For example, making simpler healthful meals often means growing the food and preparing it from scratch at home. And it seems that in order to make more healthful choices, we often need to cut down or cut out at least some of the highly processed, so-called "convenience" food items many recipes include.
But I have also found that you need to pick your battles. For example, I haven't cut sugar completely out of my family's diet. However, I am becoming more and more aware of how much sugar I add to our diet. I also look for ways to use healthy alternatives to sugar. Furthermore, I am trying to be very choosy about the convenience foods I use, as many have added "hidden" sugars.
All this to say that in order to simplify my family's diet, I have had to analyze what we buy at the grocery store, research and source alternatives to unhealthy ingredients, adapt recipes and cooking styles, etc. Sounds like work to me!
But in the end, it's worth it because I know my family will be healthier in the long run.
So.......one of the foods my daughter eats a LOT of is yogurt. Hmmm.....How to make yogurt healthier??? We have dairy goats......The dairy goats often give us more milk than we can drink......Why not try making HOMEMADE YOGURT!
The following is how I make yogurt. However, a quick search on-line will reveal a number of recipes and methods. Find one that suits you. And the kicker is that it really isn't all that hard!!
Recipe for Plain Vanilla Yogurt (sugarfree):
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry powdered milk
2 heaping Tablespoons of live yogurt culture (store-bought is easiest)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
In a medium saucepan whisk together the milk and the powdered milk. Turn on heat to medium.
Meanwhile, make an ice bath in your sink of cold water and some ice cubes or those freezer things you put in your lunch box to keep things cool.
Heat the milk stirring occasionally until it reaches around 180 degrees Fahrenheit. (This kills off the bad bacteria that might be present.) Some people heat the milk to boiling, but I have not found this necessary. Keep the milk stirred as you get closer to 180 so that the heat is dispersed evenly and it doesn't scald.
Once the milk is 180, set the saucepan in the ice water bath and stir continuously until the milk's temperature drops to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes about 5 minutes.
Once the milk is cooled to 100 degrees, combine the following in a 4-cup measuring cup:
2 heaping Tablespoons of live yogurt culture. (I just use Dannon low-fat (1%) vanilla flavored yogurt. It is important that the yogurt you use has "live cultures" in it. These are the good bacteria that will make your milk mixture turn into yogurt!)
Next add 1 Tablespoon vanilla.
Note: This recipe is for sugar-free yogurt. However, if you prefer something sweeter, you can add your choice of sweetener at this time. I have used brown sugar in the past, which we like. You could also add honey. I have found that adding these does change the texture and thickness of the yogurt, so you might have to experiment to see what works best. For my family, I make the yogurt sugar-free and then let everyone add what they like once the yogurt is fermented. A favorite around here is adding fresh fruit or even fruit preserves and a little granola.
Once you have combined your culture, vanilla, and sweetener, if any, whisk in your cooled milk.
Now pour your yogurt mixture into the little glass jars that come with your yogurt maker. I use a "Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker" model YM80 available at Amazon for around $25. Be sure to leave the plastic lids off. Put the yogurt maker's lid on, plug it in and turn the unit on. Be sure to leave the unit undisturbed during the incubation time.
Your yogurt will be ready in 6-8 hours! The longer it sets, the more sour it tends to taste. Once fermented to your liking, put caps on your jars and refridgerate! It will thicken a bit more once chilled.
A few comments: Some people use a crock pot to ferment their yogurt. I have heard of others using their gas oven with the pilot light lit and the door closed. Still others use a heating blanket under the bottoms of jelly jars of yogurt! I think using a yogurt maker is more convenient and reliable, but do what works for you. ENJOY!
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