An Attempt to Justify a One-use Gadget

Growing up in rural Iowa by parents who wished they were someplace else meant that periodically bits of 70s\80s foodie glamor made their way into our home in the form of exotic appliances. Among other items we had a sprouting system, a yogurt maker, a pasta maker and were earlier adopters of the food processor (a still functional almost 30 year old Cuisinart).

The yogurt maker disappeared, but I recently got sort of obsessed and bought myself one. Since I eat yogurt almost everyday, it is close to paying for itself already which I feel justifies my gadget indulgence. I really like being able to control the sugar levels and play around with unusual flavors. It results in yogurt that has a nice tang to it and flavors that don't taste "chemical." Some sample batches have included:

• Coffee
• Rhubarb
• Chai
• Lemon Ginger (this one may be my favorite so far)

2% milk seems to be the best compromise between satisfying creaminess without being flat out decadent and I've found no difference between using powdered yogurt culture or plain store bought yogurt for the starter.