LurchMomma It has been ages since I made yogurt here. Our hotwater heater was NOT insulated and the yogurt processed great near by. Now the new one is heavily insulated, but we can not process yeast bread, yogurt or low cal home brew there anymore.
Using the crock pot, describe more in detail how you process. We always use orgainic milk and yogurt. I remember mine had a better taste, too.
Making yogurt in the crock-pot is easy! If using "pasteurized" milk, heat your milk to 185F and then cool to 120F before inoculating. If you are using "ultrapasteurized" milk, you only have to heat it to 120F and you don't have to wait for it to cool down. While your milk is heating, let your yogurt come to room temperature in a bowl, 1 cup for a gallon of milk, 1/2 cup for a half gallon. When your milk is 120F, ladle some of it into the bowl of yogurt and stir it gently with a whisk to a slurry. I use three or four ladles of milk. Then stir the slurry into the milk in the crockpot with the whisk to inoculate it. Remove the covered crock from the crockpot and wrap it in a large heavy bath towel and slide the whole thing in your oven with the oven light on. Leave it undisturbed and don't open the oven for eight hours and you will have lovely yogurt. I throw the towel in the dryer for awhile to heat it up before wrapping the crockpot with it, and I turn the oven on "keep warm" for awhile with iron skillets in it before putting the crock in. I turn the oven off a few minutes before putting the crock in, but leave the warm skillets in there. I don't know if those steps are necessary, but I've always done it that way. Sometimes I leave the crock in the oven for up to twelve hours and the yogurt is fabulous. I usually leave it overnight. If your crock isn't removable, you can wrap the whole appliance and stick it in your oven. I've done it that way too. I ladle it into quart sized wide mouth mason jars and use it just like you would store bought.
I'm trying to get sleepy. I have to get up early to take my husband to the pain center for some guided fluoroscopy injections. The more I want to get sleepy the wider awake I am! If anything about the yogurt isn't clear, just give me a shout.
April, Thanks. Great idea to heat the iron skillets and let them keep oven warm. Glad you mentioned that because I would never have thought of that. I'm looking forward to trying this when the weekend gets here. Sure don't want someone to turn on the oven on high while I'm babying that good stuff.
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Hi everyone! Busy thread here lately. That's great! Lots to talk about.
LMomma, I want to know how you eat a grapefruit while driving. LOL Sounds like quite a feat.
I know I am probably vitamin D deficient. I rarely go outside for any length of time. My eyes are very sensitive to light so I don't like when the sun shines. I have never had my Vit D tested. I bought a supplement but forget to take it half the time.
I made yogurt in my crockpot once and it turned out good. I didn't put the crockpot in the oven, but wrapped it in a towel like you did. Since then I bought a yogurt maker but didn't like that yogurt as much but the little jars that came with it were great for storing the yogurt. Now I got away from eating yogurt so I only get store-bought a couple times a month. Not enough to make it worthwhile to make my own.
Andi, you are really getting in some good exercise. I envy you, but it's my own fault that I don't do it. Your dinner sounds delicious!
Sandy, I have been having more knee pain than usually lately. I hope my knee is not getting worse. I don't want to have to go for shots, etc. Glucosamine and Condroiten used to help me but I quit taking it.
Terapet, I also don't sleep well. I fall asleep in an instant, but I wake up after a few hours and have trouble falling back to sleep. That was a real problem when I worked but now that I'm retired I can just lay there and most of the time fall back to sleep eventually. This morning I woke up at 3AM and didn't fall back to sleep until around 6, and stayed asleep until 9. If I don't get enough sleep, sometimes I take a short nap, but I try not to do that as it can contribute to the same problem the next night. I think when I get back to exercising regularly that might help. I love your little exercising icons.
Carol Sue Please consider going back on the Glucosamine!!! When I tried a few weeks without it, I was limping and gladly paid to get it again. We take it with breakfast and with dinner. By the way, the brand we buy at CVS has Vitamin D3 in it. I was tested and found deficient 4 years ago. Puzzled that was so with all the gardening I do but since that time, I make sure I take it. I really think that helped my eyes, too. Also Fish Oil that we keep in freezer is taken 1 in Morning and 1 at dinner. Credit that with my eyes no longer needing the eye drops for dry eye (and the Opthomologist agrees with me and notices improvement. )
Wonder if any of those supplements would help your sleep . . . I sleep fantastic these days and that may be what is making a difference.
