Lack of Posts

Hello, all!

I want to apologize for my lack of posts.  To be honest, 2013 threw me a curve-ball.  After months of health problems and medical tests, I was encouraged by a specialist to see a naturopath.  Under his care, I finally learned there were a whole slew of foods causing me issues.

For the most part, I think I have done a pretty good job at taking this well.  Although, I will say this, if you have family or loved ones you frequently invite into your home for meals that have food allergies or sensitivities I strongly encourage you to take the time to provide a couple of things they can eat so they feel included.  (There is nothing like watching everyone around you sating their hunger on the appetizers you cannot eat while your stomach is growling and you are praying the main course will soon be ready so you can eat the meal you prepared and brought along for yourself...)

I have missed the Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers Challenges.  At the moment, I am focusing on finding healthy meals that exclude all dairy, gluten, eggs, oats, rice, bakers yeast, beef, pork, honey, sugar, artificial sweeteners, bananas, blueberries, and the list goes on...

On the bright side, ever so slowly, my stomach is healing.  I've dropped more lbs than I care to mention (I have no doubt cutting dairy, gluten, sugar and honey played a big role in that!). And, best of all, I have had a lot of time to work on crazy quilting - my favorite hobby.  If you are interested, my projects may be viewed on my first blog, Living My Dream at http://monkeyandmutt.blogspot.com/.

Eventually, I hope to learn enough to be able to adapt the meals in the Daring Kitchen Challenges so they fit my current dietary guidelines.  This month's Daring Cooks Challenge looks amazing!  It is called Arancine, and it looks quite tasty.  To see for yourself, CLICK HERE.

I hope 2014 is an incredible year for you!

Hugs,
Renee

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with a Pumpkin Spice Latte

PUMPKIN!  I prepped breakfast the day before...

I stumbled upon Pinterest about a month ago - after I was flattered to discover photos from my first blog, "Living My Dream" at monkeyandmutt.blogspot.com, had been pinned.  I had heard of Pinterest, but did not really understand what it was all about.  I knew it had photos that sometimes inundated my Facebook home page, but that was about it.  Had someone explained it was a site where you could bookmark your favorite articles, recipes and photos - organizing them on "boards" (in folders) however you liked, I would have been hooked sooner!  The bookmark section on my laptop's browser had been insane before the poor thing died on me.  Thanks to Pinterest, I have not done the same to my hubby's PC.

Anyway... earlier this week it began to feel like fall.  That meant one thing.  Pumpkin.  I absolutely LOVE pumpkin.  So, I searched for pumpkin on Pinterest and began a Pumpkin board.  YUM.

I thank this search for helping me find The Oatmeal Artist.  If you are fond of homemade oatmeal, you seriously need to check out Lauren's website.  (Although, you are probably so much cooler than I am that you already knew this site existed with all of its delicious recipes!)

Monday morning I tried the Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal.  I substituted rice milk for the milk and used the 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice suggested.  I only had frozen blueberries on hand, so I added them with the banana.  It was really, really good - not to mention filling!


In my freezer, I had one last cup of homemade pumpkin puree from last fall.  So, I put it in the refrigerator on Monday night to thaw.  Yesterday became a marathon cooking day.  I made tomato soup, The Daring Cooks September Challenge (you'll have to wait to hear about that one!), gluten-free beef broth from Gluten-Free Quick and Easy by Carol Fenster, cooked a roast on the Traeger, and I used my cup of pumpkin puree to make 4 different recipes!

The pumpkin dishes were all prepped to make for breakfast this morning.  My hubby enjoyed a home cooked meal rather than his usual bowl of cereal!

In one Corningware French White 16-ounce dish (I love these, as they are microwave, oven and freezer safe and they have lids), I combined the liquid ingredients for The Oatmeal Artist's Basic Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal.  In a second dish, I combined the liquid ingredients for the Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal recipe.  In two separate containers, I combined the oats and seasonings.  This morning, I combined the wet and dry ingredients and baked them.  (In the future, I will mix all of the ingredients together.  I don't think it will hurt for the oats to absorb some of the moisture overnight.)

