How to Make Raw Milk Yogurt

I make everything from scratch. Everything. Up until a month ago, the one thing I did not make myself was yogurt. I convinced myself it was too difficult and so I justified buying it from the local co-op. Grass-fed yogurt from the co-op costs $5 per quart. It's also pasteurized. I knew I could make it cheaper, and I could make it from raw milk, which is very important to me. So, I started making yogurt myself, and it turns out it's not that hard!

Ingredients:
1 gallon raw milk
15 TBS. plain yogurt

Divide one gallon of milk between 5 quart jars. There should be a little room at the top to add the yogurt later.

Put the jars in a large pot (I use my canning pot because it's roomy). Fill the pot with water until it reaches the yogurt line. Use a pitcher, if available, to avoid splattering water into the jars of milk.

Turn the stove on medium-low and wait for the water to reach 105° F. Use a thermometer to be exact. It will not take long, so it needs to be baby-sat. As soon as it reaches 105° F, use a jar lifter to carefully remove the jars from the pot. Turn off the stove and leave the water. Stir 3 tablespoons of yogurt into each jar of milk and whisk to ensure it emulsifies.

Tighten lids on the jars and immediately place them in an insulated cooler. Once they are in the cooler, DO NOT move, bump, or otherwise touch it. By this time, the water in the pot on the stove should be between 105° and 110° F. If the water temperature is higher or lower than 105° to 110° F, cool or heat accordingly. Pour the water into the cooler so that it completely covers the jars. Then, shut the cooler and leave for 8 to 24 hours. I find that the longer I leave it in, the thicker the yogurt will be in the end.

When the yogurt has been in the cooler for the desired amount of time, gently take the jars out, dry them off, and set them in the refrigerator. Resist the urge to shake them. The yogurt will still be runny at this time, and that is normal. Leave them in the fridge for 24 hours. After that time you will have five quarts of yogurt!

Homemade yogurt is always a little more runny than store-bought yogurt. If it is runnier than you'd like it, strain it in a cheesecloth over a strainer. Make sure to catch and save the whey, it is valuable! It can be consumed as a probiotic drink, fed to plants and pets, or used in recipes in place of buttermilk. Straining the yogurt results in Greek yogurt.


If you get a good consistency, you can just eat the yogurt as is right out of the jar!


Tip: If you cannot get raw milk, here's how to make yogurt using pasteurized milk. Follow the same steps as above, but heat the water in the pot to 185° F. Remove the pot from heat and cool to 110° F. After it's cooled, add 2 tablespoons of yogurt to each quart of milk. Incubate the milk in the cooler at 110° F for 8 to 24 hours. Then, continue using the same steps as raw milk yogurt.

1 quart of grass-fed, pasteurized yogurt from the co-op cost $5.
1 quart of grass-fed, raw homemade yogurt cost $1.20.
Savings is $3.80 per quart, or 76%!

Printable: How to Make Raw Milk Yogurt

Recipe: Freezer Tomato Soup

I'm ready for soup even if it's not quite fall. My favorite has always been tomato soup. I have yet to find a brand of pre-made tomato soup that does not have some kind of sweetener added and/or comes in a can lined with BPA (tip: those Tetra Paks aren't any better). That's okay, because the abundance of beautiful vegetables at the farmers' market means I can make my own. Here's how you can, too!

Ingredients:
6 lbs. tomatoes
2 onions
1 shallot
1 large zucchini
3 bell peppers
3 carmen peppers
4 cloves garlic
3 c. chicken stock
2 tsp. dried basil


First, remove the skins from the tomatoes. To do this, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in a few tomatoes at a time and leave them for 45 seconds to 1 minute.


Immediately remove the tomatoes to another pot full of cold water (I just use one side of my sink).


Score the tomatoes with a knife and the skin should peel right off.


When all the tomatoes are peeled, set them aside. To a large pot, add some fat (I used butter). Dice two onions and the shallot and throw them in the pot. You can actually use three onions here, I just had a shallot that needed using up.


When the onions and shallot are about halfway to their translucent stage, throw in a large chopped zucchini.


Next, add in chopped bell peppers and carmen peppers. Carmen peppers are sweet peppers, so if you can't find them, just use extra bell peppers.


Roughly chop the tomatoes, removing the stem and bad spots. Throw them into the pot along with four cloves of garlic.


Pour in three cups of chicken stock. Of course you can use vegetable stock if you want to keep it vegetarian. Stock adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Let it all cook for ten minutes, and then use an immersion blender to puree it into soup. Turn the stove down, add the dried basil, and let the soup simmer for another 30 minutes.


Because of the low acid content, this soup cannot be water bath canned. When the soup is done, set it aside to cool before transferring it. Use a ladle and carefully pour the soup into glass jars. Be sure to leave a little room for the liquid to expand in the freezer.


Tighten the lids on the jars and set them upright in the freezer. This batch made 23 half-pints which are the perfect serving size. Whenever you want soup for lunch, just take one out to defrost in the morning.


