When we built our house 10 years ago Lisa had the idea of using an old sled for a pot rack over the stove. Of course government regulations prevented us from doing this. We were forced to install a hood with a fan to be within code. Well the fan and light finally died and we were going to replace the hood with something so we went back to our original plan. Lisa retrieved the old sled that had been sitting on the back deck all this time. She painted and sealed it and I bought the necessary hardware and installed it. It provides more storage space that the hood and it opens up the kitchen to the living room. Looks very nice too.

If you are going to make cheese you eventually need a press. After looking at several different designs and prices I decided to try “The Ultimate Cheese Press” from Homesteaders Supply. Of course while I was trying to make up my mind I missed it when it was on sale in July.

Never having used a press before, I was forced to rely on reviews and what I was getting for my money. I guess the #1 reason I chose this press is because you get everything you need to start using it. With the other more expensive presses you get the press and that is it. You still have to buy the molds and any other accessories separate.

With this you get the press and a large and small mold. I have used both and so far it works well. The only thing I notice is all the instructions for making hard cheese give you a weight and time for the how long to press the curds. This design doesn’t use a weight so it is trial and error. The first time I used it I didn’t put enough pressure on the curds so the cheese ended up not having a smooth skin on the outside.