KOMBUCHA , KIFER and PROBIOTICS

EASY HOMEMADE GREEK YOGURT And Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese

2013-08-31T18:21:00.003-07:00

Creamy Greek Yogurt aka Plain yogurt strained of its whey.

Hi everyone. You all know I am big on natural probiotics. Greek yogurt is one of them. I've posted this recipe before but under yogurt cream cheese. I realized after talking with a friend who did not realize the fact that Greek yogurt is plain yogurt that has been strained of its whey. I thought perhaps other folks did not know this either. So this would be an good share for those who don't know, right?

It's simple to turn plain yogurt into Greek yogurt by simply straining its whey making it richer in probiotics, plus 2x the protein and 3x the calcium. Yes Greek Yogurt is a very healthy alternative, but it is also 3x the price of regular yogurt. I did promise to save you money and eat healthy too. So here goes.

I started off with plain nonfat yogurt

I put the yogurt in a strainer lined with a cheesecloth. I cubed the yogurt
to help speed up the straining process.

This was my method of straining. At this point it is Greek Yogurt. Takes
about one hour of straining.

However, I wanted to continue to make Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese, to make a no bake cheese cake. With that I began to strain as much whey as I could to remove as much liquid possible, so I hung it over the sink for about 4-6 hours. Now reduced in size by half the original container, it is now packed with more nutrition in just a little bite. I reserve to whey to drink later.

Hung it over my sink to reduce more whey.

Well that's all there is to it. So simple right? Well thanks for visiting and please feel free to share and like with a link below. This is a good easy share for most households who do use yogurt, especially Greek Yogurt. Till the next time...Many Blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

REHYDRATING SCOBY'S TO MAKE BABY SCOBY'S AND KOMBUCHA

2013-04-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the dried SCOBY and the small jar of Kombucha
I flopped this baby in.

Chara, a reader here asked an excellent question regarding rehydrating dehydrating SCOBY'S.(Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.) Anyone who brews kombucha knows that they quickly accumulate baby SCOBY'S right? They grow on top of the kombucha in the process of brewing kombucha. The longer it is left to brew the thicker the SCOBY gets. Sort of like the "mother", if you will. Usually I have baby SCOBY'S coming out of my ears till I starting dehydrating them once they got about 1/4 inch thick. Once dehydrated, I would grind it with a variety of herbs and salts. I would not use these salts to cook the food as we do know that heat will kill the healthy probiotic bacteria. I used them on already cooked foods and salads and fruits. It's just another way to use these babies and getting the benefits of probiotics at the same time. Anyway...

Chara's question was, "can you rehydrate them and use them for a SCOBY again?"

Dried, I made sure baby SCOBY, or should
I say "mama SCOBY", was tucked under the
kombucha. Yup. I'm a mom too. LOL.

Being that I still brew kombucha and still grow these baby SCOBY'S, I haven't had a need to rehydrate them. But the the sake us all of us knowing I immediately put one dehydrated SCOBY in a jar and topped it with fresh kombucha.

In 12 hours time the SCOBY was fully rehydrated. I could tell by how it gracefully moved in the kombucha, once I slightly moved the jar.

In 24 hours time it appeared to show the signs of a baby SCOBY floating on top.

In 36 hours time. Yes, that's definitely a baby SCOBY. The mother SCOBY is now very much alive. You can see the fine lines in the pic. Yay!

So my answer to you my dear Chara would be a definite yes. Yes you can rehydrate, dehydrated SCOBY'S to make more babies, and more kombucha. I do know from experience I wrote in another blog on making baby SCOBY'S using a bottle of store bought kombucha only. However, that can take up to 2 weeks for that to begin happen. Which by the way happened here in 36 hours:)

Thank you again for asking such a wonderful question. It's good to know that there are other inquisitive minds. I am sure there are many other folks who have thought of the same question, but just didn't bother to ask. So now we know just a little bit more than yesterday. Thank you for allowing me to be of service. Till the next time...many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Now tell me if I am wrong, but I see a white baby SCOBY floating on top of the kombucha in 36 hours. Yes, she can make more baby SCOBY'S once she has fully rehydrated! Good News, it's good enough for me. I can keep taking pictures.but this pic alone is enough evidence for me.

Just a note, If you don't like the sight of this SCOBY or the thought of you making your own probiotics. You can always go to Nutrasource.com and pick up a bottle for a reasonable price. Personally. I don't mind the extra work.

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER and CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE (MADE WITH GREEK YOGURT)

2013-01-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, this No Bake Cheesecake is made with homemade Greek yogurt and not cream cheese. The best thing is it still has all it's probiotics. Cream cheese in conventional cheesecake has almost no nutritional benefits and is almost all fat. Here I took low-fat yogurt, converted it into Greek Yogurt, which gave it 2x more protein and 3x more calcium. Not to mention, it is much lower in fats, and sugar. The second best thing about this recipe is it is incredibly delicious. Finally, the third best thing about this recipe is that it is so easy to make, and the cost is so much less than real fatty cream cheese cake. As for myself...I choose the healthy, tasty, and easy way out.

Peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake made with easy homemade Greek yogurt instead of regular cream cheese.
I just boosted this tasty cheesecake's not nutritive status into a mega protein and more than 3x the calcium!
This slice was escellent frozen. It's my preference.

I am not claiming this to be a low calorie, low sugar food at all. I don't weigh my food intake by how much fat. However I find, if I eat fat, I EAT HEALTHY FAT AND CAN STILL LOSE WEIGHT. I just don't eat store bought junk food, It's the only way I can control my health and weight. My food is my medicine. Haha, I got to tell you, this is some really good medicine.

I had a little guest over for dinner yesterday She is my assistant in my art and craft department here. But she is a very picky eater, so her mom says. Sofia is a beautiful 5 1/2 year old that I love to entertain. (Actually, she does the entertaining.) So I was trying to come up with something that would satisfy both our sweet tooth, yet have some quality nutrition. I came up with this recipe.

I'd say this was a winner in our books. Right? Her slice was refrigerated. I froze the rest of the cheesecake for another day. Today was that other day and it tasted like, soft serve peanut butter chocolate with cookie crumb ice cream. Yum!

Actually there is no recipe but I will break it down for you. Why? Because it is absolutely delicious, and so easy to make. I would definitely call this dish a winner. My little friend Sofia, our picky eater thought it was finger licking good. She licked the plate clean. I showed her mom Shekinah this pic...she blushed and said, "I taught her better manners than that". So funny, I love beautiful moments! Anyway, back to my recipe...

Ingredients:

Yogurt (plain) 32 oz

Peanut butter 1/2 cup (more or less, depends on how much you like peanut butter)

Sugar/Sweetener 1/2 cup (more or less according to taste)

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

Graham cracker pie crust

Cocoa powder 1 tablespoon

Instructions for Greek Yogurt:

The whole pie and nothing but the pie is so heavy, rich and makes a great
dessert. It doesn't take much to satisfy that sweet tooth in a healthier way.

Make Greek Yogurt...Put yogurt in strainer and let sit for about 3 hours so it can drain the whey. I love to drink the whey or add it to my smoothies. Yes this is how easy it is to make Greek yogurt!
Once the yogurt looks like cream cheese add all the ingredients together and blend thoroughly. I used my Ninja Blender to give it a whipped texture.
Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate.
Sprinkle with a pinch of cocoa
whipped cream and chocolate syrup is optional.

See, I told you it was easy. You have to try this. At first I couldn't imagine peanut butter in my yogurt, but now, when I think of peanut butter...I think of Greek yogurt. When I think of Greek yogurt, I think homemade.

Well, that's it for now. Thank you for visiting my simple blog, my simple food, and my simple life. See how easy it was to make Greek yogurt and this delicious cheesecake. Thank you again for allowing me to be of service. Please feel free to share this recipe with your loved ones. You are welcome to share or pin it if you like. Visit my homepage and see my other simple recipes. I believe in HOPE:) Many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

KOMBUCHA GREEN SMOOTHIES WITH MY NINJA MEGA PRO 1500W

2012-12-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Blending my Kombucha Green Smoothie with my Ninja Mega
Kitchen System Pro 1500W.

Good morning everyone, and Happy New Years Eve to you all. I pray and HOPE you make the best out of this new year! Anway with that... I just made this tangy Kombucha Green Smoothie drink. What I like about this recipe is, there are no set rules. What I had on hand is what I used. Adding homemade kombucha has made it so much more alive with it's probiotics. What can I say, for me, probiotics and solulable fiber found in vegetables has helped me so much in my recovery to wellness, and a 50 lb. weight loss without dieting is just a plus! I just add drinks like this and other probiotics foods to my daily diet (See my blog, "What Probiotics Have Done For Me, part 1, 2. if interested) Anyway for me, as long as it is green and alive, I am a happy camper.

Well it's breakfast time and usually I don't go big on breakfast early in the morning. I will save the heavier meal for brunch, lunch or dinner. However I feel the need for energy now. What better way to wake up every thread in your body with with some homemade kombucha, a beautiful green salad, seeds, and some fruit. Only problem is I have a busy morning schedule and don't have time to sit and properly chew a salad in the morning. That's great if you do but most folks don't have time or take time to properly feed your body REAL NUTRITION so early in the morning.

