The Yogurt Maker Arrived . . .

My yogurt maker arrived in the mail last week. After inspecting it, I realized that it is a quite unnecessary appliance. All it does is keep the glass jars of yogurt warm for 8 hours. I could easily put the glass jars in the oven or just leave them on the counter on a warm day for that matter. Still, I'm glad I purchased it. Because, knowing myself as well as I do, I know that not having one would be the means for on-going procrastination until I found the right jars, figured out the process, etc., etc., etc. This way, I had no excuses and a nifty little instruction book, so I made my first batch of yogurt on Saturday.

My first reaction to a taste of homemade plain yogurt was "Blech!" My second reaction, after adding a squirt of honey was, "So, this is why the yogurt in the stores has so much sugar."

But, after some experimentation, I feel optimistic that this will prove to be a valuable investment for healthy eating in the long run. I added half a jar to Photoguy's protein smoothie. Delish. Another half a jar to my morning oatmeal. Not bad. I even added a few teaspoons to my hot cocoa (FYI: now making it with real cocoa) and it was surprisingly alright. I think with some creative experimentation homemade yogurt can stay.