast.

  Salt and Squeeze out Water!

Put the butter in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with salt

(A little less than 1/4teasp. of salt for 1/2 pound of butter)

Now squish the butter with a spatula to get all the water out and

 Work the salt in.

Storage!

Put in food storage container, label with date and content

Will keep two weeks in refrigerator and

Several months in freezer.

1 Gallon Goats Milk Feta

1 Gallon Goats milk……………………..Heat to 86°F in stainless steal pot

¼  Cup Cultured Buttermilk……………..Add to warm milk and let ripen for 1 hour

½ Teaspoon liquid rennet diluted in

¼ Cup cool chlorine free water……….Add to ripened milk and gently stir for 1 min.

                                                                   Cover let set for 1 hour

Cut the curd into ½ inch cups and let rest for 5 min.

Keep curds at 86°F and gently stir for 15 min.

Pour curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth

Tie cheesecloth on the four ends together and hang to drip for 5 hour

Cut cheese ball in half and lay the two slabs side by side in a dish

3 Tablespoons of coarse salt……………sprinkle all sides of the cheese and cover up

                                           Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, pour the whey off

2 Tablespoons of coarse salt……………sprinkle all sides of the cheese again, cover up

                                             Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, pour the whey off

Store your Feta in covered container in refrigerator.

Can be aged for 5-7 days or eaten right away.

Feta should be eaten in 2 weeks, frozen or marinated. 

 

Marinated Feta!

Cut feta into ¾ inch cubes and layer in Mason jar with fresh or dried herbs and olive oil.