キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 12.09.2008
A couple people have asked me about my making yogurt, which I started doing thanks to the French Women Don’t Get Fat book.
So here are pictures of my making yogurt!
It's definitely cheaper for me to make yogurt than buy it. I buy whole milk 2 gallons at a time, and at Safeway it's something like $2.50 per gallon if you buy two, versus $3.25 per gallon if you only buy one. (I’m not sure if those are the correct prices, but it’s close.)
I think I calculated it and for me to make eight 1/2 cup servings in my yogurt maker, it costs me a grand total of $0.50 or $1.00 for the entire batch!
Even if I bought only one gallon of milk at a time, the cost would still be a little cheaper than buying the yogurt premade.
The yogurt comes out better if I use fresher milk, so I usually make several batches as soon as we get the milk, and the yogurt lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
I eat 2 or 3 yogurts a day, and Captain Caffeine also uses the whole milk for his lattes, so we use up the 2 gallons before the expiration date, no problem, even though it's just the two of us.
I like that my yogurt is entirely fresh and homemade without anything added to it. I've noticed even the "natural" brands sometimes add things to preserve the yogurt or thicken it.
I have the Donvier yogurt maker, which was featured in the French Women book. I got it mostly because it was being sold by the Captain’s coworker, so I got it used for $30 rather than the full price of $45 new.
I haven’t used any other yogurt makers, so if you find another brand that works for you, more power to you. I only got this one because I had an opportunity to buy it used. Some people have mentioned they find yogurt makers at GoodWill for really cheap, too.
First, I scald 4 cups of milk. I use the medium heat setting on my stove, and it scalds in 9 minutes (bubbles form around the edges and steam rises from the surface).
Then, I pour the milk into a bowl with a pour spout that I got from Crate and Barrel. The yogurt maker comes with a nifty stirrer thermometer that I leave in the milk.
I wait until the milk temperature goes down to between 110 and 115 degrees F (it takes about 35 minutes for me). The stirrer thermometer has a nice marking on it to tell me when the temperature is right to add the starter.
I put 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt from the last batch (or any plain yogurt you can buy at the store, but don't use sweetened or flavored yogurt) into one of the small containers of the yogurt maker. Then I add some of the warm milk. I stir thoroughly, then pour the mixture back into the large volume of milk, stirring as I pour it back. I mix the milk thoroughly.
Then I pour the milk into the eight containers of the yogurt maker, distributing the milk evenly. Each container holds a little more than half a cup. I used to measure when I started making yogurt, but now I can eyeball it.
I snap the little lids on each of the eight containers, then I put the large plastic lid on the entire machine.
I set the timer for however long I want to incubate it for. I usually do 8 hours because I like my yogurt less tangy. The instructions suggest 10, but you can do whatever you want.
I’ve tried incubating for more hours, but the yogurt just gets more tangy and it doesn’t make it more thick, so now I just do 8 hours.
After incubation (the machine will beep when it’s done), I refrigerate the yogurt.
My yogurt ends up being a bit liquidy, a little thicker than drinkable yogurt. You can thicken it by setting it in a cheesecloth over a colander, but I don’t want to go through the effort, to be honest, so I don’t do that.
I love it because the yogurt is a bit naturally sweet, so I add very little sugar to it when I eat it. Sometimes I don’t add sugar at all, it depends on my mood.
So now hopefully I’ve given you a picture of my yogurt making and you can decide if you want to take the plunge and try it for yourself.
The French Women book gives another option for making yogurt without a yogurt maker. You leave the milk (after you’ve stirred in the yogurt starter) in a cold oven (do NOT turn the oven on). Also put in a bowl of just-boiled water. Leave them in the oven for 8-10 hours.
A couple people have asked me about my making yogurt, which I started doing thanks to the French Women Don’t Get Fat book.
So here are pictures of my making yogurt!
