I will never go near goats - they eat everything!

Goats, love them or hate them - I am not into goats.

A friend runs a number of goats on his land, and they always seem to be escaping, eating his olive trees, furniture, farming equipment, washing in fact anything they can get their mouths around and more.

He very kindly moves into my house when I go back to the UK for short trips, this also includes looking after our six dogs. So in return if he goes back for a short visit I return the favour, and look after his goats, dogs, chickens, geese and ducks.

The goats need to be fed and milked. Hmmm - how many years since I hand milked cows, and they stand still for you. Goats move about, stand in the bucket, tip the bucket over and generally mis-behave. When will they realize that you are doing this for their good and not mine. But there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Friday is now cheese making in my house, lovely fresh soft goats cheese. It's so easy and so delicious. My recipe is as follows:-

1/2 gallon fresh goats milk
1 tablespoon of table salt
Juice of one lemon.
Only use stainless steel kitchen equipment.

Boil the milk until a rolling boil
Then add the salt and lemon juice
Turn off the heat, and stir while the whey separates from the curd
spoon the curd into a muslin cloth, and squeeze gently, and then hang the muslin cloth with the curd to drip until it is slightly firm, mould the cheese, place in the fridge and use as you wish.

So do I now like goats - possibly. Would I like goats on our land - possibly. I love their products, but they are still a liability around the place.