Make yogurt at home! (It's so easy.)

I've been reveling in the glory of a Pinterest success story for a few months now, and it's about time I share the pin with you. Here's the thing: I've been making my own yogurt. It's so easy, and saves me so much money—because seriously, we eat yogurt all the time. Like, ALL THE TIME. And yogurt (the good stuff) isn't cheap.

So here's how it all started:

A few months ago, one of my friends from the gym brought be that little jar of homemade yogurt. She has a yogurt maker, and we somehow got to talking about yogurt one day, which then led to her bringing some in for me—and I'm so glad she did because, literally, she changed my life. My yogurt experiences have never been the same.

Of course, I immediately got online to find the yogurt machine she told me about. Essentially, it heats up little jars of milk, which got me thinking about my crockpot. Because obviously I can heat milk in my crockpot, right? So I did what any curious person does these days.

I got on Pinterest.

And that's where I found Michelle's recipe for crockpot yogurt.

It's essentially the most amazing thing I've ever pinned.

Now, instead of spending a fortune on yogurt from week to week, I buy a half gallon of whole milk and a single container of plain Greek yogurt. And then I multiply it.

Seriously, that's all you need to make your own yogurt. No sugar, no anything. Just milk and a single thing of yogurt (for the bacteria cultures). With a little patience, it turns into a shoebox-size Glad container full of yogurt.

I mean, you don't make the container (obviously).

You make the yogurt, which you then top with your favorites.

Take a look at Michelle's recipe for all the directions. It does take some planning because there are a few steps involved, but the steps are not complicated and take maybe two seconds of your time. I have it down to a science. My yogurt day looks something like this:

2:30PM Put milk in crockpot.
5:00PM Turn off crockpot.
8:00PM Add yogurt.

And then the following morning, I have fresh yogurt, which I usually put into the container and then into the fridge to chill (and then I eat it at lunch).

It's so good.
So much better than the store stuff.

It's not at all sour like Greek yogurt, which actually doesn't bother me.

But you could eat this plain without a problem. Even my daughter does, although we usually add a touch of honey and some cinnamon before adding fruit or whatever.

Literally, it costs me like $4.00 to make enough yogurt for almost two weeks, depending.

One thing I haven't tried: Using the yogurt I make to make the next batch of yogurt. So far, I've always just purchased that single carton of plain yogurt. Confession: Mostly because I don't have the discipline to leave a cup of yogurt aside to make the next batch.

When I want yogurt, I want yogurt. Know what I'm sayin'?

Question: Do you make anything at home so that you don't have to spend money (or as much money) on it at the store? I need more make-at-home ideas!