Homemade Yogurt

Ok.  I remember when I was in high school my mom tried making yogurt.  Honestly to this day I have no idea why she did it.   I decided that you sort of have to like the taste of PLAIN yogurt.  It's not sweet or fruity.  At best, it is a little like sour cream (the good stuff anyway).  I wanted to try to make my own, and here is my saga.

There were several attempts using a couple different methods.  Basically all you need to make yogurt is a little bit of yogurt and a milk.  Warm it up and keep it warm in order to jazz up the live cultures.  Sounds gross, I know.   And it is.

Here's what I tried...

#1.  The Crock Pot Method.  The directions said to heat up the milk and the yogurt starter, then turn off the crock pot and wrap it in a towel (to keep the warmth in) and leave it overnight.  Well.   I went to the health food store and bought a container of plain yogurt and a carton of goat's milk.  YES!  Goat's milk.  I thought, why not?  I'm already just being weird and experimenting, why not try goat's milk?  I love their cheese.  and yogurt.

When I re-read the recipe I'd found, once I'd gotten home with the goat's milk and began heating it up, I saw that it warned against "ultra-pasteurization" which the carton of goat's milk clearly boasted.  I still pressed on, followed the instructions to the letter, and ended up with the same thing I'd started with--milk mixed with yogurt.  Dammit.

#2  The Oven Light Method.  The idea here is that leaving the milk mixture in the oven with the bulb on will create enough heat to keep the cultures going.  For this trial, I chose regular (cow's) milk.  It was as "out of the ordinary" purchase for us as was the goat's milk.  I just figured that we'd get the best results from actual "milk".  I was wrong!  This did not thicken up like I expected real milk would.  Interesting.

#3  The Oven Light Method #2.  This time I used soymilk.  I was the most satisfied with the end result.  It was thickened much more than the regular milk.  My only critique of this one is that the yogurt does have a slightly sweet taste.  Even the original or "unflavored" soymilk does have a sweetness to it.  I prefer the least sweet version, and different brands vary.  My husband prefers the really sweet "vanilla" flavored varieties.

I love the idea of making my own yogurt on a regular basis.  I also tried the greek yogurt FAGE brand and am in love with it.  I want to put a little dollop on EVERYTHING.  So, if I can emulate that flavor, I'm in.  Otherwise, the sweet soymilk yogurt is fine, especially with a little fruit added.

Planting Garlic

Ok, I have no idea how some people can find the time to do their blogs.  

It's not as though I haven't continued living my awesomely blog-worthy lifestyle, it's just hard to take photos of it and then write something clever and such.  First of all, I cannot hold the camera still.  Second, for most of the time that I'm being awesome, there is no one around to witness it (hence the blog).  

Anyhoo--it looks like I haven't posted anything since November, so here's what I've been up to since then. 

In October actually I planted garlic.  Apparently October is the time to do it.

The LARGER the cloves on your bulb, the better.  Size DOES matter when it comes to garlic :)

I got a large organic bulb and planted the cloves, then did the same with an "elephant garlic".  I don't really do much cooking with the elephant garlic, but it's soooo good when you just give it a little drizzle of oil and roast it in the terra cotta thingy then spread it on some crusty bread.  

Here are my little cloves spaced a few inches apart in a raised bed filled with great compost-y soil.

Obviously, you're going to be on the edge of your seat until I harvest these guys.  I'll try to remember to update then.  I have grown garlic before with fair success, but when reading about it I learned I should plant it in October whereas I naturally might have done it in the spring.  I also learned that although I once let my garlic plants grow for more than a season before I harvested (thinking they would grow bigger) what I should have done was snip off the flowering part when it appears.  

The reason for snipping off the flowering parts is that the plant's energy would focus on the garlic bulb growing bigger.  

When I neglected to pop off the flowers, little "sets" formed near the base of the plant.  I think you could eat them or plant them too--they were like little round garlic cloves, but I'd rather let my bulbs grow bigger. 

Good Gravy!

Since Thanksgiving is approaching, I wanted to share with you my favorite vegetarian gravy recipe.  It's quick and easy to make and delicious too!

Here are the basics:

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. nutritional yeast (from the health food store)

1/3 c. oil

1 1/2 c. water

3 Tbsp. Tamari

salt & pepper

Toast the yeast and flour until you can smell it.

Add the oil.

Cook and stir till bubbly.

Add the water and Tamari.  Whisk.

If it's too thick, you can add a little more water.

I LOVE IT.  Tastes like chicken (gravy).

