Catching up

Hello, darlings! So much has happened in the past two weeks! Let me tell you all about it!

My friend Angela and I went on our cheese-making adventure the weekend of the 7th and 8th. We left Friday afternoon to set up camp (I camped!!) at Rock Cut State Park, which is beautiful and HUGE!! We asked for a tent site on high ground because there was rain in the forecast. Truth be told, we got a light rain as we were having a delicious breakfast of Nutella and bananas on whole wheat English muffins, but that was all the precipitation we encountered.

Saturday morning we headed to Angelic Organics Learning Center in Caledonia, Illinois, to take our class in making soft cheeses. April was our teacher. She's enthusiastic and informative and very friendly. We really enjoyed ourselves, and we learned how to make six kinds of soft cheeses!! We also milked a goat.

It was awesome! When we got back to Rock Cut with our fabulous array of soft cheeses and some fresh produce from the Kitchen Garden, we went kayaking for an hour. I just adore kayaking! Afterward, I called my Habibi and said, "I learned how to make six kinds of cheese, milked a goat, and went kayaking today. What did you do?" He chuckled and said, "Nothing!"

Sunday afternoon was our hard cheese class. Don, a local farmer and cheese ninja, taught that class. We made gouda and feta. These are being aged, and will be waxed and mailed to us in about a week and a half.

After class, I met my favorite goat, Azabache.

She's a princess, and she runs that goat enclosure! She also jumped two fences in the snow (goats hate precipitation) to get to the Billy goats when she was a mere one year old. So she's also a bit of a tart. She's my best friend now.

I wanted to test out my new cheese-making skills right away, so I made ricotta in my kitchen at home Monday evening. It was good. Next time, I'll add more salt and a ton more basil from my mom's kitchen window and it will be GREAT!!

Thursday I got my hair done. I love my stylist, Patrick Fuller, at Robert Jeffrey Salon. He makes me look like this.

Friday afternoon, I went home to Batavia to accompany my mom to my Uncle Bud's 84th birthday party. I love spending time with my crazy, funny, loud, energetic family! It makes me feel so good!!

Saturday Kath and I went to the Batavia Farmers Market. It was my first time there. It's very nice! And there was a woman there who was selling soaps that look like cupcakes. Love her!!

 My next project is this cowl.

It's a challenge because it's a smaller hook -- an F hook -- than I'm used to. We'll see how my patience holds up!!



And lastly, I've lost 10.5 pounds and twelve inches on the Flat Belly Diet in the past eighteen days. I feel great!! And I eat awesome food! I don't even crave ice cream and Oreos anymore!!

So that's the news for now, darlings! No more Stitch 'n' Bitch at the Glenwood, but stay tuned for a new night and location very soon!! As always, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn!! XOXOXO