Free Audio Books For Children at Librivox.org

My daughter loves (and I don't just means loves, I mean LOVES) stories.  Story books, long books with chapters, anything with words she loves.  I used stories to wean her when she was little.  She was three and I was done with nursing (some might think that's way to long, others not long enough, but it was what worked for us).  It was easy to cut down to just nursing at bedtime and naptime to get her to sleep but beyond that it got complicated.  So I started reading to her.  I actually pulled a trick I learned when I use to babysit my siblings and picked up books that were children's books, books she would understand, but where still mostly way over her head so she would eventually get bored and fall asleep to the droning of my voice.  We read all the Little House Books, all the Narnia books, and many, many others in a very short period of time.  It worked wonderfully for our family and as she was my first I had all the time in the world to do this with her.

During her waking hours we read tons too.  I would got to the library and come home with mountains of books that we would read every week and then return the next.  She loved it and soaked up everything story she could get her hands on (or get someone to read to her).

We kept on reading loads until my second child started getting older and needing more attention (she was between 4-5 and my second would have been 6 mo to a year).  I just didn't have the time or energy to read all the time to her.  I started looking for books on disk at the library and found a few, but to be honest I wasn't super impressed with the selection.  So I started looking online.  I was thrilled when I found Librivox.org!  Hundreds and thousands of audio books that are in the public domain (meaning they're free!).  At first I wasn't entirely sure what to look for, but I searched for "children" under genre and found tons of books.  Some we have liked much better then others.  Librivox was a way that I could fulfill my daughters needs and love of stories, without needing to be the one reading with her all day long.  (And I do mean all day.  If I let her she could easily listen to stories all day and never stir from the couch.)

We still read, more now that my two youngest are interested in sitting and listening to stories, but my daughter still loves and finds comfort in the librivox stories she has come to know and love so well.  And our whole family really enjoys them.  There are times I'll be hanging laundry, she'll be listening to a story and looking at a book, my boys will be playing legos and my husband doing something else and we're all just enjoying to story together.  There are many times my husband or I will start laughing at the antics of The Treasure Seekers or Anne's dreamy speeches in Anne of Green Gables.

So here are our favorite stories read by our favorite readers.  There are many, many more, but these are the ones my daughter asks for over and over again.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

• Little Women and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
• The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The Burgess Animal Book for Children  and The Burgess Bird Book for Children (and anything else by Thornton W. Burgess)
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
• The Railway Children,  Nine Unlikely Tales,   The Story of the Treasure Seekers,  The Wouldbegoods, all by  E. (Edith) Nesbit
• Pollyanna by Eleanor H Porter
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• Raggedy Andy Stories  and Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle

WARNING NOTE - These stories are old and and are full of old ideas and old language.  My daughter on several occasions has pointed to someone at a store and said "That person looks so gay," or "That person has a queer look," thankfully out of earshot of the person.  While she was using the word correctly for what she meant, the meaning has changed over the last 100 years.  We were able to explain that some people would get upset hearing that because the it doesn't mean the same thing it did when the story was written and that she should use the words happy or strange.  I've also been surprised occasionally to listen to a story I use to love (recently Peter Pan) and be rudely reminded of how much older I wish my kids were before listening to it.  Violence, chauvinism and at one point talk of a "fairy orgy" (not something I'm willing to explain to an 8 year old), it was a bit shocking.  So it is a good thing to check out these stories ahead a time to make sure you are ok with your kids listening to them.  Many stories I have little problems with but am willing to overlook because the rest of the story is so good an it doesn't seem to effect my kids negatively.

Adventures in No-Pooing: Day 1-3

No-pooing. Ever heard of it? It is the art of not using shampoo (and conditioner, for some people). I've been considering going shampoo-free for awhile now but... going without shampooing and conditioning my hair? Really? Of course, I had lots of questions.

My very first being, "Won't my hair be greasy and gross??"....
     According to Google, it really depends on how you go about no-pooing (pa-tooee, I loathe that moniker). Some people just "wash" with hot water followed by a cold rinse. Others use a baking soda/water mixture. Some follow this with a vinegar rinse. Others just use conditioner. Each has their place and purpose. And each has it's own adjustment period that can last from a day or two to a couple of weeks. The adjustment period is caused by the fact that shampoo strips our hair of our natural oils, causing our scalps to over-produce oil to compensate. That's why we get grossed out by our hair if we go more than 12-48 hours without washing it. It's a vicious cycle, and one that shampoo companies are profiting off of. When you stop stripping the oils with shampoo, it takes a bit of time for our scalps to get the message and to cut the oil-factory's overtime.

