Covid savings

Due to the pandemic, we were not allowed to go to hair salons or barbers. Previously, my hubs would NEVER let me cut his hair. However, that all changed during Corona. After many YouTube hair cutting tutorials, I've been cutting my both my teen son and husband's hair. It's not salon perfect but not too bad either. I just did a trim on my son's hair and as well as a full hair cut and partial beard trim for my husband. They actually gave me compliments on the hair cut! Love it!!

Check out what my neighborhood is doing...

How cool is this??? In front of a community arts building in my hood, a fridge popped up for those who need some food. Even though it says "Coming Soon" there was already some food in there. I think it works like the "take a penny, leave a penny" principle.

Yogurt for all!!

For a long time I was fascinated with making yogurt but couldn't get the hang of it. After several failed attempts I found the best recipe. It's foolproof!!!

All of the supplies.

Love this large measuring cup. It holds up to 8 cups!

Here's my digital thermometer. It let's me know when it reaches the correct temperature so I don't burn the yogurt.

Here's my old one. It's not fancy but it works just fine.

I freeze some yogurt from a previous batch. It's a great trick!

Heating up the milk.

Whisking the defrosted yogurt and warmed milk.

Once the stove top cooking is complete, I like to transfer the milk/yogurt mixture into containers, then place them in the oven. (I think it makes clean-up quicker.) I leave it in the oven with the light on overnight. It warms the oven to just the right temperature.

 The final product before it goes in the fridge to chill!

Here's the recipe:

Favorite Homemade Yogurt Recipe

From FrugalLivingNYC.blogspot.com

Adapted from the New York Times’ “Creamy Homemade Yogurt” by Melissa Clark

I love this recipe and keep it handy in the kitchen. It’s quick and easy to make. I eat it with potato pancakes or tomato soup and can be used in place of sour cream in most recipes as a healthy substitute. My favorite way to eat it is on its own with some honey or jam. Delish! A great tip is to reserve four tablespoons from each batch and freeze in little cups to use for next time. Works great!

Equipment:

• Medium or large heavy pot

• Optional but highly recommended to have a thermometer. I have a digital one that beeps when it gets to the correct temperature, but a traditional analog one works great too.

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts (8 cups) milk (whole milk tastes best but any variety of dairy milk works) 

• 4 tablespoons yogurt (with live and active cultures)

Directions:

• Optional: Rub an ice cube over the inside bottom of a heavy pot to prevent scorching.

• Add milk and bring to 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. (It should be a low simmer with bubbles around the edges). Stir the milk as it heats.

• Remove pot from heat. Cool to 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit when it feels warm to the touch).

• Whisk yogurt and ½ cup of the warm milk in a separate bowl until smooth.Add the mixture back to the pot of warm milk and mix well then cover the pot.

• Let the pot sit for 6 to 12 hours in a warm environment. This is the trickiest part. I prefer keeping the mixture in a cold oven with just the light on. Some people wrap the pot in a towel and set it on a heating pad or on top of your refrigerator. The longer it sits, the thicker and tangier it will become.

• Place the pot in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours to thicken.

Greek yogurt:

• Line a colander with a cheesecloth, clean t-shirt material, or (my favorite) a nut bag. Place yogurt in the lined colander with a bowl underneath. Let it sit in the fridge for 2 to 6 hours to drain. 

• You can use the drained liquid, the whey, for smoothies, soups, and more.