Kefir Kreations - Recipes That Make Use of Kefir

Kefir Kreations 

I love "Keffe" as it is called in my home.  I use kefir for a wide variety of recipes.  I've highlighted three recipes I use quite frequently: Smoothies, Ricotta-style Kefir Cheese and Pancakes.

Making Smoothies

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs nut butter (I like almond)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz of kefir milk
• 1/2 of a banana (any fruit you prefer
• 1 tbs honey (completely optional.  I don't make mine with honey the fruit is sweet enough.)
• enough ice to fill the blender cup

Fill the blender cup with 8 oz of kefir, the next four ingredients listed and lastly the ice. Process the smoothie using your blender. 

Ricotta Style Kefir Cheese 

Supplies: 

• Deep bowl,
• Strainer
• Coffee filters
• Kefir Milk

Definition:

Whey:  a thin, slightly salty, yellowish liquid that separates from dairy products when they are drained. 

Step One:   Process your kefir milk as usual. 

Step Two: Place your grains in the fermenting jar. 

Step Three: Scrape the bottom of the strainer to loosen all the kefir milk. 

Step Four: Rinse the plastic strainer if you like then line it with coffee filters.  I needed two filters to cover my strainer. 

Step Five: Setting my strainer over a bowl which is deep enough to keep the whey from touching the bottom of the strainer, I slowly pour the kefir milk into the prepared strainer.

Step Six: Place the bowl and strainer into the refrigerator where it will not be disturbed.  You may choose to cover entire bowl/strainer with a light towel if you are concerned about other crumbs falling into your Kefir cheese.

Step Seven: Wait, wait and wait.  The longer you wait the thicker your kefir cheese will become. Depending on the depth of the bowl, you might have to drain the whey from the bowl every day to ensure the whey doesn't tough the strainer. I usually wait no more than three days.  

Step Eight:  Drain the whey into one glass jar* and place the whey into the refrigerator for other uses.  Over an open wide mouth pint or 1/2 pint sized glass jar*, gently pick up the coffee filters from the strainer and tip the kefir cheese into your jar. Refrigerate until needed. Use the kefir cheese in the same manner you would ricotta cheese.

*Blogger's note: *I say glass jar many times.  I prefer to use glass when working with dairy products because I feel it extends the life of my dairy products. Plastic is porous to some extent and even the more fastidious cleaning doesn't entirely rid the plastic of its previous contents.  For this reason, I use glass. 

Pancakes - Nourishing Traditions Style

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour ( I use Kamut)
• 2 cups kefir milk or whey (allergic to dairy? use 2T lemon juice remainder water)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2Tbs. melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt ( I use Celtic sea salt)
• (my additions to Nourishing Traditions recipe) 1 tsp each vanilla & cinnamon

Preparation: 12-24 hours* before you make your pancakes . . .

1. In a container you can cover tightly, mix your choice of whole grain flour and acidic liquid.  (such as kefir milk or lemon juice and water) My container of choice is a used sherbet container. 
2. Stir to combine, cover tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours before proceeding.

Directions: 

1. Preheat griddle or skillet to 325-350 degrees, oiling/buttering the surface before it is too warm to touch.

2.  Melt butter and combine with batter.

3.  Add the remaining ingredients to the batter and stir to combine thoroughly.

 Be prepared. 

When the baking soda combines with the acidic batter,  it will have a reaction and
begin to rise in the bowl.  For this reason, I usually add baking soda last. 

4.  When cooking surface is ready, pour the pancakes to the desired size and cook as usual. 

*Blogger's note:#1 I start this pancake prep the night before when I'm doing the final dishes for the evening because of this I do not always achieve a 12 hour soak of my flour.  Yes,  I am loosing some of the benefits I am aiming for when I do not get a full 12 hours,  but I believe 80% is a good place to start. If I was super strict about the 12 hour requirement, I might not accomplish this recipe at all.  I am content with 11 hours of soak for my whole grain flour. #2 I don't cook up all the batter at once if I don't need the pancakes. I place the left over batter, tightly covered, in the refrigerator until the next morning. The batter is separated and deflated after setting. I stir the ingredients together and cook as usual. The batter isn't fluffy like the day before but it makes a pleasant pancake just the same.  #3 You probably noticed there isn't any sugar or sugar substitute like honey or maple syrup is in the recipe.  Please be brave and try the recipe without the sugar.  I don't miss it.  After all, I slather my pancake in strawberry jam or butter and natural maple syrup. 

