How To Make Delicious, Healthy, Homemade Yogurt

Our family loves yogurt. We use it in cooking, we use it in smoothies, and we eat it regularly at meals and for snacks. So I was a bit dubious when Delys told me that she had begun making her own at home. But I liked the idea that I could control the amount of sugar in it (most commercial yogurt tastes too sweet to me), that it has only four ingredients (make that two if you leave out the sugar and vanilla), and that it is definitely more economical. So I asked her for a yogurt lesson, and I have become a believer. Here is Delys' recipe:

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole milk 

6-8 oz yogurt with live cultures (plain or vanilla)

3/4 - 1 cup sugar (optional)

1-2 Tbs vanilla (optional)

Equipment:

Heavy bottom stock pot (plus additional pot if desired for cooling)

Candy thermometer

4 quart-size jars with lids or equivalent

Cooler

Pour a gallon of whole milk into stock pot and set on medium/low heat. Insert your thermometer and heat to 185-195 degrees. This can take some time, but you don't want to crank up the heat or you'll scald the milk. Remove from heat and let cool to 120 degrees.

I like to pour it into a separate pot that is sitting in an ice bath in the sink to speed the cooling process.

While the milk cools, you can add sugar and vanilla if desired. When it has cooled to 120 degrees, add your yogurt starter (6 to 8 oz, of plain or vanilla yogurt with live cultures) and whisk until well incorporated. Pour mixture into clean jars and secure with lids. 

Place jars in cooler and close lid. Quickly heat a gallon of water on the stove or in the microwave to 120 degrees (this is only slightly warmer than the hot water coming out of your tap) and pour into the cooler with the jars. 

Shut cooler and allow to sit for 3 hours. Dry off your jars and put them in the fridge. Unopened jars can be stored for a month. You can easily half this recipe or adjust it to your families needs.

This is delicious topped with granola, nuts, and fresh or frozen fruit. Or eat it just as you see it here--smooth and creamy yumminess.

Turkey/Mozzarella/Ciabatta Sandwich

There are so many wonderful reasons to visit family in Utah and Arizona, and most of them have nothing to do with food. But to be honest, one of the things that we look forward to is having at least one breakfast and/or lunch at Kneaders. They make to-die-for French Toast, crusty artisan breads, and mouth-watering sandwiches.

So imagine my excitement when I spotted a recipe in the September 2015 issue of Better Homes and Gardens that seemed to have all the key ingredients of one of my favorite Kneaders creations. I made it for dinner tonight and was blown away. Here's what you will need:

3 T. mayonnaise
2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. fresh spinach, chopped
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped, and dried
2 8 oz. rounds ciabatta loaves, halved crosswise (I used a skinny ciabatta baguette, cut into sandwich size slices)
6 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
4 oz. sliced, smoked turkey

I love recipes that let me use some of my fresh herbs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, rosemary, and garlic. Add spinach and artichokes; stir to combine. Set aside.

Remove enough bread from inside each half to create a 1 inch shell. (I just sawed my baguette slices in half and they worked perfectly.) Lay each bread half on a baking sheet.

Line each half with mozzarella. Spoon vegetable mixture onto each bottom bread shell. (I goofed and put everything on both the top and bottom. Serendipitous mistake--twice as tasty):

Top with tomato and turkey:

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and heated through. Assemble sandwiches. Makes four servings:

The great thing about this sandwich--besides being delicious--is that it really is a complete meal in a bun. Enjoy!