Berries, spuds, kefir and chia

This time of year, for an Oregonian such as myself, is filled with bounty. Berries have just hit their stride, which means picking and freezing time. The grandchildren ate all of our raspberries, which is a fine thing because it saves me from having to be creative with them.

Blueberries are begging to be plucked from their bushes, so I have been obliging.

I went out Tuesday morning and picked 8 pounds with my friend Lori, for $1 a pound. Then I got word of a harvesting organization in Salem that donates half of the pick to food pantries and shelters. So another friend, Kathy, and I drove down last night and picked some more. I picked 18 pounds, a personal record, so I got another 9 pounds out of it and also the satisfaction of donating to others in need.

Golly, maybe that sainthood is pending, ya think?

One of my potato patches had died back and I feared that the crop was a goner. Then, a few nights ago, when I found I was a few potatoes short to accompany our teriyaki salmon, I decided to dig in the bed and just check if there were a  few lonely potatoes. Imagine my surprise when I found, not a huge amount, but enough for a couple of dinners anyway. I guess the greens had done their job and were following their natural course.

My new pet, of late, is my kefir grain. Go here if you want to do some extensive reading on kefir. The quick and dirty version is that kefir (pronounced kee-fer, emphasis on the first syllable, or, less commonly, ke-feer, emphasis on the second syllable) is an ancient culture that contains high amounts of good yeast and bacteria.  Another friend gave me a grain a few weeks ago and I've been making my own kefir every day and using it in smoothies and in every other way that I can conjure. Kefir also contains complete proteins, amino acids, calcium, magnesium, B and K vitamins, and phosphorus. It is a step above yogurt, containing more strains of healthy bacteria and actually colonizes the digestive tract, which yogurt is unable to do.

This is my healthy little grain that is gelatinous in nature and looks like a cauliflower floret. I add it to a jar of whole milk and a day later I have a finished product that looks like plain yogurt.

So, tell me, when I say "chia", what image springs to mind? 

One of those disgusting Obama clay heads that were so popular last year, with green grass growing out of the top? 

Am I right?

I know, it's enough to make you want to run, screaming, for the hills.

Me too.

I think I want to wash my eyes out and then my brain.

Here, for your edification, is a whole new twist on chia.

I'll send you here for information, because Wikipedia is about the only website that's not trying to sell the darn stuff. Basically, the seed is chock-a-block with good nutrition, including omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants, and water-soluble fibre. You make a gel out of it by adding water. Keep a jar of this gel in the fridge and then add it to everything. Well, maybe not everything. I add it to smoothies and bread mostly, but I'm sure I will discover other possibilities.

Hoo-kay, did we learn anything today?

You can thank me later.

Chocolate's always good.

Balances out all the healthy stuff I've been ingesting lately.