No-Frills Homemade Yogurt

This recipe is titled "no-frills" because

no special equipment is needed.

Yogurt has so many beneficial elements

and truly keeps a body balanced.

Some of the brands advertised are so full of junk,

you may as well be eating sugar out of the bag.

As always, we aim to be as self-reliant as possible,

and when this video was found online,

I knew it was something I just had to try.
It appealed to me mostly because we enjoy 
using what we already have on hand to fill our needs,
so no yogurt maker is needed.

Although store-bought yogurt is needed the first time,

you'll never need to buy yogurt again.

Fill any empty beverage container

(we used a gallon-sized water jug and a lemonade bottle)

halfway with room temperature water and top off with boiling water.

Set inside a large cooler and close lid.

This will be your incubator.

Clean 2 quart-sized jars and one smaller jar.

Set aside to dry.

Fill a pot with whole milk and place on high heat.

Be sure that the temperature reaches 185 degrees.

Stir pretty regularly for 20-30 minutes.

Shut the burner off and cool the milk to 110 degrees.

This can be accomplished either by being very patient and simply waiting,

or using an ice water bath under the pot.

We didn't have any ice, so we just used cold tap water.

As the water in the bowl warmed,

we just dumped it and added more cold water,

until the milk temp got to 110 degrees.

Add 1/2 C yogurt (either from a previous batch or store bought)

to the milk and stir thoroughly.

Add the milk mixture to your smaller container

(this will house the starter for your next batch),

and then into your quart-sized jars.

Place the jars in the cooler and close the lid tight.

Leave overnight.

By morning, you'll have your own homemade yogurt.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before using.

I've been adding it to everything from homemade cereal
to baked potatoes to muffins.
I'm thrilled with the texture,
as it is similar to the firmer store-bought yogurt.
The taste can't be beat,
and the best part is that I know exactly what's in it.
Simple, intentional food.
That's the way we like it around here.
Let me know if you try it!

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Wordless Wednesday

The Maple Hill Hop 62

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

Thanks for linking back to Maple Hill 101.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is the Blog Hop dead?
In the past few weeks, 
I've seen some of my favorite hops ending.
I've gleaned so many wonderful ideas and inspiration from them, it's a shame to see them go.
Maybe I'm late to the game, (I am a late bloomer),
but we'll keep this hop going for as long as we have folks interested in sharing the good stuff.
And now, on with the show!


While most folks are perusing their seed catalogs,
we are growing an abundance of organic produce.
Our slow season is summer, when it's too hot to grow much.
We hope you enjoy seeing some of the goodies that grow here in Central Florida this time of year.

The garden on The Hill is full of color. 
With temperatures ranging from the 40's to the 80's,
many crops flourish during the cooler weather.

Lettuce practically bursts out of the pots.

Sweet, crisp and tender, it is a mouth-watering treat.

New Zealand spinach is thriving now that the humidity is all but gone.

Tomatoes enjoy the warmth of the sun without the threat of bugs.

Beets, kale and Swiss chard all relish the mild winters.

Scallions reach for the sun and fill the pots to overflowing.

 Broccoli is sweetened by the chilly nights.

Brussels sprouts enjoy their place in the garden.

 Radishes are a 3-week crop,
so they can be replanted several times over the season.

One of my absolute favorites, beets, are sweet and luscious.

Turnips are a new crop this year for Faye & Lynn.
Greens are being sold at market until the turnips are large enough to harvest.
Two crops in one!

Sugar snap peas are glorious this time of year.
They just keep coming.  And coming.  And coming.
No complaints here!

Of course, we are best known for our citrus.
Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges and tangelos
are picked this time of year to supplement one's diet
with a good dose of sunshine.


That's a look at what's going on outdoors 
in my neck of the woods.
How 'bout you?
HOP to it!

An InLinkz Link-up

Holiday Storage

Well, it's over folks.
The fat lady has indeed sung
and the mad rush of the holiday season 
is but a memory.
Take a breath.

With the ending of the festivities, comes the disassembling of the tree,
lights, mantle decor and general denuding of our homes.
We don't go all out with decorations,
tending to keep things simple and unfettered.

We thought we'd share with you some of the best ideas for holiday storage.
Starting the year off organized can lead to a whole lotta good habits.
Make this the year where things get put in their proper place,
so that you can concentrate on the more important things in life.

We hope you'll find these ideas inspiring:

1.  Store decorations in clear boxes labeled for the holiday.  
It's a good idea to keep things together by function too.  For example, all outside lights together, tree ornaments and lights, mantel decor, etc.

2.  Whenever possible, keep the original boxes for items.  If that's not feasible, free boxes can be found at most retail stores by asking a manager.  Even specialty boxes like wine bottle cases, which have compartments for storing delicate ornaments can be picked up at no charge.
Consider using old lunch boxes or egg crates for ornaments.

3.  Butcher paper or the paper that comes as packaging material with online orders 
is another way to obtain free supplies.  Bubblewrap or popped popcorn works too for breakable items.

4.  Have a designated area for holiday decor and keep it all together.  
We have an antique trunk in our office in which we store a lot of the indoor holiday garnishes.  It could be old suitcases, a bench, or a selected closet where these items remain when not in use. 

5.  When storing lights, use old wrapping paper rolls or stiff cardboard to wrap the lights around,
keeping them tangle-free.  Several light strands can be stored in a box this way, with no worry about getting broken or damaged.

Savor this new year, this gift of another chance to make  strides, get things right and do good deeds. 
Blessings...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need help with organizing your home?
Last year we did a series called
Organizing in the New Year (ONY).
Here are the links:
bathroom
office
closet
kitchen

Happy New Year!

So long as a person is capable of self-renewal 
they are a living being.
-Henri Frederic Amiel

From small beginnings come great things.
-Proverb

A fresh mind keeps the body fresh. 

Take in the ideas of the day, drain off those of yesterday. 

As to the morrow, time enough to consider it when it becomes today.
-Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

True silence is the rest of the mind; 

it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, 

nourishment and refreshment.
-William Penn

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, 

more than anything else, 

will affect its successful outcome.
-William James

The child must know that he is a miracle, 

that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, 

and until the end of the world there will not be, 

another child like him.
-Pau (Pablo) Casals

He has the deed half done who has made a beginning.
-Horace

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. 
Thankfulness may consist merely of words. 
Gratitude is shown in acts.
-Henri Frederic Amiel

************
Wishing you a new year
filled with bliss, gratitude, and peace.
We thank you for joining us in our journey.
May God bless and keep you.
~daisy~