Smooth, creamy and so delicious!

It's Monday morning, the start of another busy week. Fortunately, my kids aren't big on a huge breakfast when they first wake up. Saturday's and Sunday's are when we typically make more elaborate breakfast fare, like roasted potatoes, eggs and homemade fluffy waffles topped with pure maple syrup. Yum!

Of course, that doesn't mean I don't want my kids to start their day with something delicious and nutritious. A popular option around here is yogurt. Top it with fresh fruit, honey and wheat germ, Muesli, granola or just eat it plain, it's always delicious.

It seems like the price of yogurt has been steadily climbing, even when it's on sale, those little yogurt cups can add up. I guess that's the cost of multiplying everything times 5! Anyway, in an effort to save money and ensure we have fresh yogurt without all the added sugar and artificial colors, I started making my own yogurt several years ago. You won't believe how incredibly simple it is to make and you can easily experiment with different flavors as well as different types of milk. Whether you use rice milk, almond milk, whole milk, 2% milk or soy milk, the end result is always delicious.

I usually make plain yogurt with no sweetener as well as vanilla (for the kids). For the vanilla yogurt, choose a good quality pure vanilla extract and the sweetener of your choice. You can use sugar, stevia, honey ... whatever you like.

You're going to need a yogurt starter for your first batch, but after you've made your own, simply hold back a few tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to use in your next batch. You can buy yogurt starters online or you can simply purchase a good quality plain yogurt at the grocery store. Be sure to read the label and choose a brand that has active yogurt cultures.

There are some great yogurt makers you can buy. They come complete with jars, timer and a warming element to keep your yogurt at the right temperature, but you can also easily get by without any special equipment. I use glass jars, a heating pad, kitchen thermometer and our old camping cooler. Nothing fancy is necessary.

All you'll need to make your own homemade yogurt is a few simple tools and the following ingredients:

• milk of your choice (organic, almond, soy, whole, 2%)
• dried or powdered milk
• sugar
• honey
• yogurt culture
• pure vanilla extract

Once you've tried making your own yogurt, you'll never go back to store bought!

For the complete recipe and step-by-step directions, visit DebbieNet.com

Debbie