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Sunday, December 11, 2011

An Additional Kefir Recipe

This is an additional recipe for Kefir, which was obtained from:
THE WORK BELOW IS EXCLUSIVELY THEIR OWN AND IS SIMPLY REPORTED HERE BY ME.
http://www.makingkefir.com/

I do not know that I am sold on ALL the health benefits as stated below, but certainly boosting the positive bacteria in the gut allows the entire body to function optimally digestively and from an immune standpoint.

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Recipe begins here:

Making your own Kefir not only is highly beneficial for your health, but it is also incredibly easy to make (and fun too!) People have many different ways of making their own Kefir, but here is our simple technique to get you started…Hope you enjoy!
GETTING STARTED
To begin making your own Kefir, you will need the following supplies:

2-3 Large Wide-Mouth Glass Jars (32 oz Mason Jars work Great!)
Wooden Spoon (Preferably with Holes)
Small Strainer (Ideally a plastic strainer since metals interferes with the kefir grains (stainless steel ok))
Cheese Cloth (Or a lid…Used to cover the jar during fermentation)
Fresh Milk (From Cow, Goat or Sheep. We prefer Goat as it is easiest for most people to digest, sometimes even those with lactose intolerances! And if you have access to Raw Milk, even better!)
Kefir Grains (Choose a high-quality strain such as Cultures For Health)

Please Note: It is very important to make sure that everything you use is VERY clean to avoid any contamination during fermentation. They should be washed with gentle soap and unchlorinated water and then left to air-dry.

STEPS FOR MAKING KEFIR
Step 1 . Preparing the Culture
Place the Kefir Grains in your glass jar. Use roughly 1-3 tbsps of grains per Quart of Milk. Pour milk over the top to fill the jar. If you have a lid, then loosely seal it on (so that pressure can escape). And if you are using cheese cloth, then stretch it over top and wrap a rubber band around the jar’s mouth to secure. The idea is to keep fruit flies/insects out, yet still allow the grains to breath. Now you’re ready to ferment!
Step 2. Let the Fermentation Begin!
Place your jar in a safe spot away from light and at room temperature. Noting that warm air speeds up the growth and cold air slows it down. Now simply leave the jar alone and wait anywhere from 12-48 hours! How long you leave your kefir to ferment is really up to you. People have many different preferences, but we prefer leaving it for 24 hours. 12 hours makes a thinner, sweeter Kefir and 48 hours makes a thicker, tangier Kefir. At a few points along the way, feel free to stir (with a wooden spoon) and taste your batch to find just the right fizz for you! You should be able to tell that it is alive!
Step 3. Ready to Drink
So your jar of milk has been sitting out for a day and it is to your liking… Now it is almost time to enjoy! But first, we must strain out the grains. Simply pour your milk through a non-metal strainer and into a clean new jar. This is your Kefir ready to drink… And remaining in your strainer are the gelatinous grains which can be re-used forever – this is the magic of Kefir! If you plan to make more right away, then simply place those grains (which do not need to be washed) in new jar and repeat the process from step 1. Otherwise cover them in a little milk and then store in the fridge for later use. And there you have it folks, making Kefir is that easy!
Important Things to Note:

Kefir Grains will multiply and grow forever. It is an endless self propagating process. In only a few weeks of making Kefir, you might have even double what you started with. You can share your excess grains with friends or divide them in half and start two batches! I’ve been using my grains from Cultures For Health for years and they are still living and healthy!
Try to obtain kefir grains, not just a “starter”, which is sometimes sold. Kefir grains can be used “forever”, whereas “starters” can only be used 7 times or so.
To store kefir grains if not in use, simply submerge in a little milk, cover and leave in fridge for about two weeks.
Be very certain to never use metal implements. It will begin to break down the life force within. However a stainless steel strainer is allowed.
Your Kefir grains might require an adjustment period of a batch or two after events like being shipped or switching types of milk. When you receive your kefir grains, don’t be disappointed if the first couple of batches taste awful! The yeast build-up during shipping needs to level out. When switching types of milk, your kefir will go through a couple of “transition” batches, where it may taste differently, as well. For this reason, it’s best to stick with one type of milk if possible, using excess grains for other types.

