For Christmas this year, Mike got me a cheese-making kit. I picked up few gallons of milk and tried it this afternoon.

That's a basil mozzarella. I had some spare basil, and I figured it would make it easier to mix in the salt if I could see it, so I tossed it in. I should have let the curds set more, because I lost a good bit of them because they were too small to fish out of the whey, but I've got another gallon of milk in the fridge to try again later. That's a dessert plate it's sitting on, so it's not an enormous amount of cheese.

(Random aside: Someday I'll have enough light in my kitchen to take pictures without having to color-correct them in Photoshop every time)

In other news, I'm finally back in flying currency. I did my BFR this afternoon in a Citabria. I really should have waited a few more weeks - my wrist was killing me at the end of an hour. It was okay if I kept it trimmed, but power changes were difficult, since I needed my left hand for the throttle, the trim, and to help with the stick, all at once. But I made it.

Now I can actually legally fly the Tripacer again as soon as it's back together.

Tags: christmas, cooking, flying
Current Mood: accomplished

I'm finally getting back to something approaching normalcy - or at least as normal as I ever get.

This was the first weekend I've actually been up and around nearly all weekend. Yesterday, I did the grocery shopping for the first batch of Christmas goodies. Fruitcake fruit is now soaking in the fridge, and I have 3 beautiful blocks of chocolate for truffles (acelightning, this recipe made me think of you. I'll let you know how they come out). We got a tree and got it in the house and in the stand, and I tried a batch of homemade peach marshmallows, which taste wonderful but are sticky enough to use as construction adhesive.

Today we decorated the tree. And I couldn't resist the opportunity to humiliate the cat. It would have been so much better if only I'd picked her up a reindeer-horn headband first.

Tags: christmas, pets, photos

Merry Christmas!

Tags: christmas
Current Mood: awake

...the time when I get time off from work without having to schedule every minute of it.

Went over to have dinner with driftingfocus last night. Wonderful dinner, great company. Although this idea that families actually talk about things instead of just pretending they never happened is just...wierd. :)

Anyway, it was a pleasant evening. Today, I slept until 10, and now I'm doing the last few batches of peanut brittle (I found a better recipe that isn't so finicky - it's here.), then I have some presents to wrap. Then I'm going to lug all the presents to my mother's so I don't have to worry about driving up there with the car for the rest of the holidays.

Tomorrow, some airplane maintenance in the morning, then in the afternoon I'm going to go help Steve check out in the Pawnees. I was joking when I said I'd prepare a lesson plan, but I probably will at least outline it today.

The scary part is that I really do think of this as "not very scheduled at all" time.

Tags: airplane maintenance, christmas, cooking
Current Mood: awake

It's in the oven. My apartment smells incredible already...

Tags: christmas, cooking

LJ is having some comment notification problems, so if I should have replied to a comment of yours, and I didn't, it's probably because I missed it.

There are now 12 fruitcakes on my counter, marinating in brandy. Tonight, fudge. I bought paper at lunch, so I'm getting started on wrapping presents tonight - Mike and Michael's are both here, just waiting to be wrapped.

Next Thursday is The Turducken Experience! My (16-18lb!) turducken is on order, my friends have been invited, and I'm probably going to take the day off to sit home and watch it cook. I'm thinking a batch of cornbread and garlic mashed potatoes will go nicely with it.

Tags: christmas, cooking, recipes
Current Mood: creative

I'm making a list, and checking it twice.

I don't have snail-mail addresses for a lot of people on my friends list. I sent out a few emails this morning, then realized this would be easier:

If you're on my friends list, leave me a comment with your name and address, and I'll add you to my Christmas card list. Heck, even if you're not on my friends list, and you'd like a card anyway, leave me a snail-mail address. All comments are screened....

Tags: christmas
Current Mood: amused