Making Yogurt

My biggest "new" project today was making homemade yogurt! Making yogurt has been something I have been wanting to do since we moved here... but I thought I would be getting milk from our cow by now. But she hasn't been that cooperative and we haven't had the time to build a proper milking stantion yet. So no fresh milk from the farm yet...

Anyway, the kids and I were in the grocery store this morning and as usual they wanted to get some yogurt. I dislike the "kid friendly" yogurt they carry with all the sugar and artificial colors and sweeteners. So, in doing some price checking on store yogurt and the organic milk I usually buy it finally dawned on me that buying milk to make yogurt at home was still far less expensive than purchasing yogurt. It also has the added benefit that I know exactly how it was made and what is in it.

Once back at home I dug out the yogurt maker (still in the box) and the box of dehydrated yogurt culture that I had purchased a few months ago. I followed the directions that came with the machine... heat the milk, let it cool, mix in the culture, add the sweetener and flavoring if desired. It was pretty easy... but being the first time I have made it took longer then I think it will in the future.

Since I used organic milk, organic sugar and organic strawberry preserves we now have organic homemade strawberry yogurt doing it's thing on the counter! Once it has cultered long enough I will put it in the fridge tonight and try it out in the morning.

Evening Update: I was cleaning the kitchen up late tonight and while doing the dishes I looked up and saw this little guy looking back at me! Sitting right on the window ledge the little tree frog was eating the bugs that were being attracted to the light of the kitchen window.