Taking the wilted sprigs out of the bag, I cut the ends off with a sharp knife. Don’t use scissors for this. They will crush the stems. Then I stuck the whole thing in a jar of purified water.

It looked pretty sad and I was wondering if I should write it off as a loss and discard it. I decided to give it a chance, though. I was glad I did because here’s what it looked like a few hours later:

Now, I’m not saying that the nutritional value was as much as when it was freshly picked but it made it salvageable. This will also work with salad greens and tougher greens like collards and kale. If the water is hot (not so hot you can’t put your hand in it) it works even more quickly.

While fresh produce should be used as soon as possible for maximum value, it isn’t always possible. Keep this in mind for your next emergency resuscitation.

In my last post on brewing water kefir, I was adding raisins at the beginning as well as for the second ferment. I don’t do that any more. I was just about to bankrupt myself buying raisins. Also, I learned that just adding them after straining out the grains gave me an almost identical result. I was having to throw out a lot of raisins, too, because there was no way I could eat them all. That hurts to throw away good food when it isn’t necessary.

So…here’s what I do.

I still use raw (turbinado) sugar. I bought some Demerara but it’s expensive as all get-out and I didn’t find it did any better feeding the culture. Sugar in the Raw is reasonably priced and buying it in bulk gets you a better deal. It could be that a local store would have it for even less than Amazon. I’m not allergic to shopping around.

Something that I do differently is use blackstrap molasses. Three tablespoons raw sugar and one tablespoon molasses. When I first started using it, I thought the end product might be affected by the bitter taste but such was not the case.

The mineral content of the molasses is high enough I can get away with not adding calcium carbonate every time. I add it maybe every third or fourth time.

The process I follow is outlined in the original post so I won’t repeat that here. I always ALWAYS put a wedge of lemon in each jar. Be on the lookout for good deals on lemons! I got them for 10 cents each the other day.

Molasses, especially blackstrap, makes for a dark brew. The counter where I’ve moved it to get it out of direct sunlight is a bit on the shadowy side which doesn’t help the exposure.

After the 36 hours in temperatures ranging from a minimum of 62 degrees to 68 or a few higher in the winter, up to 78 in the summer, it’s time to strain. The molasses stains the grains (hey! that rhymes!) but I would rather have a healthier culture than a white one.

This is where I add the raisins plus I do something else that is different from what I used to. After the raisins are put in, along with the plastic lid, I use a canning lid cranked down tightly.

Now for more waiting. This is 12 hours in. You can see the raisins have started floating.

After 24 total hours (when it’s said additional B vitamins are formed) it’s ready to refrigerate.

When I’m ready to drink it, I get a jar out and open it. The natural carbonation causes it to fizz.

Putting the strainer tightly over the top of the jar, I strain it out into a waiting glass. If I had more than two hands, I’d take a picture of that, too. Because I don’t, you are spared.

I drink, on average, three of these half-glasses a day. The last installment is usually not long before I go to bed. That’s what works for me. Everyone has to work out their own schedule.

Now, a few weeks ago I ran out of raisins. I chucked some goji berries in for the second brew. Right off, they fizzed and spit so I thought it was wonderful. When I got ready to drink it, it was terrible. Someone had commented before that goji berries produced the same result as raisins but that wasn’t true with me. Three quarts went in the compost bin.

Some of the things I’ve read online don’t hold water (kefir) for me. One person said that, if the jars are tightly capped at the beginning, there will be more carbonation than if it’s allowed to “breathe”. I tried it and capping it tightly for the additional 24 hours makes it just as fizzy as doing it all the way through. Then another person said to never wash the jars with soap. I don’t know what kind of soap but I thoroughly wash mine with dish detergent. I wasn’t being so careful (some people don’t wash their jars at all) and the kefir ended up tasting like swamp water. The directions that came with my grains said to always rinse them. Nope. I rinse them occasionally if they’ve been in the fridge for several days but, other than that, I don’t.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. With water kefir, there are as many methods of brewing it as there are people experimenting. If you are into making your own probiotics this delicious way, leave me a comment and tell me what you do. Who knows? I might try it and like it!

