Friday 7 June 2013

Hotch Potch...

My post for today is a hotch potch or mish mash of items.

I have made 900mls of plain yoghurt for about 75p - cost is still rising but we prefer homemade despite it not being quite as thick as bought. We are not using Yeo Yoghurt as a starter anymore as it is now around 65p for a small pot. Instead, we have found a cheaper alternation in Morrison's, at 38p per small pot. It is called Longley Natural Yoghurt and despite not saying so on the small tubs, it is live.

I also made 2 loaves of bread - white with linseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus some maize flour (around 60p per loaf) - sorry, no pictures but they are v. nice (I know, I know, self praise is no recommendation!)

DB is still working on his sewing cabinet and we have bought some proper wax polish to rub in several layers. Here it is having been sanded and awaiting its polish.
Once the polishing is done, we then have to go through my fabric stash and choose some to do the inside and base line the drawer. Finally, we shall look through his odds and sods for a knob.

Here is a current view of my front gravel garden.
As I said, a mish mash of topics but hope you enjoyed them.

11 comments:

  1. Hey DC - if you strain your yogurt through a bit of muslin or a tea towel you will get lovely thick greek style yogurt. Bowl, colander, tea-towel , yogurt...whey ends up in the bowl, thick yogurt in the tea towel :o) I always save the last tablespoon of yogurt left as the starter for next weeks supply...haven't had to buy yogurt for ages now.
    Your front garden looks fabulous - I bet that puts a smile on your face each time you come home - lovely :o)

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    1. I have strained it in the past and got a consistency of thick clotted cream and then used the whey in bread or scones. I did know about using the last bit to make some more but haven't tried it. Does it still stay relatively thick?
      Yes the garden does make us smile each morning we open the blinds or come home. It is full of bees at the moment.

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    2. Hiya..I strain the yogurt each week to the consistency I like (it's the straining that makes it thick rather than the starter I think)
      . If you leave it too long and its a bit too thick...pour a bit of the whey back in and give it a whisk. Or you could stain some til it's really thick and add a few herbs and have homemade boursin :-)

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  2. I use Tightwads Gazette recipe for yogurt. She puts 1/3 cup of dried milk powder in hers and it really does made a consistently thick product.
    I know it is a bit more expensive but you could probably reduce it to 1/4 cup and still get good yog. You cant really stir homemade as it does nt have any stabilizer in it.
    Would love to see the pics of the cabinet when it is finished - is it oak ?
    You garden looks lovely !

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    1. DB thinks it has oak veneer on it, the lid is plywood but made to look the same. He has put a light oak stain on all of it to match it all up.
      I use Rhonda's recipe for yoghurt and stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of dried milk powder to thicken it. It is reasonably thick but obviously not as thick as bought but we still like it. Yes the garden is now looking lovely but once this flush of flowers is over, it is mainly green until another late summer flush.

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  3. I have never thought of making yoghurt before, it's one of my favourite puddings :) Thank you so much for commenting on my blog, I'll be posting about my own adventures with rations frequently :)
    Best wishes.

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  4. Dc can you not use a smidge of your own yoghurt as a starter for the next batch, save you buying ANY! I used to make yoghurt years ago but we've more or less stopped using it. Though I do buy the odd pot if I can't find buttermilk, for soda bread - mind you now that I know you can use milk and a squirt of lemon juice instead I am on a roll!

    I love your gravel garden -it is one of the things I so envied Maggie for when I visited; we shall not be having one anytime soon, so I just enjoy other folks's!

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    1. I have done in the past but it seems less thick when I do so. Today I am going to strain what is left, keep the 'whey' for bread or scones and use some of the thickened stuff. Maybe that will make a difference. The front garden is on a slope and forever drying out so we dug up everything, laid weed suppressant fabric and put the plants back it. Over the years, it has probably had 4-5 tonnes of gravel on it!

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  5. Yes, I always use a tablespoon of my last batch for the next batch and a couple of tablespoons of dried milk added make it thicker. I always use long life milk for making yogurt, as this has already been heat treated you don't have to warm the milk saves lots of time, this and the dried milk always give me a nice thick yogurt although straining it and using the liquid for scones works too.

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    1. Will definitely give it a go. I just strained my last batch and will use it up today minus some for next time. I do add dried milk to help thicken but the yoghurt always seems to have a slightly grainy appearance to it but tastes nice.

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