Homemade Greek Yogurt

Hi everyone, sorry for the long hiatus, but what are you going to do when the kids...are kids? :)

Anyway, I've had some requests from people in my circles to share my yogurt technique. I use technique rather than recipe because it's more about how you put the ingredients together than the ingredients themselves.

I started making yogurt because we were spending $11 a week on yogurt! That's $44 a month... I'm just too cheap to let that be in my budget. So I asked my mom about making yogurt because I remembered she used to make it when I was younger. She said it was easy but you have to get a few elements right for a good result. So I started my adventure and haven't looked back.

Now I make the same amount for at most $5 a week. That's less than half and leaves more wiggle room in my food budget. Ok, onto the technique.

I'm apologizing in advance for the flexible amounts and times in my descriptions. This really is the way I make yogurt and it changes slightly from time to time but all the ranges I give, I have gotten wonderful yogurt. Also, I know that many reading this know how to cook, but for clarity I will give an exhaustive list of equipment so you are well prepared for each step.

A note on starter: yogurt is made from good bacteria processing the milk. When you see "live and active cultures" on the label, that means those good bacteria are in there. I've noticed a difference in using only starters that contain milk and live and active cultures yields the best results. Sometimes there are additives like sugar, gelatin, and emulsifiers in store-bought yogurt that might impede the process. Also, not all plain yogurt tastes the same. We discovered that Fage brand 2% Greek plain yogurt was what our family preferred. You can either use a single serving tub of your choice of plain yogurt or 1 cup of any plain yogurt, even what's left from a previous batch. Try out a few or just pick out one and give this a go. 

Last warning: This may seem time intensive but honestly it's just a few quick interactions separated by some long wait times. I start heating the milk at 9 am, start cooling it before lunch, add starter after lunch and let it sit til the next morning around 7 am, and then strain it. Some days it's delayed so I just take it out later the next morning.

Feel free to comment or email me crimsoncinder@gmail.com with any questions or to share your success!

 So here we go.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Ingredients
-1 gallon milk (I use whole but any cows milk will work)
-6-8 oz plain yogurt (I use Fage brand 2% Greek plain yogurt single serving or 1 cup of yogurt from a previous batch)

Equipment
-6 quart crockpot
-Instant-read Thermometer
-Sink of cold water/ice bath
-Oven set to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, or just a cold oven with the light on, this will keep the oven at the perfect incubation temperature
-Flour sack cloth or clean smooth cotton cloth
-Colander
-Large bowl
-Small bowl
-Whisk
-Large Spoon/Spatula

Steps
1. Pour 1 gallon of milk into crockpot set to high. Stir occasionally and heat covered until temperature reads 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes my crockpot about 3 hours but yours could take as little as 1.5 hours. The important thing is this is a gradual process, heating too quickly will result in a grainy texture.

2. Remove stoneware insert and place in ice bath sink uncovered until temperature reads 110 (I bring it out if its 115 or lower) This may seem weird to heat up then reduce the temperature but its to denatures the whey protein in the milk, making it active. You will not get a high quality or quantity yield without this step.

3. Remove stoneware from sink.

4. Remove 3-4 cups of 110 degree milk from insert and add plain yogurt starter.

5. Whisk gently until smooth. Pour mixture back into insert. Stir gently to combine.

6. Cover and place in 110 degree oven (or oven with the light on) for 12-18 hours.

7. Remove yogurt from oven and pour into flour sack lined colander that is fit inside a large bowl. This will strain out liquid and give a thicker, Greek yogurt. Without straining, you have just plain yogurt. Feel free to just stir and put in an airtight container if you wish at this point. Otherwise strain for anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on your desired thickness.

8. Remove Greek yogurt from cloth and store in airtight container for up to two weeks. I use a spoon or spatula to scrap the yogurt that clings to the cloth.

9. Enjoy with add-ins or plain.

Accidental Quinoa and Oat Granola

I make granola weekly because it's one of the only things my 2 1/2 year old son will eat. A normal batch is 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup canola oil, and 4 cups of rolled oats. I whisk the oil and molasses together until uniform and then stir in the oats. I spread this out onto a greased baker's half sheet and bake for 30 min at 325 degrees, stirring halfway through.

