Corked Check In - Week 7

No new purchases!

Corked Check In - Week 6

Oops!  I totally forgot that I had a Stitch Fix scheduled to come in February.  If you aren't familiar with Stitch Fix, it is a service where you fill out style preferences for clothes and a stylist from Stitch Fix sends you items based on your choices to purchase.  It's a personal shopper company. 

It had been months since I scheduled the "fix", making sure it was after our daughter's wedding.  I had totally forgot about it until I received a notice in my email saying the items were on the way.  I quickly changed the site setting to no more fixes unless I requested them.  I'm not supposed to be buying new items this year.

The box arrives and... I loved everything inside.  I truly didn't think I would because my first shipment from them I returned every single item.  The clothes in the first box were exactly everything I had said I didn't like in clothes and sadly, I looked like I was wearing a garbage bag.  Not this time. 

I'm out $165.41.  Big FAIL

I have to admit, I needed jeans.   Mine were starting to be worn and I had looked a few times at the thrift stores, but I dislike trying on jeans.  For every 10 you try on, you are lucky if one fits.  The jeans sent to me from Stitch Fix were perfect.  Stretchy, soft, high enough on my waist, worth it. And the shirts were so soft!  I didn't really need the purse, but if you get everything your total is 25% less, so new purse it is. 

In other news, I went to the thrift store this week and bought NOTHING!  That's right.  Normally I can find some trinket, but the few things I did look at, I talked myself out of.  I hope this is a sign I am getting more realistic with my shopping and not because the thrift store didn't have anything good. 

6th week total:  $165.41 on new clothes. 

I have bought so few things lately for myself the fact that I decided to keep the clothes made me really happy!  I wonder if I would have been as happy if I had been buying new clothes at my normal rate. 

Corked Check In- Week 5

Nada
Zip
Zero

No "new" purchases for this past week.

I did, however, purchase a stack of used books at Goodwill for Elle and myself.  This is always a thrill and I highly doubt it will ever stop.

In other news, FOUR items were fixed in our household by my husband, JR, this week.

Washing Machine
Dishwasher Rack
Plug on my Percolator Coffee Pot
Windshield Washer Pump on Daughter's Car


Our washing machine started acting wonky a while back.  It wouldn't rinse and spin properly during a normal cycle.  I would have to put it in a designated spin cycle and even then it wouldn't always work. Error codes would pop up saying power failure and too much suds, etc.  I also had noticed, every now and then, there was a faint sewage smell. JR thought it was the pump, so ordered the part.  It came in and JR removed the front of the washer to replace the old parts. 
P U!!!  There sat the filter, FULL of gross smelling artifacts from who knows how long ago.  We got this washing machine 13 years ago and never knew this filter existed.  Yuck and double yuck.  JR cleaned it out and never did have to replace the pump.  He is deciding if he should hold on to it or send it back. 

About half the time I pulled the top drawer of my dishwasher out to load or unload dishes, the dang thing came off the tracks.  Cheap plastic parts were the culprit and it had cracked.  JR ordered the parts and now I have 2 new metal brackets on my dishwasher.  This dishwasher has been a gem, not.  It's a Kenmore, like our washing machine, but it is only 4 years old.  JR has already replaced the heater inside because it wasn't heating the water properly and fixed a pump part that was broken causing the sprayers not to work right.  Kenmore, I have always loved you, but you have been letting me down lately. 

Speaking of dishwashers, my sister, Alison, told me she fills her jet dry compartment with white vinegar.  I looked it up online and there were mixed reviews, some people said it was bad for the machine, other people raved about it.  I decided to try it and so far so good! My dishes come out sparkly!


Our daughter Morgan's car is old. It's better than walking, but little things break from time to time, big things, too, but this time it was it's windshield wiper fluid pump.  It took Mr. Fix-it less than 30 minutes to replace and now she can see through clean glass again. 

Last, but definitely not the last fix he will do around here, was the cord to my electric percolator.  A few of our outlets have stiff plugs and the one I use to brew my coffee is one of them.  I plug and unplug the coffee plug almost every day and I guess I loosened the wires or whatever causes it not to work. I would have to lift the cord and set it on something to have it give the coffee pot electricity. JR replaced the end of the plug for me and now it works like new. 

It pays to fix things.  The amount of money spent on parts was minimal to replacing these items.  Of course, you have to have knowledge how to fix things, but with the internet, it is so easy to find instructions on just about everything.  I lucked out and have a guy who will take the time to fiddle and repair items around the house and yard because then I don't have to do it, but he saves us a ton of money.  When in doubt, figure it out. 

Let's Talk Yogurt

When my girls asked what I wanted for my birthday back in October, I considered the Instant Pot.  I wasn't sure if I really needed it since I already had a crock pot, pressure cooker canner, stove, oven, toaster, waffle iron, sandwich press, dehydrator, you name it, but then I saw the little yogurt button.  

I had never made yogurt before!  I love making foods from scratch.  Not only can you remove all the preservatives and mystery ingredients companies add to their products, but you can limit the sugar.  Want blueberry yogurt?  No problem.  Plain?  Great!  I know you can purchase yogurt makers, but I wanted an all-in-one pot that could do multiple things and become my new favorite appliance.  

I told my daughters and before I knew it, I had a brand new Instant Pot on my counter. I am spoiled that way. I tried a few entrees, mostly stew or soup type meals and wasn't majorly impressed, but not disappointed either.  Finally, I bit the bullet and looked up what I would have to do to make some yogurt in this bad boy.  Barely anything! 

