vintagejenta's Profile

I buy plain whole milk yogurt frequently. A gallon of whole milk from Stewart's is $2.99. A quart of yogurt is about $3. But it seems that I'll get four times as much yogurt from a gallon of milk for the same price as a quart of yogurt.

The only thing is - I don't eat yogurt THAT frequently. But I am going to experiment with frozen yogurt, so that seems like an excellent way to use up big batches of homemade yogurt. My only question is - how long does it last in the fridge?

Peanut butter and jam on whole grain toast? That's always my recommendation to people who complain of the hungries mid-morning. Almost everyone loves pb&j and it satisfies the sweet tooth that many people have at breakfast time (I personally can't eat avocado or anything salty for breakfast, though I love salty things for lunch). And if you use natural, unsweetened pb (I prefer Smucker's chunky natural), it seems to satisfy longer than conventional creamy pb.

Leftover whole grain pancakes (corn or buckwheat are favorites of mine) toasted and smeared with whole-fruit jam and dolloped liberally with whole milk yogurt is another delicious way to start the day. And it's a little more indulgent than almonds or avocado, but not quite so bad as cookies.

Whole grain porridge (wheat berries, oat groats, pearl barley, farro berries, etc.) with maple syrup and some whole milk or whole milk yogurt is also amazing in the mornings. If you make it in the crockpot, it's hands-free and you'll have plenty for leftovers on hectic mornings. Just pop it in the microwave to heat it up.

But yes, to reiterate - fat, protein, and fiber will keep you full for a long time. And they're nutritious too!

Can you make banana popsicles in the same way? I noticed you have to freeze again after blending.

When I was little I used to "cook" at grandma's house by taking a glass of milk and adding sugar and various combinations of sweet spices to make something yummy to drink. It was so much fun and I got a taste for nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom, etc.

I love English peas, but hate shelling them. I also hate all they roll around. Fresh frozen organic peas are so sweet and delicious. Cook them in a teeny bit of water until just tender, drain, smash with a sauce whisk or fork, add a pat of butter with salt and pepper - amazing! I never liked peas in things like pot pies or sauces or soups, but on their own and so fresh tasting? Yum. I also love sugar snap peas. Snow peas are okay, but always seem to be a little more bitter than the others.

Roasted rhubarb and strawberries are cooling right now. Otherwise, I work all weekend and we're leaving to go out of town on Sunday night, so probably not a whole lot of cooking going on this weekend. Lol.

Clay bundt cake baker??? Lol. No idea otherwise.

I'm also a fridge-tea brewer. We love earl grey fridge tea, and I personally love cold-brewed peppermint and rosehip/hibiscus/red zinger tea. Both are very refreshing.

As for sun-brewing - from what I've heard the danger is in keeping the water at a below-boiling, but still hot temperature, which encourages the growth of bacteria. I trust the Center for Disease Control.

That being said, I grew up on sun tea, but my mom always put it out in strong, direct sunlight and never left it out for more than a few hours - as soon as the water was dark and colored, she refrigerated it. It's when people leave the tea out all day or on not very hot days that bacteria can develop. Even if you leave plain tap water out at room temp for several days it gets a stale or "off" taste to it and can develop bacteria or mold, depending on how well it is covered/sealed and the cleanliness of the container.

Even with fridge tea I rinse out the container between brews and wash in hot soapy water every once in a while. And I use a glass container, which doesn't keep bacteria or mold as easily as plastic.

It's just one of those things - probably not going to hurt you, but you know someone is going to figure out a way to mess it up and get sick.

Scandi Foodie has a great recipe for baked pearl barley porridge that would be divine for breakfast - http://scandifoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/baked-pearl-barley-porridge.html

My last paper of graduate school is DONE! So this weekend will be a cook-a-thon. Already made boneless pork chops with roasted fingerling potatoes and broccoli, boneless chops with smashed green peas, radishes and salt on buttered bread. And on the docket is london broil with dilled potato salad, chorizo tacos with homemade guac, rhubarb cake, rhubarb sauce, applesauce, and celery salad.

Dreaming about local strawberries and asparagus, but they're a ways off still.

It's so nice to have time to cook...

100% Scandinavian-American and I (and my mom) also get red flushed faces. I also get a lot of neck and shoulder tension if I drink too quickly or too much (although I can get past that if I keep drinking, but I don't like to). One weak drink sipped slowly is usually my limit. Wine isn't as bad. My mom also swears now by low- or no-sulfite wine, which does not give her any such symptoms.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets this way! I always felt like the odd girl out at parties and I've never been drunk (although there was that one night at home that my friends and I made too-strong cosmos and thought it would be good idea to chug them before making weaker ones - not drunk, but definitely a little tipsy, so that's how I know the neck ache goes away). Not drinking to get drunk though means that I choose my beverages for their taste, not their effects.