I turned simple green salad turned into a liquid
smootie to get all the nutritional benefits
I could HOPE for. See Brenda Watson
on PBS. She's so full of HOPE.

Taking the time to chew you food is so important for proper digestion, and better nutritional absorbtion. Take the tiny but powerful sesame seed or flaxseed. We know they are very good for us as they are loaded with calcium, protein, and omega 3's. However the shell of the seed is so hard, it's just fiber if we don't chew it to breakdown the nutrition. They are so tiny they either get swallowed whole by eating fast, or caught between your teeth. Right? Also, it works only if you have the teeth to chew right? Listen up seniors! The whole seed gets passed right out without any nutrition being absorbed. What a waste of money. Non GMO seeds can get quite pricey too. Well anyway, lucky me I have my Ninja 1500W, However, my son has the Ninja Pulse and it does the same to help breakdown those tiny nutty seeds. Enough said, let's get busy.

I just made this tangy Kombucha Green Smoothie drink. What I like about this recipe is, there are no set rules. What I had on hand is what I used for my Kombucha Green Smoothie. Adding homemade kombucha (see my blog on how to make homemade kombucha) to my drink has made it so much more alive with it's probiotics. As long as it is green and alive, I am a happy camper.

Ingredients: Remember no rules

Actually this 16 oz. single serve can
serve two 8 oz glasses.

Kombucha GT, 1/4-1/2 cup (Can use water, or juice)
Green Organic baby Arugela, washed. 1/2 cup
Green Apple, 1/3 (any kind)
Mango, one slice
Cabbage heart, small slice
Ginger, 1/2-1 inch slice
Celery, 1/2 stalk
Flax seeds, 1-2 teaspoons
Sesame seeds, 1-2 teaspoons
Tumeric, 1 teaspoon
Water to max fill line

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in the blender
Add water to Max fill line and close carefully. The good thing about the Ninja is if it is not closed properly and tight, the machine will not start.
Blend with SEVERAL SHORT PULSES then a few long pulses until desired smoothness is obtained. Make sure the seeds are ground up well. It might take a minute...or two.

Now that you have this recipe, I feel great. I just drank up, to my health and feel like I had a jump start today. Nice:) It's so easy to make. No need to spend a lot of money elsewhere, when you can get this wonderful Kombucha Green Smoothie right at home. I might add, that that it has all the ingredients one can "HOPE" for. Brenda Watson a world known natural health practitioner who I heard on tv's PBS station said "for optimal health we must have HOPE". HOPE stands for...

H... High Fiber (check) Solulable fiber in fruits, vegetables, and oats, etc.
O... Omega 3's (check) Nuts, fish, and healthy oils
P... Probiotics (check) Kombucha, kifers, and yogurts, as well as fermented foods
E... Enzymes (check) Raw foods.

Please join me on this journey into wellness, by trying a few of the recipes I have posted here on my blogs. Feel free to share whatever you like. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. If you don't like the taste try adding another fruit or veggie until you do find what works for you. Just don't give up. After all, there is HOPE. So till the next, Many Blessings to all, and again Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

LOOK WHAT PROBIOTICS HAVE DONE FOR ME WITH A LITTLE "HOPE". PART 2.

2012-12-30T01:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Mary Helens Test Kitchen 2013!! I want to share with you some "HOPE".

H...High fiber.
O...Omega 3's
P...Probiotics
E...Enzymes

My bottled water kifer soda.
I bottle myself. Once
capped, it becomes
naturally carbonated, and
more probiotic

"HOPE" was said by Brenda Watson, a famous natural health practitioner who was recently on PBS television. I got the main message, . It was "HOPE". It caught my attention, because in the beginning, all I had was hope. I still do. HOPE, for me plants a good seed. And with that is my desire to plant this seed with you. But before I continue...

Mint Kifer Ice Cream. Made
with milk kifer and mint
herbs. Yes
I have total control. It's
all good and probiotic.

I want to take this time to pray you have a wonderful new year with all that you "HOPE" for. I "HOPE" you are blessed with all that you need in the future. I "Hope" for a cure for all that ails you. I Hope for Love, World Peace, and True Happiness. And with that said, I will continue.

Actually it wasn't just probiotics that has helped me with my wellness. It was healthy oils like coconut, real butter, extra virgin olive, and grapeseed oils, etc. I also give credit to fiber. Not just any fiber. Soluble fiber that comes from fruits and vegetables. I also thank my Ninja blender, my kitchen assistant for making a lot of my work easier. I realized I was following Barbara Watson and her "HOPE" plan without even knowing who she was until the other day.

H...High fiber.... Not just any fiber. Solulable fiber like fruits and vegetables, oats, etc.
O...Omega 3's... Fish, Oils, butter, olive oil, beans, and walnuts, etc.
P...Probiotics... Milk, Kifer, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented foods like sauerkraut, etc.
E...Enzymes... Raw foods again! Including Sushi etc.

Fermented Cabbage
Kombucha Green Tea drink.
So tangy, so tasty...so probiotic.

It was then I realized I really had to share this great news full heartedly. It's all good, but, it was probiotics where I began to see a difference with my health.

PROBIOTICS and MY RECOVERY

To begin with I am a 64 year young woman, getting better every day. One day it hit me that food can either harm me or help me. I got to choose which direction I wanted food to take me. I realized I had more control over my body than I realized. I also realized that food was medicine and with that I began my journey into wellness. One and 1/2 years later after including water kifers, milk kifers, kombucha's, as well and venturing on to other probiotic fermented foods, and the implementation of the "HOPE" plan (didn't know it at the time though). Today, I am still free of over 300+ pharmaceudical medications.

Milk Kifer Grains for milk
kifer, cheeses, ice cream
and desserts. So good, so
probiotic.

Also, I am so glad to say I show no sign of diabetes after being so out of control, and in and out of hospitals for years. My blood pressure and cholesterol are very much in control. My doctors visits are less frequent. My hospital visits are down to zero except for an episode of shingles. This is a big difference from before, because hospitals had become a home away from home. So sad, I was always depressed. I feel so much better now. My energy level has increased by 50%, to the tune of "I have so much energy, I lost 40 lbs. the first year, and another 10 lbs. these last 6 months without dieting". Did I mention how much softer, and healthier my skin looks and feels? What a plus at 63! I'm not saying life is perfect, or I am the perfect size...but life is better today without all that baggage. What a load that was.

Coconut Water Kifer soda.
Naturally carbonated,
naturally good and,
loaded with probiotics

I know I am headed in the right direction. Did I mention how cheap it is to brew/ferment your own probiotics at home? It is really cheap to get healthy. No need to pay for all those pharmaceudical pills that help mask what ails you, but does not cure you. Let's plant that seed of "HOPE" in all of us. Let's get busy, and check out my other healthy but truly tasty recipes here on Blogger. Feel free to share my posts with your family and friends. My last words for your today is to...have"HOPE". Remember food is medicine, and it doesn't take a lot of money either, just a little "HOPE". So till the next time, I will keep on doing what I am doing. To you all, many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Grape Kifer Soda, another
naturally carbonated
probiotic drink

Fermented Lemons. The
rinds are so tender and tasty
they just fall apart. Also
probiotic.

Rosemary Green Tea
Kombucha. A
probiotic tasty drink

Spicy Fermented Green Apple
Pickle, Indian style. Oh
so tasty, made with lots'
of herbs and spices. It's great
and great for the
winter months. Also rich
in probiotics

Milk Kifer Cheese Spread
with coconut and honey
and spices.
Another healthy,tasty
alternative. Again,
more probiotics

Strawberry Vanilla Kombucha
Green Tea Icee. So
Probiotic and so
refreshenly tasty

Carbonated Kombucha
Green Tea
Antiseptic/astringent
for my face and cuts.
P. S. It's so
tenderizingly soft.

Homemade Kombucha Green
Tea .with the mother SCOBY
on top. Yes it's probiotic

Homemade fermented sauerkraut
loaded with probiotics.
Folks, if you haven't had
homemade sauerkraut...
you don't know what your missing.

Yummy milk kifer Mayonainse
that melts in your mouth

CARBONATED KOMBUCHA GT HERBAL FACE AND BODY TONER/ASTRINGENT

2012-12-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Carbonated Kombucha Gt Herbal Face And Body Toner/Astrigent.

Introducing, Carbonated Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent. It leaves your face feeling tingly clean and fresh. Great antiseptic for minor cuts, and scrapes...

It is made with raw kombucha vinegar. Adding green tea and cloves makes this a powerful natural antibacterial as well. It leaves your face and body fresh and clean. My face feels slightly tighter, pores smaller. And I am naturally protected with salicylic acid to help ward of blemishes.

