Homemade Cream Cheese

SO for a long time by husband has been trying to talk me into making my own cheese.  He's kinda the self sufficient state of mind fella.
I didn't want to do it because I love cheese so much, I didn't want to get turned off by the process.
One day I just changed my mind, Pintrest is my friend so many ideas and recipes on there.
I found several cheese making ideas, I started off with ricotta.
Next was cream cheese, so dang easy!

What you need:
2 quarts of half and half
1 packet of mesophilic starter

How to make it:
Leave the cream out until it reaches room temperature.
Pour into a large enough bowl, stir on the starter.
Cover with plastic wrap. 
Let it set for 12 or more hours. 
Mine actually took 4 days to set because my house is kept so cool.

Next step would be to line a colander with a tea towel or muslin.  Not cheese cloth that is to thin.
Pour your cheese into the cloth, gather and tie shut around a wooden spoon that will suspend your cheese above the colander to drain into a large bowl.

Now let that drain for 12 more hours.
Bam you got cream cheese!

I divided mine into different containers, some I added chopped chives and others I made garden vegetable.

Store in the fridge.

It was really good, it made equivalent to 5 tubs of store bought cream cheese and it keeps for a long time! 
Do you save more money doing this, no not really but come on you just made your own cheese! 


I found this method on Chickens in the Road's website, there you can find photos of the process, sorry I did not take any photos.

* We found the starter and a brewery supply shop that carries cheese making products.  You get a pack of 5 that you store in the freezer

Avocado Fries

I love avocados!  They are my favorite color and they taste delicious! 
Avocado toast is a bg trend, but I'm not really into that.  I love to have a half an avocado filled with cottage cheese and a few almonds on it, bam you have breakfast! 
My long time friend Jenny told me she had avocado fries once at a restaurant and she really liked them. 
I never got to that restaurant with her but I did find a recipe for some amazing avocado fries that I'm going to share with you today!  Along with a couple dipping sauce's.
You can find the original recipe in Dennis the Prescotts cookbook Eat Delicious. 

There are a few steps to making this BUT, it is SO worth it! 

What you need:
Oil for frying

Avocado Fries:
3 firm avocados
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs, whisked
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder

Pico:
4 roam tomatoes
2 tablespoons purple onion, diced
1 teaspoon red wine vinager
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro
pinch of salt


Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup prepared mayo
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika

*cilantro & feta cheese for topping


How to make them:

Let's start off with the sauces so you can get them chilling in the fridge.

Pico:
Pretty simple, chop your tomatoes, mix with the juice of a 1/2 a lime, salt, chop your onion, add to bowl. Chop up your basil & cilantro pop into the bowl, add vinegar.  Mix and pop into fridge!

Cream sauce:
Take a bowl add in all ingredients, mayo, lime juice, chili powder, paprika and chopped garlic. Combine well, pop into fridge.

Avocado Fries:
Start heating your oil, you can tell when it's ready by sticking the end of a wooden spoon in oil very carefully, do you see bubbles?  It's ready.  Usually on medium heat but all ovens are different,
While the oil in warming up start to prep.
You need 3 bowls, fill separately 1st bowl flour, the next mixed eggs and lastly panko mixed with the seasonings.

Cut your firm avocados into four slices. Peel the skins off of course. 

Ok your ready to start frying, first grab a plate line with a paper towel to drain off all that extra oil.
One slice of avocado at a time dip into flour, egg mix, finally the panko mixture.
Carefully place your avocado slices once battered into oil, frying one minute on each side.
Once finished let them rest for a minute on the paper towel.

Platting, grab a serving dish, place your avocado slices on plate, scatter on plate feta cheese crumbs and cilantro.  Pull those cups of sauces out of fridge and set on plate.

Now grub down, they are AMAZING!