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Another Question

Posted on Jun. 9, 2007 at 12:08 PM

I enjoyed seeing someone else who appreciates the nourishing benefits of making one's own keifer. I enjoy making pancakes and baked goods with it too, as they turn out wonderfully moist. Can you share how to make cream cheese from keifer? Thanks so much and God bless. Mrs. B

~ We pour the kefir (you can use yogurt too) into a flour sack towel (we also have a cotton bag that was made for this purpose), tie the corners together and then hang over a bowl to drain. You can buy contraptions just for this purpose. You can also hang the bag on a wooden spoon laid across the top of a tall bowl or a pitcher. We have also made small quantities by pouring the kefir into a coffee filter placed into a small strainer and then set upon a cup.

Next, you let it drain until it reaches the consistency you desire. Some people like to put it in the refrigerator while it is draining. I think this would probably give you a milder cheese. The liquid that collects into the cup or bowl is called whey and can be used for making other things (soaked oatmeal, fermented vegetables, ect…).

Warning … this cheese is stronger than cream cheese and takes some getting used to. :)

Monday Kitchen To Do List:

Posted on Apr. 23, 2007 at 3:53 PM

√ - Soak beans for chili and refried beans
√ - Soak almonds for crispy almonds
√ - Soak oatmeal
√ - Prepare cashews to soak for crispy cashews
√ - Set out chicken pieces to thaw - oven
√ - Set out whole chicken to thaw - crockpot
√ - Strain kefir
√ - Make whey/cream cheese
- Make pickled garlic
√ - Make menu for the week
√ - Make grocery list
√ - Clean out refrigerator

- Make produce inventory

Kefir

Posted on Mar. 9, 2007 at 4:34 PM

Maybe you have heard about Kefir? Read about it or maybe Kefir grains are on your wish list? You may be interested but you really do not know what it is or what it looks like. The smaller measuring cup, in the above picture, contains Kefir grains. It does not look like much but that cup holds 2 cups … there are 1 ¼ cups of grains in there. The large 8 cup measuring cup contains our just strained Kefir. It reaches just under the 8 cup line. This is the thickest Kefir we have made yet. It is sooo creamy. Still tart but nice and creamy!

~ Rachelle

Questions and Comments about Kamut, Kefir and Oatmeal

Posted on Mar. 7, 2007 at 8:40 AM

All of these questions or comments were from my 2-27-07 “In the Kitchen” entry. I am sorry it has taken me so long to answer.

---------------------

Kamut - Posted by Danaover40 -- I've never bought this grain, nor used it. Where did you buy yours? I'll have to look at Urban Homemaker and my local natural foods market to see if I can find it. I love Nourishing Traditions and their crispy nuts are a family favorite. They go great with chocolate, BTW. !!!!

I really like Kamut! For those that do not know Kamut is an ancient type of wheat. It has not been hybridized to change it’s natural content. It is more expensive than the more popular hybridized wheats but I like that it is not messed with and I think it tastes really good. I buy mine through a buying groups (co-op) for a decent price. I can also buy it at a kitchen specialty about 3-4 miles from my house for two to three times as much! Once I was desperate while waiting for my order to come in from the buying group and my sweet husband stopped and bought me some. A small bag, I think about three pounds, for over $7.00! I pay $21.75 for 25 pounds through the group.

We love crispy nuts too. We have made almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds. We use a dehydrator instead of the oven, do you?

Posted by Jocelyndixon  -- Sounds like a very nice day you all are having. And kefir is from goat's right? I want to make soap and cheese and other things from my goat's milk - have you ever done anything like that?

You can make kefir from goat’s milk but ours is made from cow’s milk since that is the only type of raw milk we have available to us right now.

Kefir is made from special grains. They look kind of like small pieces of cauliflower and are squishy. They are alive with healthy bacteria and when left in milk they turn it into Kefir. They grow and have babies so you end up with way more grains than you need … eventually. The actual grains taste tart and kind of sweet, they remind us of candy. They have been around for a very long time and are a traditional food in several other countries.

This website … Dom’s Kefir in-site … is considered the place to go for information about kefir.

