Yesterday was a sad morning. My friends left, and with them, their yachts. I can't help feeling emptiness. I always knew that it's better to leave the port first - you don't feel it as much. So, I started working early this morning. I looked at my charts and started planning my next trip with my fingers - Vanuatu; Coconut Islands. I have huge piles of charts which turned out to be useless, since they are not the ones I need. I ordered them in Hawaii before my departure. But, Hawaii is also an island that everything must be shipped to. My maps arrived from Florida and reached me just a day before my departure. So, I couldn't look at them carefully, of course. Well, that was a mistake. But, I must live with it since I was rushing to leave Hawaii due to the weather. So, now I found out that I didn't get two maps and I have a small problem. Someone might say...well, use electronic maps...But I don't want to rely solely on a computer. It needs electricity to operate so it needs the engine. And what if my engine dies during my trip? No, there must be paper maps! In Torres Strait there is no room for mistakes!
So, the day was twice as sad. And, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I dropped a tear or two...but, then I saw Max, my German neighbor from the yacht Safina. He came with two cups of hot coffee, cream, and a huge smile. So, the sun came with him and we found ourselves on our yacht eating fresh fruits with homemade yogurt. High life and not time for sobbing!!! But, I wanted to tell you about this yogurt. I think, that's Max's passion which he's trying to rub off on me in hopes that I won't forget him. I better learn it in case I won't be able to leave right away since there are still few things to do. So, maybe by tomorrow I'll start making my own yogurt according to Max's recipe which follows here:
Mix dry milk with water - different proportions than on the package; 1 cup milk, 2 cups water; boil while constantly stirring then wait till it cools down. Check temperature with your finger and when you can't longer hold it in the mixture - that is the right coolness. Then, you add your old homemade yogurt - only a bit - to add some bacteria and give it another stir. Now you leave the mixture in an engine room which is the hottest room (now I know why Max's engine is on all the time). It takes 3 hours to make the yogurt; the longer it stays in warm temperature the sourer becomes. If you'll leave it long enough, you'll get a homemade cheese ala Max. If you wrap it in a cloth and strain the water, you'll be left with cheese. Put it in the fridge and the cheese ala Max is ready. But, luckily, I don't have the refrigerator, so Max figured out that I will make small portions every day... Well, great...although I have to admit it tastes really good with fruits for breakfast....But, when will I get the time to cook it? More so, where did I stick my dry milk?!
So, the day was twice as sad. And, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I dropped a tear or two...but, then I saw Max, my German neighbor from the yacht Safina. He came with two cups of hot coffee, cream, and a huge smile. So, the sun came with him and we found ourselves on our yacht eating fresh fruits with homemade yogurt. High life and not time for sobbing!!! But, I wanted to tell you about this yogurt. I think, that's Max's passion which he's trying to rub off on me in hopes that I won't forget him. I better learn it in case I won't be able to leave right away since there are still few things to do. So, maybe by tomorrow I'll start making my own yogurt according to Max's recipe which follows here:
Mix dry milk with water - different proportions than on the package; 1 cup milk, 2 cups water; boil while constantly stirring then wait till it cools down. Check temperature with your finger and when you can't longer hold it in the mixture - that is the right coolness. Then, you add your old homemade yogurt - only a bit - to add some bacteria and give it another stir. Now you leave the mixture in an engine room which is the hottest room (now I know why Max's engine is on all the time). It takes 3 hours to make the yogurt; the longer it stays in warm temperature the sourer becomes. If you'll leave it long enough, you'll get a homemade cheese ala Max. If you wrap it in a cloth and strain the water, you'll be left with cheese. Put it in the fridge and the cheese ala Max is ready. But, luckily, I don't have the refrigerator, so Max figured out that I will make small portions every day... Well, great...although I have to admit it tastes really good with fruits for breakfast....But, when will I get the time to cook it? More so, where did I stick my dry milk?!