YO (we-love) GURT Recipe

Many of you know I like dirt under my nails, sweat on my forehead, and the power of making a meal 100% from scratch.  Maybe its the Montana in me? Whatever the reason, I have been so proud of our commitment to cutting processed foods out.  It has been a real transformation.  One that is healthier, cheaper, and satisfying. Did I mention cheaper? I have re-read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and have become re-inspired. We are almost living the made-from-scratch life I have dreamed of.  Part of me wants to abandon city living all together, get a couple cows, goats, and chickens, and say good-bye to our weekly trips to the grocery store. 

In any case, it feels good.  Our cooking has been more like research and science than cooking.  We spend hours researching recipes and the history of said recipes.  Why did ricotta come to being?  Why did we start curing meats? So many hows and whys.....I must be influenced by my dear child. I find myself wearing goggles, googling rennet, and using a variety of thermometers.  All for the sake of food.  Good food.

 Now that trains have entered our house

Kannon prefers to stay out of the kitchen

We get our produce from our CSA.  All organic, mostly local, and still has dirt on the roots.  We make our bread and jam.  We have even made pita, naan, and coming soon, tortillas. I have even rolled my own pasta.  Up until now, our grocery trip consisted of cheese, yogurt, milk, dried beans, various canned products, meat, and butter.  As of last week when I discovered the art of making yogurt, cheese, sour cream and more, I am happy to say this week my grocery bill was $16 for a family of 4. 

We bought 2- 32 oz containers of yogurt for $3.99 each week.  Yikes! $7.98 on yogurt a week? That's what we spend on a 7 pound chicken! I came across a post on pinterest about making yogurt.  I had my doubts but after a bit of research I realized it was not difficult.  In fact, it was one of the easiest things I have ever made. The result was creamy, delicious, yogurt.  Better yet, we used our yogurt to make greek yogurt, sour cream, and mock-cream cheese.  The best part?  Once you have your yogurt, you can make yogurt anytime.  No need to buy yogurt again! Yay!

Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients:
6 cups of whole milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized) (93 cents worth of milk)
1/2 cup of yogurt (start up cost was 49 cents, but will be almost free after your first batch)
Large Pot with HOT water
Canning Jars
Thermometer

1.) Heat 6 cups of yogurt to 180 degrees over medium heat. 
2.) Remove from heat and let milk cool to 115 degrees. 
3.) While your milk is cooling down, prepare your pot of hot water.  You can use a dutch over.  Some people even used a Crock-Pot (turned OFF!).  Add hot water half way up the pot.  Add your mason jars.

4.) Add your yogurt to your milk and stir to combine.  Fill each jar with the mixture. Leave the lids OFF. 
5.) Cover your pot with a lid.  Add some towels over the top to keep the pot warm.

6.) Let sit 8-12 hours.  The longer it sits the tangier and thicker the yogurt will be.
7.) Voila! Put your lids on and put in the fridge for consumption.

Total cost for 6 cups (48oz)  of yogurt:  $1.42
Total cost for store-bought 32 oz of yogurt: $3.99
Next batch of 6 cups (48oz) of yogurt: $.93

Some notes:
If you like thicker yogurt, strain through a coffee filter for 5 minutes.
If you like Greek Yogurt, strain through a coffee filter for a couple hours.
If you like sour cream, make greek yogurt and then add a few tablespoons of vinegar.
If you like cream cheese, strain you yogurt overnight at room temperature.
Save a 1/2 cup of yogurt to use to make more yogurt when you run out. 

Or you can just waste a whole batch on making delicious tzatziki.  

Minced cucumber. Crushed garlic. Lemon Juice, Parsley, Salt, and Pepper.  Yum.

It is seriously easy.  And delicious. Cheap too.  If I kept on my yogurt-buying path, I would have spent $414 this year.  This last batch lasted us the whole week, so we will probably spend about $48 making yogurt.  That's a lot of savings!

And more to come. We made mozzarella and ricotta as well.  Boy, is that a recipe to share.  In 30 minutes I made a pound of mozzarella.  I can't load the boys in the car and go to the store in less than 30 minutes.  But that story is coming later.