Putting all those raisins into the brewing kefir made for a headache when it came time to get them out. If I had a working sewing machine and some material to make them, I could have made some spice/raisin bags. Since I had neither one, I ordered a set of four from Amazon.

You’ll notice I was using conventionally grown raisins at first. Since grapes are one of the “dirty dozen”, I switched to organic raisins. Amazon has a good selection to choose from. Personally, I signed up for the “subscribe and save” and got the 15% discount.

The container made it easy to fill the spice bags. Any loose raisins fell back into it. I’ve found that Twinkle will clean up any that hit the floor, though. Strange cat.

At first, I painstakingly tied a pretty little bow at the top of each bag. However, it will stay closed if the strings are just pulled tight.

When placed into the mixture with the grains it sank at first.

One of the perks of making water kefir is that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. In the background you can see the bags of raisins rose to the top with many of the kefir grains.

Here’s a closeup of the floaters that gathered at the top.

It was time to strain the grains out.

The kefir soaked raisins made a nice addition to my breakfast.

Here, they are mixed in with Roger’s “oatmeal”.

I did a second brew with more raisins for another 24 hours.

The grains are big and healthy.

Just how big? Take a look.

And now the adventure continues.

Some months back, Peach on the forum had posted some comments about making water kefir. (That’s supposed to be pronounced keh-FEAR but I’ve always called it KEE-fer so I’ll continue to do so.) (However you read it is fine with me.) It sounded interesting. I’d been introduced to milk kefir by DH long, long ago and enjoyed it but the store that sold it was miles ‘n’ miles away. Besides, now that I’m a vegan, milk kefir would be out.

THEN another forum member posted a question about kefir on Facebook and I told her to go to the forum and post her questions. That’s what she did and we were off. KEFIR QUESTION almost instantly became a hot topic. It sounded like the perfect solution for me to get my probiotics and not go bankrupt at the same time.

Since Amazon has just about anything you could ever want and at a reasonable price, that was the second place I went. I’d emailed another source but didn’t hear anything so I went to Plan B and found water kefir grains. A few days later, they arrived. They were well packaged in plastic, then a foil pouch and after that, one of those squishy grayish mailing envelopes. Simple directions for making my own water kefir were enclosed.

In anticipation of their arrival, I’d already ordered a nylon mesh strainer since most directions say not to use anything metal with the kefir grains. I wasn’t taking any chances. Since, I’ve learned it isn’t the end of the grains if you use stainless steel but I keep that to a minimum. Glass, nylon and plastic are my preferences.

I’ve made many a batch of kefir water since the first one and had it going the whole time DD was home. I even sent some grains back to the Great Northwest with her (and mailed some to Shari) and she is having a great time experimenting with different combinations. The possibilities are endless.

Here’s the equipment I use:

Quart jars
Plastic lids + one canning lid (not pictured)
Plates (sometimes it will fizz over so I use them just in case)
Plastic measuring spoon (tablespoon)
Plastic measuring spoon (1/4 teaspoon)
Nylon strainer

The basic ingredients are very easy to obtain (other than the grains and they aren’t so hard, either).

Water (I use distilled to get rid of the chlorine and fluoride since the grains and I don’t like either one)
Raw sugar
Calcium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate (this can be omitted if using mineral water)
Last but certainly not least, water kefir grains

Measure four tablespoons sugar into each jar.

Put 1/8 teaspoon calcium or sodium bicarbonate into each jar. I have never seen a 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon so I use half of the 1/4 teaspoon.

Add water to the jars.

The difference in the color is because I put the plastic lid with the canning lid inside tightly on top of the jar and shook it until the sugar was dissolved. Then I repeated it with the other jar.

Measure four tablespoons of grains into each jar.

At first, I wasn’t adding lemon but Peach said she always did. Then I read somewhere else to always add lemon. The purpose of this (according to the writer) is to keep the bad bacteria at bay while letting the good grow. These have been topped off with water.

I scrub the lemon well if I can’t get organic and cut it into wedges, adding a wedge to each jar.

I put raisins in the jar on the left and a bit of maple syrup in the one on the right. DD says the syrup makes the grains take off. I use just the plastic lids without the canning lids so the mixture can get a bit of air. Put the jars on the plates on the counter out of direct sunlight.