Click here for the Basic Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe

and 

Click here for variations of this recipe - including Pumpkin Spice Latte Baked Oatmeal

Oh - if math is not your strong point and you are making a single batch of the Pumpkin Spice Latte Baked Oatmeal, you would use 8 teaspoons (or 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) of milk and the same amount of coffee.  (There are 48 teaspoons in one cup, so 16 teaspoons in 1/3 cup.  Half of that is 8 teaspoons, and there are 3 teaspoons in a Tablespoon - so 8 teaspoons = 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons.)

Pumpkin Milk for Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe found at averiecooks.com

Thanks to Pinterest, I also stumbled upon a recipe for a Pumpkin Spice Latte at averiecooks.com.  I made the Pumpkin Milk yesterday (using rice milk to keep it dairy-free) and made these for my hubby and I this morning.  I did not have pumpkin pie spice (GASP!  As a pumpkin lover, this must be some sort of crime), so I used Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus I had on hand (it added cinnamon and orange flavors to the traditional pumpkin pie spice - if I remember correctly.) 

Click here for Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe.

It turned out to be a bit too much cinnamon for my hubby, but he drank the whole cup!  I'll have to try it again with pumpkin pie spice and add a touch more maple syrup at my hubby's request.  He also pointed out that the spices do not all blend and/or dissolve.  Some settle in the bottom of the cup.  I read the recipe, so it was no surprise to me.  He still drank the whole cup!  I made a half cup for myself (as I am limiting my coffee consumption) and was too full from my oatmeal to finish my latte.  So, I poured the remains into an ice cube tray and froze them.  Later, I plan to blend them with more rice milk for a homemade Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino.  It sounds delicious!  This would probably be incredible with a nice wallop of homemade whipped cream, but with amazing dairy-free recipes like these, giving up dairy is quite a bit easier.  (I'll try whipped coconut milk once I can add coconut back into my diet.)

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal from The Oatmeal Artist

Each of these recipes required 1/4-cup of pumpkin puree.  So, I used the last of my puree to make Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal using another Oatmeal Artist recipe.  This was my FAVORITE recipe!  Don't get me wrong, the baked pumpkin oatmeal was amazing and the baked pumpkin spice latte recipe was great, but this recipe tasted like dessert!  Again, I made it with rice milk to keep it dairy-free.  I also made the mistake of sampling this last night.  It did not survive long enough to be my breakfast tomorrow morning.  As my eldest (nicknamed Monkey) pointed out, it's a good thing it is almost pumpkin season!  (I have plans for the Cinderella Pumpkin growing in my yard!)

Click here for Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal recipe

Now, I have tried mixing overnight recipes in half-pint mason jars and they just never fit.  So, I mixed this one in a pint-sized jar.  It looks a bit large for the job, but it worked out perfectly.

Let me just say, my youngest (nicknamed Mutt at his request), only likes instant oatmeal.  He has snubbed every homemade oatmeal I have made.  Until now.  He said he would eat this if I heated it up a bit.  (That being said, he has not yet sampled the baked oatmeal recipes I made this morning, but I saved a bit of each for he and his brother to sample.)  I'll make a comment later to let you know their opinions.

I am so thankful for the Internet and for creative cooks that are willing to share their creations!

Homemade Tomato Soup

Better Homes and Gardens Fresh Tomato Soup

The mornings and evenings are getting chilly and last night the moon was full and huge.  My boys register for school today.  In short, it is beginning to feel like fall.

Yesterday, I picked some tomatoes from our garden and tried the Fresh Tomato Soup recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  I also found a copy of the recipe on-line.  In my cookbook, it calls for cilantro or parsley.  I used some of the fresh basil growing on my kitchen counter - so, I smiled when I discovered the on-line recipe actually suggests cilantro or basil.

Click here for the recipe.

My boys decided this would be great with a grilled cheese sandwich (even the picky eater!)

My husband felt it was a bit bland.  That may be because I did not have any chicken bouillon granules, so I substituted Gaylord Hauser Vegetable Broth.  I like this veggie broth, but it does not have as much salt as bouillon.

The only hot sauce I could find was Blair's After Death Sauce - from a gift pack of hot sauces I gave to my husband for Christmas.  I only used two tiny drops and the flavor was wonderful without the soup being too hot for my picky eater.

This soup will definitely be made again in our home!  (I even put some in a jar and froze it to see how it holds up.  If it turns out well, I will be making a bigger patch, freezing it in individual portions as suggested for lunches on 100 Days of Real Food.) 