Makin' Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is very easy to make, and is great for easing the pain of CRAMPS!

First, if I really do have cramps I usually take about 4 ibuprofen as a backup plan, then prepare the ginger.

 

You'll need some fresh ginger, a pan, and about 4 cups of water.  Ginger is really easy to peel by simply scraping it with the back of a teaspoon.

Peeling the ginger.

For the 4 cups of tea I'm making, I only need a small amount of ginger.  It will be quite strong.  In the photo above, I'm only using the nub on the end, not the whole thing.  

The rest I will store in the fridge (or freezer if I'm not going to use it for awhile) in a ziploc bag.  Only peel what you need.

Slice the ginger thinly.

Slice it up as thinly as you can.  I don't know if it matters whether you go with or against the grain, but you'll notice that one way is easier than the other and the ginger will feel quite fibrous under your knife.

First boil the water, then add the ginger pieces.  

You can lower the temperature at this point.  

Put a lid on it and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain the tea.  Discard the ginger. 

It's done!  I like it just plain without sweeteners, but go ahead and add honey or sugar if that's your thing.  Lemon is nice too.   Enjoy!

Don't worry--if you're a boy and don't get the cramps, or you're a girl and don't have the cramps at the moment, the tea still tastes good.

All-Purpose Cleaner

This is a recipe from a Reader's Digest book called "Homemade:  A Surprisingly Easy Guide to Making Hundreds of Products You Would Otherwise Buy".  It's a really awesome resource and covers everything--literally everything.  Here is the link to amazon to check out the whole book:

http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Surprisingly-Hundreds-Everyday-Otherwise/dp/0762107537/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286486471&sr=1-2

I have been making this "All-Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner" for awhile now, and I LOVE it!  I used to use tons of 409 spray and Mr. Clean, etc. but haven't bought any of those since I started using this one.  Plus, I realize now just how "soapy" those other products feel and the residue they leave on everything.  

I've been really happy with the way this works, feels, smells, etc.

To make it you will need:

a spray bottle

a funnel

Borax

Washing Soda

Lemon Juice

Vinegar 

It's super easy--and YES, I actually make this and use it to clean both kitchen and bathroom.  Here's the recipe:

2 tsp. Borax

1/2 tsp. washing soda

2 tbsp. Lemon Juice

4 tbsp. white vinegar

3 cups hot water

Ta-Da!

Shake it up to make sure all the powders have dissolved, and you're done!

Now, if you're like me, you're also going to use your fancy labelmaker to make a label so that you know what the heck is in the bottle.  At my house it actually is kind of important, since I have an identical bottle containing homemade window cleaner.  True story.

Happy (healthy) Cleaning!

How to REALLY sew on a button

At my best friend's request:  You should do a blog about how to sew on a button!  (Even though she knows I'd sew on a button for her in a heartbeat!)  It's a really good skill that sometimes I forget not everyone knows how to do (properly).  I am sure there are more ways people have found to accomplish this goal, but this method has served me well.

I can honestly say that I've never had to sew on the same button twice thanks to this technique. 

I'd like to credit my high school Home Ec teacher--Mrs. Lisa "There's a Method to my Madness" Tapper for this one.  She taught me about the THREAD SHANK, and is one of the few really useful things I learned in high school(!) and now I'm passing it on to you.  For free.

Mrs.Tapper also used to recommend that we rip off the buttons on every new garment we bought, just to take the time to put them on properly.  If we did that right away, we'd never need to fix a button.  Ever.  She was totally right.  Not that I actually DO that.  Come on.  I'm not THAT proactive.  

  

Here's how to fix the button that falls off because it was poorly attached to begin with or because the thread breaks and the rest of it unravels:  (this is different from the button that comes off because the fabric rips, that is more about "patching" than buttoning.)

It's going to be hard to see what I'm doing here, so I'll do my best to explain.  First pull out the broken threads.  You will most likely be able to see the actual needle holes from where the original stitching was.   Thread a needle using a double strand of thread.  

A good tip to any hand-stitching chore is to never use a length of thread that is longer than the length from your wrist to your armpit.   The reason for this is that it is inefficient.  You want to be able to make a stitch with one fluid motion.  Also, long strands of thread can tangle more easily.  That sucks.  Sorry, back to subject.  

Once you know where your button goes, secure the thread by inserting the needle into the top hole from one side of the button and out the bottom hole from the other side.  In other words, if your button looks like this : : you will be starting the thread by pulling through either like this / or like this \ depending on whether you're right or left-handed.  (Like making half an X)  Do whatever feels comfortable for you.   You do not have a knot or anything tied to the end of your thread.  Just pull it through the holes until you have a short, manageable tail sticking out--like an inch long is plenty.  

