Video Instructions for Making Water Kefir

If you would like to make a delicious and VERY nutritious drink to replace sweet sodas I have just the think for you... Water Kefir! You can purchase your kefir starter grains, called Tabicos, from Yemoos Cultures (Yemoos.com)...

Here is the link to my YouTube Instruction Video: 

Making Water Kefir

Written Instructions Follow:

We've been drinking water kefir for many years. It's yummy (we no longer drink soda's of any kind), but better than that, it's GOOD FOR YOU! 

Water kefir grains are a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast held in a polymer created by the bacteria. Water kefir grains feed off sugar to produce lactic acid, acetic acid, various other acids, and carbon dioxide.

By culturing sugar water using the water kefir grains, you are creating a lacto-fermented drink. Lacto-fermentation is the process where lactobacilli (lactic acid producing bacteria) convert sugars or starches into lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. Used in traditional cultures to preserve foods, lacto-fermentation creates a food teeming with probiotics, good yeasts, and increased nutrient values. The synthesis of lactic acid and other acids often increases vitamin values, including vitamin C and various B vitamins.

Kefir provides dozens of beneficial bacteria and yeast strains that can benefit your body. Your body is inhabited by billions and trillions of bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms. By taking in beneficial bacteria and yeasts, you increase the population of good bacteria in your system; beneficial bacteria in your gut make up a large part of your immune system and help you defend against harmful organisms, bad bacteria and viruses.

To start with you will need water kefir crystals. You can order crystals online. Here are a few sources - but you can shop around by searching for organic water kefir grains or tabicos.

Yemoos Cultures

You must never use chlorinated tap water as it will kill your crystals. Well water, filtered water or bottled spring water is fine. You may use regular white sugar, organic sugar, sucanat or rapadura. I usually use white sugar, but occasionally use raw organic sugar just to perk up the crystals. I make a very simple kefir that has been very consistent for many years, but you can find a gazillion recipes and instructions online if you get an urge to experiment.

Your grains will arrive with instructions. Be sure to follow them to get your grains jumpstarted.

To make 1 quart of water kefir, add to a quart sized glass jar:

• 4 to 5 tbsp sugar (white, sucanat, rapadura or even maple syrup - but do not use honey)
• 1 tbsp water kefir grains
• about 1 quart filtered or spring water, leaving an inch of space at the top
• organic raisins (10-15 raisins)
• a small slice of peeled ginger root (or 1/4 -1/2 tsp powdered ginger root)
• a small slice of organic lemon - optional (or peel and use only the flesh)

As your grains multiply you will probably want to make larger batches.

To make 1 gallon of water kefir, add to a gallon sized glass jar:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 to 4 tbsp water kefir grains
• about 1 gallon filtered or spring water leaving 1 inch space at the top
• organic raisins (10-15 raisins)
• a small slice of peeled ginger root (or 1/4 -1/2 tsp powdered ginger root)
• a small slice of organic lemon - optional (or peel and use only the flesh)

Stir the sugar and water until dissolved, add your grains, raisins, ginger and lemon. You can add a pinch of baking soda and sea salt every week or so just to give your grains a boost. They should start multiplying after a few batches, so you will need to give some away, eat them, add them to smoothies or your compost pile.

Put on the lid but don't make it too tight. The kefir will build up natural carbonation as it ferments. Taste it after 12 hours. If it's still real sweet let it ferment another 12 hours. I let mine ferment for 36 hours. At that point you need to strain the fermented kefir into another container. Use a plastic strainer to strain the grains. Metal can harm them. You can refrigerate the kefir at this point if you want to, but I do a double ferment so I can flavor it and increase the probiotic activity. I remove the raisins and lemon slice but keep the slice of ginger. It can be reused for another batch or two.

In the second container you now have the strained first ferment kefir water. To this I add several slices of ginger root (we like the ginger taste and it is also very healthy). Our favorite flavor is an organic berry mix of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I use about 1 cup for the gallon jar. I also do a ginger and grapefruit mix but it isn't as sweet. One quarter to one half peeled grapefruit for a gallon jar. This ferment can be as little as 12 hours, but I do another 36. That way I have two jars always sitting on my counter and get a gallon of finished water kefir every day and a half.

The jar on the left is the first ferment - sugar water, grains, raisins, small slice of ginger and slice of organic lemon. Jar on the right is the second ferment - strained kefir water, several slices of ginger root and about a cup of organic mixed berries. Each ferment goes for 36 hours. Then the second ferment goes into the fridge, first goes to second, etc., etc. for eternity :-) These are gallon jars but I only fill about 2/3 full - it just makes it easier for me to lift and pour.

Below you can see the kefir grains "dancing". These are quart jars with first ferment of sugar water, grains and raisins, and then the second ferment is grapefruit and ginger. You can omit the ginger and lemon in the first ferment if you choose to. You just need to experiment until you find the taste you like!

As your first ferment warms and becomes active the grains will rise and fall, and if your lid is a little snug you might even hear them whistling as the natural carbonation is released. Our dog thought it was someone calling him the first time he heard it. Remember, these are living organisms. 

Keep them happy!!

