how to make delicious, creamy yogurt.

Yogurt, or "Dahee" as the Hindus around here call it, is a great food. Nutritious, yummy, everyone likes it. It makes a convenient breakfast, snack or dessert. You can eat it, drink it, or smear it on your face if you like.

But yogurt is not cheap, at least not around here! And many brands have so many ingredients that you wonder just how much of the stuff is actually yogurt.

I have been making yogurt for ever, inexpensively, and now, I will pass on my wisdom to you, because I am so nice like that! It helps to make a few batches, as experience is the best teacher here. Many thanks to my Mama, the original yogurt maker, who has taught me all of the important things I ever needed to know to get by in life.

First, milk your cow. Reduce milk over low flame...

Haha! Kidding. First, heat some water. About a pint or two is fine. Use non-instant (regular) powdered milk, and mix it according to the package directions but then add a tablespoon or two of milk powder for extra thick and creamy yogurt. You may use skimmed milk but full cream makes creamier yogurt!

Your milk should now be slightly thicker than normal milk, and it should be just over body temperature so that it feels pleasantly warm. If it is too warm, your yogies will DIE. If it is too cool, it will take a longer time to yogue. The quicker the process, the milder-tasting the yogurt, so you want the milk to be as warm as possible without being too hot.

Thank you, making things sound straightforward and clear is my special talent!

So you have warm, slightly thickened milk. Add a tablespoon of yogurt from a previous batch or some you have bought. Mix well.

Don't use Yoplait or any of those fancy brands, unless there is no other choice. The yogurt you get will be kinda runny, or even slimy, and will take a long time to set, so it will taste a bit sour. This runny, sour yogurt works fine as a starter, and the longer you make yogurt from previous batches the better, but if you can BEGIN with a good quality yogurt then it's so much tastier. Trinis, use "Yumma" or "Mount St. Benedict", they are fine. Make sure your starter says "live active cultures" on it somewhere. Some stuff sold as yogurt really isn't.

Look at the list of ingredients when buying your starter. If the list says "milk, yogurt culture" then that is great. Sugar is fine too, and even pineapple doesn't seem to affect the end result. If your list of ingredients says "gelatin, salt, starch, etc, etc, etc" be prepared to make several batches before you get a really tasty result. Sour yogurt is still perfectly edible, so you can blend it into a drink and use it anyway.

Now! You will need a warm, peaceful spot for your yogurt to "yogue". Inside of the oven with the light and pilot light on, or over a heater, or beside a crockpot that's in use, on a sunny windowsill, in an airing cupboard... I have a heating mat that is specifically for yogurt, and it works great, but I have also made yogurt elsewhere. Cover your mixture with a cloth to keep the warmth in and the ants out. Do not cover with a tight-fitting lid, because moisture needs to evaporate out.

If the mixture is "jiggled" while it is setting, it will not be happy. I don't know why this is, but just be sure that no-one "checks" it too soon or too often. Jiggling tends to make it separate, so don't place it next to the running bread machine or on top of a moving vehicle.

Sing it a nice song: "hello, my yogies, you little cuties" or something. Be polite. Yogurt is best when it has not been stressed out. Breathe!

Flick the cat with a dishtowel and chase her away. If she is the type of cat to knock the whole operation over the moment you aren't looking, tie her legs together, put a sock over her head, and lock her in a drawer. Or keep a close eye on her. If, despite all your caution, she manages to knock the milk down, and it flows down a crack into your kitchen cupboard where it sets into perfect yogurt in all of the nooks and crannies of your cupboard, I just don't know what to tell you to do. I am still thinking. I will let you know.

The time yogurt takes to set varies depending on several factors. Generally, the warmer your mixture is to start with, and the warmer the place you set it, the quicker and milder it sets. Sometimes it sets in as little as four hours, but as long as ten hours is fine too.

Once it has set, place it in the fridge to cool. My kids will eat it warm and unsweetened, but they are weird. I bought small containers which I use for making yogurt in, and they are excellent for packing in lunchboxes. You can add brown sugar, crushed pineapple, jam, or honey.

Also excellent in blended drinks! Add frozed strawberries, banana, etc, and some ice cubes, and blend up till smooth. I love this.

So there you have it! Yogurt at a few cents a serving. After you have made a few batches from your previous attempts, you will start to get a yogurt that is thicker, creamier and milder-tasting than anything you can buy. it is well worth it, particularly if your kids like yogurt or are mildly sensitive to milk products. Many people who can't drink milk can eat yogurt just fine, especially the homemade variety. It's an excellent lunchbox snack, Max's favorite!