This reminds me I reaaallllly need to strain our kefir and start a new batch. :)

I have not made soap or real cheese. I have made yogurt/kefir cheese. I would love to someday have goats and be able to try all those fun things. You are very blessed to have goats!!

Posted by daffodilmama  -- I just love nourishing traditions! I can't wait until I am able to implement it in my family! I love hearing how other families use it. I've been longing to try the oatmeal recipe in the book...

My girls and sweet husband all really like the oatmeal recipe. They have made it with kefir, yogurt, lemon juice and buttermilk. Their favorites are buttermilk and kefir. Yogurt was okay and lemon juice was not very good at all.

Me, I am not fond of oatmeal. :)

~ Rachelle

In My Kitchen 2-27-07

Posted on Feb. 27, 2007 at 12:26 PM

- At the moment of this typing … dd16 is grinding Kamut in the Whispermill, dd15 is washing dishes and dd8 & dd6 are sorting more Kamut to be milled. It is bread setting day. I cannot say baking day because the bread we make is a soaked bread. The recipe is Yeasted Buttermilk Bread, page 493, from Nourishing Traditions. It is wonderfully delicious bread. It also makes great rolls. We are experimenting a little today by replacing the buttermilk with homemade kefir. After the ground Kamut soaks in a kefir and butter mixture for 12-24 hours the rest of the ingredients will be added. It can then be kneaded, shaped, allowed to rise and then baked. Then we get to have a fresh bread with butter snack!  

- Earlier this morning I strained our kefir. After straining I had 8 cups of kefir and a whole cup of grains. This kefir smells much sweeter than the last batch (that fermented waaay toooo long) and my girls said the taste was not near as strong. We have been mixing a some kefir into our yogurt in the mornings. We have not yet learned to drink it plain. Kefir smoothies are on our want to try list … that should be a pleasant way to consume more Kefir. :) I am hoping that one day I can develop a taste for it plain.

- We have a roast in the crockpot for dinner. I am not sure what we will have it but at least part of dinner is in the making.

- Dd16 feed our sourdough starter this morning. We will hopefully have enough to make bread later this week. We are also hoping to split the remaining starter (after making bread) into two jars and build them up to a good amount. Dd15 wants to do some sourdough experiments … biscuits and English muffins.

Kitchen to do list:

- soak almonds and cashews to make crispy nuts (Nourishing Traditions, page 515)

- Sprout and dehydrate Kamut to make sprouted flour

- Soak pinto beans for refried beans (Nourishing Traditions, page 496) and maybe chili

~ Rachelle

Produce Basket 2-17-07

Posted on Feb. 19, 2007 at 11:59 AM

Our family is part of an organic produce group. We get a large laundry basket full of organic fruits and vegetable every other weekend. We also have the opportunity to buy cases, or half cases, of the large variety of fruits or vegetables that are available that week. Also, no nitrate deli meats and franks, free range organic eggs, cheese, and a few other things. The cost for these organic fruits and vegetables is close to what non-organic costs in the grocery store. The picture above is of our basket contents for 2-27-07. Included:

Apples, Braeburn
Bananas
Cabbage, Bok Choy
Carrots
Celery
Collards
Eggplant, Globe
Garlic, White
Kiwi
Lettuce, Green Leaf
Mangoes, Haden
Onions, Red
Oranges, Naval
Pears, Bosc
Pineapples, Gold
Potatoes, Russet
Spinach
Tomatoes, Roma

~ Rachelle

I have Kefir Grains!!

Posted on Feb. 2, 2007 at 2:54 PM

I am so excited! I have Kefir grains! Rebeca of Carried on the Wind  and Viridian Coffee sent me some grains along with the coffee I won for being a Blogger of the Week. Yay!

They came some time yesterday. I knew the package was on the way and I had my girls check during the day to see if they had arrived. We missed the delivery and they were out on the porch when my sweet husband came home. Then the fun began!

The bottle had built up quite a bit of pressure during it’s travels. Rebeca sent me a care and handling sheet about the grains so we knew to open the container slowly. What we did not expect was that the once the jar was open the grains kept growing and growing and growing. It was really rather funny. We dumped the overflow in a bowl while we prepared a large glass jar and got out the milk.

