Homemade Yogurt

A co-worker grows herbs in the garden and yogurt in the house. Mint and Asian basil are already planted in my garden, and the yogurt is the new-comer from her household. You may be wondering how she “grows” yogurt. Well, she has “yogurt seeds”, a.k.a. yogurt culture, and she simply gave me some of her yogurt which had live cultures in it. I say “seeds” just because it doesn't sound good if I say I'm growing bacteria in my home. I sanitize the mason jar and place about 1/3 cup of the yogurt then pour in about three cups of milk. Within 24 hours, the milk becomes yogurt, then it goes into refrigerator.  I repeat the same process with the yogurt I just made. Yogurt has become one of my most frequently used ingredients. It's economical considering the price of yogurt and compare to milk, but more importantly, it's emotionally satisfying getting closer to truly raw materials.

Easy & Healthy Banana Ice Cream

Okay. Here is a problem with ice cream: I can't stop eating until it's all gone. Whenever I buy a pint, it's gone within a day or two, if not within an hour. One of my favorite ice cream contains 250 calories per serving, and one pint is for four servings. You do the math. Too much fat and too much sugar... good for the taste, but not for the health. My solution? Don't buy it. No ice cream in the freezer. But then there are days when I crave for it, and stressing out by not having any is, in my opinion, unhealthy.

This is the recipe that solved my dilemma. The main ingredients are just a frozen banana and a bit of milk. Put them in the food processor and you'll have soft served banana ice cream in five minutes! This recipe is for two, but if you like to have it all to yourself, go for it. It's just a banana. How unhealthy could it be?

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