Homemade Yogurt

I'm making yogurt again this morning.  I've been making my own off and on for the last couple of months and it is so easy....I don't know why you wouldn't make your own.  You can control what is in it rather than eat  something that you wouldn't ordinairly put in your body!  A lot of purchased yogurts have extra ingredients that I just don't want to eat, so....

You will need a 2 quart saucepan, 2 quart jars and some way to keep your yogurt warm for about 4 - 6 hours and 2 tbsp. of live culture yogurt...check on the container....it will say live culture yogure..  After you make your own, you'll not have to purchase it again....you'll have your own live culture.

Warm 2 quarts of milk (I use 2%) to 180 degrees.

Then set if off the burner and allow to cool to 115 degrees.     At this point, stir in 2 tbsp. of  live culture yogurt.  Maintain your yogurt now at 110 degrees for the next 4 - 6 hours. 


This can be done several ways: in your oven, on the very lowest setting, in a bath of warm water (to help the heat from varying too much)-and some people report being able to achieve 110°F with just the warm bath and the oven light on-or in a very well-insulated cooler.

Another method I tried this time was to use my slow cooker.  I put the jars in, added warm water to about half way up on the jars, and chose the “Keep Warm” setting.  After I had stirred in the starter yogurt, I poured the mixture in to two quart jars.  I monitored the temp for the next 4 hours and would sometimes have to turn the cooker off so as not to get too hot.

Pour hot water (115°F) into a cooler, put your jars of almost-yogurt in there, and shut the lid, checking every now and then that the internal temperature is still 110°F or so, and replace the warm water as necessary. No matter which method you choose, take care to keep the temperature as close to 110°F as possible.

Your yogurt is done when it's firmed up (though it'll come together a bit more as it cools). Once done, refrigerate your new yogurt and enjoy, ad nauseum. Stir in granola or oats and allow to sit a spell.   Add fresh fruit just before you eat it or, for maximum freshness, and rejoice that you'll never have to buy yogurt at the store again.

Coffee Give away!

You need to go visit dtr-in-love's blog at http://www.mrs-adventure.com/2011/05/me-coffee-love-giveaway-awesome.html

She's giving away some fabulous fair trade coffee...good for you, good for them.....good  for the world!

This has been a terrible week for bad weather.  We have seen so much destruction in such a short amount of

time.  Your whole world can be blown away in seconds!  With all of these tornados happening, please take

the time to think about where you would find shelter if the need arose!  When the tornado siren is going off is

not the time to be deciding where to take shelter, you should evaluate your dwelling when you have time to

rationally think about where the safest area of your dwelling or work place would be. 

Ozark 80 Acre Farm for sale

As I was looking through old posts, I found this one.  It definitely needs to be brought up to date as THE FARM FINALLY SOLD!!

This farm took 5 years to sell, but we and the real estate company finally did it!!

So, if you are trying to sell a piece of property don't be disheartened...it can happen!


Update!!   The farm is still for sale.....but the price has been lowered to $110,000.00!!




In the previous post, I told you I would be giving you more information about  being able to acquire

your own little piece of heaven here in the Ozarks.  Now don't think that this is the retirement farm

that we're talking about selling, because that farm is definitly not for sale!  This is the 80 acres that we

bought before we found THE FARM!

 We had begun the search for THE FARM and ran across this 80 acres.  It had everything that we

wanted.  It had a nice mixture of grass and woods, 2 ponds, fenced and several beautiful views.  There

are deer signs and is peaceful and quiet.  And there are some beautiful views!

The only thing it was missing is a close access to the lake.  We love to fish, so off we went in search

of a farm closer to the lake.  We found it....it's the one where we spend all of our spare time working! 

So now, we really need to sell this other farm.  It really needs someone to take care of it and appreciate

it!  There is lots of good grass on it and is currently leased to the neighbors so they can graze it.  The

taxes are low....$23.  That's right, you read it right.....$23....you can't get much better than that!!

All this can be yours for the low price of $120,000! 

Contact me if you'd be interested :))

New Tires

Yesterday, I got to go to town.  The ton truck needed 2 new tires.  It's a great truck that we found back

at the first of the year.  We had been looking for a flat bed truck with a dump bed on it for the farm. 

