Setting Benchmarks

 I've only made yogurts since December for Jen.  She likes them for smoothies.  AND since they have 12 carbs per cup plus whatever sweetened condensed milk in it, that's just too many carbs for Robb and me...  We're trying to be as Keto as possible.

And I've been missing yogurt.  Robb and I used to enjoy a container of it some evenings for a treat.  So I've been doing research...  Robb says, "You don't have to go to all the trouble for me!  I'm perfectly happy just eating meats, cheeses and cauliflower!"

Yeah yeah yeah...  

Even though Almond milk has no carbs, it's just not an option because I've tried making yogurt with it before many and various ways and we're just NOT fans...  Plus it never gets past the thickness of soupy slop.

So I found that regular milk has the 12 carbs per cup.  Also found that Fairlife milk has 6 carbs per cup.  aha...  I think I found where to cut the carbs.  Oh and sweetened condensed milk can be replaced with artificial sweetener if you want...  We stir in a little after the fact.  I'll make the next batch with it mixed in and some vanilla.

Apparently Fairlife milk has filtered the milk out into it's basic parts and then puts it back together in various types of milk...  Fats, carbs, lactose, etc.  

This is not a commercial...  I actually wish they were paying me for this...  But they might not approve of what I say.  Fairlife is expensive and I've balked at buying it for a LONG time.  I have dredged ALL over the interweb to find a way to do it myself, but don't have the means to buy the big equipment for our house...  and we don't have a cow.  SO I finally broke down and bought a half gallon of the stuff.  It's expensive!  $3.12 for a half gallon and that would be over $6 for a gallon??  Regular old 2% at Aldi is less than $2.  Whole milk might be a little bit more.

But when a small container of low carb yogurt costs $1.50, what's $3.12 for a half gallon of milk??  That makes each little container (about 8 of them) around 39 cents per and less than 5 carbs per container.  I'll do it.

I've only got one Instant Pot (and it's actually an off brand) that has a yogurt button on it.  Heretofore referred to as the IP.

I rinsed out the pot with super hot water and then dumped in the milk and 2 tablespoons of previous made whey.  Whisked well.  Covered the pot with a couple paper towels and the lid to hold it down.  Pushed the yogurt button for 12 hours and the next morning at 11 hours, I checked it.

Everyone on my FB IP yogurt groups keep talking about the "spoon test" and I thought yeah yeah yeah.  But wow.  This yogurt was SO much thicker and creamier than the boil method...  The spoon really stood upright without wavering one way or another...  Plus I didn't have to drain the whey off at ALL!

Sigh.  I'm a convert.  But I'll still do the boil method with regular old milk for Jen.  She likes it. and it's cheaper for me to make that...  But for Robb and me, I'm so doing this from now on.

Above, my legs this morning.  Wearing jeans that used to be way to small for me but I hung onto them just in case I lost weight.  And now I may need a belt for them.  I also have some jeans from college days and if I ever get back into them I will restart the button fly trend again.  Oh yes I will!

Oh!!!! My weight is down 15 pounds since what it was at Maddy's wedding!!  That is my benchmark. 

Sweetening the pot

I worked out this morning by myself.  Meri wasn't feeling well, so she's skipping this week.

My workout was only 20 minutes...  Ummm I think I missed something.

AND so I did.  I forgot 40 squats.  and 5 arm pull thingies.  I did 40 of them, but apparently it was 45.

AH...  That clarification came later, when Meri and I talked and she was surprised it was so quick for me.  AND we weren't sitting on the couch catching our breath for ten minutes.

In my free time today, I need to try and get a few shirts for Meri cut out.  She tore my fabric stash apart last week and pulled out several pieces that she's needing me to make.  I made a pattern out of one of her button up shirts.

I'll just cut out one for starters and have her try it out before I cut any more.  She said to be creative, so I sure am!

She's hoping to have a few new shirts to take with her to India. and she's hoping to go some time this summer with Shub.  

It's an uncertain time...

Like you haven't heard THAT in a while...

Mr Mom's Schooner Tuna commercial.

The tuna with a heart!

Every commercial on the radio or tv these days reminds me of this...

Meri made homemade yogurt this morning with sweetener packets instead of sugar.  We talked thru the process and she has discovered it's NOT as difficult as she thought it was going to be.

However she lost her thermometer so I had to run mine over to her...

I got some yogurt going earlier today so I won't need it for a week or so, so I hope it finds it's way home soon.

Oh and there is a birds nest in from of our house with baby birds!

and a protective dive bombing mama...

