Homemade Yogurt Tutorial {Regular or Greek}

Making yogurt can seem intimidating. Kinda like 'fessing up to your husband that you ate the last piece of his dark chocolate--and you better believe I know something about that! 

It really is simple, and it is outrageously inexpensive compared to the little 6 oz. tubs that you buy from the store for a $1 each.   Based on a $3 gallon of milk and a $1 starter, you can make at least 12 servings of Greek yogurt for no more than $.33 each!  That's a savings of nearly 70%!

Homemade Greek yogurt with strawberries and raw honey

Here's what you need: 

1. A gallon ( or however much you want) of milk - the higher the percentage of fat, the creamier the yogurt.
2. 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt, also referred to as the starter

110-115 degrees -- the perfect temperature for live yogurt cultures to marry and proliferate

In a nutshell:

1. Heat the milk to just below a simmer.
2. Let the milk cool to lukewarm.
3. Add the starter and stir to combine.
4. Let the milk/yogurt sit covered and undisturbed in a warm place for 8-12 hours.
5. For thicker Greek yogurt, strain in a lined colander for an hour or two to separate the whey from the yogurt. 

My strained Greek yogurt - I do mine in batches because my colander isn't very large.

And here are the detailed instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the milk over medium heat until the milk starts to get little foamy bubbles around the edge of the pot, just below boiling.  If you use a candy thermometer, you want to reach 180 degrees.  This denatures the milk, creating a better textured yogurt.  If you want the whys and wherefores for doing this, check this article out.
2. Allow the milk to cool to lukewarm, which is around 110-115 degrees.  If the milk is too warm when you add the starter, it will kill off the live bacteria. 
3. Add a half cup of the warm milk to the starter, stirring to combine.  Add the starter mixture to the lukewarm milk.  
4. Cover the pot with the lid, then place the pot wrapped in a bath towel in the oven or some other warm place.  I turned my oven onto its lowest setting for about 3 minutes, then shut it off before putting the pot in.  You just want the yogurt to incubate in a semi-warm place. I've read that others just leave their oven light on.
5. Allow the yogurt to sit for 8-12 hours and culture.  The longer you allow the yogurt to sit, the more sour it will be.
6. Homemade yogurt is usually more runny but less sour than the store-bought counterpart.  To make Greek yogurt, line a colander with a paper towel or a coffee filter.  Pour the yogurt into the colander and allow to sit for an hour or two.  I cover the yogurt with another wet paper towel and put a couple of dessert plates on top to create a little pressure and speed up the separation process.  The longer it sits, the thicker the yogurt will be. In my experience, after an hour, the yogurt will be about the consistency of store bought; after 2 hours, it's like Greek yogurt.
7. You can sweeten the yogurt at step #3 if you want it all to be sweet, or you can sweeten individual servings.  

Leftover whey from straining

If you're wondering what to do with all the leftover whey, here and here are an excellent collection of tips.  FYI: I tried making ricotta cheese from whey, and it did NOT work for me.  I did make this healthy lemonade recipe that uses whey, and my family had no idea it was made with anything out of the ordinary.

This yogurt will stay good for 7-10 days, and possibly even as long as 2 weeks.

Homemade Peppermint Honey Lip Balm

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ of the body?  And what you put on it is absorbed into the body-- in fact, many medicines today are available as skin patches for those who can't swallow pills or tolerate shots.

One thing I have been considering lately is the lotion, soaps, and moisturizers that I use on a regular basis.  Here's a tedious but well-documented article on the dangers of just one of the chemicals used regularly in toiletry products, sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS.  While I'm not ready to turn all-out crunchy anytime soon, it's a little hard to deny that there may be some wisdom in avoiding it when possible.

Have your tins all ready for pouring before you begin the melting process.  The balm hardens quickly.

I was super excited about making my own lip balm.  I actually volunteered to make it as a favor for our church's ladies retreat back in November.  I had all of the supplies on hand, excepting the salve tins, so it was way inexpensive.  If you don't have the supplies on hand, the beeswax is probaby the most difficult to find, but you can order some from eBay very reasonably.  The honey, coconut oil and lanolin (find it in the baby aisle!) are available at most grocery stores, and the peppermint oil is available at a craft store like Hobby Lobby with the candy-making supplies.

Plop the coconut oil, lanolin and beeswax in the top pan of a double boiler, or if you're like me, just rest an oven-safe bowl (preferably with a pour spout) on top of a smallish pot with a bit of simmering water in it.

Over a medium-low heat, melt it all down.

The beeswax will be the last to melt and incorporate.  Because the mixture is a little messy to clean up, I recommend using something small and simple to clean, like the handle end of a wooden spoon.

