Lots of Yogurt and Granola

We love yogurt for breakfasts or snacks and this recipe makes a lot.

Grandpa Bears Best Granola (taken from Two Sisters cookbook)

Wet ingredients
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3 Tbls. molasses
4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Dry ingredients
8 cups rolled oats
3 cups rye flakes (optional) If rye flakes are not used, add 3 cups extra rolled oats.
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
1/2 raw sesame seeds

1. Heat the wet ingredients until the butter is melted.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

4. Bake the granola on cookie sheets in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

5. Cool thoroughly before storing.
(I rarely add all the extras past the rolled oats. As this makes the cost go up. So I just replace those ingredients with rolled oats.)

Yogurt Recipe

1 gallon milk
1 8oz. container of plain yogurt
2 cups powdered milk
1 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour 1 gallon milk in large pot, put on a lid. Bring milk to 180 degrees. (I am too impatient, so I don't put a lid on it, and crank the heat up fairly high and just stir the bottom of the milk with a flat metal spatula, so it doesn't scald or burn on the bottom.)

Turn off heat and set plain yogurt on the counter to come to room temperature. (I never do this either, I do try and take out the yogurt when I first start the whole process)

While milk is cooling, add powdered milk, honey, and vanilla.

As milk gets close to 112 degrees, prepare jars by warming them. (I never do this)

Let milk cook to 112 degrees, add container of yogurt. If the yogurt is still cold, temper it by adding some of the warm milk to the yogurt first. ( I again am too impatient, so I set my pot in a bigger pan with ice in it and stir it. And the temperature gets down faster, then add my yogurt)

Once the yogurt has been mixed into the milk, pour into jars. (It takes 5 quart mason jars at our house) I put lids on my jars or plastic wrap.

Place in slightly warm oven overnight with the oven light on. Not a hot oven, only warm. If you did this during the day you could occasionally go and turn on your oven for 30 seconds or so. I just turn mine on until I hear the burners are on for a few seconds and then turn it off. But if its overnight the oven light keeps the oven kind of warm.

When yogurt is done in the morning refrigerate.

Sunday morning Shoes and Socks

Sunday morning shoes and socks are hard for the little kids to get out. So Matthew gets all of the boys shoes and socks out and puts them all in a row. He puts the socks inside their shoes so they know whose is whose and then lines them up in our dining room. So when they are all dressed and it's time for their shoes they can grab them and all we have to do is help them put them on.

Cynthia

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Well Sunday mornings can be quite crazy without planning ahead. I don't find time to cook big breakfasts on Sunday morning, and make it to church on time. So we make meals ahead of time that are easy. Here's one of our favorite easy to heat meals. And if your kiddos are already dressed in Sunday clothes before they eat, then this is a pretty no mess meal.

Sausage Balls

3 1/2 cups Bisquick

1 lb. sausage

2 eggs

10 oz. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

Mix Bisquick, sausage and cheese with hands. Add eggs and milk. Mix until all moist. Roll into balls. (I use a small ice cream scoop to make balls) Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I always double the recipe and only use a 16 oz. block of cheese for the double batch. This makes four sacks of sausage balls that I freeze and we pull out for Sunday breakfast.