Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

My family LOVES yogurt! We eat it plain, add berries, cook with it, or use it as a replacement for sour cream! This yogurt is deliciously thick and creamy while having just the right amount of tartness to it. Yogurt is already simple to make, but the instant pot shortens the hands on time and ensures consistent results.

Equipment:

Instant pot

Steaming rack

Glass container to fit on the steaming rack inside the instant pot

Funnel

Ingredients:

Whole Milk - enough to fill the glass container almost to the top.

2 tbsp yogurt

Water from your tap at the hottest setting 

Directions:

1) BOIL: Pour the milk into the instant pot and close the lid. Put the glass container on the steaming rack. Put the vent in the sealed position. Press yogurt; then press adjust so the display reads boil.

2) STERILIZE: When the milk boils (in about 30 minutes), open the lid and pour the milk back into the glass container. If you have a thermometer, put it in the milk, but you don’t need one. 

3) COOL: Wait until the temperature is between 110 F to 115 F (about 50 minutes to an hour). My thermometer broke, so I wash my hands and use my finger to measure the temperature—If I can keep my finger in the milk, it’s ready for the starter yogurt. If it’s a comfortable temperature, it’s too cold. 

4) STARTER: In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of yogurt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooled down milk from the glass container. Mix gently and pour the mixture back into the glass container. Mix it all up gently (don’t blend).

5) WATER BATH: Turn your tap water on to its hottest setting. Put the steaming rack with the glass container into the instant pot. Use the tap water to create a water bath around the glass container, filling water all around it. Use a funnel to ensure water does not get inside the glass container.

6) INCUBATE: Close the instant pot and press yogurt. The display should show 8:00. The instant pot will maintain incubation temperature for 8 hours.

7) REFRIGERATE: After 8 hours, remove the glass container from the instant pot, place the lid on it, and place in the refrigerator.

8) ENJOY: your fresh homemade yogurt!

* I use whole milk, but skim, reduced fat, and even cream will work.
* For more tart yogurt, incubate for a longer time. For less tart yogurt, incubate for a shorter time.

*Adapted from: https://trinaholden.com/easiest-yogurt-recipe-ever/ and https://instantpot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DUO-Series-Manual-English-January-24-2018-web.pdf

Qur’an Memorization Tips

1) The night before you memorize, read the word for word translation of the portion you’re memorizing. Study it so you understand and internalize what the words and verses mean as you recite. This will not only help you during memorization and review, but also in implementing what you memorize.

2) The night before you need to memorize, read from the mushaf the portion you need to memorize until it’s easy on your tongue. That means it rolls off your tongue smoothly, without any hesitation. Make sure you do this with proper tajweed so your tongue is used to the correct recitation. For some people this is 10 times, for others it’s 40. If it’s easy on your tongue, it will be easy to memorize.

3) Listen to it on repeat. You can listen to it as you’re falling asleep, while you’re cooking, doing your chores, or any other time your body is doing work that is automatic and does not require much thought. It’s amazing how much just hearing the Qur’an will aid in memorizing it—even if you think you’re not an auditory learner.

4) Mark your mistakes. If you keep forgetting a certain word, circle it in pencil, or make a box around it, and repeat that word with the word before and after it. When you’re reciting it from memory, the mark will help you remember the spot on the page where you were messing up—even if you think you’re not a visual learner.

5) Recite to someone before you recite to your teacher. If you do not recite your new lesson to your teacher daily, you need to find someone who will listen to your new memorization the day you memorize it. It also helps to have someone listen to the combined new lessons the day you’re reciting to your teacher, to make sure your recitation is free from hesitation and mistakes. For example, if you recite to your teacher once a week have someone else listen to your new lesson daily. Also, have someone listen to all 7 days of lessons combined right before reciting it to your teacher. 

6) This last tip is only relevant if you get nervous when reciting to your teacher, and your mind goes blank: Stay around 2 days ahead of what you need to recite to your teacher. That way, when you get nervous, you still remember your lesson, because it’s 2 days old (and you’ve been maintaining your review!!).

Choc-oat-late Truffles Recipe

These truffles taste like delectable, chocolatey, crunchy bites of heaven in your mouth. They are sweetened with nothing but dates, and use only wholesome ingredients.  When your sweet tooth strikes, whip up a batch of these and enjoy them guilt-free! Be warned: One truffle is never enough...at least for my family ;-p

Ingredients:

1 packed cup pitted medjool dates
1 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 to 2/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions: 

1) Put all the ingredients except the almonds in food processor. Blend until the mixture turns into a ball. If the mixture isn't sticky enough, add more coconut oil and keep blending.

2) Add sliced almonds and pulse until just mixed, or mix them in by hand. The more almonds you add, the crunchier the truffle will be.

3) Roll into small balls.

4) Refrigerate (if you have the patience to wait).

5) Enjoy!