My next question was "But, WHY would you go without shampoo?"
      Well, this was sort of a no-brainer but I HAD to ask. First, shampoos and conditioners are loaded with chemicals and harmful ingredients. Sulfates, pthalates, fragrances, etc. all wreak havoc on our bodily systems. You can go to the Skin Deep Database to find out how your shampoo and conditioner (and body wash, face wash, makeup, lotions, etc.) check out. (Mine scored a 5 on each *shudder*)
      Second, shampoo and conditioner are expensive! If one can get away with a little baking soda and vinegar, why not and save money? Plus, you're saving the environment from plastic bottles and packaging/shipping costs. And I hear it makes for a healthier scalp and gorgeous hair. If this is true, it's a win-win situation.

And then finally, "And the suds! I'll miss the suds, won't I?"
   The answer is yes. I miss the damn suds. But, I don't miss the nasty chemicals so I suck it up and deal with the suds-less showers. Truly, the suds are not that important.

 After having these questions answered by friends and google (what would we do without friends and google?) and all my excuses thrown out the window and lost forever, I had to see for myself.
So, I decided that when my last bottle of shampoo and conditioner was gone, I would try it out. Just to see.

Here is how it's gone so far:

Day 1:
   I mixed up my baking soda/water (1 Tbsp to 20 oz) and apple cider vinegar (ACV)/water mixtures (2 Tbsp to 20 oz) into my old shampoo and conditioner bottles. This is the first time I can remember that I ran out of both at the same time. I took it as a sign that this experiment might not be as bad as I imagined.
   I did my usual routine, this time just substituting the baking soda mixture for my shampoo and the ACV mixture for my conditioner. I let each mix sit in my hair for a minute before rinsing. Then I repeated it. Just for good measure. And because I am terrified of my hair being greasy. Ish.
  I took the time to really massage it into my hair nicely while trying not to tangle up my hair much. I figured without conditioner, this was probably a good idea.

After my shower, I blow-dried my hair and styled it. It was super shiny, soft, and held my curls better. I was super impressed! I also noticed my hair did NOT smell like vinegar (which I was worried about), and I didn't have as much frizz. I had a few compliments on my hair that day, too! Day 1 of no-poo (what a dumb name... *sigh*) = success. I'm ready for day 2!

Day 2:
   Did the same thing as day 1, except I didn't measure out the baking soda. I notice that I don't really like the feel of washing with the baking soda, but I suck it up and do it anyway. The vinegar is kind of refreshing and invigorating though... in a weird way. I also didn't let it sit as long before rinsing it out, and I didn't repeat.

I then did my usual styling routine and immediately noticed that my hair had TONS more body and volume than usual. And being I have TONS of hair, I wasn't sure if this was a good thing! But I styled it nicely and it worked out ok. I note that my hair seems a bit more... not exactly greasy, but not exactly NOT greasy.. today. I, again, suck it up and remind myself that there is an adjustment period. Push through, Britt. Just push through.
No one notices this weird greasy-but-not-greasy look but me, and I get another compliment on my hair today. Day 2 = semi-success.


Day 3: 
    Today, I made sure I measured correctly, repeated the wash/rinse, and let it sit in my hair for a bit before rinsing. I wasn't planning on going anywhere today, so I let my hair air dry and didn't style it. When I usually do this, it dries into this flat, weak wave. Today, my hair looked full, shiny, with rolling waves that actually looked decent. My hair feels soft and clean, but different. Almost.. tackier? I can't explain it... yet. I'll keep thinking on how I can describe it and get back to you all. I keep running my fingers through my hair, loving it, and being fairly surprised that I actually am loving it. I'm excited to see how this method will work on my daughters' hair, being they have lovely natural curls that are super hard to tame. Day 3 = Convincing success! And I wonder how long I'll be shocked that I'm impressed?
 
