Countertop Yogurt

We eat a lot of yogurt around here.  That and the fact that yogurt is loaded with probiotics is what prompted me to do a little research into making my own.  I figured if I could make my own I could determine what ingredients went into it, how long to culture it (a longer culture decreases the lactose), and control the cost.  All good things in my book.

I was determined not to have to buy another kitchen gadget.  I have many of them, but I refuse to buy uni-task items, such as a yogurt maker.  I found out that with a little practice I could make counter top yogurt in a crock pot.  It it so easy!  All you need is milk and bacteria.  I got my initial start-up bacteria from a store-bought culture, but you can also use plain ol' yogurt from the store. 

I heat my milk (about a half gallon) in my crock for several hours, until the temp is about 180.  This will sterilize the milk.  Then cool it back down so that you can hold your finger in the crock for 10 seconds without getting burned.  (About 90-110 degrees for a good incubation temp.)  Then stir in one cup of plain yogurt (I always save a cup of my original batch to "start" the next batch).  Put a lid on the crock and wrap in a towel.  It's a good idea to keep it free of cold drafts, as you want the milk to cool down slowly.  Incubate between four and 24 hours.  The longer the incubation period, the less lactose there will be (the bacteria consume the lactose).  And, well...that's it.  I store my yogurt in glass canning jars, and always use plastic or wood utensils when scooping out the yogurt.  Maybe it's an old wives' tale, but they say with any live culture not to put it in contact with metal, as metal is reactive and the culture might get damaged. 

The yogurt is quite good plain, but I usually have a batch of homemade granola ready to be sprinkled on the top.  (Store-bought granola is too pricey for me!) 

This is a half gallon of yogurt.  I make this amount twice a week so...yes, we eat roughly a gallon of yogurt a week.  Wow...

I've used my yogurt in all sorts of ways...I sub it in recipes that call for buttermilk (did you know you can make this yourself, too??), use it as sour cream, sub it for evaporated milk, put it in smoothies...the list goes on!  Basically, though...we just eat it.  The kids started out not liking it one bit.  I had bought the sugar-loaded yogurt for way too long and that was what they were used to.  However, little by little they have learned to really like it.  They are asking for it all the time now (but it better have that yummy granola on it!)

Homemade Cheddar Sourdough Crackers

Like I said, I'm trying to control what my family eats so that we eat healthier.  To do that requires more homemade items.  Another snack that quickly shoves the ubiquitous bag of goldfish out of my shopping cart is cheddar sourdough crackers.  Oh boy.  These babies are so good. 

I have to admit, though, that without a large food processor they were a bit tedious to make.  I tried my Kitchen Aid, my VitaMix, and my small food processor.  None of them were a home run when it came to making these crackers, but I was able to use my small food processor, putting small portions of the dough through at a time. 

Last week a made a batch of whole wheat crackers.  Wow.  Mega gross.  Even the kids, who normally eat anything labeled "snack", really didn't eat many of them.  I upped the ante with the whole wheat crackers, though, and made a hummus dip.  Yes, I soaked the beans and everything.  I'm not sure what I did wrong but with the gross wheat crackers and boring hummus...I think I'll stay with these cheddar crackers! 

Homemade fruit roll-ups

I've been on a mission these last two weeks: no more processed garbage food.  No more fast food, even though we really aren't fast food people.  More organic food (when it counts and if it doesn't interfere with my frugal-ness).  I found a great source for grass-fed beef (an accomplishment, seeing that we live in a desert!) and another source for low-priced organic produce, raw cheeses, and other food items.  I'd love to find a way to get raw milk at a decent price, but that one isn't happening quite yet.  (I know my mom is reading this and shuttering, remembering having to drink raw milk herself while growing up! But I want to give it a try.  The nutrients in that stuff just make my head roll!) 

A fun snack that I absolutely nailed on the head was fruit roll-ups.  The kids love fruit snacks and fruit roll-ups from the store, but they are loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and who knows what else.  Some of those "ingredients" are even hard to pronounce!  So...here's my homemade version. 

I took some of my newly made applesauce (yes, I made another batch the other day) and some plums that were starting to go bad on the counter and pureed them in our VitaMix.  I placed some parchment paper on a tray and poured the fruit on.  Then I slowly dried it out, for about 10 (yes, 10) hours on 170 degrees.  After it was cooled I cut the dried fruit into strips.  The kids are able to peel back the parchment paper just the ones that are store-bought, but now I can feel confident that they are getting whole, real fruit for their snack.