Yogurt On the Cheap!

Hi, Sis, this one is for you.  For homemade yogurt I use a clean pyrex bowl with tight-fitting lid or corelle-type dish with lid.  The rubber lids are best.  Mix up 2 c. powdered milk into about 1 1/3 qt. water.  I also add a little whole milk (1/2 c.) because I like my finished yogurt to be a little creamy.  Add 3 tablespoons fresh yogurt (preferably plain).  Make sure that the yogurt you add as starter has lots of fresh and active yogurt cultures.  Whisk this all together really well.  You are spreading those cultures around and getting rid of the powdered milk lumps.  Fill your glass bowl or container almost all of the way to the top.  Like you would for jelly or jam.  Put it in a warm place for 12 hours.  If it is too runny let it sit longer.  You can put it on a heating pad set on low.  (If you're like me :) , make sure that your very old heating pad is not a fire hazard.  I'm on very old heating pad #2.)  Today, I'm trying mine on a trivet on the woodstove.  You want it to be pretty warm but not too hot.  You can double-up by using your crock pot to cook, leave more space in your crock pot and turn the lid upside down.   You can set your yogurt container on top of the upside down lid.  If I am baking I put my container on top of the stove burner that lets the heat out of the oven.  It should be hot enough that you can rest your hand there for a quick moment.  If it is too hot to do that, it is too hot.  When you're done let your yogurt cool and then stick it in the fridge.  You can use the yogurt you made as the start to a new batch.  After about 5 batches I get a fresh start.  Some people go more batches, but I like lots of cultures.  I mix this with juice for the boys sometimes too.  Sorry, lots of gab and little recipie.  Hope you are having a happy Saturday.  I'm off to label my soaps.