A Cure for the Mom's Blues - Sharing With Others

A Cure for the Mom's Blues

Sharing with Others

I heard a story once about people and ponds.  Many ponds do not have an outlet.  Ponds are generally constructed by digging a big hole in the ground.  Water fills the pond by either running in or falling from the sky into the "bowl" of the pond.  Thus, the water isn't in motion; it is stagnant.  Eventually, the water becomes a bit smelly and unsightly algae  and bacteria flourish.  

You see people can be like ponds.  Stress, efforts, projects and care giving, like rain,  run in filling the person's time and absorbing their strength.  There is no joy or creativity, which like running water, stir up the pond and keep the water fresh. Resentment and exhaustion grow just like the unsightly algae and bacteria and the person is no longer pleasant just as a stagnant pond is no longer welcoming. 

From time to time, I have found myself in the condition of the unsightly, unwelcoming pond. I am so intensely focused on the "important" tasks in my life and  overwhelmed by my responsibilities that I become crabby and withdrawn - stagnant.  My mood darkens and every task feels as if it is too much to bare.  A sort of depression settles in and I feel trapped by my life.  I have the Mom's Blues.

I treat the Mom's Blues by regularly yet randomly, if such can be possible, sharing myself and my gifts with others. I understand this sounds a bit, egotistical.  So please allow me a few more paragraphs to elaborate.  

Regular Dinner Party - My family is friendly with a family that runs a small business just as we do. Our lives and theirs crossed paths once a year at best.  We loved their company and we regularly said, "We should get together and have dinner."  Then one day, we opened our calendars and set a date for us to eat together.  At the end of that evening, both families pronounced the gathering a success and we purposefully set a date for the following month.  We alternated homes, with our house one month and then their house the next. At the end of each evening, we set the date for the next month's get-together.  

Center Piece for a Spring Dinner at our house

Flan Prepare by my Friend at her house

We have been meeting for dinner for over a year now.  It is such a huge blessing in my life.  I enjoy planning for that evening.  I look forward to getting out my best dishes and making a centerpiece. I anticipate going to their home and experiencing a "break" in my routine. Sometimes we set elaborate tables and multi-course meals with plates for each of the courses. Other times, we eat outside with paper-ware and grill hamburgers. 

I cannot explain why this worked to raise me from my doldrums but it did.  I recommend regular dinner party therapy as a cure for the Mom's Blues. 

Make an extra  - When I'm preparing something that can easily be duplicated like a meatloaf or a pie, I make a second one as a gift. I was going to make pies for a week day meal and a family in our church had just adopted a elementary age boy.  It was much more fun to make two chicken pot pies and two fruit pies knowing I was benefiting the new family. 

Just prior to baking, I sent the "new" mom a surprise text, complete with the photo above, and asked which pie they'd enjoy most. 

Use your abundance - When the flowers are in bloom in the yard, I like to bring in a vase for the table.  This is a great time for me to pick a few extra flowers and arrange them in a clean jar (I save the glass jars for salsa, jelly, pickles or whatever just for "to go" containers).  I like to pick my flowers in the morning.  I feel they are fresher if they haven't yet faced the stress of daily sun and wind.  Sometimes I add a note before I carry the bouquet to the cup holder of my vehicle. I deliver them before I start my day in town.

Celebrate the milestones of others - A couple I know was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple was taking a trip with their children and grandchildren a week or so after the anniversary.  I made a cake for them and delivered it on the anniversary date.

Share interesting things you see and encounter - I have a friend who is an avid gardener.  I was at a convention and I noticed the decorations were veggie garden plants.  This was very unusual I thought because it wasn't a gardening convention. I snapped a photo and texted it with a note "edible landscaping"

Celebrate the ordinary - I make desserts for my family a couple of times a week. I had recently read an article in a women's magazine explaining fun cake decorating tips. This was the my creation.  I was asked by every member of the family, "Who was the cake for?" 

