So I got up early this morning and took advantage of daddy being home, and let him keep the girly entertained while I slaved (and I mean this quite literally) in the kitchen for about 1.5 hours including cleanup, to create this!
I did boiled eggs which I molded into bunny and bear shapes. I did brown rice which was molded into heart and star shapes. I did a hotdog octopus with turkey dog. And I shredded some part skim mozzerella cheese and placed some carrots to take up some space.
Hubby left to visit with his kids and I was left with girly whom happily viewed the "masterpiece" (okay so I need to work on this a bit more, Im not fantastic...yet). She sat down and quickly informed me of everything she was NOT going to eat. Which ended up being everything but the egg. I wont lie, I fought back tears. Seriously??? I spent this much time trying to make your food appeal to you and you have the nerve to sit there and tell me you wont even TASTE a couple bites of each thing?
I am torn between making another one for her and tempting her and throwing my hands into the air, and screaming.
Why make Almond Butter when you can buy it in the store? Well...do you like to pay nearly $5 for a jar of almond butter that costs you about $1.60 to make yourself (we get a 48oz bag of almonds from Sam's Club for $10.40 - Don't have a Sam's, check online!)? If so, please go ahead to your store! I won't stop you! But, if you are like me and enjoy saving money, and you want something without added salt and preservatives, then why not make it at home? It's so simple you could do it on a work night!
Why are we even making Almond Butter? Aside from the obvious health benefits attributed to the Almond (see links at bottom for more on that), my daughter had an allergy test last year and the ones that "pinged" were Eggs, Almonds and Cow Dander. Cow Dander was the worst reactor (I know, strange!) but with the dangers of peanut allergies, even mild ones, turning into something much more serious has convinced us (with the help of this weekends rash and swelling after peanuts) that we need to cut as much peanut out of our lives as possible.
Little Girl, LOVES her peanut butter however, so we decided to try out Almond Butter!:)
Ingredients:
2 cups Whole Almonds (do not get chopped, slivered etc. they may be rancid)Almond, Coconut, or Olive OilHoney, Splenda, Torani etc. (optional)A food processor
Directions:
*Place almonds on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
*Nuke a half cup of chosen oil in microwave till about 110 degrees...this doesn't take long
*Place almonds directly into processor still warm. Pulse until they have the texture of a moist flour.
*Turn on low, add VERY SLOWLY some of the oil and let it mix in. If it looks like butter then stop. If still to dry, add a little more .It's not an exact science, just add a little and watch.
*Once it looks like butter, then you can add sweetener, whether that is honey, splenda, agave etc.Store in a tightly shut jar on the shelf for UP TO 30 days, or in the fridge for up to 3mths. Just remember this is a natural butter, no preservatives. It's normal to see some seperation of oil from nut after it has been sitting, simply stir and use as normal!:)
**Almonds have a lot of oils in them and can go rancid, the times of storage are variable as to your home temps etc.
***You can also add other flavorings into your butter, we like Cinnamon.
****A friend of mine, whose grandson has a terrible peanut allergy has found out that Chick-Fil-A uses Peanut Oil, but it's denatured and SAFE for those with nut allergies!
Links to Health Benefits of Almonds:
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-almonds.html
Ingredients:
1 liter Borden Plus Hi-Protein Milk (or whatever milk you have)3oz Plain Yogurt of your choice (FAGE greek 0% Yogurt)Whatever fruit/sweeteners that you wish!
Directions:
*Wash all ustensils with warm soapy water and dry completely. You want to breed the good live cultures, not the bad! I usually wash my pot, spoons etc with soap and then rinse with White Vinegar and then rinse again.
*Place milk in pot and bring to a boil (don't wanna boil? See tips at bottom), stirring constantly so as not to scorch the milk. After brought to boil, turn off heat completely, and let it sit and come down to 110 degrees. If you don't wanna wait, you can fill your sink with ice water, and plunge the pot in cold water. Keep an eye on the temps - if it gets below 110 you will have to heat again.
*In a seperate bowl, temper some of the milk into the yogurt. If you don't wait for the milk to cool first, you will kill the cultures. After you have tempered it and it is smooth, stir the culture into the large pot of milk. When this is well mixed - place lid on, then wrap in a thick towel, to retain it's temp. Some choose to set the pot on a heating pad on low...this is a pretty good idea if you keep your home cold.
*Let the milk sit undisturbed for at LEAST 6 hours. This will give you a light tang. If you want it tangier, let it sit a few more hours. I wouldn't go more than 12 hours.
*Chill for a couple hours, then serve with whatever sweeteners and flavorings you wish.
TIPS:
**Powdered milk gives yogurt an added Protein boost, and also thickens the yogurt in the same way Manufacturerers use Pectin. On your first batch start with 10 table spoons.
**Don't wanna boil cause you don't have time or are super duper lazy like I am? Heat the milk to 110, remove from heat, and follow instructions. You DEFINATLY wanna add powdered milk if you do it this way, because it wont be as firm as boiled.
** Wanna keep your sweeteners healthy? Try Agave, Torani or DaVinci Sugar Free Syrups, Honey etc. You can even use Sugar-Free Jams, though I suggest you heat them slightly before stiring into your yogurt cause it will help the mix.
**Picky kidlet that doesn't wanna eat yogurt? Let them pick their toppings, or bribe them like I do by letting them color their yogurt with food coloring!
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