Easy Homemade Greek Yogurt

Soooooo...I should be mopping the floor while the babes are napping and JD is absorbed in cartoons (aren't I a terrific mom....o...whatever...he is sick...a sick kid totally has free reign of the cartoons!)

but, instead, I am going to post the homemade greek yogurt recipe and ways that I use it.....while your kiddos are sleeping and you are blog surfing.

See we are both productive...sorta...

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I decided I needed to make my own yogurt after we knew that one of my twins (see the little squeak above) needed a daily dose of yogurt to keep the thrush away and keep her tummy active (if ya know what I mean!).  But have you read what is in store bought yogurt?  ...and the kids versions are just as bad if not worse! Aiyyiyi.what would our grandmothers think?  well mine didnt like yogurt...so they would have thought no way am I trying it.....

My thoughts were...I need a cow....

but instead I turned to the internet...

I don't know what I would do without the internet.....oh yeah...I would have gone to the library...

but I found many a helpful ideas out there! For you newbies out there......mom...grandma....click on the hi lighted words greek yogurt...it will take you to the link!)

Here are my side notes to this demonstration...first, I used 1% milk, which worked, but I imagine that whole milk wold be ooo so much creamier...but the reason  made it with 1% milk is because I wanted a lower fat yogurt.....not that milk fat is bad for you....

milk fat, or rather cream makes the world go round and makes it so much easier to take a bite out of life...

let's count the ways.....

sour cream....can't live without it
butter...won't live without it
cheese...have to have it
cream cheese...just love it!
buttermilk....must cook with it
cottage cheese....shouldn't live without it

should I go on......ok...you get the point!

I also didn't add in the honey, I like my yogurt a little tart...that is how I like all my honey's..ok my one honey, but if you want to make different flavors here is another helpful website .

So (I just realized why Carrisa uses that dang word so much!) one of my favorite ways to incorporate this yummy greek yogurt is really Mack daddy's...he brought the recipe home from Iraq with him.....

and that is homemade crusty bread.....of which I will give you the secret recipe once I get permission from the source.....

For lack of a better title....I'll just call it Mack daddy's dip

Mack daddy's a dip? No I would never say that...

ok you can call it Greek Yogurt Dip if you must

- Place yogurt on a plate (with a deeper rim) and spread it out, do it s thick as you like.
- Sprinkle ground cumin all over the yogurt...the more the better...cumin is my favorite spice...next to posh!
- Gently drizzle olive oil (if I was cool like Racheal Ray I would call it OVOO, but I'm not, so  won't pretend!)
- Dip in nice crusty bread, or cucumbers, red peppers and carrots or whatever sounds good at the moment...if I get desperate, I am not above dipping ritz cackers...and sometimes it is a double dip.  sssshhhhhh...more for me!


I also love this yogurt with homemade granola (no store bought granola......it is so BAD for you!), making pound cake (except the one I made last night...went online to find a more lemony one...ugh..it was terrible! So if any of you have a wonderful tarty lemon pound cake recipe...please send it my way!)

I also love it on baked potatoes and anything you would top with sour cream....Mack isn't a fan...but it has a wonderful creamy texture and better for you if you think you need to be watching your fat intake (which far too many of us do! read here)

I am also going to try out making cream cheese.......so wish me luck and a cow long with it!

Hope you like!!