And one behind Robb's work has eggs in it and a protective dive bombing mama.

Mamas can be defensive!

I know... because I am one.

Spring has definitely sprung!

Instant Pot Yogurt using Boil Method recipe

I realized the other day that I hadn't shared my boil method yogurt on here yet!  It's for people that want to make their own yogurt but don't want to spend the big bucks on ultra pasteurized/ultra filtered milk.  (that's the cold start method.  google it if you want)

And that's me.

Plus my Instant Pot doesn't have a yogurt button, so there's that.

It's for people who want to increase their protein intake and yet make yogurt as cheaply as possible.

And that's me.

Don't be discouraged by the little black bits in my yogurt.  Those are Chia seeds and I like them as an addition to the yogurt.  And as one daughter told me, "it'll make you poop."

Boil Method Yogurt

by the gallon...

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole milk. tip later.

4 Tbs yogurt with live cultures. tip on this later.

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (but I have a tip for that below) (and optional)

  (or Splenda if your family likes it - some of my family don't, so I don't make it with that.)

  (or don't use sweetener at all and add fruit when you serve.)

(or don't use any sweetener or vanilla and make plain!)

3 Tbs Vanilla flavoring (optional)

If you're using frozen whey, get it out first and set it in a small bowl inside a bowl with warm water to melt it down.  NOT any hotter than 115 degree water.

Some people say to sterilize your IP pot, but really if you've washed it with soap and water and given it a good hot rinse, you're fine.

This isn't rocket science.

Only put the milk into your Instant Pot.  Have a good thermometer handy.  

Push the Saute button.

Check the temp every 5 minutes or so.  When it reaches 170 degrees, start watching it sooner.  

180 degrees is the magic number.  It'll take not quite 30 minutes.

Once it hits 180, hit the off button on the machine and set your oven time to 5 minutes.  

Let it sit for the 5 minutes.

The temp will fluctuate a little higher than 180 and that's ok. Just let it sit.

While it's sitting, fill one of your sinks with cold water and dump a bunch of ice cubes into it.

When the 5 minutes is up, remove the IP liner with the milk in it and set it in the sink of ice cold water.  

Skim off any milk deposits that have risen to the top and stir.  

Careful not to scrape the bottom of the pot.

At this point, you can add the SCM or equivalent.

Every time you stir, check the temp.  The temp will drop fast.  Sometimes it drops 10 degrees with each stir.  

The magic number NOW is 115.  If you're within 4-5 degrees of that, pull it out of the water and wipe off the outside of the pot. 

Put the pot back into the IP.

Add the yogurt/whey starter (4 Tbl) and the vanilla.  I mix those two together ahead of time.

Stir or whisk til mixed well. don't scrape the bottom.

Put the IP lid on and I usually close the vent thingy.

The IP should NOT be on.

Wrap it up with a fleece blanket or two towels.

It'll be done after 8-12 hours depending on your schedule.  Don't leave it past 12 hours.

DONE INCUBATING

Once it's done incubating, pull the liner pot out of the IP, put a plate or lid on top and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to completely chill it down.

DON'T STIR IT!  The yogurt is very fragile at this point.

After it's done chilling, you can scoop it into containers with tight lids and place right in the fridge for use OR to drain off the whey and make it thicker, spoon it into a towel lined colander and place it in the fridge.  Let it strain.  I sometimes forget about it until the next day.  And that's ok.  

I usually strain about a quart of whey off each gallon.

If you don't strain the yogurt and later come get a container with the whey separated, don't worry.  Either pour it off or mix it back in.

If you've made it with no sweeteners or vanilla, you can use it in place of sour cream or cream cheese.  Depending on how thick you let it drain.

If it's TOO thick, add some whey back into it and stir to the right consistency.

At this point, you can put it in easy serving sized containers, or empty cottage cheese containers, or glass jars.  Keep in fridge for up to two weeks, but I'll bet it won't last that long.

Mine never does.  Everyone eats it way before then.

So I make it about once a week.

TIPS...

Milk tip - 

You can use whatever milk you want to use.  It can be whole milk all the way down to skim.  the difference will be texture and how much whey you'll produce...  

(And I've got tips for the whey too! :)

Yogurt starter tip - 

It must be yogurt with live cultures.  Some will insist on Fage yogurt, but if you're spending that much money for a starter, cripes...  Just check the label for live cultures.  After you start producing whey from draining the yogurt, you can use 4 tablespoons of that per gallon.  I freeze it in ice cube trays for future use as soon as I get some strained out.  Fresh whey frozen immediately is best.

