Homemade Greek Yogurt

We all know what a craze Greek yogurt has become, right? Well, did you know that most of the large store brands have tons of sugar and artificial stuff you don't need, or want?

I decided to try to make my own, and luckily I found a recipe on Pinterest that was just perfect.  I mean, I need easy.

If you've got some time and a large slow cooker you can easily make this recipe.  I do have to warn you that this recipe makes a lot.  So, I've been making recipes from Pinterest and I have yet to find one that I don't like.  Greek yogurt recipes are amazing. I would gladly make this amount of yogurt again, specifically so I can make other recipes with it.

Don't get me wrong, I love it for breakfast.  I've been trying all sort of different combinations.  Fresh and frozen fruit, granola, honey, peanut butter, maple syrup, etc.  I love them all.

(pictured above with blueberries, honey and cinnamon)

This is one of my best discoveries on Pinterest. Easy to do during the week while I'm homeschooling our daughter and easy to let culture while I'm sleeping.  Did I mention easy? No sugar added, no processed junk, no weird colors.

I'm in love with this one. I hope you can try it soon.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Recipe From One Good Thing

Ingredients

• 1 gallon whole milk
• 2-3 cups powdered milk
• 1/2 cup live culture yogurt

Cooking Directions

1. Pour the milk into a large slow cooker (mine was 6 quart).
2. Add the powdered milk (to up the proteins) and whisk to dissolve.
3. Heat on low until it reached 180º.
4. Turn the slow cooker off and let the milk cool to 95-115º.
5. Put 1/2 cup of live culture yogurt into a small dish and add some of the warm milk to it, whisk until smooth and then add back to the slow cooker and whisk in.
6. Put the milk into storage containers of any size you like. I used multiple sized mason jars.
7. Place the jars in a cold oven with the oven light on and let sit for 8-12 hours (I did it overnight).
8. Now place the yogurt into the refrigerator and let chill before using.

Greek Yogurt Fudge Pops

This past weekend I decided to try making my own Greek yogurt, and guess what? It worked.  It also made PLENTY of yogurt.  I've been searching for recipes where I can use some of it up (since I read that freezing yogurt changes the texture and makes it separate).

I'll post the recipe for the yogurt soon, but I wanted to share this one with you since my daughter totally loves it. It might help that I used these cute Popsicle molds, but she loves the flavor too. What a great way to use up some extra yogurt!

Creamy, not too sweet, with lots of chocolate flavor.  I think I'll make yogurt again soon just so I can make some more of these for summer. :)

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Pops

Recipe from Baker By Nature

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chocolate almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt (full fat is best)

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate chips over low heat until smooth and completely melted.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the almond milk until smooth.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly before adding the vanilla extract and Greek yogurt. Whisk until smooth.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
5. Pour the strained mixture into your Popsicle molds and freeze for several hours. 

Pink Lady

A little while ago my friend came over to my house and made me this fantastic drink, which was created by another friend of hers, at NewEnglandLiving.org. This is such a pretty drink, a very soft pink color, yet packs a punch.  So smooth going down, then you try to stand up and look out!

New England Living does a cocktail Friday each week so please check out her website below for beautiful pictures of New England and fantastic drinks on Friday.

This drink is easy to make, just throw it all together and shake it up with some ice so it's nice and cold.  Perfect for Valentines Day or a girls night out!

Pink Lady

Recipe from New England Living

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1 oz. applejack
• 1 oz. heavy cream
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. grenadine
• splash of fresh lime juice

Cooking Directions

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake.

Caramel Apple Pie Bombs

One of the things I love about apples is that they are abundant any time of the year (although not always locally grown) and I love apple desserts no matter what time of year.  They are the ultimate comfort dessert for me. 

I love apple pie, but it's not always the easiest thing in the world to eat without a fork, right? Hence, the apple pie bomb. The portable apple pie you can carry around unless you have issues with getting your hands full of caramel.  I guess you could skip that part and don't drizzle any over at the end.  That's an option of course. An insane option, but still. 

I loved the flavors you get with these sweet will bundles of deliciousness. The traditional apple pie flavors packed away in a soft, fluffy dinner roll.  I had some leftovers in the refrigerator for a couple of days and they were just as yummy after I warmed them for a few seconds in the microwave.  Such a good idea here. 

I hope you can find a reason to make some of these soon.  There are just a couple of steps involved but none of them are difficult or take that long.  Enjoy some apple pie bombs soon. 

Caramel Apple Pie Bombs

Recipe from Community Table

Ingredients

• 12 frozen dinner rolls (frozen and uncooked)
• 2 medium apples, I used granny smith but any kind should work
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 30 vanilla caramels, unwrapped and divided
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• flour, for dusting

Cooking Directions

1. Use a microwave safe dish to unthaw the dinner rolls without cooking them. I found that about 6 minutes on the "defrost" setting worked.
2. Preheat the oven to 350º
3. Use non-stick spray to spray a small oven safe dish (about 9x6) and set aside.
4. Peel, core and petite dice the apples. Place them in a dish and cover them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until fully coated. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture. 
5. Unwrap 18 caramels and cut them into quarters, set aside.
6. Lightly flour your work surface.
7. Squish a piece of dough onto the floured work surface so it's not sticky and you can begin stretching it out to about a 3" circle.
8. Take a Tbsp of apple mix and place it in the middle, then add 6 pieces of cut caramel pieces. Fold the dough ball around the filling and crimp the edges. Place in the prepared dish and finish the rest. You will have some leftover apple mixture and that's good.
9. Once all the dough balls are in the dish, pour the remaining apple mixture over the top. Top with the brown sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes.
10. During the last couple of minutes of cooking, put the rest of the caramel pieces in a microwave safe dish and add the heavy cream. Heat in 30 second intervals while stirring after each interval until smooth.
11. When the rolls come out of the oven, drizzle with the melted caramel and serve hot.