My Experiment of Homemade Yogurt

Ever thought about making your own yogurt?  Frankly, I wasn't really sure it was possible.  I would like to make my own cheese or press my own olive oil, too, but both of those seemed about as unrealistic for a "normal" person to attempt as yogurt.

But I found myself with some extra milk and a twinkle of inspiration.

I follow Money Saving Mom {and you should, too} and recalled she had a guest post about making your own yogurt and other ways to use up milk.

Within the post, she linked to someone using their crockpot.  I would prefer my slow cooker do all the work so I don't have to dig out the {lost} thermometer and went with her idea.

I altered my recipe from hers a little so this is what I did to achieve my results:

1. 1/2 gallon of 1% milk {She recommended full fat but that is not what I had.}
2. 6 oz plain Greek yogurt {as the "starter"} Again, she suggested full fat but I only found 0% Greek at Aldi's & Target so that's what I went with instead.

That's it!  Two Ingredients!  Can you believe it?

Pour the milk in the Crock Pot/Slow Cooker on low and "cook" for 2 1/2 hours.  

Turn it off and let it set with the lid on for 3 hours.

Stir in the yogurt, put the lid back on, cover the whole thing with a towel {on your counter} and let it set for another 8 hours.  

Yep, on your counter.  

 Kind of grosses you out, huh.  Yep, that's how bacteria does me, too.

This is what it is going to look like, thin & runny.  Think drinkable yogurt.  And you have to stir every time since there are no pesky chemicals keeping it coagulated. 

Now it is plain, aka no flavor just tangy, so to eat it like yogurt, you might want to mix in honey, fruit or granola.

I thought this was a fun idea to utilize it, too. Another guest post on Money Saving Mom, for making your own frozen Go Gurts or Frozen Yogurt Pops, really.

What I did with the majority of it was make "Yogurt Smoothies" for my 4 & 2 year olds.  At least that is what I called it to them. I put in about 1/3 of the stirred-up yogurt, a good glug of honey and filled the rest with milk.  Shake it up and, voila, a Yogurt Smoothie.  I bought jars of fruit puree, aka baby food, to stir for Banana or Apple/Carrot Smoothies tomorrow.  They are going to love them. Really, they are.

I also used it to make my own real smoothies via a blender, frozen berries, a banana, & a good helping of the tangy yogurt.  Worked great.

Over the weekend, I made Turkey Tetrazzini  and added in about a half cup to give it a little zing.  It would be a great trade {as is} for sour cream in numerous recipes, such as Mexican dishes or Beef Stroganoff.

If the thin consistency doesn't work for you or you love the Greek yogurt texture, like I do, you can strain it like the picture below.  

I used a small mesh strainer and a coffee filter over a bowl.  It was in the fridge for almost a day to get the thick texture I was after.  I was amazed at how much liquid, or whey, that came out of the small amount I put in the container.  

I will have to come up with a larger way to strain more at one time but this will be good for my breakfast mixed with some fresh fruit and a little honey.  

~

I hope you give this a try!  For the experimentation alone, it was worth it.  But the savings and health benefits are great bonuses, too! 

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

I'm a No-Bake Cookie Snob

Yes, I am a No-Bake Cookie snob, at least according to my husband.  

He loves them and he jokes that they are just "too beneath me to make".  

Yes, I do aspire to try more difficult, elaborate cookies while I channel my Inner Martha.  But today I thought we would give him a treat.

I used the recipe for No-Bake Cookies from Justapinch.com which is a GREAT recipe site, if you haven't already joined them!

Jesse and I made them together and that also made it fun.  I let him pour in the ingredients. I took care of stirring while boiling on the stove and then let him mix in the final ingredients on the counter.  He is old enough and done this enough to know not to touch a hot pan.  Then he used the cookie scoop and dropped them onto the wax paper.

The jury is still out if these would make to a Christmas Cookie party platter by me, but since my hubby loves them, it was time to indulge him..after all, I am embarrassed to say, this is the first time I have made them for him in the 7 years {almost in 2 weeks} we have been married.  

Actually, this may be the first time I have actually made them at all.   

I grew up baking but my mom tends to make the more difficult recipes, too. 

Like mother, like daughter. :)

 He should be home soon for the approving nod but I think they are pretty tasty...for No-Bakes. ;)

What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Foodie Friday~ {Quickie} Cookout Chili

Ever wonder what to do with those leftover burgers or hotdogs from the cookout?