I'm sure that living at a far slower pace is a huge reason I sleep better. Most days, I sleep till I wake up. All 3 of us try to be quiet if one of us is up first so the others can sleep. Thank goodness for our good natured and thoughtful family.
Carol Sue: I had a yogurt maker once, too. It seems to me it was round and had several jars. Salton? Something like that. I didn't care for the texture of the yogurt, either, and much prefer making it in the crock. My husband needs a knee replacement. He's had several arthroscopic surgeries and the ortho told him he has no cartilage left and is bone on bone. He's had the "rooster comb" injections a couple of times, and they did help temporarily, but they've pretty much told him there is nothing else they can do for him short of the replacement. I know when he was doing PT, they wanted him to ride a bike to build up his quadriceps, which in turn, helps to stabilize the knee cap. I don't know if that is an option for you. I think there were other exercises they recommended, but he is woefully non-compliant, and I can't recall what they were. I imagine anything that would strengthen the quads would be beneficial. As for eating grapefruit while driving....not only did I eat it, I peeled that bad-boy at 60mph after midnight in my old jeep on winding back roads while dodging deer, raccoons and opossums. LOL. There are rarely other vehicles on those roads in the wee hours and I tend to be, ahem, a little liberal in my interpretation of where my lane ends and the oncoming lane begins. So liberal, in fact, that one night the sheriff called ahead to the Xenia PD and I found myself surrounded by three police cars in the MacDonald's parking lot! LOL. That was back when MacDonald's had the chocolate dipped cones......
Sandy: I hope your yogurt turns out to be the way you like it. I was smiling about the lo-cal home brew!
I've been on here ten days now and have not stopped for ice cream or junk food once since then. I've lost a pound. Now, I need to get my fitbit off the charger where it has been languishing for six days and up the ante....
Carol Sue: It seems to me the other knee exercises involved sitting in a chair with feet on the floor and ankle weights, then alternately flexing and extending the knee. No squats or lunges or anything what would put an undue amount of stress on the joint. Vitamin D is supposed to help with mood, too.
I put the fit bit on and got over 5000 steps and 40 active minutes this afternoon, no sunshine out there today, though. I usually get a lot of steps during the course of my shift as well. I had oatmeal with berries, a tablespoon of walnuts and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Trying to drink water. Gotta get something together for lunch which is around 630 pm on 2nd shift. A lot of my trouble is failing to plan ahead. I hope you are all having a great day!
cals-2235, ex-strength class at the y. Still too high with the calories. Guess I am not ready to do the work required to take off the weight. Soon though.
I have a yogurt maker also. I am fine with it but it is so much easier to buy it. However, I do scoff at paying that much for it.
LM-Just an idea. I make soup every Sunday to eat for the next four days at lunch (I don't work on Friday). When the weather warms up I will have to come up with something else.
I like the idea of a Fit Bit, but not the price ;-)
I've ordered a cheaper version of it using a Groupon voucher and it should arrive any day. I don't like the idea that it will alert you when you get an incoming phone message or call however. Where does it say that everyone always have to be available?
I'm sure it will take a while to sync with my phone but I'll give it a try.
I'm still taking fiber tablets 3 x a day and I think it's helping me with my appetite - lost a pound so far this week DBF is coming over tonight and I think I'll make baked cod with rice and broccoli...
Over 5200 steps in SUNSHINE this morning, just a little shy of three miles. Had a 100% whole wheat bagel spread with 1/3 of an avocado and two glasses of water. Step total yesterday over 14,000. My 76 y/o dad had over 30,000 the day before yesterday! He is the only one in my fitbit group who has the 30,000 steps in a day badge, and he's exceeded 30,000 more than once! I've had over 28,000 before, but my goal is to get that 30,000 badge by spring. I've had some heart problems, so I'm trying to make myself start slowly. I want to run, but best walk awhile. I did run around chasing a couple of my chickens this morning, and just that left me breathless. I also have sleep apnea, and haven't been using my CPAP. Woke up to find DH sleeping on the sectional. Guess I snored him clean out of the bed. Sleep apnea is linked to obesity. Another reason to lose weight. I'm going to get a different mask, as the "nasal pillows" are just impossible.
