Crying Over Fresh Milk

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Why can I no longer get milk to sour? I am not speaking figuratively here; I literally mean that the skim milk I buy at my local grocery store, the same brand I have bought for years, no longer turns sour. I have left milk in my refrigerator untouched for a week and returned to find the milk completely non-sour—not to say it doesn’t taste off, it generally takes on a bit of an unpleasant plastic taste, but it is definitely not sour. Ten years back my milk would sour to perfection within a week of the expiration date and even two years ago I could eventually get it to sour with a combination of a few hours on the counter followed by a week in the refrigerator.

You may think this is all sour grapes over sour milk, but in fact I need sour milk. I make outstanding oatmeal muffins. Outstanding that is if I start with naturally soured milk. I know that I can add a little vinegar to fresh milk, stir and let sit in a warm place for a bit and it will sour, but the final effect cannot be compared to using naturally soured milk. My oatmeal muffins have been slowly decreasing in quality over several years and I put the cause squarely on the unsourable milk.

Perhaps people who don’t bake with sour milk would think this inability to sour fresh milk is a benefit. However, even if my oatmeal muffins weren’t up to par, I would still find the fact that the milk doesn’t sour a bit of a concern. What could possibly be in the milk that it could stay fresh, only gaining an unpleasant plastic taste, a full month after the expiration date?

As I look over the label, the manufacturers of my milk claim the contents are Fat Free Milk with no artificial rBST growth hormone, Vitamins A, D and , what? Vitamin C? When did Vitamin C get into my milk? That definitely doesn’t sound familiar. Could Vitamin C be preserving the milk? I suppose I am unlikely to receive NIH funding or even FDA funding for a comprehensive study on the lack of souring ability in my milk. This is unfortunate as I doubt that I am the only cook lamenting the lack of suitably soured milk available. Unfortunately I won’t be crying over sour milk anytime soon, just fresh milk.

Two Great Books to Read Aloud to Daughters

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Dear Michelle,

Well I’m not a lawyer, I’m Caucasian and clearly I am not married to the president-elect. However, I empathize with your challenge on the next phase of your motherhood journey as your usher your daughters into the White House and help them adjust to public scrutiny.

Personally I have always found reading a book to be a great escape—especially for a child. Reading out loud to one or both of my daughters while cuddling under a fuzzy blanket transports us all to another time and place—a respite that you may turn to with your children in the stressful weeks, months and years ahead. So while I cannot offer you guidance on setting up your own foundation or preparing inspiring speeches for crowds of thousands and certainly not greeting foreign dignitaries with graciousness, I can offer book suggestions.

Here are two to get suggestions that I found both enjoyable and full of discussion points as a parent of daughters. I hope that you can find time to read one or both.


Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

We started this book with my 14 year old niece reading out loud to my then 11 and 8 year old daughters while sitting on a dock. Pratchett’s ability to write accents phonetically allow anyone to read the book and portray a Wee Free Man with a broad Scottish brogue—pretty entertaining to hear a 40 year old New England woman sounding like a Scottsman—you too could provide peals of laughter! The trilogy begins with a 9 year old girl quickly learning witchcraft to save her younger brother. And as a mother, it teaches how witchcraft is really about listening to people, hearing their needs, helping them with their problems—certainly a gift to bestow upon a child, a gift which it sounds like you have already given your daughters.


Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

While many reviewers categorize this book as for Grades 5 to 8, I found reading it aloud to my daughter when she was in grade 4, opened up all sorts of teachable moments (okay, you likely have a plentiful supply of such moments) as well as being enjoyable and educational for both of us. I imagine that your daughters may catch snippets or more of discussions around some of the world’s atrocities as they go about their daily lives. This author while not condoning horrendous behavior in adults or children does create characters that move to the more sympathetic in a truly believable manner.

I am grateful for the time you, your husband and your children are giving to the United States. I hope that I can live up to my end of the bargain and make the country better each and every day.

Sincerely,