Lucky me. I've been brewing Kombucha GT for over a year now. Within days the excess Kombucha GT turns into vinegar. Drinking Kombucha GT and it's probiotics daily, I feel the difference in all that ailed me. Because all that ailed me, no longer ails me like diabetes and high blood pressure. Another benefit of Kombucha GT is, I've lost weight and kept it off without dieting too. Good news is I am still losing weight slowly and again without dieting. Well I know if it could balance my inner organs than it should do wonders for the largest organ of my body... my skin.

I really like anything to do with Kombucha GT probiotics and their ph balance. I figure if folks drink it, bathe with it, shampoo with it, and use the mother SCOBY (SYMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEAST) to make face masks like I do. Then Kombucha GT Face Toner/Astringent should be great for the face as well. Fact is, ancient medicine have also used the Kombucha GT SCOBY (SIMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEAST) aka known as the "vinegar mother", as band aids because the SCOBY is thick and similar to skin. It shrinks as it dries which also helps seals and shrink the wound and keep unhealthy bacteria out. Raw kombucha GT ferments into a vinegar has a ph of 4 or less. Your skin would love this ph balance. Now combine Kombucha GT with herbs like green tea and cloves, and you have a perfect marriage for an astringent. Besides nourishing and cleansing the skin, it would help shrink enlarged pores, and reduce oil, and or acne.

BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA AND CLOVES.

There are a multitude of benefits in green tea and cloves besides vitamin C. Including many micro phyto-chemicals, a rich nutrient good for cellular rejuvenation Polyphenols and their anti-oxidant benefits are also a natural astringent. However, it would be to your benefit you research them for yourself. Right now I am only briefly stating a few benefits. about the astringent properties in these two herbs. My goal is to show you how easy it is to make with my recipe.

Astringents:

contain plant based micro phyto-nutrients and polyphenols. like tannic acids and salicyclic acid. These are powerful antioxidants that your body needs both internally and externally.
Astringent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AstringentShare
An astringent (occasional alternative: adstringent) substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical ...

You visited this page on 11/30/12.

Tannic Acid:

Tannic acid is plant based micro-poly-phenol, another antioxidant. In the 1920's Tannic Acid was used in medicine to treat burns. They applied tannic acid to the dressing and applied the dressing to the wound/burn. They were able to reduce the mortality rate greatly. Tannic Acid aka Tannins can be found in many plants including green tea and cloves. Green tea, and cloves have a lot of other poly-phenols including one called, called salicylic acid.

Salicylic Acid:

Salicylic Acid is known for its drying and tightening properties. Salicylic acid can be found in many plants, but it is now chemically made. Many anti blemish face products, including the famous Pro-Active, and Neutrogena contain salicylic acid. However, most over the counter products have salicylic acid, but it is chemically made, and not natural.

Personally I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. I know that my Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent works just as well, perhaps better, and without all those additional chemicals. So, with all this in mind, I've come up with a Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner . Here is an easy recipe using a few herbal ingredients, I present to you my...

KOMBUCHA GT HERBAL FACE AND BODY ASTRINGENT/TONER RECIPE

(By the way this is safe enough to drink. Great way to help you lose weight)

Ingredients:

** Kombucha GT 1 bottle to make kombucha vinegar (See **note, below.) or Kombucha GT Vinegar 12 oz. (Great ph balance for skin)
Green Tea 2 tea bags (Great antioxidants like micro- polyphenols to freshen and tighten the skin.)
Cloves Ground 1/4 teaspoon (Also contains polyphenols, and a heating element which stimulates blood flow necessary for cellular rejuvination.
Oil light 1-2 teaspoons (I used Jojoba oil:)
Jar 10 oz sterile jar with non metal lid.

Instructions:

Put Kombucha GT vinegar in jar.
Add cloves and green tea bags and keep in a dark warm place for at least 3-5 days. (The oven is a great place to keep it.
Remove tea bags
Strain with a fine cheesecloth to retrieve tea bags and ground cloves.
Pour into sterile container with cap
Add oil cap and shake well. Shake well over the sink as it will fizz IF Well Capped. (give it a couple of days in the new capped container.
Apply to face or body with a soft cloth or a cotton ball.

**Note
If you do not have kombucha vinegar you can purchase a bottle of kombucha. Open it, cover with a paper towel. Set undisturbed in a warm spot for a week or so,or until you see a SCOBY floating on top. You can now use this to brew your next batch of kombucha. All climates is different so just be patient. You can tell when it's ready by the smell and taste. So easy to make.

Live Kombucha GT vinegar is a natural low ph astringent on it's own. It's an antioxidant, antibacterial, and an antiseptic. To add to the already awesome astringent are the natural polyphenols like tannic acid and salicylic acid found in green tea and cloves. We already know these two are also astringent based plants. They too, alone help tighten, clean, heal and freshens the skin. Isn't that great news. They marry well together. That means that this is a great combination.

I've been using Carbonated Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent, a few weeks now. Yes, it smells like vinegar, but the smell evaporates rapidly leaving only a hint of cloves. Each and every time I use it I feel like my skin is softer, more tender. My pores have shrunken. I no longer have dry patchy flaky spots. My face feels cleaner and more rehydrated, healthier. If you have it, don't be afraid to try it. If the ph is is too strong you can always dilute it with tea or water. I also used it on a cut as an antiseptic. Works great. As for me... I am really a happy camper.

So here you have it. Another recipe created just for us. It has no preservatives, or other harsh chemicals to strip our face and body. It's cheap, safe and effective. It only cost about $2.00 for a bottle of Carbonated Kombucha GT to make your kombucha, and a couple of tea bags and cloves. It's time to keep your money in your wallet. Sorry Pro-Active. I make my own.

Well, that's it for now. Be good to yourself. So till the next time... don't forget to share. I hope this post/blog was helpful. If so please click the yes box on the right. Again, I am open to all questions. Goodnight and many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

SPICY PICKLED TOFU IN MILK KIFER WHEY

2012-11-06T15:37:00.001-08:00

Spicy pickled tofu ferment in lactic acid (milk kifer whey)
and a few spices. Now it a probiotic pickle.:)

Another probiotic food for you! Pickled Tofu Ferment. I began fermenting this tofu in milk kifer whey 5 weeks ago. I only fermented a small batch since it was an experiment and I wasn't sure about the outcome. Now, it smells similar to a Kosher pickle. Since the smell is good, I decided to try it, and it was very tasty. It does have a slight fizz in the texture. But, it is definetely a success. I like pickled foods. Only if they have been pickled naturally by process of ferment. Time and a little whey has turned the food into a healthy probiotic food. Again I say, Food is Medicine. And yes, we can get healthy on a low budget. It just takes a little know how. So now I will share with you how I made this delicious Pickled Tofu Ferment. It has a nice bite of hot spices, that only add to the nutrients of this probiotic tofu.

First of all, I have to say, this came about sort of by accident. I started out making an Asian tofu dish called, "Stinky Tofu". I was looking for more healthier dishes to add to my diet. Well after my research I've come to realize, "Stinky Tofu" is not for me...no matter how healthy it is! Yup, I can do without the stink, and slime. However, I was in the drying process when I stopped production. Lol. I didn't want to go to stage two, with the stink, or the slime. This is when I came up with this recipe for my tofu that was in the drying stage.
So easy, to make, this is how I did it with just a few ingredients...

Ingredients:

Tofu Firm texture. (Organic is best since this is a ferment)
Whey, liquid about 2 cups. Enough whey to cover tofu. (I used milk kifer whey, but you can use yogurt whey. See instructions below)
Garlic 3 cloves minced
Cayenne Red Chili Powder 1-4 teaspoons according to taste. (Note the heat of the chilies do mellow out a bit during the fermentation.)
Tumeric 1 heaping teaspoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Cookie sheet
Skewers
Parchmont paper or napkins
Sterile jar with lid

Instructions:

Will be tutored via pictures...

Enjoy:)

Drying stage: step 1

Press as much liquid out of the firm tofu as possible.
Cut into at least one inc cubes
Skewer tofu onto skewers
Put parchmont paper or paper towel on cookie sheet.

When they start drying and looking like this,
not totally dried, just partially. They are ready
for the "whey sauce".

Lay skewers or tofu on cookie sheet
Put in the oven to dehydrate some more moisture. This is for better absorbtion of the lactic acid in the whey sauce.

They are drying out by the light of the oven.
Turn about twice a day. Skewers come in
handy for easier turning.

Collecting whey is so easy...Step 2
Pour liquid milk kifer or plain yogurt in
a strainer that has a cloth to collect
the curds. By the way... the curds make
great cream cheese.

Put a bowl under the strainer to collect the
whey. No whey! Yes whey. You can see
the whey collected on the bottom, right?
A Natural lactic acid. Nice:)

Step 3. Add Cayenne red pepper, tumeric,
garlic and salt to the whey.

Put dried tofu in a jar, adding the whey sauce to cover.
Make sure you give it plenty of headspace.
The tofu will expand when it rehydrates in this
lactic acid whey sauce
Put in a corner for at least 4-5 weeks before opening.
To preserve flavor, store in the refrigerator once
fermented.

