SoyMilk Crossroads

What can you do with that pot of soymilk you just made?  I personally make four pots of soymilk each week.  That’s for a household of two.  And the other person isn’t into the whole soy thing as much as I am.

 Great Soymilk Uses 

Soymilk:  Two of the pots are just for the milk.  We use it for cereal, smoothies, and whatever cooking we do that calls for milk.  I love to experiment with different flavors.  But I always come back to the vanilla for some reason.  Addicted, I guess.
 

Tofu:  One pot of milk made in the Soyabella Soymilk Maker can in turn be used to make one block of tofu with the Soyabella Tofu Kit.  It’s a small mold and when you look at it, you just don’t think the tofu mixture will fit.  But it does.  Again, I experiment each week to see what I can with that tofu.
 

Yogurt:  One pot of milk is a liter (about a quart), which is exactly the amount that fills the seven yogurt jars in the Yolife Yogurt Maker.  But then if you want more than that, you can use whatever jars you like.  Some weeks I have to break down an make a second batch of yogurt.  When I use it in the smoothies, it can go fast.
 

Okara:  This is the wonderful by-product that you get with each pot of soymilk that you make.  It’s the bean pulp that’s left in the milk screen.  Each pot yields about 3/4 cup.  You can use it much the same way that you use tofu.  It’s loaded with protein.  Those of you throwing it away, well, you may want to look at other options.  There are some wonderful Okara recipes available.  My favorite is the Okara Burger Recipe.
 

Choices!  If you get tired of just drinking the soymilk, you may want to branch out and start experimenting with these other delights. 

You know that soy yogurt is delicious and nutritious. But did you know that it can also be part of your regular skin care routine? The formula below will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth, and nourished.

The Formula

Combine two tablespoons plain, unsweetened soy yogurt, one tablespoon oatmeal, and one tablespoon honey. Massage the mixture into your skin and let it sit for two to three minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
 

Use this treatment once a week to keep your skin smooth and youthful-looking. And keep eating soy yogurt to improve your health from the inside out.

When you’re cooking or baking without dairy, it’s not always easy to find suitable substitutions. Even if the grocery store has the dairy free alternative you need, you don’t always want to buy a whole container for just one serving. So what do you do when you want just a little of something?

Use What You Have

You can get creative in the kitchen and substitute things you already have on hand. If you’re making tacos or baked potatoes and want a non-dairy sour cream, mix a spoonful of plain soy yogurt with a drop or two of lemon juice.
 

When you want to make pudding from a mix, using soy milk will prevent the pudding from setting properly. Use less soy milk and add 1/4 cup of cornstarch to make the pudding set correctly.
 

Want a creamy salad dressing that’s free of dairy? Blend a block of tofu with an envelope of onion soup mix (make sure the soup is non-dairy) and enjoy on your favorite veggies. And when you’re making a dip that calls for cream cheese, tofu is a great substitute.
 

Blended tofu, added to vegetable broth, makes a delicious non-dairy cream soup base. Plain, unsweetened soymilk makes excellent creamy mashed potatoes.

Be Brave and Discover New Soy Substitutes

Experimenting with tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt in recipes is the best way to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to try new things and discover how great dairy-free tastes!

We have this small raspberry patch in our back yard.  It’s going crazy this year, we’ve never seen it produce so many raspberries.  So we’re doing raspberries on our cereal, in pancakes, on yogurt, they are everywhere. 
 

My favorite use for them is in my smoothies.  This isn’t the greatest picture.  I took it fast so I could get on with making my breakfast.
 

Next to the glass of raspberries is a jar of plain soymilk yogurt.  I make a new batch of yogurt each week. Mostly so I can add them to my smoothies.  They are loaded with all those wonderful bacteria cultures.  And of course, the banana.  I prefer my mine on the rip side, thus the development of dark spots on the skin.  Then the large container is what’s left of my soymilk.  Time to make another quart.
 

So, I pour about one cup of soymilk into the blender, throw in the other three items and blend away until I have a smooth drink.  If I want it a little colder and with some crunch, I’ll add 3 or 4 ice cubes.
 

Every once in a while I’ll be evil and sneak in a little chocolate to the mix.  Everyone knows how well raspberries and chocolate goes together! 

This is the very basic, bare bones recipe for homemade plain yogurt.  There are so many variations to this, the adventure is just beginning.
 

Ingredients

• 1 liter (about 34 oz.) Milk or Soymilk
• 1/4 tsp. Yolife Starter Culture or other cultures
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered milk (optional)

Directions

1. Heat milk or soymilk slowly while stirring.  If desired, stir in powdered milk.
2. Turn off heat before milk reaches boiling point. (175-185 degrees F.)
3. Let milk cool to 104-113 degrees F. (lukewarm)
4. Add yogurt cultures. 
5. Place mixture in Yogurt Maker, let stand until a firm curd is formed.
6. Refrigerate Yogurt until ready to eat.

Note:  Incubation time in the Yogurt Maker can vary anywhere from 4 to 10 hours depending on the type of milk and yogurt cultures used.  Many yogurt markers recommend 8 hours.  Some yogurt starters ferment faster than that.  Check out the Yogurt FAQ page for more details and tips.

I love my yogurt maker!!  Making your own yogurt at home has never been easier.  And you’ll save so much money doing it yourself.

You Choose Your Milk.

• Soymilk
• Regular Pasteurized Milk
• Whole, lowfat, skim
• Sterilized Milk
• Powdered Milk
• Fresh Milk (you should boil and filter)

Activate Your Milk.

Use 1 gram of Yolife Yogurt Starter Culture for every 1 liter of milk.  Or use other yogurt starter cultures according to their specific instructions. 

Flavoring for Your Yogurt.

After making your yogurt, create flavors by mixing in fresh fruit, jams, or preserves.  Or try adding ingredients into your activated milk before putting it into the Yolife Yogurt Maker, such as fruit syrups, coffee, jams or jellies, preserved fruit, or fresh fruit.

Start the Maker!

Pour the cultured milk into containers, cover with lid, plug in and in 8 to 12 hours, you have fresh yogurt.
 

A nice feature with this unit is the tall cover that is included.  You can use your own larger containers and make up to 80 oz. at a time.

Healthier and Less Expensive.

You’ll be eating fresh cultured yogurt that’s fully impowered with the good bacteria needed in the digestive system.  Store bought has additives so that it can be trucked around the country and sit on shelves.
 

If you’re a yogurt lover, this unit can pay for itself within a month.  Then it will cost pennies to make what you pay dollars for every week in the store.