  

Water Kefir FAQ

Kefir FAQ:

•  How much fruit/ concentrate/ juice do you put in?
• I usually put in a 1/2 cup of fruit at least. I'll use a half of an orange per quart jar for example. For concentrate, a heaping tablespoon usually does the trick for a quart. And for juice, I use about 1/3 cup of juice per quart, sometimes less. 
• How about extracts?
• Extracts are trickier. Because they don't have sugar, you have to add some for the second ferment. I have yet to perfect this. You only need a drop or two of extract per quart jar. Really. Any more and you'll be dumping it in the garden. For this last ferment, I tried mint and added a tablespoon of sugar. I'll let you know how it goes!
• How do I know if my kefir is healthy or dying?
• Kefir grains are pretty tough, and even at the brink of death, they can be saved. I recommend keeping spares in the fridge in some sugar water just in case though :) Healthy kefir grains will give you kefir water in 24-48 hours with a fresh, fermented, slightly fizzy taste. They will also multiply for you. Unhealthy kefir will leave a film on top, won't "dance" in the jar (when bubbles get trapped under the kefir they will float and do a little dance), will smell like rotten eggs, or turn your sugar/water into a jellied mess, and will not multiply. If you're worried your grains are unhealthy, give them a baking soda bath. Take 1/2 tsp of baking soda per 1 cup of water and do enough to cover your grains. Leave them in the fridge for a few days, rinse and repeat. Then try again, being sure to follow the 1 Tbsp grains to 1 Tbsp sugar to 1 cup of clean, room temperature water ratio and add a bit of molasses/eggshell (if needed, see below) and a slice of organic lemon (see my full instructions here). Make sure they stay warm, at least 70-75 degrees F. Don't expect them to multiply right away, but pay attention to the other signs of health to assess them.
• What's this slime on top?
• Refer to the above question. The slime on top can indicate that you are putting too much minerals in your first ferment (for example, if you have well-water and are also adding molasses/eggshell) or that you over-fermenting your water kefir. I've just removed the slime and still drank the water kefir from these batches with no ill effects. But you definitely want to be adjusting these things if you want your kefir to stay healthy.
• Does it matter what temperature water I put in it?
• Yes. You want your water to be room temp/luke warm. Too cold, and you could shock your kefir grains causing them to take longer to start fermenting. Too hot, and it will just kill the grains.
• How do I know when the second ferment is done?
• Your lids should be on tight enough that you can see/feel the pressure build up. My mom waits until they "pop", which kind of ruins her lids. I usually just wait about 12 hours or so and when the lids feel done (which means I can't push them in at all), I give the jars a little tip or two and put them in the fridge. You don't want to leave them out too long... I've heard of jars exploding. Also, the warmer it is in your house, the faster the second ferment will go. So pay attention on those 90 degree days!
• What other dried fruit can I use?
• Apricots, plums, raisins, cranberries, etc. can all be used. Just be sure that it is unsulphered or preservative-free.
• Can I use other citrus fruits besides lemons?
• Yep! Try out different combinations to see what you like best!
• Is water kefir safe for pregnant/ breastfeeding moms/ young children/ elderly?
• So far from what I've read it is safe and beneficial. I personally am breastfeeding and drinking it and my young children drink it. However, don't take my word for it! Do your own research. Only you are responsible for yourself and your family's health. A word of caution to pregnant and breastfeeding moms- water kefir causes a sort of detox. If you choose to drink it, be sure to drink LOTS of water and go slow starting out. And by slow, I mean like start with a tablespoon a couple times a day and go from there. You may notice that your nursling may get a bad butt rash when you start drinking the kefir. I believe this is a yeast die-off. I personally kept the diapers off my baby (I used prefolds and removed them immediately upon wetting/pooping) and covered her bottom in coconut oil to help heal it. Consider using some sort of barrier cream on their bottom when you start drinking the kefir to protect their skin.
• Where can I get water kefir grains?
• A quick google search will lead you to a ton of people who sell water kefir grains.... usually for way too much, in my opinion. If you'd like some grains, I'll send them for the cost of shipping ($7 covers it for shipping in the U.S.). I send enough for at least one quart (4 Tbsp) but usually more if I have them. And I send them in fluid, so all you need to do is rinse and start 'em up!
• What if I go on vacation or just want to take a break from water kefir?
• Just take your grains, rinse them, and put them in a jar with clean water and some sugar, lid it, and refrigerate. Every once in awhile (like once a week or something), open them up and give them a second to get some fresh air and re-lid. I've heard of them lasting a year or more this way, though these people usually changed the sugar water out every so often.

Any other questions? I'd love to hear them! I'll post whatever questions you have and answer them here.

