The one about writing and kitchen goodness!

Let me begin by saying, "wow."  I had no idea people actually read this.  It is almost strange to hear someone tell you they are going to make this or that, or share their story based on one of mine all the while thinking "when did I tell them that?"  Oh the blog that nobody reads.  I write for me.  I have always loved to write about things I like.  I think written communication is becoming a lost art.  I recently read an email from a teacher, a TEACHER in a professional situation, that lacked capitals, punctuation, and grammar.  I am far from a perfect writer.  I proof read texts but I know I still miss things.  I'm a spelling freak.  I hate misspelling.  I understand typos.  I hate misspelling.  I picked up a local advertising paper type thing a few weeks ago.  Clearly they will "create an ad for you" as the misspellings were rampant throughout the publication.  When reading the editor's commentary I had to put it down, I could not get through another "to" instead of "too" or one more misused apostrophe.  Okay, vent over.  (It may come back in a blog of it's own some day.)
I have a lot of thoughts.  Some I share and many I don't.  I think that since my accident some part of the brain is jumbled and when I think something, as random as it may be, I put it into sentence structure.  Then I want to write it.  Often times I text the thought to someone who may care, sometimes I post it on facebook, sometimes I blog it, many times it just floats around in my head.  Some things I'm great at writing about, but awful at sharing with a person.  I am really bad at chatting on the phone, I get distracted.  I also have a bunch of email drafts on my phone I've never sent to anyone but I needed to process some things in my head so I wrote them.
So if there are days that I am crazily updating my stati (I don't like the word "statuses"...I'll go back to Latin, thank you) please understand that this is only 1/2% of what I could have posted:)  I also don't talk to people in real life other than Wayne most days.  So writing thoughts somewhere is usually the only way they get somewhere.
I haven't blogged in weeks.  I could currently write an incoherent book with all of the sentences floating in my head.  Some with a common theme, many are random.
Seeing as how I do have a house to stay on top of today and that I haven't gotten the mail in days this will be as inclusive and brief as possible...if that is possible.


Yogurt.  Make it.  It's easy.
When I'm not writing or creating sentences between my ears I'm researching something.  I have researched yogurt recipes on top of yogurt recipes.  I think I am on batch six now, tweaked each time of course.

1/2gallon of milk
Heat over low temp to 180 degrees, stirring frequently to prevent scalding.
(As much as I love the idea of raw milk yogurt, it is runnier.  This is because the good enzymes in the raw milk are competing with the yogurt cultures so that they don't have as much room to grow.  Yes you can add pectin and/or milk powder to the raw milk yogurt for increased consistency, but I'm not really a big fan of additives especially when feeding a four month old.)
Remove from heat and cool to 110 degrees.
While this is cooling, put 1/2c of yogurt from the store or a previous batch in each of two quart size mason jars, along with a tablespoon of sugar.
When milk is at 110, pour into mason jars.
Cover these and turn over gently to incorporate yogurt into milk.
Do not shake vigorously as you can kill cultures.
Now, keep at 100-115degrees for 8-10 hours.
How?  Well there are a myriad of ways.  There is the crock pot way which I found inconsistent though some swear by it.  There is also a heating pad method, and even a heating pad and a crockpot method.  Not to be confused with the 100 watt bulb in an empty drawer or the oven light or the styrofoam cooler.  I'm a geek.  I like numbers, consistency, reliability.  I've begun to use my "warming drawer" on our oven.  Who knew it would come in so handy.  While many individual warming drawers have a digital thermostat you can set, mine has three settings: low, medium and high.  Reread "I'm a geek."  Even when chatting with my favorite appliance guru (see Adirondack Appliance for all your appliance needs, real people real service.) and half an hour on google I couln't get the stats on my warming drawer temps.  I start on medium for the pre-heat, then drop to low for the remainder.
As tempted as you will be to play with it immediately, don't.  Put it in the fridge and leave it alone.  If you can stand it, another 8-10 hours is superb.
Then enjoy. Plain (as G does) mix in jam, oreo cookie crumbs, fruit, granola, vanilla are all awesome.  Subject to your palette.


Pizza...I did it, finally, I made pizza that wasn't gross, hard, chewy, or just a hold-over until we got "real pizza" again...this IS real pizza.

So easy my sister, who has mastered rice and....that's about it, can make it.  (mostly:)

12 oz warm water
1 Tablespoon of yeast
2Tablespoons of sugar.
Mix, then leave alonfor 5 minutes.

In large bowl mix 3 1/2c of Unbleached King Arthur Bread Flour and the yeast/water.  By mix I mean take off your rings and mix.  Go dough hook on your dough:) I find a sweeping motion then a fist into the dough incorporates this well.  It will be combined, but not perfectly smooth.
Let sit 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Melt 4Tablespoons of butter in a dish (you should remove the wax paper first....MJ) then add about 2-3tsp of garlic salt.  Paint the pizza screen with the butter.  (go to a restaurant supply store for pizza pans...$3-4 tops.)
Dust your counter with flour and plop the dough on the counter.  Knead for a few minutes until smooth (you'll know when, just keep going...it will turn quickly to pretty and smooth.)
Spread some cornmeal on the counter and roll out your dough.  Don't be gentle, this is no pastry crust, this is  pizza.  Put some umpf behind that rolling pin.  I've also gotten to the point where I will pick it up and put a fist in the middle and let it hang and stretch itself a little.
Spread on the pan.
Trim the edges with a small sharp knife to make round (DO NOT THROW OUT SCRAPS!)
Add sauce to the center and swirl around with the bottom of the ladle.  You do not need a lot, at all.
Add cheese/toppings as you choose.
Paint the edge of the crust with the garlic butter.
Put in the oven on the middle shelf.
I use convection at 500 degrees.  It takes about 8-10 minutes (I think, I just watch it:)
After that goes in, it's time to transform the scraps into garlic knots!
Cut the dough into smallish pieces and roll into ropes about 1/2" thick and 3-4" long.  Dip in the garlic butter than tie in a knot.  Put these on a second tray.  I cook these on the rack above the pizza.
When all is golden, remove from oven.  Cool the pizza about 8 minutes so that your cheese will stay put when cut and of course you won't burn yourself!:)  Serve with some sauce for dipping the knots.

Ketchup.
We're out.  I already spent the grocery money for the month, time to be resourceful.

18oz tomato paste
28oz crushed tomatoes
3/4c vinegar
3/4c sugar
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of Garlic salt
Dash of Onion Powder

Simmer 20-30 mins.

Cool.

Eat.

Yummy!  I made this right before lunch.  I wanted some with our leftover roasted red potatoes, so I put a little in a pyrex and threw it in the freezer to chill.  I really liked it, hope the boys do too!  Made about 36oz.
In the future I would like to substitute molasses for the sugar...we'll see how that goes:)
OK....I really need to fold some clothes and clean the kitchen before this nap is over!