Yogurt - In the Slow Cooker?

Homemade yogurt - in a slow cooker?  REALLY??  No way!

I started to wonder if this could actually be done - so I set out to test it! I started with good old Pinterest and found some recipes that I liked from "Money Saving Mom" (which I followed more closely for timing) and "One Good Thing by Jillee". I sort of mashed them together for a test run, and I think I like the results!

I've done a quick taste test - I think it's a keeper! I have to play with mixing it more as it is not as smooth as I would like - but it set up nice and is definitely yogurt! 

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon milk (8 cups) - whole milk will make your yogurt thicker

1/2 cup plain, unflavored yogurt (this is your starter)

1.5 cups dry powdered milk (again, to bump up your protein and make your yogurt thicker)

Pour your milk and powdered milk into your slow cooker (stir until it is all dissolved!) and turn it on low. Cook for 2 hours, 45 minutes (it should reach about 180F - I tested mine with a candy thermometer). SET YOUR TIMER! After 2 hours, 45 minutes, turn your slow cooker OFF and let it sit for 3 hours. Don't remove your lid, don't peek!ile

moticon

After 3 hours, take a bit of your cooled down milk (about a cup) and put it into a small bowl. Combine this with your 1/2 cup yogurt starter and mix together thoroughly. Pour this mixture back into your slow cooker and mix it around well. Put the lid back on and wrap your entire crockpot a large beach towel (unplug your slow cooker first!). This step helps the crock retain heat and cool more slowly.

Let this sit on your counter for 8-12 hours wrapped in the towel (I let mine sit overnight from 8pm-8am). When you get up in the morning, you should find thickened yogurt - HORRAY!!!! Spoon into your storage jars/containers and put it in the fridge for a couple hours before eating.

This should keep for 1-2 weeks in your fridge. Save 1/2 cup of it for your starter for the next batch!

So, be sure you are home when you start this project as you need to watch your timing 

smile emoticon

 I started mine around 2pm in the afternoon, which seems to be enough time to finish before letting it sit overnight.

Yields: 7.5 cups of yogurt (approx)

Cost to make: about $5.75

Cost to purchase same amount of Store-Bought yogurt: approx $13.75 (assuming regular prices!).

SAVINGS: about $8.

Wowsa! That's a pretty big savings!  Of course, you can sometimes get Greek Yogurt on sale for around $3/container - but still, it's a savings AND you know what you've put into it!

I hope you will try and experiment yourself!  Enjoy!

Jess

Homemade Beans - Made Easy!

Hello friends!



This week I decided to make a big batch of beans, starting with Dry Beans.  I wanted to have them on hand for soups, stews, refried beans...you get the idea!  I've been working to stretch our meat budget and beans are the perfect way to do so!  I found an amazing looking recipe on Pinterest from Eat At Home - you can find it HERE.







First, I started with my dried beans, which you can buy SUPER cheaply at your local market.  I didn't pre-soak the night before (oops!) so I went on a hunt for a quick soak method.  The method I followed can be found here.  

Rinsed beans prior to soaking

Ready to soak!

Simply put, add your beans to a pot, cover with 2" of water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn off heat and put on the lid.  Let sit for 1 hour, drain & rinse. :)  Easy peasy!  Now, your beans are ready for the recipe you choose!

I modified the Eat at Home recipe slightly.  

Here is what I used:

1 lb black turtle beans
1 lb pinto beans
3 cloves elephant garlic, minced (my garlic cloves are HUGE and grown locally with tremendous flavor!)
2 onions, chopped finely
1 tbsp crushed chilies
1.5 tsp cumin
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
11 cups of water




















Instructions:

1. Prepare beans using your pre-soak method of choice and add to slow cooker
2. Add all remaining ingredients on top
3.  Cook on high for 6 hours low, 8 hours on high
4.  Mash or keep them whole - your choice!
5. These freeze amazingly well!

mmm - cooking away!

I chose to keep mine whole. I simply drained the liquid, added them to my freezer containers and popped them in freezer!  Always use safe food handling procedures :)

All cooked, drained and ready for packaging!

According to Eat at Home, "some types of dry beans have toxins in them, especially kidney beans. These should always be soaked first and the water discarded to rid the beans of toxins. A slow cooker isn't hot enough to kill the toxins without soaking". This is why I chose to pre-soak.

SO, now I have a freezer full of yummy beans with no added chemicals or preservatives ready to go!

