conuly

He's actually got it a bit wrong, skyr is not a yoghurt, it is a very fresh cheese, but when it has been hrært (lit. stirred), usually with some milk or even cream, it has a consistency similar to that of yoghurt. The stuff they sell abroad, either exported from Iceland, or this thing that Siggi makes, is pretty processed compared to traditional skyr. The traditional skyr comes in a block, which one then stirs on one's own. At home in Iceland these blocks are not sold much anymore, but rather semi-stirred unflavoured skyr, which saves labour. This is then eaten in a variety of ways. One can for instance make skyrterta, which is like cheesecake, only much, much better. The best way to enjoy skyr is to stir it with cream and optionally add some flavouring/sweetening. Fruit is good, so is brown sugar.

If you or anyone else wants to make some, it is doable, but for proper results one needs an unflavoured starter bit of skyr. Recipe and instructions to be found here (http://icecook.blogspot.com/2006/02/skyr-recipe-and-instructions.html)

From:

Wow, thank you for posting this! It sounds delicious; I think we might well try making it. Especially since I just found this recipe for Skyrterta með jarðarberjum (http://www.rachsrecipes.org/showrecipe.php?rid=312)....

From:

For a better yet dessert, use spiced biscuits (http://icecook.blogspot.com/2006/11/spicy-gingersnaps-piparkkur.html) for the bottom layer. Crumble the bisquits and mix with some soft/semi-melted butter and press into the bottom of whatever you plan to do your skyrterta in, and let it set cool before adding the skyr. It's also good to have biscuits with oats in them, or even both oats and spice, that's what I did for the skyrterta I made for Yule. Absolutely delicious.

From:

Oh wow, I've *so* got to try this! Thanks!

From:

conuly

I knew you'd know about this, thank you so much!

From:

You are welcome. I hope you manage to get your hands on some skyr for yourself one day.

Although I would like to point out that it's also not quite right that buttermilk was used to make skyr. Milk, both from cows and ewes, in Iceland was usually allowed to set for a few days, separating into cream and skimmed milk. Butter was made from the cream and from the skimmed milk and whatever buttermilk came from the butter, skyr was made. Then the skyr was strained, the strained off liquid is mysa (whey, but slightly different). Mysa was drunk as a refreshing drink, but also to store meat produce, for it is quite acidic. Thus everything was made into something nutritious that would last through winter. Mysa can also be used in cooking as a substitute for white wine, and is even considered superior by some authorities (not to mention it is far less costly). Good for those that cook for alcoholics, I am told.

From:

Hmmm, well no, I wouldn't think so; the whole purpose of homogenization is to keep the milk from separating, and goat milk doesn't separate that well anyway. Here's a Mother Earth News article on making goat butter without a separator (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1978-07-01/Yes-You-Can-Make-Goat-Butter-Without-a-Separator.aspx), but unfortunately it takes five gallons of milk to yield one pint of butter, which doesn't sound practical for those of us who own no goats.

I haven't owned goats myself, but I've put in plenty time tending other peoples' goats, and there's this to know: two or three goats will produce a lot more milk than a family can use or store unless they go in for a lot of cheese-making (which is pretty time-consuming.) Lots of people get enchanted with the back-to-the-land thing, obtain some goats and breed them, then are practically inundated with milk. They can't legally sell it without a dairy license, so a lot of it just gets dumped.

Well, so, the city's full of people who commute in every day from the more rural areas, and some of those people certainly might be glad to make a few bucks under the table for something that would otherwise go to waste. It wouldn't surprise me if there's an entire black market of homegrown real food, since the government has been so vigilant in 'protecting' us from it. Perhaps there's a co-op, or maybe one could be formed, where someone makes a trip once a week to the country to pick up real food for the whole group?

That could be a very good gig for someone with a good vehicle, especially for someone who's commuting anyway. Ask around the Mommy/Nanny Network; there's got to be a lot of other 'urban green' women who aren't content to feed their little ones nothing but factory-farmed adulterated pseudo-food.

I'd like you to know, I really admire your devotion to your little nieces, and your commitment to providing everything good and healthy for them that you possibly can. Your sister and brother-in-law are incredibly fortunate to have you there to care for them the way you do.

Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing.

From:

"it takes five gallons of milk to yield one pint of butter"

Sorry, that should have read 'one pint of cream'.

From:

conuly

Yes, apparently the way to get raw milk is to "own" part of the cow. There's no law against drinking raw milk from your own cow, after all...

Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing.

You think? I'm so flattered! And there always does seem to be a market for humorous memoirs of childcare.

From:

feebeeglee.livejournal.com

"Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing."

Seconded!

From:

conuly

I do feel so flattered :)

I wonder if, though, instead of a collection of oh-so-cute tales, I could just do some picture books. Same stories, but for kidlets instead of adult-lets.

From:

I want buttermilk pancakes...

From:

conuly

I want a pony.

From:

I want a million dollars.
(But not a real green dress.)

