Homemade Lemon and Peach Yogurt

Yesterday Michael came over and we made 6 quarts of plain yogurt. Today he brought his family over to finish the yogurt. We made a lemon curd (Michael's favorite yogurt is lemon) and added it to 3 quarts of yogurt. We also added a packet of plain gelatin. To make it a little bit thicker.

We also made a peach curd using the syrup from the canned peaches. Most of those we made fruit on the bottom yogurt. With 1 quart plus half a pint of mixed peach. Here are the pictures.

lemon curd and peach curd

lemon and peach curd with 6 quarts of homemade yogurt behind it

adding the yogurt to the lemon curd

mixing the yogurt with lemon curd

making fruit on the bottom peach

final result: 4 quarts lemon yogurt. 6 pints peach fruit on the bottom yogurt. 1 quart +1/2 pint peach mixed yogurt.

Recipe for lemon curd:
Easy Lemon Curd

Ingredients

1 cup cold water
4 Tablespoons (¼ cup) cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons butter
3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Directions

Combined cold water with cornstarch. Mix together sugar, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest in heavy bottomed saucepan. Pour in cornstarch mixture.

Bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter.

Chill or cool before using.

We doubled the recipe of lemon curd to add to our three quarts of homemade yogurt.

For the peach yogurt we used a number 10 can of peaches. Using the same recipe as the lemon curd replace the lemon juice and water with the syrup from the peaches. Add only one cup of sugar instead of two. (Double recipe again). Mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Optional food coloring: two drops red, three drops yellow.

Recipe for homemade yogurt is found in a previous post.

Relief Society Lesson -- You Are My Hands

I did a horrible job presenting my lesson today in Relief Society. But nonetheless, here are my notes.

You Are My Hands
Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
April 2010 General Conference

Our Hands Can Embrace

Luke 18:9-14

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellowmen.

Our Hands Can Comfort

It is unworthy of us as Christians to think that those who suffer deserve their suffering.

Our Hands Can Serve

This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves, seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us.

True Love Requires Action

We can speak of love all day long…but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life.

We Can Love As He Does

Jude 1:12

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Without this love for God the Father and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church—without the substance.

As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

Homemade Neufchâtel And Ricotta

This is our first attempt at making a soft cheese. We made Neufchâtel. And out of the left over whey we made ricotta. You may ask, "what is Neufchâtel?" It is basically the same thing as cream cheese except is just made out of whole milk. Cream cheese is made with whole milk and cream. Neufchâtel is the same as soft goat cheese. We used whole cow's milk from the grocery store. I won't take the time to explain how to make it right now.

this is Neufchâtel right out of the cheese cloth.

We sampled it on some crackers and you would never know it wasn't made with cream. It's very creamy and delicious.

Then we attempted to make ricotta cheese from the left over whey. Ricotta means re-cooked or twice cooked. Basically all you do is bring the whey to almost boiling 185°F. (It must be acidic so you can let the whey sit on the counter for a day or Add a little vinegar) Take off heat Strain through cheese cloth for a couple of hours. Don't laugh too hard at our ricotta cheese.

we didn't get much yield. :-(

Homemade Buttermilk and Yogurt

I have been interested in cheesemaking and have done quite a bit of research on it. Most people suggest trying to make yogurt or buttermilk first. So we did just that.

Buttermilk is super easy to make. Because the bacteria in buttermilk are mesophilic there is no heating required. Mesophilic bacteria thrive at room temperature (68°F-72°F). So, to make buttermilk you just pour about three quarters of a cup or 6 ounces of fresh buttermilk from the grocery store or your own homemade buttermilk into a quart jar and fill it up with regular milk (we used whole milk) cover and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours until clabbered (thickened). If it does not clabber in 36 hours then, your culture was dead. You can still use the milk for baking.

I don't have a picture of the buttermilk we made, but it turned out great. If your buttermilk is a little older that you will be using for a culture then add 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup. The longer the buttermilk is in the fridge the more bacteria die off. Because buttermilk is so acidic it will last much longer than regular milk in the fridge.

Use buttermilk in place of milk or water in baking recipes. Especially those that use baking soda. The resulting baked goods will be moister. The baking soda likes the acidity and will help raise the batter/dough more.

