Cultures

YEA - The Yogurt Maker arrived today!!
I was excited to see the big box on the porch, & took it over to my daughter's to unwrap . . . then home again with my granddaughers to have a 'play date' (ie: 'let mom & dad watch a movie for grown ups!) & to make some yogurt!

We went to the Natural Food store to pick up some Agar Agar (seaweed to help the coconut milk jell) & home again to fix dinner, wash the jars, & then make the first batch.

I ground the agar agar flakes in my trusty seed mill, which broke it up some, & emptied two of these cans of coconut milk into a glass saucepan to heat (just above 110* - warm on the wrist) with the agar agar.
I LOVE Greek Gods yogurt, so got a small one to use as my starter. The 'live & active' cultures include S Thermophilus, Lactobacilis Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, & L.Casei. (for a dairy free starter, I could have used the S O Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, or the contents of dairy-free acidophilus capsules.)

After taking the pan off the heat, I put ~ 1/2 C of the coconut milk into a glass measuring cup, & added several Tbsp of the Greek Gods yogurt, then returned the mix into the pan, & stired some more.
Two cans of Coconut milk filled 6 of the 7 small glass jars. I usually add ~ 1/2 C of filtered water to a tin of coconut milk (transfer to a quart glass jar as soon as I've opened it) to make it a more 'milk-like' consistency, but I hadn't for this batch of yogurt.

To fill the last jar, I heated ~ 1/8 C water with 1/2 tsp of the agar agar, & let that simmer a few minutes, then added coconut milk from the fridge, & a tsp of Dalmatia Orange-Fig spread & a tsp of honey to the milk as it was warming. After I took the pan off the heat & let it cool, I added a spoonful of the yogurt, & stirred before pouring it into the last jar.

For the next batch, I'll simmer agar agar in a 1/2 cup of water at the beginning, then add the coconut milk. I intend to experiment with using tapioca starch (already a powder) - simmering the starch in water first. And I can culture futer batches with some of my own yogurt!

The black bar on top of the lid indicates the time the yogurt should be done - then it should cool in the fridge for an hour before eating (ha!)

Within the next few days the kefir 'grains' should arrive, & I'll begin making some sugar water kefir.
On Sunday I attended a wonderful Gluten free BD party with my daughter & granddaughters, & had a brief conversation with a friend who's made water kefir in the past, & said she really likes it! (here's a tutorial on making Water Kefir)
I also found this blog - & happened on a post on water kefir!!

I look forward to these new adventures, & to experimenting with different adaptogen herbs during the second ferment, & experimenting with the milk kefir grains. They culture at room temp, & are a more liquid 'product' than Yogurt.

What adventures have captured your fancy this week?

God of Wealth

Feels like spring!! Sunny, sunny day, & flowers are starting to bloom! Here are some violets & a bit of daphne (mmm) from my yard!
Thursday marks the 'God of Wealth's birthday,' & again my lovely friend Gwynne will be at Portland's Chinese Gardens, doing ritual & talk. I want to visit the gardens again soon - haven't been there for more than a year!

This seems to be a week for ordering goodies! My daughter helped me sign up as a practitioner with Pure, so we could order vitamins & other supplements (it's the brand her doc's office carries) & they should arrive on Friday! They're very high quality & 'hypoallergenic,' a real plus for us Gluten Free folk!

