The Other Caroline has arrived! Rather unexpectedly, I’m afraid to say, so I didn’t have flowers on the dining room table, and there were dishes in the sink. She actually gave me a bit of a scare- I came home from Quaker Meeting and the door was unlocked, and I heard someone moving around inside, so being a logical person I of course went in myself to investigate (I was 95% sure it was a roommate and not a burglar, but that last 5% had me a little worried, I’m not going to lie). Fortunately it was Caroline B. (as opposed to me, Caroline A.), and now I have a roommate. There are some mixed feelings swirling around, but I think they’re mainly positive, and I’m sure I’ll get used to having someone else in what I’ve come to think of as my space, especially because B. has already mentioned that she doesn’t like to hang out at home very much. She seems very nice actually, and highly praised my zucchini bread, which is a great way to get into my good books.
The kitchen space issue has already popped up, and it’s only going to become more problematic when another girl joins the mix, but I think we’ll manage. I unfortunately had a big mixing bowl of yogurt straining in the fridge when she turned up with a bunch of groceries, but that isn’t a permanent fixture, so we’ll have more room once it goes away and the yogurt and whey are put in smaller tupperwares. I tried to broach the subject of bathrooms, but I’m either going to have to be much more direct and assertive next time (I tried to make it as friendly as possible “How did the bathroom situation originate” “S. has her own bathroom, and we share.” “Right…but why?” “Because she wanted her own bathroom.” “I see. I was just wondering because my room is so much smaller than both of yours, so I thought it might be a compensatory thing…” This route isn’t going to get me very far, but I’m uncomfortable pointing out the inequalities in the current arrangement. I don’t even know if I want my own bathroom, but I do think something should be done to even things out since we all pay the same rent for significantly different sized spaces), or just let it go.
My yogurt that has already strained is delicious. Possibly my best yet. Four hours is the right straining time, and when you eat it with sliced berries on top it’s truly better than ice cream.
This week’s loaf of bread was also a triumph- the rosemary flavor is really pronounced, and it made the apartment smell phenomenal. It stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven again, even after I let it cool for almost an hour, but I was able to mostly get it up without tearing, and only lost a nickle-sized piece.
I’m feeling a bit self-conscious about having someone else in the house (Will she judge my early bedtime? Should I close my bedroom door when I’m playing music? etc.), but I’m sure I’ll get used to things soon.
Turn Towards the Sun 
My last two yogurt attempts have failed – very distressing. Can you tell me your method?
That is distressing! Can you describe how they failed?
My method is very simple- heat your milk in a double boiler until it’s 185 degrees, then hold it there for half an hour, stirring frequently. When it’s been close to time, fill your sink with ice water, and after the thirty minutes are up move the pot with the milk into the sink. Let it cool down to 110 degrees, stirring occasionally, and then add your starter (I use a lot of starter, usually between a half to three-quarters of a cup) and stir it in. (I also use this time to skim out any large pieces of milk skin that may have built up during the heating process, but I didn’t have any this time because I stirred it almost constantly.) Put the lid on the pot, wrap it up in dish towels, and let it sit in a warm place for seven hours. I usually put it in the oven, either off, or on a very low setting, but yesterday I needed to use the oven, so I just put it on the counter. After seven hours remove the lid- it should have some whey at the top, and be decently thick, and break the curd up by stirring it, and mixing in the whey. Put it into sealed containers, and put them in the back of the fridge overnight. Depending on how you like it, you can strain it, in a colander with cheesecloth. I like my yogurt super thick, so four hours of straining works well for me.
B. bought a ton of yogurt, and I made a gallon batch this time, so we are all set up to have a big yogurt party. We’ll wear bathrobes, and talk about shoes, and it’ll be just like a Yoplait commercial.
I think perhaps you should season your dutch oven. Heat it in the oven, then wipe it down with vegetable oil (or hit it with a spritz of PAM), then allow it to cool.
I thought the enamel meant I didn’t have to. Maybe seasoning is the solution. Thanks for the tip!