Chaos

 Have you ever done something so perfectly the first time it seemed easy, but the second time you attempt it nothing goes right? Yeah, that's my cheese making today. Something isn't going well, and I can't figure it out. I set the milk out with the rennet four hours ago, and it is just now starting to congeal. I'm following the exact same recipe as last time, but it is taking forever. I want to get a second cheese loaf started for the food swap in February, but my milk is not cooperating.

 The yogurt I made has been getting better and better each time I make it, though. The first half-dozen times I tried it it was horrible (like a swamp-monster's babies). London has been begging me to make her some soy yogurt forever and it hasn't turned out until today. It set up rather quickly, and it's really thick. Lesson learned: don't use powdered soy milk to make yogurt. It will save you time and money to just buy the liquid milk and make it that way.

  I've finished my Xmas shopping (finally!). I won't post what I got Jeremy on the off chance he actually reads this post. We are trying to teach the girls to enjoy simple gifts, so I haven't gotten them much. London is getting ballet lessons for another year, dollhouse furniture, and an inflatable globe. Zoë is getting a doll, a Radio-Flyer Inchworm, some sandbox digging tools, and a rubber ball. I don't know what our other family members got them, but I hope they listened when I said no more toys. They have enough stuff. Taking them to a movie, or the park would be a big enough gift for them right now.