Yogurt Bowl

This, my friends, is one of my favorite parts of the day. This summer our good friends let us try their homemade yogurt. Tangy and creamy, topped with honey, I promptly ordered us a yogurt maker. What makes this yogurt so special is that it is fermented for a full 24 hours. This removes pretty much all of the lactose (a necessity for me) and leaves you with perfectly set, tangy, awesome yogurt.

Here's how you do it:

//Ingredients//
2 quarts high quality whole milk
10 grams yogurt starter (I use yogourmet)

//Method//
Heat 2 quarts of whole milk (I use the local stuff that comes in a glass jar) to 180 degrees fahrenheit. Gently stir the milk while it is heating to avoid scalding the bottom. While it is heating up, fill your sink with cold water.  Once the milk has reached 180 (this kills any harmful bacteria that may be present), you are going to dip the pan in the cold water and continue stirring. This is a really fast and effective way to get your milk to cool down to the temperature at which you want it to ferment, basically between 108-112 degrees fahrenheit. Poor all but about a cup of the milk into the canister for your yogurt machine. In that remaining cup, whisk in your yogurt starter, making sure it is completely dissolved. Then you stir that mixture in with the rest of your milk. My yogurt maker has me fill warm water to a certain line, and then I just plug it in, add my canister of yogurt-to-be, cover it and voila! In 24 hours I simply remove it from the maker and pop it in the fridge to set for about 8 hours.

While it is a lengthy process- the hands on time is really only about 10 minutes. And it is absolutely worth it. It is better for you and far tastier than any supermarket yogurt!

//My Favorite Yogurt Bowl//

1/2 to 1 cup of homemade yogurt

drizzle of honey, agave, or maple syrup

handful of pomegranate seeds

handful of blueberries

1/2 banana, sliced

sprinkle of ground flax seed

sprinkle of chia seeds

small handful of chopped raw almonds

small handful of toasted coconut flakes