Strawberry Topping

Strawberry Topping

It's the time of year for strawberries and ice cream! But the best part about this stuff  sauce topping {sure wished I could come up with something more fun for a name:) }, we've used it on our PBJs, waffles, Grammy Lou Lou pancakes (aka skinny pancakes ... almost like a crepe), and ice cream. 

This is really just a variation from my Pectin-Free Strawberry Jam but I combined it with the Happy Money Saver's "Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam" recipe admittedly because there's just something about using a recipe that has 'old fashioned' in the title :)

I started with about 2 pounds of strawberries and we ended up with 12 - 8 ounce jars. For the fresh berries, sugar, jars, lids, and rings the total cost was under $20 and didn't take much more than a few hours ... both well spent in my book.

I made this batch just over a month ago and as you can see, some of our first batch made their way to into being a cute gift for some 'berry' special people in our lives :) Due to my days as the student council advisor and one of our council's jobs being teacher appreciation week, I just can get enough of all the punny sayings!

Jalapeno Bagels

I've already posted about making bagels from scratch, but I was in need of a chuckle this evening so decided to share the good and the bad :)

I made these for #1 when she was in 2nd grade and was able to make them again for #2 a few weeks ago. It is a fun treat to go along with book Jalapeno Bagels by Natasha Wing and Robert Casilla. 

My plan and execution for getting these bagels made fresh for the classroom activity planned by #2's 2nd grade teacher went off without a hitch ... yet on the same kitchen on the same night I had a frozen pizza meet it's doom! In my eyes crunch is almost always better, right?!?!? or is this TOO crunchy??

bagels from scratch - awesome
frozen pizza - not so awesome
what is wrong with this picture!!!! LOL!

Either way this is a great reminder that some moments in life turn out better than we could have expected and others, well, may just be toast! It's in those toasting moments we are just being refined

into diamonds, just like in Hawk Nelson's song Diamonds

Butter’em Up

Homemade butter has been popping up on my Pinterest feed lately and then when my soon-to-be-sister-in-law was sharing about her own butter making experience at our family Easter gathering, I knew exactly what I was going to try out this week!

This was so simple to do in my KitchenAid stand mixer, but of course my brain started overflowing with all the possibilities for some super fun science experiments. I came across an article from Scientific American that outlines a great activity that the kids would love to try sometime! To all you teacher friends out there this could be a great interdisciplinary activity … science {molecules}, history {how we used to make butter}, math {measuring}, writing {write your own story or poem about butter}, and I’m sure you could find a good book for any level that could be related!

Enough with the lesson planning J

Homemade Butter

1 pint of heavy cream

½ teaspoon of salt (optional)

Stand mixer

Pour cream into mixing bowl with flat beater attachment. Cover stand mixer with towel {unless of course you thoroughly enjoy cleaning up cream that has splattered EVERYWHERE}. Beat on high for 15 minutes checking periodically. Once the butter and buttermilk has separated, drain off the buttermilk and reserve {this would work great in some homemade ranch dressing}. Knead and wash butter in a bowl of water to remove any remaining buttermilk, replacing water periodically until the water remains clear {this step is optional but will prolong the shelf life of your butter}. Press clean butter into a bowl with lid. Refrigeration not required. Makes about 1 cup.

Cost Comparison: Homemade butter about $3.65 for 1 lb vs. store bought about $3

Although it’s not a money saver, there is something about seeing the cute little bowl of butter sitting out on the counter that is quite satisfy. And then there is the pure deliciousness of this freshly made butter melting on a piece of warm bread … yum!

And of course I cannot go without wondering how this would all work if I had my own cow? I’m considering trying to butter up the Mr. J!

on this idea … hehee

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ever since I posted my Biscuits and Gravy recipe and gave a shout out to Homemade Fresh Cinnamon Rolls, I’ve been CRAVING the PioneerWomen’s rolls! So last weekend I decided I wanted to get up early Saturday morning … this may or may not been initiated due to the fact our breakfast options could have possibly been very limited only because somebody (cough … me … ehhem) decided we potentially could last a few more days before desperately needing to go grocery shopping. Either way I was up early enough with the great intention to make some fresh cinnamon rolls, only to find out after already starting to mix up the first few ingredients that we were almost out of all-purpose flour as well (Like I mentioned … we were SLIM pickins!)