Not surprisingly, this is the best tomato soup I've ever had. That always seems to happen when something is made from scratch using fresh, locally-grown ingredients!

Printable: Freezer Tomato Soup

Today's Farmers' Market Finds

Here's what I got today:

raw milk
raw butter
pastured soy-free eggs
pastured chicken livers
baby leaf lettuce
red basil
mint
yellow squash
zucchini
bell peppers
carmen peppers
tomatoes

I have to go to 2 farmers' markets every Saturday now. The OSU-OKC Farmers' market doesn't allow raw milk anymore, so I have to go to the Edmond Farmers' Market to pick that up. This change is not the fault of the vendor or the market manager, but nevertheless it does suck. For one thing, the Edmond Farmers' Market is out of my way. Also, I don't like it nearly as well. What I appreciate about the OSU-OKC Farmers' Market is that they require that everything sold be grown and made in Oklahoma. The vendors are also very open as far as their farming and ranching practices. The goods at the Edmond Farmers' Market have no such rules. I've seen produce from Texas, California, and God knows where. In my opinion, this completely defeats the purpose of a farmers' market. The produce isn't as fresh, and we don't get the opportunity to support local vendors. In addition, most of the fruits and vegetables in Edmond are not organic, and they're not as open about their farming practices and what chemicals they use. When I go to Edmond, I get my raw dairy, and usually some chicken livers for my dog from another vendor, and that's all. I get in and out. But, having access to raw milk and butter is very important to me. I'm grateful to be able to get it at all - I know in some parts of the United States it's still very hard to get. That's a shame, too.

Do your research. Know your farmer, and get to know your market.

Recipe: Meat Rolls (aka Homemade Hot Pockets)

This post was originally featured on the Grain Mill Wagon.

My sister-in-law made up this recipe which she calls Meat Rolls. When I saw them, I thought they looked like Hot Pockets. She used a yeast recipe for the bread, but I didn't have any yeast. I made a pie crust-like dough for the outside, which makes it flaky and buttery. The filling was really delicious, and can be adjusted based on what's in season.

Ingredients for Crust:
5 c. white whole wheat flour (about 4 c. hard white wheat berries)
1 ½ c. tallow (or lard or butter)
4 TBS. raw honey
½ c. cold water

Ingredients for Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
2 onions
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1 c. tomato sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Using the bread setting of a grain mill, grind the hard white wheat berries into flour.

Add the flour, tallow, and raw honey to a food processor and pulse until it is course and crumbly.

Slowly drizzle in the water just until the dough starts to come together. Take the dough out, form it into a ball, and wrap it in plastic. Set it in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or as long as one day.

While the dough is resting, make the filling.

Add plenty of fat to a hot skillet (I used tallow). Dice the onions finely and throw them in the skillet to sweat out.

When the onions turn translucent, add in a chopped red bell pepper. Cook until the pepper gets soft.

Next add in two cloves of garlic and one pound of ground beef.

Lastly, add in a chopped tomato, the tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Let the filling simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomato sauce cooks down. The hot pockets won't hold together if the filling is runny.

Set the filling aside while you roll out the dough. I used a pizza cutter to cut out squares; you can cut out any size and shape that works for you. Place a generous portion of filling into each hot pocket.

Fold the sides of the dough over until they all meet; alternatively, place another square of dough on top and press the seams together.

Bake the hot pockets at 350° F for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size). Check that the crust is completely cooked and the filling is hot.

This makes a big batch, so the leftovers can be frozen and reheated later!

Printable: Meat Rolls (aka Homemade Hot Pockets)

Review: Rawmio

Rawmio recently sent me a few of their products to try. Formerly known as Rawtella, their most popular product is a chocolate hazelnut spread. From their website:

Rawmio produces handcrafted raw vegan chocolate treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you wanting more. We focus on using the best organic and raw ingredients in all of our products. Stone grinding is used to create the smoothest and healthy raw chocolate you will find.

One of my goodies from Rawmio was their Beyond Gourmet Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. Yes, it's reminiscent of that chocolate hazelnut spread from your childhood. Except better. I remember Nutella being kind of oily. That's probably because their number two ingredient is palm oil, following only sugar.

The ingredients in Rawmio's Chocolate Hazelnut Spread are: raw, sprouted hazelnuts, raw cacao nibs, and coconut sugar. And of course they are all organic. I approve!

But back to the taste. It's chocolaty - it's kind of in the middle between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. It's not too sweet but doesn't have the bitterness of dark chocolate either. I really love that balance. It's creamy, and despite containing no oils it spreads really easily. I've put it on biscuits, toast, and pancakes so far, but my favorite way to eat it has been to lick it right off the spoon!

If you'd like to see more of Rawmio's products, you can visit their website. They also offer chocolate bark, almond butters, and other varieties of hazelnut butters. I'm dying to try their Rawmio Hazelnut Silk spread. Check Rawmio out today if you're interested in a real food version of chocolate hazelnut spread!