My Kefir grains are now happily fermenting on the side table in the kitchen.

Thank you Rebeca!!!

- The coffee beans smell wonderful! I already confessed to Rebeca that I do not drink coffee (my sweet husband loves it!) but I have always loved the smell of coffee beans.

- I am working on the basketweave wash cloth pattern. I even have pictures. I thought it would be quick and easy. It is taking longer than I thought … can you tell I have never written down a crochet pattern before? Hopefully I will be able to post it soon!

~ Rachelle

Thursday Thirteen

Posted on Jan. 18, 2007 at 10:15 AM

13 Things To Learn in My Kitchen This Year:

1. To make kefir.

2. To make a variety of sourdough breads.

3. To make consistently beautiful yeasted buttermilk bread.

4. Find a keeper recipe for homemade Italian salad dressing.

5. Find a keeper recipe for homemade ranch salad dressing.

6. To make delicious quiche.

7. Find a keeper recipe for homemade marinade for chicken.

8. Find a keeper recipe for homemade marinade for beef.

9. How to grill, bake or roast chicken that is not dry.

10. How to grill, bake or roast beef that is not dry.

11. Become more consistent in making sprouted wheat.

12. Become more consistent in making crispy nuts.

13. Find keeper recipes for cooked vegetables.

Not only do I want to learn to do these things (and my daughters to learn them too) but I want to learn to do them well! I want us to do them enough that they become easy to do.  :)

Recipe Review: Chocolate Chip Cookies made with freshly ground *sprouted* wheat flour

Posted on Oct. 20, 2006 at 8:48 AM

Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with freshly ground *sprouted* wheat flour)

The Cooks: Bethany, D and H

Recipe used: Modified recipe from a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips

For the last couple of weeks my older girls have been soaking, sprouting and dehydrating Kamut wheat berries so we can begin experiments in cooking with sprouted wheat flour. I was a little nervous about grinding home sprouted and dried wheat in my Whisper Mill. All my fears of clogging were for naught … the sprouted grain ground beautifully.

My Bethany made a half recipe of our usual chocolate chip cookies. She, D and H formed the cookies, they were baked and then the taste test. The were great! I could not tell a difference between the freshly ground sprouted flour and freshly ground unsprouted flour. I am impressed and thankful!

Next on our list for sprouted flour experimentation is … biscuits!

Recipe Review: Chicken Pot Pie

Posted on Oct. 16, 2006 at 8:41 AM

Chicken Pot Pie

The Cook: Bethany

Recipes used:

   Crust - Yogurt Dough from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

   Filling – Chicken stew made from the things in our refrigerator and cabinets, recipe created (at the moment) by me :)

We have made the yogurt dough a handful of times and it has always been good. This time it was really, really good. Bethany used the yogurt dough to line 1 large and 4 small baking dishes, filled the crust with chicken stew, topped it with more dough and baked until it turned a lovely golden brown. Yum! I love it when an experiment turns out well. This one is a keeper.

The one bigger pot pie with a peek at the filling.


The four smaller pies. When turned upside down they each slide right out in one lovely piece.

Gluten-Free Pizza

Posted on Jun. 14, 2006 at 8:30 AM

In the last couple of weeks I have had two different kinds of gluten-free pizza – both were really good!

The first was from a restaurant here in AZ called Picazzo’s. It had been some time since I had pizza, even when I was still eating gluten because it always made me feel so bad. The pizza from Picazzo’s was delicious and such a treat! The crust was nice and crunchy, the sauce had good seasoning and the toppings were tasty. The price was a little high but nice for a treat. I saved the leftovers for the next day. The pizza was just as good after being warmed up in the toaster oven. 

Gluten-Free Cooking & a list of Gluten-Free Cookbooks

Posted on Jun. 5, 2006 at 11:35 AM

Now that I am back to eating gluten free (sixth week now I think!!) we are back to trying new (to us) gluten free recipes. So far our made from scratch list includes: sandwich bread, cornbread, pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, banana nut muffins and biscuits. All were good and definitely things I could eat again.

