Today's Project: Homemade Yogurt

Music:  Gothic Winter

It will be subfreezing all week long...

and the lows will go below zero.

Tonight it is expected to reach -20 F (-29 C)...

and it was about 7 degrees F this afternoon.

As the weather called for an indoor project...

I decided to make some homemade yogurt.

But...

not just any yogurt...

 L Reuteri bacillus.

This particular strain of bacillus is especially healthful for the gut flora.

I plan to eat a cup of it every morning as part of my breakfast.

I got up to look on my computer...

had seen it had snowed during the night...

and realized it would be an indoor project day.

I made a delicious meal of Natto and Kimchi...

and I took Bandi out for her morning bathroom routine.

This is my yogurt maker.

It comes with 9 of these indivdual yogurt containers.

As it frequently snows where I live...

I opted to make my own milk on demand instead of having to go to a store

every time I needed milk.

The L Reuteri bacteria is in pill form on the left...

and its food is the inulin powder on the right. 

I bought all three items from Amazon.

My marble mortar and pestle.

I made the whole milk extra rich...

and added the powdered Inulin and L Reuteri.

It made about a quart...

and I then poured the mixture into the containers.

I only filled 8 of the containers.

Next time...

I will make a little more to fill all 9 containers.

I tried to place it here...

but realized I wouldn't be using it for most of each week...

and that this place was so convenient for the coffee maker...

and so...

I placed it here just for the fermentation process...

and I will then put it away in one of the cabinets until I must use it again.

It will ferment for 36 hours at 99 F.

I will cover the yogurt maker with a black towel to enhance the insulation...

and to keep out direct sunlight.

My kitchen is well lit with natural sunlight.

I will then refrigerate them overnight so I may eat one container per morning.

I will add fruit to the mixture just before eating.

I have frozen blueberries...

but I will later dehydrate strawberries to add to it.

The coffee maker is back in its place.

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Gut health is incredibly important.

I regularly eat gut healthful...

legumes (bean stew)...

Kimchi...

Sauerkraut (the fermented live bacteria refrigerated brand)...

Natto...

and now homemade yogurt (L Reuteri live bacillus).

I eat some gut healthful food everyday.

It makes a difference...

besides keeping regular...

it reduces inflammation...

plays a significant role in hormonal output...

and neural chemical balance in the brain...

among other healthful things.

Hopefully everything works out with my yogurt.

I had heard that it sometimes turns out too thin (add more milk powder)...

too sour (add less bacteria powder or ferment less)...

or many other things.

I will have to see in three days.

It only takes a short while to make and clean up.

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I was going to the Asian market today to stock up on Shiitake and Enoki mushrooms...

but the snow will prohibit me from driving for a few days.

One note on Enoki mushrooms...never eat them raw.

Walmart issued a recall on them for Listeria contamination.

I will be dehydrating them for use in noodles...

and I just buy already dehydrated Shiitake mushrooms.

They are not only delicious...

but they are highly nutritious for the gut and body.

I want to stock up on many months of Enoki mushrooms to dehydrate...

and just as many dehydrated Shiitake mushrooms.

The process of dehydration kills bacteria...

and I also then cook them in the noodle dishes.

I made a delicious egg and mushroom udon bowl the other day.

These udon noodles need no refrigeration.

I use all three packets for my meal.

I just soak the dehydrated veggies for half an hour

(I bring the water to a boil and then cut the heat)...

and I add the other ingredients.

I usually add 6-8 eggs...

and then let it low boil until the eggs are just about done...

and I then add the soup mix and noodles.

It takes but a few minutes for the noodles to separate...

and it is then ready.

In the future...

I will be adding a lot of dehydrated Enoki mushrooms as well.

(be sure to cut off the bottom of the stalk and wash the Enoki well...

and then each mushroom stalk will be separate...

and so...

will throughly dehydrate).

Mushrooms add so much flavor to any noodle dishes.

Halfway Up Pikes Peak

 

Song:  The Eagle And The Hawk

Artist:  John Denver

Today...

Pikes Peak's highway was only open to the halfway point up the peak.

As this was the last day before my guests were to return...

we settled for halfway.

It was still a beautiful drive...

and as the beginning of Pikes Peak Hwy is just a little under an hour away 

from my home...

I shall return once the Hwy fully opens

(I can see the top of Pikes Peak from my home).

We arrived at the halfway point and looked around a little before continuing 

to a brief drive through the Garden of the Gods on our way to eating sushi

in Colorado Springs.

There were two Nordic skiers just starting out from the halfway point.

Pikes Peak

(elevation at 14,115 ft. or 4,302 Meters)

After a brief stay...

we turned around and began our descent.

Bandi enjoying the chilly air.

Yes, my car is quite dirty from the mountain roads leading to and from home.

We briefly stopped at the balancing rock formation in the Garden of the Gods

as a shortcut to the sushi place.

My guests had a good time.

I will make this short...

for in a few hours...

I must drive my guests to the airport in Colorado Springs.

I have a multitude of projects to perform at home...

and so...

I will busy myself with them for a while.

As the roads near home are still covered in hard packed snow and ice...

I still cannot trike on them right now.

But soon...

I will take Bandi on some runs through the mountains.

She will be sure to love them.

One of my guests had taken Bandi on a run in the mountains earlier today...

and she enjoyed it so much.

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Addendum:

I just got back from dropping off my guests at the airport a few hours ago.

We left at 3 AM and until we drove to lower elevations...

the temperature was  -9 degrees F ( Approx. -23 C).

But there was little wind and the air is naturally dry...

so...

It felt no colder than 0 degrees  :)

On my way home from the airport...

I passed through the nearby town of Woodland Park...

and as it was around 5 AM...

I stopped by a Christmas Tree light display in town and took a few photos.

I love the translucent colors of Christmas Tree lights.

As a child...

my favorite part of the Christmas holidays...

were the translucent colored lights on nearby houses

and on our tree at home.

I would just stare at the lights as I listened to music...

for hours at a time.

I still love them.

In the near future...

I will get a Christmas tree for my home...

and I will have it lit from Thanksgiving until way after New Years.

The feeling I get from just looking at pure colors is a surreal and serene pleasure...

and combine that with beautiful music...

well...

it is just one of those great simple pleasures in life that makes living so worthwhile.

I will certainly put up my own Christmas tree this coming November.

Their light display was so nice because they used translucent bulbs 

instead of the cheap looking partially opaque pastel looking bulbs.

Only translucent bulbs give off true tones.

It also makes a difference in stained glass as well.

And, unless the opaque toned glass is used to accent and grandly present

the translucent tinted glass...

it loses all of its gem like quality and grandeur.

Also...

for personal trees...

the tiny translucent bulbs are best...

for when viewed from a short distance away...

it looks like a universe of glittering multi colored gems.

It makes all the difference in the world.