Well again my friends, I've come to another close, another day, and another share. However I am inspired to have one more share with you today. And that is be prepared. Food storage, water storage is of the utmost important. Times are changing. Weather is changing. We hear about it all the time. Folks, don't wait till it hits home. Better to be safe than sorry. Yeah, you might think, "Well, if it's my time to go, it's just my time to go". So true it is. However, it would be sad if you lived only to find you or a loved one could have used that water. Or that extra jar of peanut butter you decided not to save. It doesn't take much to prepare for a disaster. Just start small. Oatmeal, whatever! It doesn't matter. Just start please!

Ok, on a softer note, I hope you enjoyed this simple easy recipe on how to turn your plain tofu into something much tastier, and healthier. And for only a little know how. After all, my whey was free, Now my food today is medicine. Remember, please feel free to share. So till the next time...Many Blessings to all:)

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Buttery Milk Kifer Mayonnaise

2012-10-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Buttery Milk Kifer Mayonnaise goes great on almost anything. Even spread on
crackers.

I've found another way to use my milk kifer. It is so good I had to share. In my research, I found a few egg-less recipes for homemade mayonnaise. They used milk instead of eggs. So I thought if you could make it with cold milk, well why not cold kifer milk? And with a healthy oil base. I am so glad I did. I just made a few adjustments, and now my milk kifer mayonnaise is so buttery, it should be called Buttered Milk Kifer Mayonnaise.

Adding the virgin coconut oil really gave it

a smooth texture, and creamy taste. What

a great choice. Now this is "Best Foods, Real
Mayonnaise", homemade.

Now this is definitely a safer way to pack a sandwich, or more suitable for that potato salad that might sit at a gathering. Milk kifer mayonnaise is eggless which makes it a better alternative for any store bought mayonnaise. It goes great on a sandwich or a salad of your choice. Yum, a baked potato topped with a dollop of buttery milk kifer mayonnaise sounds healthier too.Not only that, it still has all the natural probiotics that is in the milk kifer, and it is now lactose free. And it tastes so buttery good.

Milk kifer is made from milk kifer grains. It is milk that has sat in the milk kifer grains until it has fermented and turned into a natural probiotic. This usually takes from 8 to 24 hours depending on the ratio of milk kifer grains, milk and room temperature. Once the milk kifer has fermented, it changed the intolerable lactose into lactate, and is now a natural probiotic food. Our body can tolerate lactate much better. I will say this, natural probiotics have changed my life tremendously for the better health-wise. Milk kifer is one of the natural probiotics I use. Allow me to suggest, if you don't know about the health benefits of milk kifer, investigate it further for you own benefit. So with this, I will continue.

Buttery Milk Kifer Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

Blend on high, milk kifer,
garlic, lecithin, and lemon
juice

Milk Kifer 1/2 cup (Tart is best) Ice cold. Set it in the freezer for 15 minutes
Oil 1/2 cup
Coconut oil 3 tablespoons.
Garlic 1 small clove
Lecithin 1 teaspoon
Salt 1 teaspoon (don't omit if you want the kifer taste to remain the same)
White pepper 1/2 teaspoon (I only had black pepper on hand)
Lemon juice or vinegar 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (omit this step if milk kifer is already tart enough
Small blender, or hand held mixer
2 cup clean jar

Once blended put in freezer for 15 minutes

Instructions:

Mix milk kifer, garlic, lecithin, and lemon juice in jar and blend well on high
Add oil slowly mixing on high speed for about 2 minutes.
Add coconut oil, salt and pepper and blend again on high for one minute.
Put jar in freezer for 15 minutes
Blend again on high till thick and smooth

Now re-whip and watch it churn like butter.
Adding the virgin coconut oil was a very
good idea. Smooth, and creamy texture
and taste.

This buttery milk kifer mayonnaise is like a whipped butter and is best served cold. At room temperature it does become more like a very tasty creamy sauce. Sort of like a ranch dressing, which is still yummy. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It should be used within two weeks for best results. You can be creative and add different spices depending on your liking. Well now my milk kifer mayonnaise has become a tasty medicine. After all, food is medicine right?

Buttery Milk Kifer Mayonnaise should

be put in a sealed container, and stored

in the refrigerator for best results.

Please feel free to share this delicious whipped buttery milk kifer mayonnaise recipe with your family and friends. Send them here for healthier natural probiotic recipes. So easy to make and so much cheaper if it's made at home. Well that's it for now folks. So till the next time.

Many blessing:)

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

FERMENTED GREEN APPLE PICKLE

2012-10-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

Fermented Green Apple Pickle that only gets better with age. A lot of juice
has released after almost 30 days creating a nice tangy spicy syrup.
Yes, Food is medicine. Isn't there a saying about an apple a day?
Wow, imagine a fermented probiotic apple:)

Fermented Green Apple Pickle only gets better with age. More of a "Indian mango-pickle taste", and a lot more probiotics now that it's fermented. It's an all natural and homemade apple preserve, preserved Indian style before referigeration. Every single herb used here has micro-phyto-nutrients, and has it's own medicinal property. Way to go, heal while you eat. I can deal with that.

Why Indian style? Because in my research I believe Indian food to be one of the worlds healthiest foods with their choice of spices alone. Spices are herbs. Ayurvedic medicine comes from India and uses a lot of herbs for healing. Herbs are plants. Plants have micro-nutrient phytochemicals necessary for cellular rejuvenation. Now combine these spices, with fresh green apples totally raw, and some time, and voila, you have yourself a pretty healthy probiotic pickle in time. So delicious, it makes your mouth water just thinking about them. All it takes is a spoon to accompany your naan bread, or rice. Yum. Healthy.

Let's do it using 4 small Granny smith apples (Organic preferred since we are fermenting, but not necessary)

Granny Smith or Tart apples 4 small, washed and cut into small pieces (about 1 inch)

In a bowl mix:

Red chili powder 2 tablespoons
Mustard powder 2 tablespoons I used black mustart seeds (very strong)
Garlic-crushed 1 tablespoon
Sea Salt 1 tablespoon
Tumeric 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) and or powder 1/2 teaspoon

In a bowl mix all your dry herbs as described .
Not the same herbs for tempering.
Put this bowl aside

In a fry pan add:

Oil 1/2 cup. Use a good quality oil. I used sesame oil

Heat oil then add:

Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Dried red pepper 2-3 cut in 3-4 pieces each
Garlic 6-8 fresh cloves cut in 1/2.
Asafoetida powder 1/2 teaspoon (Found in Indian stores or online. Pronounced "hiing") Ps. this herb really smells. I put the container in a jar and seal it tight!
Curry leaves 5-6 leaves crushed in big pieces

Follow picture tutorial from here on end:)

Tempering: Frying mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and
dried red pepper till sizzling and seeds start popping.
Turn off heat, add curry leaves..and let cool to room temperature.
(I didn't have any curry leaves at the time, oh well it was fine.)

Once it is at room temperature add tempered oil to
bowl of spices. Mix well.

Add green apples and green chili. Mix well.

This is what it looks like after 12 hours of "marinating" in the

spices. You can eat it as is. It is quite tasty. However, to get

the probiotics, it must ferment for at least 2 weeks.

Note: If you are going to save some for later. Put it
in a sterile jar, with a sterile cap. All fruit in jar
must be immersed in liquid. You can
top off with the same type oil you
tempered with. Store in
refrigerator.

I hope you try this delicious Indian Green Apple Pickle recipe, that happens to be fermented. Better for you homemade right? Yes! Why? Because the Mango and or Green apple pickles that are sold in Indian stores have been pasteurized and only have the spiced pickled apple and not the probiotics. Probiotics is a good thing. I just took this recipe back to the old days, before they had refrigeration. This is one way they preserved their food. Tried and true. This is a quite popular Indian dish ready to accompany any bread, rice, or whatever Indian dish you like. Remember, it only takes a little bit. Perhaps a tablespoon here and there, and your gut will be flourishing with a healthy bacteria...PROBIOTICS. Remember folks, food is medicine. I must admit, this is pretty cheap medicine, that costs but a few green apples, and some herbs. Nice thought.

Well that's about it for now. Please feel to share this blog with your family and friends. Ask any questions you may have. So for now I leave you with, peace, and many blessings to all.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

STRAWBERRY VANILLA KOMBUCHA ICEE

2012-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's strawberries galore, because they are in season. Not only are they tasty little berries, they are so full of phyto-nutrients, also known as rejuvinating, healing, anti, aging, anti cancer nutrients. Not to mention they are a good source of fiber. They are a necessary element to our well being. Now to mix this with green tea kombucha and Voila! This is now a berry good drink, right? Not only is if filled with the above goodness, it is full of probiotics. And it tastes good too. Your family will love this probiotic drink. You don't even have to tell them it has kombucha. My son won't touch kombucha but if I disguise it, he'll drink it all with a smile wanting a refill. That makes me one happy camper.

Ingredients:

Strawberries 1/2 cup washed and stemmed

Kombucha 8-12 ounces (more or less)

Ice 2 cups (more or less)

Brown sugar (1 tablespoon)

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

Blender that can crush ice.

