I have to tell you, I had no idea until my pastor's wife, and friend told me all about it. The boys and I had been on antibiotics and suffered from colds and illnesses it seems like all winter. I was also suffering from a terrible bout with acid reflux.
My friend mentioned that I should try her homemade kefir.
Excuse me, what?
She then explained to me EXACTLY what it was. So, instead of trying to repeat EXACTLY what she said, I'm going to give you information from kefir.net .
Kefir is a cultured, creamy product with amazing health attributes.
Kefir’s tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins.For the lactose intolerant, kefir’s abundance of beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process.
How is Kefir Made?
Kefir can be made from any type of milk, cow, goat or sheep, coconut, rice or soy. Although it is slightly mucous forming, the mucous has a “clean” quality to it that creates ideal conditions in the digestive tract for the colonization of friendly bacteria.Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called “grains.” This makes kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms grains. These grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut. Some of the grains have been known to grow in large flat sheets that can be big enough to cover your hand!. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The grains are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the kefir and added to a new batch of milk.
So, you can see how this would help someone who had been on antibiotics and had all the "good" bacteria killed off.
My friend gave me some kefir grains so I could make my own concoction of the healthful brew. On the way home, I made my oldest son hold the glass jar that held the grains .
"Uh, mom..... WHAT. IS. THIS" ?
"Oh it's just a couple of cat brains "
Yes, that's a horrible thing to tell your child, I realize this...but it didn't stop me, hehe! You'll see what I mean when I post the photos. CAT BRAINS, CAT BRAINS, CAT BRAINS.......Sweet dreams tonight!
I then felt sorry for him, he had a look of horror on his face and nothing was coming out of his jaw dropped ,open mouth. So, I told him what it really was. BIG MISTAKE! I don't think he will ever eat yogurt, kefir, or anything close to that......EVER. For some reason, he took it much better when he thought it was cat brains???!!
Yesterday, I did make a batch despite the looks and comments from my horrified children. But, I didn't take pictures.......OOPS! The good news is I'm going to make some more in a couple of days , so you'll be able to see the tantalizing (input sarcasam) photos.
My first batch is in the fridge and ready to go into a yummy smoothie! I can't wait to try it tomorrow in my liquid breakfast!
Want to make some for yourself you say? Great! I'll post photos and the recipe in a few days and we can all drink yeasty bacteria together!
Stay tuned!
Aimee
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