The Kefir (B)Logs

Okay okay okay, I know I'm doing ANOTHER post on kefir, and that I'm a total nerd, but I just can't help myself. I'm loving this stuff! And I think about how I can improve things all the time. Once you all know me better, you'll understand. When I get interested in something, I'm the type of person who has to know EVERYTHING about it. It's an insane drive, and an annoying one at times. Mostly to my friends and family who have to suffer through hours of kefir/birth/breastfeeding/rabbit genetics/ gardening/ homesteading/ alien conspiracy theories (OMG, how do they put up with me?) talk. And by "talk" I mean dissect everything into little bitty pieces, chew, swallow, regurgitate, and often vomit the information back up and talk about it again from another perspective.

So, now that you know how I operate, it should not come as a surprise that I am going to do water kefir experiments. I'm talkin' the whole nine yards... I'm going to outline a hypothesis, procedures, have a control, etc. For realz. And it's gonna be awesome. Eventually I'm going to figure out a way to selectively breed? harvest? feed? my water kefir so that I get super-kefir. Not sure if this is possible yet, but I'm totally going to try!
The best part of all of this? My 5 year old is totally with me. What an awesome homeschooling project!

So, I'm going to be keeping track of my experiments on paper and let you know the results right here on the blog. Some experiments I have thought of so far are:

• Lemon vs Lime vs Oranges vs Grapefruit vs No citrus/ use small amount of previous fermentation instead and their effect on the water kefir's propagation, taste, fizz
• Apricots vs Prunes vs Figs vs other dried fruits and their effect on the water kefir's propagation, taste, fizz, health
• Warm vs Room temperature water and their effect on the water kefir's propagation, taste, fizz, health
• Molasses and white sugar vs eggshells and white sugar vs demerara sugar vs turbinado sugar vs date sugar
• Juice ferments

• Stirring vs not stirring
• 24 hour vs 48 hour vs 60 hour first ferments

I also am going to research a few things. One rumor I heard was that water kefir makes unsafe drinking water safe. I've also heard you can live off of water kefir alone. Also, I haven't been able to find good information pointing to water kefir's origins. I've also been researching some helpful tips and tricks to having healthy water kefir... Which is where my next blog post comes in! Enjoy and stay tuned! I promise I will write about something OTHER than water kefir next week. Promise :) In the meantime, if there is any other experiment you'd like me to try, comment below and tell me about it!

What is Water Kefir?

A whole lotta water kefir grains! 

They can be clear to beige in color, depending on how you"feed" them.

What is water kefir?

Water kefir is basically a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Water kefir is also known as tibicos, tibi, sugar kefir grains, Japanese water crystals, and many other names as it is found around the world in many different cultures. They are beautiful, clear little granules that are firm yet gel-like to the touch and propagate indefinitely. And when I say "propagate indefinitely" I also mean "and quickly". These babies are insane. I recently gave Heidi a gallon baggie FULL of kefir grains. Because I was up to 6 gallons of kefir water fermenting on my counter. And my husband was calling me the "crazy kefir lady". Yeah.
Anyways, according to Wikipedia, these little babies come from

"the leaves of the Opuntia cactus (orig. Mexico) as hard granules that can be reconstituted in a sugar-water solution as propagating tibicos"

Water kefir feeds off sugars to produce lactic acid, alcohol, and carbon dioxide gas which carbonates the drink. You can bottle water kefir (which keeps the carbonation) or not, depending on your taste preference. Any number of flavorings can be added. Many people use fresh fruit, fruit juices and concentrates, extracts, and herbs of many different combinations. It has a fermented taste to it that you have to get used to if you don't normally eat/drink fermented foods. When I drink it, it reminds me of pop (or soda, for all of you who don't live in the midwest!) and many people find it to be a great substitute! You can even make root beer or cream soda flavored water kefir, though I much prefer the fruitier ones. You can check out my picture tutorial on how to make water kefir.

Nearly a gallon of kefir grains... I had to give them all to Heidi 

because I just can't seem to throw any away!

Why drink water kefir?