All melted!

Quickly add the honey and peppermint oil, whisking constantly, and begin to pour into your containers as soon as it is incorporated.  The honey does not mix well with the oils, so I had to stir constantly while pouring into the tins.  If you have two people, this step may be a little easier.  I didn't get any pictures of this step, because I needed both hands.

All done!

Peppermint Honey Lip Balm
7 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. lanolin
3 tbsp. beeswax
1-1/2 tbsp. honey
30 drops peppermint essential oil

Melt the coconut oil, lanolin, and beeswax over low-medium heat in a double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat and quickly add the honey and peppermint oil and stir until incorporated.  Immediately pour into tins.

The stats:
Time: 15-20 minutes
Cost: about $.88 per tin
Yield: 12-15 tins (probably about 1 oz. tins)

Homemade Gak {Slimey Science Fun}

Many of the Christmas gifts we gave last year were homemade, and this fun science experiment and texture toy was one of them. The girls and I had a lot of fun making gak for their boy cousins. It is kind of a cross between slime and Silly Putty--not as dry or firm as Silly Putty, but not quite as gooey as slime.  The properties of this stuff make it a lot of fun to play with.  You can shape it, break it off,  pour it, make noises with it...noises that little boys find quite funny. Of course, after my girls had such fun making it, they wanted some of their own.  We made theirs in pink of course.

Dump in (2) 4 oz. bottles of Elmer's glue --I used the regular washable Elmer's school glue. Fill the empty glue bottles with water; swish it around and dump it in with the glue.  Add a few drops of food coloring for a little excitement. The girls loved stirring in the food coloring.

In a measuring cup, add a teaspoon of borax to a 1/2 cup of warm water.  Stir well.  Add the borax water to the glue.   Borax can be found near the laundry and detergent products in most grocery stores.

 At first, you will think you have done something wrong because the mixture will be stringy and watery.  Keep working it.  I ended up using my hands as it seemed to be the easiest way to mix it evenly.

Eventually, the mixture will coagulate.  It can take 5 minutes or so.

 Squish it. Squash it.

 Shape it. 

 Our full product line.  We used empty peanut butter jars to store it.

If you're interested in some of the science and history of the stuff, check out Steve Spangler's Science Experiments.  He has a lot of other fun, simple science experiments that you can try out with your kids!

If you're concerned about the use of Borax in a child's play mix, you can read this well-balanced article on the properties of  borax.  Personally, I don't have a problem with it.

Answered Prayer: Anne's Birth Story

Before experiencing childbirth, I didn't know it was possible to experience the opposing emotions of absolute dread and heartfelt desire simultaneously.   In the weeks leading up to Anne's birth, I literally lost sleep as I worried  about how I would manage another labor and birth.  I would likewise daydream wistfully  about the sweet little one that wiggled and hiccuped within my womb, wondering whom her tiny features would resemble and which of her parent's personality quirks she would exhibit. Both of my previous birth experiences had been long, hard, and Grace's birth had been just plain awful.  Ben and I began to pray early in this pregnancy for a faster labor. As we approached my due date, we asked everybody--our church, family, friends, the postman and the lady at the cash register--to pray for a quick delivery and a healthy baby. A verse that I memorized and clung to both before and during labor was Isaiah 41:13, For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.  I am still amazed at how our good God answered those prayers and confirmed the truth of His Word.

My due date was December 10, which came and went as uneventfully as if no one was sitting on pins and needles waiting for a baby's arrival.  My sweet mother arrived that evening to be my personal slave to help out once baby arrived.   Ben really wanted the baby to have a birth date of 12-12-12, but I just wanted her to come NOW. On Wednesday, the 12th, I awoke, contractionless and disconsolate.  With the other two girls, my labor had started about three in the morning and progressed from there, so I figured if this baby was coming that day, I'd already have known it.  I spent some time with the Lord that morning, and I told Him that if this baby was born today and the labor went quickly, it would be so obvious that He had answered prayer and His fingerprints were all over this event.  Honestly, my faith was pretty weak at that point.

I had an appointment with the midwife at 8:30 that morning, so at 7:45 a.m., my mom, the girls and I were all out the door.  Since I was now past my due date, I had to have a non-stress test done.  While I sat, strapped down and monitored, my midwife stopped in and offered me some hot tea, apologizing that she couldn't offer me a pitocin cocktail.  We laughed together, but she did offer to do a thorough exam and hopefully jumpstart some contractions.  After the exam, she said that I was 3 cm dilated, but that she had probably pushed me to 4 cm. She sent me on my way, jokingly adding that she was on call that weekend.  As we walked out into the parking lot a few minutes later, I felt a contraction and then another.  They were about three minutes apart, so I told my mom that maybe we'll have a baby today.

