Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt - from my friend SB at Market2Meal

2 c. room temperature water
2 c. milk powder
2 Tbsp. yogurt (I've read a lot that suggests plain Dannon as a good starter - it doesn't have additives in it.  Avoid the low-fat or no-fat varities for starter.  Or, if you're overseas and don't have plain Dannon, read SB's suggestions for how to get a suitable starter)
2 c. hot boiled water

Whisk together room temperature water, milk powder, and yogurt together in a bowl.  Add hot water and whisk lightly.  Pour into clean jars, and wrap in dish towels (somehow, this is the only picture I managed to take of the process).

Let set for 4-6 hours in a warm place (warming up then turning off the oven is what I did, and I left it overnight.  My friend SB wraps hers in towels and shuts them in the microwave overnight.  Whatever - just make sure it's warm).  When the time is up, remove the jars of yogurt from the towels and refrigerate.


(8 June 2010 - check out the update with my trick for getting thicker yogurt here)

My diet has been a little off recently, which is why I've been taking a surprise hiatus from the blog.  Sorry, folks.  Turns out, Mr. rhymeswithsmile and I are expecting in December (!), and it's thrown a little wrench in the whole "eating" and "cooking" thing I used to do.  I had no idea that I would develop such food aversions here in the first few months.  Just the thought of a spinach salad is enough to send me reeling.  However, I have discovered that yogurt is one of the few things that (a) sounds appetizing most times of the day and (b) doesn't make me gag.  So, prepare yourselves for a few more bland recipes over the next 4 weeks until this first trimester is over.  Then, assuming it really DOES get better like so many people tell me, I'll start posting fun and crazy things that involve ingredients like meat, and vegetables, and spices.

Poor Mr. rhymeswithsmile.  He hasn't gotten a decent meal at home in at least three weeks, maybe four.  Maybe that's why we've been going out of town a lot recently ... he knows that at least our family and friends will feed him!