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At the end of the day, when you’re laying in bed and trying to go to sleep… what do you think about? I always try and think about relaxing things that make me happy. I imagine other people think about counting cute little sheep or something. Or maybe the latest pair of Louboutins that they have their eye on. Or they plan what they are going to wear tomorrow that will totally knock the socks off the cute guy in Sales.

Me? I think about the future… or what I want to be my future. I think about my house. I have visions of Sub-Zero refridgerators and double ovens dancing in my head. I dream of plum-colored walls and a walk-in closet. I dream of a white house on a hill in the country, with a huge garden and a chicken coop. And I dream of making cheese from scratch.

Wait… what?

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Yeah. I’m in my hippie phase. I not only feel the need to make homemade ricotta, homemade pasta, and now homemade yogurt; I want to make breads every day, homemade marscapone, and homemade tomato paste. (And that’s just the food. Hello, homemade soap… will you be my friend?)

And why am I suddenly morphing into Anne of Green Gables? I have no experience with this. I grew up in the suburbs of Virginia… not the boondocks. Not on a farm with cows and horses. I went to college for 5 years. I have a master’s degree. The closest I’ve ever come to a farm is driving by the ones on the interstate.

But then I think, maybe that’s exactly why I’m so enamored of ”country” life… I didn’t have any of that growing up. I didn’t have a garden or fresh milk or fresh pasta or homemade cheese. Most of the things that I grew up eating were bought at a grocery store, not homemade. Not that I blame my mother (Hi Mom, you’re my best friend and you know I love you). It’s just the way things were in my little suburban neighborhood. It’s not like the lady down the street was growing vegetables next to her BMW; she was growing roses.

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These jars of yogurts have halos because they are heavenly-tasting

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And now, here I am: 25, living in the largest city in a 600-mile radius, and what do I want? A plot of land, a garden, a gaggle of kids and a view of the sunrise. The time to attempt making homemade mozzarella, the garden space to plant the 87 different kinds of veggies I want to try growing, and the freezer space to store them. I guess I just want to be able to attempt my vision of a green household as much as possible.

So yeah… here’s my 3rd step towards becoming a dirty, unshowered hippie who spends all day making stuff from scratch. You know you want to be one, too.

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Homemade Yogurt

From the Kitchenette

Serves 8

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I like to use whole milk for this recipe. You can use lowfat milk, or skim milk, but I find that whole milk yields the creamiest yogurt. Plus, it just tastes better! Regardless of the fat percentage, ensure that the yogurt you use as your “starter” says “contains live cultures” on the container. I like to make my yogurt in a large glass canning jar that I bought at a grocery store for less than $5. I would stay away from plastic containers, as the plastic might melt. Even if it doesn’t melt, it will probably impart a nasty taste to your yogurt. Don’t forget to reserve about a cup of your homemade yogurt to use as a “starter” for your next batch. It’s the dairy that keeps on giving.

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Ingredients:
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup whole milk yogurt
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Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250F degrees.

Heat the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do NOT let the milk boil. (If using a thermometer, this is about 180 – 185F degrees.) Remove milk from heat and let cool to 110 – 115F degrees. Add yogurt to cooled milk, and whisk to incorporate. Pour yogurt-milk mixture into a glass jar and wrap jar in kitchen towels. Put towel-wrapped jar in oven, close the door to the oven, and turn off the oven heat. Leave in oven (while oven is turned off) overnight, or until yogurt has thickened. Refridgerate yogurt until it’s consumed.

Serve with granola and/or seasonal fruit, if desired. Or eat straight from the jar. Depends on how mannered you can be when still unshowered and in pajamas.

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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: The Hollies / I’m Alive  – In the spirit of getting old school and making our own yogurt and stuff.

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What do you think about at night?  Is there anything you’d like to try making at home?

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