I've made yogurt since the mid-1970's before switching almost exclusively to kefir about 5-years ago. Here are some hints and tips I learned along the way: 1. You can control the "taste" with the temperature of your milk. There is a window of temperatures when you can add the starter - usually somewhere around 110F to 120°F. If you add the starter on the warm side of that temperature window, you'll get a more tangy yogurt. Add starter on the cool side of the temperature window and you will make a more mild-flavored yogurt. I like tart yogurt when I make it into yogurt cheese and use it for a cheese-ball, but like mild-flavored yogurt when I eat it with granola for breakfast. Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy. As you already found out, the length of incubation will also influence the taste - short incubation produces sweet yogurt. Yogurt also becomes more tart the longer it is stored in the refrigerator. 2. Once you have your yogurt maker filled and running, DO NOT move it or giggle it during fermentation. That can cause a breakdown in the curd and watery yogurt. Once the curd is broken, it will not set up again. Just as when you mix yogurt with a spoon to liquify it for use in a recipe, the curd is destroyed and will not resolidify. This is more evident in homemade yogurt than commercial yogurt. 3. I incubate it for 3 hours and then check to see if it's set. If it's not set, then I incubate it another hour. As soon as it's set I refrigerate it at least 6-8-hours before using it. It needs to "cure" (set-up) before use. 4. When I can find it (usually at a store 2-hours away and I bring it home in a cooler) I like to use Stonyfield Farm Yogurt for a starter. There are two bacteria common to all yogurts, but Stonyfield Farm adds other bacteria, so I think you get more bang-for-the-buck in the bacteria found in Stonyfield Farm Yogurt when you use it as a starter. They also have a GREAT cookbook, "Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cookbook". I freeze the Stonyfield Yogurt in amounts I need for one batch of yogurt. When I need a new starter, I thaw the yogurt in the refrigerator and then bring it to room temperature before using it for making yogurt. 5. After using from the previous batch of yogurt for your starter for a period of time, the bacteria will become inactive and you'll need a new starter. This generally happens when you have a batch that doesn't thicken, or you notice it's not getting as thick as previous batches. That's the key difference between yogurt and kefir. Yogurt cultures eventually die and must be renewed, but when you use real kefir grains, they last forever, are living, renew and grow over time to make more kefir grains. Kefir is also made with cold milk out of the refrigerator and incubated at room temperature; rather than all the fussing with heating the milk, cooling the milk, temperature of the milk when you add the starter, etc.... 6. Adding non-fat dry milk powder will aid in thickening, and is especially important to add if you use low-fat or non-fat milk. Whole milk contains the most solids and produces a thick, rich and creamy yogurt. When you use 2% milk or less, adding non-fat dry milk will help replace those solids found in whole milk, or high-fat milk products like half-and-half and whipping cream. When I use fresh goat's milk, I treat it as I would skim milk. To produce an even thicker yogurt, add a package (1-tablespoon) of unflavored gelatin. Mix the gelatin with a little milk until it's dissolved, then add it to your cold milk. You can also use a combination of gelatin and non-fat dry milk powder. I use different combinations of ingredients for soft, firm, or very firm yogurt - rather than using an extended incubation time. Making yogurt with at least 50% half-and-half will also make a beautiful curd. Great for malts, shakes, and other beverages. Using a percentage of whipping cream is great when you serve the yogurt as a dessert with fresh fruit, or use it in a dessert recipe. I've also used recipes that include cornstarch in the recipe, which makes a smoother and creamier yogurt. Sweetened condensed milk for sweet yogurt. Your user's manual will probably have a trouble-shooting section to help you out, as well as suggested recipes for your yogurt maker. Happy yogurt making...... -Grainlady

This is a recipe I found and MUST try, I love this type of bean but I am sure you could use another type of dry beans if you can not find these (but if you can find them they are wonderfully good beans). It just sounds like our kind of soup. The website is listed at the bottom if you care to go there. I always have chunks of ham in the freezer just for soup! Anasazi Bean and Cabbage Soup (Makes about 8 servings; recipe created by Kalyn.) 1 pound dried Anasazi Beans, soaked overnight in crockpot 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced onion 2 cups very finely chopped cabbage 2 cups ham, cut into small dice ham rind if available (remove for the last few hours of cooking time) 8 cups water (you can also use partly ham stock if you have it) 2 T dried parsley 1-2 T garlic powder 2-3 tsp. onion powder 2-3 bay leaves fresh ground black pepper to taste ham flavored concentrate or ham bouillon (optional but good) balsamic vinegar for serving, optional I used a 4.5 quart crock pot to make the soup in these photos, and it was filled to the brim (including the ham rinds) so if you have a smaller size you will need to reduce the recipe. Soak beans overnight in cold water in the crockpot. The next morning, drain beans, discard soaking water, and put beans back in the crockpot with 8 cups water (or a combination of water and ham stock if you have it.) Cut up celery, carrots, onions, cabbage, and ham. Put all ingredients in crock pot (including ham rind if you're lucky enough to have some) with dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaves, and start to cook on high. (It may look like there isn't enough liquid, but in the crock pot foods give up liquid and you end up with more than you started with.) (I cook this soup on high for 10 hours or longer, until about half of the beans have disintegrated into the soup and the cabbage is mostly dissolved. My large crock pot is the original "slow-cooker" type, which may cook a bit less hot than some. If you have a newer model, you might want to cook on high 4-5 hours, then reduce to low.) After about 8 hours, remove ham rind if using, then taste for seasoning and ham bouillon or ham flavor concentrate if needed. (I like Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate or ham buillon from Penzeys. Use of this is optional, and will depend on how much flavor is in your ham. If you have really good ham you might not need it.) I often add more garlic powder and onion powder at this time too. Cook until beans are starting to break apart and the cabbage has mostly dissolved into the soup. Serve hot, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired. This soup freezes well. Stovetop Instructions: You could cook this on the stove if you don't have a crock pot or want it done sooner. For stovetop cooking, add all ingredients to heavy soup pot and simmer about 3 hours, or until beans are very well done and cabbage has disintegrated into the soup. I would increase the amount of water I started out with by several cups if I cooked it on the stove, since some of the liquid will evaporate. Check for seasoning after a few hours, and add more ham buillon, garlic powder, and onion powder as desired. This recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.

Yeah....I did.....used skim milk fortified with dry milk powder. But it was grainy.... Linda C

Lol, you people are "sick".....talking about breakfast and cat barf at the same time! Nicole, I need to pick up some Pero. Can't drink coffee, too acidic, but enjoy something hot in the morning. This morning, I made shrimp and grits for my houseguests. Big success. :-) Okay, in the spirit of the detour that this thread took, I have a cat barf story that beats all. Our Paco has one of those tall carpet covered cat towers with several levels (basement, mezzanine, 3rd floor apartment, balcony, and the catbird seat). He uses every bit of it. A couple of weeks ago, he had a big snack followed up by a huge drink of water. (Know where I'm going with this?) After his drink, he trotted over to his tower, climbed to the top and immediately (!) started to heave. It landed on each and every level except the basement. Sigh.