Gyda mwy o bobl adref a gyda mwy o amser i fod yn y gegin, mae'n gyfle perffaith i geisio gwneud pethau newydd. Beth am geisio gwneud eich iogwrt eich hunain? Bydd plant wrth eu boddau yn helpu ac yn gweld y broses, a byddwch yn cefnogi ein ffermwyr llaeth ar yr un adeg!

Bydd angen:

1 litr o laeth llawn braster

3 llwy fwrdd o iogwrt byw (Iogwrt naturiol Llaeth y Llan yn gweithio'n berffaith)

Bydd angen y cyfarpar canlynol:

Thermomedr, Sosban, llwy bren, Fflasg

Dull

1.   I ddechrau rhowch y llaeth mewn sosban, a chynhesu'r llaeth i 85 gradd selsiws.
2.   Unwaith bydd y llaeth wedi cyrraedd 85 gradd, tynnwch ef oddi ar y gwres a'i adael i oeri, nes y bydd wedi cyrraedd 45 gradd (tua 5-10 munud)
3.   Unwaith bydd y llaeth yn 45 gradd, cymysgwch yr iogwrt byw i mewn gyda'r llaeth.
4.   Rhowch y gymysgedd mewn fflasg sy'n selio'n dda a gadwch iddo fod am 8 awr.
5.   Ar ôl 8 awr, rhowch y gymysgedd mewn jariau neu botiau wedi eu diheintio a'u gosod yn yr oergell. Bydd yr iogwrt yn iawn i'w fwyta am ychydig ddiwrnodau. Cofiwch arogli a chadw golwg ar yr iogwrt cyn ei fwyta, gan fod bacteria byw yn cael ei ddefnyddio, mae'n bwysig bod yn ofalus. Fel unrhyw fwyd, os oes arogl drwg arno, peidiwch â'i fwyta!
6.   Gellir defnyddio'r iogwrt ar gyfer brecwast iachus gyda ffrwythau, mewn pwdinau blasus, neu wrth goginio cyri neu gawl.

Here is an easy recipe using Lamb chops. Cumin is a spice that works great with Lamb, not too spicy, but strong enough to bring out the best flavour of Lamb.

You will need:

6 Welsh Lamb chops

1kg New Potatoes

1 Clove of garlic- grated or chopped finely

1 lemon - skin grated finely and juice separately

2 tablespoons olive oil or extra virgin cooking oil (Blodyn Aur Oil works well)

Chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon of Cumin

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes. After draining, mix 1 tablespoon of oil, garlic, lemon zest and cumin and cover the potatoes. Keep the mixture in the pan with the lid on in a warm place.
2. Rub 1 tablespoon of oil over the lamb chops, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a suitable pan, and cook the chops on high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Immediately after removing the pan, put the lemon juice over them. Leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
3.     Before serving, mix the mint into the potato pan and serve with salad or peas.

With more people at home and more time to be in the kitchen, it's the perfect opportunity to try new things. Why not try making your own yoghurt? Kids will love to help and see the process, and you'll support our dairy farmers at the same time!

You will need

1 litre of full fat milk

3 tablespoons of live yogurt (Llaeth y Llan natural yoghurt works perfectly)

You will need the following equipment:

Thermometer, Saucepan, Wooden Spoon, Flask

Method

1.     Start by putting the milk in a saucepan, and heat the milk to 85 degrees celsius.
2.   Once the milk has reached 85 degrees, remove from the heat and leave to cool, until it reaches 45 degrees (about 5-10 minutes)
3.   Once the milk is 45 degrees, mix the live yoghurt in with the milk.
4.   Place the mixture in a well-sealed flask and let it stand for 8 hours.
5.   After 8 hours, place the mixture in sterile jars or pots and place in the fridge. The yogurt will be fine to eat for a few days. Remember to smell and check the yogurt before eating it, as live bacteria is used, it is important to be careful. Like any food, if it smells bad, don't eat it!
6.   The yogurt can be used for a healthy breakfast with fruit, in delicious desserts, or when cooking a curry or soup.

