Hands of Time

I have big hands. Vicki and Whitney came over yesterday to help with our first attempt at cheesemaking (more on that later). After the curds and whey separate (didn't know which was which before yesterday), it's time to "use a gentle hand" to press as much of the whey out of the curd as possible. The curd makes the cheese, the whey, well we aren't sure yet, but are considering it a great plant food. We older gals had the perfect hands for the process. We joked about our farm hands, both of us have a heritage of German farming, and were able to do the job perfectly. Our girls have petite, slender, soft, hands. Will they improve with age?

My hands have always been big. I write left-handed with the pen on my ring finger, so I have a large callous there. Rings and long nails make me look like a transvestite. When Curt and I got married, rings seemed silly, so we went with the kick-ass stero instead.

I have blisters from pulling weeds, scars from poor knife skills, burns from too hot mozarella, and crooked little fingers from too many softball catches. As I approach 50, this is something I am becoming comfortable with. I have started noticing broads with big hands. Martha Stewart has strong hands, so does Nigella, and Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America. I'm starting to like the look.

Recommended products: Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme