Milk waterfall

There is a very good theory comparing life with a river with its streams, rapids and waterfalls. We are canoes floating along, one day flows into the next, everything gets done, and somehow there’s still time to relax.

Then, ever so slowly, the stream starts to move faster, we can control everything, but it takes a little more effort. Next come the rapids, and all of a sudden, everything is more challenging: It may be a new project at work, a cold, an opportunity to watch a Rolling Stone concert,  whatever the reason, you spend those periods steering the canoe, struggling to stay afloat. You wake up in the morning feeling you’re already behind, and each day becomes a frantic race against the clock in order to get everything done.

And then the rapids begin to tumble even faster, and you go right along with them. You “have to”, you “need to”, you have no other choice”…you go, go and go…and in the distance you start hearing the roar of the waterfall, and you convince yourself that your only option is to paddle even harder. You’ve got to steer though those rapids and somehow get to safety. Otherwise, the waterfall’s going to get you!

Actually, my life always used to flows over the rapids, this was normal for me. I don’t know somehow, early in November I started listening to the waterfall! ...and it was a waterfall of milk!

Let me explain: We moved to our new flat in November 7th, a lot of boxes needed to be opened and we can’t found our clothes and other belongings anyway, we decided that day in the evening to sleep in the new flat, a crazy day needs crazy decisions.

Rather than waiting for my family to open the boxes, I decided to buy some food for the fridge... something for breakfast for the next morning.

If you go to a supermarket here in London and you look for the milk, you can see different kinds of bottles with fresh milk: Whole milk, semi skimmed milk and skimmed milk in bottles of different sizes, that’s all! A very easy decision, isn’t it? …It isn’t, not if you are expecting “the other kind of milk” and you are tired and stressed with all the big changes.

I remembered my Spanish grocery centre with two corridors plenty of different kinds of milk and brands. I also remembered the monologue from “el club de la comedia” about the milk: with calcium, with fluor, for kids, for adults, soya milk, with chocolate, with vanilla, without lactose, ... and all these with at least four different brands and the own brand of the grocery. It is true! And I needed to know where I could find this kind of milk here.

Let me explain, I don’t have anything against fresh milk, it may be the best in terms of quality, health or flavour but you only have “three” days to drink it.  It has a short shelf-life period. It is a matter of time!

I used to buy at least 50 litres of milk every fortnight, probably I need to reduce this number now because two of my kids are still living in Madrid! Anyway, shopping like that I would need a big trolley and an enormous fridge. It’s a matter of space!

In fact, breakfast is one of the loveliest moments in the day and the milk is the key factor for have a good breakfast in my family. Also, my kids used to take a break in the afternoon, milk with biscuits or cereals, and they also call this snack “the breakfast”. Just like the tea hour here in UK. It is a mater of milk!

What I look for is “carton milk”, the other kind of milk, the one that you can keep in the cupboard. I don’t want a waterfall of milk, I want UHT milk.

Let me explain what it is: The acronym stands for Ultra High Temperature and here is the recipe:

The milk is exposed to a temperature of 135 ° -140 ° C for 2 to 4 seconds and is followed by rapid cooling not exceeding 32 ° C.

This is done in a sterile and enclosure that ensures that the product is free of germs. Cooking a soft caramelization of lactose gives a smooth taste of milk; we usually add cocoa, coffee and sugar.

When subjected to such extreme temperatures, the nutrients in the milk are damaged!. Milk becomes what is known as "milk carrier" , white water authentic flavored milk. But don’t worry! We add artificial nutrients and it’s ready!... Put it in the carton (with vitamins, calcium and fat) and then into my kitchen cupboard, it can be stored for months without losing taste or freshness.

The recipe seems to be easy, but I can’t do it in my kitchen, a matter of time, space and milk!

I started hearing the waterfall, I paddled harder to find UHT milk … I can’t find two shelves full of milk like at home in Spain, …and I can order online! …so, relax guys! … We can have our breakfast and the “breakfast” in London!!! And I can go back to my busy life in the rapids, without the waterfall catching me!