My sister-in-law made the most delicious buttermilk waffles using our homemade buttermilk. They were so moist and fluffy. Much better than pancake mix.

Okay now on to the yogurt. The bacteria in yogurt are thermophilic which means they are heat loving. They prefer temperatures closer to body temperature. Which is why yogurt is good for your digestive system.

Making yogurt is slightly more difficult than making buttermilk but still pretty simple.

Here's what you do:

Heat milk (we used 3 quarts) to 185°F or just before boiling. This serves two purposes. First, to kill any unwanted bacteria in the milk/pot. Second, to unravel the protein a little bit which makes the resultant yogurt more creamy. Once again, we used whole milk. But 2%, 1% or skim would also work. The results will not be as creamy as whole milk.

Cool the milk down to approximately 110°F. Do this by setting pan in a sink full of ice water. It will cool down rapidly. Do not inoculate the milk above 125°F. It will kill the bacteria that make the yogurt.

Once the milk has cooled to 110°F add 1/4 cup plain yogurt. Make sure the yogurt contains active live cultures. The fresher the yogurt the better. The more bacteria will still be alive. I've heard Dannon plain yogurt works best. We actually couldn't find that at our grocery store. So we used Dannon plain Greek yogurt. Which worked great. The cultures are the same, which is really all you‘re using the plain yogurt for, to inoculate your milk.

After inoculating milk, stir thoroughly to mix cultures throughout. Pour mixture into sterilized quart jars. Cover with sterilized lids. Place jars of yogurt on heating pad and turn on low. Some suggest medium. I guess it depends on your heating pad. We want to try to keep the yogurt at between 100°F and 120°F for several hours. Anywhere from three hours to about 15 hours. The higher the temperature say 120° the faster the yogurt will be done. But you are more likely to get graininess and whey separation. Using a lower heat around 100° will take much longer but the slower process will result in a creamy texture with less separation. The whey is the watery stuff you see when you open a carton of yogurt.

We left our yogurt on the heating pad for about 15 hours on low. The longer you leave it on the heat the thicker and more tart it will become. When the yogurt is done it will not be as thick as the commercial yogurt you buy at the store. Most commercial yogurt is thickened with gelatin, pectin, cornstarch, and/or other thickeners.

Alternative heating methods include:
Turning your oven to 100°F, if your oven will go that low. Put your yogurt in 100° oven overnight.

Igloo cooler with warm water (not too hot so you don’t kill the bacteria). Place your jars of yogurt in a water filled cooler and close the lid. You’ll periodically want to check the water temperature. If it gets too cool, add more warm water. Remember the water should be between 100°F and 120°F.

When the yogurt is done, place in refrigerator and let cool 3 to 4 hours before eating. It will also thicken a little as it cools.

At this point you can add whatever you like. We made a fruit on the bottom type sauce out of our home canned cherries. The cherries were drained and pitted and chopped. The liquid from the cherries was heated with a little sugar and cornstarch slurry until thickened. The cherries were added back to the sauce. The mixture was placed in the bottom of 16 ounce plastic freezer jam cups and topped with our homemade yogurt. Delicious!

To make Greek yogurt: add cream (about a pint) to ½ gallon milk. And make the same as above. When yogurt is done, instead of placing in refrigerator, place yogurt in a cheesecloth (flour sack towel or handkerchief) to drain the whey. Let drain for several hours or overnight. The results will be a much thicker, cheese like yogurt.

Stay tuned for our attempt at cheese making in the near future.

Calumny May Defame

I thought about blogging about The Book of Mormon Musical several times. I haven’t done it yet for several reasons. But in light of recent events, namely winning nine Tony awards, I have decided to put in my two cents.

I have purposely remained mostly uneducated about The Book of Mormon Musical. But I have read a few news articles and I’ve heard some things about certain members of the Church.

What I do know about The Book of Mormon Musical is that it profanely mocks my religion. That’s not cool. Why is this okay? Don’t we live in a world of political correctness? Would it be okay to mock other groups such as Muslims, homosexuals, blacks, etc.?

There would be uproars, riots, picketing, and worse. No other Broadway musical mocking a religion or any distinct group of people would be tolerated. Let alone win nine Tony awards.

