Homemade Yogurt!

A co-worker recently introduced me to a food blog called "A year of slow cooking" after a conversation we were having about yogurt. Where I live, the containers that yogurt and sour cream come in cannot be recycled! Since I am very much into reducing, re-using and recycling, this drives me bonkers! We were also discussing all the stuff they add to the store-bought yogurt. This led her to decide to go ahead and try THIS recipe for homemade yogurt. When she emailed me and told me she had success I decided I was brave enough to try it too!



I can honestly tell you that it is one of the easiest things I have ever made and get this - you make it in your crock pot!!! The best part is that my boys are eating it - all I do is add some fresh fruit, a bit of granola and a teaspoon or so of maple syrup or honey to add a bit of sweetness. This is an added bonus - before trying this, I only managed to sneak the plain stuff into smoothies and frozen smoothie popsicles and occasionally substitue it for sour cream when I make tacos (except for consistency, you hardly notice the difference). I truly didn't expect them to eat if from a bowl - they ate what you see here for breakfast (and sometimes snack) almost every day last week. I am onto something here - this is so easy to make, so much cheaper and no plastic container to toss into the landfill! Can you tell how excited I am! lol

Just in case you want to try this, I will post the recipe here with the adaptation that my friend made and has worked for me. Please note that this recipe was found on "A year of slowcooking" blog and I certainly am not the one who figured how to make yogurt in my crockpot. :)

Here it is:

Add 8 cups of milk to your crockpot (I have used homo, 2% or skim)
cover and turn on low for 2.5 hours

Unplug and allow to sit for three hours

Scoop out 2 cups of the milk and put in a bowl - whisk in 1/2 cup plain yogurt (the good plain kind with active culture from the store or a 1/2 cup you've saved from making your own)
Also whisk in 1/2 cup skim milk powder
Pour contents of bowl back into crockpot and stir to combine

Wrap your crockpot well in a beach towel, all the way around, on top and under (I use two)
Allow to sit un-plugged, overnight or for 8 hours

Voila, easy-peasy, you have homemade yogurt!

Don't be afraid, go on and try it. It's the easiest thing I've ever made!

I had been planning to share this for awhile now, but seeing Jenny's request over at The Southern Institute to share "Meals kids love" prompted me to get my post done.

Happy Saturday!

Shanna :)

p.s. Pickle Pants decided that he was NOT skiing today, so Chester and I went instead - too bad for Pickle Pants, sooner or later he will figure out what he is missing! Chester mastered another run - pretty awesome for his second time out ever - oh, my muscles are gonna hurt tomorrow.....however, five hours of skiing was much more fun than the treadmill!