Are
all indie novelists do-it-yourselfers? I am. Maybe I got it from my immigrant
mother or my I-can-fix-that father, but I always want to give something a try
myself.
When
the lawnmower stopped working, I took it apart and moved some wires and pieces around.
It worked. My son, who was probably hoping to get out of mowing the lawn asked,
“What did you do?” I said, “I’m not really sure, but it works now.”
I
got into gardening that way. It seemed to me that if you stuck plants in dirt and
watered them, they should grow. It was a little more complicated, but my
dendrobium orchid has been blooming since March. (BTW, orchids are so easy to grow. Give them good light,
occasional water, and ignore them. They’ll bloom. Then you can pretend they’re
a lot of work.)
Brewing
beer was a similar thing. Apparently, my great grandmother used to throw a huge
pot on her stove and brew. I bought a huge pot and a brewer’s book, and I discovered
that homebrew tastes really good.
Recently,
I decided to make yogurt. The good stuff is too expensive. So I heated 8 cups
of milk to 180, cooled it to 112, mixed in a few tablespoons of plain Greek
yogurt with active cultures, and cooked it for nine hours. Afterwards, I refrigerated
it. (If you don’t have a yogurt maker, wrap your Dutch oven in towels and let
it set for a day or so.) Season as desired. (For a sweet tooth, try sugar and
preserves. If you like savory, sprinkle the yogurt with Greek seasoning. YUM.)
Next
up, cheese. I want to make Brie and blue cheese.
Tell
me, are you a do-it-youselfer? If so, what have you done?