Keep everything clean, but don't use the dishwasher or soaps. You can use your hands and wash the inside of the jars and rinse with lots of hot water.

NOTE:

You can also use mesh bags to hold the grains...by using the mesh bags you don't have to strain them and pick out the fruit... easier decanting process... but I prefer just straining the grains...

Here are some links to websites with lots of kefir information. It may sound a little intimidating, but honestly, it's easy! You just need to put a sticky note on your lids so you know when you started the batches, and if you cannot be home to complete the ferment you can store the grains in sugar water in the refrigerator for weeks or even months if you change the water regularly. Your ferments can be as short as 12 hours but will be very sweet and contain less probiotics. Still better than soft drinks tho, so it's just up to you.

Here are a few links with some basic information, and you are welcome to email at landeblew@gmail.com me any time with questions.

Starfire
Wellness Mama
Keysands

Quick, Easy and Delicious Egg Muffins!

Egg Muffins

These muffins are SO easy and fail proof... completely customizable!! 

Simply break 6 eggs for a 6 cup muffin pan, whip them up and add anything you'd want in an omelette... bell peppers, onions, cheese, bacon or sausage, spices, whatever!!!

Spoon the scramble into a lightly greased pan, pop in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes (check for the center to be done at about 18 minutes)...

I keep them in the fridge in a container with a tight lid, and when we want one we simply pop it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, or in a low oven til the desired temp, add some toppings, if desired... Lanny loves to put salsa, or sliced tomatoes and lettuce... 

whatever strikes his fancy at the time...

Enjoy!!!

Mexican Ramen

Yea, I know Ramen isn't that good for you... but it sure is good :-)

I figure if we are eating right MOST of the time 

that an occasional fall from the pedestal won't hurt...

To feed 6 to 8 of us I use 4 packs of Ramen noodles and I cook it in half the water... then I add whatever I want ... in this case, for Mexican Ramen I add cooked chicken pieces (we like thighs), diced tomatoes, black beans, freeze dried bell peppers, corn and taco seasoning...

4 packs of Chicken Flavored Ramen if using chicken meat...

use the Beef Flavored if using ground beef...

cook the noodles in 4 cups of water. You will make up the other 4 cups in the added ingredients.

We make it more like a dish rather than a soup, but you can add more liquid and do a soup if you prefer...

1 pound of chicken pieces or ground beef...

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1/2 cup freeze dried bell peppers or 1 cup fresh chopped (optional)

I added 1 pint home canned broth (beef or chicken depending on your meat)

Taco Seasoning to taste

Serve with Cornbread and/or Tortilla Chips, Salsa, Salad...

YUM!!!

This is one of those meals that can be for two or 20... 

also, what you add will make it a different meal.

Some Italian Sausage and Veggies and Italian Seasoning and you have Italian...

Throw in Bean Sprouts, Water Chestnuts, Broccoli, and Soy Sauce 

and you have Oriental...

 

Once in a while, what's it gonna hurt :-)

Kevin's No Knead Artisan Bread / Living Traditions Homestead

I love watching Kevin and Sara on YouTube, Living Traditions Homestead. I have learned SO much about Homesteading from those two.

Here is a super easy no knead bread that Kevin makes ALL the time. 

Lately I have been making it all the time as well :-)

Enjoy!

No Knead Artisan Bread

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup hot water

DIRECTIONS

Mix and let dough rest for 3 hours.

Place dough ball into parchment lined bowl.

Preheat oven and Dutch Oven to 450

Rest dough ball for 35 minutes while oven heats.

Carefully move dough ball in the parchment into the Dutch Oven.

Bake 35 minutes covered, 10 minutes without lid to brown if needed.

  I usually don't bake the additional minutes because the bread is always as brown as we like it!

Pot Luck Taco Casserole

 Pot Luck Taco Casserole

Beef, Casserole

Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: prep: 25 min. bake: 20 min. Servings: 8 servings Source: tasteofhome.com 

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning

4 large eggs

3/4 cup 2% milk

1-1/4 cups biscuit/baking mix

Dash pepper

Toppings:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 to 3 cups chopped lettuce

3/4 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Spoon meat into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Stir in biscuit mix and pepper. Pour over meat. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5-10 minutes.

Spread sour cream over top; sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onions and cheese.

Can you freeze Potluck Taco Casserole?

Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then top as directed.

Test Kitchen Tips

"Migas" means "crumbs" in Spanish. For a migas twist, swap a cup of torn tortillas or coarsely crushed tortilla chips for the biscuit mix. Then bake till set (it may take a little longer).

For individual portions that kids will love, bake in greased muffin cups until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

NUTRITION

1 serving: 472 calories, 27g fat (14g saturated fat), 205mg cholesterol, 1360mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 32g protein.

French Toast Casserole

 French Toast Casserole

Breakfast

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Servings: Yield: 6 to 8 servings Source: simplyrecipes.com 

INGREDIENTS

1 large loaf good-quality French loaf, sourdough, ciabatta, or challah (enough to yield 10 cups of chunks of bread)

1/2 cup (45g) chopped pecans

5 large eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

Zest from one medium orange (optional)

1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons (40g) dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Dried cranberries

Powdered sugar

Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place an oven rack in the center position.