Where are we getting all these wonderful recipes? Well … I love cookbooks and now that I am eating gluten free, I have a new type of cookbook to collect. Below is a list of the gluten free cookbooks I have in my library. The top two (with the *) are my favorites so far. 

-----

- Cooking Gluten-Free - Karen Robertson *

- Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus – Carol Fenster *

- Cooking Free – Carol Fenster

- Gluten-Free 101 – Carol Fenster

- The Best Ever Wheat-and Gluten-Free Baking Book – Mary Ann and Mace Wenniger

- The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods – Bette Hagman

- The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread – Bette Hagman

- 125 Best Gluten-Free Recipes – Donna Washburn, Heather Butt

- Delicious Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Breads – LynnRae Ries, Bruce Gross

- Gluten Free Cooking – Recipes From Home –Myriel DeCap

Update on gluten free living …

Posted on May. 24, 2006 at 9:32 AM

For those of you who read my posts last Fall about my trying to become gluten-free, I thought I would write an update. For a while there is seemed my lot in life was to try and fail, try and fail. I got sick around Christmas time and that lasted for about six weeks. I felt awful (coughing, pain in my chest) and during that time I totally gave up trying to be gluten free at all. What a huge mistake. A little gluten is bad, lots of gluten is worse. I got myself into a terrible mess physically. I was weak and tired and maybe in denial that gluten is a problem for me.

So here I am now, I think this is week five of no on purpose gluten. I know I have been glutenized by hidden gluten. I just got some new gluten-free cookbooks and a restaurant guide and some of the things I thought were okay have gluten (small amounts) in them. I feel soooooo much better, it is amazing!! I can only imagine I will feel even better when I am not eating things with hidden gluten in them. Gluten (mostly in wheat form it seems) is in just about every prepared, or even semi prepared, product that you can buy in stores and restaurants. Oh and in church potluck dishes too!!

I even experienced my first “take my dinner with me” when visiting another family. The main dish was wheat pasta so not something I could eat. I brought a salad for everyone and then a container of things to turn mine into a chef’s salad. It felt odd to do that but at least the first time bringing my own food is over!

The Gluten Free Bakery/Store …

Posted on Dec. 12, 2005 at 9:10 AM

We went to the new store I found out about last week that has many gluten free items. It was so nice to see so many different types of convenience foods that are gluten free. I am generally one of those make it from scratch type people (when I cook! lol) but do not have the physical ability to do so right now.

This store had such a good variety - fresh, packaged and frozen gluten free items. Breads, crackers, cookies, cakes, snack foods, frozen dinners, frozen breakfast foods (waffles), cereals, sauces, condiments, ready to go meals and they do custom orders.

We bought many different things to try. My husband was so happy to see frozen gluten free raviolis! They cost a small fortune but as the king of his castle and a man who works incredibly hard and long hours … he deserves them even if they had cost twice as much as what they did! We bought some fresh bread (tasted a pinch of one of them, a little dry but okay), frozen pizza, individual size meals, cracker crouton looking things (they are good and I love croutons on my salad!), energy bars things (yummy), crackers, cake mixes (yay birthdays!!), another cook book, and oh I forgot!!! They had gluten free tortillas! I had one this morning made into an egg burrito. It was pretty good but got hard really quick and chewy. Gotta eat em fast! lol I think they will be good for cheese crisps and tortilla pizza. Oh and probably good for green chili enchiladas too! Yay again!!

We also bought a few treats from the fresh stuff bakery. The girls all got a frosted cookie on a stick. They were very good … I had a bite of one of my daughters. My husband and I split an itty bitty cream puff and it was really delicious … it would please the pallet of any cream puff loving individual! We also split a piece of chocolate cheesecake. I did not plan to eat more treats/sweets/desserts (until last Friday I had not eaten any treat/sweet/dessert for 1 year, 1 month and 23 days) but we did not eat breakfast before we went and I was hungry. I was also curious to taste what gluten free treats were like … I was impressed, my sweet hubby was too and he has not been off of treats for over a year like me.

