Super Kefir Cultured Oatmeal Fruit & Nuts Breakfast

[Joyce M. Simmerman]

I am sharing here a wonderful recipe I've also posted on my Recipes and Remedials websiteBreakfast.  It is so great for working parents or anyone for that matter, that I want to get it in every household and get people "turned on" to traditional grains kefir for HEALTH! Yes, I am a "Kefirvanelist"!

Here it is:

This is a "BREAKFAST" I am very excited about presenting. As a working Mother most of my adult life, I know how important it is to have something that is Quick, Easy, Tasty, Nutritious and Economical. This recipe is over the top on all criteria! The ingredients are all very economical and nutritious. Fixed in this manner the nutritional value is "EXPONENTIAL" in that they are much more than the total of the parts because of the culturing or fermenting factor. A working Mom, (or Dad or caretaker), could make this up weekly and just dish it up in the morning and everyone enjoy!!

First, assemble the ingredients you will use:

• 1 1/2 c. Kefir milk, (preferably made from traditional kefir grains and only cultured for the first 24 hours, reference to my WIP on the Strange Wonderful World of KefirKefir.
• 1 c. Oatmeal (preferably "old-fashioned" as opposed to "quick" as quick loses nutrients in the processing and storage)
• 1/4 to 1/2 c. "Other grains", preferably flaxseed for the oils.
• 1 to 2 brazil nuts, (or substitute almost any other; the brazil nuts provide lots of selenium)
• 1/3 c. dried fruits
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. of cinnamon or cinnamon spice mix. (On the mix I keep a sprinkle container with 1/2 to 2/3 cinnamon and the rest of the spices for the mix in order of taste; I like clove, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon. Cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice would also work. (Cinnamon is very good for blood pressure.)

Process: Blend the kefir milk with the flaxseed, nuts, dried fruits in blender for light or well-blended liquid depending on need such as well-blended to total liquid for babies or dentures, special needs. Pour this over the oatmeal, add cinnamon spice or mix. Stir and continue as in the following directions I had already written down on how to ferment overnight.

Fermented breakfast: Pour 1 c. old-fashioned oatmeal in a large bowl. Now add ¼ C. to ½ c. of other grains, such as ground flaxseed, quinoia, ground wheat berries. You may add some chopped nuts. They will soften overnight so this is not much of a problem if you have dentures! Add dried fruit to your liking, such as raisins, cranberry, dried cherry, apricot, whatevers!! Now pour enough kefir milk over and through it so it is quite liquidy, probably at least ½” of milk standing on top to culture overnight or longer. You may add some cinnamon or pumpkin spice mix over the top.
** Cover with breathable cloth or coffee filter rubber-banded in place**. Let stand on the back of your cupboard at room temperature. In the morning remove amount you would like, add your preferred sweetening and enjoy. You may fix up an adequate amount to last a week or more by simply increasing the ingredients to taste and texture, but I would then keep the remaining in the refrigerator. It makes a very nutritious breakfast for a family on the go. Obviously you would adjust the volume!!

Frugality Note:

Once you get to culturing the traditional kefir grains daily, you will have about the most economical "probiotics", fresh and alive in greater numbers, than ANYTHING you can "buy". The quality and variety of pre and pro-biotics in the kefir beats any other known nutrient. It is the hardiest in your gut, providing you with missing digestive resources you will not find anywhere else. All for the price of the MILK used. Note: Although there are other varieties of things you can ferment with kefir grains, that is not being covered here.