Almond Butter Chia Pudding

Almond Butter Chia Pudding

Through The Daring Kitchen, I stumbled across Shelley's blog, C Mom Cook.  Her recipes looked amazing - and they were dairy-free, so I had to follow her blog.  (Had to - it was a compulsion.  Take a peek and you may feel the same.)

Yesterday, I read Shelley's post from Monday about Chia Pudding.  Her recipe was inspired by and slightly adapted from Katie's Chi Chi Chi Chia post on her blog, Betcha Can't Eat Just One.  (And Katie has a label for pumpkin recipes, so you know I just have to follow her blog now!)

I am beginning the 5th week of my doctor's 6 week diet - eliminating a slew of foods I normally eat.  This list includes chocolate, coconut, and agave.  But, I really wanted to try this pudding and was sure I could make something work.

I opted to substitute almond butter for the cocoa powder and maple syrup for the agave.  I am still adjusting to almond butter.  The pudding did not taste bad, but my boys were both right, it was not very sweet.  I did not want to add more syrup, so I sliced a banana and stirred it in after the pudding chilled.  (It was devoured before I could take a picture.  Oops!)

Chia Seed Benefits and Risks

Huh.  I planned to find a great link touting all of the wonderful benefits of eating chia seeds and I stumbled upon sights warning of side effects.  My curiosity got the best of me.  I found some info at the webmd.com website.  However, I found the info at seed guides far more informative.  

I encourage you to check out the sites above.  Below, I tried to summarize what I learned...  but I may not have caught all of the info.

There are a ton of benefits to eating chia seeds.  Check out the benefits here. 

As for the side-effects... the following information was paraphrased from webmd.com and seedguides.info.

You should limit the amount of these seeds you consume (for adults it sounds like 2 Tbsp. per day should be the limit - less for children.) 

Pregnant or nursing?  You should avoid chia seeds.
High triglyceride levels?  I recommend checking with your doctor.  Although other websites indicate chia seeds may lower triglyceride levels and raise HDL levels, webmd.com states that some types of chia seeds actually raise triglyceride levels. (This may be due to the high alpha-linolenic acid levels.)   According to webmd, you should only use chia called "Salba," as it does not significantly increase triglycerides.  
Hemophiliac? On blood thinners?  On an aspirin regimen? Preparing for a surgery? Check with your doctor first.  The omega-3's in the chia seeds can cause the blood to thin. 
High risk for prostate cancer? Check with your doctor first.  High levels of alpha-linolenic acid may increase your risk with this type of cancer. (According to webmd, the jury is out on this as studies have shown increased risk and no changes in the risk - but they recommend avoiding alpha-linolenic acid supplements.)
Low blood pressure? Ask your doctor first.  Some research indicates you should steer clear of chia seeds as they could drastically lower your blood pressure.
Take B17 supplements? Adding chia seeds to your diet could cause an overdose.
Allergic to mustard or mustard seed?  High protein levels in chia seeds can contribute to allergic reactions in some people.  Sounds like the risk is higher with allergies to mustard seed.

Almond Butter Chia Pudding

Almond Butter Chia Pudding (Dairy-Free) - Please Read Chia Seed Benefits & Risks 1st.

3/4 - 1 cup almond milk (I used original, unsweetened)*
1 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 banana (optional)

1. Blend together almond milk, almond butter, and maple syrup.  (I used our immersion blender with the tall cup it came with.)
2. Stir-in chia seeds.  Bananas may be diced and added at this point.  Or if you do not want them to brown at all, wait until the pudding has chilled.
3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. If desired, add sliced or diced banana.  
5. Enjoy!

*NOTE: The longer the pudding chills, the more liquid the chia seeds will absorb.  I used 3/4 cup almond milk and it was perfect an hour later.  If you plan to chill overnight, you may prefer to use closer to 1 cup of almond milk.

I look forward to trying more varieties of this delicious dairy-free "pudding."

National Creamsicle Day - Dairy Free Orange Cream Pops

Dairy-Free Orange Cream Pop

Well, today I should be posting about the incredibly yummy Daring Cooks Challenge for August.  However, I am waiting until I finish this restrictive 6-week diet my doctor has me on to make that incredibly delicious dish.  It will be so much better with onions and garlic, I am sure!