For the past few weeks, I've tried making a double batch in order to save some work. I can't help but chuckle at this right now and you'll see why in a bit. So back to the idea of saving work with a double batch. It hasn't worked the past few weeks because my husband just has a bigger bowl at breakfast.

I still hope for a week off so this morning I started with a double batch in mind. In goes 1 cup oil, then 1 cup molasses (measuring the oil in the cup first then reusing it to measure the molasses makes it come out cleanly). I whisk it together then head to the pantry for the oatmeal.

Low and behold, we're almost out of rolled oats and I have no where close to the 8 cups needed. Panicking a smidge while rummaging through the shelves, I find 4 packets of instant oatmeal, 2/3 cup red quinoa, and 1 1/2 cup steel cut oats. Still not enough for a normal ratio of coating to crunch, but it will have to do.

I stir all of this in and spread it over a greased baker's half sheet.
Then cross my fingers and hope it will be good enough for tomorrow's breakfast.
15 minutes pass, I stir the granola and flatten it back out. Mind you it's bubbling around the edges because there's too much coating, but ... whatever.

Then it's time to bring it out. It's making "giant crumbs" as my son calls them as I scrape it off the pan, but it's taking forever to cool. My curiosity about the taste overrides my fear of burning my tongue and I take a bite. It's surprisingly hearty and very good! I kinda wanted to eat it all then and there.

...

This should be where my story ends. Happy with my ingenuity in solving an issue and creating a new favorite whilst winning Super Mommy points to top it all. But...no... I decide to push it. I put the granola away warm, so I can ensure some "giant crumbs" stay intact for my son.

Later in the afternoon, I can't resist and want a bowl. Nothing shakes out...it has turned into ONE GIANT CRUMB!! I hurriedly try to shake the container to break it up, turning it...upside down.

This is when some of you would be yelling at the screen, "NO...DON'T!!"

I swear I saw it happen in slow motion. The lid let loose and half of the full container comes out in scattering pieces all over my kitchen (I just found more on top of my fridge). I am able to slam it down so the other half, still one big crumb, stays in the container. I step back and my son sums it up nicely, "You made a big mess!" I love that kid and am so thankful for his comic relief.

You can see now why I chuckled in the beginning about my motive to save myself some work. As I swept the floor and wiped the counters, I wish a moral deeper than this came to me: Laugh at yourself...cause if you don't you might be taking yourself too seriously!

GOD LOVES YOU

ENJOY LIFE
-Cindy

-----------

Accidental Quinoa and Oat Granola

1 cup oil

1 cup molasses (1/2 cup of both of these will probably be fine)

2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

4 packets instant oatmeal

2/3 cups red quinoa

Whisk oil and molasses until uniform and stir in grains until coated. 

Spread over a greased half baker's sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 min, stirring after 15 minutes to avoid burning.

After removing from oven stir granola to loosen from pan. 

LET COOL COMPLETELY

Break into pieces and store in air tight container. 

Enjoy!

First Buttercream and non-mix Cake

I never realized that when people said, "oh it's just a cake mix, no biggie," that there was any other option other than a mix.

I love cake, but I'm ashamed to say it took me a quarter of a century to make a cake without using a mix.

With friends and family that seem to bake as if they were born with a whisk in their hand, I knew this would change but was scared to try anything.

I found the following recipe on Pinterest: Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Molasses Buttercream

This was so easy to follow. The instructions were clear and with my limited baking experience, I was still able to have success. I still need to work on my icing techniques but the taste is amazing.

As I've mentioned before, my husband's sweet tooth is not as intense as mine, but he fully enjoyed the molasses paired with the sweet potato cake. I personally had to stop eating the frosting plain, or with strawberries, and with the cake itself because I would have made myself sick it was so delicious!!!

Now with my confidence, and sugar high, fed a bit, I want to try more! Now I just need more occasions or people to bake for!