Corn and yogurt

We have some farmland and rent a portion of it to a farmer. This year instead of pumpkins decking the fields, it was corn. The market is flooded so the corn is going to be chopped for the animals. But before that, it's a help yourself deal to all the corn we want.

We had so much fun calling friends to come and join us in the corn collection then picking hundreds of ears and peddling it to the neighbors. Thank you God and thanks to you the farmer. You've worked so hard and may God bless you in being a giver but also in taking the loss. In ways you have no idea, farmer, you have given to the poor and needy.

We had all the corn we wanted - 4 acres to be exact. We froze nine quarts and still have more to work up tomorrow. Corn is not our number one favorite vegetable. Pssst, to us, it's more like a starch. We use it mostly for cornbread and taco soup with only a rare occasional side dish to the main course meal.

We've also got six boxes of second hand peaches for $5 each per half bushel and have our work cut out. When I worked up peaches a few days earlier, I tried canning peach pie filling for the first. It turns out to be favorite of my husband's. And with the homemade yogurt parfait binge we are in right now, it's gonna take a whole lot more than ten quarts of peach pie filling.

(As for mentioning the price, in years to come, it will be more meaningful to our family. I wish I would know how much stuff cost for my Mom when she was in my shoes.)

The yogurt recipe I currently use is as follows:

One gallon milk - heat to 190°

Soak 2½ - 3 T. plain gelatin (Knox or I buy it in bulk) in ½ cup water

½ cup sugar

Add gelatin and sugar to milk and cool to 125°

Add a few drops vanilla flavoring and 4 T. plain yogurt.

Currently, I use the Dannon live cultured yogurt.

You can also save some each time you make yogurt.

Whisk until smooth.

Pour in 5 quarts wide mouth glass jars and set in a lunch cooler.

Then cover with warm water from your kitchen faucet.

I used to boil it, but I found it's too hot to set the yogurt.

Ideally, it's best to have the water about 110°.

Let set for 4-10 hours. The longer you leave it set, the stronger the yogurt.

Most times it's set in 6 hours. Sometimes I've forgotten about the yogurt and left it set all night and it was stronger. But to all of us, it's been o.k. as we use our canned pie filling and a little homemade granola to sweeten the deal.