Today, I was fiddling around, looking on-line for some fun lunch ideas to surprise the boys with once school starts up in a couple of weeks.  I remembered a co-worker once telling me there is a National Food Day nearly every day of the year and I thought it would be fun to incorporate a few of those into the school lunches.  I googled National Food Days (I do love Internet search engines!) and discovered this American Food Holiday list stating today was National Creamsicle Day.

My boys thought I was teasing when I told them, and here is why...

Irony can be mighty fun sometimes!  Last week, my 13-year-old (Mutt), told me we should make Jell-o popsicles.  That afternoon, I began skimming through a book by Reader's Digest that I picked up at the library called, Homemade: How to Make Hundreds of Everyday Products Fast, Fresh, and More Naturally.  Guess what I found?  A recipe for Orange Cream Pops using orange gelatin.  (Ironic, right?)  I LOVE orange creamsicles and feared I would have to give them up forever.  Maybe not!  I picked up the ingredients last Thursday and Mutt and I finally made them last night.  However, we started the project so late, they would not be ready until today.  And then this afternoon, I discovered it was National Creamsicle Day.  My boys thought I was joking.  Little did they know... *grins*

I even found an article with a little bit Creamsicle history published August 14, 2012 on eatocracy.cnn.com.  Just CLICK HERE to read it - there is even a "grown-up" recipe included!

Of the four of us, only Monkey can have milk.  So, I adapted the recipe.  I did not want to break any copyright laws by sharing the recipe from the book, so I did another Internet search.  Taste of Home has the exact same recipe listed on their website.  You can find it by clicking HERE.  My recipe is modified to exclude dairy.

Dairy-Free Orange Cream Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup (8 ounces) vanilla almond milk yogurt (or your favorite dairy-free vanilla yogurt)
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or your favorite dairy-free milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 paper cups or Popsicle molds (3 ounces each)
• 10 Popsicle sticks (if using cups)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in hot water and stir until dissolved.  Allow it to cool to room temperature (we let it sit on the counter for about an hour.)
2. Whisk in almond milk, almond milk yogurt and vanilla until all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until firm.  OR fill paper cups.  You can put foil or plastic wrap over the tops of the cups and stick the popsicle sticks through to hold the stick straight and freeze until firm.  OR you can freeze the cups for about 2 hours and then insert the popsicle sticks so they will stand straight.

We had a fair amount of the mixture remaining after filling our popsicle molds (which were a fun gift to the boys from their Aunt a few years ago.)  Luckily, we found 3 paper cups stashed away in the cupboard.  I did not have any popsicle sticks, but I found exactly 3 plastic spoons in the silverware drawer.

Dairy-Free Orange Cream Pop in a Cup

The boys declared these a definite "Make Again" treat!  (And I added the Reader's Digest Homemade book to my wish-list!)

July 2013 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Eenie Meenie Miney Moe!

Potato Rösti

In a "celebration" of past Daring Baker and Daring Cook challenges, Lisa challenged all of us to search through the Daring Kitchen archives and pick any one we'd like! The REAL challenge was picking which delicious recipe(s) to try!

And that truly was the challenge!  If you do not believe me, go to the recipe archives on The Daring Kitchen website (just click here) and try to decide for yourself!

In my case, my choices were severely limited, so it made the decision a ton easier.  My doctor has me on an restrictive diet to see if we can figure out if it is a food that has been making me sick - well, another food in addition to dairy.  So, no dairy, no gluten, no soy, no honey, no onions, no garlic, no beans, no fruits with pits; well, the list goes on, but you get the picture.

Here were our only guidelines for the challenge:

Mandatory Items: You must choose at least 1 past Daring Baker or Daring Cook challenge and recreate it by the reveal date.

Variations: Only variations are allowed are those specified in the challenges.
That's it.. all other rules/regulations/tips/tricks/notes/etc. will be found in each challenge - as will each printable file.
Have fun kids! xoxo

Flipping Frying Patties!!!

My choice became a no-brainer when I stumbled across a recipe for Potato Rösti in the February 2012 Daring Cooks' Challenge: Flipping Frying Patties!!!   Click here to find the challenge and the recipe.