We were blessed to have friends from out of town come over for July 4th lunch.  We grilled out and had a great time together.

Then we had 3 leftover hamburgers and a couple of hot dogs.  We had also grilled with my mom and had half a package of smoked sausage grilled and waiting for it's future in the fridge.

Then the idea popped in my head.  Why not try to make a chili with these bits of meat.  John was on-board to experiment so off I went and it came out great!

Ingredients for {Quickie} Cookout Chili:

• 3 hamburgers already grilled [and seasoned] chopped
• 1 hotdog, grilled & chopped fine
• half a package of smoked sausage [that comes like kielbasa], grilled and diced 
• 1 can of rinsed & drained red beans
• 1 can of rinsed & drained black beans
• 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes {I used Hunt's version because it was BOGO}
• 1 can of rotel tomatoes & chili
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• a pinch of red pepper flake
• 1 tsp of coriander {it was called for in a Tyler Florence chili recipe once so I always use it now}
• S& P as needed
• Combine and let simmer low-medium for as long as you like.  The flavors are there right a way but come together even better if you let it meld together for awhile.

The smokiness from the charred meats made this a hearty chili, different from what we normally have.

I think it would work for whatever grilled food you had leftover and great way to give them new life, instead of just warming them over.

 If you try it, let me know!  Grab a spoonful & Enjoy!

Foodie Friday - Easy Mexican Rice Soup

I make this a lot.  It's easy and takes little cooking so it is great when you are hungry but short on time.  It is also pretty good for you and inexpensive to make. Another bonus in my book!

You will need:

• 1 half finely diced onion & 1-2 cloves of garlic sauté them in the pan until lightly brown
• Add in the rest of these ingredients.  Bring it a slight boil [to get the rice going] and bring down to a simmer.  5 minutes and you should be done and ready to serve.
• A container of chicken stock [better], broth [good], or homemade stock [best].  Today I am using broth because that was what was on BOGO.  :)
• 1 can of Rotel tomatoes.  Today I used the cilantro & lime version.  Mild might be good if kids are expected to partake.
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed well.  I am always bulking up recipes with double beans.  Fills you up and great for your heart.  Don't sing the song.  ;)
• Corn.  Nice add in to balance the heat from the Rotel.  It is probably the most naughty thing in all of this and I think you can spare it.  But if you can't, you won't hurt my feelings.  I personally cut it fresh off of a cob because I had one not eaten from dinner the other night.  I could have used frozen or even canned if rinsed well.  All of that is up to you.
• 1 cup of instant brown rice.  White or another variety would work, too, but I always have brown around here.
• Optional add ins: shredded or finely diced carrots or mushrooms cooked into the soup with everything else, diced/torn tortillas into the soup to cook & break down, diced chicken already cooked [use up leftovers], canned chicken - RINSED well, etc.  I am against bell peppers, but I could see their virtue in a dish like this, too.  Just not in my dish.
• Garnishes: Sour cream on top when serving, cheese on top, or tortilla chips as a last minute garnish, too.  
• Frankly, the only thing that makes this "Mexican" are the Rotel tomatoes but Tomato Rice Soup didn't sound nearly as inviting.  

Hope you try it and let me know if you do!  

Thanks for flying by...why don't you "Follow Me" and stay awhile?  Pretty Please?  With cheese on top!

Foodie Friday - Nothing in the world like homegrown tomatoes

My awesome friend went picking tomatoes and shared her bounty with me.  What a gift!

She knows I could eat tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, & dinner and knew they wouldn't go to waste.

{Warning: there are about to be a lot of RED pictures!}

Did you ever hear this obscure John Denver song?  I once bought a "cut out" album in the dollar bin when I worked at Camelot.  I figured how bad could it be, it was still John Denver.  I was right and this little nugget has always stuck with me after all these years.

It was, of course, stuck in my head as I looked at the harvest of tomatoes before me!

So here are a few of the dishes I created using these fresh from the farm {literally} beauties.