Andi: How's it looking for the under 170 goal? Your dinner sounds fantastic. I did well last night until I arrived home after midnight to find DH had saved pork, kraut and potatoes in the crock pot for me. Grrrrrr. Evil tempter.
Terapet: Great Idea! I love soup! I'll put that on my agenda as the upcoming weekend is my weekend off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LurchMomma
Good Evening Cheeky Chicks!
Carol Sue: As for eating grapefruit while driving....not only did I eat it, I peeled that bad-boy at 60mph after midnight in my old jeep on winding back roads while dodging deer, raccoons and opossums. LOL. There are rarely other vehicles on those roads in the wee hours and I tend to be, ahem, a little liberal in my interpretation of where my lane ends and the oncoming lane begins. So liberal, in fact, that one night the sheriff called ahead to the Xenia PD and I found myself surrounded by three police cars in the MacDonald's parking lot! LOL. That was back when MacDonald's had the chocolate dipped cones......
OMG Lurchmamma this had me rolling on the floor laughing!! I am going to save this somewhere so I can read it once in a while when I need a good laugh!!
You drive like my DH. You and I have a lot in common. I have heart disease (bypass surgery) and I use a CPAP. I need a different mask, too. I am going to try these things called Sleep Right Nasal Breathe Aid. They just go into your nostrils and open them up a bit.
I haven't checked, but they are supposed to carry them at Walgreens.
You are doing rings round and round me with your steps. For me a good day is 3000 steps, let alone 30K. Maybe you will give me incentive to do more.
It's hard to explain my knee problems. I get some swelling but not much pain. I wear an elastic knee brace when I exercise and that helps a lot. I sometimes do the knee bends sitting in a chair and I bought a used recumbent bike because someone told me it helped with their knee. I think I will definitely try the glucosemine again. I might actually still have some from when I stopped taking it.
Andi, I would never have paid the money for my Fitbit, but a couple years ago I received some gift cards to Kohl's and didn't need anything else, so I used them for the Fitbit. I don't have it synched with my phone, I just use the computer. I'm lucky I know how to answer my phone! I don't know anything about it notifying you if you have a call or message.
Sandy, I am considering using Melatonin to help me sleep, but I am hesitant. I want to be able to wake up if necessary and be alert in case of an emergency. I don't have to be up at any certain time so I do try to fall back to sleep. I seem to get up every night around 3AM and I usually have to go to the bathroom.
Terapet, soup is good for weight loss. I like to make it, but I'm not really big on eating it. I like to have the chew factor when I eat. We eat it the day I make it then give the leftovers to my step-daughter. Her husband is a bottomless pit and they take all my leftovers!!
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 01-28-2016 at 03:08 PM.
Carol SueMelatonin shouldn't prevent you from waking up when your bladder is full but I've never taken it so I don't know for sure.
April You don't do things half way, do you. I celebrated my 4500 steps yesterday with walk at the mall (no ice to contend with and temperature fine.
DH's eye examine was far better than 2 weeks ago. He has a "Macular pucker" in one eye and a small scar may have been putting strain on it causing a temporary low vision in that eyel. Back to normal today, Thank God.
I love reading motivational stuff. In the AJC paper yesterday there was a review on a new book by Jesse Itzler about his experience when he hired a Navy Seal as a personal motivator and trainer. He shared a few suggestions. Here is the first one: "Our limitations are self-imposed. We don't aim high enough with our goals. We all have more in us and we are all capable of aiming higher. And by all means, write your goals down. You're more likely to succeed if your goals are documented.
My goal is to get that calorie number under 2000 but aiming higher-under 1800.
LM and Carol Sue-Keep rockin' those fit bit goals. Way to Go!!!
Andi-Can't wait to hear about your FitBit experience as well. Congrats on the one pound GONE, wooHoo!
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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Height: 5'2
I guess I over did it yesterday with my first day back at exercise. Last night my knee was bothering me. I put ice on it and rubbed in some Biofreeze and that helped. It's wasn't pain, per se, but more of a swelling and stiffness. It feels better today. I think I will do some strengthening exercises with weights and give my knee a rest.
Terepet, I guess that guy's motivational suggestion is good, but I felt I had more in me yesterday while I was exercising, but feeling injured afterwards wasn't a good thing.
Sandy, I'm glad to hear that DHs eyes are ok.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 01-29-2016 at 10:54 AM.
DBF is coming over tonight and I think I'll make baked cod with rice and broccoli...