Not only could I eat all of the ingredients, but my husband and I had not eaten rösti since we left Switzerland in 1997.  We had always purchased it in a pouch and cooked it up.  I had never made it from scratch.  And, I had already added gluten-free schnitzel to our menu for the week.  Rösti was the PERFECT addition.  It was also a wonderful surprise for my husband.  The boys had never tried it, and I am happy to say, even the pickiest eater enjoyed it.  Success. Yes!

Potato Rösti

Lisa, I loved the challenge - thank you so much!

If you would like to see the other wonderful creations, just click here.  Or, do a google search using the first paragraph of this post to find other bloggers describing their adventures with this delicious challenge!

The Daring Cooks' July 2013 Challenge: Get Your Yogurt On!

The lovely Cher of The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler was our July Daring Cooks’ hostess and she asked us to create homemade yogurt in our own kitchens! No incubators needed, no expensive equipment or ingredients, just a few items and we had delicious yogurt for a fraction of the cost and a whole lot healthier than what you buy in the stores!

Coconut Yogurt with honey, blueberries, and homemade granola

I encourage you to stop by Cher's website to see more options for making yogurt from milk or milk substitutes using other thickening agents and cultures.  CLICK HERE for the full challenge and a lot more helpful information.

As I have to completely cut dairy out of my diet, this challenge arrived at the perfect time.  I miss yogurt and hate spending nearly $2.00 on 6 oz. of coconut yogurt.  This method took some time, but was not horribly difficult.  And the coconut flavor and creamy smooth texture of this yogurt far surpassed the expensive coconut yogurts I bought at the store.

Coconut Milk Yogurt

My Ingredient Choices:
1. "Milk": 2 13.5-oz. cans organic coconut milk (not to be mistaken with the beverage in a carton)

2. Culture:  PB8 Pro-biotic Acidophilus for Life Vegetarian Capsules.  I used 6 capsules but should have used 4 (I overestimated the amount of yogurt this would make.)

3. Thickening Agent: 1 packet Knox Unflavored Gelatin  (I wanted to use Agar-Agar Flakes, as I read they thicken the yogurt a bit better; however, the stores I went to did not carry this product and I had the gelatin on-hand.)

4. Sweetener: None (although non-dairy milks will turn out thicker with a sweetener for the pro-biotics to feed on.)

Equipment You Will Need:
• A double boiler or a bowl that can be nested in a pot without touching the bottom or a microwavable glass bowl*
• A whisk, for stirring together ingredients*
• Food thermometer
• A large bowl (or other container) for an ice bath (2-4 cups of ice and 1-2 cups of water – depending on the size of your bowl. You want to be able to cool the bottom and sides of the bowl you cooked your milk in)
• A smaller bowl non-glass bowl that will hold at least one quart if you do not want to put the hot glass bowl into the ice cold water.* 
• A heat source for incubating yogurt - I used my crock-pot
• Glass jars (five to six ½-pint (400 ml) jars) or a glass bowl for culturing yogurt*
• Liquid measuring cup*
• Measuring spoons*
• Pot holders

*IMPORTANT NOTE:  All equipment that will come in direct contact with the yogurt should be thoroughly washed before using, to mitigate the potential of any non-beneficial bacteria entering the equation. I run my equipment through the dishwasher and use the heated dry cycle. Some sources recommend sterilizing in boiling water.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 13.5-oz cans organic coconut milk (not the beverage in a carton)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp Sweetener (if using)
• 4 PB* Pro-biotic Acidophilus for Life Vegetarian Capsules (or read the label of your pro-biotic capsules and use enough to have about 25-30 billion pro-biotics for this quart-sized batch of yogurt.)
• 1 packet Knox Unflavored Gelatin

