The milkman cometh

Woke up this morning to a crate of fresh milk - in glass bottles - sat on the doorstep. Well, it was actually in the middle of the kitchen as Paul had brought it in when he came home from his night shift.

It felt very odd to hold a bottle after years of plastic handles, but there was something very satisfying about the little splut the foil top made as I opened it. Flattening out the lid to a silver sicle took me back years!

Made a virtuous shopping trip this morning. Bought organic and locally produced veg. Didn't actually cost that much more really. Have organised the box delivery for next week, but still had the rest of this one to sort out. Bought the first marrow i'd eaten in years today. Stuffed it with rice and veg and served with grilled chicken. Was rather yummy, though the kids both turned their noses up at it. Can't wait to get my box next week.

My rennet arrived this morning, ready for the cheese making. Had to order some wax to coat it in or it would go moldy quickly. Will still be giving it a go tomorrow, along with some yogurt. We did have one success in the kitchen this afternoon - I made some butter. My first try (using Channel Island milk) didn't quite work. The little we did get was tasy though. This time I bought some cream - and we have a nice tub of butter in the freezer waiting to be used. The very first jar full disintegrated when I rinsed the buttermilk out, but managed to rescue some of it. Next jar I did for longer and it was easy to see when it was ready. Have amended the milk order to swap the Channel Island milk for double cream.

Having milk delivered makes you think how much we use. So far I've gone through 2 pints! AND that's with using the butter milk for the kids supper. Almost a pint went in one go just for their breakfast.

So, what are the advantages of using a milkman? There isn't any packaging for a start. The glass bottles are returned to the dairy to be filled up again. Even though plastic bottles can be recycled, it still uses energy in the process, so once we've cut down how much waster we send to landfill, it's time to cut down on the waste sent for recycling. Having a milkman provides employment and someone to visit regularly, important for those living on their own and don't get out much. A big reason is that is takes away one hold the supermarket has on us. I'm reading a very interesting book called 'Not on the Label' at the moment, all about where our food comes from, how it's made, how it gets to the supermarket shelves and all the connected processes in between. I have now set a pledge to use Tesco as little as possible from now on. It is one of the worst culprits for the way it treats it's suppliers and how it squeezes out high street businesses. And to think, Paul would go there for nothing better to do! You MUST read the book, it will change the way you shop from then on.