I am so thankful for a sweet hubby who is willing and wanting to change over to gluten free eating to improve my (and my daughters) heath. For a sweet husband who is willing to take a chunk of his day off to drive a ways to buy gluten free stuff so we will be more successful in getting gluten out of our diet. My husband is such a wonderful blessing to me!!!

Gluten Free Bakery ...

Posted on Dec. 6, 2005 at 1:05 PM

I am so excited I could cry and shout and run around doing a happy dance. I am on an email list for information about gf living and restaurants in my state. I just read an email about a bakery not toooo far away that has a bunch of gluten free products! Yay! Bread, rolls, cakes, all freshly made. Yay!!!! I called my sweet hubby and he was excited too. We hope to go there this weekend ... I will probably buy basket loads of stuff as I have been feeling too rotten to do much experimenting. I have eaten sooooo much corn lately! lol Anyway ... did I say Yay?!

Bread Review ...

Posted on Nov. 21, 2005 at 6:31 AM

I made the bread and it was ... a flop and a success all at the same time

Appearance - it sunk horribly. I think the rising time is waaaay too long. I will have to modify the program.

Texture - weird. Cakey and wet looking but not wet. Odd. I think that is the norm for gluten free bread though, isn't it? Except for Tammy's lovely hamburger buns with wheat like texture and bendability. :) (armoorefam) When I feel better and am up to making breads that takes more time than filling a bread machine, I hope to try to make those.

Taste - here I was impressed! It did not taste like rice at all. It was good enough to eat plain. Almost a little too sweet or maybe the fact that I have not had any desert of any kind in over a year has made my taste buds perceive a sweetness that is not really there? This bread seems that it would be good with peanut and jelly. It seems so wet, even though it is not, and cakey that I am wondering how it will toast. I guess I need to experiment with that too. 

After all of Tammy's wonderful helpful comments to me on my blog (and the celiac entries on her blog) and Julie's encouraging phone call I have decided I really need to grow up and get going with what I know to be the right thing to do. Saturday I was mostly gluten free and yesterday I did not eat any gluten at all. I am looking forward to soon feeling as good as I did after my two week gf trial and then feeling even better as time goes by.

Barbara - yes, the bread machine is a Zojirushi. :)

Finally making some bread ...

Posted on Nov. 19, 2005 at 1:26 PM

After a very encouraging talk this morning with a sweet woman who has been eating gluten free for many years ... I am finally making some bread with my new machines.

I am not sure what I was/am afraid of. Failures? Failing again at cooking meals? Starting something I know I need to do then failing to continue? Even after a big difference in my body and how I felt after being gluten free for two weeks ... I still went back to wheat when my sister came to stay for a few days. Then I found it seemingly impossible to start again even with feeling worse each day. What is wrong with me?! I know what I need to do but cannot seem to do it.

Today is a new day though and here I sit at my kitchen table writing on my blog and listening to the bread machine kneading some gluten free dough that will soon be bread. I hope it is not a flop. I hope it is at least edible.

Bread today ... tortillas soon?

I am the proud new owner of a bread machine and a new mill ...

Posted on Nov. 16, 2005 at 3:06 PM

My sweet hubby went to the store that had the mill for sale and YAY they had the bread machine too. He bought them and brought them both home on his lunch hour. He is wonderful!!

More on my journey to gluten free living and regular meals made at home!!

Posted on Nov. 16, 2005 at 8:32 AM

After reading a bit and talking with my sweet hubby we have decided to buy a bread machine and a new mill. I have a lovely Bosch, Kitchen Aid Mixer and a Whisper Mill but we think that right now we need something that can make bread without needing attention! Is that really just an excuse to buy another kitchen gadget! Maybe?! lol

Actually no … if you have read any of my other blog entries you know that we are having a very difficult time getting meals made and eat take out way too much. I really do need a way to make bread that does not have to be babysat. I am sooo hoping that learning to make gluten free bread will be as easy as learning to make freshly ground whole wheat bread was. It must be the desert air but we rarely ever had a bread flop during the years we made all our own yummy bread.

