If I thought I was becoming a outdoorsy hiker type who enjoys cooking local veggies, this year is trying to prove me wrong. I have not hiked to the peak of a single tiny mountain. I have not been to the farmer's market. I did not join a CSA this year. And it's JULY. And not July 1, or 2, or 3, oh no. It's the middle of July. I am a hot mess.
My only defense is that pollen season was so bad this year that I was, literally, sick for about a month. I still believe I had some other illness, because it honestly felt like the flu for about a week there, and the person who originally examined me was convinced I had strep. But no... and so I suffered. And then, when I got to feeling better, the bugs were bad. And then... well, then I was just lazy.
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Fresh yogurt!
Image from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Yogurt |
In an effort to regain my mojo, I made yogurt last weekend. In my previous yogurt-making experiences, I initially found success, but the last couple batches failed to thicken. Now there are plenty of cultures who enjoy a nice yogurt drink, but that really wasn't what I was going for. I complained about this to my dad when I visited him in April, explaining I was pretty sure switching from full-fat to two percent fat milk was causing the problem, because that was the only thing I'd done differently. He made fun of me a little, saying it really doesn't make that much difference as far as calories are concerned, and that I should just use the full-fat milk.
And so, I did. And you know what? Worked like a charm. I have delicious, creamy yogurt with a pudding-like texture. I Googled how many calories are in six ounces of homemade yogurt made from full-fat yogurt, and held my breath.
And then I laughed. Dad was right! My little jars of yogurt hardly contain more calories than the cups of Yoplait Light I was buying. I guess when you figure there aren't any added sugars, etc. this makes sense.
Okay, so, one problem solved... up next, how to simplify dinner preparation.