Put all this in the blender and blend till desired thickness. If you would like to scoop it out, add more ice. If you like to drink it add less ice and or more kombucha. It's your choice. This a great way to cool down on a hot summer's day. So easy, so good, and so refreshing. Better than anything store bought. And it only costs but a few berries, and some green tea to make your Strawberry Vanilla Kombucha if you make it at home. So did I hear someone say it costs too much to eat healthy? Not so if it's homemade.

Till the next time...many blessings to all.

Mary Helen

ALMOND MILK KIFER

2012-07-26T23:41:00.001-07:00

Raw live almond kifer milk

Here is another delicious recipe that is so easy and full of healthy probiotics. It has a tangy taste and is quite refreshing as is. I happen to like plain yogurt, buttermilk, and plain kifers. But I suppose many folks might not like this unless it is in a smoothie with fruit. I make my own almond milk, so I always have access to it. If your interested in my almond milk recipe you can find it in my other recipe blog here at...
maryhelenstestskitchen@blogspot.com
Anyway here is how I do it.

Ingredients:

Milk kifer grains 1/3 cup more or less
Almond milk 2 cups more or less
One clean container.

Instructions:

Pour almond milk in rinsed kifer grains.
Let sit at room temperature preferably 78 degrees fahrenheit
strain when desired tartness and refrigerate.
Rinse milk kifer grains well and put back in dairy milk as it thrives in dairy milk

Almond milk kifer looks quite done in my milk
kifer grains.

Easy enough for you? And it really adds up and saves on your pocket book if you make it homemade. It is so much richer in probiotics because it is homemade. It is not heat controlled for market sale and therefore carries a lot more live healthy bacteria. We need this to act like little pacman and gobble up that unhealthy bacteria right. There is too much illness going around and probiotics is one way to ward that yucky "C" illness, and diabetes.

This was an easy strain. Look at the
grains, they look clean right out of
the kifer almond milk. I still need to
rinse well before I put it
back in dairy milk.

Remember, our body remains at 98.6 F right? Well it's a perfect breeding ground for bacteria!!! And with the undigested over processed foods remaining behind in your intestines causing havoc. It poisons you slowly or perhaps fast, causing a multitude of illnesses. Not a laughing matter. That's why I make natural probiotic foods. I've cured my diabetes, and all that trimmings using probiotic foods. Doctors told me I could not get off my meds. Guess what? I changed my diet by adding more probiotic foods like kifers, kombucha, and ferments, and my tests have show no signs of diabetes for almost a year now. I have more choices in life and I get to choose. I like the fact that it is possible to defeat and ward off many illness by diet alone. If only my mom knew what I know, she might still be around. FOOD IS MEDICINE FOLKS.

Till the next time...

Many blessings,

Mary Helen

FERMENTED LEMONS WITH RINDS

2012-07-18T01:37:00.001-07:00

FERMENTED LEMONS WITH THEIR RIND
AFTER 7 MONTHS THEY STILL
LOOK BEAUTIFUL

Seven months ago back in January my friend gave me about 25 pounds of ripe organic lemons. I juiced and froze some. I made lemon marmalade to preserve another portion of the lemons. However, I wanted to find a way to preserve some besides canning it and killing anything that was alive in the heating process. I found I could ferment it in a salted lemon juice brine. Well after seven months let me share with you the results. They are just as beautiful in color. They came out in its own thick "syrup" full of natural pectin. They are now so delicate, and fall apart easy. They looked so juicy I just had to try it. Wow, it just melted in my mouth, rind and all. I am very impressed. I believe in food storage too besides eating healthy and this is how I did it...

Yes thats a thick salty lemon syrup full of natural
pectin as well as probiotics and vitamins.

INGREDIENTS:

Lemons 8-10 large (preferably organic) washed and sliced thin
Jar sterile and large enough to fit the lemons leaving 2 inch headspace
Juice of 3 large lemons
1/3 cup mineral salt (sea salt kosher salt, or pickling salt is fine just no iodized salt.)
warm water enough to cover lemons at least 1 inch over the top

I mixed 1/4 cup warm water with the lemon juice and till the salt disolved in a separate bowel. In a sterile jar I began packing the sliced lemons in the sterile jar tightly. I used a food pusher getting most of the air out every few layers. In doing this I added a little of the lemon juice brine solution each time. I did this till it was packed leaving a two inch headspace. I then filled it with the lemon/water/salt solution leaving a one inch headspace. I left it in a dark corner for a month.

I was not in a hurry to try it after a month because I don't like the rind or the white pith and I thought it would have that "pithy bitter taste". So in February I put it in the back of the refrigerater for the past 6 months. So after 7 months it's so ready. I had to try it. I am again a happy camper as I now have another probiotic ferment to share with you and my friends.

One note please. This is a very lemony salty fermented tangy product. Similar to a salted plum. I would not suggested you eat it as is. You might want to consider making a sauce and adding a couple of slices to a cooked product. Or maybe a lemon vinaigrette. Chopped fine and sprinkle it in a salad is another option right? If you have any ideas let me know. How about dried? Or any comments, please feel free to leave one.

Thanking you in advance and many blessings,

CAN YOU SEE THE TENDERNESS

Mary Helen

SO DELICATE, THEY JUST FALL APART

JUICY MOUTH WATERING FERMENTED LEMONS

MILK KIFER CHEESE SPREAD WITH COCONUT AND HONEY

2012-07-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

Milk kifer cheese spread with coconut, honey and parsley. It's all good.

Yesterday I had about 4 cups of nonfat milk in kifer grains which had curdled a bit too much. It was a lot more tart than what I had set out for. Considering my intentions were to make a soft sweet cheese, similar to soft goat cheese with honey. After straining the curds and whey. I seasoned the curds and I set it in my oven to get most of the moisture out with the light on. It's perfect there where the light just warms it slowly, not harming the probiotic cultures. If you have a dehydrator, by all means use it. I plan on making a simple one just not today. You do not need any fancy equipment to make this simple recipe. Anyway, I had put my cheese spread out on parchmont paper and on a screen. After 24 hours I flipped the cheese spread over to the other side and on a new sheet of parchmont paper, and continued for another 12 hours, until it was drying around the edges.

I decided to mask some of the sourness of the kifer cheese (curds) by mixing together...

Milk kifer grains, curds and whey
automatic separation makes it easy
to rid most whey from the curds.

Milk kifer spread out on parchmont paper
and put on an anti-splatter screen. to dry.
Whatever works right?

one tablespoon milk
one tablespoon powdered coconut milk
one tablespoon honey granules (or any sweetener)
one teaspoon parsley

Mix all the ingredients well. By this time the kifer cheese spread is quite pliable, like play-dough. This makes enough probiotic kifer cheese spread to fit in a 4 oz jar or container with a tight lid.

This will keep in the refrigerator, where it will continue to slowly ferment. It's great on crackers, toast, or bagels. Try it for yourself, It's all good, it's all probiotic. Besides being healthy, it's tasty, homemade, and quite affordable. Note: For best result use within 5 days. It's just another way to get your probiotics. lol Don't forget, "Food is Medicine", and that is not a lol matter. And it only takes just a spread a couple times a day to get a lot of probiotic cultures in you.

I know it is a very time consuming recipe. However, you don't have to kifer-sit this recipe like you do milk in kifer grains. It just takes time, time you could spend doing other things, right? But so worth the little effort put forth.

Enjoy, and many blessings,
Mary Helen

8 Reasons to Add Probiotic Foods to your Diet

2012-07-15T17:44:00.001-07:00

8 Reasons to Add Probiotic Foods to your Diet. Sauerkraut again to the rescue. However I would wait till it has a sauerkraut smell, because according to this recipe, it says to let it ferment just a short while. I ferment all the time and at this stage it smells pretty foul and I would not drink it till this smell passes. It will pass, trust me. lol.

SPICY FERMENTED SAUERKRAUT-HOMEMADE

2012-07-13T17:09:00.003-07:00

RAW SPICY FERMENTED SAUERKRAUT NOT ONLY TASTY, BUT A PROBIOTIC FOOD
Food is medicine.

Here is a wonderful easy scum-less sauerkraut I made. Don't let the word scum scare you unless it is green or black. Ewww. But if anyone has made real homemade sauerkraut before they know there would most likely be scum on the surface, which usually gets skimmed off and discarded. I was totally surprised when I opened this container only to see the plate looking back at me.

I had some sauerkraut left over from a previous batch, so I wasn't in a hurry to open this container containing 6 heads of shredded cabbage. Every day I eat some sort of probiotic food which has allowed me to be diabetic free, and free of all medications. And this one happens to be delicious. My family and I love it. However, I don't believe in doing smaller batches, because it takes so long to ferment, but its well worth the wait. Yummy probiotics! A tablespoon here, a tablespoon there, and that's all it takes to get your probiotic food. intake. Why waste money on pills, when food is medicine? Why? Anyway.