I kind of find it funny that we ate all that homemade from freshly ground whole wheat bread for years and now we are going gluten free. Makes me wonder how much damage all that bread did to my system. Do you know the secret to lovely homemade sandwich bread, that does not crumble,  from freshly ground whole wheat? The secret is the addition of pure … gluten! Ooooh that is poison to the gluten intolerant!

Oh … why the new mill? After reading armoorefam blog I was reminded that you need a new mill when going gluten free because a mill that has previously ground wheat is contaminated. There is no way to get inside and clean it thoroughly. If changing to a completely gluten free diet will help with many of my physical issues and give me back my ability to be more normal … it would be worth buying a whole truck load of bread machines and new mills! Sooooo …. we are going to begin the experimentation process with hopes of finding a bread recipe that will fill the wheat void for our family. We have decided that our whole family will be going gluten free. Making both wheat free and a wheat filled versions for each meal is something I know we cannot do … at least not right now.

Back to the new machines. I called yesterday to the only place close by (or far for that matter) that I know of that actually sells mills (to not have to order it on the internet) and they closed at 5:30! No way to get there by then. Then last night  … we gather all family members, hop in the van and drive 15 miles to the only place I could find that sells the bread machine I want to buy (again to not have to order it over the internet) and they were closed!! I forgot to see how late they were open … oh silly me!!!! They are in a very big city in a very popular shopping area and they closed at 7! I think that specialty kitchen shops just might have a lot more business and sales if they would stay open a little bit later!! Today my sweet hubby is stopping by the mill place on his lunch break and just maybe they will carry the bread machine too. That would be great!

Meal Planning ...

Posted on Nov. 14, 2005 at 6:19 AM

I am working on my plan … J

I made a list of all of our family favorites and was very surprised that the list is quite long! The problem with many of the recipes is that they are loaded with … gluten. I have done two gluten free trials and I feel so much better physically when I do not eat it. One of my daughters also feels much better when she does not eat gluten … so gluten free (or nearly) is a priority. We have started eating some yummy brown rice noodles (except the lasagna style, they were yucky!) but would rather only eat pasta one or two times a week. My absolute favorite food is Mexican … where flour tortillas abound! I have a couple of gluten free tortilla recipes but have yet to try them. Here is my list with my notes for experimentation and replacement (GF stand for Gluten Free):

- - Beef Tacos - GF

- - Biscuits - I have made GF biscuits a few times, the recipe I have is okay. I need to try a few more recipes for something better.

- - Cheese Ball - GF

- - Chicken Burritos - need a *good* GF flour tortilla recipe

- - Chicken Soup/Stew - GF, if GF flour is used for thickening

- - Chili - GF

- - Cornbread - Need to experiment

- - Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken - GF with rice noodles. Need to work on getting a better result with grilling.

- - Flying Saucers - need a *good* GF flour tortillas recipe

- - Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole - need a *good* GF tortillas recipe

- - Hamburgers - need a *good* GF bread recipe

- - Lasagna - need to find a new rice lasagna noodle

- - Meatballs (with spaghetti or gravy) - Need a *good* GF bread recipe and to experiment with GF gravy

- - Meatloaf - GF when made with rice

- - Potato Salad - GF

- - Roast - the only way I have really liked roast was when it is cooked in the crockpot with cream of mushroom soup and onion soup … not GF and not very healthy. I want to experiment with GF stuff.

- - Red Chicken Enchilada Casserole - GF

- - Smothered Chicken (with mashed or steamed potatoes, brown rice, noodles or on bread) - need to experiment with GF flour as a thickener for the sauce and a good GF bread if eaten on bread.

- - Split Pea Soup - GF

Some of my goals for this week:

- - experiment with making GF flour tortillas.

- - find or make some realllllly good GF bread.

Recipe want list:

- - A reallllly good Mexican marinade for chicken and beef … one that tastes like the one that Baja Fresh uses would be wonderful! I love their food!!

- - Tried and true recipes for Chinese food. Terriyaki beef and fried rice. Also, a Chinese type marinade for chicken.

- - Book recommendation for a good book on grilling/bbqing … J