This video is a nice quick demonstration of just how easy it is to make your own kefir! Good luck and please let me know if you have any questions (-:

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The Many Health Benefits of Making Kefir

by admin on March 22, 2011

Making kefir yourself rather than buying it pre made in a store is the best way to utilize the health benefits. The store bought versions contain far less of the naturally occurring probiotic organisms than the homemade version. The miracle secrets are hidden in the yeasts and bacteria within which come to life during fermentation. Originating among shepherds in the North Caucasus region of Russia, kefir has long been drunk by people around the world for good health and immunity leading to a long life. Loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and probiotics, kefir is a natural cure for almost everything from hypertension to insomnia. Here are just a few of the many things that kefir has been known to help with:

Increases endurance against microbial infections
Reduces stress, calms & strengthens the nervous system
Cleanses the intestines
Alleviates insomnia & neural depression
Prevents vein hardness & muscle spasms
Reduces hypertension and balances cholesterol
Cleans the blood while removing irregularities
Aids in treatment of liver diseases
Helps with Eczema and similar skin disorders
Encourages rapid healing of injuries and burns
Cures urinary inflammations
Good for gastric and intestinal disorders
Regulates and greatly aids in digestion
Ideal for a healthy diet preventing weight gain
Strengthens bones and contributes to sound muscle formation
Slows the aging process by maintaining continual biological renewal
Cleans the blood from detrimental materials with it’s antioxidant benefits
Reduces side effects of Menopause
Greatly contributes to cell renewal
Helps to neutralize radiation and and chemotherapy treatment
Aids in cancer prevention
Energizes the brain and creates mental clarity
Positive role on normal growth
For the treatment of Anemia and B-12 deficiencies
Strengthens immune and nervous system

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Why I am obsessed with making Kefir!

by admin on March 22, 2011

To be honest I don’t really like milk, never really have… but I have found fermented Kefir to be much different! In fact, I’ve been drinking goat milk kefir for years now because I find it very soothing and calming to my stomach. I’ve always bought it from the store, but not until recently did I realize I can just make my own, packed with even more nutrients and for much cheaper! I recently read the book “Body Ecology Diet” by Donna Gates (which I highly recommend BTW), which helped me realize just how incredible, and important Kefir really is for your overall health and well-being. It is like REAL super-charged living pro-biotics which are required by your digestive system to help process all your nutrients you ingest and send them to the appropriate places to help your body nourish and heal itself. It keeps things running smoothly. And not until I tried my own homemade kefir did I realize the difference from the store-bought kind. My skin has become clearer and softer, more youthful looking, I hardly ever experience indigestion and I have endless energy. These personal results are what prompted me to share the knowledge of just how easy and beneficial making your own kefir can be!! I hope you all enjoy. Please let me know how it goes for you!

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Making Kefir

We discussed antibiotics in an earlier post. We also discussed the value of probiotic rich tablets or drinks. If you are somewhere where you cannot put back probiotics after or during antibiotic use, you can use several techniques in order to make your own. In order to re-seed the healthy intestinal bacteria necessary to digest food properly, especially following antibiotics, the replacement of positive bacteria can be very valuable.

This link discusses buying cultures and recipes in order to manufacture your own kefir for personal use.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/starter-cultures/kefir-cultures.html?gclid=CNC99-_q-qwCFQdN4AodqHogTA

The section below comes from: Tammy's Recipes at:

http://tammysrecipes.com/making_kefir

THE PICTURES AND WORK PRODUCT BELOW IS EXCLUSIVELY HER OWN, AND IS SIMPLY ONLY REPORTED TO YOU BY ME.

Photos and instructions for making homemade kefir

Tags:

Tammy's Kitchen

If you've already read my general article about kefir, then you may be interested in more specific instructions about making your own!
There are so many ways of making kefir, and there's almost no wrong method! Some people like to culture their grains for 12 hours, and some for 24, or more. Some people like to tighten the lid on the jar of fermenting kefir (be sure to leave extra air space in there if you do, so the jar doesn't burst!), making a fizzy kefir. Some people use raw cow's milk, others use goats milk or 1% cows milk, or... you get the idea!
Here are some simple instructions to get you started making kefir!

1. Place kefir grains in a clean glass jar. (Keifr grains can be purchased from Cultures for Health.)

2. For every tablespoon (approx.) of grains, add 7-8 ounces of milk (making one cup total per tablespoon of culture).

The loosely-covered jar of milk, waiting to become kefir

3. Cover jar loosely, and allow to sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. On top of the fridge or in a cupboard are great places to make kefir!

4. After 12-24 hours, strain the kefir using a strainer or colander.

I sometimes use a spoon with small holes in it to "scoop" the kefir grains out of the finished bowl of kefir, returning them to the jar. This is demonstrated in my milk kefir video.

