The Learning Curve Nearly Took Me Out

Have you ever tried doing something you thought you knew how to do and that should be easy?  Well, there are times when the learning curve smacks you right upside the head and you hit every branch of the stupid tree on the way down.

Frozen Yogurt.  That is all I thought about since the purchase of the yogurt maker.  Frozen gobs of healthy homemade deliciousness.  I lusted, even, after the taste of that creamy dreamy substance on my tongue.  I had visions of blueberries.....and strawberries........and chocolate even swirled around my bowl full of the most incredible ingredients of great goodness.

And I put wheels in motion to achieve all that.....and more!  I researched then ordered the ice cream maker for the Kitchenaid mixer before we left for the cruise.  I did that because they said it would take 6 to 8 weeks to deliver and I figured two would already be over when we got back.  When we got back, the box clearly saying it was an ice cream maker for the kitchenaid mixer sat on my front porch.  Well, at least it had not been stolen by some person lusting after the taste of homemade ice cream.

Fine, I had my equipment.  Now to make the yogurt.  It takes 10 hours to make yogurt so Monday night I made it.  And forgot it.  I fell asleep and it was about 4 hours overdue being taken out of the yogurt maker.  Fortunately, it turns off automatically but Frank was convinced it was bad and said he would refuse to eat any of it.  I am hoping it will disguise itself as frozen yogurt when I serve it to him tonight.

So, all that aside, I have frozen the container for 18 hours, and made the yogurt for about as many and now am ready to make frozen yogurt.  I had planned on making chocolate but ate the chocolate morsels yesterday.  So vanilla it was.  The yogurt was honey vanilla.

Instruction book in hand, I got the bowl ready to attach to the mixer.  It wouldn't.  The adapter would not fit into the plate.  I took the adapter off and it fit without it.  One down.  Then I read the part where you attach the stirrer to the mixer and tried to do that, but it would not fit the way they said it should.  No amount of pushing would make that stirrer go on.  Thinking about the adapter deal, I turned the stirrer around and wouldn't you know, it went right on.

Then I tried to put the paddle on and realized that when you lower the head it fits into the paddle.  So I did that, tested it and it worked nicely.  Good so far.

Next, I needed the yogurt.  I took the paddle out of the bowl, took the bowl off the mixer and added the yogurt to the bowl, replaced everything, fitted the stirrer to the paddle and turned it on.  All I got was a CLICK CLICK CLICK as the stirrer moved and the paddle froze in place.

I had to think about that one.  OK.  Maybe I needed to put the yogurt in when the paddle was already in so it would not freeze so fast.  Got a couple of utensils and dolloped the near frozen yogurt out into another bowl, replaced the paddle, turned it all on and proceeded to spoon the yogurt back into the bowl.

What a mess!  I had yogurt everywhere!  I need to figure out how to get the yogurt in there with less mess next time.  While I was getting yogurt everywhere, it did appear that the rig was working and yogurt was freezing and churning.

I had no idea how long it has been churning.  I decided to taste it.  I turned the mixer off and tasted it.  Yuck!  Needs sweetener to work.  I got the honey out and put about 1/2 cup in there.  I am estimating because my honey has turned to sugar and has to be taken out with a knife.

I turn the mixer back on only to find I have frozen the paddle to the bowl.  I get the spoons out to extricate the paddle and it gets back to working again.  I taste again.  No change, so I add more honey.  Hmmmm.  Something is not right.  I think I see globs of frozen honey in there.   Yep.

So I get the stevia out and sweeten it that way, which works this time.

Then I decide it is done.  So I get a container ready, I don't turn it off this time because I remember the last time that happened.  Once everything is ready, I turn the mixer off and begin spooning the yogurt into the container to place in the freezer.  I need a spatula because the sides are freezing the remains, and while I am putting the container in the freezer, I freeze the spoon to the mixer bowl.

I get the spatula and scrape the bowl clean into the container, and promptly freeze the spatula to the bowl.

What a mess this is, everywhere!  I place the container in the freezer and clean everything up.  While drying, I freeze the dish towel to the bowl.  Go figure.

But this is the reward later.  It was worth it.

glen

PS for those who think like Frank, I did pick the mint from the garden and YES, I did wash it off.....