How to make your own yogurt...  The boys and I eat yogurt most days, so we go through a lot of yogurt around here.  I read the details of making yogurt in the book Super Baby Food, but the process seemed rather daunting and I was tempted to buy a yogurt-making machine.  My friend Margaret assured me that once you make it yourself a couple of times, it's quite easy.... and she was right!  There are myriad web sites with all kinds of detailed information, but here's my Cliff Notes version:

What you need:

• Kitchen thermometer
• Saucepan
• Empty glass jar  (run a spaghetti sauce jar through the dishwasher)
• Milk   (I use organic whole milk.)
• Store-bought yogurt to use as a starter  (plain, with live and active cultures)
• Dried milk   (I use non-fat.)
• Heating pad
• Kitchen towels/rags

What you do:

1.  Fill the glass jar with milk, leaving an extra couple of inches at the top to allow for the later addition of dried milk and starter.

2.  Fill the saucepan 2/3 full with water, and put the jar of milk inside.

3.  Heat over medium until temperature reaches 185' F.  (just leave the thermometer in the milk)

4.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Remove the jar from the saucepan.  Put the lid loosely on the jar.

5.  Put 2 T of starter in a bowl on the kitchen counter.

6.  When the milk reaches 115' F (you can refrigerate the jar to speed this process), add the starter and about 1/4 c dried milk.  Stir with the thermometer.

7.  Place the jar on a heating pad (on low setting) and wrap with a couple of kitchen towels.  Let sit 4-5 hours.  Voila!

* * *

And speaking of toddlers eating....

My Dad was feeding Benjamin and Jonah some sweet potato and avocado as part of their dinner the other night.  They devoured all of it, even though still getting over the flu.

Me:  Wow - what's your secret for getting them to eat so much?!

My Dad:  I'm making them an offer they can't refuse.