Homemade yogurt and granola
Here's a healthy, 100% homemade snack or breakfast dish you can make for your family: Greek yogurt with granola. Add fresh fruit (or leave it out). Drizzle on some honey (or don't). Make your yogurt nice and thick (or leave it a bit thinner). Make the granola as nutty as you desire (or keep those nasty nuts outta there).
Do you get the idea? This is completely customizable; you can make yogurt and granola just the way you like it.
I have only made yogurt once, but it turned out perfect the first time, so I wanted to share the recipe with you!
Yogurt {crockpot}
8 cups whole milk
1 cup (or less) dry milk powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt (this is your "starter")
Pour milk into a 5-qt crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours and 45 minutes. (If using a 2- or 3-qt crockpot, cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Turn off crockpot and unplug it for 3 hours (this allows the milk to cool down enough to make sure the starter won't be killed by too much heat.)
Take 1-2 cups of the warm milk and stir in the dry milk powder and yogurt starter until completely combined. Then whisk this mixture back into the crockpot of warm milk. Replace the lid and wrap 2 thick bathtowels around the crockpot. Let it sit for 8-12 hours (this is the culturing process).
If you want thick, Greek yogurt, pour your yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Place a bowl on top of the yogurt to apply pressure to the yogurt as it strains. Place in the refrigerator while it strains. Strain as much or as little as you like! (I strained mine for about 2-3 hours and it turned out about the same consistency as the Greek yogurt I buy at Trader Joe's.
For the best consistency, refrigerate overnight before eating.
Granola
3 cups old-fashioned/rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped coarse
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried Montmorency cherries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and sesame seeds. In a small saucepan, combine oil, maple syrup and honey and heat until warm. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Spread evenly onto a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle dried fruit over the surface. (If you want larger clumps, press granola tightly down against baking sheet; this will help it dry into larger pieces.)
Keep granola in an airtight container for up to seven days. I usually make a double batch, divide the resulting amount into four ziploc bags, and freeze three of the bags. It freezes wonderfully!
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