I love using mineral make-up! Most of the time, I don't bother; but I tend to use some when I go to a dance or other 'dress up' activities. A little over a year ago I ordered sample sizes from CMH Essentials, & I've been very pleased!! The 'sample' 5 gram size is $1.95m & I've only used up two - Chamelion Sparkle eyeshadow, & the Shimmer Veil!!
My order included an eye shadow collection, so I substituted the Chamelion for 'Enchanted Emerald" (which I have) & got the 10g size of the Veil (the only larger size I ordered - a little really does go a long way!) One reviewer said: "This eyeshadow (Chamelion Sparkle) is FUN! It adds a great twist to any other darker eyeshadow you may have, reflecting lots of different colors. The base color for Chamelion Sparkle is brown." It's the one I use most, & do still have a bit left!
Christine writes: "Being natural, they are allergen-free and contain no chemical dyes, added preservatives, fillers, perfumes, oils, talc or other ingredients commonly found in traditional mineral makeup products. CMH Essentials makeup contains only pure mineral pigments in concentrated form. Due to their concentration they perform the functions of concealer, foundation, eyeshadow and skin care all in a single application which binds to the skin so well that very little touch-up is required as the day progresses."
What a treat that is!! I looked at 'mineral make-up' in our local beauty supply shop - & there were lots of fillers inc talc!!
This line doesn't contain "Bismuth.Oxychloride, a thick, heavy mineral, which makes it difficult for many people to wear. It must be packed into your pores (heavy application), which can sometimes result in plugged pores and irritation of the skin. B.O will feel smooth between the fingers." The popular 'Bare Essentials' line contains B.O.! I've gotten a few of their products, as a local spa carries them, & I went for a 'make-over' several years ago. CMH also carries make up brushes - again, a lot less expensive than elsewhere.

The other item I ordered is a yogurt maker!! I found it on Amazon a few weeks ago, & called our Health Food store to see if they might be able to stock it, as I'm trying to buy local when possible. The manager called back, to say she'd looked it up, & was having trouble finding a distributor she could buy from - & that Target seems to stock it! Since we don't have a Target in town, & I don't know when I'd get to one, I decided to order from Amazon, as it qualified for the free shipping . . .

The 'Yolife' yogurt maker comes with glass jars & has 2 lids, a short one for the little jars, & a higher one for using your own pint or quart jars - nice option! I've written before about our trecks to buy raw milk when my kids were young, & finding a great little local dairy. We also frequently made our own yogurt, wrapping the jar of warm milk in a towel, & leaving it in the oven (turned off) overnight.
A common problem with gluten sensitivity is developing problems with other foods, which frequently includes milk. (after 6 months or so aftter going Gluten Free, the other sensitivities may go away!) These days, I use coconut milk for most recipes, & did try making my own coconut milk yogurt once or twice. It didn't set too well, so I plan to experiment with adding tapioca & perhaps a bit of gelatin.
I also like the 'greek style' yogurt (OK - Greek Gods yogurt is almost better than ice cream!!) & intend to use some of that as my 'starter' . . . another suggestion is to use buttermilk as a starter for one's own 'quark' (that was in one of the Amazon reviews!) . . .
I found this post on making coconut yogurt - she used 2 T agar agar - (seaweed) (I'd grind it in my trusty seed mill!!) & I think a combo of that & some tapioca (either starch, or making a batch of tapioca & using some of that) should work well!
When I want a sweetish treat, I often make tapioca, adding dried fruit & cocoa or carob powder, & a bit of sweetening. My son-in law also REALLY likes tapioca, my daughter's more neutral. It's so easy to make 'from scratch' rather than using a pudding mix! Just soak the tapioca for 20 min or so, then add some more liquid (I add coconut milk) & bring to a boil, stirring frequently, & simmer for ~ 15-20 min more!

Ooo - & then I decided to check out Kefir, & found Dom from Austrailia's fascinating site!! So much info - inc. how to make 'water kefir' - cultured on sugar water (& possibility of adding herbs, fruit, etc, to make your effervescent potion even more delicious!) He responded quickly to a question about ordering - but pretty expensive to ship stateside . . . . (do check his site!)
So I poked around on one of my yahoo forums, & found the suggestion to check out Marilyn the Kefir lady - so will be sending her $20 for live Water Kefir Grains!!! She only takes cash ("I don't bank!") & ships on Monday - so one can order today & have the 'grains' next week!

Have a great week - SO enjoying the sunshine! Red Hat 'do' Friday :)