Besides the cabbage I added...

cabbage 6 heads Shredded or chopped small. (save the outer leaves for the top just in case...)
Salt 1/2 cup
Water to cover the salt and cabbage.
Kombucha 16 oz
Cayenne pepper 1-3 tablespoons (optional but healthier)

Instructions:

Add salt and water and shredded cabbage and knead with your hands for a few minutes
Allow cabbage to soak in salted water for 4 hours.
Rinse well, and drain
Add kombucha, and water covering cabbage
Put cabbage in container and punch down to pack tightly
add the outer leaves of cabbage on top of shredded cabbage
add a non plastic/non metal plate.
I also held that plate down with a jar emmersing the plate and kraut under the liquid.
I put a lid on that whole container, and put it in a corner for almost 2 months.

Here is a 3 gallon # 2 plastic container I used to put
my cabbage in. I opened it after almost 2 months of
being undisturbed in a corner. Can you see the jar, holding the
plate down? The plate held the cabbage down.

It was the total emmersion that made this sauerkraut completely scum-less. The whole thing was edible. As you can see for yourself in the picture below, no scum.

These are the outer cabbage leaves I expected to
discard because I assumed
it would have scum on the top layer.
Yay a scum less sauerkraut! This was
definetely all good.

I am so glad I made extra, because I love to share, and it's so mouth watering and tangy. I know it won't last long. It tastes too good to be good for you. Yes, eating healthy can be expensive but if you make it at home it is so much cheaper right?

It takes so long to ferment this cabbage, it is so much better to
make an amount you would be able to consume till your next batch is ready.
I came out with about 5 quarts of tangy delicious homemade
SPICY SAUERKRAUT. Yum!

Well, I hope this helps in some way. Feel free to leave any comments.

Thanking you in advance.

Many blessings,

Mary Helen

ROSEMARY GT KOMBUCHA

2012-07-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Rosemary Kombucha

I love the smell of fresh cut rosemary. It is such a aromatic herb that makes green tea kombucha so tasty. Not to mention it has so many nutritional benefits like phyto-nutrients. Cellular nutrition equals cellular rejuvenation in my books. So i'm all for adding a little rosemary to my kombucha. It's also called an anti aging herb, and I believe it because I have seen the results with my own eyes on other folks who's skin alone testify to the health benefits of rosemary, by drinking it as a tea daily. I have also been using it in my body butters as well for the past year, and I love it. So do my friends. Rosemary has natural salicylic acid, similar to other leading anti blemish lotions, but without all the chemicals. But that's another blog I posted elsewhere.

Anyway, for the Rosemary Kombucha, I added...

I disturbed my baby SCOBY, now there's another one
growing circumferencing the diameter of the container.

water one gallon
green tea 4 tea bags
rosemary dried 2- 6 teaspoons or 1 fresh sprig
sugar 1/2-1 cup
SCOBY (I used a small one)

I alway put the herbs in the water while it is still cold. I heat it slowly till it is almost boiling then I turn the stove off at let it sit with the herbs in till it is barely warm. I strain it and add that to my continous brew. If this is your first batch you will add your SCOBY, and your 2 cups of kombucha from your previous brew, or a store bought bottle. If you have no starter you can always use regular vinegar, but you need a SCOBY. Yes it will culture. I've done it a few times in my experiments. Also, if you don't have a SCOBY you need a starter like a bottle of store bought kombucha if you don't have access to freshly brewed kombucha. It does has enough live culture in it to recreate another baby SCOBY if left undisturbed for a few weeks.

I lifted the baby SCOBY'S and there is
the mother SCOBY floating underneath.
Yummy rosemary kombucha beneath
my SCOBY'S)

Note that rosemary has a lot of oil in the herb naturally, so it will take longer for the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and the tea to culture. Don't worry, just be patient, it will culture. Mine took at least 7 days before I saw the baby scoby starting to grow on the surface like a thin film. It took me 2 weeks of brewing before it started to have that kombucha slight vinegary taste. Yum. So after 2 weeks my Rosemary gt Kombucha is ready, and i'm a happy camper.

SCOBY SEASONING SALT

2012-06-26T13:07:00.003-07:00

The seasoning in the jar are spices with salt I mixed last month and kept it in this jar. Why pay for another jar of Jalapeno and Cilantro, when it's cheaper to make it at home. And I added some nutrition from the herbs right? Same goes for the powdered probiotic SCOBY that I blended in the mixer till it was a powder. Mix the two and there, that simple. Another benefit to note is, herbs mixed with the salt, you end up using less salt and the food is tastier, besides healtheir.

I will share with you an incredibly healthy SCOBY (Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) Seasoning Salt. Not only is it packed with probiotics, I have chosen herbs that are known to jump start ones day, alone with their nutritional benefits. I had an abundant amount of baby SCOBY cultures and I want to put them to good use. I also get to disguise it's unsightly look that makes most folks shy away from anything that has to do with this culture. Sad, because it is so healthy, and full of probiotics. Anyways this is how I do it...

My dried SCOBY cultured I had saved for a rainy day.
I kept it well sealed in a mason jar.

First I add one dried SCOBY cullture with some salt and blend till very fine. I then add...

Sea salt
Cayenne pepper crushed
Jalapenos dried
Parsley dried
Cilantro dried
Garlic dried
Pepper

.Everyone has different taste buds, so I will give you no measurement amounts as to how much of what to put in. However the main ingredient of course is a mineral salt. Make sure it is not the regular iodized salt. That one is harmful. Use some sort of natural sea salt. If you like it spicy, add more chili. It's all to your liking . If you don't have a certain ingredient, no worries. It's all good anyway. It's healthy, probiotic , and its tasty. Here I put it in an empy spice jar.

This can be put on numerous dishes, like salads, soups, rice or meat. It's a great way to flavor the food. It's also a great way to get some more probiotics in you without looking at that "mother" of a SCOBY. By the way I've also added some ground SCOBY to my rosemary herbs too. Quite good I must say. So experiment like I did. So here's to our health.

Many blessings,

Mary Helen

DEHYDRATED SCOBY FOR A RAINY DAY

2012-06-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

DRIED SCOBY CULTURES cut into smaller pieces making it easier to dry.

One motto that I say often is "waste not, want not". I have an abundant amount of SCOBY cultures, even after l've shared as much as I could. Hmm. what to do. So a few months back I did research on is it possible to dry my babies (SCOBY) without harming them and their nutritional value. So YES YOU CAN, dehydrate them and save them for a rainy day. I've been doing so since then. They make a good back up supply for whatever reason.

Very thin transparent, band aid looking dried SCOBY made from brewing my kombucha tea

They can be dehydrated, or sun dried. In doing so they become a concentrated form of probiotics. I sun dried a few cultures by a sunny window flipping them over daily for a couple of days. I have also used the oven light to dry them. That took 24 hours, but my culture was thinner. Both ways have been very successful. Just make sure you never use high heat. Well you can but you will kill their probiotic benefits. If that happens they will only be good for seasoning.

Before I cultured my SCOBY babies till they were almost 1 inch thick. Now that I am drying them, I like to "harvest" them while they are about 1/8 inch thick. It's easier, and quicker to dry. Then I can...

Dried SCOBY cultures are quite pliable. I just folded this one
and started stuffing it in the jar.

Pulverize and encapsulate them. You would be making your own probiotic capsules or pills. Fresh too, and you know exactly what is in them. All you do is grind them to a fine powder. You can pick up empty capsules online, or at most pharmacy's. If need be you can always go to the local dollar store and buy cheap vitamins, empty 1/2, and add some probiotic powder to it. Or
Rehydrate the powder SCOBY in your favorite smoothie, protein shake, juice, soda, or water. Now it's a real LIVE vitamin water. Or
Spice? Spices are a bit of a spice of life...especially if they are healthy, organic, natural, and affordable. Dried Scoby has a fragrance of a mild vinegar. I like to mix a combination of spices including powdered SCOBY to my homemade spiced rosemary sea salts, or jalapeno cilantro sea salts. It really does have a zesty taste. It's great on salads. Or
If you have any other idea's please feel free to share.

Now here is where I store them. I stuff the jar first before I
start pulverizing them.

KOMBUCHA SCOBY FACE MASK/TONER

2012-06-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

So here's the situation. I have loads of Kombucha SCOBY Cultures. SCOBY is the acronym for Symbiotic Culture for Bacteria and Yeast They have been my babies for a few months now constantly reproducing. I have been searching for creative ways to prepare kombucha SCOBY, besides kombucha tea, and to eat, in an appetizing way. So if you have any ideas please feel free to let me know. Meanwhile I found sites where folks not only bathe with kombucha vinegar. I've read where they get the kombucha SCOBY's and put it directly on the face.

