1. The first rain came, and with it, joy. There's nothing like that first downpour to make me feel that going-back-to-school fall feeling, that crisp exhileration, that feeling that THIS is what I've been waiting for. It almost makes up for the fact that it only rained for like twenty minutes, and the whole time it was as muggy as Hawaii with none of the beach time. Fall is coming, though. I can feel it. Soon I'll wear tights and sweaters and mittens and be WAY too hot but, hopefully, adorably clad.
2. I made Greek yogurt! I'm WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I'm all out of my first batch (except for starter reserve), and last night I literally dreamed about eating it. See, my mom always made it. Once a month or more, the oven was full of jars keeping warm and she was yelling at us not to run through the house or we'd ruin it (I researched — this is true! Too much jostling can destroy the bonds being formed in the souring process!). Bless her. It was pretty gross. She liked things runnier than most people do. Scrambled eggs? Soft as pudding. Yogurt? Thin and kinda watery. I was pretty sure I'd never make it myself.
But then I read an amazing thing: Greek yogurt is just yogurt, strained. That's it. The water (a lot of it whey) has been drained out, and you're left with the delicious firm byproduct. People, I was IN. Since New Zealand, I've been fiending for fresh, amazing yogurt, and I wasn't finding it in the stores. Fage came close with their Greek honey yogurt, but not close enough.
So I made it. I'm going to tell you how because I had a hard time cobbling together recipes from online. You don't need a pressure cooker to do this, but if you have one, it's nice. Two ingredients! That's all!
Rachael's Super Easy Greek Yogurt
Bring half a gallon of milk (whole is nice! but not necessary) just to the boil. Turn off heat, let it rest, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until you can hold your finger to the side of the metal comfortably for 10 seconds. Add 4 tbs of plain yogurt with live cultures that you've bought at the store (later you'll use your own, but you have to start somewhere) and whisk away for a little while, till mixed. Cover and keep warm* for about 6-8 hours. (Start checking after about 5 hours. Stop when you feel like it. This isn't rocket science.) Line a big colander with a very clean tea towel or cheesecloth or paper filters, put that into a bigger bowl, and dump the yogurt in. Let drain for 2-12 hours in the fridge (dump the whey or reserve it for smoothies/soups, etc, if you feel like it).
* To keep warm, I used the yogurt setting on my pressure cooker. My mother would preheat the oven to warm, turn it off, and put the yogurt inside with the light on. Some people like to wrap the pot/container in towels to preserve the heat. You're keeping it at warm (not hot) bathtub temperature. You could survive in it, think about it that way. It shouldn't burn you to touch the metal inside the stove.
SEE? SO EASY. Could not be easier. Add a little homemade granola and a dribble of honey and you're IN HEAVEN.
3. I finished the revisions on Splinters of Light, due out in March, and I'm so proud of it. I've also worked about a millionty hours at the day job in the last four weeks since we got back from vacation (more than 90 hours/week on average) so when I'm off-shift and not writing I'm basically lying on the floor acting like the yogurt in the pot. Staying warm. Gurgling a little.
4. Honestly, I've maintained vacation brain, and I think it's due to the fact that I really am ignoring the internet when I'm not at work. Email can wait. Twitter can be put off. I'm reading a ton. It's really nice. What are YOU up to as fall approaches? (Or spring, for those of you standing on your heads?)
Thanks for this post and the last. I love Greek yogurt but am getting concerned about the sugar in the flavored versions but not ready to switch to plain yet and have just realized how much I am spending on yogurt for my family. This sounds like a great solution!
Also am realizing how much time I am spending online and how I could improve my life by replacing that with more reading, knitting, and walking. Years ago I gave up reading online news and reduced my stress level. Now it’s time to take the next step in unplugging.
Thanks for inspiring me!
I’ve been playing a bit with making my own yogurt from the Goat Girls, but still having some issues (it’s edible, but very runny even after draining. Makes great smoothies though). So I’m stuck with store-bought yogurt for the time being. I buy plain, then stir in some of my home-made jam (the Pear/Lavender & the Caramelized Pear/Ginger are to die for).
Lying on the floor and acting like yogurt sounds like a perfect way to spend a bit of time!
Rachael, I love that you made the yogurt – just like your mom. She is smiling down on you and remembering fondly how she used to get on you all to not make a ruckus in the house. Of course, I love it!!
The amount of fat in the milk makes a difference to how runny the yogurt gets.
The way commercial manufacturers get their nonfat and lowfat yogurt less runny is by adding stabilizers. (Look up carrageenan for a scary discussion of how it can affect the gut)
Full-fat milk will make a more solid regular (and hence, Greek) yogurt. But if fat content is a consideration, a little more runny-ness is sometimes an acceptable trade-off. I stir in local honey and pour it over granola for a quick snack.
Oh, this brings back memories of when my mom made yogurt. She let it sit in a styrofoam cooler with glass quart jars she had filled with boiling water. And she’d put the cooler in the kitchen and tell us NOT TO BUMP IT. Thanks for the memories.
And so glad that you have been able to hold on your vacation brain. Good for you!
OH! Yogurt! I love yogurt! I’ve never tried making it myself as it always sounded way too hard, but this seems very doable. I going to try it as soon as I have a spare minute to go to the store for milk. 🙂
Also, I powered through Fiona’s Flame on a flight too and from NYC last weekend. Love, love, love. And already pre-ordered Splinters of Light. I’m so excited!
Don’t dump the whey!! It is the beginning of homemade sauerkraut, the easiest thing in the world to make, at a fraction of the cost of the delicious stuff you buy at farmers’ markets, and so much more delicious than the limp, oversalted stuff you buy in supermarkets
I’ve been busy, too, as you may have guessed from the delay in my having read and commented on this post. I am woefully behind on “my blogs,” as I’ve been part of a local community theater’s ensemble in a four-week run of Les Misérables! I jumped into the show halfway through its rehearsals, so the last 7 weeks have been a bit of a blur… but in the best possible way.
Now that we’ve performed our last show (yesterday, alas), life can resume a somewhat more sedate pace (“somewhat” being the operative word)… and I can catch up a bit with my friends. 🙂
I’m making yogurt right now! We go through a ton of it and I’ve yet to find one I love, so I’ve been meaning to try this for a while – but it was this post that gave me the little push to actually do it. Can’t wait to try it for breakfast tomorrow…