• Devouring them quartered with cottage cheese for breakfast or lunch with lots of Salt & Pepper.
• Enjoying a juicy, sliced tomato with an over-easy egg and toast.  Bacon makes everything better, too.
• Obviously, GREAT salads! 
• This is a marinated salad my family has always done as far back as I can remember.  Some of it varies depending on what we have on hand.  But generally it is a sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, S & P, and italian dressing.  As a nod to a caprese style salad, I often add fresh basil, when I have it, and fresh mozzarella.  This particular time, I added in a few grinds from my herb blend, too.  

Eat as is or serve over romaine for a loaded marinated salad topping.

 
This particular day, I had boiled eggs in the fridge so I diced those up into the salad for my hubby.

•  I often roast my grape or cherry tomatoes with some garlic & onion when I let them get wrinkly and go a bit too far for eating fresh.  Then I blend them with some fresh basil and warm slightly over just-cooked pasta.  So yummy!
• With the big ones, I decided to quarter up some of the tomatoes to make a quick fresh pasta sauce.  I caramelized some onions and then garlic before adding the tomatoes.

Isn't that beautiful.  You can see the chunky salt on the top if you click on the picture.  Makes me hungry again.

After I left them cook down for quite a while, skins and all, I mashed them in the pan with a potato masher.  Chunky and lumpy and lovely.

• This is that sauce mixed with penne and ready to serve with some fresh grated parm.

Thanks for stopping by!  "Follow me" and stay awhile! 

Pretty please?  With a tomato on top!

Thank you Jennifer for the gift of these wonderful tomatoes!

What do you like to do with tomatoes?

  

 

Foodie Friday~Layered Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I have done different variations of this each time depending on the veggies I had on hand.

Generally, there is always eggplant, mozzarella, parm, & sauce involved.  Funny enough, I don't actually have lasagna noodles in this dish.

• Always soak your sliced eggplant for at least 5 minutes in salted water.  It is supposed to take away the bitterness.
• I coat my eggplant in panko crumbs and fry in olive oil.  They are almost the "noodles" in this dish so I want them to have a little structure and depth of flavor.
• One time, I had a large amount of spinach so I julienned the whole bunch and scattered that between each layer along with the cheese.  Baked wonderfully and even my "I hate cooked spinach" husband enjoyed it.
• I have put a bag of frozen broccoli & cauliflower [cut smaller where needed] as a layer just to add more veggies and also trying to clear out the freezer.  Dishes like this are great for clearing out the entire fridge because together they all taste great.  Isn't everything better covered in tomato sauce & cheese?
• I don't actually use any pasta in this dish but once I had frozen ravioli taking up space so I layered what I had of those.  No meat is mentioned either but you could easily add ground turkey or hamburger with the sauce.  Even meatballs, frozen or handmade would totally work in this dish.  Use what you have on hand!
• When I made it this week, I had fresh zucchini & baby squash so I roasted them with onion & garlic while I fried up the eggplant just to add some flavor.  Remember, brown food taste good!
• So after you compile what veggies are jumping in the dish and have your shredded parm and/or mozzarella ready to go, next you decide what tomato sauce you will use.  Jarred is fine with me, especially BOGO sauce!
• This particular day, I had a plethora of grape tomatoes that were getting a bit wrinkly.  So I sliced them in half, along with onion & garlic and roasted them.  After they were just browning, I blended them in my food chopper with a bunch of basil and more olive oil and it made the best sauce.  This step is amazing but not required if you don't have the time.
• Now you just layer like you would lasagna, alternating between each ingredient. Eggplant, veggies, sauce, cheese, eggplant, veggies, etc.
• bake at 350 for maybe 20-30 until the cheese melts and it starts to get bubbly.  
• Serve with a salad and lovely dessert [because after all those veggies, you can spare a little  decadence!]

Enjoy!!

Foodie Friday: Roasted Squash & Cauliflower

I grew up not liking squash.  Frankly, I think it was told to me that I didn't like it.  My sweet aunt had this amazing garden and squash was plentiful but no one in my house, at least, would help her eat it.  

Perhaps, if she had roasted it, I wouldn't have missed out on 30 years of squash. 

So even if you would consider yourself a hater, give this a try.  

It's super cheap in the store so it's worth a taste test!

I long to be baked not just steamed or in a casserole..

So here is pic of the standard Summer Squash that can be under $2 for 4 of these down here.

I cut off the 2 ends [and I used to give those to my dogs who either ate them or played with them..].