Well, at this point I had only a few options left 1) run to the store and buy more flour, 2) or something else for breakfast, or 3) substitute the remaining flour needed for whole wheat flour. Some days I would have gone with option #2 hands down but today I had already done the hardest part about making fresh cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning by forcing myself to get up in enough time for these to be eaten for breakfast AND I really didn’t want to leave the house, SO whole wheat cinnamon rolls it is.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Dough-

4 cups whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon salt

the milk, oil, and sugar mixture

In a large stockpot, heat milk, oil, and sugar to almost boiling. Allow to cool until warm. Sprinkle yeast a top the warm milk and let stand for 1 min. Stir in 5 cups of whole wheat flour and 3 cups of all-purpose flour until combined. Cover with stockpot with dishtowel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour. Stirring until thoroughly combined. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, push the dough flat with your fingers to form a rough rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into about a 10” x 30” rectangle with the long edge facing you.

the dough before rising

Filling-

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

¼ cup cinnamon

2 cups sugar

Melt ½ cup butter (1 stick) and spread out onto the dough. Sprinkle with half (2 tablespoons) of cinnamon and ½ (1 cup) of sugar evenly onto the buttered dough. Starting with the long side farthest from you, roll the dough towards you. Once all rolled up, pinch the edge closest to you into the roll to close. Slice using a sharp knife into about 2 dozen 1 ½ inch wide slices. **At this point you could freeze the rolls, place them on cookie sheets covered with saran wrap and place in the freeze until frozen, then place in freeze container of your choice.** Prepare pan(s) by coating the bottom with butter, place rolls 1 inch apart. Cover with dishtowel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden, do not overcook. Repeat with second half of dough.

While the rolls are baking it’s onto the frosting, which I offer to options. A maple frosting from the Pioneer Woman’s recipe or a cream cheese frosting of my own.

Maple Espresso Frosting (Pioneer Woman’s)-

2 pounds (about 8 cups) powdered sugar

½ cup whole milk

6 tablespoons butter

¼ cup strong brewed coffee

Dash of salt

1 tablespoon maple flavoring

Whisk together until very smooth. Frosting should be thick but pourable. Generously drizzle over warm rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting-

6 cups of powdered sugar

½ cup milk

½ cup (1 stick) butter melted

4 ounces cream cheese softened

Whisk milk, butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add powdered sugar until the thickness you desire. Top warm rolls.

Although, I would have preferred using only all-purpose flour, these turned out really well. I was a little worried at first since more often things turnout much denser when using whole wheat flour, and this recipe was not that way.  So good and what makes this even better I was able to make enough rolls to enjoy over the entire weekend AND save the other half of the rolls for the freeze to enjoy these deliciousness later without all the time and effort!

the second half before going into the freezer, froze them like this
then put them in a freezer bag

I’ll have to share an update once we eat up the second half of the recipe from the freezer. 

Homemade Granola

Tonight's going to be a short, sweet, and to the point post! While I realize should have waited until the kiddos were in bed so I could hear myself think, I decided to just sit down quick and push through all the noise while they are entertaining themselves with basketballs, spoons and garbage cans, let's just say loud doesn't describe it!

Granola is not a staple grocery list item or one that I'd consider as 'needed' but this is something I really need to make more of! The process takes a little time but is extremely easy and really the options are endless with what you want to put in it as well as how you could use it.

Natalie at Super Health Kids offers a great list of ways to use your granola. My recipe was inspired by Alton Brown but that was only the start!

Homemade Granola Recipe

4 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)

1 cup slice almonds

1 cup pecans

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix oats, nuts, coconut, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix honey, oil and salt. Pour honey mixture onto of oats mixture. Stir until well coated and combined (use your hands if needed). Spread granola onto a cookie sheet with edges. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until evenly toasted and to your desired crunchiness (keep in mind it will get crunchier as it cools). Stir every 15 minutes. 

This would be great with any kind of dried fruit or your favorite nuts or seeds added to the mix! Ultimately all you need is your base (rolled oats), something sticky to hold it all together (honey or syrup), an oil (I'm sure any kind would do) to thin out your sticky to make it coat everything easier, your favorite extras (fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc.), and a little sweet and salty to your liking. 