Water kefir is an excellent, dairy-free probiotic. Nourished Kitchen names it as one of it's top 10 dairy-free probiotic sources. They also talk about WHY probiotics are vital to our health. Personally, I can tell a huge difference in my body since drinking water kefir. In the name of full disclosure, I'm going to share exactly how water kefir has helped us.
I've become more regular. I don't feel as bloated as I used to. I have to admit, at first it was a bit tough. The kefir kind of... cleans you out. In a good way though. No diarrhea or anything.  It also makes you crave sugar like CRAZY at first. I think that's your bad yeast dying off. It can also cause what is called a "healing crisis". You can read more about what a healing crisis is here. Just be sure to drink lots of water along with your kefir, especially at first. Other testimonials:
My husband's IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) has not given him any problems since he started drinking the kefir. He would have almost daily attacks before.
My oldest daughter, who has had problems with constipation in the past, has not had any problems since drinking it either.
My mother-in-law usually takes Nexium (a medication for frequent heartburn) daily. Since drinking water kefir, she has cut way back. She told me today that she hasn't had to take it at all in four days! She has also been amazed that a stubborn toenail fungal infection that she has had awhile is clearing up since she started drinking the kefir.

This has been with only having our kefir for a couple of months now. My mother-in-law has only been drinking it for a couple of weeks. We are loving this stuff!

This website has a list of water kefir health benefits here and here, go check it out!

And for those of you who want to have a quick comparison of kefir vs kombucha, or to see exactly what kind of probiotics are in each, Common Sense Homesteading has a great post on it!

Flavors to try

I've been experimenting with many different flavors. My favorites right now are blueberry, blueberry pomegranate, and strawberry-lemon. My husband loves orange.. my sister-in-law loves grapefruit... my mom loves cranberry pomegranate... and my second mom loves pina colada. Here are a list of flavors we've tried or are going to try:

Orange- Love this one. Very tasty and refreshing.

Strawberry- Very good, though I prefer the lime and lemon combos better.

Strawberry-lime

Strawberry-lemon

Lemon-lime

Cream soda (add vanilla extract)- You only need a tiny amount to get the right flavor.

Root beer (add root beer extract)- Again, just a couple of tiny drops or it's overpowering

Pomagranate- love this too! But the pom-blueberry is probably my favorite

Pom-blueberry

Pom-cherry

Pom-raspberry

Blueberry- This one is also really, really yummy. My little Ever loves this one the most. The blueberries pop!

Cherry

Raspberry- Make sure you squish them a little bit to release their juices. I like a raspberry-lemonade a lot.

Raspberry lime
Raspberry lemonade

Triple-berry

Mango- Very interesting flavor. I like it!

Strawberry Mango

Pineapple- Don't use too many or it burns your nose! I had this one last night and it was strong, but good!

Pina Colada  (shredded coconut, pineapple, and coconut extract)- My mom and her best friend's favorite

Mojito (mint, lime... easy on the mint if you are using extract)

Rosehips

Hibiscus

Basil

Lemon Verbena

Grape

Watermelon

Apple

Apple Cinnamon

Ginger

Coconut

Cranberry

Cran-raspberry

Cran-apple

Peach- Doesn't taste like peach exactly, but it's still good

Mint

Orange-Pineapple

Raspberry Zinger (tea)

Ginger-mango

Mother's Milk tea
Acai berry- LOVE this too!
Plum- This was really good as well!

As you can see, the sky's the limit with what flavor combinations you can try. This is just a short list. What flavors have you tried and how did you like them?

Brought to you by Britt

Home/ Unschooling

I want to start out by saying that I, by no means, am a guru.  I've just been doing this for a while.

I was home/unschooled growing up, as was my husband and about 98% of our friends.  So it was natural for us to decided to do the same for our kids.  When my oldest was still very young I had great faith in complete child-led learning (allowing her to lead me in her education thinking this was unschooling) and swore to myself I would never push education on her.  But then she started getting older and as she approached school age I started to panic.
"What Was I Thinking!?!?  How on earth can anyone learn anything by themselves!?  And what if she doesn't want to learn something important!?  Like what 9 x 4 is or how to read!?"
Of course, she had already taught herself basic addition and subtraction and had been read more of the classics then I ever was exposed to at that point and would practice writing by copying bits out of her story books.  I knew she was no dummy.  But what if I was and I was going to screw her up by not teaching her the important things?

We did complete child led learning until she was 6.  Minnesota's mandatory age for schooling starts at 7 and I was terrified that if I didn't start teaching her at least the letters of the alphabet, then it would be the end of the world.  I bought Oak Meadows entire kindergarten curriculum.  It was the curriculum my husband used when they first started homeschooling and is sorta Waldorf-y/Montessori-y (or maybe it is actually one of the two I can't remember).  I was going to be a teacher, with curriculum and be cool.  Like Mrs. Jeffers, only not so scary.  The curriculum was good, and would have been fun, if she had been 4 instead of an advanced 6.  She hated doing the baby work and after about 3 weeks of desperately trying to teach her something, I gave up with the curriculum.  I wasn't to worried since we still had the whole year before we actually started reporting.  We talked a lot, sang songs, read stories and I printed lots of workpages for her.  We just went back to the child led learning and it was a lot better then trying to force the "baby stuff."

