Yummy Kefir #1

I've had some people ask, "What is kefir?" So, I thought I would show how I'm serving it up today. Its healthy, contains easily digestable proteins, and probiotcs-among other benefits like minerals and vitamins. A brief history of our family and kefir...

I don't care for things with the taste of fermentation or alcohol (kefir is not alcohol- but it can have that kind of a taste sometimes.) My mother-in-law started to make it and send some home with us. I could barely down a bite, but the boys LOVE it. She makes it into a jello-ish, fruity, tangy treat. I kept taking a bite when I'd serve it to them, and now I like it, too. (Maybe she started to add more things to cover the taste.) Recently, she showed me how to make it and gave me some kefir grains. Now, there's no turning back!

I will post how to make it like she does another day. But today, we're just having kefir smoothies. This is what I did:




Strain the milk from the kefir grains.



Pour the milk (not the grains) into the blender along with what sounds good. I added:
a kiwi,
a banana I had frozen a while back,
elderberries I had frozen from last fall,
some raw honey,
a hand full of ice cubes,
some ground flax seed
and a sprinkle of Stevia
(You could add juice as your sweetener, but I didn't have any.)



After I pour the smoothie into servings, I usually have plenty to freeze and eat later (kefir pops). Be careful not to spill the tray as your children yell, "Is it ready, is it ready?"


Serve and watch the smiles.

4yo always asks for some, but doesn't generally drink much of it. However, he always finishes when I make it like Grandma taught me.



Don't forget to cover the kefir grains with more milk. In a day or two, you can start all over agian! Oh yeah, you can also use the kefir milk for any recipe that calls for buttermilk. We used it for pancakes the other day.

I know many people already use kefir...do you have any suggestions or ideas? I'd love to hear them since I'm pretty new at it.