Enjoy your fresh kefir, or store in the refrigerator for up to several months.

Fresh kefir, and a jar of milk just starting to ferment

5. Place the grains in a clean jar (or, return to the same jar if you like; I usually use the same jar for several days before washing it) and repeat steps.

Some other information:

Kefir will require an adjustment period of a batch or two after events like being shipped or switching types of milk. When you receive your kefir grains, don't be disappointed if the first couple of batches taste awful! The yeast build-up during shipping needs to level out. When switching types of milk, your kefir will go through a couple of "transition" batches, where it may taste differently, as well. For this reason, it's best to stick with one type of milk if possible, using excess grains for other types.
Many types of milk may be used to culture kefir, but kefir grains that are cultured in non-mammalian milk will cease growing. Consider using your excess grains to culture soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, etc.
Kefir grains can be dried or frozen for preservation. (I'll write more about how to do this after I've done it myself!)

How to make kefir: Video tutorial
Try to obtain kefir grains, not just a "starter", which is sometimes sold. Kefir grains can be used "forever", whereas "starters" can only be used 7 times or so.
I get many requests for kefir grains, and had been directing you to a friend who sold live milk kefir grains. Unfortunately, she is no longer selling kefir grains. I decided to try to find another reputable source for kefir grains (NOT "starter") and just signed up as an affiliate with Cultures for Health.
Cultures for Health sells dried milk kefir grains, which they culture and dehydrate themselves. The grains are shipped in organic milk powder and will rehydrate within 5-7 days and then will continue to grow and make kefir.
While I think the ideal source of kefir grains is live, fresh grains (preferably given as a gift from a friend!), Cultures for Health is a good company and I feel confident directing you to them. I wish kefir grains weren't so expensive to get started -- but remember, once you have them they will grow, and you can bless your friends and family by giving away your extras. :)

Widespread Earthquake in Mexico

In the interest of creating a blog in which learning occurs rather than creating a log of adverse events here on Earth, I try to alter the tone of the posts. I try to balance home life, with data we can learn from natural disasters, how others might be preparing, to medical management of things which are possible in a home setting. I try to keep the politics to a minimum because it's so polarizing and can leave us frustrated, but it can seep into why we do what we do, and why we have concerns for our governments being able to provide aid when needed, wherever we are. Sometimes the choice is made for me, as it is today.
Yesterday, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck in Mexico’s western Guerrero state, shaking buildings and causing panic reaching all the way to Mexico City and all the way to the resort of Acapulco.Damage is said to be relatively light, although three people are known to have died as a direct result of the quake. One was the driver of a tractor trailer truck who was hit by falling rocks from a highway. Please check on any loved ones you have in Mexico today. There are also likely to be aftershocks. Please pray for those in areas impacted, as Mexico can be a difficult place to live and a difficult place in which to plan ahead for disasters.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Why Would the Feds Have Interest in Simple Food Storage ?

Does the federal government consider this a criminal's pantry ?
Ohhhhh, ooh, she was TWO jars of Nutella ! Quick, notify the "Mayonnaise Police" !

      My commentary here concerns the last post. I am commenting in a separate post, should you decide to forward or print out the last one, which was written entirely by www.infowars,com      I thought my commentary reserved for the next post would be less confusing that placing it on the infowars article. First of all, a great deal is written on the internet which turns out not to be completely accurate. Sometimes conclusions are drawn which are not wholly accurate. However, if the prior article is accurate exactly as written, my comments are below.
          It is my belief that rational, law abiding people make reasonable rational preparations for times in which money, food, and general items may be in short supply. This is not hoarding, This is simply buying ahead items you know your family will readily consume so that you are not risking your lives to get food in an ice storm or during a flash flood. When you buy food ahead, you are not stealing from anyone. You are taking your own hard earned cash, deferring dinner or a movie out, and saving something for a rainy day. You are also taking the chance that a flood or pantry moths don't render this food inedible. Storing ahead is exactly the same as "saving money for a rainy day".
          I am aware that portions of the "US Patriot Act" allow confiscation of food and supplies without payment or even the provision of a receipt to owners of these items, following declaration of an emergency, by the same people who will redistribute your food under law. I also believe that Americans are generous people and share food and provisions when asked. They don't need their food redistributed in a socialist fashion.
          By gathering a rational amount of food, you are doing nothing wrong. Whenever you can, it may be best to pay cash, and to store so that simply your family knows what you have and where it is.   If you don't like the idea that the present regime and some of the members of the US Congress find confiscation of your food and medical supplies an acceptable action, then a major election occurs in less than one year. Vote them out, and make sure they know what it is that they have done which has displeased you, the taxpayer and one of the people in the collective who pays their handsome salary and excellent health and fringe benefits.
           Meanwhile, take care of your family. Stock enough to share when possible, so that you already have when a governmental agency comes to you thinking that you should. Best wishes.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Continued Information on Freeze Dried Foods

