I have seen a recipe for ricotta that calls for adding cream back at the end, so I think it is legitimate to do so for cottage cheese also. I would recommend you read the section on cheesemaking in the book "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee. A new edition just came out so check your library. I don't know what needles are, but I do know that "vegetable rennet" can be extracted from cardoons (closely related to artichoke, a kind of thistle). McGee says "flowers of the wild cardoon thistles are collected and dried in the summer, and then soaked in warm water in the winter to make sheep and goat cheeses." And though I respect the principle of doing as much as you can with your own products, I suspect that you're not _that_ firmly wedded to the idea (ranch dressing mix?), and you might want to try a few batches with purchased rennet just so that you know what it looks like when it is working correctly! I'm having a lot of fun with the book "Home Cheese Making" by Ricki Carrol. Best of luck, Katey

Sorry I haven't responded here in a couple of days. I know you all understand, though. Jeanne, your photo is gorgeous! What a lovely walk that must have been. Oh, and I'll have deviled egg appetizers waiting for you when you get here. I love them, too! I have one of those storyteller candles! I bought it years ago when we were in Taos. That's where they make them. I've never lit it, though, and don't ever plan to. Here she is: PartyMusic: thanks! You're more than welcome to jump on the Holiday Bus and come along for breakfast, too. MM: too funny! I get the same way when I see pics of Huevos Rancheros. Most restaurants out here serve it all day, because so many of us love them anytime. Last night when we went out to dinner, I almost had them again but chose Chile Rellenos instead. Mmmmm! Luvs: You are always welcome here! And, scrambled eggs are wonderful with salsa or red chile on them. I always have some on the table when I make scrambled eggs. I hear you regarding Spanish pronunciations! I took 7 years of it as a kid in Michigan. Never got to use it much, because you hear more French there. But, once I moved to NM, a lot of it came back to me. The "LL" sounding like a "Y" throws most people off and so does the "J" sounding like "H" do, too. Funny! As for my seed placemats, I'm really liking them. At first, I was going to take them back as I was worried that they'd be very hard to keep clean, but they're not that bad. I just have to be careful about what I serve when I use them. Drips down between those seeds would not be a good thing! Kathleen, I'm Scot and I love them. I think it becomes an addiction when you move here ;^D When DS was in college, I had to send him chile on a regular basis. The main requests our NM service men & women have from home are canned green chiles and salsa! I can't imagine getting on without it now. OK, I'm making myself hungry! Karen: they sure can be made with scrambled eggs! Do you ever make Breakfast Burritos? You roll a flour tortilla around warm scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, sausage or ham, add some hash browns, beans if you like, shredded cheese and then salsa or red chile sauce. That's got to be New Mexico's other favorite breakfast! Even the McD's out here serve them. Punk: I'd love to have you come for breakfast! I love the pinecone napkin rings that Jane sent me, too. They look great with three of my dish sets: these pinecone ones, the ones with actual pinecones painted on them and my green Solare dishes. They get used a lot! Glor: Yes, that dip is very popular out here. We usually add diced jalapenos or green chiles to ours. I've had it used as a stuffing for enchiladas and burritos, too. Have you ever had Green Chile Roll-Ups? They're a pinwheel-type appetizer and very popular out here. Luckygal: I don't care for very hot food either. But, what I now consider mild, I find that my Michigan family thinks is medium-to-hot. I guess I've just gotten used to it over the years. OA: thank you :~ ) Yes, that brown pedestal is from HL and was meant to hold a candle, I think. I keep looking for a more rustic one to use on a table like this, but haven't found it yet. I'd love to hear any ideas you might have for a substitute. That pedestal is probably the main thing I don't like about this vignette. The pottery comes mainly from two NM potters, one is my neighbor. I love his work and, as I've mentioned, use it every day. I feel the same way you do about centerpieces! I have several 5x7 frames with easel backs I keep just for adding an interesting card to for a centerpiece. There are so many possibilities out there these days and the frames are so quick and easy to change out. Well, now I'm REALLY hungry for something with chiles! I think I'll go make myself a grilled cheese with green chile sandwich for lunch. Lynn

I'm not familiar with dry cottage cheese, but I have the same trouble trying to find fresh hoop cheese nowadays. If the results of the "dry" cottage cheese making are too wet, you might consider pressing the cheese. You could also make a sieve frame with wood and mesh (or buy stretcher bars from an art supply, or even a premade screen printing screen), and prop it up over a big tray or pan so that you can spread your curds way out. If you can make this all fit in the fridge, so much the better, so you can drain and age the curds for a long time. If your fridge uses an evaporator to defrost itself, so much the better. :) You might also ask Jim at New England Cheesemaking Supply Company (cheesemaking.com). The recipe Sleevendog linked is adapted from them, but he might know more about getting it to be what you want.

1. You can freeze your Trader Joe's yogurt in 1-Tablespoon amounts in an ice cube tray to use when you need a new starter. Thaw in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature to use it to make yogurt. 2. If the starter is old you will get thin yogurt, not what you described. 3. I incubate yogurt until it thickens, usually about 4-5 hours. Since the total amount is less in the 5-jars than a 1-2 quart maker, 12-hours was probably too long. 4. When the yogurt does NOT appear to have an even texture (separates whey from the curd or a granular texture): -The incubation period was too long (and this is what I suspect happened). -The milk may have been a little too hot when the starter mixture was added to it. -The starter and milk have not been properly mixed. There will be a troubleshooting page that addresses most reasons for failed yogurt if you check your user's manual. See what they suggest. -Grainlady