Kid Tracks Column: Surprising items find place in first-aid kit

My family's first-aid kit has seen plenty of action over the years. The tweezers have regularly removed ticks and the baby wipes have saved us from poison ivy outbreaks. The plastic card has earned a permanent place in our kit since we discovered its leech removal abilities, and we always carry small bottles of meat tenderizer and Benadryl after our run-in with yellow jackets.

Our first-aid kit includes a couple of items we use all the time, which helps ensure that I use the kit regularly and know when it's time to replenish certain supplies.

As the weather warms and your family gears up to hit the trails, it's a good time to take a few minutes to organize your first-aid kit.

Here's an inventory of the Almeida family's kit (which we consider a constant work-in-progress) to get you started.

Band-Aids: We used to stock a variety of character and tattoo Band-Aids when the girls were younger because a minuscule scratch on a finger threatened to prevent us from moving another step. We still stock a variety of sizes and styles because even as teens, only the perfect one will do.

Hydrogen peroxide: A small bottle of this is a must as my girls refuse any contact with the "nasty" alcohol square.

Anti-itch cream: In the summer someone always has a mosquito bite. And although scratching a bite isn't a big deal, it can become an all-consuming irritant (especially if the bite is hard to reach while wearing a backpack).

Baby wipes: A multi-purpose item that has been helpful after the misguided steps we've taken into a poison ivy patch. By wiping our skin to remove the resins, we've been able to avoid an outbreak. Although soap and water are best, the key is to get the resins off quickly.

Meat tenderizer: A paste of water and tenderizer helps reduce the swelling of bee stings. This was a tip we learned from a pharmacist, and after our run-in with yellow jackets everyone in my family can attest to the fact that this odd-sounding remedy really does work.

Gum: This always helps calm down my girls when they get anxious or hurt.

Tweezers: We use these primarily for tick removal but also for the occasional splinter.

Moleskin: This stuff works a thousand times better than Band-Aids for blisters on your feet so it gets lots of use on our longer hikes (we pack a small pair of scissors as well).

Plastic card: I discovered the benefit of an expired plastic credit card while trying to remove leeches from my daughter. The firm, but flexible, scraping of an old plastic card does the job well and it works on newly attached ticks as well.

Eyeglass mini screwdriver: If you have a child with glasses then you know that if they're going to have a problem with their glasses, it's going to be somewhere really inconvenient. This little item came in handy fixing our flashlight once on the trail too.

Baby powder: This is great for sweating feet as well as the all-consuming irritant of chafed thighs and for sand removal between toes.

Sunblock and insect repellent: I keep these items in the first-aid kit because I use them frequently and this ensures I'm familiar with my kit's inventory.

OTHER ITEMS we carry include: antibiotic cream, Ace bandage, medical tape, ibuprofen/acetaminophen, feminine hygiene pads, nail clippers, emergency heater blanket, whistle, sewing kit, waterproof matches, safety pins, hair elastics, hand sanitizer and a flashlight.

I'd like to say our kit is light and easy to carry, but it's not. The girls have a smaller first-aid kit for our shorter adventures when we're not far from our car (and our larger kit).

But I think it's important to be prepared for an emergency (the real ones as well as the ones contrived by the little people in your life) when you're spending time outdoors. Oh, and trust me that the gum and preferred Band-Aid requests should be accommodated. That's a small price to pay for solid insurance for a fun family adventure.

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram March 11, 2012.

Make-your-own yogurt not just for the cultured elite

I thought making my own yogurt was beyond my busy lifestyle and cooking abilities when a farming friend suggested I give it a whirl. I'm a busy full-time working mom with two active kids, and I initially thought that if yogurt making were easy, everyone would be doing it.

There were a couple of aspects of the recipe that intimidated me:
1. It requires a candy thermometer.
2. The six to eight hours of "incubation" for the yogurt to set.

But I found these things were easily managed. Plus, knowing exactly what was in my yogurt -- as well as the cost-savings -- made homemade yogurt worth the effort.

I get my milk from a friend who raises Jersey dairy cows. My recipe reflects my own family's taste for a thick and creamy, but less-sweet, yogurt.

HOMEMADE VANILLA YOGURT
1 gallon of milk
¾ cup of sugar
¾ cup of dry milk
1 tablespoon of Madagascar vanilla bean powder (found at a natural food store)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of plain active-culture yogurt
Candy thermometer
Mason jars with lids

Heat the milk in a large pot on medium high heat. Do not set the heat on high, as it could scald the bottom of the pan. Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pot to monitor the milk's temperature. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat when the temperature reaches 180 degrees. Depending on your stovetop, this can take 20 to 30 minutes. When the temperature climbs to 150 degrees, keep a close eye on the milk, as the jump to 180 degrees happens quickly. It is important not to allow the milk to boil.

Once at 180 degrees, submerge the bottom of your pot in a pan with cold water and ice cubes to cool the milk quickly. Add sugar, dry milk and vanilla bean powder and stir well. The mixture needs to cool until it is 110 degrees, so keep the thermometer in the pan to monitor.

At 110 degrees, add the plain yogurt.

Mix the yogurt starter well before pouring into your mason jars. Place jars in a pot of warm water so that the water is just below the top of the jar. Then put the pot in the oven.

Set your oven at 110 degrees to incubate. This process can take 6 to 8 hours, depending on your taste preference. I prefer removing mine at the 6-hour mark to put in my refrigerator.
Recipe makes about 5 quarts of yogurt.

TIPS
• Yogurt cultures like bacteria, so avoid using commercial milk labeled "ultra-pasteurized." Local dairies typically offer less-processed (called flash pasteurized) milk, or you can connect with a local farmer to buy raw milk.

• Be sure to use only plain active-culture yogurt for your starter, and choose a quality yogurt. Using a vanilla or added-sugar yogurt will not work correctly.

• The dry milk I use makes my recipe into a thick, creamy yogurt that my kids like because it's similar to a commercial-brand consistency. You can use less for a thinner result. Another common thickener for yogurt is unflavored gelatin, but I prefer dry milk for the additional protein it offers.

• There are two ways to affect the sweetness of your yogurt. One is how much sugar you add, and the other is how long you incubate. Experiment with both to find a combination that suits your family's tastes.

• I use a combination of quart, pint and half-pint sized mason jars. This requires that I use a couple of different pots in the oven while incubating in the water bath, but the variation offers convenience for my family's lunch boxes.

• Fruit should not be added to homemade yogurt until after it is incubated and ready to eat.

• I use powdered vanilla bean because it is cheaper than an actual vanilla bean, and my family doesn't care for the faint alcohol taste of liquid pure vanilla extract.

• To make Greek-style yogurt, use a strainer lined with muslin and fill with yogurt. Put the strainer into a bowl and set in the refrigerator for about two hours. Scoop out the drained yogurt and add to single-serving containers. This method works for homemade or commercially processed yogurt. And if you have a dog, the drained liquid is a great healthy treat for your canine friend.

• To make frozen yogurt, add two cups of drained Greek-style yogurt along with one cup of milk, one cup of frozen fruit and two tablespoons of jam into a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into single serving containers (smaller containers freeze more quickly and minimize crystallization). Then place containers in the freezer overnight. My daughter packs one of these in her lunch box and by the time the lunch hour arrives, her container is a slush consistency, which she likes.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
You can see this recipe step-by-step, with pictures, as Wendy teaches Shannon Bryan how to make yogurt for her Pans on Fire blog.

Originally published in the Portland Press Herald's Food & Dining March 7, 2012