Now I just need to make some more yogurt! J

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

the biscuits, melt in your mouth inside with a little crunch on the out

Hoping I've shared this early enough in the week for any of you out there that would like to give this a try come Saturday (or Sunday) morning this weekend! It’s not as quick as a bowl of cereal BUT it is much more time efficient than let’s say, oh … homemade cinnamon rolls … which I always have great intentions the night before, but when it comes down to it, my sleep is much more enjoyable! One of these days, I will find a recipe and process that works for us AND when I do, I won’t forget to share because everybody needs to enjoy a piping hot fresh homemade cinnamon roll every once in while! But until that post, these biscuits and gravy will definitely satisfy those taste buds :)

... and the finished gravy

A Saturday morning favorite around here for sure … even #3, this generation’s “Kara you need to stop talking and eat” girl (just a little inside fun from growing up at ‘the farm’ with a dear friend), loves gobbling this deliciousness up and almost always asks for seconds!

The first recipe feeds a family of 6 generously with seconds and leftovers … which is how I usually cook on Saturday mornings so it covers breakfast plans for Sunday morning also! If you don’t need this large of a recipe, check out the half recipe version at the bottom of the post (I know you all could do your own math, but I also know myself well enough that if there’s an additional step I would need to do in order to try something, its very slow to making it to the top of my priority list … and these biscuits and gravy just might make it to the top of that list once you have tried them!)

From start to finish, the kids can be eating these in about a half hour. To speed the process up, I always make my homemade buttermilk first and start preheating a large skillet for the sausage. The biscuit recipe is one from Foodie Friend on Food.com and the gravy recipe is a from a family recipe book “Breads of a Feather Cook Together”. I’ve shared about this great recipe book before that was inspired by my great-grandparents.

what it looks like before kneading

Homemade Biscuits 

4 cups flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ salt

2 tablespoon sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 ½ cup buttermilk

Make sure you have already started your buttermilk if you are using my homemade version. Shred butter (yes, with a cheese grater J, SO much easier than cutting it into small cubes!) into a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to the bowl with the shredded butter. Using your hands, lightly toss the butter and dry ingredients together until the butter pieces are well coated. Pour the buttermilk over the coated butter. Using a wooden spoon (I like to use this because it makes me feel pioneery ... any spoon will do), stir for about a minute… it may not be completely combined. Pour dough out onto flour counter and knead for about 6-8 times until you have the dough forms a sloppy ball. Move the dough to a cookie sheet (one with edges is preferred). Work the dough to form a 1 ½ inch thick rectangle that is approximately 9”x15”. Cut dough into 2” squares (like you would bars) and do not separate. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

before the baking

While the biscuits are baking, it’s onto the gravy. 

Gravy

the roux and milk ... love a good-ole cast-iron pot!

1 pound breakfast sausage

½ cup butter (1 stick)

½ cup flour

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

In large preheated skillet, brown sausage until fully cooked and the delish crusties form on the bottom of the skillet. While the sausage is cooking, melt butter in a separate saucepan. Whisk flour into melted butter. Cook butter and flour (also known as a roux) for about 1 minute. Add milk to roux and whisk occasionally until sausage is ready. Once sausage is cooked and drained, add the milk mixture to the large skillet. Continue to cook gravy to desired thickness, being sure to scrap the bottom of the pan to incorporate the deliciousness left on the bottom of the pan from the sausage.

the finished product ... we love a little maple syrup to top things off :) 

½ Biscuits Recipe

2 cups flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ salt

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup butter (1 stick)

¾ cup buttermilk

½ Gravy Recipe

½ pound breakfast sausage

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Cost for the meal: under $7 for full recipe. I'd love to hear from you if you give these a try!

What's in Store

As we are recovering from life comatose from this last week and a half of holiday fun and family time and dwelling in the moment of New Year's Resolutions (which I truly enjoy the opportunity each year to make a change, but I don't limit myself to only make a change at the start of a new year), it's relaxing to think back over the past year and get excited about what is to come.

Life is the perfect balance of learning from the past, living in the moment, and being open to opportunities of the future ALL at the same time. I try not to dwell on the past, but I do appreciate that each new day we are given is a great opportunity to make it better than than the day before. I realize I need to slow down sometimes to enjoy the moment we are currently in. AND I need not to worry about tomorrow but I do need to listen to God's whispers because His plans for my tomorrow starts with how I obey Him today.