DD said she read that it’s ready when the fruit floats but mine floats pretty quickly so I don’t use that as a gauge.

Now here’s where it gets a little confusing because this is a different batch. I put some molasses in these jars which makes the color a little different. Now it’s time to strain the grains out.

I take the lemon wedge out and use a spoon (the only time metal touches anything) to fish around and get all the raisins. I eat as many raisins as I want and, if there are any left, they go into the compost bin.

The grains have multiplied since being put into the jars as they should since they are alive. The color is a bit darker because they tend to pick up colors from whatever is put in the containers with them.

Here’s an example of the color change.

This is the finished product, strained with the lemon squeezed into it, ready to drink. I put it in the fridge for a refreshing cool drink on a hot summer day. The end result is just very slightly sweet (the grains feed on the sugar) tart sort of fizzy tasting of whatever fruit it’s flavored with liquid. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable way for me to get those probiotics I need.

As to the time I let it brew, I’ve settled on roughly 36 hours. That’s in MY house. Yours might be different. If I put a batch to brew at night, I’ll decant it the morning after the next. Any longer than that gets a bit of an alcohol tang that I don’t like.

If the kefir gets to be more than I can drink, I put the grains into a container and store them in the fridge until needed again.

I want to try some with goji berries. I made one batch with them and pitched it in the compost bin because I didn’t know I was supposed to take them out when it was finished brewing and it got pretty nasty looking.

Making water kefir is not an exact science. There are as many ways of doing it as there are people out there making it. It IS very satisfying.

My appointment was on 10/06 so on 10/05, I called and canceled. When asked about rescheduling, I said I’d have to call back about that. I think the person realized then and there they’d lost a patient. Just in case they miss me too much, I may go back one more time. I’ll have to think about it, though.

During the interim between my last appointment six months ago and now, I have been exploring the World of Incontinence Products. I have settled on some favorites that I’ll post another time in a review.

One day, I was perusing another site that is a reliable source for information. I don’t remember which one it was at the moment but I do remember it’s in my mental list of trusted sites. There was an ad for an aid that I’d never seen before. I started Googling and came up with a number of sources for it. I have been against taking anything that really messes with my system but this is an herbal preparation that, to me, shows some promise.

Pricing varied somewhat from site to site but the best price I could come up with was a third party seller on Amazon. I ordered some Better Woman by Interceuticals. I didn’t order enough to get the free shipping. I want to make sure it works before I get in that deep.

So far, I’ve taken four capsules and I slept better last night than I have in a long time. I usually have to get up anywhere from four to six times to go to the bathroom but last night was only three. I had watermelon this afternoon (uh oh!) so I’ll see how I do tonight.

There are some positive reviews of Better Woman I’ve found as well as some negative ones. The only thing I know to do is to find out for myself. I’ll report back in a few weeks.

I have a feeling that, if I do, he will want to put me back on antibiotics and I don’t want that. Most mornings, I can do 2.5 to 3 miles without having to hunt a bathroom and that’s good for me. The frequency isn’t as frequent. The urgency is still there but not as urgent. There’s no chance for perfection so I have no expectations.

Another thing is that he would want to do another procedure and I’m not up for that. Any thoughts?

While I signed in and made out the check for my co-pay, the receptionist warned me against going to the bathroom quite yet. Seems there was a stench I wouldn’t appreciate. I could have made use of the facilities but I sat down and got out my netbook again. I only got a few paragraphs written when I was called back.

I told the nurse I needed to stop by the bathroom. She said they needed a specimen anyway, and for me to get her one in a cup and put it behind the little door. I was actually able to stand there and write my name on the cup and do a clean catch. I was so proud of myself!

The exam room was next to the bathroom. I went in and the nurse told me I could sit in the chair. I didn’t need to disrobe. The doctor was busy with another patient so it would be a few minutes. I got out my netbook again but I had to get on Wordpad because there was no signal except on secure networks that wouldn’t give me access. I typed one paragraph and the doctor walked in.

He asked how I’d fared after my procedure and made sure I’d taken my antibiotics. I assured him I had and told him urination was very painful for a few days. Since then, there had been good days and not so good days but, all in all, I felt there had been an improvement.