Last year my daughter turned 7 and we started school like we had before.  Only this time I gave up on the curriculum idea and just went to workbooks.  I got Brain Quest Workbooks (grades pre-k through 1st) and the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (which we both love!).  I got a new math workbook and just let her have at it.  I got the teachers guide to and tried (in vain) to teach her again.  That was pretty much a waste of time and money.  She devoured the mathbook mostly on her own and we worked together when she was learning something new and she started to read and write more.  She listened to stories about nature, we printed more work/coloring pages, watched documentaries and she was fascinated by the Ancient Egyptians.  In Minnesota there is mandatory testing and I was nervous about it.  But her scores were advanced in everything but reading and writing (we knew those would be lower) and we were all thrilled.  Apparently neither of us were dummys!  Hurray!

We have just started our second year.  We're working with a new mathbook that is entirely to easy so she's been bored a lot lately and I'm trying to skip ahead as much as I can without leaving something important behind.  We're working on learning reading still, but it's going fast and every time we do another lesson I feel so proud that my little girl is reading and I helped her learn that!  I found fabulous social studies and science curriculums that she is loving and it's been easy to tailor information so my 4 year old can learn with her.

Like I said, I'm no guru.  I've had experience being the home learner, and now as the "teacher".  We do fight, but it's mostly over the fact that her brother gets to watch Diego while she has to read or that the math is to easy or that I wont let her look at one of the world history books.  Such big problems, I know.

I just want all of you out there to know, that even having been home/unschooled, married an unschooler and known hundreds of amazing home/unschooled people, I still get insecure.  I'm the one that usually makes it hard for us.  I still push for somethings and I feel like I want to have some structure to her days.  I feel like we are working together a lot more and she is teaching me how she needs to be taught.  I remember my mom telling me once that she learned so much more when she homeschooled us then she ever did from her own school education, and now I see why.
It's kinda cool actually.

Killer Quiche

Mhhh... Quiche!

This is one of my families favorite meals!  About a year ago my chickens were producing so many eggs I had them coming out of my ears and I didn't know what to do with them all.  Now this is probably not the most practical recipe for families that don't have chickens laying a ton of eggs for them.  But it's the best. *grin*  Ok, maybe not "the best", but it's good and it was the turning point for my vegan husband to start eating animal products.  The original recipe that I altered this from called for 3 eggs, but I use 5, so if you want you can try it that way but I haven't.  And due to the dozens of eggs I have in my fridge at any given time I generally make a triple batch.  This is usually enough for two meals, sometimes three and it is just as good leftover and warmed up as it is right out of the oven.

For the batter you will need:

• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 2 TBSP of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 tsp salt
• herbs to taste (I never really measure these, I just pore in what looks good.  Some of my favorites being oregano, basil, all purpose seasoning and paprika)

You will also need:

• 4 ozs of cheese grated
  
• and either leftover rice or potatoes (enough to cover the bottom of your dish)

The only veggies that I find to be mandatory are onions and garlic chopped up nicely.  The quiche is different every time depending on what we have in the fridge so you get to be creative.  Some of our favorite things to add are mushrooms, dark leafy greens of any kind & broccoli but you can add anything.  Your imagination is the limit!

•  Start by pre-heating your oven to 350.
• Then get your veggies out and cut up everything as you would for a stirfry.
• If your going to be using potatoes you'll want to cut them up into bite size pieces and boil them with about 1 tsp salt just until they are barely tender.  Then drain and run cold water over them and set aside.  They don't have to be cooked all the way since they'll cook more in the oven.
•  Stir fry your veggies in some olive oil, start with your onions and garlic (and mushrooms if you have them) until the onions start looking translucent.  Then add your other veggies and cook until everything is done.  (Again if everything isn't totally cooked through it's ok since it'll be in the oven for a while and have plenty of time to cook more.  I just do this to make sure nothing is raw.)

For the batter:

• Beat the eggs
• Add water and olive oil and mix well
• Then add flour, salt and herbs and mix well

Ta Da!  You made the batter and the veggies! Almost ready for the oven!