2015 holds things that actually happened and 2016 will bring dates of specific happenings we can plan for but there will also be so many unknowns along the way. As I reflect and ponder at the start of this new year, I can only get excited about what's in store.

Highlights of 2015 - started a blog + started a new job + #4 began pre-school + welcome another niece AND nephew into this world + everything in between

Looking forward to in 2016 - turning 35 ... it's just another number in my mind, but some may see this as a milestone :) + #3 will start kindergarten + hopes to finish my Homemade Day by Day challenge + LOVING GOD + loving people + keeping life simple

For the Blog: To Do - Make - Replace - Share

mascara

mozzarella

ciabatta bread

butter

blush

almond extract

more freezer meals

Young Living distributor
italian seasoning

pumpkin pie spice

chai latte

cream cheese

bearawicka (a family favorite of the Mr.'s dad's side ... have a recipe ... need to try this out)

cough drops

concealer

blush

sunscreen

bug spray

donate hair

dryer balls

velveeta

lipstick

eye shadow

Bar Keepers Friend (kitchen sink cleaner)

bar soap

shampoo (not no-poo)

conditioner

bacon

taco sauce

apple butter

enchilada sauce

queso

ice cream
make and take classes

liquid hand soap

dish soap

chicken bouillon

cheese (any variety)

fruit snacks

crockpot meals

coconut milk

granola

granola bars

sourdough bread

wine

sauerkraut (I love this stuff, but never buy it since I'm the only one that'll eat it!)

marshmallows

hard candy

biscuits

gravy

farm fresh eggs
uses for shea butter
uses for beeswax
uses for aloe vera gel
uses for coconut oil
uses for activated charcoal

... and the list goes on but I need to make myself stop :) 

What's something you would add to the list?

Homemade Bagels

How to Make Your Own Bagels

AND they are done! Bagels are at least once a week breakfast item in our house but since starting my blog I have deprived my family of bagels because every time I'm at the store and walk by bagels I tell myself ... "Self, you can make those ... that should be your next post." So I continue on without the bagels and then I get home and go eeehhhh ... not today. 

Apparently I was feeling over zealous desperately needing something other than peanut butter toast or oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow and decided at 5pm to make these. I absolutely LOVE bread of all kinds and fresh bread is the best but waiting for it to rise is like watching paint dry, ugh! I really need to get the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I've heard great things about this cookbook and feel like it could really help my love affair with fresh bread. :)

I've made bagels before on a few occasions and there are SO many recipes out there but the one from Sophisticated Gourmet caught my eye as I was thumbing through  so I just went for it with a few tweaks ONLY because I was limited on flour.  

General bagel process: Make dough. Knead. Let rise. Punch down. Let rest. Divide. Roll into balls. Poke hole and stretch. Let rest. Boil. Flip. Boil. Bake.

Einstein Bros. inspired - Cinnamon Sugar Bagels

plain janes

Homemade Bagels

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water

3 cups all purpose flour (extra for kneading)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Let set for 5 minutes. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make well. Add yeast, sugar, water mixture to well. Add remaining 3/4 cup water. Mix until blended. Fold thick moist dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until smooth and just slightly tacky (about 5-10 minutes). Grease clean bowl. Place kneaded dough in bowl and turn dough over to coat with oil from bowl. Cover with towel and allow 1 hour to rise (on the stove top of a preheating over is a perfect spot) or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Allow 10 minutes to rest. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape into ball and use your finger to poke hole and stretch out. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Fill stock pot half full with water and bring to boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees if not already. Using spoon place bagels into boiling water. Allow to boil for 30 seconds on each side. Remove bagels from water and place on a cooling rack (now would be the perfect time to sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar sprinkle OR leave plain). Transfer back to cookie sheet and back for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 bagels.

I made a double batch and made a few smaller than the original recipe recommended. I ended up with 22 bagels. It will be well worth have some in the freezer for next time!

Cinnamon-Sugar Sprinkle

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Blend well. Store in an air-tight container. 

before 1 hour rise - double batch

boiling step. longer boil = chewier crust

before baking, cinnamon sugar

before baking, plain

I will admit, I ate one of eat and they were well worth the wait ... we will see what the kids think in the morning! 

Today's Question - What's your favorite bagel flavor or topping?

