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Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorite breakfast items. It makes a quick breakfast by itself or even with a little fruit or granola mixed into it. However, store bought yogurt can contain lots of added sugars and preservatives. Why buy store bought yogurt with all those additives when you can make it at home with just three ingredients. It is super easy and requires little work to make, it just requires time in your Instant Pot.

Ingredients:
1.5 liters of ultra pasteurized milk (I prefer to use the fairlife brand)
1 fourteen ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tbs of yogurt starter*

*note – You can use yogurt cultures or just use some store bought plain Greek yogurt. I like to use 2 Tbs of Fage Greek yogurt for my starter. Once you have made your own batch of yogurt you can use your own yogurt as a starter for future batches by just setting some aside to use later. I freeze 2 Tbs from each of my batches and then defrost it when I am ready to make yogurt.

Directions:
1. Pour your ultra pasteurized milk into your instant pot.
2. Add the sweetened condensed milk. You can use all the can for a sweeter yogurt, or you less depending on your personal taste. You may even omit the sweetened condensed milk and without this, you will have a Greek yogurt.
3. Add you starter
4. Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk.
5. Put your lid on your instant pot and set to yogurt mode for 8 hours.
6. After 8 hours you can remove your yogurt and refrigerate it until you are ready to eat it. I refrigerate mine overnight before eating it the first time.
7. Enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt in your Instant Pot

You can purchase an Instant Pot to make yogurt at Amazon.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy.

How To Make A Painkiller Cocktail

The classic Painkiller that most of us know is the Pusser’s Painkiller.  Named for the Pusser’s brand of rum used in the drink.  According to Pusser’s own website the recipe for the Painkiller was inspired by Daphne Henderson, who owned the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

The bar is famous for inventing the Painkiller and also because there is no dock, so the usual way in is to swim. Which naturally gets your dollars get wet, hence the name “Soggy Dollar Bar.”

The CEO of Pussers, Charles Tobias, was a patron of the Soggy Dollar Bar where the Painkiller was his favorite drink.  Eventually, he finally worked out the recipe on a “4-1-1-1” ratio—four parts pineapple, one part cream of coconut and one part orange juice adding Pusser’s Rum to suit.

Pusser’s started promoting the Painkiller and eventually it became known as Pusser’s Painkiller.  Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

2 ounces Pusser’s rum

4 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce orange juice

1 ounce cream of coconut

Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

  1. Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
  2. Pour in a big glass filled with ice.  Grate fresh nutmeg on top.
  3. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
  4. Enjoy killing the pain.
How to make a Painkiller cocktail

The Best Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles

When ever you have fresh cucumbers from your garden or the farmers market there is no better way to have them than to make homemade refrigerator pickles. This easy recipe is simple and doesn’t go through the canning process, instead we quickly make the pickles and they are ready to eat in 48 hours.

Ingredients:

3 pickling cucumbers, approximately 4 inches in length

3-5 sprigs of dill weed

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

Directions:

  1. In a small pot mix the vinegar, water, garlic, salt, sugar, peppercorns, and mustard seeds and bring to a simmer until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from heat to cool.
  2. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters and pack a pint-sized jar with the cucumbers, dill sprigs and bay leaf.
  3. After the brine has cooled down fill the jar to the top, completely covering the cucumbers.
  4. Close lid and place in the refrigerator. 
  5. You can eat them after 48 hours.  Enjoy.
The Best Refrigerator Dill Pickles

How to make the Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup is the simplest Chinese recipe and it is the perfect side dish when you make Chinese food at home. This easy recipe shows you how to make the best silky smooth soup and long strings of egg. This is the perfect soup to add to your next homemade Chinese dinner and your family and friends will think you purchased it from a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of white pepper

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. water

2 large eggs

1 tsp. sesame oil

chives for garnishment

Directions:

  1. Pour chicken broth into a small pot and heat on medium heat until starting to bubble.
  2. Mix corn starch and water in a small bowl and then pour into the chicken broth, stirring occasionally to prevent the corn starch from clumping.
  3. When the broth starts to boil turn off the heat and let cool until it stops boiling.
  4. Mix eggs in a bowl and pour into the warm chicken broth very slowly while stirring the eggs in. Make sure the broth has been removed from heat. If you pour the eggs in when the broth is boiling the eggs will break up into small balls instead of forming long silky strands.
  5. Add salt, pinch of pepper, and sesame oil and mix together.
  6. Serve and garnish with small cuttings of chopped chives.
  7. Enjoy!
The Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

