yogurt

OK, so I have been asked for a recipe for my yogurt. Quickly, here is how I go about it.

First, there needs to be a way to keep a constant temperature of 95 to 110 degrees. This can be a yogurt maker, a dehydrator (the fancy expensive ones with the temperature controls), a cooler, or a window sill during the summer. I have a yogurt maker. All this does is keep the temperature at 95 degrees. I really like what I have, its simple and my mother found it at the thrift store for four dollars. CJ's feet uses her dehydrator. What ever. I think that is the toughest part.

Next I heat 4 cups of milk to 170 degrees. Its the point right before it boils. After this, let the milk cool to 110 degrees, which is about the temperature to give a baby a bath, and stir in two tablespoons of plain store bought yogurt. I used trader Joe's cream top the first time. Dannon, Mountain High, whatever. Just plain flavor free.

OK, so pour that into a jar or yogurt maker cups and let it culture, say ten hours.

If you have raw milk (ah-hem, I don't, bummer!) there is a raw recipe in the NT book that CJ's feet likes to use. This does not heat up the milk as hot initially, but sort of keeps all that good bacteria in tact. Yum!

After the ten hours or so, stir it up and transfer it to the fridge. Lick that spoon and get a small taste of whats to come! Cooling it will help reduce the bitterness and help it to not be so runny.

You can use any milk, even powdered. So basic, so yummy!

Simple Living?

For some time now I have entertained the idea of simple living. I have come across some literature that has helped me to open my eyes to maybe help me define exactly what or how simple I want to live.
I have borrowed the entire season of Frontier House, which is six hours in its entirety, and soaked up all I could. Minus the drama. I have also read a few magazines called backwoods living, which is all about you guessed it, living in the back woods. These mediums both have quite a few ideas and helps for someone to drop off the grid. I mean off. the. grid.

Now neither of these have anything to do with the Desert. I use capital "D" because it deserves some serious respect. The temperates, the dryness, the pets, (haha) The ever present lack of water. No one has written many of articles about it.
Can it be done? Sure.

Brings me back around to how simple do I wanna get?

Lets make a list;
Electricity? Check.
Water? Sure, dig a well.
Sewer? Should dig at the same time as the well.
Whats left?
Shelter?
Land to do this on?
For some reason it doesn't seem so simple any longer. Add some ornery chickens, a couple milk goats and for good measure why not a huge garden?

Ah, enough day dreaming. I just need to go fold my laundry!

Olivia loves chicken!

Ike boy was not impressed!

By the way, that was water on her shirt from giving the chicks water. She was a great helper. It was really cool to see her holding them. She couldn't stay away.