Fruit Topping

How to Make Your Own Fruit Topping

Again one of my grandma's doings! This just expands your waffle or sundae bar BIG TIME! Any frozen or fresh fruit will do, if it's fresh you will want to add a little extra water. I've done blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mangoes, raspberries, and a combination of a couple of these.

blackberry fruit topping

Homemade Fruit Topping

1 bag of frozen fruit (or 12 to 16 ounces of fresh fruit + 2 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar (more or less for taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, speeds up thickening process)

Place frozen fruit in saucepan over high heat. Add sugar and cornstarch. Stir a every few minutes until desired consistency is reached (approximately 30 minutes). Reduce heat if needed. Serve warm or cool.

When it's waffle morning here at the Haley House, this is the first thing I start and then I preheat my waffle iron and get my bowl and whisk in the freezer for my homemade whipped topping. Next onto mixing the batter (which I use this recipe) and making the waffles. I'll stop to stir the fruit while I'm waiting on the waffles to cook and by the time I have enough waffles for round one, the fruit topping is ready!

These are a hot commodity around here!

Don't think that this topping just stops at waffles or sundaes, we buy the large containers of plain yogurt or make when we get to borrow my sister's Yogotherm. (I really need to invest in one of those more myself!) and will use any leftover fruit topping to flavor our yogurt!

Cost will depend on the fruit you use, but the nice thing is you have a lot more options than the store bought flavors!

Cost Comparison: $2 to $3 for approximately 12 ounces homemade fruit topping vs. $2.59 for Smucker's fruit syrup

Homemade Whipped Topping

How to Make Your Own Whipped Topping

The Mr. asked while enjoying waffles this past Saturday morning if I had shared my whipped topping on my blog yet, which made me realize I haven't! This is something I remember one of my grandma's doing ALL the time and it is SO simple. Due to the simplicity of the process for making your own whipped topping, I have just assumed most people do this already. However, if this reaches one person who hasn't already tried this ... it will be worth posting! 

If you have a stand mixer it makes this even easier but a simple hand mixer will do the job just as good and you will get a small arm workout in the process ;). A step that will help with either type of mixer is chilling your bowl (metal is preferred) and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. This just helps speed up the whipping process by keeping the cream colder longer. 

Homemade Whipped Topping

1 pint (2 cups or 16 ounces) heavy whipping cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar (I usually just eyeball this, it's all based off preference)

Pour heavy whipping cream into chilled bowl. Whisk gradually working your way up to high speed. Whisk on high until thick and peaks can be formed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar. Scrape down sides and whisk to incorporate. 

Now it's time to enjoy ... on your waffles or pancake, in your coffee (my favorite), a top your favorite ice cream, you name it! It's simply sweetened cream and delicious. 

Be sure to check out my fruit topping to go with these waffles!

Cost Comparison: $1.89 (Aldi) for approximately 16 ounces of whipped topping VS. $2 for 6.5 ounces Reddi Whip (Meijer)

Today's Question: What's your favorite use for whipped topping?

Single-Serve Frozen Fruit Cups

How to Make Single-Serve Frozen Fruit Cups

This is a summer must-have around the Haley House. We eat this in the form of single-serve frozen cups or popsicles. The best part of this recipe is as along as you start with the crushed pineapple, orange juice, lemonade, sugar, and water, you can use whatever variation of fruit you want. 

I'm not sure exactly where the recipe origin came from, but it was passed along to me from one of my aunts years ago. 

2 oz. single-serve frozen fruit cups 

Frozen Fruit Salad

6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

10 ounces maraschino cherries, halved or quartered

1/2 cup red grapes, halved or quartered

10 ounces strawberries (frozen or fresh), quartered 

3 bananas, diced

20 ounces crushed pineapple with juice

11 ounces mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup sugar

2 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into 9 oz. cups. Freeze. Makes 12. 

We almost always double this and use the full can of frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrate (which there is a way to make your own ... so that may be one of these days, just to try it out). Can't you just see it, growing your own orange tree, juicing the oranges, and then making your own orange juice frozen concentrate so you can enjoy fresh orange juice even in the dead of winter from the very oranges you grew! 

I know I am a little extreme when it comes to thinking what all I could do, but I have come to realize maybe that's what I love about the covered wagon days. Most everything was made with what you had and there were no quick trips to the store because it was at least a days trip away. Or in terms of the Oregon Trail (ooohh now here's a fleeting amount of memories, as I think back to the computer game I played growing up), you had to be fully stocked with the bare necessities and prepared for weeks or months without being able to replenish it. 