To which I responded, "You." 

"Why? What's the occasion?" they asked.

"Just because, because I love you." I answered with a smile. 

I chase away the Mom Blues by looking for things I can share or do for others. It keeps my creativity and curiosity in tact while I go about life.  Waiting in the tire shop, picking green beans, or reading a magazine in the doctor's office can each have a benefit I can share with those I care about.   I intend to continue cultivating this "search" into each day's activities perhaps it will be the immune booster I need to keep the Mom Blues away for good. 

Please share your service to others stories.  I'd like to hear about your ideas to beat the Mom's Blues.

Making My Own Deodorant

Making My Own Deodorant

I make my own deodorant. I enjoy the science of the process.  I prefer the product I make over the deodorant I can buy. Lastly, it is highly cost effective.

Supply list:

•  (2) Clean solid deodorant containers (new or recycled)
• Coconut oil, food grade*
• Arrow root powder, food grade*
• Baking soda
• Essential oils, also food grade*.  I use melaleuca, Whisper** and lavender. 

Please use the brands you prefer. For those of you unfamiliar with arrowroot powder, I bought the container in the picture at WalMart. 

*Soap box symbol* Thoughts on food grade for cleaning and hygiene products:  Anything you breath or put on your skin is absorbed by the body. So . . . if I can't eat it, I shouldn't wear it or breath it.  There are many bargain oils and bulk cosmetic oils. I do not feel like the savings is worth the inferior product. Now off my box and onto the recipe.

Recipe for Deodorant:

• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 1/4 c. arrow root powder
• 5-6 Tbs coconut oil
• 5-20 drops of each EO of your choice

1.  Combine the baking soda and arrow root powder in a bowl.  With a sturdy spoon give it a stir. I like this little rubber scraper because it is easier to transfer the deodorant to the containers.

2.  Add the coconut oil to the center of the bowl and stir.

3.  Once the ingredients are well combined, add EO drops.  I use the maximum, 20 melaleuca, 20 lavender, and 10 Whisper** Stir again to combine, being sure to clean the sides of the bowl.

4.  With the solid deodorant container open near the bowl, begin to transfer the deodorant to the clean container.  Be sure you have the riser (the shelf that pushes the deodorant to the top) lowered to the bottom of the container. I usually scoop some deodorant in the container and then tap the bottom on the counter to settle each scoop.  If the temperature in your work area is over 70 degrees, this will go quite quickly as the deodorant has the consistency of paste. (The day I made this batch it was warmer than 75 degrees in my kitchen.  My new deodorant was runny. I set the mixture in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to stiffen before I began transferring to the containers.) At temperatures cooler than 70 and low humidity, it is more challenging to get the thicker material into the deodorant containers. 

5.  This recipe usually fills two full size solid deodorant containers.  As you can see from the picture, one of my containers is new and the other is a recycled container. 

6.  It is wise to let your new deodorant cure overnight.  I set mine in the refrigerator.  If fact, I store the extra container in the refrigerator until I need it. After curing, I take my container to the bathroom and put it on the shelf, where I use it each morning after my shower.

7. Special notes:  #1 If your home warms above 75 degrees, I would keep the deodorant in the refrigerator at all times. This recipe is sensitive to heat. If you are traveling and it will be warmer than 75 degrees in your luggage, put the deodorant in your cooler with the snacks and water bottles (in a zip top baggie if that grosses you out) or with your carry on luggage. #2 **Whisper is a blend of essential oils created by doTERRA.  It can be purchased through any doTERRA Wellness Advocate. Whisper is advertised to benefit and compliment female body chemistry. 

Sanity Saver - Meal Planning (No Grumbling) - One of the Best Disciplines I Ever Developed

Sanity Saver - Meal Planning (No Grumbling)

One of the Best Disciplines I Ever Developed

WHY? I just used a few words some of us free spirited, creative types would consider offensive speech.  Yes, I mean the words "planning and disciplines".  Speaking from experience, even the most unstructured person wants peace.  During a period of professional, personal, and spiritual growth, I found myself overwhelmed by the pace of the changes taking place.  I felt as if I was neglecting everything just because I was juggling so, so much at once.  I had to find some control and solace in this time of chaos. 

