Tag Archives: cheese

From the Field: Heifer Brings Families Together

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field”From the Field section.

Gender and Family Focus is one of the key elements of Heifer International’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. Communities worldwide are greatly impacted as families work together to achieve their goals. As men and women, sons and daughters, share responsibilities we are one step closer to eliminating hunger and poverty.

Norik with his calf. Photo by Knarine Ghazanchyan, Program Coordinator, Heifer Armenia

Norik with his calf. Photo by Knarine Ghazanchyan, Program Coordinator, Heifer Armenia

Norik Mkrtchyan, 14, lives with his parents and two brothers in Lukashin Village, Armenia. He helps take care of the family’s animals and works along side his father and brothers in their garden. Neighbors look to Norik’s father, Armen, for vegetable marketing advice, and his mother works preparing cheese. Norik received a cow from a Heifer-supported YES! Youth Club and plans to pass on its first calf to another club member.

Before joining a SHG in Cambodia, Loek Bunthoeun had to leave his wife and two children behind to work in Phnom Penh city. Most of his income had to sustain him as he migrated to the city for work. Now, Loek and his wife generate income with their family’s organic vegetable garden and are planning to expand their garden and begin raising pigs.

In Vietnam, Danh Hoang, 45, lives with his wife and four children. They are members of a self-help group (SHG) and plan to seize every opportunity to live a sustainable life. Danh’s two sons help their neighbors with the rice harvest while their mother weaves coconut leaves for roofing material. Danh received training through Heifer Vietnam and plans to pass on the gift to another family in need.

Learn how you can help bring families together.

When Life Hands You Milk, Make Cheese

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Homemade Cheese

Photocredit: Homesick Texan Blog

Once a week we will be featuring a fun and/or educational activity you can try at home or in the classroom.

Are you sitting around today thinking to yourself how tasty a chunk of cheese would be?

I was, so I found the perfect activity! If you have milk, lime juice or vinegar, salt, and seasoing, you can make your own homemade cheese.

I first came across this activity at the Learning Center at Heifer Ranch, where we watched the educators make the cheese and then were able to sample the finished product. Since that day, I’ve wanted to try it for myself. Plus, milk is a great source of protein and calcium. It helps us grow and stay healthy. Cheese, just like yogurt and butter, is made from milk. Here’s how you can make cheese at home:

What you need:

  • ½ gallon of whole milk
  • Medium-size pot
  • 1/8 cup of white vinegar or lemon juice
  • Spaghetti strainer
  • Seasoning (garlic powder, dill or oregano)
  • Salt

Pour the milk into the pot and heat it slowly, while continuously stirring until the milk boils. Turn off the heat, add vinegar or lemon juice, and continue stirring for five minutes. You will notic notice the milk separating into solids and liquid. Pour the mixture into a strainer over the sink, and once most of the liquid has drained out, salt and season the cheese to taste. It will look like cottage cheese. This delicious crumble cheese can be eaten loose over crackers.

You can find this recipe in PDF form to print out on the classroom resources section of Heifer’s website. If you have a cheesecloth, you may want to try this recipe found on the Homesick Texan blog.

Visit www.heifer.org/schools for more great lesson plans, experiments, and games. You can also read about Heifer projects that include dairy on our blog.