Most of you know that my parents (aka the Gimps) will be moving in with us soon. The addition to the house that was supposed to take place this summer, will actually be taking place early next spring. I keep threatening them that when they move in with us, there will be weekly fridge checks. The two of them see nothing wrong with keeping food that is about four months expired. We're talking green cheese, sour cream, etc. :shudders:
But, one of my plans is also to wean them off of the disgusting store-bought fruit on the bottom yogurt that they insist on buying. The "fruit" at the bottom doesn't even resemble fruit, and it's rocking a delicious dose of HFCS as one of the top ingredients, not to mention thickeners, and other creepy things.
The first time I tried Greek yogurt, I thought it was pretty gross. It was super tart, and the texture was a big funky. After trying a few brands, with a few flavorings, I grew to really like it. One of the best things about Greek yogurt was that unlike other yogurts, I felt full. Those other little containers of yogurt? I was hungry before even finishing them.
But, buying the organic Greek yogurt is crazy expensive. Not to mention the environmental cost of a bunch of plastic containers. So what is a girl to do? Make her own of course.
Let me apologize in advance for the photos. It's dark when I leave the house, and when I get home now, and well, it makes picture taking a wee bit challenging.
DIY Fruit On the Bottom Greek Yogurt Parfaits
-1 batch of Homemade Yogurt
-a fine mesh strainer
-1 paper towel, tea towel, or coffee filter
-Handful of frozen or fresh fruit
-Homemade granola bars
1) Place your mesh strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer with the towel or coffee filter. Spoon two containers (About 10 oz) of homemade yogurt over the towel. Place in the fridge and let it sit for 1-3 hours. I'll sometimes even do this in the fridge overnight.
The whey that has strained off from the yogurt. You can use it in baking, lacto-fermenting, or just toss it.
2) Put your fresh or frozen fruit in a pint canning jar. If it is froze, let it sit out for an hour or so, overnight in the fridge, or nuke it for 30 seconds.
3) Spoon the strained yogurt in over the fruit, and top with a crumbled granola bar.
I put a lid on the jar, and pack it in my lunch. By the time I get to work, the berries have gotten juicier. It is the perfect, non-messy breakfast to eat at my desk. By eating it at my desk, I've been able to get more stuff done in the morning, which makes me crazy happy. I can also make 16 containers (so 8 days of Greek yogurt) for $3.50 worth of raw milk. That also makes me crazy happy.
And I've been using raspberries from our raspberry patch, and blackberries that I gleaned from the neighborhood and froze. Using free organic berries for breakfast? Another item in the crazy happy category.