I am not saying that we should pass on storing fresh foods, because we should not. Families should eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats and fish whenever this is possible. However, during emergencies, disasters, or even occasionally when there is no means by which one can travel to get fresh food, that having a supply of freeze dried foods and knowing how to use them may be wise.
                 I have personally purchased and used freeze dried foods from these sources:

   www.samsclub.com
   www.augasonfarms.com
   www.beprepared.com     (Emergency Essentials)
   www.nitro-pak.com

Available through Emergency Essentials

Although I have discussed the availability and intelligence of buying number ten industrial sizes of food, because they can last 25-30 years when stored carefully, there are smaller containers for those with small families or for individuals. If the #10 cans are too large for you to consider, please consider smaller ones. These are also sold by most freeze dried food providers.

Since stocking freeze dried food can decrease the weight and size of food stored, a family who has limited food storage space, or might need to evacuate with their food, can save SEVENTY TO NINETY PERCENT OF WEIGHT by stocking freeze dried foods for some purposes. This means that my pantry can stock MUCH more food for much longer than it could if I depended upon conventionally canned foods for emergencies.

   Although you should check this with each supplier you consider using, all the freeze dried food I have bought is FREE OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG). This is important because not only are many people allergic, but many rapidly prepared foods are MSG rich otherwise. (Look at Hamburger Helper or similar "quick foods" in the grocery store.)

        If you or your family had to evacuate, and had to bring food, then bringing light cans of freeze dried foods could be a very good idea providing that you knew you would have a source of fresh water, and water in relative abundance.

        An abundance of different types of foods are available as freeze dried.

Here are just a few of them...

These reconstitute far better than you might imagine

I occasionally add a few of these to cereal

These are vegetable chips that many people like as snacks without being reconstituted.

These are foods reconstituted individually and then mixed by the consumer to make their own entree or side dish.

This is an end user made white bean chili.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

A Visit to FEMA

For those of you who are out of the United States, FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Because a neighboring county had an earthquake in which millions of dollars worth of damage was done to their schools and their homes, and aftershocks continue, they have set up a FEMA center in a shopping center some distance from here.
I visited them yesterday even though I am from a different county other than the true disaster area because I wanted specific printed information on how homeowners can assess their homes following an earthquake, for hidden damage. I wanted this in part for my own family, and in part for another post I am planning for this blog. It is apparently not possible to have any of the FEMA workers even speak with you unless you have registered with them, which means providing name, address, social security number, family members names, total gross income, (which they will confirm with IRS)and they want social security numbers for all of them too. I have so many family members I don't know all their numbers, so they had to talk to me without those. Like most government agencies, they have a process. You register, they decide which persons and which departments you see, and after several hours, I got to the person who had the informational brochures I wanted.

The "golden paperwork" and reason I invested all the travel time, and a couple of hours playing the "FEMA game"