I needed 2 ingredients:  2 qts. organic whole milk and 2 TBSP of yogurt with live cultures.  I found Activia yogurt at our local grocery store with the probiotic culture Bifidobacterium animalis lactis.  (I felt very smart there for a second.)

I poured the milk into my sterilized instant pot, then you heat it, cool it, add the yogurt starter and then wait about 8 hours depending how tangy you want it.  This is the recipe I followed:  https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-yogurt/

Instant Pot Yogurt #12

 

Prep

30 mins

Cook

9 hrs 30 mins

Total

10 hrs

 

Foolproof Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe #12 (Pressure Cooker Yogurt): Step-by-Step Guide on how to make smooth, thick & creamy homemade yogurt based on 12 experiments.

Author: Amy + Jacky | Pressure Cook Recipes

Cuisine: World

Serving: 2 L

Ingredients

• 2 litres (1/2 gallon) Whole Foods 365 Organic 3.8% Whole Milk
• 32 grams (a little more than 2 tbsp) Dannon/Danone 4% Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures

Instructions

1. Optional Equipment Sterilization: Place 2 cups of cold water and a trivet in the Instant Pot. Place silicone spatula, Pyrex glass measuring cup, and tablespoon measuring spoon in the Instant Pot. Close the lid and move the Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Sterilize everything at High Pressure (Use the manual/pressure cook button) for 3 minutes + natural release. Or Sterilize on Stovetop: sterilize the equipment (including meat thermometer) on stovetop by boiling them for 10 minutes. After sterilization, air dry the equipment on a clean rack.
2. Heat Milk to 180°F - 200°F to Denature the Protein: Pour 2L (1/2 gallon) of Organic 3.8% whole milk in the inner pot. Close lid (venting knob position doesn’t matter). Use the Yogurt More function to boil the milk to at least 180°F. It will say “boil” on the screen. It will take roughly 35 – 40 minutes. The Instant Pot screen will change to “yogt” when the boiling is done.
3. Check Milk Temperature: Open the lid. Check the milk temperature immediately in a few spots and make sure the milk is over 180°F. Stir with a silicone spatula and check the temperature again to make sure the milk is over 180°F. *Pro Tip: If the milk is not over 180°F, close the lid and heat the milk with the Slow Cook Less function for another 15 minutes.
4. Prepare Yogurt Starter: After the milk is heated over 180°F, place 32g (a little more than 2 tbsp) Dannon/Danone 4% Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures into the Pyrex glass measuring cup. Do not add the yogurt starter to the hot milk, as it will kill the bacterial cultures. (If you sterilized the measuring cup, make sure it has cooled to the touch).
5. Cool Milk to 111°F: You can leave the pot on counter-top and wait until the milk cool to 111°F. Or alternative method to quickly cool down the milk temperature: Fill a larger pot or kitchen sink with cold tap water. Partially submerge the inner pot with heated milk into the cold tap water. Stir the milk in a circular motion with a silicone spatula and frequently measure the temperature. It will take 2 – 4 minutes to cool the milk to 111°F. Remove the pot from cold water immediately. *Pro Tip: Try not to touch the bottom of the pot with the spatula as it may have some milk solid stuck to the bottom of the pot.
6. Add Yogurt Starter: Add ½ cup of 111°F milk to the Pyrex glass filled with yogurt starter. Gently mix it with the tablespoon measuring spoon. Pour the yogurt milk mixture in the inner pot and give it a few gentle stirs with silicone spatula.
7. Yogurt Incubation: Place inner pot back in the Instant Pot. Close lid (Venting Knob position doesn’t matter) and use the Yogurt Normal Function to incubate the yogurt. Adjust the time to 8:00 – 12:00 depending on how tangy you like your yogurt (longer time = more tangy). You can open the lid for a taste test once the yogurt is set. Roughly 6 hours. *Pro Tip: Don’t disrupt the fermentation process by moving the Instant Pot or opening the lid. Wait until it is set (roughly 6 hours) before opening the lid.
8. Stop the Incubating Process: Once the yogurt has reached the desired tangy level, remove the inner pot of yogurt and place it in the fridge for a few hours to stop the incubating process. The yogurt will also thicken a little.
9. Serve: Plain yogurt is done. Serve by adding sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup. Add fruits, granola or your favorite toppings. The sky is limit! ? *Pro Tip: If the yogurt is too runny, you can strain the yogurt with a yogurt strainer.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 10 Calories: 145 Fat: 8.5g Saturated fat: 5.1g Carbohydrates: 11.1g Sugar: 10.3g Sodium: 86mgFiber: 0g Protein: 7.9g Cholesterol: 26mg

It was so easy and absolutely DELICIOUS!!!  I was totally blown away.  The texture was creamy and smooth, I loved it, we all did.  I made a strawberry and blueberry fruit compote for the bottom of the container using honey, but think in the future I will make it, but leave it in a separate container to stir in right before. This way we aren't stuck with what I have put in there and can choose the flavors we want.

For the compote, I basically put about 2 cups fruit in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and 2 TBSP honey and simmered it until it thickened up.  After it cooled, I put about 1/4 Cup compote on the bottom of the container, then topped it with the yogurt, I put lids on the jars then put them in the refrigerator. 

  

We ate plenty, just like this, but I also used them in smoothies, made popsicles and topped a jar or two with homemade granola.  All I can say is do it!  You will not be disappointed!  We saved money, ate healthier and relished the superior taste over grocery store yogurt. 

Corked - January Totals

Here you have it!  1 month of purchases that were not consumable and not used.  

Grand total spent:  $40.60 

None of these items have been opened yet.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.  3 of the items were on sale, but the gate clicker wasn't.  

My goal for February is NO purchases that aren't consumable or used.  Wish me luck!