The Smoothie Mystery

My New Year's Resolution is making slow progress. Evidently I need to take this new technology very gradually. I'll try one post a month and then move up from there. The trick is so remember the name of my own blog and what my password is. Also, I would be interested to know why I can not write in my blog when I am using Juno but I can write when I am using Firefox. Strange!

I've been having a few glitches in my breakfast routine. Breakfast at our house is "every man for himself". My faithful standby is a smoothie made with unsweetened homemade yogurt, frozen bananas and a few frozen strawberries (because pink is nice first thing in the morning). Toast and PB round out the menu and I figure that whatever else I eat for the day, I have had at least one healthy meal.

On Tuesday I noticed that the blender was making more noise than usual. I figured that a lump of ice must have been mixed in with my strawberries. It took about two sips for me to figure out that it was not ice crystals in my smoothie...it was plastic. Hard plastic, not plastic bag plastic. So how did that get in my drink and what was it? I poured it all down the drain and started all over again. This was a mistake, as my dear husband later had to do some adjustment to the garbage disposal. It turns out that my blender is more mighty than the disposal. (I love my Bosch.)

The mystery ingredient in my first smoothie was revealed when I went to make my second smoothie. The plastic center to my blender lid was missing. Evidently I assembled it upside down. (If anyone reading this is parting out their old Bosch, please contact me.)

This morning the mystery began when we could not find the yogurt. I was sure we had a good supply because my internal inventory system had not notified me that there was an impending shortage. We looked everywhere, twice. Then the light dawned...ah yes, I did make a new batch of yogurt but it was still "culturing" in the lunch cooler. I can not remember what day I put it in there! This leads me to my "something new" for the day. Yogurt is very resistant to time lapses, stronger, but still edible. Do you suppose all the good bacteria doubled?

Recipe for one gallon of Yogurt:

One gallon of milk.
Half cup of live yogurt.
I buy a carton of Dannon yogurt and freeze in in half cup portions. You can use your own home made yogurt to start the next batch but if you are a slow learner you will appreciate having the extra in the freezer. If your yogurt does not thicken, you probably goofed on the temperatures. Just heat it back to 115 and add fresh starter.

Set the milk out on the counter during breakfast, move it to your pan and start heat very low. Move the heat up higher but never above the 5.5 mark on your stove dial. You don't need to stir it but do set the buzzer so that you will remember to come back and check it. (Do not attempt to read email or start your laundry without first setting the buzzer.) The milk is done when it reaches 180 degrees or when it starts to bubble. It is definitely done when it gets to the foaming all over the stove stage.

Pour the milk into two half gallon cracker jars (from Walmart). This is the most difficult part of the process. (It is helpful to shut all your cabinet drawers before you pour, or if they need cleaning you can leave them open to catch what you spill.) While you are doing this, your half cup of live yogurt is reaching room temperature. Cool your milk to 115 degrees. Dip out some of the cooled milk and mix it with the yogurt. Do not add more yogurt, a half cup is the right amount, no more, no less. Stir in the yogurt mixture, put on the lids and place jars in a small lunch cooler. Pour in warm water to cover the sides of the jars. The warm water is the right temperature if you can hold your finger in it for a count of twenty. (I use hot tap water but add some boiling water to get it up to the right temp). Now, go away, but don't forget it and don't leave it where little boys can investigate. Five or six hours is a good length of time but if you want to do a Science experiment leave it for a lot longer.

I will also add a free tip: scorched milk turns into scorched, non-edible yogurt.