Milk + Culture + Heat = YOGURT!!!

So here's my latest kitchen experiment. Yogurt. 

Or Yoghurt. Or even Yoghourt. 

Do you think the latter is the UK/Canadian spelling?

I've found a book on how to make dairy products yourself and I am fascinated! 

Ideally, I'd love to have a cow I fed and milked myself...

But alas the days of Annabelle the Cow have not yet arrived.

For those of you who don't know, she's the cow I'm going to get when I retire :)

Yogurt is quite simple albeit the struggle to keep the temperature consistently at 110 degrees F... 

As I don't have an incubator just for that purpose.

I heated the milk, mixed in the real yogurt starter and waited 9 hours...

I am quite surprised with the successful results. I've actually accomplished what I set out to do. 

There were shouts of joy when I opened the first jar the following day :)

There are some considerations however for further experimentation: 

possibly incubating for longer, like say 12 hours

and using the light in my oven to keep consistent heat

and setting the jars on the rack, rather than the shelf in my oven.

Also the yogurt seems to solidify more after a few days in the fridge.

I will be trying this again, and I'd definitely like to try this with goat's milk as well.

Cultured Buttermilk, Sourcream and Ricotta next!

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On other topics:

...Such as knitting... 

As I have finally stopped procrastinating and completed this baby gift

I've got something to show:

I am now wondering about a bonnet...

Maybe the Modern Baby Bonnet found here, or the Baby Pilot Style Hat found here.

While looking around for bonnets I liked I must say I do fancy the February Baby Bonnet (same gull pattern as the February Baby Sweater which is an awesome pattern btw) 

but it's just not matching enough for me in this case.

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I think we've now had the final cross country ski for the year.

We had a nice trip on Saturday and the weather was even cooperating!

   

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 Sourdough... I'm building a starter... It's totally weird but totally cool - 

More on that subject soon!

Any suggestions on the bonnet greatly appreciated :)

Consensus Go-To Chocolate Cupcakes

Since there are always more birthdays, there will always be more cake! 

In this case more cupcakes, and funnily enough, despite my love of chocolate, I wasn't quite sure which chocolate cupcakes to make when I had the flavour requested.

We (Jordan and Eric my taste-testers extraordinaire, and I) 

have however, now, come to a consensus. These are the go-to chocolate cupcakes.

Why?

The cake is moist and decadent, while the frosting is light and airy.

The base is directly from Brown Eyed Baker and 

the frosting is below with recommendations for success at higher altitudes and in dryer climates

 like my kitchen in Calgary, or anywhere really. 

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On a few other notes...

Home Sweet Home

While making the Dad&Mom sign for my parents I made a wee sign for my apartment, too.

I walked out of customs the other night coming home from work, 

and I not only had a ride waiting for me but a man with a bouquet, too!

I was feeling very lucky already but when I opened my door my door was opened for me 

to get into the truck there was a new brush with a bow! 

The new one is on the left, and is identical to the very first brush I ever had, 

given to me by Susan my daycare teacher, once hairdresser who hoped I'd grow up to have long hair, for my 3rd or 4th birthday, and the well loved one, somewhat dogeared, 

which had replaced the original almost 8 years ago for Christmas from my mama, on the right.

You see I had a nearly traumatic event last week involving arriving at the hotel on the first night of a five day pairing without a brush. I'm not really into doing my hair in any complex manner each morning but I am in the habit of controlling my mane... Luckily an understanding flight attendant lent me her brush the following morning and then by the helpfulness and kindness of the ground staff and my crew I searched the plane we were on the day before once it arrived and I managed to find my beloved brush. We even had an on time departure!

Yes, I am happily the luckiest girl ever!!!

Proponent of Love

Today is my parent's 31st Wedding Anniversary.

Happy Happy Anniversary to Them! 

I'm not joining them today however I made them a little sign for the door and took their picture a few weeks ago in celebration while visiting them. 

Maybe this is why I am such an advocate of love myself... 

And why through all the romantically lean times I never gave up hope. 

They are pretty darn cute, those sweet parents of mine!

 An aside on the topic of relationships, I heard a funny little way of remembering your spouse, 

(partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or whatever you want to call the important other person in your life) 

is actually with whom you've found happiness. 

It's called the 80-20 rule and works like this:

Your 'other half' provides you with 80% of what you need, want and desire. 

(Yes 80% only, because people are not perfect.) 

A person who gets 80% may find in someone else the missing 20%. 

If that individual takes this 20%, they get 100%. 

As we all know that's not going to last forever, nor is it going to exist for long at all. 

Then that same person will be left with only 20%. 

Sounds like a bad deal. That's because it is. 

In all fairness, this hardly applies until you've really found someone good for yourself...

(Sigh, I am so lucky!)

However, if you only get 50% from the person who's meant to be giving 80%, the above 

may sound enticing when you do the math as you come out with what you had going in... 

...just different... plus maybe some diseases... yikes! 

I know people aren't always fans of making executive decisions or being lonely, 

but it's probably worth it to go from 0% to 80%, all at once!

And remember to be 80% yourself ;)

Perhaps then you, too, can have such an anniversary yourself! 

Chin Chin!

Bagette Success!

There has been a lot of bread experimenting in my kitchen since the beginning of January.

It's time consuming and I've gone through a heck of a lot of flour in the process.

I decided it would be wise to experiment in smaller batches, 

so that's why I've been stuck on baguettes.

And finally I've had a small but very happy moment of Eureka!

It's called the preferment.

I noticed "make the most of your straight doughs" and read on...

(Bread Making, by Lauren Chattman, from Rose Levy Beranbaum)

The suggestion was to use this method with a favourite recipe in order to see the difference.

Either make the mixture below and let it sit in a warm spot on the counter for an hour 

or leave in the fridge between 5-24 hours before adding the remaining ingredients. 

The rise was also much more successful (actually I was quite surprised with this achievement!!!) 

and the flavour took on something slightly more complicated... Yum.

The rising times are also shorter using this preferment method.

Mix 2.5 x flour, half the yeast and all of the water.