How to make Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito (Copycat Recipe)

This must be said.  Taco Bell did not put beans in the chili cheese burrito!  There are so many copycat recipes out there that have beans and vinegar in the chili cheese burrito and those should not be in there.  I have no idea why anyone ever thought they should add vinegar, but that taste should not be in the chili cheese burrito.  I imagine that beans were added because someone was trying to figure out how to thicken the chili and every copycat recipe always has a comment from former Taco Bell employees telling everyone that beans do not go in the chili cheese burrito.  There is a secret ingredient that is used to thicken the chili and that is corn meal.  Believe me, this is 100 times better than the recipes with beans and vinegar and it is just like eating the chili cheese burrito from Taco Bell. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

6 cups cold water

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup all-purpose flour

6 ounce can tomato paste

2 tbsp mild chili powder

½ tsp jalapeno powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried onion flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp corn meal

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheese

6 Large burrito tortillas

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef in a pot, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan until browned then drain off excess grease
  2. In a 2 quart mixing bowl add water, cornstarch, flour, and corn meal. Whisk together until fully blended.
  3. Whisk in the tomato paste until fully blended into the liquid mixture.
  4. Stir into the liquid mixture the cayenne pepper, chili powder, jalapeno powder, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.  Mix will. 
  5. Add liquid mixture to the meat and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture hits a boil reduce to a simmer.
  6. Simmer for 45 minutes and stir from the bottom of the pot every 5 minutes to prevent the chili from sticking. 
  7. Once the chili is done simmering remove from heat.
  8. Place one large burrito tortilla on a microwave safe plate and spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese onto the tortilla keeping the cheese away from the edges of the tortilla.  (try to keep an edge of 2 inches without cheese).  Microwave for 30 seconds.
  9. Remove tortilla and melted cheese from microwave and scoop 1/3 cup chili onto the tortilla.  To roll up the burrito, fold in two opposite sides of the tortilla, then rolling from one of the other sides into a burrito.
  10. Enjoy!
Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito – Copycat Recipe (NO BEANS!)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a great snack and one of my favorite flavors is roasted red pepper hummus. It is so simple and easy to make and you can make this in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 can chick peas
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
3 tbsp. water
paprika (as garnish)
1 red bell pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to the Broil setting.
  2. On a cookie sheet split a red bell pepper and remove the seeds. Add the garlic clove to the cookie sheet.
  3. Place cookie sheet in the oven until the red pepper has light smoldering brown spots and is cooked from its own steam.
  4. While the red pepper is cooking in the oven mix lemon juice and tahini in a blender or food processor until it is “whipped”.   It is important to mix this first to get a smooth and creamy hummus. 
  5. Combine the remaining ingredients (except red pepper and garlic) and mix.
  6. If needed, add additional tablespoons of water until hummus reaches the desired consistency.
  7. Remove the red pepper and garlic from the oven before they get burned and add them to the food processor and mix with hummus mixture.
  8. Pour into a bowl and serve. You can sprinkle paprika on top or garnish with zaatar, or sesame seeds, and a small drizzle of olive oil.

I have omitted salt from this recipe because I feel it doesn’t need it, but you can add salt if you like to your taste. You can also get creative and add other flavors into your hummus such as avocado, black beans, or even ranch flavoring.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

French Toast Monkey Bread

Sunday morning breakfast just got better! We have combined French toast and Monkey Bread. This will be a game changer when you get your family or friends together for breakfast or brunch. This is easy to make and the combination of French toast, maple syrup and monkey bread is to die for.

Ingredients:

2 cans of biscuits
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
powder sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan
  3. In a large bowl combine the heavy cream, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Whisk together until all is mixed and there are no cinnamon clumps.
  4. Cut all the biscuits into quarters and place cut biscuits into the bowl with the egg mixture, mix together to coat each piece.
  5. Place the egg coated biscuit pieces into the Bundt pan.
  6. In a sauce pan mix together the maple syrup and butter until it starts to simmer and all butter is melted.
  7. Pour the syrup mixture into the Bundt pan over all the monkey bread pieces.
  8. Place in preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. TIP – place a cookie sheet in the oven below the Bundt pan to capture any of the mixture that may bubble over.
  9. When cooked remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  10. Remove Bundt cake from pan by placing a plate underneath and turning over.
  11. Pour over more syrup and sprinkle powdered sugar.
  12. Enjoy!
French Toast Monkey Bread

Click here to get the recipe to make homemade vanilla extract