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the coconut milk, ½ cup (120ml) of water and sweetener in a bowl and stir until well blended.
2. Combine 2 Tbsp boiling water with 2 teaspoons (1 packet is a smidge over this) Unflavored Gelatin.  Stir until gelatin has dissolved.
3. Prepare the ice bath - combine 2-4 cups of ice in 1-2 cups of water, depending upon the size of your bowl.
4.  BE CAUTIOUS USING THIS STEP!  Using the microwave to boil liquid can be tricky.  The liquid may not appear to be boiling until it moves around, when it may bubble and splatter up and out.  I used a larger bowl than I needed and carefully placed it on the counter after each minute to stir it with a rubber spatula.  When it was done, the liquid erupted into bubbles as the spatula entered the liquid.  Place the bowl in the microwave and heat in one minute intervals until the mixture comes to a boil. (After each minute, remove bowl from microwave and stir). Depending on the strength of your microwave, this may take 4-7 minutes. (Alternately, you can heat the mixture using the double boiler method).
5. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the microwave and place the bowl in an ice bath. (NOTE: I poured the mixture into a clean non-glass bowl and then set it into the ice bath, as I recently had a coffee cup sitting on a cool tile counter crack in half when I added hot water for tea...) Stir until the temperature of the mixture drops 90°F/32°C if you are using a pro-biotic starter. 
6. When the liquid cools to 110°F/43°C, stir in the starter. (If you are using a freeze-dried culture or pro-biotic capsules, make sure the liquid has cooled to the temperature recommended for that particular culture).  NOTE: my culture did not specify, so I cooled to 110 degrees.
7. Ladle the yogurt mixture into ½ pint glass jars (should be ~5-6 jars depending on how full you fill them), secure the cover.  
8. Incubation:  I chose to use the crockpot method.  Our directions read: Slow cooker – This is the method that I use the most. To use a slow cooker, place the cooker on its “warm” setting and pour in enough hot water to come half way off the jars. Place the cover on the cooker and check the temperature of the water every ½ hour to hour to make sure it isn’t getting too hot (actual temperature range will depend on the starter type you chose). If the water starts to get too hot, unplug the machine and wrap the crock pot in a large towel to hold the temperature for the rest of the incubation period. However, my hot water was WAY too hot, so I removed the jars and cooled the with cold water until it reached 105.  Then, I returned the jars to the crockpot, making sure the water level was about mid-way up the jars.  My crockpot's warm setting was too warm, so I turned it off, unplugged it and wrapped it with a towel.  I checked the temperature every half hour and turned it on warm briefly if it began to drop.
9. Incubate the yogurt for about 5-8 hours. Longer incubating times will result in a tangier yogurt. The optimal incubating temperature is ~122°F/50°C for yogurt starters (if you are using a freeze-dried starter or pro-biotic capsules, follow the recommended temperatures for those starters). Ideally, you want to keep the temperature as close to that as possible for the incubating period. Realizing that may not be possible – I try to target keeping the mixture between 115°F/46°C and 125°F/52°C (95°F/35°C to 105°F/41°C if using pro-biotic capsules).
10. Once the yogurt is done incubating, carefully transfer the containers to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours. This step helps to thicken the yogurt and lulls those ravenous friendly bacteria back to their sluggish state.  Note: To avoid putting the hot jars onto the cold glass shelf in my refrigerator, I folded a kitchen towel in half and put on the shelf first. 
11. After the cooling period, the yogurt is ready to be enjoyed.  
    
    Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:
    Once processed & tightly sealed, most yogurts will keep, refrigerated for one to two weeks. I have had success with some yogurts keeping for longer, but it usually doesn’t last long enough for me to test that theory.

This is how my yogurt looked after the incubation stage, I panicked until I read on another site that this can sometimes happen.  So, I stirred each jar prior to refrigerating, and they turned out fine!

Even without a sweetener, I loved the smooth texture and amazing coconut flavor!

It was even better with about a Tbsp. honey and 1/4 cup frozen blueberries blended in.

Homemade granola made the perfect addition!

Yummy!

As for my pickiest eater?  He is not a huge coconut fan, and felt the coconut flavor was a bit too much for him; however, with the addition of blueberries, honey and granola, he said he would eat it anyway.

Just for my picky eater, I attempted making yogurt with regular milk, but my warm setting on my crockpot took the temperature over 150 degrees within a half hour.  It must have killed the culture.  It ended up as a liquid with a tad of thickness at the bottom.  I plan to try it again with Lactaid for the non-coconut lovers in my home and with almond milk as another dairy-free option for myself.  (Hmmm... maybe I will make that today...)

Cher, thank you for this amazing challenge!  I was absolutely giddy with excitement about how yummy and relatively easy (thanks to your amazing information) this was to make.

All other readers, I strongly encourage you to use the Daring Cooks July '13 Challenge: Yogurt! post at The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler if you plan to make your own yogurt.  Cher has oodles of information, links to other resources and options to choose from!

To see more fun yogurt creations, visit The Daring Kitchen.  I was amazed at the creativity.

Thank you for visiting!
-Renee