Anywhoo, back to our frozen fruit cups. :) I used to use Dixie cups and popsicle sticks, but this does create extra grocery list items and extra waste ... plus in this form I preferred them to be eaten outside otherwise we had a sticky mess everywhere. Last summer, I started using cupcake pans (and Pampered Chefs brownie pan) as the alternative to popsicles. I ladle the fruit mixture into the pans and the place them in the freeze overnight (a double batch, makes about four dozen 2 ounces servings). The next day I use a knife to pop them out and then store them in a airtight container in the freezer. This not only creates no waste but it has made it very easy to serve. 

Now no matter the season, I love the idea of going to the freezer, pulling out our container of single-serve frozen fruit cups, plopping each one in a bowl, and enjoying a refreshing side of fruit! Most of the time I will heat them up in the microwave for about 20 secs to soften them just enough to break them into smaller frozen chunks for the little ones. These also make for a great addition to school lunches, I put a frozen puck (or two) in a sealed container and by lunch time it's thawed and ready for eating!

before going into the freezer

Cost Comparison: $0.52 per 4 ounce serving (2 pucks) VS. store bought at $0.56 per 4 ounce serving

Homemade Yogurt

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

So excited to say the least! Not only are we making yogurt today for a fraction of the cost of store bought yogurt but we get to hangout with my big sis and her 3 kids!!! Over the past 6 years, my sister and her family have been back and forth between the states and East Central Asia on missions, so when they are home it's a HUGE blessing! 

She is my yogurt mentor :) and as been making yogurt for quite a while. I have heard of using a crock-pot, a cooler, or an oven as a way to maintain the temperature of the milk while it is thickening. She uses a Yogotherm Yogurt Incubator and has found this to be one of the only ways she has found success repeatedly. She has friends that use some of these other methods and have had great results, so really it just comes down to finding a method that works for you. I would love to try some of these other methods just to compare!

Homemade Yogurt ... the final product! YUM!

Homemade Yogurt

2 quarts of milk (skim, 2% or whole)

2 tablespoons of yogurt

Yogotherm (optional, but what we used ... very handy!)

food thermometer (needs to measure 110 - 185 degrees)

Heat milk in saucepan to 185 degrees over high heat (~15 minutes). Fill sink up halfway with cold water, you will use this to cool the milk down. Remove pan from stove and place in sink with cold water. Whisk and cool to 110 degrees (5-10 minutes). Once cool add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and whisk thoroughly. Pour into Yogotherm and close securely. Incubate on counter in Yogotherm for 8 - 24 hours (the long the incubation period the tarter the flavor). Remove from Yogotherm and whisk until smooth.

For a Thicker Yogurt
colander
bowl

cheesecloth (paper towel or coffee filter)

After incubation period, line colander with coffee filter and place over bowl. Pour yogurt into lined colander and strain in the refrigerator until desired consistency (3-4 hours). They whisk until smooth. No worries if you forget and strain for longer you can always add some whey back in while whisking.

milk heated to 185 degrees

milk cooled to 110 degrees in cold water bath

yogurt after overnight incubation

straining for a thicker yogurt

... after straining for 5 hours 

I loved the way she informed me there really has been no way you can screw this up, this very reassuring!

Updated 5/14/2015 - The process really was very simple and only required a total of 30 minutes of active participation. The Yogotherm sat on the counter overnight and I made sure to have the colander ready to go for the morning. During the scramble to get out of the house, I poured the yogurt into the lined colander and made room for it in the refrigerator, knowing we could try out the yogurt with our lunch when we arrived home today was well-anticipated! We were not disappointed one bit!

Cost Comparison: $0.80 for 32 oz of homemade yogurt VS. $1.89 for 32 oz store bought
A half a gallon makes 32 oz of yogurt, so really it comes down to how much you spend on your milk!

Updated 5/17/15 - Needless to say but the yogurt is gone as of Friday (lasted us 2 days!), we can dominate a 32 oz yogurt in one setting! After talking with my sister about the longevity of homemade yogurt she felt it would last at least a week and probably longer ... her family consumes it fast enough she has never had it go bad.  

Today's Question: What is your favorite yogurt flavor?