happy Eostre (Goddess of the Divine Female)

& happy April!
Busy busy week - lots of sessions, consutations for playing harp at TWO weddings (one mid April, one on Summer Solstice - what a sweet way to spend Solstice!)
Yesterday I was watching my granddaughters so their folks could have a 'Date' & the oldest (gotta love her) asked 'can we make some Kefir?' She'd just had some to drink, & had figured out that I made it - sure!!! I've been making it for just over a month now, & drink almost a quart of the (coconut) milk kefir daily. (here are the first Kefir posts)

So they helped open the can of coconut milk, strain the kefir from the day before (we began with scooping some of the culture out with a spoon, then ran through the lovely canning funnel a friend suggested, with a strainer on top. The 5 year old lost interest, but the 10 year old helped through the whole process, encouraging the kefirs to grow, helping cover them with the cloth & rubber band . . .

Then time for the water kefir (it takes a couple of days, while the milk kefir cultures in 24 hours) - straining, eating some of the grains - a 'flirty' look, as she wanted to eat more - & more . . . yes, it's OK to eat the grains - increases the probiotic 'bennies' . . . Here's a great little piece comparing the probiotic benefits of yogurt & kefir.

After we'd strained the kefir, & washed the grains (you don't need to wash milk kefir grains, but it's recommended with the water kefir) & measure sugar (OK, so she wanted to lick that spoon - when we were done, too) stirred it up, added the kefir grains (& eat a bit more), & cover it with the cloth (the jar in the middle); it was time to 'doctor' the strained kefir for a second ferment!

To one jar (those water kefir grains increase QUICKLY - tho I have shared some of the milk kefir) we added 'chai' herbs - slices of ginger, star anise, fennel, licorice ('but licorice isn't gluten free!' - 'this licorice is - it's just the roots!' . . . 'oh :)' such smart girls!), cinnamon (I snip a strip of whole cinnamon with my kitchen sheers), ginseng, astragulas, pepper, schizandra, hawthorne, cardamom; she loved smelling the herbs before putting them in the 'brew;' then stirring the mix, before we capped it (another piece of muslin - the jar on the Rt above). A number of the herbs in this mix are 'adaptogens' - tonic or 'building herbs.
The three main actions of adaptogens are:

• nontoxic to the recipient.
• produce a nonspecific response in the body—an increase in the power of resistance against multiple stressors including physical, chemical, or biological agents.
• has a normalizing influence on physiology, irrespective of the direction of change from physiological norms caused by the stressor.
• & while all adaptogens contain antioxidants, antioxidants are not necessarily adaptogens and that is not proposed to be their primary mode of action.

A young accupuncturist friend once engaged in a 'discussion' with folks from a multi-level marketing group, who were touting the values of their 'patent' adaptogen formula; inviting them to recognize that the Chinese have been perfecting these formulas for years, & that he had researched sources of high quality ginseng, etc - to no avail! Their product was vastly superior to anything anyone else had ever thought of . . . (hmm - & rather expensive, as I recall!)

In the second jar we used a simpler mix of lemon ginger herb tea, nettles & a bit of damiana. She helped with the whole process, wishing the herbs well as we covered the jars, & tucked them in to 'brew.' Quite the budding herbalist!

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?

Fall soup & tea

Found a recipe for Wise Women's tea on another blog, & went out to the garden to gather some of the herbs (*), then to my cupboards -
1 part each:
Motherwort
Nettle
Alfalfa
Lemon balm *
Mugwort *
Damiana
Rose hips
(she added sage, chaste berries (vitex) & horsetail)
cover with boiling water & steep 10 minutes, strain & add honey if desired. I love to use this handy little French Press, easy to just press & pour, & then top up with more hot water.

This week the littlest granddaughter's been home sick, so I've watched her till my first massage. Today she returned to playschool, & I'll be in the classroom with her on Fri. It's fun spending time with them, & I'm not looking forward to their (proposed) move across town. My daughter found another house today that reminds her of her *favorite* home - one she wished she could move lot & all from the smaller neighboring town! It's a bit less than the one they've been looking at, with a HUGE yard, & right across the street from the grade school the little one will prob attend!

She's been sewing Halloween costumes for the girls, & finished them - delightful 'flower fairie' garb. I'm invited to a Halloween party at my friend Nancy's, as she lives on a popular Holiday block, & always has lots of kids at her door. So she invites friends for a pot-luck & game time. I will prob make pumpkin soup - found a recipe in 'what to eat when You're Expecting' while looking up info on gestational diabetes for a friends daughter. I'll leave out the hazelnuts for the party, as my friend can't have tree nuts, & add Garam Masala spice mix.
(*Note, this book was written in the mid 80s, has some good tips & recipes, but isn't the 'latest word' in what to eat. They, like my daughter's European trained doctor, really promote eating many servings of veggies, few fruits, & little or no sugar - it's not 'gluten free' - but does have some good ideas & recipes!)

Hazelnut Pumpkin Soup (addapted from What to Eat When You're Expecting - a serving counts as 2 yellow veggies)
1 T coconut oil
1-2 leeks, well rinsed & slice the white base
1/2 onion
2-4 cloves chopped Garlic
1/2 C chopped hazelnuts
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp (or more) Garam Masala or Pumpkin Pie spice
fresh ground pepper (a few grinds)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 chopped carrots
1-2 chopped sweet potatoes
1 # Pumpkin (I oven bake 1/2 big squash, or whole small squash for ~ 40 min)
4 C veggie stock
1/2 C coconut milk
Saute the onions & leek ends in Coconut oil till onion is transparent.
Add Garlic, & vinegar
Add chopped carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree (smash with a spoon, if you bake it yourself, or use tinned pumpkin) & cover with veggie stock & coconut milk, simmer ~ 10 min to blend flavors, adding soft part of leek tops toward end. Thin with a bit more stock if desired, garnish with parsley.
Can swirl a bit of coconut over the top for contrast.

I made some for my daughter's little family yesterday for lunch, & had to add som more pumpkin for dinner. I also sauted more onion & 4 or 5 button mushrooms (seasonal would be grand - say, chantrelles!). We have sweet potatoes & carrots from our market 'share,' & had a salad with the lovely fresh lettuce & arugula.
If you roast a fresh squash, do save & rinse the seeds, sprinkle with sea salt, & roast them as well (~ 20 min, check & stir occ)
I'm also making some Hummus using the recipe from Bob's Red Mill garbanzo (fava) bean flour! It's such an easy way to make hummus, which makes a great protien rich spread!

Hummus using Garbanzo Bean Flour
1 1/2 C water - boiling
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 C garbanzo flour - whisk into the water, & cook for 1 minute while stiring - then reduce to med low & cook 5 min., turn off

1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp salt
grind the cumin, seeds & salt in a seed grinder (electric 'coffee' mill reserved for seeds & herbs)
Stir into flour mix

2-4 Tbsp Stock (I make my own)
1/4 C sesame paste (tahini)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or vinegar
2 cloves Garlic
- puree with garbanzo paste in food processor till smoothe.
- add salt & pepper to taste, place in jars or bowls & cover; let set at room temp for an hour for flavor to 'set' before refrigerating.
I'm going to add some of my squash puree to half the mix, as I have a LOT from the first 1/2 squash my gal friend dropped by!

Ooo - I just noticed my Myer lemons are ripening - so I can use 'fresh lemon juice' in the hummus!