For now, we will keep on our made-from-scratch path and finding awesome recipes to use our homemade goodness in.  I think the boys will be eating hand-picked from our neighborhood blackberry crumble with greek yogurt for breakfast tomorrow.  Yum.

And special thanks to Kirsten for watching the boys for the our cooking production. They had fun playing in her car.

Back to Cali!

Some of our random adventures.  Clark loved the kayakers.  Papa and the boys swinging.  Kannon made a new friend and played with some new trains.

I flew down to Long Beach last week to see my family: my brother, mom, cousins, aunt, nana, papa. I had been looking forward to this trip for a few months and couldn't hardly wait to give my papa a noogie; envelop myself in my mom's arms; feel more like a little sister to GIANT brother--I just couldn't wait.

Motherhood is hard. Its ten times harder when all your family lives miles away. It is also ten times lonelier.  Fortunately, I have had my cousin, Kirsten, crashing on my couch for the past few weeks to remedy some of that loneliness.  Our lives are so busy with two kids, two jobs, a hyper active dog, a garden, and well, life. Sometimes I go through a whole day too busy to speak.  Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love talking! Nothing is better to me than sitting on a patio or kitchen table sipping hot coffee (or wine if its after 5) and just talking! Imagine my excitement to talk to someone other than my husband or kids!

Our visit to Sarah's "farm". The boys didn't want to leave.  They begged me to bring those cats home.

Our trip started off a bit panicked as my mom called me at 3am to report she had gone to wrong airport and missed her flight.  Then, I snoozed through an alarm and rushed out the door, driving 80mph the whole way to the airport.  We checked in for our 7:00am flight at 6:13am.  Whew.

The boys were marvelous on the airplane and were mostly marvelous for the week.  They were adorable, sweet, and shared so many new experiences, bonded with family and refused to sleep the whole week.  Seriously. No naps. 11pm bedtime.  Me, driving on the freeway, screaming "go the F* to sleep!".  This mama was elated at their happiness but nonetheless exhausted.

Adventures at Shoreline Village.  My brother, mom, and I just loved it.

For once, I got spoiled.  My grandparents took us out to dinner. My mom bought me new clothes and jewelery.  My boys laughed harder than ever.  I saw some old friends, met some new friends, and got to photograph an 18 day old baby.  I watched Kannon and Clark beat the crap out of each other but then kiss and hug.  Life is happening so fast.

The boys loved playing on these stairs.  We could only get them to stop by offering them M&Ms!

 
Kannon spent his days swimming, splashing, and sliding down a pool.  We went to my cousin's house where we fed goats, pigs, and snuggled with kittens.  We went to a beach park where the boys couldn't get their clothes off fast enough to get into the wet sand and warm water.  I watched my brother, so stubborn and loud, become a big teddy-bear to my kiddos. I made new discoveries about my boys growing personalities: Kannon's fearlessness for water; Clark's love of the jacuzzi and nakedness.

I love these sunsets

I also did some soul-searching.   I have been feeling a bit unfulfilled. Something in my life is missing.  I thought maybe it was time to add some more challenge--a new career, back to school, a baby?.  I couldn't quite figure it out.  I have made this epiphany twice this year already, but I miss living CLOSE  to family and friends.  I miss hearing my master story-teller papa tell a story and laugh.  I miss giving my brother advice or rides to work.  I miss wandering around with my mom with a full tank of gas and a spirit of adventure. My mom and I laughed so hard this week.  We also cried.  She is my first best friend.

I am not sure what to make of all this.  I miss everyone! My dad, my mom, grandparents, aunts, cousins, uncles, brothers, and more. Perhaps more trips to see family.  Perhaps more phone calls and skype.  Or maybe we will jump ship all together and dive head first into a cross-country move. Who knows?  All I know is family is important.  If someone had told me as an 18 year old rebellious teen that I would miss my family, I would have laughed.  Now, someone remind me to share this with my children when they are 18.