So I am a very firm believer in Composting, most of the extra’s that my kitchen or house produces goes back to the critters on the farm, anything that can’t go to the critters goes into the compost piles, we have the compost piles for use in gardens and then a compost pile for things that can be composted but that you would not want on in or on your gardens.

We love our farm sales and I can honestly say that 99 percent of our home is filled with recycled items, I don’t have any issue with good quality second hand goods, I am a active and proud member of our Free Cycle programs within an hour of my farm, and I love our county’s twice yearly program of “find a treasure” at the curb program, where folks can put out their goodies for folks to bring home at will.

I got a yogurt maker in a box of kitchen wear for a dollar, so I guess it cost me about 5 cents, maybe, and when I plugged it in, I was pleased to see that it worked, but then realized that the lid was cracked, Being me, just covered it with a big thick towel and used it anyway but then about six months later it took a fall and the lid cracked in half.. sigh.. so now left with a working bottom but no top, now I keep my house on the cool side to say the least (I don’t have heat for about six months of the year even turned on, just extra blankets and layers)

Having said that, in winter it can be difficult to get my breads to rise like I woud like, I don’t have wood stove in my kitchen like a few lucky folks I know and I do a few trick’s that work well, like warming my flour before making my bread so that the very cold flour will not slow down the yeast as mixed in (thank’s for that great tip momma) and also I have been known to fill a large glass jar with boiling water and then setting it in the oven with the bread bowl as it will keep the oven warmer then the oven light alone.

I often like to make bread and then put part of it in the fridge to keep till the next day, and it needs a good amount of heat to re-rise, and I thought one day, why not turn on the bottom of the yogurt maker and put a bowl in and cover with towel! Wow, what a treat that is, its just warm enough to raise the bread beautifully and yet never warm enough to cause a issue.. its perfect.. Here is dough just out of the fridge being prepped again for use later.

So if you have trouble getting your bread to rise for whatever reason, I would highly recommed keeping an eye out for a yogurt maker, I did find one just like I have at Walmart with a new cost of ten dollars, but I would recommend watching at yard sales or Value Village etc, and I am sure you can find it for less.

Its always a fun idea to figure out how to get the most BANG for the buck out of things, Multi-tasking is a good thing indeed.