OR you can use 4 tablespoons of the yogurt you make for the next batch... If your family hasn't eaten it all.  That's the problem in my family...  So I make sure I freeze the whey.

Sweetened Condensed Milk tip

Instead of two cans of SCM (sweetened condensed milk) I put one can of evaporated milk in a sauce pan along with 1.5 cups of sugar.  You can experiment and use less sugar if you want.

Heat it up until the sugar dissolves into the milk.  Then turn off the heat and let it set until you're ready for it.  It keeps well in the fridge if you don't need it all right away.

Whey usage tips

In addition to saving the whey in ice cube trays, I've done the following with success.

Our Golden Retrievers love it!  I don't give them more than 1/4 cup each at a time tho.

Replaced the water in a bread machine bread with whey!  JUST did this successfully yesterday and it was really good!  I used this recipe. HERE

Only substituting the water with whey and adding 1.5 teaspoons salt instead of 1.

I've used the whey along with broth when making soup.

Instead of water or milk when making an omelet.

Any time you need extra liquid in a dish that you're making, add it.

The extra protein is great!

Additions tip- 

Once the yogurt is put into smaller containers for easy access, you can add sweeteners or fruit or whatever you want to it for serving.  

I sometimes put my cup of yogurt in a bowl and pour any cereal over the top of it for breakfast.  Granola is delish, but so is Cinnamon Toast Squares.

And of course if you need to poop, use Chia seeds!

What does the Early Bird Get?

I made 1 pair of leggings entirely and most of two other pairs yesterday over my lunch break.  All fabric from my stash so three pairs for free!  I cut them out during my morning break and sewed them up over lunch.  Two pairs still need the elastic sewn in and the hems.

I wore the navy blue polyester pair to the caucus last night.  They might be a little short, but Robb didn't think so.  And neither did the 100 others at the meeting last night.  Not that they'd say anything out loud... or to me...  

Nor did they say, "Aren't those made with polyester?  That is SO 70s!!"

(and judging from the angle of this pic) Nor did they say out loud, "Don't give up on Zumba!"

It was a nice crowd.  We have a great community.

So this morning, I was still on the DIY kick.  

There is a whole gallon of yogurt incubating underneath that tied fleece blanket.  

That works perfectly!

Maybe someday I'll make a cover for the IP out of fleece just for this purpose.

But not today.

I made a batch of yogurt from whole milk, thawed whey, some vanilla and homemade sweetened condensed milk.  

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe

1 can of regular condensed milk

1.5 cups of sugar

Cook on medium to low heat on the stove until the sugar dissolves.

Used in place of two cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk in my yogurt.

After tallying up the calories, this way is about 200 calories lower than two cans of the SCM.

Also, two batches of pizza dough, which will be portioned out into 16 pieces each, rolled out into mini pizza crusts, fried, then frozen.  I did that a week ago last weekend and they worked out awesomely for little personal pan pizzas this past weekend.

Realized that one of my bread machines, that while it makes the sounds of mixing the dough, isn't actually.  Shoot.  One more has bit the dust.  So I dumped the ingredients into my big counter mixer thingy and plugged in the dough hook and after mixing as long as the remaining bread machine mixed, it's resting and raising.

I'll have to watch the garage sales this summer and pick up another one for $5...

Actually - this will be the summer to watch for Instant Pots too!  I remember when bread machines were all the rage and I spent $250 on one.  That one eventually walked off the counter and the lid broke.

Since then, I don't pay more than $10 for a used one because so many people gave up on homemade bread and you can find them at any garage sale or the Goodwill/Salvation Army.

I've also got 4 heads of lettuce thawing a bit on the counter, waiting for me to take a break and cut them up.  The reason they got a teensy bit frozen is because my cheap garage fridge can only cool... During the winter months, the milk can sometimes freeze and anything else we put out there.  It was a nice weekend but is starting to chill off again.

I can store 4 heads of lettuce chopped up in 2 gallon sized bags in the fridge and my salads are ready for the week.  If I have time I'll chop up a baggy full of cucumbers too.  Maybe tomatoes too.  We'll see.  I made some poppyseed dressing on Sunday and I will lose at least a pound of two this week.  I just need to stay away from chips and dip.  As the pound of two that I lose this week was lost last week also.

If I get time over lunch today, I'll get the waist and hems done on those other two leggings.

Stretchy pants are the bomb!

Maybe I'm being extra productive today because I was awake at 4am.  

I'm sure I'll be crashing by mid afternoon.  Where's my pop?!