On Wheat and Kefir Grains

Even though I 'hate' Walmart ... and don't buy much other than a few produce items once in a while in a pinch .. they are now stocking Wheat Montana products .. and beat the health store prices.  Hubby and I picked up two 25 pound sacks of wheat berries (Prairie Gold variety) for $12 each .. and their flour products are a good price as well.  Attempting to stock our storage pantry is expensive .. so this discount was a good find.

kefir grains are added to cool water/sugar mixture

I promised to fill you in on the water kefir experiment.  I took half of my milk kefir grains (a nice gift from Mr. & Mrs. H ..last year:) as they had greatly multiplied .. and designated them to make water kefir.  It took a few days for the grains to get accustomed to their new environment .. but now they are producing a probiotic drink quite well.

kefir grains fermenting

Here's what I noticed this past week:  I do think the kefir has a detoxifying property as I noticed a slight headache for several days and a few blemishes on my normally clear facial skin ... after about three days of drinking the water kefir, these symptoms have gone away.  I will leave you with a few links touting the health benefits of said drink .. read into them as you wish .. as they were taken from the internet.  Also .. there are some links on how to make water kefir.  This is a good drink .. especially for people that may not tolerate dairy .. or milk kefir.

Water Kefir Steps

1. Boil some water
2. Place 1/2 cup of boiling water in a super clean quart mason jar
3. Add 1/4 cup raw sugar, or organic brown sugar, or white cane sugar
4. Swirl until the sugar melts completely
5. Add enough fresh cool water (chlorine free) leaving about 2 inches space at top of jar
6. Make sure the water is no warmer than room temp and add (2-4 tablespoons of kefir grains)
7. Place a paper coffee filter over the top of jar and fasten with a rubber band
8. Set in a warm spot in your kitchen for 24-48 hours.
9. When enough fermentation (to suite your taste) has taken place (much of the sugar will be 'eaten' by the kefir and some will turn into fructose) .. strain the grains .. I pour the fermented kefir into a clean capped bottle.  The grains get rinsed and reprocessed with more water/sugar in another clean quart jar.

 I am still a newby at this .. and am finding different ways each day to flavor the drink.  My favorite is to use a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed organic orange juice .. or a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.  Ginger slices may be added .. the possibilities are endless.  Next step will be bottling it in a 'stopper' topped (airtight) bottle to get a little fizz in the drink.

finished water kefir before adding juice

Water Kefir Benefits
Kefir Health Benefits 
Health Benefits Of Kefir
How To Videos @ Cultures of Health
Using Milk Kefir Grains to Make Water Kefir

Caffeine ... Giving It Up!

Tired of not getting good sleep at night, I'm giving up COFFEE, TEA, & CHOCOLATE!  Yesterday was 'ground zero' .. and I felt like a zombie or couch potato.  Today is a bit better.  Going cold turkey is hard .. especially when the rest of my family perks up a pot in the morning.  What do I drink in it's place?  For now warm water mixed with a little piece of lemon and a sprinkle of ginger.  Sometimes .. just plain very warm water.  When I get to the store, I'll buy some herbal tea.  But .. for now ... the water is sufficing.  Doing a little research yesterday, I found out that white and oolong teas have less caffeine than black tea.  And if you use whole leaves instead of the minced stuff in bags .. then infuse the tea for a few seconds .. throwing away the first 'brew' .. and make a second go of the same infusion .. most of any caffeine will be gone.  Will let you know if this works.  I'm very sensitive to caffeine .. and apparently it can cause allergies .. which I have in the form of hives on occasion.  I've heard that it can take up to eight weeks to detox from caffeine .. so far .. no headache!

Reusable Canning Jar Lids - Update

 Gearing up for canning season, I came across this link promoting BPA free reusable canning lids.  This product has been around for quite a long time ... just wondering if you have heard about said lids?  Here's a link to the Tattler Reusable Canning Lids ... and the Homestead Revival blog that has a drawing to give some away.  I entered the drawing ... and am seriously thinking about making a purchase.  If you have experience with Tattler lids, leave a comment.  Thanks

Update:  Maria asked a good question about whether or not the rubber seals are reusable .. here's what the Tattler Faq/Testimonial part of their website says: 

Q:  Are the rubber gaskets reusable, and how long will they last?

A:  Yes, the rubber gaskets are reusable and will seal numerous times when used as directed.  When cared for properly, many years of use may be expected.  Testimonials from our satisfied customers report use of rubber rings for more than 20 years! 

Making Stick Deodorant .. In Cold Weather .. Part 2

A few days ago I posted about making homemade stick deodorant.  I started making this product last summer ... when it was hot.  When I used the recipe linked this week it was a lot harder to get the ingredients to incorporate .. because it's still cold outside (and inside:), coconut oil is solid at 76 F .. but turns liquid at 77F.  To solve the problem, I warmed the outside of the mixing bowl by dipping it in my hot dishwater.  Putting the coconut oil in the bowl first and then adding one tablespoon at a time of aluminum free baking soda, mixing well using the back of a soup spoon against the bowl  .. then one tablespoon of organic corn starch .. mixing it in well .. repeating until you have at least 3 and 3 tablespoons of powder to 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil.  If you can work it in, add an extra tablespoon of baking soda and corn starch.  Add the 10 drops of tea tree oil last .. mixing it well.  You can even knead it a bit by hand.  You may have to play around with the exact proportions;  I can't tell you how temperature affects this product!  If you live in a hot region, store the deodorant in a screw top jar and use your fingerstips to apply.  It takes a few days for the product to set up.  A little goes a long way ... you may even need to smooth it on after application.  This deodorant is worth the effort.

