Quote:Originally posted by ryan's mom:
[b]I still prefer homemade. It's so easy to do, and the taste is divine.
And virtually no risk of cross-contamination. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img][/b]
How do you make homemade cream cheese? I would love the recipe.

I'll reraise the cream cheese thread for you.
All you need is the bacteria culture, yogotherm container, cheese cloth, and cheese thermometer, all of which can be reasonably purchased from the New England Cheesemaking company.
[url="http://www.cheesemaking.com"]www.cheesemaking.com[/url]
Once you get the yogotherm, thermometer, and cheesecloth, they can be reused all the time. The bacteria cultures come 5 to a pack and can be stored/used right out of the freezer. It's about $5/pack and I use lite cream found in the grocery refridgerator section. It says not to use ultra-homogenized, but I get great results using that and that's the only cream I have access to.
Now let me find that old thread.

It's reraised under Snacks/Recipes.

I actually broke down and finally let my little one try Philadelphia's plain cream cheese today!!! She loved it with no negative effects. I've read positive things about it and have grown to trust Kraft products over the last year.

One of my S-I-L's is married to a Lebanese man, and they make labneh, which is a strained yogurt cheese, extrememly easy to do and tasted alot like cream cheese, I think.
I can post back exactly how to do it(as it was only told to me and I forget precisecly, but want to try it for the baby).
It was truly as easy as a quart of milk heated in a pan with a yogurt starter(just a cup of good quality active yogurt, like Stonyfield the first time, then you save some). I think you heat it, let it cool and it thickens, put it in a cheesecloth (or a special bag if you have a Middle Eastern market to get one) and strain overnight. The next day it is strained, and thick like cream cheese. I think some salt is added at some point. I just ried it over Thanksgiving and thought it remarkably like cream cheese. Also seems like a good base for seasonings for a spread or dip!
Anyway, if I do not get back, you can email me and I can send a more exact recipe, after I get it for myself. [email]imissmandms@hotmail.com[/email].
becca
[This message has been edited by becca (edited January 03, 2005).]

KathyAnn:
We have used Philadelphia cream cheese now for the last 2 years, with no problems. My DD is PA TNA, as well as mustard, sesame and eggs. I stick to the plain flavour.
chuser

I buy the plain flavor of a "store" brand or a name brand. I do not buy cream cheese at a bagel shop for fear of cross-contamination with some of their "mixed" cream cheeses.

here's my cream cheese experience. i've been feeding my year old son cream cheese on cinnimon raisin bread several times weekly recently. this morning i apparently put too much on, and he had it ALL over him! one particularly large mess was on his forehead, and it got super red underneath. he tested negative to milk and consumes dairy regularly (soy formula though)... so im not sure if it was a reaction to milk, reaction to x-contam or if it just irritated his skin bc i didnt wipe it up immediatley. it was philadelphia, plain. anyways, just my 2 cents for the day!

my cousins son had behavorial problems and certain foods affected him. she said cream cheese use to make his face red