Today's Co-op Order

Yesterday was co-op pick-up day! I had a huge order this month. One of the co-op volunteers asked me if I was having a party. Nope, I just like to stock up!

The human food I bought was:

pastured chicken thighs
pastured chicken leg quarters
pastured chipotle pepper chicken sausage
grass-fed ground beef
grass-fed stew meat
grass-fed ribeyes
grass-fed sirloin
grass-fed raw cheddar cheese
organic, fair trade coffee

The raw cheddar cheese and chicken sausage are two of the best things I've ever ordered (but don't get me wrong, everything is good!). I'm a self-described cheese connoisseur, and this raw cheddar blows every other cheese away. The chipotle pepper chicken sausage is something I discovered last month while I was looking for an alternative to pork. I love that it's spicy. Last month when I ran out, I could hardly wait till this month's order. So I got two this time.

Here's the dog food:

10# of beef bones
10# of chicken necks
10# of chicken carcass
20# of chicken feet

Clearly, I wayyy over-ordered on dog food. What was I thinking?! Oh well, I probably won't have to order anything for him next month.

Oh, and you should know that I'm a pretty tough cookie when it comes to animal parts. Having a dog on a raw diet, I've been in contact with cow liver, chicken liver, chicken hearts, blood, and some other stuff. It doesn't really faze me. But these chicken feet are going to test me. When I ordered them, the website said "Not cleaned for human consumption." I thought, "Hmm, I wonder what that means." Then I picked them up and saw that they still had toenails. Eww! I just hope Chief likes them!

When I placed my order, I did not take into consideration the amount of freezer space I would need for all this. We have the freezer that is above our refrigerator, of course, and then we have a small cube chest freezer. I had to do some serious rearranging, but I got it all in!

Let's just say, I'll have to go digging if we want to eat anything.

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

This post was originally featured on the Grain Mill Wagon.

Cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts to make - they're so much fun! It's especially great to lick the frosting from the spatula. These cupcakes are simple but so sweet and yummy. If you've never used vanilla beans, you're in for a treat. If you don't have fresh beans, feel free to use vanilla extract instead.

Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Cupcakes:
1 ½ c. soft white wheat flour (about 1 ¼ c. wheat berries)
½ c. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. coconut oil
2 eggs
4 TBS. milk
1 vanilla bean

Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Buttercream:
2 c. powdered sugar
½ c. butter
2 TBS. milk
1 vanilla bean

Mill the soft white wheat berries using the pastry setting of a grain mill.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add in the coconut oil, eggs, milk, and the paste from inside a vanilla bean. Stir gently to remove all lumps.

Divide the cupcake batter between 12 cupcake liners. Bake at 350° F for 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely.

Now it's time to make the vanilla bean buttercream.

Put the powdered sugar, butter, milk, and paste from a vanilla bean into a food processor. You can also do this with a hand mixer or even by hand!

Whip it until it all comes together into a smooth, creamy buttercream.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream.

Keep covered at room temperature, or put them in the fridge if it's going to be a hot day.

My husband loved these, which is always a win for me!

Printable: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Recipe: Homemade Ranch Dressing

I used to be obsessed with ranch dressing. In college, I put it on everything! When I switched to an organic and real foods lifestyle, I pretty much gave up ranch. The number one ingredient in most ranch dressings, even organic brands, is canola or soybean oil. No thanks. Now I know how to make my own, and it uses NO oils! And yes, it really taste like ranch!

Ingredients:
1 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 TBS. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

This is easy - just mix all the ingredients together!

I'm so in love with this recipe! I've already used it on chicken and roasted red potatoes - yum!

Printable: Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipe: Lavender Scones

This post was originally featured on the Grain Mill Wagon.

I have a bunch of dried lavender buds leftover from making homemade extracts. Lavender not only smells lovely but it tastes lovely, too. I used the buds to make scones, because lavender sounds like something that should be used in a fancy pastry, doesn't it? Scones are so simple to make, so they're really nothing more than a fancy biscuit!

Ingredients:
1 c. soft white wheat flour (about ¾ c. wheat berries)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 TBS. dried lavender buds
3 TBS. butter
3 TBS. honey
1 egg
2 TBS. whole milk

Use the pastry setting of a grain mill to grind the wheat berries.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried lavender buds.

Cut in the butter, and then mix in the honey, eggs, and milk to make a slightly sticky dough. *Note: If you are using a flour other than soft white wheat, you may need to add a little more milk. Fresh, fine soft white wheat tends to get very wet very fast and does not need as much liquid as other flours.

Gently flour a clean surface and roll out the dough to about ¾-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a cup to cut out the scones.

Bake the scones in a preheated 375° F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

There are light and buttery and are fabulous served with coffee or tea (herbal tea is my favorite)! Enjoy!

Printable: Lavender Scones