Since we were close to a Jo-Ann's, I asked my mom if she would mind if we stopped in so I could feed my crochet addiction with more yarn.  However, the contractions continued, and my mom asked me if I was sure that I wanted to go.  "Of course!" I replied.  I planned to labor at home as long as possible anyways, so I figured if this were the real deal, we could go somewhere and get my mind off the contractions.  As we walked in the store about 10:00, I told my mom I had to go to the bathroom, but I'd meet her in the yarn department.  I began to feel very no-nonsense like, so as soon as I finished in the bathroom, I bee-lined for the yarn, picked it out, and headed for the check-out line, but not before I felt the need to go to the bathroom again.  At this point, I needed to stop and concentrate to get through the contractions.  My mom started getting a little nervous, so we checked out directly and headed home.  About this time, I decided that we were past the point of no return and labor was definitely progressing.

As we drove the half-hour ride to our home, I called Ben to come home from work.  I began to make the mandatory calls to those who needed to know that labor had started, but by then (around 10:30), I was deep breathing through the contractions, so the phone calls were abbreviated.  We arrived home, and my mom ran in to get the girls' overnight bag to take to our pastor's house.  She left me at home and ran the girls to the Royalty's house, where they were staying.  In the meanwhile, Ben got home and quickly transitioned into his "awesome labor coach" role.  About the only thing I remember saying to Ben at that time was, "If this baby arrives today on 12-12-12, then I get Anne with an E!" We both liked the name Anne, but Ben preferred it without an "e".   I figured I'd better get my dibs in right away.

Sharing the news and savoring the moment

I sat on the exercise ball for a while, but I quickly opted for the bathtub.  The warm water felt awesome, but the small size of the tub made labor a little awkward.  I lost sense of the time, but Ben started getting concerned and called the midwife.  The contractions were about 1-1/2 minutes apart by this time and lasting about a minute.  My mom was getting really antsy (mother knows best), but I was convinced we had hours left.  I asked my mom to make a strong brew of red raspberry leaf tea about that time.  Very shortly thereafter, I felt like I just could not go on.  The labor had become so intense, close and painful, that I decided I was just going to have to go the hospital and have an epidural.  I was sure that I was probably only 5 or 6 cm, and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't handle the labor better.  As we ran out the door, I remember looking at the clock and seeing 12:30.  I told Ben that my mom was driving, because I needed him to help me get through the contractions. We ran to the van, where I kneeled on the floor and immediately started yelling for Ben to push on my back as another contraction hit. I'm sure we must have made a comical picture had anyone been watching.

My mom had never driven the 25-minute route to the hospital before, so Ben was trying to tell her how to get there from the back of the van as well as help me get through these monstrous contractions.  It wasn't a good combination. I was kneeling on the floor of the van with my head buried in the back seat, moaning not-so-quietly through each contraction. I wasn't being very nice by this time.  I remember snapping at Ben, "Quit sitting down!"  I wanted him to kneel behind me, so that he was ready to push when my next contraction came.  I also started pushing a leetle bit, because it felt so much better.  But I wasn't about to tell my mom or Ben that, as I had a feeling they might not be too excited to hear that.  Neither of them had studied up on home delivery as far as I knew.

We arrived at the hospital, where a wheelchair magically appeared.  They wheeled me over to the admittance desk and started the preliminary questions.  As I began to moan...ok, yell, they asked what number baby this was.  I yelled, "Three!"  and they quickly had a nurse come to wheel me to the labor floor, leaving Ben to finish answering questions.  I just wanted Ben, and the nurse insisted he would be with us soon.  I remember her repeatedly telling me to sit back or I would fall off the chair.  I didn't listen or care.  We got to the room and she immediately checked my dilation.  I was 8 cm, almost 9.  I was shocked to hear I was that far along.  I still wanted an epidural though, thinking I still had a while before this baby arrived. Everybody else thought differently, and the room began to buzz with activity.

All dressed up to go home

One of the midwives in the practice, Susan Dornan, arrived and said she was there just in case baby arrived before my midwife got there from the office.  Two or three nurses showed up with all kinds of gear.  Colleen, my midwife, showed up a minute or two later, checked me again and said, "Do you feel like pushing?"  "Yes," was my loud, anguished response.  The nurse was still setting up to get the epidural, but my midwife told her she was wasting her time. She said, "She's not getting an epidural, she's gettin' a baby."