It's definitely cheaper for me to make yogurt than buy it. I buy whole milk 2 gallons at a time, and at Safeway it's something like $2.50 per gallon if you buy two, versus $3.25 per gallon if you only buy one. (I’m not sure if those are the correct prices, but it’s close.)
I think I calculated it and for me to make eight 1/2 cup servings in my yogurt maker, it costs me a grand total of $0.50 or $1.00 for the entire batch!
Even if I bought only one gallon of milk at a time, the cost would still be a little cheaper than buying the yogurt premade.
The yogurt comes out better if I use fresher milk, so I usually make several batches as soon as we get the milk, and the yogurt lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
I eat 2 or 3 yogurts a day, and Captain Caffeine also uses the whole milk for his lattes, so we use up the 2 gallons before the expiration date, no problem, even though it's just the two of us.
I like that my yogurt is entirely fresh and homemade without anything added to it. I've noticed even the "natural" brands sometimes add things to preserve the yogurt or thicken it.
I have the Donvier yogurt maker, which was featured in the French Women book. I got it mostly because it was being sold by the Captain’s coworker, so I got it used for $30 rather than the full price of $45 new.
I haven’t used any other yogurt makers, so if you find another brand that works for you, more power to you. I only got this one because I had an opportunity to buy it used. Some people have mentioned they find yogurt makers at GoodWill for really cheap, too.
First, I scald 4 cups of milk. I use the medium heat setting on my stove, and it scalds in 9 minutes (bubbles form around the edges and steam rises from the surface).
Then, I pour the milk into a bowl with a pour spout that I got from Crate and Barrel. The yogurt maker comes with a nifty stirrer thermometer that I leave in the milk.
I wait until the milk temperature goes down to between 110 and 115 degrees F (it takes about 35 minutes for me). The stirrer thermometer has a nice marking on it to tell me when the temperature is right to add the starter.
I put 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt from the last batch (or any plain yogurt you can buy at the store, but don't use sweetened or flavored yogurt) into one of the small containers of the yogurt maker. Then I add some of the warm milk. I stir thoroughly, then pour the mixture back into the large volume of milk, stirring as I pour it back. I mix the milk thoroughly.
Then I pour the milk into the eight containers of the yogurt maker, distributing the milk evenly. Each container holds a little more than half a cup. I used to measure when I started making yogurt, but now I can eyeball it.
I snap the little lids on each of the eight containers, then I put the large plastic lid on the entire machine.
I set the timer for however long I want to incubate it for. I usually do 8 hours because I like my yogurt less tangy. The instructions suggest 10, but you can do whatever you want.
I’ve tried incubating for more hours, but the yogurt just gets more tangy and it doesn’t make it more thick, so now I just do 8 hours.
After incubation (the machine will beep when it’s done), I refrigerate the yogurt.
My yogurt ends up being a bit liquidy, a little thicker than drinkable yogurt. You can thicken it by setting it in a cheesecloth over a colander, but I don’t want to go through the effort, to be honest, so I don’t do that.
I love it because the yogurt is a bit naturally sweet, so I add very little sugar to it when I eat it. Sometimes I don’t add sugar at all, it depends on my mood.
So now hopefully I’ve given you a picture of my yogurt making and you can decide if you want to take the plunge and try it for yourself.
The French Women book gives another option for making yogurt without a yogurt maker. You leave the milk (after you’ve stirred in the yogurt starter) in a cold oven (do NOT turn the oven on). Also put in a bowl of just-boiled water. Leave them in the oven for 8-10 hours.
Comments
I definitely think it's better health-wise to do things yourself rather than buying the over-processed junk they give you in the store.
But I'm allergic to dairy (as is one of my kids) so I probably won't be trying it any time soon...
Hey Camy - love your pics. I have a yogurt maker but haven't used it yet. I also got it used but it didn't come with instructions, so thank you for yours. However, if you've never made a batch before, where do you get the initial starter? Or do you just use a boughten one?
Camy