Spiritual Cheese

Every morning we all get together and connect through music. This mantra has been singing in my mind throughout the week.

When I am Who I am,

I know I am You

There is so much beauty in this little phrase. When I look at you, I see a piece of me. When I speak to you, I am hearing me.

We live with so many barriers that make us feel different, or separated from one another. The clothes we wear, the neighborhoods we live in, the money we earn, the stereotypes we hold. But when we undress all those "differences"  we have the opportunity to feel a connection to something greater than  ourselves.  When we open our hearts to that connection, that pure essence, it becomes clear that those differences mean nothing at all.

I know some of you were probably expecting more posts about my farm experiences, rather than spiritual revelations. So in light of that, here is a farm cheese recipe that you can all enjoy at home!

What you need

- Raw milk (either cow or goat milk -has to be unpasteurized)

- Vinegar

- Boiling pot

- Cooking thermometer 

- Cheese cloth

- small strainer

-mixing bowl

How it's done

(Takes roughly 45 minutes)

1. Heat the milk in the pot until it reaches 180 F.

2. Turn the heat off and add vinegar to the milk (add 1/2 cup vinegar to every 1 gallon of milk)

3. Stir in the vinegar, you will begin to see curdles of cheese form and float to the top.

4. Place cheese cloth on top of mixing bowl, layering it over to cover the entire bowl

5. Use the little strainer to take out the cheese curds, placing them in the covered mixing bowl

6. Once all the curds are in the bowl, tie up the loose ends of the cheese cloth together

7. Hold or hang the bound cheese above the mixing bowl, allowing the cheese to drain out excess moisture

8. Wait around 10-15 minutes, or until draining has almost stopped

9. Place the cheese in a dry mixing bowl and mix together with your hands

10. Mix in fresh herbs and enjoy*!

*great with cilantro or basil. Makes an excellent cheese dip or great blintz cheese!

*The liquid left in the pot is whey, which is a great source of protein. Can be used in shakes or added to bread recipes for added nutrients and flavor

Take a Moment

We live in a society where the norm is to do everything quickly. Always rushing out the door, moving fast, and eating quickly. What's the hurry?

I'm in a place where I am being encouraged to slow down. Every morning we take the time to connect with one another before we start our day, and every night before dinner we take a moment to appreciate the food that is on our plate.

Making food is a slow process. Whether your food is coming from a farmer's market or a box, the local community or the global market, it all started on a farm. We often forget or don't even think about the time, energy, and love, that goes into the plant that we consume, or all the processes that turned that plant into one of the ingredients in our frozen meal.

I am inviting you to take a moment. A moment to appreciate the sun for it's warmth, the rain for it's moisture, the worms and vermin for the nitrogen they produce, and every individual that works on a farm.

So before your next meal or before your next snack, slow down for just one moment and think about all the energy that went into making the food you are about to eat.

Take a Moment and Say Thank You.

Let The Journey Begin

I've been waiting. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to grow and learn. Learn about the environment we live in, the issues we face, and what I can do to make positive change in our world.

 The wait has finally ended, and my journey is about to begin.

In just a few weeks I am moving to Berkely, California where I am going to be working on an organic farm. What's even cooler is that the farm is in an urban location, which means that the farm is thriving in the middle of a city where the land is too polluted to plant right into the ground. In just a few weeks I will start learning how to grow food in a place where food cannot be grown. I will learn how to provide fresh produce for communities that would otherwise not have access to healthy nutrition. I am about to embark on a journey where I will learn about our connection to the environment, and our obligation to take care of that one resource we have been provided. This is the opportunity I have been waiting for.

Change starts silently within, but a voice inspires action.

I had already planned on keeping a personal diary of my experiences throughout this program, but then I thought about how selfish that would be. I am here to learn, and inspire positive change in the world we live in.  I realized that the best way to start doing that is to share my experiences and connect with those who want grow as much as I do.  I hope you enjoy!

Let the Journey begin.