It came out of nowhere and hit us hard from the outset. Nobody here could have fathomed the changes this global pandemic would bring in terms of the economic impact, and changes to lifestyle. 

One minute we were watching scenes on the telly that could have been mistaken for a Hollywood blockbuster or a new Netflix hit, the next we were scrambling in supermarkets to get our hands on tinned peaches, mince meat, chips, nuggets and toilet roll. And not to mention the handwash and sanitizer. Crazy!

Overnight, restrictions came into place. Offices and businesses were forced to shut their doors, children were sent home with schools closed and there is no end in sight. 

All of this has of course changed the way we do things. Parents are facing the challenge of working from home whilst trying to look after and home-school children, others are suffering mentally from isolation measures and the economy is set to take the biggest nosedive possibly for hundreds of years. 

Watching the news terrifies me. As we see the death toll rise, people in despair, farmers in serious distress over milk and red meat sales, the predictions for the economy bleak to put it mildly and some people completely ignoring the restriction measures - I find myself muttering in the kitchen, sometimes in disgust about the sheer and utter ignorance of some, whilst in awe of others who go above and beyond the call of duty, and pondering over the financial crisis.

So when everything around me seems to fall apart, I like to look for the positives. I wouldn’t call it blind optimism but a gentle reality check. When you can’t go outside, go ‘inside’ a friend told me the other day as I was lamenting the dire situation. Take note of what’s good - it might be different, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Yes! I'm here. Cornel Clecs is a little different this month under the circumstances. I started writing the column on Monday 16th March. Things were pretty 'normal' then – whatever the definition of normal is by now! Life was plodding on, Ladi Fach Tŷ Ni had a hospital appointment, and it was 'business as usual' there. The schools were still open, but the supermarkets and larger shops were showing signs of something big that was about to happen.

Yes! I'm one of the thousands of people who spend an hour, or two (or three…) on social media every day! Social media is all about sharing, learning, interacting and marketing. But for you and I, its main purpose is to stay in touch with people.

Looking through one of the social media channels a while back, I came across something interesting that has inspired this latest Cornel Clecs. The blog, by the Faithful Farming Family, focused on children born and raised on a farm, and their unique qualities.

It got me thinking about our perfect example, Ladi Fach Tŷ Ni, who was born with a passion for agriculture.  So, why are farm children so unique? The most important element is what they learn from the farm, which shapes them into great people.

When a child grows up on a farm, they learn about work ethic. Everyone has a specific responsibility and a certain amount of time to carry out a task effectively. They learn from their parents and extended family, from dawn to dusk, without complaining because this is their only way of life.

A child learns about life and death from a very young age. Watching a young lamb take its first delicate steps, and seeing the disappointment when the same lamb doesn’t survive for whatever reason. Losing a pet is a very raw experience, but new hope comes in the spring with new life on the farm.

It is important to learn about sacrifices. There is often little opportunity for days out during the spring half-term holidays as lambing and calving take priority 24/7. Summer babies often have to sacrifice birthday celebrations because the harvest needs to be done. Fathers who are dairy farmers may have to miss the start of school concerts as they often start early. Sometimes the whole family has to make sacrifices.

Farm children have vivid imaginations. They spend hours outside creating and building a masterpiece out of spare materials, knowing the farmyard like the back of their hand. Out all day, every day, and only go into the house to have some food.

Yes, Ladi Fach Tŷ Ni has a healthy attitude towards work, sometimes has to learn to lose the precious pet lamb, having to sacrifice something at some point - but it doesn't matter - there will be an opportunity again, and for sure, the imagination is very vivid! I feel very lucky, that this is our child's way of life. She may never be wealthy, but will hopefully have the most important qualities in life thanks to the farm.

Finally, I asked Ladi Fach Tŷ Ni, why does she like living on the farm, and the answer is: -

"Yes, I wouldn’t choose any other life, I love living on a farm, it's a way of life!"