Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients:

-1 Gallon Raw Whole Milk or Organic Whole Milk is what I suggest.
-1 Cup of Raw Turbinado Sugar.  (A less processed cane sugar.)
-1 Cup powdered Milk (for thickening)
-2 Cups of a Yogurt Starter (Any organic yogurt will work or some yogurt from your last batch)
-1 TBSP Mexican Vanilla
-3 TBSP of your favorite extract or flavor or
-4 drops of wild orange, lavender, or lemon essential oil.

Supplies:

-Candy Thermometer
-Big pot
-Ice
-Quart Jars to Pour into and incubate in
-A box
-Towel &
-Heating Pad

Pour the milk into a big pot and set on medium to high heat.  You'll be watching the thermometer for 3 temperatures.  150.  180 and 115.  And this is if you want a creamy yogurt texture.  When the milk reaches about 150, pour two cups of it into a blender with the sugar and powdered milk.  Blend at low so as not to add too many bubbles into the milk and then pour back into the pot of milk.  Stir the milk slow to avoid scorching and so that bubbles are not incorporated into the big batch.  Wait till it gets to 180 and then hold for five minutes before turning off.

Fill up a sink with cold water and some ice.  Place your pot into it to give it an ice bath.  You want to bring the temperature down to 115 before adding the culture and flavorings.  This is so that the high temperature doesn't kill the cultures.  But too low a temperature could make it so that it doesn't incubate.    So 115 is ideal.  Once the milk is at 115, pour about 2 cups into a blender again with the yogurt starter, vanilla, and other flavorings blend on low until all incorporated.  Pour back into the big pot and stir slowly.  At this point, you pour your mixture into quart jars.  In your box, place a heating pad on high heat with a towel over it and then proceed to place your finished yogurt into the box on top of the heating pad with the towel.  Tuck the rest of the towel around it and keep it warm.  Let it incubate now for 12 hours.  Then you can put the jars into the fridge to cool for about an hour or eat it as is.  Some bubbles may have made a funny texture on top.  I just scrape that off and eat what's under it.  If it seems the whey and curd have separated, just mix it together and ENJOY!  It's super nutritious for any nursing moms or babies.  Or anyone really.

For the Raw Milk version:

Just heat the milk to 115, dissolve all ingredients into it and then pour into quart jars and let incubate for 12 hours also.  The texture will be a little bit runnier with more curd and whey.  But equally nutritious.  And the living enzymes are not killed at this low temperature.

Mixed Berries and Cream

I have some pretty strong opinions on dairy.  I was a strict Vegan for a period of a little over two years. But I think that on occasion, we do need healthy fat sources.  Most of the time, I try to find it from plant sources, but even when I cave in to the creamy texture that can only can from a cow, I try to find clean whole food sources.  Raw milks and dairy are best in my mind but when it can't be found, I love using the pure vanilla ice cream from Costco.  I'm not advertising for Costco, but that place is Heaven to me.  And their ice cream is delicious.  So my hubby threw some ingredients into the blender today and came up with this:

- 5 scoops of Kirkland brand Vanilla Ice Cream (you'll love the ingredients on the label - easy to read)
- 1/2 Cup of Rice Milk
- 1 Cup of Frozen Mixed Berries from Costco too (Now, I've seen the circulating hype on the berries from Costco being the cause of Hepatitus A.  I think there are many things that contribute to such a complex disease and find it a little bit silly to blame berries for this, when there are probably a number of other factors that have yet to be considered.  Just my two cents on the matter).
- Cherries (To put a cherry on top)

Throw the first three ingredients into your blender and serve into dessert bowls right away.  Throw a cherry on top.  Or more.  Sure hit the spot today.  

Question of the day:
During berry season, do you prefer your berries by the handful or bucketful?  No seriously, I want to know if I'm the only that devours berries any way possible.    

Millet Pudding

I really can't take credit for this. My cousin Ursula made it for me on our trip out to New Hampshire but it's one I crave often and so I'm posting it up for her.

