Yoghurt and Kefir... YUM!

Many people think that making yoghurt or Kefir at home must be some complicated recipe.


It isn't!
I am reminded up the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) theory whenever I read complicated recipes involving the creation of home made yoghurt.  I just read another one and I felt that I just had to write how to make it, for real, in your own kitchen.  It is just soooo simple (and a lot less expensive!) you will be kicking yourself in the ars for ever thinking otherwise!  Honestly!

Yoghurt is one of the easiest - healthiest changes you can do for yourself and your family.  It takes NO special talent or tools!  Try it for yourself!

What to gather in your kitchen -
milk, plain regular yoghurt from the store (I use an organic yogurt, yoplait or Brown Cow regular NOT low-fat - you can also get a culture from the health food store), a thermometer, pot (not aluminum or teflon - use stainless steel or porcelain coated), wooden spoon, stainless steel ladle, quart size glass jar with rim/seal, bath towel, and an ordinary cooler.  Optional:  heating pad (in the winter months when it is harder to keep things warm I use the heating pad for over night incubation).

1)  If using store bought pastuerized milk gently bring it up to 180 degrees.  Stir as you go with your wooden or stainless steel spoon.  Cool down to about 110.

If using raw milk - bring it slowly up to 110 degrees so as to not destroy any of the vital nutrients and other beneficial things in the milk.  Note:  you can make yoghurt using as little as 1 quart or as much as you want... I have typically made batches of up to 2 gallons at a time... we eat a lot of yoghurt and kefir : )!

2)  Place 1/4 cup of store or previous batch yoghurt into a quart jar. (to be completely honest... I NEVER measure!  I just use a large standard tablespoon out of the drawer and put a heaping dollop into the new jar)  Add a ladle full of warmed milk.  Stir to break up and distribute the yogurt then fill the jar the rest of the way.  Stir. (another honest note:  I don't always do this... last night for instance I made a HUGE 2 gallon batch and didn't stir or otherwise break up the dollop.  I just filled the jars and put on their seals.  This am they are BEAUTIFUL!)

3)  Wipe edge of jar clean with warm damp dishcloth.  Place seal and rim on jar.  Tighten.

4)  Have a cooler prepared lined with a towel.  You can also lay a heating pad on lo in there, but I have only found it necessary a few times in the winter.

5) Place your jar of warm milk with yoghurt culture in the cooler and wrap the towel around it to help keep it warm.

6)  Leave it sit over night.  Some time in the morning open your cooler, unwrap your treasure and examine it in amazement as you slowly tilt the jar from side to side and the milk has turned into a jelled mass of Yoghurt!

See any semi clear liquid... maybe a little yellow/greenish hint to it???
WAIT!  Don't dump that out!!!!   That is Whey!  You WANT that!  It is nutrient dense - the same stuff that is in all those 'whey protein shake mixes' - it will help you digest your milk, loose weight, build muscle mass, and so much more.  NEVER throw that out!  Just stir it back in.

You can eat it now... warm... or refrigerate and eat it cooled in a little bit.  Just add your own fruit, nuts, granola, honey, agave, stevia...  whatever you like!

We make smoothies by using about 1/2 of a quart jar of yoghurt or kefir, 2 bananas, 8 - 10 frozen strawberries, and about 1/4 cup of honey or agave.  Top off the blender container with milk.  Blend until smooth.  You can add your favorite protein powder as well.
Enjoy!

You will find that home made yoghurt may be less solid than store bought.  To alleviate this minor issue you can choose to add a couple of tablespoons of powdered milk to your warm milk at the same time you add the culture.

Note:  If you would like to add a smooth vanilla flavor to your yoghurt just add a tsp of real vanilla extract to the warm milk in the quart jar and stir it in.  You can also sweeten your yoghurt by adding a bit of raw sugar (xylitol, honey, maple syrup or stevia), to your taste, and stirring it in while still warm on the stove top... making sure to dissolve it all before putting the sweetened cultured milk into jars.


