Homemade Yogurt & Granola

This is so easy, you are going to kick yourself for not trying it sooner. Don't kick yourself too hard though. You can repent. This is Nicole's Granola. It is really good too. Experiment and make it your own. Use what you have in your house, add things to make it healthier too. Such as wheat germ or flax seed, whatever. This is your chance to be creative. You can't make it wrong, only different. The yogurt, you don't need any fancy machine that costs a bundle. You really only need a pot, a stove, a flannel blanket, (yes, that is NOT a typo) and an 8 oz. container of yogurt with ACTIVE LIVE CULTURES. That is important. That's it.

Yogurt
I make it by the gallon, for about $3.00. You can adjust for yourself and your needs. I take a gallon of powdered milk or sometimes mix it half and half with whole milk or 2%. I put it on the stove in my Pampered Chef huge stock pot, (I love this thing! I use it almost everyday!) I start heating it on med high heat. You can raise or lower depending on your stove. You heat until it gets foamy on the top. It will start to stick on the bottom too. Leave it there, you don't want it to flavor your yogurt. Then you remove from heat. Let cool to lukewarm. Here you add approx. 8 oz. of yogurt. I say this because I get the huge containers and freeze them in my ice cube trays and put in a ziploc and take out as I need so I never have to pay full price. Then I restock when it goes down in price again. I throw in what looks about right. I never remember from time to time how many cubes it is. Sorry, one of those things, if I think too hard about it, I screw myself up! Anyway, Wrap it up in a FLANNEL blanket, and set it undisturbed overnight. In the morning check it. If you want it thicker and tangier, leave it longer. I flavored this one with vanilla. I added vanilla flavoring until it was the slightest shade of brown and about 1 cup of sugar. This is what was left after breakfast. It was pretty good. You can also flavor with strawberry and cherry pie filling or apples and cinnamon. Whatever you desire. Somethings will require more sugar. Some less. Pie filling is expensive unless you make your own though so weigh the cost carefully. It may not be bad if you were making a small amount though. Stir and chill. Eat. We top ours with granola, or broken applesauce oatmeal cookies. Yummy.

Granola
8 cups rolled oats (quick oats can be used but won't deliver the same texture and satisfying crunch)
2 tsp salt
2 cups brown sugar
1-2 cups Craisins, or whatever dried fruit you would like really
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1 cup warm water
1 cup vegetable oil
3-5 tsp vanilla

Mix in a bowl and spread in two jelly roll stones from Pampered Chef. (I love these too!) 300 degrees for about an hour. Will not be crunchy until cooled. Immediately put the stones in HOT water or it will be a bear to clean. We hope you enjoy this one too.