. . . homemade yogurt & cranberry almond flax olive oil granola

For a while now, I've been wanting to make my own yogurt and granola. Part of a long (and slow moving) plan to fill my fridge and cabinets with only simple real foods.  Even though I knew both were simple recipes, I could never quite get it together enough to make it happen until. . .

. . . now. And my oh my. . .

. . . am I glad I did. Creamy homemade yogurt and. . .

. . . toasty maple sweetened granola. . .

. . . are now a weekly must.  And with recipes this easy, it's a snap!

 

Yogurt:

Yogurt recipe adapted from here. Makes about a quart of plain yogurt.

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup plain commercially produced yogurt

Cranberry Almond Flax Olive Oil Granola:

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups sliced raw almonds
• 1/4 cup mostly ground flax
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup maple syrup

 

Granola Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 300

In a large mixing bowl combine oats, flax, almonds, salt, olive oil and maple syrup.  Mix until everything is well incorporated.  Pour out mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring the granola every 10 minutes to insure even toasting.

Allow the granola to cool and then mix in the cranberries.  Store in an airtight contain once completely cool and enjoy with milk, on yogurt, or as a snack!  This recipe is also great with pecans and cherries or cherries and almonds.  Just make sure to chop the dried cherries up into smaller pieces before you add them to the granola.  If you prefer a slightly less nutty flavor you can also skip the flax, but then you'd miss out on all those lovely omega 3s.

Yogurt Instructions:

In a heavy saucepan or dutch oven heat milk until it reaches 200 degrees (just before a real boil).  Allow milk to cool to 112-115 degrees (check temperature with a thermometer).

Take 1/2 cup of warm milk out of the pot and whisk it together with the plain yogurt. Then, slowly whisk this mixture back into the rest of the warm milk.  Place the lid back on the pot and place in an oven that is turned off but has the light on. If you don't have a light, wrap the pot in towels to keep the mixture around 110 degrees while it sets.  Allow to sit for at least 4 hours and then check for consistency and flavor. The longer the yogurt sits after 4 hours the thicker and more sour it will become.

When the yogurt is the right flavor and consistency for you, whisk it thoroughly to create smooth texture and place in jars. Will keep around 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Keep 1/4 cup for your next batch**

**As long as your yogurt continues to thicken and has no off tastes, you can continue to make yogurt from the last batch of homemade.  If it is runny or tastes funny in any way, discard the batch and start a fresh batch with a store bought plain yogurt.

 

With the Kids: Invite the kids to mix up the granola with their hands and really get in there. Talk about and identify each ingredient and chat about how simple real foods provide great fuel for big adventures like hikes and bike rides. Spread the granola out together on a parchment lined sheet. When the granola is cool ask the kids to mix in the dried fruit and label the jar with a tag that includes their name and the date (and any drawings they might want to add). While making the yogurt, take a moment to learn more about the cultures and bacteria that make yogurt and how living cultures are an important part of how we digest our food and how our we strengthen our immune system. Have the kids come up with alternate flavors to try the next time you make granola and come up with fun names for them. Try making different flavors of yogurt by mixing the plain yogurt with strawberry jam, maple syrup, or honey in small sample bowls.  Which is their favorite? Start a handmade cookbook with all of the recipes for yogurt and granola they dreamed up!

 ~ Sarah