Apparently, I was treated as if I were a claimant because they expect to expand the disaster area into my county soon, and because I am registered, we will be eligible for "services". I explained that I didn't want their money, and that I have earthquake insurance as part of my homeowners insurance (unlike most people) but that I wanted written information on how one assesses as to whether a licensed home inspector needs to be called to furthur review issues in ones house following a serious earthquake. We were told that, They "had plenty of money allocated for our inspections and needed repairs", and that there are "likely to be far more damage in our structures, and infrastructure such as private wells and septic." This scared ME, and my husband is an engineer, and I live and breathe disaster preparedness AND I live in a new home pretty well fortified for most disasters. I did come away with two brand new carbon monoxide detectors. FEMA fears that many of the families who believe that they were not adversely affected by August's earthquake or by subsequent aftershocks may have damage to chimneys or to vents for fireplaces or even gaslogs. They worry about fires and deaths this year, when it turns cold and these devices are used, due to carbon monoxide poisoning. I happily took the two new detectors, and I will replace the ones I have moving the older ones to the barn and another outbuilding.
My husband was not happy that I visited FEMA and provided some personal information. FEMA is a federal agency which has the ability to condemn your home. Certainly in our case this is exceedingly unlikely because we have no structural damage of which I am conclusively aware. I did the rational thing by obtaining information and considering a professional post earthquake inspection by a private non-FEMA contractor. My husband's belief is that any help from any federal US agency comes with strings attached, and that rather than any help from them, he would rather see a decrease in his federal taxes. I understand his view and although I believe that in our case I would not accept any help from FEMA, this is a luxury we in fact have, because we don't have damage. Initially, FEMA and the Obama administration refused federal aid to Central Virginia following the main quake. Our governor appealed, and afterward the government agreed to aid those in Louisa County. There remains much skepticism there, as things needed to be repaired well in advance of FEMA actually agreeing to aid citizens with repairs. Anyone who could has long since made repairs.
In the US, we have much mistrust for our federal agencies. Many of us have learned that aid from them comes with strings, restrictions and controls and is often less competent help than that which we can procure for ourselves. Traditionally, wealthier people fix their own things at their own expense, and poorer people wait and rely on FEMA. Since people have waited for repairs and life after disasters is very stressful, this no doubt fuels the anger and mistrust so many people have for FEMA, which incidentally, has only existed since the mid seventies. Certainly, if you reside in the US and need post disaster help, your decision, and each decision needs to be made on an individual basis.
In a couple of weeks I expect to receive a letter thanking me for coming in but telling me that we have been determined to be outside the designated disaster service area at this time.

After seeing a police officer, then a uniformed FEMA official in charge, registrants are shuttled to a number of particular tables or departments designed to meet their specific needs, whether those needs are Small Business Administration loans for lost business expenses due to the disaster, or whether those are inspection needs, etc.

UPDATE:

My understanding is still that FEMA, under certain circumstances CAN condemn homes, however, in the interest of disseminating the information as FEMA might wish, and not disservicing our readers, I am including the official information from the FEMA office itself:
_______________

FEMA Does Not Condemn Homes

Release Date: November 29, 2011
Release Number: 4042-013
» More Information on Virginia Earthquake

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. -- Some Louisa County residents are reluctant to register with FEMA for earthquake assistance because they fear FEMA will condemn their homes and they'll have no place to live. Many earthquake survivors have told Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) Community Relations teams, they have not registered because of this fear.
"It's very important that everyone understands," Don Keldsen, Federal Coordinating Officer added, "FEMA does not condemn property."
"We urge Louisa County residents and business owners who suffered earthquake-related damage, to begin the disaster application process by registering online at

www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362),
Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585,
Anyone who uses 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) should call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, and, added Keldsen,
Face-to-face assistance is available at the FEMA/VDEM Disaster Recovery Center in the City of Louisa. The DRC is located in the Triangle Plaza, 502 E. Main St., and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is closed on Sundays."

Whether you apply online, over the phone or visit the DRC, you should have the following important information:

Your Social Security number.
Current and pre-disaster address.
A telephone number where you can be contacted.
Insurance information.
Total household annual income.
A routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account).
A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster.

FEMA Assistance can include:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are uninhabitable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to two months for homeowners and renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements.
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.

"Once you register, a FEMA inspector who can identify earthquake damage will call to set up an appointment and visit the property."
The FEMA inspector will ask questions that are important in determining what damages are eligible for FEMA grant programs, Keldsen explained. That information is protected by the Privacy Act. "FEMA does not share this information - and we do not condemn property. FEMA inspects damaged property for disaster recovery program purposes only."

The inspection is free.
It generally takes 30-40 minutes and consists of inspecting all areas of the home and personal property.
The inspector enters damage-related information into a hand-held computer and sends that data to a FEMA processing center.
The inspector does not determine whether an applicant is eligible for assistance.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 29-Nov-2011 15:55:19

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

For Our Canadian Friends

Canada is a a geographically very large nation, and is subject to episodic storms sufficient to make mobility difficult. Planning for these events is essential. There are a number of excellent sites either on a provincial or a federal level for Canadians. However, I really did want to call to your attention an excellent business where you can obtain almost any needed survival supply.

www.bridensolutions.ca

Briden supplies everything from freeze dried food both made and shipped from Canada, to volcano stoves

This stove sells for CAD$ 149.00

The Volcano 2 Collapsible Cook Stove is the best thing you can have in any preparedness situation.

With it's patented cook chamber, double wall construction for lower heat transfer to the outside, heavy duty steel construction, collapsible design and the ability to use charcoal/brickets, wood and propane make the Volcano the best choice to help you be ready for any situation that may arise.