Well, here is my recipe for a great way to help rid acne, and close those open big pores, and heal from the outside as well as the inside. I really like the way it tingles my face each time I apply it. It feels like something is going on. It is because it's very much alive and a raw probiotic. The SCOBY to Kombucha, is like the Mother to vinegar, healthy. Mother knows best, right?. It also acts like a gentle chemical peel. softening, (tenderizing) the skin. Just like it cleanses and softens the inner organs. It helps rid your body of any invading bacteria that can cause acne or just clogged pores. It just doesn't sit on my face. I take the opportunity to lie down and rest while it is drying on my face for about 15 minutes. Why? Well, I'd rather have the gravity pulling my skin in my favor right? Lol. I like it because it does tend to pull similar to a mask when it is fully dried, and I get the soft and tender looking skin. It rinses off well with warm water too. Speaking of tender skin, tenderizing my skin comes to mind with this cream. Hey for a woman my age, my skin looks better every month for a year now. Nice to know that I am not getting older, I am getting better. Haha, I least I think so:)

Probiotic Face Mask/Toner with SCOBY.
It looks sticky but it's not.

It blended in quite well. Velvety

What gave me the idea to make this probiotic facial mask is that I read that they also use SCOBY'S as a natural bandaid for cuts, burns, even surgeries back in the old days. It has been known to help heal the wound by acting like a layer of skin. It helps bind the skin by regenerating new cellular construction when the SCOBY was applied to the wound. Furthermore, it does not allow any other bad bacteria to enter the wound as well because it creates a tight seal, and the live acetic cultures living in the SCOBY. Anyway I figure if the SCOBY can regenerate new cellular construction, well, let it be on my face too, Guess what? I'm liking it. I like the way it makes my skin feel on the outside, which is by the way the largest organ in our body. So now I feel I got it going on in the inside and outside as well. Not perfect, but hey who is? And to me, that's all that matters. If it works, i'll holler. So, I'm hollering! Lol. Now if it could only remove all this excess fat on my body. Actually using probiotics this last year has helped me shed off 40 pounds, but it took a long time to get this big and unhealthy, so it's going to take a while longer of being consistant in my probiotic/gt kombucha/kifer/fermented foods regime. One day at a time.

So back to this Probiotic Facial Mask/Toner. I used...

I extracted the micro-nutrients from the green/mint herbs
in healthy oils.
My SCOBY before it was rinsed.

8 oz scoby culture fresh
1/8 c kombucha vinegar (loaded with probiotics.)
1 tbsp of your favorite oil. (I used my mixed green tea/mint coconut/ghee/grapeseed oils that I had previously extracted the micro nutrient rich antioxidants like phyto-chemicals that were in the herbs.
one clean glass or plastic container, with lid to hold one cup of this toner
very powerful mixer. I am fortunate to own a Vita-mix and am so happy with the way it creams it so quickly.

Wash your scoby well with water making sure to remove anything stringy. That "stringy" dark threads is spent yeast from the green tea, and sugar that the scoby used to make the probiotic gt kombucha. Now make sure you wring it out well. Add all the ingredients and blend on high speed for 3 minutes or until it comes out creamy and is quite spreadable. I now put this in a 8 oz jar. Any leftover's I add to my homemade edible body butters, and use that on my face as well as my body. I don't wash that off, my skin just sucks up all the available micro-nutrients. I find myself washing my face more often just for that tingly feeling. Silly me, but, Isn't that great? I think so. So now you try it. I do have extra creams, and cultures just in case anyone is interested.

I hope you like this one and can put those extra SCOBY'S to good use. This is so easy and very inexpensive to make. I used to pay $100's of dollars for expensive name brand creams. Not anymore because, mine work better. Try it for yourself. Anyway, until the next time...see you real soon.

Enjoy and Many Blessings,

Mary Helen

COCONUT WATER KIFER

2012-06-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Coconut Water Kifer

When I saw my first bottle of coconut water kifer at Whole Foods Market my jaw dropped to the ground. They were selling a 16 oz bottle of coconut water kifer for $13.99!! That is when I realized I was sitting on something really wonderful. First of all, we all know that most of the probiotics are killed in order to maintain some control when marketed. Especially if it is just sitting on a shelf that is in a isle. Real water kifer is very much raw and alive, so it has to be refrigerated or it over-ferments and becomes more of a dry alcoholic beverage. If that's the case, then they can't sell it to the public, as in no alcoholic beverages to minors. Right?

$13.99? Of course it all makes sense now. If coconut oil is good for alzheimers, memory, digestion, ulcers, and many other ailments, besides promoting healthy skin inside and out. I also read it's beneficial to bathe in coconut water and, if you can bath in coconut water, it must be safe to drink. Hahaha. Right?

So in my research I read that that coconut water alone is similar to our bodies plasma. It is loaded with electrolytes and has minerals like Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate and Chloride. It's naturally low sodium, and low in calories. It promotes good digestion, and is great for circulation. Wow, in my books, it's all necessary ingredients to harmonize with one's body for optimum health. Water is good, but this is better. We also know the health benefits of probiotics too. Right? Good. Now I see why Whole foods sells it for $13.99. But if you make it at home, it would only cost you the price of the coconut water, And guess what...it all still a living probiotic water.

Besides cutting open a young green coconut, which by the way is not easy, especially if you don't have the proper tools...or money to buy the coconuts, just to get the water. Have no fear. Here is another way to make your coconut water kifer with no fuss, no mess. After all, it's still coconut water kifer.

Here I used...

3 tbsp Water Kifer Grains
12 oz. Coconut Water (any kind)
1 clean bottle with lid.

Today I opted for this 99 cent store brand which only has 85% water. The rest is water, sugar, and pulp. Perfect for my grain. Although, it has only 85% coconut water, it will all come out a probiotic water.

Note I have been making water kifers for over a year now. I've fermented many brands of coconut water. I have paid anywhere from 99 cents to $4.00 for 12 oz of coconut water kifer. It all tastes the same in the end. And it's all probiotic, and good too. I just want to show you that you can do it yourself for only pennies if necessary. Just do it. I hope you like this one...

Many blessings,
Mary Helen

GRAPE WATER KIFER SODA

2012-06-01T15:45:00.002-07:00

Grape Juice Water Kifer Soda

Last night about midnight before I went to bed, I put my water kifer grains to soak with ...
3 tbsp. Water kifer grains
1 cup of Grape Juice (more or less, depends on your taste)
3 cups of water
1 tbsp sugar (I used brown)
1 quart size jar
12-18 hours.

Note that this is just the first stage. Had I decided to go for more bubbles I would cap this in a bottle, tightly so that the air bubbles don't escape. This works great if you like that wine taste. I don't, so I stop at 12 hours and I will drink this as is. It is now that I will see if it is too dry, or not sweet enough, then I will add, water, juice, or sweetener. Or you can leave it as is. Your choice Hey, I like taste
too:)

Fermented grape juice water kifer

It's still naturally carbonated, but not as much. However it's still a healthy probiotic drink. It's not as sweet as it was before the ferment, which makes it a great drink for diabetics who usually have to leave the fruit juices alone because of the natural sugars already there. Therefore they don't get all the antioxidants and phytonutrients that are in the juices. It is these healthy chemicals along with the probiotic kifers that are going to help control the diabetes, like it did mine.

Note 2: Never throw your ferment away, because it over ferments. This will make a great base for a delicious grape vinaigrette. Don't you agree? Yummy! I can just imagine.

See how easy it is? So natural, healthy, and cheap. What a way to go. Now you try it:) Let me know how it comes out. Enjoy and...
Many blessings.
Mary Helen

Grape Juice Water Kifer on the rocks

GOAT MILK KIFER

2012-05-29T12:49:00.001-07:00

Goat Milk Kifer

goat milk curds and whey, and milk kifer grain

Good day everyone, Are you ready for another wonderful probiotic food? It's healthy, tasty, easy, and affordable if made at home. Besides by now we should know you get more probiotics if it is homemade, as opposed to store bought, right?, At least I hope so. Yes, you get so much more, that it would be to your benefit to make it at home if your aiming for optimum benefits of probiotics. Again, we have control over this situation. Especially if it is time you have on hand. You just basically pour, shake, wait, strain and enjoy. How hard is that?

Goat milk kifer curds and grain

Well, today I just opened up a bottle of overflowing goat's milk kifer that I fermented yesterday. It overflowed because I left one inch headspace, and I should have left at least two inches for this narrow bottle.

I have eaten goat cheese, but have never tried the milk. I like it, and if you like the flavor of buttermilk, or goat cheese, chances are you will like goat milk kifer.

I started with...

1 quart goat milk
4 tbsp milk kifer grains
36 oz wide mouth glass container (squeaky clean)
12 hours time at 78 degrees (optional as time varies depending of warmth)

Okay, to be honest I was going for goat cheese,, but when you make the curds and whey, don't shake it to get the grains out. What happened was, I put my grain to ferment in a small mouth jar. Big mistake if you are going to make cheese. So I shook the jar hard to get my grains out and ended up mixing my curds and whey, thus goat milk kifer. haha. It's all good though. Now I know make sure I have a wide mouth jar to get my grains out easily and the whey would pour out, and the curds would have stayed in the strainer. Oh well. Next time. It's still deliciously refreshing and probiotic. I think I will add some mint leaves to my next glass of goat milk kifer. Yummy!!

Mint milk kifer using mint tea bags.

My Milk Kifer Grains are HUGE!! Time to Share again

2012-05-25T18:45:00.002-07:00

Yes this is just ONE MILK KIFER GRAIN!

