Viili Smoothies - A Treat & Port and Stilton Update

My cousin in Eau Claire and her mother came up with a great idea of making smoothies with the viili culture I gave them.  I've tried it, and I like it!  No real recipe, but I take a cup of viili, add a banana and some frozen berries we get from Schwan's, though any frozen berries or fruit pruee would do, and then blend them up.  The consistency is good, and I don't use any sugar....usually.  Having lived in the UP of Michigan, I'd love to try this with thimble berries when they are in season.  But I doubt that will happen now that I live further away.  I'll just have to make due with blueberries when they are in season to get that feeling of being in the UP when I drink it.


The Port Salut and the latest Stilton are progressing.  Once again, I'm in a lull as I decide what cheese to try next.  My blog follower, Glenn K., is making cheddar.  If you read this post, Glenn, send me a pic of the cheddar so I can post it.  I am very interested in hearing how it goes. 

The Port is just starting it's b. linens bloom.  The color is darker than I expected, but the older spots become more vivid after the scheduled brine washes.  Still fighting the blue/black mold, but the spots are not numerous and very tiny.  I just carefully trim them out.  This should ease once the b. linens takes hold more completely.   The pic of the Port is recent.  But the Stilton pic is a few days old and it's now completely blue and fuzzy.  Although I have to turn and monitor the Port daily, I can now leave the Stilton alone a full week between turnings. 

Now that I have a healthy colony of b. linens on the Port, I started washing with a brine/beer solution to impart a different flavor.  I also found an old miniature fan that I cleaned up.  I use it to rapidly dry the surface of the Port after the washings so the errant molds don't have a chance to take a better hold on a damp surface.