Homemade Stick Deodorant

It's not that difficult to make a very effective stick deodorant  right in your own kitchen.  At first I was skeptical of using this ... but a year later, I would  not switch back to a store bought product again.  My daughter, Ann, is in the health field and works up close with patients ... she loves this product and feels confident using it everyday.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1/4 cup organic corn starch
• 1/4 cup organic baking soda (marked non-aluminum)
• 2+ tablespoons LouAna brand coconut (solid) coconut oil
• 10 drops tea tree oil (or you could use lavender oil - I LOVE tea tree oil)

For directions and pictures, check out this link for quick stick deodorant.

I chose to use organic corn starch because it's non GMO (genetically modified) .. and organic baking soda as I've read that regular has aluminum in it .. where as organic does not.  LouAna brand coconut oil is available in the grocery store; I prefer it to organic as it does not have a coconut scent.  Coconut oil is solid at room temp (up to 76 degrees).  If you live in a very warm climate, you might need to refrigerate this product .. or store in a cool spot.

Breaking (from store bought) Bread

Whoever said store bought food is a convenience?  You have to go to the store to buy it.  You have to worry about what harmful ingredients are in it.  You have to pay more for an inferior product.  Baking bread at home becomes second nature after a few months of diligent practice.  After you develop the skill .. then you can fine tune your production to, perhaps, include freshly ground wheat.  You can also use up a lot of leftovers as a portion of the ingredients.  You are in charge of quality and quantity control.  At the Thrifty Garden/Home we bake approximately two loaves of bread a week.  This is plenty for our family of four.  Enough for sandwiches to pack in lunch boxes.  Plenty to have as a special treat with dinner.  Leftover bread is first turned into croutons then French toast.  My family has bread preferences.  Adding a small boiled/drained/mashed potato gives a good moisture balance.  A small amount of leftover cooked oatmeal or yogurt will add moisture as well.  Today's loaf I added leftover whey for the liquid and 1/2 cup of sourdough starter.  This won't be a true sourdough bread as I added a package of yeast.  My sourdough starter needed to be replenished to keep it going.  By adding the 1/2 cup I added much flavor to my bread and will have a good fresh batch of starter for use tomorrow.  By practicing baking bread you can stop relying on recipes and you will be able to improvise your loaf with leftovers.  Once you  become familiar how the dough should feel ... recipes can be put away for your standard loaves.  Now and again I will bring out a baking book when it's time to master a new bread making skill.  For our sandwich loaves I often add a few teaspoons of dehydrated onion flakes, some caraway seeds and dried dill weed.  Are you a bread baker?  What is your preferred loaf of bread?

Revisiting Cast Iron

Last week I cooked breakfast at my MIL's home.  The skillet used for frying eggs is a non-stick skillet.  A very old non-stick pan at that.  Its surface was compromised with flaking and scratches.  I was so hungry and went ahead and used it.  All the while dreaming of my cast iron skillets back home (sigh;(  There are so many controversies about using non-stick pans that I ditched my old ones a few years ago and replaced them with a nice set of non-coated-stainless-steel ones.  These are in addition to my (3) cast iron skillets, griddle, grill pan and Dutch oven.  When properly seasoned, they are non-stick.  Some studies report that using cast iron for cooking can help impart iron to your diet.

My mid size skillet was in need of being re-seasoned.  It had developed quite a lot of build up on the inside surface.  This skillet was purchased used (at a yard sale) about 13 years ago ... and it's the first time I've super cleaned the surface (scraped/scoured/wiped down/oiled/heated to smoking point 3x's).  The grease rag is stored in a plastic coffee can under my sink and used as a bon fire starter when no longer usable.  (click photos to enlarge view)

Photos:  Top ... cast iron skillet in need of a good scrub, tools of the trade used to clean pan surface, debris removed from skillet, bottom ... re-seasoned skillet with grease rag ... ready to use.

There's No Place Like Home ...

... said while clicking my ruby red heels three times.

It's very difficult to be away from home and keep any semblance of a good diet routine.  The past week I've had to decide whether to go a little hungry ... or limit my food choices to the least offensive health wise .. and all the while wanting to get back home to the comfort of my kitchen, freezer .. and pantry.  There really are few places to eat that serve nutritious foods when in a strange city.  I tried to stick with fresh fruits, eggs, veggies, whole grain crackers, hummus, water and coffee.  And not wanting to be anti-family-food have shared some meals with family members.  Two days ago it was necessary to take  a Claritin allergy tablet .. this after being free from them for a month or two.  This trip has only confirmed and OPENED our eyes to how the entire food system has been monkeyed into one big-fat-fake-food society.

Photo:  Daughter, Elizabeth & 'friend' at the Storybook Cafe, Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel

The Road To Better Health

Three+ years ago I drank 8 ozs of orange juice and developed large hives that tormented me for six months.  Then the large welts were replaced with small hives.  They were unbearable!  I was taking Claritin four times a week .. I tried cold turkey going off the medicine .. but nearly went insane from the hives.  That's when I started rethinking my diet and eliminating processed foods.  The past month I went off the Claritin and have steadily been getting better from changing diets.  It's taken me a long time to detox from the years of preservatives and chemical laced foods.  My family is slowly warming up to the diet changes but more education is needed.  There are so many hidden things to watch for in the way our foods are grown and many places for contamination to take place in the food chain.  This is a eye opening adventure taken one step at a time. 

Mr. & Mrs. Mac with our sweetheart gloves;)