Moving me to the exam table, he thumped the area over each kidney and asked if it hurt. It didn’t. Then he had my lie back and he pressed on my abdomen over the bladder area. Again no pain. A little tenderness but nothing I would call “pain”.

At that point, he allowed me to sit back down on the chair. Giving me a clean bill of health, he told me he wants to see me in six months, made me promise to call if I had any problems, shook my hand and I walked out to make my next appointment.

It took me by surprise when the receptionist said it would be in October. Six months from now is OCTOBER?? I guess so. So…in October I will be going back.

Today hasn’t been as good as yesterday was. Tomorrow may be better, may be worse. We’ll just have to wait until it gets here. Then I’ll know.

Sabbath, I was so proud of myself. I only went to the ladies’ room once and that was between services. But then Sunday came. I don’t know why, exactly, but I was almost back to Square One. Maybe it was the food I’d eaten the day before. I used quite a bit of Tajin in both my tomato/mango soup and my salad. Prior to my shopping, I’d taken a long hot shower and then I had both a banana/blueberry/spinach/parsley smoothie and a generous amount of OJ.

When I got to Wally World, I went to the bathroom, did a little shopping, and then went back to the beauty shop. I was okay so far. Then I started shopping in earnest after my haircut. I don’t remember if I went before I had my hair cut or not but I probably did.

During my shopping, I had a sudden, almost uncontrollable, urge hit. It wasn’t as bad as it has been at times pre-dilation, but it was bad enough. I made it to the bathroom with a saturated panty liner and just a few wet spots on my jeans. I always carry spare “Granny Sue’s tiny diapers” so I was alright in that department. I put myself back together and resumed my shopping experience.

To make sure I’d be safe on the way home, I went again before I left (seemed like Old Times). Coming in the door, I felt another urge but I made it to the bathroom.

Next day, I was telling DD about my Sunday disaster. Monday saw me calmed down so I was thinking it was just a glitch. I said that, if I’d known how simple the “fix” would be, I would have done it long ago. Since then, it’s been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. One day, I’ll be fine, today it was back to running to the bathroom. I’m going to have to study what I’m doing to bring it on and modify my behavior, I guess.

There’s one thing I won’t do and that’s change my eating habits. You can count on that.

I haven’t made the break yet, but I’m seriously considering going without a panty liner. I’m not quite “there” yet. It’s kind of like Linus’s blanket only it’s smaller and more discreet.

My bathroom visits are becoming a little fewer but they are still pretty frequent. I’ve been waiting 10-15 minutes past when I first feel the urge to try to train my bladder to hold more and for longer periods of time. Then, instead of hurrying, I purposefully walk to the unisex room. (We haven’t had separate ones for years.)

Yesterday, I told one of the girls I was going to run to the bathroom. I thought, “That doesn’t sound right.” So I backed up and said, “I’m going to WALK to the bathroom.” That’s what’s called an “attitude adjustment”. Mind over matter.

Am I going to eventually be “cured”? Only time will tell. As of this moment, there’s been enough change to satisfy me.

Today was the first day since the first day that I have started taking only one antibiotic capsule. Thursday through Wednesday, I took one in the morning and one in the afternoon. At first, they made me feel dragged out. Gradually, my body got used to it and I was feeling better. Or maybe it was the probiotics kicking in that did the trick. Whichever, it was positive.

Up until Sabbath, I had intense pain whenever I peed. It would start out okay but, as it went along, the pain would almost bend me double. It was a relief to be over that part of it.

A couple of days ago, the girls were asking me how I was doing. I said it was either psychological or actual but it seemed that while my frequency hadn’t abated, I didn’t have the urgency. I didn’t have to wrap my legs around each other and hop sideways to the commode.

Then, last night and today, I messed up. The doctor hadn’t cautioned me against taking baths but there was a need (I’ll tell about that in my weekly post) so I did. I took another one this morning. On one of my trips to the bathroom at work, I drenched my panty liner. So much for baths.

All in all, I believe I can tell a difference. It would have probably been more pronounced and more positive if I hadn’t soaked in the tub but I did and I can’t go back and do something else. In the meantime, I’ll try to behave and hope, not for the better but for the best.