Then I cut the larger part into maybe 1/2 inch in width coins.  Maybe a little thinner.  The neck I cut long ways.  I then toss them with extra virgin olive oil, course salt & fresh cracked pepper.  I usually scatter some slices of onions and a few crushed cloves of garlic over them, too, for added yumminess.  A few turns of my herb grinder adds to the level of loveliness if you have something similar. 

I often just do the squash, but for today, I also added cauliflower.  

Wait.  Cauliflower?  

What?  

That is only to be consumed raw, steamed or slathered in a strange orange cheese-like sauce, right?

I want to try the oven, too!

Well, my good friends at Front Porch Produce mentioned they liked it roasted and since I believe they have impeccable taste buds, I thought I would give it a try!

This is before..and I wish I had taken an in-the-pan picture but I was so anxious to get them out, I had put it in a serving bowl before I realized.

I have seen the cauliflower look much darker [in fact, it was a recent episode of Martha Stewart and she added the cauliflower to a salad].  And I have let the squash go further to where they are almost crispy.

But the roasting the squash gives it that caramelized sweetness with the saltiness..just pure scrumptiousness! 

It was a lovely side with roasted pork loin but I think you could eat these veggies as a meal because they are so delectable.

John & I are now both reformed Squash Lovers.  Come one...Give it a try!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Foodie Friday- Chicken Mushroom Orzo Soup

I was inspired by the Chicken-and-Orzo soup in her March 2011 issue.  I guess it is not online yet but this is the closest to that recipe.

Here are my ingredients and directions.

• 1 diced shallot
• 3 cloves diced or shredded on microplane
• kosher or course sea salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• a container of mcuhsrooms [I used a mix of white button and baby portabello.  You can use as much as you want and I love mushrooms!]
• 1-2 celery stalks diced very fine

    Swirl olive oil a few times and lightly brown the shallots with the salt.  Then add in garlic, celery and mushrooms and brown.  

• 3-4 chicken tenders diced into chunks [we are trying to stretch meat so if you want more meat, by all means, add it here.]

    Add chunked chicken into the mushroom mixture and brown.  Add more olive oil if needed.

• 2 containers of chicken stock

    Add a bit of the stock to scrape up any yummy bits.  Then add in the stock and let that simmer and concentrate the flavors.

• half box of Orzo pasta [more if you want more. You're the boss here!]

    Meanwhile in a large pot, bring salted water to boil and add the pasta.  Cook until 1 minute under the suggested cooking time so it can continue to cook in the soup at the end.

• 1-2 cans of white cannelloni or great northern beans, RINSED

    Drain the pasta. I drain in the same colander I am draining the beans in to save dish washing.  Add both to the stock mixture.  

• half a large lemon juice, squeezed directly into pot [minus the seeds!]
• large bunch of rinsed parsley, bunched together to snip over bowls.

    Add the juice to the pot after everything has came together.  When you are ready to serve, snip parsley  over each bowl to add a bit of freshness.

 I actually made this the same night I made Quickie Coq au Vin.  I taste tested it that night and it was even more excellent the next day after the flavors had melted together.

Let me know if you make this and what you think!

Enjoy!
http://www.thehowtomommy.com/how-to-do-odds-ends/blog-hops-how-to-do-odds-ends/tasty-thursday-recipe-swap-3/

Foodie Friday- Potato Bean Soup

Everyone has their own version of a potato soup.  

I was in the mood to make one today.  

I recalled some of the things my mom has done when making this soup and took off from there.

• 4 large russet potatoes  [that's what I had excess of, use what you have!], roughly peeled & diced into 1 1/2  inch chunks or thereabouts.  Use more potatoes for more soup.
• half a carton of chicken stock [save rest for later]
• enough water to cover the diced potatoes
• course salt

I put the potatoes, stock, water and about 1 teaspoons of coarse salt in a large soup pot.  Cook until tender, around 20-30 minutes.

• 1 medium sweet onion diced finely
• coarse salt
• 2 T of butter
• bacon grease if you have it [Optional.  Hint: When I bake my bacon,  I save the grease in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks to add flavor to recipes like this.]
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced [more if you like]
• center  & tops of celery stalk..all the leafy parts that don't work on a veggie tray, finely minced

At the same time, in a separate skillet, melt the butter and bacon grease to cook the onions until translucent on medium low.   Add in the celery leaves & garlic and continue cooking together on low until the potatoes are done.

