Banana Smoothie for Breakfast

This summer, I've not only been trying to clean up my eating, but I've also been more intentional about what I put into my body. Because what doesn't go in is just as important as what does!

One thing I knew was missing was a steady source of fiber. I've slowly been adding more vegetables and leafy greens to our diet, but while we are transitioning to that I was still needing a boost. So I decided to try adding flaxseeds to some of the foods I was already eating. And I've found that they are good for so much more! In addition to increasing my daily fiber intake, flaxseeds also provide a healthy dose of natural antioxidants (lignans) and omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid). And I actually really love the texture they add. You can add it to baked goods, sprinkle on oatmeal or in smoothies or on salads. The possibilities are endless. You don't need a lot, and I don't use more than 1-2 tablespoons per day. I was already making breakfast smoothies on a regular basis, and now I just stir in a little bit of flaxseed at the end!

Banana Smoothie with Flaxseed

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup of milk
3/4 cup of plain yogurt
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
sprinkle of shredded coconut
dash of cinnamon
drizzle of honey
4-5 ice cubes
1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal

I blend all the ingredients except for the flaxseed because I've found that it gets stuck in the blade of the blender. After I pour the smoothie into my glass I just stir in the flaxseed and let it sit for a minute. It's really hard to mess this up and actually some of those measurements I estimated because I never really measure! If I have other fruit on hand I'll put some in for variety. My goal with this drink was to not add extra sugar than was already found naturally in my ingredients if possible. I use plain yogurt and just rely on the banana, honey, cinnamon and coconut for the sweetness, and it does the trick! Yum!

Making Yogurt

I'm just crazy for yogurt. Crazy! Paul doesn't even understand. And really, I'm a yogurt snob. I don't mind shelling out the extra bucks for the thick delicious organic greek yogurt quart because I love it so much. I see it as a healthy treat – win win. But still, I love a good deal as much as the next girl and so there is much appeal to making my own. Mom's been making her own yogurt ever since we got her a maker for Christmas. And it's good! Thick and tart but perfect with a little honey swirled in. We even used it in place of mayo in our potato salad on Mother's Day. So yummy!

I was hooked. I had to get my hands on a yogurt maker! So when I found a gift card almost forgotten from Christmas, I knew what I would use it for. I placed my order for the maker, ordered some Bulgarian Yogurt Starter with a free coupon I had, and waited patiently by the door for my goodies to arrive.

Last Monday when we got home from our trip, I started my first batch. I read all the directions 100 times, watched the instructional video on the website and cleaned all the parts meticulously. And it failed. After 10 hours (it should really just take 7-9 but I was trying to not give up hope!) I still had jars full of runny milk. I went to bed one sad puppy.

Tuesday I decided to try again. And guess what! It also failed. Bummer. I believe that my starter cultures were spoiled in their transit to Arizona. I think they can be pretty fragile.

So Tuesday overnight I decided to try again. My sweet husband encouraged me to give it another go! Although I was starting to feel defeated! The maker came with it's own starter so I decided to try it out. And low and behold, I woke up on Wednesday morning to a batch of delicious homemade yogurt! I can't wait to use this in my cooking to replace sour cream, cream, mayo, I think even cooking oil sometimes?! I don't know, more research to do :) And it'll be so yummy with honey, granola, preserves, cinnamon, chocolate chips...the possibilities are endless!

How to Make Yogurt at Home

Milk (I used organic whole milk)
Starter (this can either be a packet, or a serving of plain yogurt from a previous batch)

Bring the milk to a boil on the stove (180 degrees) and hold for 1-2 minutes.
Remove it from the heat and let it cool to lukewarm (110 degrees).
Transfer the warm milk to a non-metal pitcher and stir in the starter until it is dissolved.
Pour mixture into a glass container (in my case, 7 small glass jars) and keep at 110 degrees for 7-10 hours.
When it's set, it will form a soft mass that almost sticks to the edges and maybe has a thin layer of liquid on top.
Let the jars cool, and then store in the fridge for 6 hours to stop the culturing process.

To make the next batch, use 1 jar of yogurt for 7 jars of milk.
 
Yogurt doesn't have to be made in a yogurt maker if you can maintain the temperature another way. I've read many instances of people making it in their crock pot. This kind of scared me though because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to control the temperature well enough and would spoiling the yogurt. The maker gives me peace of mind that it will hold that important 110 degrees.