Protein – Milk

Milking sheds of all shapes and sizes, and sometimes not at all – my Dad tells the story of milking cows in the paddock.  He was 15.  Out in the open, one must hope for a stationary cow and no flies in order to get the job done without fuss.

Mum recalled a kindly cow that let the piglets have a drink.

I associate milk with building.  Not body building, but serious construction.  I’m sure we helped, perhaps a little.  It was the largest construction project I had seen.  As an adult, I would probably have assessed it in terms of preparation and assembly and how each process contributed to the completed and functional object.  As a child, it was pure adventure.  Playing with blocks is one thing.  Playing with, or at least around, adult-sized building materials captured and fed the imagination.  The tactile contrast between the rough texture of the eucalypt bark and the surface of the wood underneath is still fresh.

When I wore pigtails, I did not like milk.  Home-made ice cream was on the menu, made from the same milk I would not drink.  Mum would mix sugar and gelatine into the warm frothiness, chill it until nearly frozen, and then beat it furiously in the mix master.  It was returned to the freezer and we waited.

Sugar had a positive impact, both in the ice-cream and on the breakfast cereal.  So, one sleepover, when I was presented with a glass of milk at the breakfast table, I tried to solve my problem by putting a spoonful of sugar in it.  One of the other children at the table thought it a wonderful idea and copied me.  The poor child was roused upon loudly and soundly by her parents.

The carton was usually thrown out before it could be finished.   So, I gave up putting those few drops in my tea.  I tried extending the sugar plan and purchased only flavoured milk.  It did not sit comfortably.  I gave up buying milk for many years.  I even tried putting juice on breakfast cereal.

Now, I buy the A2 milk .

And I still buy ice cream.   When we were children, we called it “Bought Ice Cream”.

My tips for this post:

• Think of something from your childhood that fascinated, captured and nourished your imagination.
• A big glass of milk (say 300ml) with Ovaltine puts food cravings to one side for a while.  If it’s part of the minimum daily requirement, then it can’t be an indulgence.
• Don’t have the Ovaltine and milk at night.  The scales in the morning won’t like it.
• Build something.