Next, gently put the needle back through the same holes in the same order that you did to begin with.  Pull gently and notice that you've created a loop with the thread.  When the loop is cinched up to an inch diameter or so, put your needle through center of the loop and pull the whole thing snug.  There.  You have secured your thread.  You do not need big chunky knots. 

Now, begin the process of stitching the button on by bringing the needle up from underneath the button into one of the TOP holes and back through (from the front side of the button) the lower hole going all the way through to the back side of the fabric.  Repeat on the opposite side.  Keep alternating sides at least 4-5 times.  End with your needle sticking out the back side.

Get ready for the shank.

This is the part that makes this button technique super secure.  The thread shank.  You may have noticed on your other garments how other buttons are sewn on.  It is mostly done by machine, and just secure enough to last one washing.  The thread shank supports the button, holds it above the fabric, keeps the threads from breaking and/or unraveling.

Bring the needle up from underneath by sticking it through below the exact center of the button in between your stitching. So, in other words, imagine that your button is a table top, and the stitches that go through the holes are the legs of the table.  You are inserting your needle as though you are coming up from UNDER the "table".  Angle the needle so that you are pulling it straight upwards.  If your button is a clock, your thread would be twelve o'clock.  With a snug thread, start winding it around the base of the button, wrapping your stitches.  Wrap it at least 10 times.  You have just made a thread shank.  Insert your needle into the center of everything and pull through to the back.  

Repeat the same process of the stitch and loop that you used to secure the thread at the beginning, except loop it through and pull it snug twice.  Then I slip the needle under the stitching one last time, and snip the thread close to the fabric.  That's it.  

Simple and secure.  

Shanks a lot!

Roasting Peppers

To be honest, I like growing peppers in my garden because they are beautiful.  I have a very compact garden too, so I can't be one of those people who plant a whole "row" of green bell pepper plants.  I actually hate the taste of green bell peppers anyway, and I think they ruin every dish they come into contact with, so that's not going to happen.  Just my opinion.  

That being said, I really do like the color and heat of other sorts of peppers (except jalapenos, which I have been known to joke are the "white trash of peppers".)

Peppers from my garden

Here are the peppers from my garden (along with 4 jalapenos--"WTPs" from a co-worker's garden--no offense.)  I have from left:  chilis, mexibells, anaheims, and bananas.  Of the bunch, the skinny ones "chilis" are the hottest, the banana peppers are the mildest. 

I decided that since I have so many peppers right now, and the garden is nearly finished producing, I'm going to roast these and freeze them for later use.  It's nice to just add them to dishes later, and the roasting helps give them a sweeter taste.  

It's the same thing I would do to cook with a fresh pepper, but I'm saving myself the time later on.  Plus, I like being able to use something home grown in the middle of winter.  

Step 1:  Wear gloves!!!

Seriously.  

Wear gloves when working with any hot peppers. 

It doesn't matter if they are habaneros or banana peppers, the oils are very difficult to wash away and can seep into your skin and cause a lot of discomfort.  Or, if you wear contacts like me, putting them in/taking them out with peppers on your hands feels like fire in your eye.  There's a reason pepper spray works.

Just wear the stupid gloves, OK?

Slice the peppers lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds into the trash or a garbage bowl.  Another warning:  you can breathe in the capsacin particles.  You will know it when you do.  Just don't stand over the bowl and inhale and you should be fine.  My bowl got pretty full since I scooped out so many peppers, so the air got pretty hot.  I opened up a window for extra ventilation.  That helped.

Now that I have all of the peppers scooped out, I'm ready to roast them.  I could do them separately, but I am going to just mix them together.  It's a pepper medley.  So pretty.

I put them on a lightly oiled pan.  I used grapeseed oil, but use any oil you like.  

The oven should be at 350 degrees.  I also drizzled a little more oil on the tops of the peppers.   In order to flatten out the cupped-shaped mexibell peppers, I just cracked them open like I was opening a book and laid them on the pan.  

I started everything skin-side down.

Roast for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, then turn over and continue for another 30 minutes.

Look at how pretty they are!

Finished product.

After the peppers have cooled, I put a pepper mixture into these little "snack" size ziploc bags and store them in the freezer.  

When I'm cooking and want to add some heat, I get out one of the baggies and just chop up what I need and put the bag back in the freezer.  I have plenty to last me all winter long and never had to make boring old salsa!