• rest of the chicken stock container
• 1/2 cup of sour cream [or you could totally use plain greek yogurt which I also love but did not have on hand]
• 1/2 cup of milk or cream [I used 1% milk, the higher the fat content the richer the flavor]
• S & P 
• 1/2 teaspoon of Herb blend [I have a grinder I use.  Only use if you have it, totally optional]
• teeny pinch of red pepper flakes [more if you want more heat]
• 2 cans of white beans, rinsed well and drained [navy, cannelloni, great northern, etc]
• 1 cup of diced steamed broccoli [because I like to add veggies whenever possible AND I had it leftover from a previous meal.]

After the potatoes are completely cooked, you can mash them if needed.  I cooked mine so far it was mostly pureed naturally just by stirring.  That is the texture I was looking for, cook less if you want it more chunky/brothy. 

On medium low, add in the rest of the broth, sour cream, milk, seasonings to taste, & softly stir in the broccoli and beans.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes for flavors to come together and warm back up.  

Check the seasoning right before you serve.

It tasted great before the beans were added so you could easily have it without them.  However, we are always trying to add more fiber in our diet so I added in 2 cans.  1 would have been fine, too, if that is what you had..use what you have!

I snipped fresh parsley over the bowl when I served it.  

Enjoy!

Foodie Friday~Quickie Coq au Vin

My first Foodie Friday!

  I love to try new recipes and tweak them to what I have on hand or prefer.  So each Friday, mu hope is to bring a new recipe that I have tried with thumbs up all around!

Today I am featuring Quickie Coq au Vin. 
The original recipe takes quite awhile with a lot of ingredients.  I have made it that way a couple of times and it was great.  However, I don't always have those pricier ingredients or the time.  I stumbled across a recipe in the February issue of the Rachael Ray magazine called Chicken with Wine [which was kind of a boring title in comparison to her usual extra-perky titles..side note..back on track!]

So here is mine and how I altered it.

 

First, I didn't pound the breasts, I cut them into chunks.  To me, when there are random pieces running through a dish, it gives the illusion there is more meat in there.  I am always trying to stretch my meat co$t.  I also didn't flour coat the chicken.

Second, I sauteed the shallots [and I added garlic] with the mushrooms.  After they were browned, I added the chicken chunks and browned them, too.  To quote one of my faves from the Food Network, Anne Burrell, "Brown Food Taste GOOOOD!".

I decided to make this more of a pasta dish and added linguine to the ingredient list.  Save a cup or so of the starchy cooking liquid.  It makes a great sauce stretcher.  Add as needed at the end.

I didn't have fresh thyme so I used a new grinder that contains an herb blend.  I got it from Aldi's and it is a new fave right now.

To add a bit of freshness, and because I had a nice bunch waiting to be used from my last grocery bag I got from Front Porch Produce,  I added some snipped parsley.  I used my kitchen shears that can be cleaned in the dishwasher.  Super easy.

So here are the ingredients I used:

• fresh cracked salt and pepper 
• your favorite herb blend to add a little flavor 
• 3-4 Chicken tenders, diced into chunks [and I used frozen because that was what was on sale]
• a few swirls of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced [more if you have them!]
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped 
• 2 or more cloves of garlic, shredded on a microblade or finely diced
• 1 cup red wine [I used a sweet red because I am just learning to like red..so far this is the only one I have loved..]
• 1 cup chicken stock [broth will do okay but get stock in a box if you can..better yet, make your own..and make me some, too, while you are at it!]
• a tablespoon of flour stirred into some of the chicken stock and added
• snipped fresh herbs like parsley 
• linguine, boiled to just under al dente in highly salted water

After I browned the chicken, I added in the red wine, stock & flour-stock to deglaze the pan and get all those great brown bits up.  Let it reduce for maybe 5 minutes at an almost boil to cook the flour taste out and evaporate the alcohol.  I add in the pasta and let it soak up the sauce and finish cooking in the chicken-mushroom-wine mixture. If needed, add some of the pasta water to stretch the sauce and thicken it, too. Snip the parsley when on the plate or the last minute to keep it fresh.
To really change it up and boost the healthy affect, you could add in some additional veggies like green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, slivered carrots...hmmm... We'll have to try that next time!

Let me know if you try this out and what you think!

John gave it a thumbs up and even my 3 & 1 year old liked the chicken and pasta! 

Enjoy!