I., for one, am disgusted. But that doesn’t matter because I’m just a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (a Mormon). It’s okay to persecute and mock me and my religion. Isn’t that what they’re telling us? By awarding nine Tony’s to The Book of Mormon Musical? So much for political correctness.

To throw salt into the wound, I read an article that during one of the acceptance speeches at the Tony awards, one of the writers mockingly thanked Joseph Smith.

Alma 5:30-32
30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!
32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

The Lord doesn’t mince words. That’s a pretty blunt warning.

I suppose we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, should be used to mockery and persecution. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why we haven’t made a big fuss over The Book of Mormon Musical. We have been mocked and persecuted since the restoration of The Church. Even in these days of extreme tolerance and political correctness mockery and persecutions still rage. And it will continue. It’s a sign of the times.

Joseph Smith said, “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

What really disturbs me is the members of the Church who actually pay money to support this trash in order to “fit in”. Whatever happened to being in the world but not of the world?

I, for one, would not want to be associated in any way with people who think The Book of Mormon Musical is funny or cool. Why would you want to “fit in” with people who profanely mock your religion, your core beliefs and values?

1 Nephi 8:26-28
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

The Book of Mormon Musical is not just distasteful, it is blasphemous mockery.

Doctrine and Covenants 63:58 For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days.

That’s my two cents.

FHE -- Scriptures/Scripture study

We had our monthly family home evening/family dinner yesterday. I had the opportunity to present the lesson. I chose the subject of Scriptures and scripture study. I explained a little bit about what each of the standard works were and their origin. I gave the kids coloring pages to keep them occupied. I had my musician brother help me teach the songs I learned in seminary to remember the books in the Old Testament and book of Mormon and he also taught them the New Testament song. I made a matching game to match the books in the scripture with the appropriate standard work. I even made open book because I really just wanted people to learn and be familiar with the standard works in the books included in each. Then we had a fun scavenger hunt which I think everybody enjoyed. And I issued a challenge to each family to read the book of Mormon together as a family and gave them a chart to record their progress. And also I issued an individual challenge and give everybody their own chart to mark their progress printed on colored card stock. Here is my lesson plan:

Tammy’s family home evening lesson -- Scriptures -- June 5, 2011

Opening song: The Iron Rod #274
Opening prayer: Dad

Give kids coloring page.

Explain history of and short synopsis of each of the standard works.

Teach song of the books of the Old Testament. Teach song of the books of the Book of Mormon.

Read story about family scripture study.

Give scripture study matching test.

Do scripture scavenger hunt.

Closing song: Book of Mormon Stories
Closing prayer: Mercedes

Notes:

From gospel principles:

President Ezra Taft Benson helped us understand how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. He said:

“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.

“The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. …

“[It] broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. The Book of Mormon … was written for our day. In [it] we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. …

“The Book of Mormon teaches us truth [and] bears testimony of Jesus Christ. … But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life,’ and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. … ‘Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit’ ” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, pp. 4–7; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, pp. 5–7).

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations. In section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord reveals that the book is published to the inhabitants of the earth to prepare them for his coming:

This book contains the revelations regarding the Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored in these last days. Several sections of the book explain the organization of the Church and define the offices of the priesthood and their functions. Other sections, such as sections 76 and 88, contain glorious truths that were lost to the world for hundreds of years. Still others, such as sections 29 and 93, shed light on teachings in the Bible. In addition, some sections, such as section 133, contain prophecies of events to come. God has commanded us to study his revelations in this book: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled” (D&C 1:37).

The Pearl of Great Price contains the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and some inspired writings of Joseph Smith. The Book of Moses contains an account of some of the visions and writings of Moses, revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in June and December 1830. It clarifies doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives added information concerning the creation of the earth.

The Book of Abraham was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith from a papyrus scroll taken from the Egyptian catacombs. This book contains valuable information about the Creation, the gospel, the nature of God, and the priesthood.

The writings of Joseph Smith include part of Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible, selections from his History of the Church, and the Articles of Faith.