• Oil your baking dish, make sure you get the sides! (for a triple batch I think mine is something like 24"x18"x3")
• If you have potatoes spread them on the bottom of the baking dish.  
• If you are using leftover rice mix your stir-fried veggies into the rice and pour this onto the bottom of the pan.  Don't pack it down.
• Sprinkle on your grated cheese (I find that doing it this way is WAY easier then trying to get the cheese spreed once the liquid has been added)
• Get your batter and mix it up a little just to make sure the flour hasn't all sunk to the bottom and pore evenly over the rest of your ingredients in the baking dish.
• Pop it into your pre-heated oven and cook for 40-45 minuets or until a toothpick or clean knife can be inserted and come out clean.

At this point we usually are starving and serve it out onto our dishes to cool.  My husband and I enjoy adding hot sauce to ours as it adds a different dimension to the flavors, but it is wonderful no matter what you do to it at this point.

Bon Appétit!!

How to Make Water Kefir - Picture Tutorial

How to make water kefir:

Start with your water kefir with the grains still in it. These should have sat for 24-48 hours before you change them over. If you are just starting out, chances are you just have grains.in a bit of sugar-water. 

You'll need boiled water (if you have city water. Well-water is fine), organic lemons, sugar, a fig or some other dry, unsulphered fruit, and molasses. You can also do Demerara sugar instead of the sugar/molasses combo.

 You'll also need some quart jars, some with lids, some with a cloth cover of sorts (my MIL made me these!!!) rubber bands, a plastic colander, a plastic Tbsp, and a plastic or glass pitcher. Metal + kefir grains = bad. I guess the metal reacts with them. So just be safe and use plastic or glass.
 

Then, you will strain your grains....

 If you are just starting out, the liquid you strain off is probably just sugar water and can be thrown out. After you follow these steps, you will have actual kefir water. Keep that! It's what you drink. 
Also, make sure that your kefir grains are never touched by metal. Only use plastic or glass.

Strained Kefir grains! Aren't they perdy? They are that beige color because of the molasses. 

You can feed your kefir grains with a clean eggshell (like off a hard boiled egg), or with a raw sugar instead of the molasses. There are other ways, too, but these are what I know work for sure.

Now measure out your strained kefir grains into a clean canning jar.
The ratio is 1 Tbsp grains : 1 Tbsp sugar : 1 cup water. And then I add just a Tbsp of molasses per quart. So for a quart jar you'll do 4 Tbsp grains, 4 Tbsp sugar, 4 cups of water, and 1 Tbsp molasses.

‎1 Tbsp molasses

4 Tbsp of sugar

You can also just use a raw sugar, like Demerara sugar instead of the white sugar/molasses combo.

Then add a slice or two of organic lemon (if not organic, just peel your lemon).

I add figs to mine. I'll do a whole one for the half-gallon jars or half for my quarts. I think it makes it fizzier. If you don't have figs, I've heard you can use any dried unsulphered fruit.
 

 Everything you need to make yummy water kefir!

Pour your water (boiled and cooled if you have city water) over everything.

I sometimes give it a little stir. Sometimes I don't. It does fine either way.

Cover with a piece of cloth or dishtowel and rubber band. Otherwise the fruit flies will do some nasty stuff to your kefir. Not cool to find tiny worms in your water kefir. Not cool at all.

This is now in it's first ferment. You let this sit for 24-48 hours and then repeat, this time keeping the fluid you strain out. That's your water kefir. You'll take that and follow the next directions:

Water Kefir ready to be bottled up for it's second ferment. Just need to add some flavors!

Now take the strained water kefir and put it into your jars with lids. Leave lots of room for your flavoring! 

My current favorite, pomegranate.
 

Then flavor it, using whatever you want. You can top off the jar (leave 1/2 inch space at the top) with more water kefir if needed.   

 Root beer extract for my husband. He begged.

Adding oranges to this batch. 

You can use whatever you want to flavor. Fruits, fresh or frozen, by themeselves or in combination, extracts, herbs, juices (fresh squeezed is best, frozen concentrate works well, too), etc.

Water kefir just starting it's second ferment. I have orange, root beer, pomagranate, apple cinnamon, and strawberry lemonade here.

After adding your fruit/flavors, put a lid on your jar tightly and let set on your counter for another 12-48 hours (the longer, the fizzier). Then, throw it (gently) into your refrigerator and you now have an awesomely yummy probiotic drink you can drink anytime! Enjoy!

Brought to you by Britt