Chevre and Mozzarella

I just finished making the first batch of Chevre since beginning to milk Annie this season.  I love the process.  I truly do.  I think it is the most amazing thing to be able to have a milk producing goat in my backyard, milk her myself, bring the milk in, and make cheese from it.

I know I've told you all about this process in a prior post, http://homeschoolinghomesteadinginthepresent.blogspot.com/2010/02/making-goat-cheese.html but I thought I'd post Thursday's picture here of the excess whey draining off the curds in the molds.... 

This is the finished product....  mmmm...it is so tasty...  the kids love it, too.

I am really interested in expanding my cheese making knowledge.  I'd like to add some different herbs to the cheese...in order to do this, I'll have to find some good quality dried herbs locally.  I plan to grow my own  this summer (I do have thyme and rosemary), but until then I'll have to find them elsewhere.  If you google goat cheese, oh my gosh, the feast for your eyes.  Love the way some of them have pansies pressed into the top... or lavender....or pink peppercorns.  The creativity you can put into the taste variations and presentations really appeals to me....

On another note, I made mozzarella for the first time today.  It actually turned out like mozzarella!  I was/am fascinated.  :)  It took quite a bit of babysitting and I still don't have it exactly like I want it, but wow!  Mozzarella!  From *my* kitchen! 

As I was getting a picture, one of my dear children was trying to pull a piece off.  :)  It was so exciting to see the milk turn to curds and whey and then to curds and finally to stretching out as mozzarella.  I can't wait to try it on a homemade pizza or something similar and see how it melts as compared to store bought mozzarella.