From the family home evening resource manual:
If you do not have a regular program for scripture study in your family, use the following personal experience related in the April 1975 general conference by Bishop H. Burke Peterson to help your family begin one:

“May I relate a personal experience from the Peterson family. Several years ago after wrestling with the problem for some time, my wife and I, sensing the urgency of our parental charge, devised a new battle plan. You see, up to that point, Satan had been winning the battle of ‘Should we or should we not read the scriptures together in the Peterson home?’ We had tried off and on for years with no sustained success. Our big problem was that someone or something always interrupted our schedule. With a 17-year spread in our children’s ages, we felt we had a special challenge.

“As we studied and prayed over it, we concluded that the best time for our family of girls to read would be when no one else wanted our time. Since the older girls had to be in seminary by 7:00 a.m., our controllable time had to be early. We decided on 6:15 in the morning. We knew it would be a challenge to get teenage support. The idea was good, but its implementation was most difficult and it still is. Our family is still struggling.

“Our great new plan had its birth one hot August day in Phoenix, Arizona. My wife suggested we give them a whole month to think about it and prepare for it. We went about their mental preparation in a very positive way. The plan was to start the first day of school in early September. To their protests that it was impossible to have their heads all filled with rollers in time, or that it was not likely they would feel happy so early in the morning, or that they might be late to seminary, or not have time to eat breakfast either, we replied very cheerfully that we knew they were clever enough to cope with any minor problems that might arise.

“At its announcement, we also told the girls we had been praying for guidance in this family problem. This made it easier, because they had been schooled in prayer and had been taught not to question its results.

“The historic first morning finally came. My wife and I got up a little early so we would be sure to be wide awake and happy. Our initial approach must meet with success. We entered each bedroom singing and happy at the thought of the prospects before us. Purposely we went to one special bedroom first. Here slept a daughter who would be able to get up early but who couldn’t wake up before noon. We sat her up in bed and then went to the others and started them all into the family room. Some stumbled, some fell, some had to be carried in, some slept through that first morning—and I might say through subsequent mornings too.

“Little by little, we have learned over the years what reading the scriptures 15 minutes each morning can do for our family. You should know that we don’t try to discuss and understand each point we read. We try to pick out only a couple of thoughts each morning to digest. You should also know we still have to struggle with the plan’s performance, even though we now have only two children at our home.

“Can you imagine how a parent would feel to ask a little girl, ‘What did King Benjamin mean when he said, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”?’ (Mosiah 2:17.) And she would respond, ‘I suppose he means that I shouldn’t be selfish and should do little things for my sisters because it makes Heavenly Father happy—and Daddy, I want him to be happy with me, so I’m going to try harder.’ Innumerable are the blessings that will accrue to the family that persists in this noble effort of reading the scriptures together daily.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1975, pp. 79–80; or Ensign, May 1975, p. 54.)

Quotes

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)
“If I were a bishop or stake president today, what would I do? … I would encourage my people to read the scriptures, to read the Book of Mormon, to read the New Testament. I would urge them with all the capacity I have to read quietly and thoughtfully and introspectively.”
“I hope that for you this will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; that, rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God.” February 2009 Ensign, David B. March “Getting the Most Out Of Your Scripture Study”

Cheryl C. Lant-general primary president:
And what of our children? How blessed is the child whose parents base their lives on the teachings in the scriptures! There is absolutely nothing more important we can do for our families than to strengthen them in the scriptures. Parents, call your families together to read the scriptures, and work to make it possible in your busy family schedules. Children, respond quickly and happily when you are called to scripture study.
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave us an invitation, but he also gave us promises if we choose to accept. He promised “an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”
October 2005 general conference, Cheryl C. Lant

Elder Howard W. Hunter :
“Many find that the best time to study is in the morning after a night’s rest has cleared the mind of the many cares that interrupt thought. Others prefer to study in the quiet hours after the work and worries of the day are over and brushed aside, thus ending the day with a peace and tranquillity that comes by communion with the scriptures.
“Perhaps what is more important than the hour of the day is that a regular time be set aside for study. It would be ideal if an hour could be spent each day; but if that much cannot be had, a half hour on a regular basis would result in substantial accomplishment. A quarter of an hour is little time, but it is surprising how much enlightenment and knowledge can be acquired in a subject so meaningful” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 91–92; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 64).