We knew we would need to be hauling gravel and other things for the farm, so we began the hunt. 

Hubby searched high and low, far and near and we finally found this in Springfield.

It is just what we were looking for!  We knew we didn't want a

new truck....they only get scratched and dinged!   So we found this used one :)

When you purchase from this business, they go through the

vehicle and fix what needs fixing and then give it all a new coat of paint!  

  So we found this used one :)  They only problem

was that

a couple of the rear tires were slick and one had developed a flat....so off to town and $300 dollars

later we have a new pair!

So far it's been useful.  As we construct the water lines for the cattle waterers, we had to purchase 10'

long pipes which we hauled with the truck.  Then when we purchased the waterers themselves, wwe

hauled them also with the truck.  It's been great!  Another great feature of this truck is that both of the

side panels drop down for easy access to what ever you're hauling!  A girl's gotta love it!

As we put this farm together and purchase the needed equipment, we're always trying to be as

economical as possible.  We still don't have a house yet and still will need to build that, so all money

that we can save in other places will be used for that!  And we can't get started soon enough!  One

thing that could get that process started sooner though is for us to sell another piece of property.  It is

an 80 acre piece of property that we bought before we found this farm.  It is a beautiful piece with a

beautiful view.  On the next post, I'll give you the information.  It may be just the place you're looking

for!  You too could have your own little piece of the beautiful, peaceful Ozarks!!

Rain....rain.....rain......

We are up to our eyes in water....not literally of course.  But, it seems as if it has been raining every day!  In the last 24 hours, at our house, I've measured 2.25 inches.  But for the area a little south of here, on the weather map today, it was reporting 6 ".  I'd like to send a little of this down to Texas which is burning up and on fire!  Our lake (Bull Shoals) is so full, they are talking about opening the gates again. 

It happened in '08

And the sound was deafening....it roared!  It was pretty awesome to witness such power!

And it's cool too....much cooler than what is normal for this time of year, so the garden is waining.  Just two days ago I planted squash and cucumbers.....now I'm wondering if they'll get the warmth they need to sprout!  The potatoes are sticking their little heads through the soil...hopefully they'll not rot!

I should have planted the cool weather things sooner, but school kept getting in the way...all those projects!  But the lettuce and radishes have sprouted and the sugar peas are about 6" tall now.  The tomato plants that were friended to me will have to wait to go in the ground.  The weather man is predicting upper 30's tonight and I don't want them chilled. 
Where's the sunshine and warm weather?  Come on....I'm ready!

We've done it again!

Well....it happened again.   We just can't help ourselves.  This time though, it's a little boy and his name is Tug.

We were headed home from the farm and a lady who was riding the ferry with us told the husband that she had some blue heeler pups to give away.  When we adopted Petie, we were looking for a heeler pup, but the one promised to us never materialized.  So when this opportunity presented itself.....what else could we do?  Besides, we felt that we were rescuing this little guy.  When he was brought to us, he was with two of his remaining brothers.  Each of the dogs was absolutly covered in ticks.  They had so many ticks between their little toes that they were all splayed out.  They were all in their ears and under their arms.  We probably spent 2 hours picking off about 300 ticks.....it was AWFUL! 

We decided on the name of Tug, since his possibility of adoption came about on the ferry which is

powered by a .....tug! 

He went to the vet today.....got his first puppy shots, worming and weighed in at a healthy 10 lbs.

So now, has anybody got any good tips on training a heeler? 

Spring has sprung!

It's spring in the Ozarks and it is beautiful!

We have waited through the cold and gray and the anticipation for warm and green and lots of other colors. 

As I drive around, all of the beautiful trees are bursting with colors such as white pinks and mauve!  And if you can find a redbud next to a cedar...oh my what a sight!

 The dogwoods have opened their blossoms over night and what a sight they are.  So the absolute best is if you can find a cedar a redbud and a dogwood all together....it just don't get no better than that!

While I was out walking this morning, I was still looking for the elusive morel mushroom.  I have a special spot that I check each spring, but nothing yet.  I'm wondering if anyone else has found any yet?

Go out and take a walk and see what beauty you can find!