Yogurt - Updated

After more experiences I have updates to my recipe. See below.

Would I ever have thought I would be making homemade yogurt? My answer definitely would have been NO up until just a few months ago. Why, you ask, would I go to the trouble when I have so many options in the grocery store?

Well, it tastes better, it is very fresh, it has no additives, it is much less expensive ($2.59/2 quarts instead of $2.69/1 quart at the store), and it is much, much easier than I ever imagined.

I found a basic recipe for the crock pot here. Since finding it I have worked on tweaking it until I found the perfect outcome of tangy-ness and firmness.

Start with 1/2 gallon of whole milk and place in a 2 quart crock-pot on low temperature setting. How my steps differ than the initial recipe:

1. lengthened the initial cooking time to 3.5 - 4 hours*3-3.5 seems best

2. cool it down ~3 hours (until it is 110 degrees Fahrenheit)

3. add minimal culture (1/4 - 1/2 cup) by stirring very slowly

4. wrap the whole pot up in 2 large bath towels

5. place in a warmed oven (110 degrees Fahrenheit)*keep warming it up for the first couple of hours for better results

6. let sit overnight in oven for at least 12 - 15 hours (even 18 hours has been fine)*15-18 hours is ideal

7. stir rapidly with a wooden spoon (discontinues bacterial growth)*not necessary

8. refrigerate for 8+ hours

9. put into 3 quart mason jars; save 1/4 -1/2 cup for next batch in one

10. add vanilla bean to non-starter jars

It is still much runnier than store bought (hey, no added nonfat milk powders or gelatin or whatever else they decide to add for thickening) but we don't mind. Roscoe drinks it like kefir for breakfast in the morning. I soak Rooster's and my oats in it overnight for breakfast. It's also so yummy with frozen berries added - almost like ice cream!

Originally posted on 10/12/2009 at 09:45 am

Swiss Braid Bread

This is a wonderful recipe that I made for Rooster when he was sick a few weeks ago. I put him on the BBRATY (breast milk, bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, yogurt) diet for a couple days and did not want him to consume any sugar. Good luck finding pre-made bread (for toast) with no sugar! So, after searching the Internet, I found this wonderful list of breads. No sugar, no fake sugar - perfect!

Rooster loved the bread - we all did (I even had some - more than I should!).

I've decided to make this bread again as the base for our Thanksgiving stuffing. I followed the recipe exactly a few weeks ago but I think I will tweak it a bit for next week. The following are the ingredients and the bold will be how I most likely will make it:

3 cups white flour (1 cup white flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 cup rice flour)
1 tsp salt
3/4 ounce fresh yeast (2 packets yeast)
2 Tbsp lukewarm water
2/3 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, softened

For the glaze: (nix the glaze)
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp water

I will follow the remainder of the recipe, which you can find via the above link, as to how it's written, minus the glaze. Once warm, I will slice and lay out to dry for a couple hours while preparing the other ingredients for the stuffing.

I will be making this Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving so all we need to do is warm up the stuffing right before we eat dinner on Thursday. It is slowly all coming together, yay!

Thanksgiving

This year we will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our home. This is the first of many things for me: hosting, cooking a turkey, and making everything from scratch. Yes, everything.

The menu:

Turkey (free-range from a local farm)
Gravy
Stuffing (I will be making a sweetener-free bread as the base although not grain-free)
Broccoli
Carrots
Brussel Sprouts
Cranberry Relish (will attempt sweetener-free but may have to add some honey)

My mother will be bringing some yams, half bare (the way we like them) and half doctored up the way she and my sister enjoy them.

I may also add a dessert, perhaps a Primal Pumpkin Souffle or a Primal Pie. Or I may just make up a recipe that is sweetener and grain-free.

I will be posting recipes for my menu and will then update this thread with links to them.

This Thanksgiving is a chance to enjoy time with family while trying to eat well. I have an internal debate during these times (like I did for Rooster's first birthday) as to what should be placed on the menu. I have quite fond memories of mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, apple pies, stuffing, carrot casserole, rolls, etc. from holiday meals while growing up. I want Rooster to have the same but I know what that stuff does to the body. I know I will need to compromise here and there, which will occur on special occasions and I will have to accept it. Food is not meant to be pleasure free (thank goodness for fats!) and we as a family will learn new ways to incorporate primal foods into our daily lives, especially during special occasions.

Butter

I visited a dairy farm/creamery in Iowa last week and sampled the best ice cream and chocolate milk I have ever had. While there I purchased some cream and learned how to make butter in my own kitchen. A picture of the wonderful result is to the left.

How I did it:

Using a counter mixer, I put the cold cream in the bowl and put the mixer on level 7 (on my mixer the lowest speed is 1, highest is 10) for just over 5 minutes. It will begin to froth up at about 2-3 minutes and then right around 4.5 - 5 minutes butter forms and separates from the buttermilk.

Pour off the buttermilk and save for biscuits, muffins, pancakes or whatever. Take the butter and press until no more liquid comes out (use a cheesecloth, 2 plates, whatever works for you). You can salt at this time or add herbs/spices for flavoring. Refrigerate.

Next on the agenda: homemade yogurt