Scriptures Matching Game
Name:_____________________

Scriptures Matching Game

Match the following books of Scripture with the following:

A. Old Testament
B. New Testament
C. The Book of Mormon
D. The Doctrine and Covenants
E. The Pearl of Great Price

1 Leviticus
2. Helaman
3. Matthew
4. Abraham
5. Haggai
6. 1 Corinthians
7. Ether
8. Job
9. Omni
10. Deuteronomy
11. Revelation
12. Malachi
13. Section 76
14. Moses
15. Joshua
16. Luke
17. 2 Thessalonians
18. Jarom
19. The Articles of Faith
20. 3 Nephi
21. Ezekiel
22. Official Declaration -- 2
23. John
24.Joseph Smith History
25. Mosiah
27. Esther
28. Official Declaration -- 1
29. Zechariah
30. Hosea
31. Jacob
32. Genesis
33. Ruth
34. Words of Mormon
35. Hebrews
36. Enos
37. Moroni
38. Jonah
39. Nehemiah
40. Proverbs
41. Mormon
42. Section 137
43. Joseph Smith -- Matthew
44. Philemon
45. Judges
46. 2 Nephi
47. Titus
48. Exodus
49. Acts
50. Isaiah
51. Alma
52. Colossians
53. Ecclesiastes
54. Ezra
55. Section 43
56. James
57. 4 Nephi
58. Galatians
59. 2 Samuel
60. Romans


Scripture Scavenger Hunt
by Kimberly Hicken

Here is a game that you can play during family home evening, scouts or youth. Divide into two teams. [We had four teams] Give each team a copy of the scriptures listed, a copy of the standard works of the Church, and a bag to put their "treasures" in. Each team looks up the first scripture and reads it carefully to discover what they need to find that will fit into their sack. After they find the first object, they read the second scripture and find that object, and so on. Each scripture will tell them what they need to find, except number ten, which has special instructions. The first team to collect all nine items and complete clue number ten wins.

1. Matthew 7:25
2. Psalm 102:11
3. Jeremiah 8:8
4. Doctrine & Covenants 45:37
5. Mark 10:38
6. Ezekiel 37:16-17
7. Matthew 10:30
8. Exodus 3:5
9. Moses 1:41
10. Mosiah 2:17-18 To finish the game, do something this scripture is talking about.

After both teams have finished, share what you did for number ten with the other team.
Book of Mormon reading chart

I can't get the other chart to load onto my blog so here is a link where you can download it.Cartoon Book of Mormon Reading Chart



Key to scripture matching game

Name:_____________________

Scriptures Matching Game

Match the following books of Scripture with the following:

A. Old Testament
B. New Testament
C. The Book of Mormon
D. The Doctrine and Covenants
E. The Pearl of Great Price

1 Leviticus A.
2. Helaman C.
3. Matthew B.
4. Abraham E.
5. Haggai A.
6. 1 Corinthians B.
7. Ether C.
8. Job A.
9. Omni C.
10. Deuteronomy A.
11. Revelation B.
12. Malachi A.
13. Section 76 D.
14. Moses E.
15. Joshua A.
16. Luke B.
17. 2 Thessalonians B.
18. Jarom C.
19. The Articles of Faith E.
20. 3 Nephi C.
21. Ezekiel A.
22. Official Declaration -- 2 D.
23. John B.
24.Joseph Smith -- History E.
25. Mosiah C.
27. Esther A.
28. Official Declaration -- 1 D.
29. Zechariah A.
30. Hosea A.
31. Jacob C.
32. Genesis A.
33. Ruth A.
34. Words of Mormon C.
35. Hebrews B.
36. Enos C.
37. Moroni C.
38. Jonah A.
39. Nehemiah A.
40. Proverbs A.
41. Mormon C.
42. Section 137 D.
43. Joseph Smith -- Matthew E.
44. Philemon B.
45. Judges A.
46. 2 Nephi C.
47. Titus B.
48. Exodus A.
49. Acts B.
50. Isaiah A.
51. Alma C.
52. Colossians B.
53. Ecclesiastes A.
54. Ezra A.
55. Section 43 D.
56. James B.
57. 4 Nephi C.
58. Galatians B.
59. 2 Samuel A.
60. Romans B.