In light of the entry on making your own kefir, I asked my mom to write a bit about smoothies. Here's what she says:
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When summer comes and the sun beats down, I think of ice cream. The cold and the sweet of it are so refreshing. Refreshing, but gosh, that's a lot of cream. So, I've found an alternative that is almost as satisfying: kefir smoothies.
Put It Together
Start with kefir made with a good quality milk, preferably raw organic milk. All the nutrition is still intact. (To enjoy the physical activities of summer, you need that nutrition!)
If you intend to make a 10 ounce smoothie, pour about 8 ounces into a blender. Then add frozen fruit and liquefy.
Be creative with your fruits and flavors:
• Frozen banana with a bit of maple syrup and a little carob powder
• Frozen peaches or apricots with a few drops of almond extract
• Frozen berries of all sorts with some added sweetener
• Frozen orange juice concentrate and an egg yolk (fresh organic, of course)
• Frozen persimmon with vanilla and cinnamon
How to Freeze Your Fruit
• Bananas: peel and slice; place slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet; freeze
• Peaches, apricots, and similar fruit: wash, peel, slice; place slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet; freeze
• Berries: wash; drain; place berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet; freeze
• Persimmon: use the kind that gets soft and squishy. That's how you want them: dead ripe! Wash well; cut off green cap; puree in food processor; freeze in ice cube trays
When any of this fruit is completely frozen, pop it loose and place in freezer bags immediately. This way the slices or portions do not stick to each other. You don't want one big block of frozen fruit. That is a pain to deal with. If your frozen slices do cling a bit to one another after spending a few weeks in the freezer, simply tap the bag on a solid surface, like a counter top. That should do it.
Make Popsicles
When the summer fruit is plentiful and the days are hot, the kids will appreciate these smoothies frozen into popsicle shapes. The children will never realize that you are packing them with nutrient dense treats.
More Reading
Making dairy-based kefir at home
Fermented nettle tea: An iron booster
Food science on grass fed meat and dairy