2 Slice the bread into 1-inch slices and then cut them into 1-inch cubes. You can also tear the bread apart with your hands. Leave the crusts on.

3 Layer the bread and pecans in a baking dish: Lightly grease a 2-quart (if you want thicker slices) or 3-quart baking dish (if you want thinner slices) with cooking spray or butter. Add enough bread cubes to cover the bottom. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of pecans on top. Continue layering the bread chunks and pecans.

4 Prepare and add the custard: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the milk, sugar, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt, and mix well. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over all the bread chunks. (I found it easier to pour the mixture into a large measuring cup with a spout first before pouring the mixture over the bread.)

At this point, the casserole can be baked right away, or covered and refrigerated overnight.

5 Drizzle with topping: In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Using a spoon, drizzle the mixture evenly over all the bread chunks.

6 Bake the casserole for 35 to 45 minutes. I baked mine for about 38 minutes. Leave the casserole in the oven longer if you want the chunks of bread on the top to be more brown and crunchier.

7 Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle dried cranberries and dust powdered sugar on top, if you like. Serve with maple syrup at the table.

Homemade Graham Crackers

This is so easy and turned out SO good!!! I think you'll LOVE IT!!! 

Homemade Graham Crackers

Prep Time: 30 mins  | Cook Time: 10 mins  | Servings: Servings: 22 graham crackers 

Ingredients:

2 cups (10oz/284g) whole wheat flour

1 cup (6oz/170g) light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons (3 1/2oz/100g) butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons whole milk

1/3 cup (3oz/85g) honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. You can also do this in a food processor.

In a separate jug, whisk together the milk, honey, and vanilla.

Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky and soft.

Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour so it's easy to roll. Like previously mentioned this is a very soft dough, so the longer it chills the better.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to a little more ¼ inch thick. Note: keep the surface and your rolling pin dusted with flour to prevent the dough from sticking too much.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2 x 5-inch rectangles. Using a knife, score the cookies down the center lengthwise, then in half across. Using a fork, prick the Grahams on either side of the scored lines. This will create the classic Graham Cracker cookie pattern. Gently transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies at 350°F (180°C) for roughly 10-12 minutes. I like to bake them for 10 minutes so they are still soft and not crunchy.

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Eat as is or use them to make S'mores.

Source: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/homemade-graham-crackers/

My Favorite Slaw Recipe

We love Cole Slaw with our Sloppy Joes... 

I used to buy prepared slaw at the grocery store but my Mom has trouble chewing cabbage that is just chopped or roughly shredded, so... 

I now make my own. I shred it really fine in the Food Processor...

And I make my own Slaw Dressing.

The recipe is below and it is very basic.

Enjoy!!

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Servings: 

Servings: 6 Source: allrecipes.com 

INGREDIENTS

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon vinegar

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, and salt together in a bowl until smooth and creamy.

NOTES

Read our picks for the best measuring cups to make cooking your favorite recipes that much easier.

NUTRITION

Per Serving: 94 calories; protein 0.2g; carbohydrates 9.3g; fat 6.5g; cholesterol 5.1mg; sodium 236.2mg. Full Nutrition

A New Twist on Brownies :-)

 I LOVE mixing salt and sweet these days... 

here is an idea for the next batch of brownies that you make...

Crush some pretzels into the batter...

And put some on top...

Bake as usual...

SO YUMMY!!

You can also use crushed potato chips.

Just the right amount of sweet and salty.

My family LOVES 'em!

Breakfast Casserole

 I made a Breakfast Casserole for our Sunday Midday Dinner this week and it was Scrumptious!!!

You might notice the cute little oval goodies on the table as well...

I put cinnamon roll dough (canned) in my waffle maker and then iced them. And I also put crescent roll Dough (canned) in the maker and added butter and jelly. I pulled apart the rolls and then gently formed a ball before putting them in the iron. Yum! And the canned doughs cook in about 1/3 the time when flattened in the waffle maker. There are really a gazillion (slight exaggeration ) things you can do with a Waffle Iron :-)

Here is the Recipe:

Breakfast, Casserole

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Servings: 8 Source: karacreates.com 

INGREDIENTS

4 large croissants or 8 small croissants (baked and found in bakery section)

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 packet Country Sausage Gravy Mix (makes 2 cups)

1 lb sausage, any flavor

1 cup cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Grease a 13×9 baking dish and preheat oven to 350.

Brown sausage in skillet and drain thoroughly.

Break croissants into 1 inch pieces and spread evenly in bottom of baking dish.

Layer cooked sausage over croissant pieces.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese over sausage.

Whisk eggs and milk, add salt and pepper and pour over sausage and cheese.

Prepare gravy according to instructions. Set 1/2 cup of sausage to the side and pour 1 1/2 cups over croissants, eggs, and cheese in baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over gravy.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until eggs are cooked throughout.

Serve with extra gravy and enjoy!

NUTRITION

286 kcal
Calories: 286kcal Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 17g Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 9g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 180mg
Sodium: 502mg Potassium: 220mg Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 387IU Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 143mg Iron: 1mg