Tuesday, April 19, 2011

More Countertop Science Experiments!

My dear friend Joyce shared a recipe for homemade yogurt with me and I have enjoyed it so much I have to share.  It is SO easy and twice as delish.  I am not sure I will ever go back to buying store bought yogurt!!!

** This takes quite a while.  If you time it correctly, you can let the final stretch of time occur over night.  I try to start mine around 3 or 4pm, which works out perfectly.

- Turn your crock pot on low.  Pour an entire half gallon of milk in the crockpot and cover.  Allow to sit for 2.5hrs.
- Turn off crockpot and keep covered.  Allow to sit for another 3 hours.
- Take ~1 cup of warm milk and mix with 1/2 cup of yogurt starter (plain yogurt from the store or 1/2 cup of previous batch of homemade yogurt).   After well blended, pour back into crockpot and stir.  Re-cover.  Wrap crockpot with a thick bath towel to keep it warm.  Let sit for 8 hours of overnight.
- Technically you can be done at this point.  I like thicker yogurt, so I strain my yogurt in cheese cloth for several hours.  The whey will separate from the yogurt.  It can be used to cook rice, boil pasta, or as a broth substitute.  It is very nutritious!

You can mix in flavoring, extract, or blended fruit for some variety.  My favorite is vanilla extract and a tad of brown sugar!

Enjoy!

xoxo,
~The Grant Gang

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The month according to my iPhone

It seems like I have gotten worse and worse with posting.  Perhaps because my little energizer bunny seems to be getting a more and more powerful battery as each day passes?!  As I look through these pictures, I realize that my child never stops making me laugh.  Seriously.  Is he a handful?  Yup.  Is he a completely hilarious handful that brings more laughs and smiles to my world than I thought possible? Absolutely!  (P.S... I am realizing my phone pics are very hazey... weird?!)


Noah enjoying the "view"... street construction!

I am sure this is a choking hazard, but I had a snap a picture. 

Playtime with daddy.  Little monkey!

BOBA!!!

Who knew a "Who let them dogs out" Valentine's Day card could provide SO much entertainment?!

Breakfast is no fun without your trucks and cars...

these boys LOVE eachother!

Making friends while mommy and daddy look for plants

N-Dawg in da HOUSE!

How stinkin' sweet is this?!

He decided (for two days) that he liked potstickers.  I have since discovered that if it is being served as a promo item at CostCo, he will eat it.  If I buy it and serve it at home, it won't last more than one meal.

It is 60 degrees outside and N is sopping wet.  That's how we roll.

How many items can a child have on his highchair at one time?

Capt' Noah

Swimming in his PJs.  Again, that's how we roll.

Superman suit that he INSISTED go OVER his PJs.

I guess he thought the blackberries were actually warpaint?

xoxo,
~The Grant Gang