Homade Yogurt and Granola

Have you ever tried to make homemade yogurt?  I sure hadn't.  The times have changed though.  I thought it would taste gross and be too time consuming.  Boy, did I have a lot to learn.  I picked up a yogurt maker last year after trying homemade yogurt at a friends house. It was just so delicious.  To my amazement non-sweetened yogurt was actually good( and I really do mean amazement, I had predetermined before the first bite I was going to have to choke it down to be polite. You can imagine how happy I was when I actually liked it:)).  Unlike the store, it isn't bitter.  It's creamy and then when you add fruit to it, it's simply divine. Perfectly sweetened, without being filled with sugar. We eat yogurt almost every day and it's so nice to be able to make my own with organic milk and without sugar. An added bonus is that it is about half the price of store bought organic yogurt and requires very little work. By the way, if it isn't sweet enough for you, you can add your own sweetener( honey, maple syrup, agave or sugar) before you eat it.

I also have grown to love granola, well... homemade granola.  I  love to try new varieties. I enjoy being able to choose which nuts, dried fruits, fiber, sweeteners and grains will be combined. Does it seem like a lot of work? It comes together quickly, you just need to stay in the kitchen while it bakes to give it a stir a few times.  If you don't stir, the edges will get burned and it won't be evenly browned.  See, it's really not too time consuming or hard.  I usually will make a double or triple batch because it will last a couple of weeks in an air-tight container. I also made a blueberry sauce to go over our yogurt and granola and we love it so much that we ate it everyday for almost a week.  We didn't have to but we wanted to. It was just that good.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
1/3 cup slivered almonds
 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats*
1 cup rice krispies or puffed rice
3 tablespoons canola oil
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4cup honey and 1/4cup pure maple syrup
1/4cup brown sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins

*Note – Do not substitute quick-cooking or instant rolled oats in this recipe, or the granola will taste sandy rather than crunchy.

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Toast the almonds in a 12‑inch skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to darken, about 3 minutes. Stir in the oats and oil and continue to toast until the oats begin to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and continue to toast until the mixture turns golden, about 2 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the honey,maple syrup, flaxseeds,rice krispies, and salt until well coated. Spread the granola evenly over a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every few minutes, until the granola is light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the raisins. With a spatula, push the granola onto one half of the baking sheet and press gently into a 1/2‑inch-thick slab. Let the granola cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Loosen the dried granola with a spatula, break into small clusters, and serve.  The granola can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Per 1/2‑Cup Serving: Cal 230; Fat 11g; Sat Fat 1g; Chol 0mg; Carb 32g; Protein 5g; Fiber 4g; Sodium 55mg

Homemade Yogurt

 4 cups organic 2% milk ( I actually just measure my milk by the containers that come with the yogurt maker)1/3 cup of powdered milk (optional)1/2 cup organic yogurt (this will be your starter)

Making yogurt begins with milk. Slowly heat the milk on the stove over low-medium heat.
At this point you can choose to add powdered milk. Powdered milk creates thicker yogurt that takes less time to ferment. It's optional if you are using whole milk or two percent. Some skim and one percent milk include added milk proteins which make the product taste less watery and will behave the same way as if you added powdered milk.
For your first batch we are going to go with two-percent milk plus *1/3 cup of powdered milk. This combination of milk with the powder will produce a delicious, basic yogurt.
The most tedious thing about making yogurt is watching the milk get hot. You need it to hit 170 degrees, but not have it boil. So you want to pay attention to the pot and have a thermometer at hand. Once you've hit the target temperature, remove from heat and then wait for the milk to cool. Unless you put the pot in the refrigerator it will take some time to cool to 108-112 degrees.
Have your starter yogurt handy in a cup. When the milk is cooled to the proper temperature, mix a small amount it in with the yogurt. This will break up the yogurt and makes blending it with the rest of the milk easier. Once you add the starter, the milk can be placed in the pre-heated yogurt maker for four to eight hours. Refrigerate before serving.

* I rarely add powdered milk even to my 2 percent milk and it turns out just fine every time.  The directions may sound more detailed than the process really is.  The only trick it heating the milk and then the time you have to wait until it cools back down to room temperature.

Yogurt boasts high calcium content, protein and B vitamins. Perhaps most importantly, scientists have proven that live cultures help maintain a delicate balance of microorganisms in the body, promoting healthy digestive and immune systems. The best way to enjoy these health benefits is to make yogurt yourself with fresh, organic milk. 

Homemade Blueberry Sauce

If you want to make the blueberry sauce also it's real simple.  Place a bag of frozen blueberries in a pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cook the berries until bubbly and most of the liquid has evaporated.  The juices will thicken in the refrigerator, so if it's a little runny it will thicken as it cools. I also add a carton of fresh blueberries once I remove the pan from the heat. Give it a stir. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

Recipes adapted from the blogs of Annies-Eats ( granola ) and 101 Cookbooks( yogurt )