Kefir is even easier than yoghurt!  AND has 10 (yes TEN) beneficial bacteria!
1) pour milk into a quart container
2) let it come to room temperature (you can help it along if you like by using the stove top and slowly bringing it up to about 80 degrees... just warm to the touch).  Raw milk straight from the cow that has never been cooled is absolutely wonderful for this!
3) add 1/4 cup of store bought kefir (I have found Lifeway Kefir locally and have used plain as well as strawberry and blueberry with equal results) to the bottom of a quart jar.  Pour room temp milk over it and stir in.  Wipe rim.  place the lid on... but do not tighten... the culture needs to breath!   Place next to the fridge or in similarly warm area of the kitchen.
4) let it sit for 24 hours.  Tighten the seal.   Tilt the jar from side to side.  If not solid and pulling away from the jar at this point just gently turn the jar over a couple of times to help the culture disburse throughout the jar again.  Loosen the seal and place back in the warm place.  Check again in another 24 hours. Repeat.
It can take 5-7 days to achieve, however in the warmth of summer or next to a cook stove in winter it will culture up in about 36 hours more or less.
5) enjoy it the same as you would yoghurt.  Remember the whey is the really good part!

Well, the secret is out!  Now, what ya going to do about it???
Yes, that's it... Get OFF the computer and go to the kitchen and start up your first batch of home made yogurt or kefir!


Let me know how it goes!


~Wendy

A Hero!

I was sent this in an email ... What a Hero!


A GREAT STORY WITH NO  WORDS.......











































































































This is the kind of  stuff that helps renew ones faith in the  human  race.
   
AMEN!

Puppy Love Video by Miranda

Well, I have had several suggestions for names so far.
Daisy, Misha, and Dakota are among them. Any others out there? I would like for it to start with S or SH and have the letters -a n e- in the name somehow in tribute to Shane and Shi-Anne.
Miranda has taken some great pics in the last two days and we turned them into a little movie for you to watch. A lot easier than trying to upload individual pics. And you get to see them all.
I thought of the Super Baby pics when Robert came zooming over with James, but the rest are Miranda's.
Enjoy!

Name???

What shall we name her?

Roberts Boots

Robert's New Ariat Cowboy Boots

Thank You Grandma Pat, Grandma Murphy, Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ron!

I Love them!


Robert

Mirandas view of Spring

Where's that puppy?

Here is an adaptation of Where's Waldo...

Where's that puppy? (click on the image to make it bigger)

Look a little closer....

And Closer... See her now?

Plain tuckered out she sought a nice cool place to cuddle with some friends.

Adorable!

Easter 2010

The Extraordinary eggs that Robert and Miranda Colored! No tablets this year. We mixed our own colors using food coloring, vinegar, and boiling water. Lots a fun!

Easter has brought us lots of new surprises and faces to the farm.

Firstly, starting Thursday we have had six eggs hatch from our own chickens in our electric hen. Three Turken x Barred Rocks that I am eager to see what happens with their feathering. They have all hatched as Turkens, but we will have to wait to see if they end up with barred feathering. One Black Austrolop x and one Buff Orpington x and Starlight (Kentucky Speck) & Baldie (Nankin) had an egg that hatched as well - that chick is almost all black which is not what we had expected at all as the Kentucky Speck is white with splashes of black and the Nankin is brown.

Stretch!

The last egg to hatch was an unexpected surprise. Usually we hear peeping the night before, but this little one didn't let us know a thing and was in the incubator all fluffed up on Easter morning.

Following the arrival of the new little Turken Easter Morning the children hunted eggs and baskets and Robert and I let out, fed, and watered the critters.

We went to church and came back for breakfast. Miranda rolled up the crescent rolls and we had eggs, sausage and cinnamon rolls ~ Yum!

There was one more egg to find so the search was on. Miranda spotted it first. Boy that bunny is tricky! He hopped up and put it in the wreath!

Off we went to Grandpa Terry's where we all had a wonderful day. The weather was just beautiful and we visited and let the children play. They are at a great age... but then isn't every age wonderful!

When we left my dad's we came home with a new special friend. A Shih-Tzu! She looks a lot like Shi-Anne, but with less of the brindle makings on her. Where Shi had a little brindle saddle she is white. She is just precious. Little Jamie took quite a liking to her too.

Little Jamie took quite a liking to her too!

We also came home with a little piano for James. He loves to bang on it.

Our little man is growing just so fast! He 'crawls' backwards not knowing how to go forward yet. Fits snugly in 12 mo and comfortably in 18 mo cloths and he is 8 (eight) months old today! What a butterball! As a matter of fact I made up a song for him that is sung to I'm a Little Tea Pot. He is going to Love me for it later, I know... It goes like this:

I'm a little butterball, short and stout

Here are my drumsticks, here are my wings (I move his legs and arms to the song here)

When I get all steamed up then I pout

Pick me up or I will SHOUT!