Honestly, pushing has always been an awkward phase of labor for me.  I mean, who ever thought telling a hugely pregnant woman in outrageous pain with a monitor or two strapped to her stomach to "roll up in a ball, grab your legs behind the knees and push!"  obviously has never been in that position before.  It is impossibly uncomfortable and never feels right to me.  I pushed a few times, but I was a little half-hearted because I was just not with it. I was overwhelmed with the contractions and the speed with which everything was happening.  My mom, Ben, and the nurses were all telling me, "C'mon, you're doing it, push harder, keep going..."  After three or so pushes, Colleen said, "All right, if you don't push this baby out with the next contraction, we're going to have to insert the IV and do something different."  At that point, I suddenly realized that the baby must be right there, and avoiding an IV was incentive enough for me.  With the next contraction, I pushed with every ounce of my body.  I remember Colleen telling me, "Little pushes, April, little push, little push." And then she was born.  Her cord was wrapped around her neck, so they unwrapped it, and the rest of her body came out easily after that.

An alien?  Nope, just a blue little baby.  She pinked up a little while later.

They asked me if I wanted to hold her, so they placed her on my chest, totally untouched and fresh from the womb. It was that birth moment that I had always hoped to experience, but as yet had not.  Amazing.  As our eyes met, I was overcome with the beauty of this new life and birth.  A miracle of God-sized proportions that I could hold in my arms.

The only snafu was that I had a retained placenta.  The midwife tried to remove it twice, but eventually they gave me a strong dose of morphine and a doctor came in and delivered it.  After things settled down, I could not get over how quickly and smoothly this labor was.  From first contraction to birth, the whole thing was no more than 4-1/2 hours.  Only about 2 hours were intense labor.  That was a huge answer to prayer and confirmation of the truth of God's faithfulness.

Deborah Anne was born on December 12, 2012 (12-12-12!) at 2:07 p.m.  We are calling her Anne.  She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Crochet Crazy {Nesting Syndrome!}

The countdown to the expected arrival of our latest addition is now in the single digits.  I have been stressing a bit about labor and delivery, and crocheting has been a great tension reliever for me.  As the queen of cheapo, I never pay for a pattern, so all the patterns listed here are available for free on the internet.

I was comforted greatly when I found this verse in Isaiah 41:13, "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."  I have quoted that verse a lot in the last few days!

Here is the majority of my recent projects:

 Owl Pattern

Newborn Hat: no pattern

 Gray Hat pattern

Pink ribbon hat: no pattern

 I gave this one to a friend who is battling a second round of cancer and chemotherapy.  Another made-up-as-I-went, so no pattern for this one.

This was my inspiration, but I'm too cheap to buy a pattern.  I just eye-balled it. 

Mary Jane slippers

 No pattern, but this one was my inspiration.

Queen Anne's Lace scarf pattern (requires free sign-up with Ravelry.com) 

 For my niece, and again no pattern

 For my nephew, and no pattern, but here's something similar!

For my oldest nephew, who is consumed with airplanes and flying right now.  No pattern for this one either.

Apples and Pears and Pies, Oh My!

Back in September, I picked up 20 lbs. of pears at Aldi's for $.49/lb.  I made a bunch of pear sauce for the family and as baby food in the future.

  I used my new-to-me Vita-Mix blender.  I love this appliance. Seriously, calling a Vita-Mix just a blender is like calling the Grand Canyon just a hole in the ground. UH-MAZING.  It can make nut butter, hot soups and even ice cream!

I wanted to make pear sauce, but I dreaded peeling 20 lbs. of pears and it bothered me that the skins, which are so nutritious, would be wasted.  I decided to try using the Vita-Mix to blend the skins well enough to be undetectable.  Sure enough, the texture is so smooth, you would never know the skins were left on.

This thing does not mess around.  I sliced off a nice chunk of the tamper (seen in the background) once by using it without the lid and it got too close to the blades. Ben says it sounds like we're at the Indy 500 when it is running full-tilt! 

Pear sauce, canned and cooling

Apples, cored and sliced, ready to make applesauce and apple butter

Applesauce, canned and cooling

Apples - sliced, cored, peeled, and frozen - ready for a last-minute apple pie or crisp!

Apple peels from pie filling, boiling, to be added to the apple butter

Crock-pot Apple Butter, thick and spiced

Apple crisp

Apple pie, at husband's request

Pie, sliced and creamed

Bun In The Oven Picture Update

27 weeks - September 12

28 weeks - September 17

29 weeks - September 25

30 weeks - October 2

31 weeks - October 8

32 weeks - October 15

33 weeks - October 24

And just for the record, I have two maternity jean skirts that are identical.  I wear them pretty much every day.  They do get washed occasionally...