2 Cups Granola

3 Cups Millet (cooked . . . 1 Cup Millet and 3 1/2 Cups Water, for 45 min., let it cool)

4 Tbsp. Maple, Honey or Agave (your choice)

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 1/2 Cups Cashew Cream (1 Cup Cashews & 1 Cup Water & 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice)

1 Tbsp. Vanilla (And I'll add once again, Danncy's is best)

Layer 1/2 of the granola on 11x13" pan. Make cashew cream by blending ingredients in a good blender. Slowly add the cooked and cooled millet into the blender as it's blending until the mixture is nice and creamy. Pour over the granola in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining granola on top and chill till the mixture thickens. This just makes the pudding thick and easier to cut and serve. Slice up and enjoy with your favorite fruit or fruit that is in season. Yum!

Coco Nutties

I've had people begging me for this recipe and have just barely posted it today.  So here it is for all who have wanted it.

2 Cups Pecans
2 Cups unsweetened shredded Coconut
1 Cup chopped Chocolate (dairy free chocolate chips work too)
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
3 Tbsp. Organic Agave Nectar
3 Tbsp. Raw Honey
1 tsp. Danncy's Mexican Vanilla (or any vanilla - but Danncy's makes a big difference)
1/2 tsp. Salt

Pulse nuts in a blender or food processor.  Not too fine.  Then place all ingredients in a bowl and stir together.  Let chill in a freezer for about 15 min. to solidify oil a bit and then take out and squeeze into cookie balls.  The mixture does not roll into balls very well.  So you really have to squeeze them into balls.  Then keep in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat or serve.  Best dessert or snack ever.

Raw Chocolate

This is way too yummy. I have to make a 1/2 batch of it because I usually eat all of it within a day.

Raw Chocolate

• 1 cup almonds-blend into flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (warm to liquid)
• 1/2 cup agave
• Blend until incorporated
• 1/2 cup cacao pwd.
• Blend until incorporated.

Put wax paper in 8x8 pan, pour mixture in and freeze.

*A friend told me you need to follow the blending directions because adding the cacao powder earlier will make it separate? Also, this is a treat to leave in the freezer until you're ready to eat it, since the coconut oil melts easily.

Feel-Good Granola

This granola, if prepared right, is actually a raw food. It definitely takes thought and preparation ahead of time, but I love the smell of it when it's drying, and it makes a nice breakfast "cereal" or just a snack.
The recipe calls for kefir, which is not vegan, but it notes that you can also use vinegar or lemon juice in it's place.
I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Taste is Trump. I'll copy it here:

I have had a hard time finding the right granola. The bars of course have all the icky vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup, tasty, conveniently packaged, deceptive health food. There are tons of “natural granolas” that use less refined oils and sweeteners, but still contain lower quality ingredients for a sky high price. Besides, I always feel yucky after eating any more than a handful. Come to find out, oats are SUPER high in this new common term “phytic acid.” Along with nuts that are heavy in enzyme inhibitors—this stuff is just plain hard to digest.

Granola is great to have on hand for a filling, shelf stable snack and a quick breakfast cereal. Commercial boxed breakfast cereals are dangerously toxic. It is so sad that so many people are eating these every day, sometimes twice a day, most of the time doubling or tripling the serving size. The media and FDA have pushed these boxes as health food. Sadly, even the low sugar, color-free, natural and organic brands are making us sick. The problem is with the way that the grain is processed; high temperature, high pressure. This process of extrusion destroys nutrients and fatty acids and renders the amino acids toxic.

This has been such a wonderful replacement for us. Same great sweetness, crunch and shelf life of the boxed variety with none of the awful effects. When I have this for breakfast I am so satisfied, for a long time. The food is easy to digest and the nutrients are easily absorbed because proper care is taken in the preparation. I love that I can keep this raw by dehydrating instead of baking. Do yourself a big favor and master the art of nourishing granola making.

THE MUSH

4 cups rolled grains (I use oats, barley and rye)

1/2 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 cup whole millet
1/2 cup kefir (vinegar or lemon juice)
5 cups water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup raisins
1 cup previously soaked and dehydrated walnuts
1/2 cup sprouted kamut flour

In a large bowl, place rolled grains, flax seed and millet. Add kefir and water, mix, cover and let soak on counter for 12 to 24 hours. The mixture will become a bowl of mush. Place mixture in a mesh strainer and rinse well. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, syrup, cinnamon and salt. Fold in rinsed mush, coconut, raisins, nuts and flour. Spread out in a thin layer on 3 lined baking sheets. Bake on lowest oven setting until dry, turning as needed. I used my oven’s dehydrating setting which is 140 degrees and turned about every 6 -8 hours for 24 hours. The higher the heat, the more you turn and the less time it takes to dry.