Loving Weddings & Water Kefir!

Tiger & Sconset Axelrod!

Greetings Sunny Bunnies!  We had a beautiful day for a wedding.  My dear friend Helena hosted the wedding of her darling Tiger to his beloved Sconset.  Did I mention that the bride and groom were dogs?  

Honeymoon Suite

The wedding was also a fund raiser for the Shamrock Animal Fund. The Shamrock Animal Fund is there for animals and their families that need financial assistance for  veterinary services.  

Local Yogini's

The wedding ceremony was performed by Matt Mulcahy as we circled the couple.  There was even a doggy kiss to seal the deal.  Amazing Thai food (lots of gluten-free goodies for me to sample), beautiful music and tons of laughter.  Love was definitely in the air!
 

Water Kefir Grains

Basic Water Kefir

If you know me you know that I have a love relationship with all things fermented.  Fermented foods and beverages are vibrantly alive.  They can have strong aromas....Kimchi, miso, cheeses, and sauerkraut. They can also have a delicate aroma of wine.  The beauty of fermentation is that it becomes a preservative.  It breaks down nutrients making them more easily digestible.  Some of these amazing ferments perform as antioxidants - becoming scavengers that go after free-radicals (cancer precursors) in the cell body.  Ferments have the ability to generate new nutrients.  As they move through their life cycle they create folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and biotin.  They help to detox the body.  The list of benefits just goes on and on.

People have been fermenting for thousands of years. It's time for this practice to come out of the closet.  Everyone should eat a little something fermented with every meal. Now that we have entered the Early Fall season, Ayurveda says, sour foods and ferments should be eaten in small amount - balance in all things. It is the perfect time to create ferments to store for over the coming winter months.   Start thinking of them as tasty condiments that will boost the healthy bacteria in your gut!
This weekend I started my first batch of Water Kefir.....yes you heard me right.  This is a great treat for those that are Vegan or have trouble with dairy.  The recipe below is your basic Water Kefir recipe.  I'll add others as I create them!  All you need to get started is Kefir grains. You can purchase organic water Kefir grains through Amazon....of course.

Water Kefir
 Put the following into a quart or half gallon mason jar (clean)
1/3 cup organic sugar
1 tsp. unsulphured organic molasses
Add spring water - leaving room at the top for growth space
Stir until sugar dissolves
Add Kefir grains - cover loosely
Keep warm for 48 hours - you'll see bubbles when you move the jar.

It will taste tart.  It can take a couple of batches before you grains really come alive.  You can drink your first batch but the next ones will taste better. My first attempt was tangy with just a little fizz - I'm expecting the next one to be even better! Strain the grains out rinse and start another batch.  If you keep this rotation going you'll always have fresh Kefir in your fridge.  Your grains will continue to grow and before you know it you'll be able to share them with your friends and family.  I'll be fermenting Strawberry Lemon Water Kefir this week - my taste buds can't wait.

Blessing to all!
Tangy Kefir kisses!
Namaste`
Naomi