How do you spell stress relief? Y*O*G*U*R*T

Do you have an intelligent friend who is right a lot that you go to for advice? Do you make a fool out of yourself by later stating that you have stumbled upon the solution to the trial you have been experiencing, only to realize it was the solution your very intelligent friend suggested to you about a week before?

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Do you see where I am going with this?

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See, having my gestational diabetes crop up again was not only not a surprise, it was something I had planned for. I had not, however, planned to have it be far more difficult to control that last time. My routine of being conservative and counting carb-to-protein ratio worked great before, but is laughable now. I love it that every time I think I have something figured out and get all cocky about it I get the lovely opportunity to eat humble pie.

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Oh, wait. I can't have pie.

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Or bread. Or rice. Or starch of almost any kind. Basically I am on the hunter-gatherer diet. Meat, nuts, greens, and the occasional berry.

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I freaked out appropriately. I cried and pouted (shameful, but yes I did). I scientifically documented every blood test and every meal to try to mathematically deduce what I can and cannot eat. I have practiced the fine art of self-flagellation every time I got it wrong.

Good times, good times.

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I have cut every possible offender off the list of food I can eat, and still, perfection has not been attained. So it suddenly dawned on me the other day that I am doing the very best I possibly can, and I need to stop freaking out about it.

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Uh, yeah. Like Ellen suggested a week or two ago.

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Why is it that we (read "I", I just said we to make myself feel better) need so many tries to learn the same lesson? I am not in control. God is. I can only do my best, and give the rest to him.

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So, I am.

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I am being strict in my food choices, AND I am being kinder to myself about the results.

Who knew it was possible to do both?

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In the process, I have learned how to make homemade high-protein yogurt and high-protein granola, in case you wanted to know. Someone should benefit from my freak outs, after all. They took a lot of energy! So, you go make yogurt, and I will go pretend to be all zen.

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Ohhhmmmm.

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Yogurt:

No brainer. The more you think about it the more you mess it up.

Here is the short recipe;

Boil milk

cool it

add yogurt starter

stir it

put it in the oven with the light on over night.

eat it.

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You can make yummy yogurt for the kids that is only as inexpensive as the milk, and without all of the conditioners and high fructose corn syrup, colors, artificial flavors and thickeners .

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My kids like it better than the store's. Points for mama.

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Here are the details, but again, don't over think them.

Bring 8 cups of milk to boil, stirring constantly (use a thermometer if you have one, because it takes longer for the visible boil to happen while stirring. Just get it to 180 degrees).

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Turn on the oven light (no heat, just the light).

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Let the pot cool to about room temp. I boil the milk after dinner and then go do the whole bedtime routine. By the time I am ready for bed, it is ready for the next step.

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Dump in a cup of plain yogurt and whisk it in well.

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Set the pot in the oven (close it). Don't touch it again till morning.

The yogurt will look solid in the morning, but it stirs into a very thin texture. If you like it thicker, strain it. The more you strain it, the thicker it is and the lower the carbs. I strain the heck out of mine, but I make the kids a normal texture.

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Add what you want.

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The kids just like vanilla and sugar or honey in theirs. I eat mine with the granola (below) and xylitol (a natural low glycemic index sweetener made in Finland from birch trees), or instead of sour cream on my food.

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If you add ground berries, they will add liquid which can make the yogurt thinner, so strain it more if you want it to stay thicker. The longer you let it sit in the oven, the more sour it will be. The more you strain it, the less you will have volume wise. Some folks use the liquid they strain for cooking. I don't. The texture is a little lumpy looking and the liquid will separate, (no chemicals to keep it perfect looking); just stir before eating.

(Straining 12 cups worth through cheesecloth)

(Straining 3 cups worth through a coffee filter and metal strainer.)

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High Protein Granola:

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup wheat germ

1-2 cups raw oats

1 cup peanut butter

1-3 egg whites

Mix well (use hands at the end) and bake on a sheet pan at 250, stirring once in a while till it's golden and crunchy. Throw in other things like crasins (I put mine in the food processor to chop them up tiny and keep the carbs low) and almond slices. Sweetener can be added optionally.

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For the kids I add sugar, honey, cinnamon and vanilla to taste.

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And I make all of it in a dress with high heals and pearls on, while butterflies and bluebirds fly sweetly around the kitchen bringing me the ingredients.

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ha.