What are your fave types of beans? I can't wait to try new combos!

Until next time,

Jess

Freezer Cooking with Ground Beef

Hello friends!

So, this week I found fresh Lean Ground Beef on sale at our local Co-op store for $2.99/lb - wahoo!  This is an amazing price considering Ground Beef has been hovering between $4.99 and $5.99/lb. So, of course, I grabbed a couple pounds (6.5 or so) and decided to do a mini freezer-cook!

What is freezer cooking?  Simply put - it is preparing some meals ahead of time to keep in the freezer for the future.  So, the night before you can just grab one, put in the fridge overnight to defrost and cook the next day!  Some meals are pre-cooked (just needing re-heating).  Others need full cooking (slow cooker or the oven). 

 I love when Do You Bake? comes out with their freezer meal kits (usually once every three months or so) and I also love making up my own versions.  More on freezer cooking to come in the next few weeks!

What did I make? 3 Meatloaves and 80 meatballs!  Yup!  I was busy.  I used 2 of my fave recipes from "The Big Cook" by Deanna Siemens and Lorelei Boschman - BBQ Meatloaf and Mighty Meatballs!  

You can use your own family favorite recipe or something simple like the following: 
(adjusting to your amount of ground beef)

- egg
- salt & pepper
- minced onion
- breadcrumbs (I like to use oatmeal :) )

Of course, I used my custom Do You Bake? French Onion Soup Mix, For the Love of Garlic and Chive & Onion Seasonings to prepare them (you can order them here if you are interested!).  I popped 2 of the meatloaves in the freezer for future meals & prepared one for supper - YUM!  So, in the time it took to make 1 meatloaf, I had 3. 

Same goes for the meatballs!  I made 3 trays of Might Meatballs for the freezer and bagged the remaining (without sauce) for other uses (Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Spaghetti & Meatballs,etc). 

So, for the $20. I spent on ground beef, I will get 8 meals! WOW!  Everything else I had on hand to prep (breadcrumbs, onions, seasonings, etc.).  That's $2.50/meal for the protein.  I don't think you can feed a family of 4 for less than that.  My girls are not huge meateaters, so it's perfectly portioned for us.  If you have older children or larger appetites, you may have to double the size (but still, 4 meals for $5/a piece, not bad either!).  

Simply prepare some mashed potatoes, steamed veggies or a side salad and you are good to go!  No excuse for takeout :)

Do you like to freezer cook (or big batch cook)?  Let me know your fave meal to freezer cook with in the comments section!

Until next time,

Jess

Time for Change!

Hello friends!

Hmmmm...you may have noticed something new around here...perhaps a new blog title?  

Welcome to Frugal Girl on the Prairie!  

What is this all about?  Well, for a long time I've been looking for a CANADIAN perspective on all things "frugal" - and guess what?  It's not out there!  Sure, there a lots of great food bloggers from Canada! 

However, when looking for money saving ideas and living frugally in Canada, every place I found and looked at was essentially based out of the USA.  SO, here I am, stepping out and launching my own perspective!

What am I going to be writing about?  

Who doesn't love fresh, homemade bread?

Well, everything! I wanted to provide a CANADIAN point of view! I wanted a forum to share ideas about:

- homemaking

- cooking

- canning & preserving

- gardening

- recipes

- DIY projects

- crafts

- meal planning

- frugal living

- paying off debt

- everything in between

Bulk freezer cooking! mmm...meatballs!

SO, here we are!  

I am starting small - perhaps 1 or 2 posts each week - but will build!!!  I will have some AMAZING guest bloggers (fellow Frugal mama's who know their stuff!).  I hope to entertain, teach and hopefully help you in your quest of saving money and running a home here here in the Great White North! :)

fresh garden veggies & fruit!

Watch that garden grow!

#plantaholic

I have been so encouraged by positive comments from friends & family who show interest in my more traditional homemaker skills, so I hope this will bring all those ideas into one place.  

Canning fresh garden produce!

I love recipes. I love to be in the kitchen.  I love taking care of my home.  I love doing laundry & dishes (ok, well - not so much! haha) I love finding new ways of saving money and I love taking care of my family. 

I hope you come back each week to share this adventure with me.  Change can be a good thing. Time to follow my passion!  This is my personal invitation to you to join me on this journey.  

Will you come along for the ride?

See ya soon!

Jess