Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Sketches of Jinja--1

At the request of some of you, today I will share some things that are unique to life in Jinja, Uganda:




1. I will start with the MILK.


I have already explained in past posts that we get milk straight from the cow. Today, I am proud to say that I have adjusted to the "animal" taste and no longer find it necessary to buy a separate milk for myself from the supermarket.

Just to refresh your memory and add a bit more detail to your understanding of our milk, I will explain the process:

Each morning a man rides up to our gate on his bicycle with a large can of milk tied on the back. If we want to buy that day, we take a pot or a large bowl out to him and bring along a hand-held strainer. We specify whether we want one liter or two and he begins to measure out the milk using a large plastic cup. He scoops the milk from the can as we hold the pot up with one hand and the strainer in the other hand. He pours from the cup, through our strainer and into our pot. The strainer catches anything like dirt or cow hair that might still be in the milk. We then take the pot inside to the gas stove where we boil it.

There is an "art" to boiling milk, I've learned...

You boil it only until the top begins to bubble. Then, QUICK! OFF THE HEAT! Let it go a moment longer and that milk will boil right up and out of the pot! I've learned this from experience... numerous times. I can't even count how many times I've had to rescue a growing and foaming pot of hot milk, only to have to clean dried milk off the stove and counters later on!

After the boiling (however traumatic it may have been on that occasion) we allow the milk to cool again. Then, I use a spoon to skim the "cream" off the top. If you've never lived on a farm, you don't know that this cream is thick, white and yellow stuff, very oily, and nothing like what pours out of a carton in America! I never seem to get it all off so there are always remaining "floaties" even after one last attempt to strain them out as I pour the milk into the pitcher, pop the lid on, and into the refrigerator it goes!


Milk... it does a body good.



***Stay tuned for Sketches of Jinja--2, coming soon to a blog near you***
(next blog subject: MOVIES!)

16 comments:

Michelle said...

I love it! I could picture you guys and the whole process of milk!!!

Unknown said...

HA! I love this post... very interesting!

Mama PC said...

more!!! more!!!!! :-)

Anonymous said...

We use to purchase fresh milk. I loved to skim the cream from the top! It makes the very best butter! If you have a blender just pour it in & blend away. In just a few minutes you'll have creamy butter. (Add a little salt.)

Rosarita

Jenny said...

awesome! that's so neat! can't wait for sketch #2.

lindsey brooke said...

i am so excited to try the butter making from the cream... i don't have a blender but i think i remember something from elementary school about shaking something milky in a jar and it turning into butter?

i was wondering what i could make with the stuff! i'm go ing to try it!

thanks rosalita!!!

lindserita

Mama PC said...

yes, Nannaw said you could churn the butter from that cream - and i remembered your elementary project where all the kids were shaking their jars....and a ball(?) of butter appeared in the jar...
let us know how it turns out

i love you and miss you! marmalady

Jamie said...

Lin, ask Danyne about our days with Fern in Israel...she used to make butter fresh too :) I'm glad you can make the fun times out of normal life experiences. Miss you guys!

Mama PC said...

i miss you greatly!

is there any way you guys can get home for Aaron and Rachel's wedding?

could the salon and Palm Tree guest house do without you for a few weeks?

have you checked on ticket prices lately?

Cara's Jeans said...

Are you coming to texas for the wedding!?

Unknown said...

so what your saying is that i am raising up a little lin? and when she is grown she will be like you???

YAY! :)

Mama PC said...

Linds - I almost called you today (Sat) but it was too early and I didn't want to interrupt any "outings" - and then I got involved cleaning and by the time I remembered again, it was too late.... my sad....

what is the latest time I should call you on a Sat or Sunday?

I miss you.

ps - i stole the gold antique lamp from your room and brought it downstairs ha! it's an awesome night-light and you KNOW I wanted it when we found it at that antique store back in....1997 or 98... what else was it we bought that trip?

i will call you next weekend.

any news on prices for trips to Texas for the wedding? i wish money grew on trees...

May said...

What a great story! i love these little interesting tid bits. Eck though. We miss you guys ...please try to get us some pictures. Are you seeing much of Uncle Corky and Aunt Dorothy? Are Emily, Helene and Val (and who else)still there? I'm not good at keeping up with them all. I hope you are enjoying everyone while you can.

Grandma Tharpe is back in the hospital. She has an infected pacemaker. Will call soon and explain.

Love you both, Mama May

May said...

If you go to my blog you can find a couple of blogs with great pictures of all you guys and great stories too!. Find Drums of Africa and I see Helene started a blog called Akida (I think). Nice to see all the pictures. mothermays.blogspot

Mama PC said...

Misti Casselberry said to tell you "hello" and so do everyone else I run into.... all ask about you guys.

Need more updates! It's time for Sketch #2 and #3 and you should have #4 about ready as well!!!!

More! :-)

Taylors said...

HEY GUYS! TAYLORS HERE! WE FINALLY FOUND YOU GUYS. WE'RE GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE BOTH OKAY. OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN OVER THE NEWS OF YOUR LOSS. WE KNOW THAT GOD'S POWER AND BLESSING ARE WITH YOU, AS ARE OUR PRAYERS. WE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW SUPPORTIVE BRIAN WAS WHEN OUR LILY WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD. BY THE WAY, ARE YOU PLAYING THE "LILY-TAYLOR"? DO YOU NEED ANY STRINGS YET? I MADE BUTTER IN KINDERGARTEN BY SHAKING WHIPPING CREAM IN A JAR. ADDING A LITTLE SALT OR SUGAR GOES A LONG WAY IN HELPING THE FLAVOR.JOHNNY JUST TURNED THREE A FEW WEEKS AGO.HARD TO BELIEVE HUH? ANYWAY WE LOVE YOU BOTH AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FUNNY MILK STORIES. J M J