Homemade Yogurt

Personally, I kind of like just having one car for our family. I find it so freeing to just be home, and I don't feel "stuck" at all. I think that idea is so funny. :-P Sure, it means I can't just hop in to go visiting or shopping, but I can still have people over, and I'm sure it saves us a lot of money. I do like to shop. :-D 
I love how it gives me more time to play with Chloe, work on the house (wish that translated into the apt. being clean, but it doesn't. I have a frightful pile of dishes and the bathroom is kinda yucky. Both are on the agenda for today! hehe!), read (though God's Word and then a bunch of other books and magazines), and discover some amazing websites that have been a huge blessing to me!
It is from such websites that I came across this amazing way to make home-made yogurt in the crock-pot. It is seriously so easy that I'm excited just thinking about it! Chloe and I can go though LOTS of this yumminess, so it helps that it is so much cheaper to make it at home, and healthy too! :-) 

(Recipe found/adapted from Passionate Homemaking and Nourishing Days)


Materials: 
1/2 gallon of whole milk (I like to use Stonyfield or Organic Valley - Organic Whole Milk)
1/2 C. of plain full-fat yogurt (I've used Stonyfield and Brown Cow) - at room temperature
A Crock-pot
An empty room-temp oven
A large towel
A plastic or wooden spoon


Here is what I did: 
*Poured the milk into the crock-pot, put the lid on, and turned it to High for 2 1/2 hours. 
*Turned it off, unplugged it, and let it sit for 2 hours to cool down a bit. 
*Gently stirred in the yogurt. Took the ceramic crock-pot base out of the heater thing, wrapped it in the towel and put towel and all into the oven. I let it culture in there for 10 hours. 
*Put it in the fridge. I'm thinking this is what kills any harmful bacteria that might be present. (But I'm not an expert.) I like to leave it there for at least 5 hours. 
*There may be some whey (yellow-clearish liquid, was about 1/2 cup for me) on top of the settled cream. I like to just pour this off and use it in baking or something, or I just dump it. It helps make the yogurt just a tad thicker. Stir gently to mix in the cream top.
*Makes 2 quarts of yogurt that is just as delicious as Stonyfield's Organic Cream Top, but a whole lot cheaper. (As in total cost for me yesterday being $1.99 as opposed to $8.05. Yup, I did use coupons, and the milk was on sale. Used Brown Cow yogurt and Organic Valley milk.)
*Is good for two weeks. :-)
(Times definitely do not need to be exact. I'm forgetful and I get busy, both of which can add or detract from the actual time when I'm making this! ;-P)


Enjoy! :-) 

Yet He did not leave himself without witness, for He did good by
giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. — Acts 14:17