The light bulb moment occurred when everyone was hungry and grumpy at the end of a long day and I had no idea what we would eat.  You see nothing was thawed out or all the key ingredients weren't available and grilled cheese was the only quick thing that came to mind. However, this scenario was just like the night before . . "when everyone was hungry and grumpy at the end of the day and I ..."  And the day before that, "when everyone was hungry and grumpy . . . " A pattern was emerging.  When evening arrives people are grumpy and hungry and need to be fed. If I knew what to feed them, I wouldn't have to worry and the remainder of the evening might go smoother.  I began to menu plan.

The picture above is every menu I have written since 2010.  Yep, you read me right. That is a clipboard with every menu I have written, copied front to back, since 2010, the year I became desperate enough to give it a try.  

How? Every Sunday or Monday I sit and write the week's menu. To plan a menu I need the following:

1. The family calendar, so I know whose doing what when
2. Old weekly menus or cookbooks for recipe ideas
3. An idea of what we have in the frig and pantry
4. New weekly menu sheet (PDF Menu available for you below)
5. 1/2 hour of quiet time

Menu File in PDF

• I start with the far left column and record the dates for each day of the week. 
• Next I fill in the far right hand column labeled 'events'.  I use the family calendar to fill in the date and time.  Now I know who will be where, how many will be home for dinner, who needs suppers to go and how much time I'll have to prepare those meals.  For instance, I wouldn't want to prepare fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and pie if my day kept me out until 6 pm or no one was going to be home but me.
• 99,5% of the time I only plan for Supper (dinner), the evening meal.  If we are traveling or I need others to prepare meals for my family, I plan for breakfast and lunch (dinner).
• So the next column to be filled in is 'suppers' column. I use the mental list of what's in the frig and in the pantry that needs to be used before it spoils. Example: This week I had a head and a half of broccoli with wouldn't last through the week. So. . . Monday night we had "Impossible Broccoli Pie" If I just can't figure out what I want to serve or how to use a particular frig/pantry item, I consult the older menus or the cook books. I plan for the main course and two side dishes.  The two sides in our house consist of a starch and a vegetable or possibly two vegetables.  I don't sweat over the veggies though. If I decide we're having meatloaf and rice but am at a loss for what veggie we should have I just write veggie on the menu.  I'll decide that evening when I'm cooking the meatloaf.
• I use the 'Breakfast' column for reminders of morning preparations for an evening meal. If a grain or bean dish needs soaking or meat needs marinating, I write that in the breakfast column. Similarly, if a meal task needs to be done in the evening, I write it with the menu items in the 'Supper' column. The 'supper' column might read: meatloaf, rice, veggie, thaw turkey.

Now what? Put the menu where you will see it.  I put mine on the refrigerator door. When I get the milk for my morning coffee, I review the meal for the day. I can hear you saying, "But what if I forget to look?" When 5 pm rolls around and I have forgotten to thaw the hamburger for the meatloaf, I just scan the remainder of the week's menu.  Usually there is something on the list I can make instead.  "Oh look.  Wednesday we're eating tuna casserole.  I'll make that tonight and Wednesday we'll have meatloaf. " Problem solved! 

Other advantages to planning for the week is all the ingredients are available. I wouldn't plan to serve rice as a side, if we didn't have rice.  Fewer food items go bad because I am considering the self-life of our food as I plan for the week.  I'm aware when we're stuck in a potato rut (mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, hash browns, French fries) because I can see it. Lastly, it put an end to the age old question asked by family members nearly every afternoon, "What's for supper?" To which I respond, "Read the menu."

And so...I intend to publish my weekly menus.  That way you can see, I mean it. I really do this stuff. I encourage you to do the same once I have established that page. I know we'll be more creative and encouraged together.  Bloggers Note:  Please be patient with yourself if this is a new habit you are forming. If you were teaching someone to menu plan, you would give them a few months to master the process.  Please allow yourself the same grace to learn and grow.  I truly believe the menu plan will benefit you as it has done me.