What the Heck is Cheese Curd and Why Would I Eat It on a Sandwich?

Cheese is milk's leap towards immortality.
~Cliff Fadiman

Cheese curds are a byproduct of the cheese making process. Curds are small bits of solids that separate from the whey in milk when the milk is curdled (the first step in the cheese making process). Most of the curds are then shaped and aged, making them full-fledged cheese.

Cheese curds can be exempted from the rest of the processing and consumed fresh. The flavor is mild and milky. The consistency is somewhat rubbery, and there is apparently a "squeak" associated with eating fresh cheese curds. Some cheese curds are flavored (spiced, garlic, ranch, etc.)

A bag of fresh cheese curds:


I don't know what has caused the sudden popularity surge of grilled cheese curd sandwiches (though I suspect it is rooted somewhere in Wisconsin). Up until a coworker ordered one at a restaurant the other day, I had never even heard of such a thing. She said it was tasty, and then suggested I learn what the heck it is for my blog. This one is for you Laura! :-)

Cheese curd recipes.

Note: Cheese curds are best when they are very fresh. 

Something else I learned: Cottage cheese is curd that comes from skim milk cheese processing.

***UPDATE*** 12-30-2011: I saw a bag of cheese curd available at my local grocery store today. That is the first time I have ever seen it in the cheese section. There was no date on it, and I know from my research that the curds are best when they are very fresh - otherwise I might have bought some and tried a recipe or two.

The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams

I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.
~Scarlett O'Hara

That sweet potato scene was so very memorable. Yes, it was sweet potatoes, not yams. It turns out there is a difference!

Sweet Potatoes:

• Grow in the Southern United States
• Grow in the ground
• Are orange or yellow with orange flesh

Yams:

• Grow in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Grow on vines
• Are black or brown and have off-white, purple, or red flesh

Yams and sweet potatoes are not even related vegetables. Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes, thus are sweeter of flavor. Sweet potatoes are tubers with elongated ends. Yams can grow up to a seven foot length!

A succinct comparison of sweet potatoes and yams.

Note: I love sweet potatoes and prepare them in many ways. After learning about the differences between sweet potatoes and yams (mainly seeing images) I am not sure that I have ever actually had a yam.

Something else I learned: The word yam comes from an African word, which means "to eat."

You Can Buy A Play ATM Machine for Your Kids

The kids who use this thing can do so by touching the display directly with their fingers or with a stylus and are offered their own ATM card and PIN code. Moreover, they're capable of carrying out quite a few important transactions, including here checking their account balance, making deposits or even withdrawing funds.
~Toy ATM ad

I had never heard of this toy before. They seem to be quite popular, if the Google search results are any indication. There are a couple of hundred results for a "toy ATM" search and all the links are to sites you can buy this toy from.




According to advertisers, this is a wonderful toy that will teach children all about money management. I don't know - I personally am uncomfortable introducing kids to the usage of fake credit card type toys at such an early age. Put the card in the slot, money comes out! Isn't that kind of how we end up going in to debt?

Note: This toy is an awful lot of ugly plastic for $86.48 +shipping.

Something else I learned: If you say you are going to post something new on your blog every day, people expect you to post something new on your blog EVERY day! *waves to blog followers and readers* I have a generous amount of time off work so I think I am back on track.