Kefir!!!!

Well, we get fresh raw milk from a dairy.  The only thing about getting raw milk is that it goes bad a lot faster than pastuerized milk.  So, when we have too much milk that's going sour (the boys tend to be a bit picky, saying milk tastes bad when it is about a week, sometimes less, old).  We made two gallons of kefir out of the souring milk last week.  The only problem was, we usually put it in smoothies, and that's how we use it, but we don't happen to have any frozen bananas, so Mom wasn't sure how we could use it.  I assured her I would think of something!!!  :)
So, this morning for breakfast I boiled some water and then poured it into a pot with oats.  I let it sit for about ten minutes (maybe not quite that long) and then added a bunch of kefir (about 1/2 gallon), sweetener (I like the flavor of honey with kefir, it seems to even out the sourness), cinnamon, dried, unsweetened coconut, and fruit.  I LOVE apples boiled in oatmeal, so maybe I'll do that next time.  Everyone seemed to like it (except Andrew, but that is not a surprise... he even says that he doesn't like apples...... we're not sure why he's picky, since we haven't allowed it, and still don't.  At times there isn't any option other than apples, and so he eats them.).  Andrew did eat a bowl though, so it even he didn't think it was that bad.
Then this afternoon, Mommy decided to make pancakes.  Yes, we used our wonderful Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes recipe.  But instead of milk, we used.....KEFIR!!!! :)  Mom said that she liked it even better than milk!!  She said the flavor it gave was wonderful!!!!  I am so glad!!!  We now have a new way to use older milk, and SUPER healthy kefir!!!!!!!

Kefir is SO easy.  If  you have a starter, you just plop it in some milk, cover with a cloth (we use a rubber band to secure it) and let it set out on the counter for a couple days.  Yes, a few days, not hours! :)  The consistency is in my experience, thicker than milk, but thinner than yogurt.  It kind of looks like yogurt, though.  I think it kind of has a yeasty taste.  It is a bit sour, but mixed with honey, stevia, or pure maple syrup makes it yummy, I think!!!

You can read more online about the health benefits, and I think I'll post sometimes about them.