Coconut Milk Kefir

Hi bloggies, how's your Hump Day goin?  Things have been bueno round this casa.  I had some furniture delivered and oohh-yeah, it's lookin fly.  I will have be posting pics of it tomorrow.  Stay tuned...

Was yesterday a slow day in bloggie land for any of you?  I was feelin' like maybe my dairy free softserve post from the previous day was a little lame or something, because I didn't have as many comments.  Or maybe you're bored of it.  It's just damn tasty, what can I say.

Never fear, I've got some new things to spice up your life...

Remember how I said I had been on a bit of a shop-a-thon?  A few people wrote to me and wanted to see some of other loot.

From left to right we've got some cute little spoon holders or shallow dishes with silver beetles and patterns on them from West Elm.  Then, a bowl, that I found from Bed Bath & Beyond but they only had 1 in stock.  I need 3 more.  I'm on their list and when they get more, they're supposed to call.  And I've got some land to sell you, too.  Does anyone ever get a call back from a store?  Pul-eeze.  Up front is a cheapie brown plastic plate that was on sale for 1.99 each from West Elm, I got 4.  Perfect for my little monkey's grub.

Also while at BB & Beyond I picked up some silverware, an Oxo box grater, and a stack of chocolate leather coasters.  All of this was at 20% savings because I hoard those BB & B coupons like it's the Great Depression.

Time to Make Coconut Milk Kefir

Hopefully, I don't need to tell you all about the benefits of kefir; that it's a fermented food and fermented foods are good for us because they replenish healthy bacteria in our guts which are depleted by stress, pollution, toxins, eating acid-promoting foods, alcohol, coffee, antibiotics, yadda yadda.  We all know we should be ingesting probiotics or healthy bacteria every day, right?  Ok, thought we're on the same page.  So I won't belabor.


Most kefir recipes are ridiciulously laborious, boiling pots of hot water, milk that needs to be scalded, thermometers, you name it, total PITA.  This recipe comes courtesy of my naturopath, and I won't even charge you a $200 an hour office visit for sharing it.

Ingredients: 
1 liter of coconut water (I use about 2/3rds of it)
1 can of TJ's light coconut milk
1 packet of kefir starter.  
Pour all 3 items into a glass or plastic jar; don't use metal because it will impede the bacteria's fermenting process

Close up of the starter I use.  From Whole Foods, it's called Yogourmet.  It's not the good ole fashioned kefir grains, and for all those vegans who are opposed to using a starter with a trace amount of dairy in it, then don't use this one.  

You can get water kefir grains (which are inherently vegan) from a place like this
or from the Kefir Lady.

I use this starter and am fine with it.  I'd rather have some kefir than none at all and the trace dairy in the starter is not an issue for me, but again, if it is for you, then order a starter suitable for your needs and preferences.

The coconut milk, water, and starter...

...And here's the mixture after sitting out, lightly covered, on your countertop for 18-24 hours. 

I think it's genius that you don't have to do anything other than let the good bacteria get to their happy fermentation work.  No boiling vats of milk required!  



Give it a stir and pop it in the fridge if you like, and voila, it will last for a couple days in the fridge, but honestly, you won't have any trouble finishing it the first day because it's so good!

After coating my tum-tum with bacteria, I also coated it with plenty of raw veggies.  Heavy dulse action on top of greens, along with tomatos, carrots, cukes & zukes, yellow & orange pepps.

Also, I put that trough to good use.  This was a deep pit of roughage.  Greens, B.S., tomatoes, carrots, yellow & orange pepps, cukes & zukes, dressed up in a happy bath of OJ, agave, and cracky blacky.

Deb also asked me if I eat lunch?  I wouldn't call it lunch, I'd call it Chocolate Sun Warrior BRPP.  Slurp, slurp....good, good.   Lunch?  It just depends, I kinda graze on this-n-that.  I more or less eat my bulkier stuff in the a.m. and p.m. and midday is just kinda a slurp here a nibble there, kinda thing.

Speaking of Deb, she's got Sunbutter goin' on today.  The actual Sunbutter brand.  (I just stole your photo Deb but I'll never steal your SunnyB.)

In the past I've only bought TJ's Sunflower Seed Butter

Does anyone have experience with both and wanna gimme a quickie comparison?  Flavor and thickness reports are what I am lookin' for.  I realize Deb's got crunchy and I've got smooth so that's diff but what about taste?  Anyone had both?  Which do you prefer and why?

Now aren't you so happy about that kefir hookup that you could just flip?  Upside down that is?  I am.  Yoga du jour is Sirsana, aka headstand.

:)
Averie

QuestionsWhen you comment on other people's blogs, do you check the Subscribe to Follow Up Comments box, or not?  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, but find if I don't, then I actually go back and check to see if the blogger wrote anything else in the comments section that may be interesting.  The reason I don't always subscribe to follow-up comments is that some bloggers get dozens upon dozen of comments and it's not like I need each and every one of her comments coming to my inbox...what do you do?

P.S. There are 2 winners of the Zevia contest Bonnie & Margaret...ladies, please email me at loveveggiesandyoga@gmail.com by Wednesday night at 10pm Pacific or I am moving on and selecting other winners.  I need to wrap that badboy contest up since I have another one that just started. Thanks chicas!