From:

He's actually got it a bit wrong, skyr is not a yoghurt, it is a very fresh cheese, but when it has been hrært (lit. stirred), usually with some milk or even cream, it has a consistency similar to that of yoghurt. The stuff they sell abroad, either exported from Iceland, or this thing that Siggi makes, is pretty processed compared to traditional skyr. The traditional skyr comes in a block, which one then stirs on one's own. At home in Iceland these blocks are not sold much anymore, but rather semi-stirred unflavoured skyr, which saves labour. This is then eaten in a variety of ways. One can for instance make skyrterta, which is like cheesecake, only much, much better. The best way to enjoy skyr is to stir it with cream and optionally add some flavouring/sweetening. Fruit is good, so is brown sugar.

If you or anyone else wants to make some, it is doable, but for proper results one needs an unflavoured starter bit of skyr. Recipe and instructions to be found here (http://icecook.blogspot.com/2006/02/skyr-recipe-and-instructions.html)

From:

Wow, thank you for posting this! It sounds delicious; I think we might well try making it. Especially since I just found this recipe for Skyrterta með jarðarberjum (http://www.rachsrecipes.org/showrecipe.php?rid=312)....

From:

For a better yet dessert, use spiced biscuits (http://icecook.blogspot.com/2006/11/spicy-gingersnaps-piparkkur.html) for the bottom layer. Crumble the bisquits and mix with some soft/semi-melted butter and press into the bottom of whatever you plan to do your skyrterta in, and let it set cool before adding the skyr. It's also good to have biscuits with oats in them, or even both oats and spice, that's what I did for the skyrterta I made for Yule. Absolutely delicious.

From:

Oh wow, I've *so* got to try this! Thanks!

From:

conuly

I knew you'd know about this, thank you so much!

From:

You are welcome. I hope you manage to get your hands on some skyr for yourself one day.

Although I would like to point out that it's also not quite right that buttermilk was used to make skyr. Milk, both from cows and ewes, in Iceland was usually allowed to set for a few days, separating into cream and skimmed milk. Butter was made from the cream and from the skimmed milk and whatever buttermilk came from the butter, skyr was made. Then the skyr was strained, the strained off liquid is mysa (whey, but slightly different). Mysa was drunk as a refreshing drink, but also to store meat produce, for it is quite acidic. Thus everything was made into something nutritious that would last through winter. Mysa can also be used in cooking as a substitute for white wine, and is even considered superior by some authorities (not to mention it is far less costly). Good for those that cook for alcoholics, I am told.

From:

Hmmm, well no, I wouldn't think so; the whole purpose of homogenization is to keep the milk from separating, and goat milk doesn't separate that well anyway. Here's a Mother Earth News article on making goat butter without a separator (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1978-07-01/Yes-You-Can-Make-Goat-Butter-Without-a-Separator.aspx), but unfortunately it takes five gallons of milk to yield one pint of butter, which doesn't sound practical for those of us who own no goats.

I haven't owned goats myself, but I've put in plenty time tending other peoples' goats, and there's this to know: two or three goats will produce a lot more milk than a family can use or store unless they go in for a lot of cheese-making (which is pretty time-consuming.) Lots of people get enchanted with the back-to-the-land thing, obtain some goats and breed them, then are practically inundated with milk. They can't legally sell it without a dairy license, so a lot of it just gets dumped.

Well, so, the city's full of people who commute in every day from the more rural areas, and some of those people certainly might be glad to make a few bucks under the table for something that would otherwise go to waste. It wouldn't surprise me if there's an entire black market of homegrown real food, since the government has been so vigilant in 'protecting' us from it. Perhaps there's a co-op, or maybe one could be formed, where someone makes a trip once a week to the country to pick up real food for the whole group?

That could be a very good gig for someone with a good vehicle, especially for someone who's commuting anyway. Ask around the Mommy/Nanny Network; there's got to be a lot of other 'urban green' women who aren't content to feed their little ones nothing but factory-farmed adulterated pseudo-food.

I'd like you to know, I really admire your devotion to your little nieces, and your commitment to providing everything good and healthy for them that you possibly can. Your sister and brother-in-law are incredibly fortunate to have you there to care for them the way you do.

Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing.

From:

"it takes five gallons of milk to yield one pint of butter"

Sorry, that should have read 'one pint of cream'.

From:

conuly

Yes, apparently the way to get raw milk is to "own" part of the cow. There's no law against drinking raw milk from your own cow, after all...

Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing.

You think? I'm so flattered! And there always does seem to be a market for humorous memoirs of childcare.

From:

feebeeglee.livejournal.com

"Just a thought; have you ever considered writing a book about your life-and-times with these adorable wee girlies? Your posts about them are so good, I think such a book would be eminently readable, and it would further the goal of educating people about child-rearing."

Seconded!

From:

conuly

I do feel so flattered :)

I wonder if, though, instead of a collection of oh-so-cute tales, I could just do some picture books. Same stories, but for kidlets instead of adult-lets.

From:

I want buttermilk pancakes...

From:

conuly

I want a pony.

From: