Kefir 101

I've mentioned kefir a couple of times, here on Grass Fed Girl, but I haven't actually gone into detail on the subject.

The term kefir is used to refer both to a fermented milk beverage (this can be dairy, or it can also be successfully made using soy, rice, or coconut milk), and to tibicos - or "water kefir". What I mean when I say kefir is the former of the two, the wonderful and slightly effervescent milk kefir.

For the past few years I've gone in and out of the habit of purchasing kefir from the store (it can often be found in the health food area of grocery stores, usually the Helios brand is what I've encountered). This can be a fairly expensive habit though, as a bottle contains four servings and costs juat over $4.00. A dollar a serving isn't prohibitive, but I didn't really fancy continually spending $30 a month on a beverage that was not dispensed from a coffee shop (priorities! I know!).

So, I began reading up on kefir. Something about it intrigued me. I wanted to know where it came from, was it really a nutritional powerhouse, could I make it myself?

I came across the KefirLady website, which has all the information one could ever hope for on obtaining kefir grains and making kefir. I discovered through even further research that kefir made at home, using genuine kefir grains, is NOT the same as the kefir you will find on the shelf in the store. The kefir you find in your grocery store is more like a drinkable yogurt; sure it has healthy bacterias, but on average only about four different bacterias vs the 30+ homemade kefir contains. In addition to the health benefits, homemade kefir is a sound financial investment. I paid $20 for my kefir grains, and as long as I take good care of them I never have to buy new ones. Kefir grains reproduce, and they do so FAST! I am still doing great with original grains I received, but I also keep some backups. So, I'm now down to just the cost of milk; a gallon of raw milk lasts us a week, and we make three servings of kefir smoothie a day. That's 28 servings of kefir for $10 versus four servings for $4.00. The only added costs are any flavors added to the kefir.

So how easy is it to make kefir? If you can pour a beverage, you can do it! Basically, slip your shiny little kefir grains into a bowl, pour milk over them (about 2.5cups for 1/4cup of grains), cover the bowl with a cheesecloth and leave it somewhere like the kitchen counter (don't put it in the fridge), come back in 24 hrs and voila! You have kefir! Strain the grains, and repeat.

I tend to make my kefir into a smoothie (see easy peasy recipe below). But, there are also numerous uses for kefir! You can make cheese, salad dressing, sourdough bread, and numerous other food items. You can also use it as a base for shaving cream, skin creams, or facial washes. It even works great to get your compost heap going!

If you're interested in obtaining grains, you can try the KefirLady, but you might also poke around craigslist, depending where you live, usually people are offering them up pretty cheap or free!

Strawberry Banana Kefir Smoothie
serves three

2.5-3 cups of kefir (I use raw milk kefir)
1 cup of frozen strawberries (fresh will work as well, I like frozen since I use fresh kefir, meaning it has not been in the fridge)
1 medium banana
1-2 tbsp raw honey (depending how sweet you like it)

Place ingredients in blender. Blend to desired consistency. Enjoy!

Goji Berries

As trends in the health food industry come and go, there are some items that miss the mark, and some that are true nutritional power houses.

Goji berries (also known as wolfberries) , one of the "new" trends, are actually an ancient nutritional source, originating in China, and viewed as a source of vitality, longevity, and as being a powerful antioxidant.

There are many ways of ingesting goji berries, but one must pay attention to quality. With the rising popularity of this berry, many people are seeking to cash in ... by making "goji berry juice". However, there is an eye opening story on Dr Mercola's site regarding goji berry juice, that you may wish to read before drinking up. In addition to price inflation, some of the goji berry drinks contain actual very little juice.

If you get your hands on whole berries though, dry or otherwise, you can bet that you're getting your hands on a nutritional treat. These go great in trail mixes, tossed into your morning oatmeal or yogurt, or baked into homemade granola bars.

For a yummy dessert, try some Goji-Cacao-Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup dried goji berries
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds coarsely ground(I put mine through a coffee bean grinder)
1 cup spelt flour (I prefer sprouted. You can also use all purpose or wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 sticks butter, softened (I prefer Kerrygold, as it's pastured)
1/2 cup honey (go for local! :) )
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup cacao nibs

About 40 cookies

1. As you prepare to begin making the dough, preheat your oven to 325F, and lightly grease the cookie sheets.

2. Stir together the oats, spelt, almonds, and baking soda

3. Using a different bowl, mix together the butter and honey, and then add the egg and vanilla to this mixture. Mix together until well combined.

4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, then pour in the goji berries and cacao nibs. Mix together completely.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, leaving about 2inches between them.
Bake at 325F for about 10 minutes, until golden.