My Kifer grains grow so fast that one milk kifer grain alone is almost a tablespoon full in size! Or almost the size of the palm of my hand. Beautiful to see such healthy milk kifer grains. I have been growing milk kifer grains for one year now. I followed the instructions exactly and only failed. Last month to my dismay, my grains were so small, they had almost disintingrated to a fine grain. Sad to say so were my water kifer grains. To the point I had reordered more water kifer grains. I was just about to reorder more milk kifer grains when my neighbor Nina, so graciously gave me about 1/2 cup of the most beautiful milk kifer grains I had ever seen. They multiplied so quick that within a week, I gave her back 1/2 cup so she too could ferment her milks.

Cauliflower looking, milk kifer grains

Today my grains have grown so much that one grain alone is almost a tablespoon full in size. This picture reflects the white cauliflower looking grains These are my new babies. Aren't they beautiful grains?

What I did differently this time is to throw out a few old myths, like, do not wash your grain with tap water, or you will kill the grain. False. My grain are growing huge because I do wash them in tap water. So when you get your milk kifer grains please make sure you rinse them well. Hey they need to be washed so they can breathe, feed and grow. Another myth is, only use plastic or wood to touch your grain. Metal touching your grain can kill your grain. False. I sometimes use my stainless steel metal strainer to strain and wash my grains. I use a stainless steel spoon to scoop out my grains in transferring my grains as well. Just don't let them sit in metal. Never mix kifer grains with another product like fruit or herbs because again the grains could die. False. Today, I mix my grains with fruits, herbs, and and they love it and grow.

Because I can only drink so much milk kifer daily, I am now at the point of keeping my grains in the refrigerator of course with milk to slow the process of growth and fermentation. Oh yeah, do not refrigerate your grains or the will die. Really another myth, oh my. hehe. False. Refrigerated, I still come out with a delicious kifer in two days instead of every 8 hours. I had a lot of kifer for me to gulp down daily no matter what I made out of it. Right? So again it is time to share.:)

Rinsing my milk kifer grains in tap water. Oh yes you can:))

My idea is not to sell this product is it is to share with you the recipes I have found and experimented with in home fermented products like kifers and their probiotic benefits. However, I have more than enough grain and will be more than happy to share this grain for a donation of $7.99, for caring and feeding, and $5.50 for shipping and handling in the United States. Fair enough? This is a very cheap price but the need for me to share this wonderful probiotic grain, is nudging me to do so. Thank God I can, since I have a abundant supply today. I had to share these pics:) and these grains so you too can know what to look for. lol. If you are interested please leave me a message. First come, first serve. Thank you and, as always...

Many blessings,
Mary Helen

Milk kifer grains separated and washed and ready for more milk.

A "Cultured" Response to HIV: Probiotics in Yogurt Could Hold Keys to Optimal Gut Health in HIVers - TheBody.com

2012-05-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

A "Cultured" Response to HIV: Probiotics in Yogurt Could Hold Keys to Optimal Gut Health in HIVers - TheBody.com.
Today I was inspired to do some research on the effects of probiotics and HIV-AIDS. Its seem to me that folks who have HIV, immediately suffers with diarrhea. Once the stomach goes bad so to speak, the patient quickly declines, as the unhealthy bacteria in the gut spreads. However, studies have found probiotics which has an abundant amount of healthy bacteria flourishes, and if used on a regular basis can keep your gut healthy. It's worth a try right?

I for one have suffered with chronic diarrhea for years. They could never find anything wrong with me, colon wise. So I am assuming it was the 300+ pills they said I couldn't live without. Ha, I showed them. Today, thank the Lord, I no longer suffer with this problem. I've been off anti-diarrhea medicine days after I started taking milk and water kifers. I ferment my own because it has 1000+ more healthy bacteria than any store bought yogurt, kifer or kombuchas. Store bought probiotics like the fore mentioned have to be controlled because it is a live culture. The only way to control it is to kill most of the bacteria by heat. Thus little bacteria.

It does have some that did survive the heat, in the Company's favor of course so they cans still label it raw right? You get to choose flavor for bacteria. They of course go for flavor. Sad, because if for example someone hears about the health benefits of Kombucha and the large amounts of probiotics it has. They assume because the label says raw kombucha. It is KOMBUCHA! Well it is so to speak. For your information all kombucha grows a thick scoby usually floating on top within days of bottling, It's alive. If folks saw it, well they might not want to drink it...so appearance is also important. Sigh, Do you get the message?

The best way to guarantee a good probiotic, is to make it or get it from a reliable source. SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) the mushroom like bacteria, grows on ALL KOMBUCHA. They are usually given away, because it grows in a few days. You can find them on the internet like I did. Or you can leave me a message, if you live in the United States and I can ship one out to you. You pay for shipping and handling of course. Either way, please look into it.

Food is medicine. So just to name a few probiotic foods they are...

yogurt
milk kifer
water kifer
kombucha
real sauerkraut
fermented fruits
fermented vegetables
fermented beans like miso

Probiotics is an amazing ferment, good to maintain a healthy gut flora, and also if you want to get a healthy flora. It's never too late. It worked for me at 62. So I just thought i'd share.

COCONUT MINT KIFER ICE CREAM

2012-05-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today I was in the mood for ice cream. However, I still don't want to waste my money on something that is going to be harmful with a lot of sugars, fats, and chemicals I can hardly pronounce. I make my own desserts and, ice cream is one I enjoy making. It is so fast and easy. Again, I take control of how I want to live here. Do I want to feel energetic, or do I want to take a nap after a few scoops of store bought ice cream. Yes you heard right. I said scoops, and since it's mostly ice you can have more than one scoop. I have so much to do on my to do, and bucket list, I don't have time to take a nap. I did enough napping when I was sick. haha. I will go for the homemade probiotic ice cream. So i'm sharing my recipe. Ingredients are easy as I ferment milk kifer daily. You will need...

2 cups ice
1/2 cup fermented milk kifer
2 tbsp sweetener (I used brown sugar, and agave. Any kind will do)
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp dried coconut or powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag mint tea opened (fresh will work better)

I must say you will need a high speed blender that can handle the ice, like a Vita Mix, or a Ninja. Add the milk kifer, vanilla, sweetener, mint tea, and coconut shreds and oil. Blend till pulverized. Add ice, blend on high and voila!!

Coconut Mint Milk Kifer Ice Cream. Yummy.

I know that mint and chocolate is a good combination too. But my Gheredelli's chocolate syrup just slid off the top. I know it's Gheredelli's but i'm not perfect. But it's still oh so good. Not too sweet either. It made about 3 cups ice cream. Note that this melts quite rapidly. So you want to serve and eat right away. Any leftovers can be put in a covered jar. Before you use unused portion, you shake in the jar and pour. Now you have a mint chocolate kifer smoothie. It's all probiotic, homemade and good. So much cheaper and healtheir too.

Get busy and try it for yourself. Experiment in the kitchen with your milk kifer. Have you tried green tea kifer ice cream? It's so good and healthy, but so is blueberry. Oh my goodness. I could go on. But another time.

Enjoy and many blessings:)

Maryhelen

KOMBUCHA , KIFER and PROBIOTICS

EASY HOMEMADE GREEK YOGURT And Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese

REHYDRATING SCOBY'S TO MAKE BABY SCOBY'S AND KOMBUCHA

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER and CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE (MADE WITH GREEK YOGURT)

KOMBUCHA GREEN SMOOTHIES WITH MY NINJA MEGA PRO 1500W

LOOK WHAT PROBIOTICS HAVE DONE FOR ME WITH A LITTLE "HOPE". PART 2.

Happy New Year from Mary Helens Test Kitchen 2013!! I want to share with you some "HOPE".

CARBONATED KOMBUCHA GT HERBAL FACE AND BODY TONER/ASTRINGENT

Introducing, Carbonated Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent. It leaves your face feeling tingly clean and fresh. Great antiseptic for minor cuts, and scrapes...

Astringent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SPICY PICKLED TOFU IN MILK KIFER WHEY

Buttery Milk Kifer Mayonnaise

FERMENTED GREEN APPLE PICKLE

STRAWBERRY VANILLA KOMBUCHA ICEE

ALMOND MILK KIFER

FERMENTED LEMONS WITH RINDS

MILK KIFER CHEESE SPREAD WITH COCONUT AND HONEY

8 Reasons to Add Probiotic Foods to your Diet

SPICY FERMENTED SAUERKRAUT-HOMEMADE

ROSEMARY GT KOMBUCHA

SCOBY SEASONING SALT

DEHYDRATED SCOBY FOR A RAINY DAY

KOMBUCHA SCOBY FACE MASK/TONER

COCONUT WATER KIFER

GRAPE WATER KIFER SODA

GOAT MILK KIFER

My Milk Kifer Grains are HUGE!! Time to Share again

A "Cultured" Response to HIV: Probiotics in Yogurt Could Hold Keys to Optimal Gut Health in HIVers - TheBody.com

COCONUT MINT KIFER ICE CREAM