Done!

[Ranetka]

Is that a particular kind of conditioner, or does it mean conditioner in general?

It's a conditioner in general.

[The Natural]

My wife use kefir to make cottage cheese for the baby. She say the pieces is much smaller than store bought cottage cheese and is like cream in texture. She say the kefir we have here is pretty similar to the one she's used to from Ukraine. We also call it culture milk.

[Misha]

Plus it's kind of a pain to make, you have to mess with it every day or else the starter culture dies.  But it's worth trying again, maybe I just did it wrong before.

My wife makes her own kefir and it does not take that much effort. There is one thing that makes it much easier. I don't know if you have these in in the USA, but in Canada you can buy three head of garlic in a little netted bag as packaging. If you don't cut the netting to open it, and simply untie the knot, you can then use this little bag to hold the kefir culture. You put the culture in the bag, the bag in the milk, and then in a day or two when the kefir is done, you pull out the bag, gently scrape/squeeze out as much kefir as you can with a spoon and then simply rinse the bag under the tap using cold-to-warm mater. Leave it out a little while for the water to dry off, and then put it in the new milk. My wife uses 3.5% milk that she brings to a near boil (i.e. she heats it until the milk start to rise starting to boil over and then quickly takes it off the stove) and then cools off the milk to room temperature before putting into the cooled milk the kefir culture.

[alex330]

My wife makes her own kefir and it does not take that much effort. There is one thing that makes it much easier. I don't know if you have these in in the USA, but in Canada you can buy three head of garlic in a little netted bag as packaging. If you don't cut the netting to open it, and simply untie the knot, you can then use this little bag to hold the kefir culture. You put the culture in the bag, the bag in the milk, and then in a day or two when the kefir is done, you pull out the bag, gently scrape/squeeze out as much kefir as you can with a spoon and then simply rinse the bag under the tap using cold-to-warm mater. Leave it out a little while for the water to dry off, and then put it in the new milk. My wife uses 3.5% milk that she brings to a near boil (i.e. she heats it until the milk start to rise starting to boil over and then quickly takes it off the stove) and then cools off the milk to room temperature before putting into the cooled milk the kefir culture.

Great technique. Will definitely need to try this one, thanks.

[Daveman]

My wife makes her own kefir and it does not take that much effort. There is one thing that makes it much easier. I don't know if you have these in in the USA, but in Canada you can buy three head of garlic in a little netted bag as packaging. If you don't cut the netting to open it, and simply untie the knot, you can then use this little bag to hold the kefir culture. You put the culture in the bag, the bag in the milk, and then in a day or two when the kefir is done, you pull out the bag, gently scrape/squeeze out as much kefir as you can with a spoon and then simply rinse the bag under the tap using cold-to-warm mater. Leave it out a little while for the water to dry off, and then put it in the new milk. My wife uses 3.5% milk that she brings to a near boil (i.e. she heats it until the milk start to rise starting to boil over and then quickly takes it off the stove) and then cools off the milk to room temperature before putting into the cooled milk the kefir culture.

Thanks Misha,
I may try to make a surprise batch, although that could be a slippery slope for the clean kitchen counter space...  where does one find "kefir culture"?  Is that what it is called in the west?

[Misha]

Thanks Misha,
I may try to make a surprise batch, although that could be a slippery slope for the clean kitchen counter space...  where does one find "kefir culture"?  Is that what it is called in the west?

We got ours from friends, but you can even buy them online based on what I found googling. This ressembles best our kefir culture: [size=78%]http://store.organic-cultures.com/kegrlistkior.html[/size]

[jmana]

It can be bought from amazon and ebay.  I never heard of heating the milk for kefir?  I know you do that for yogurt, but I thought kefir was different.

[Konfushus]

Lifeway (www.lifeway.net) sells various types of kefir. Many stores carry their products and you can buy online. I can't vouch for the taste, it's all gross to me, but my wife likes it.

Jmana - if something your wife isn't clear (like what type of cereal she meant), I recommend asking her to send you a link. I recall earlier you mentioned she asked for peanut oil. I thought that's strange, and she likely meant peanut butter. With the net it's easy to clarify any kind of confusion.

[Misha]

It can be bought from amazon and ebay.  I never heard of heating the milk for kefir?  I know you do that for yogurt, but I thought kefir was different.

We prefer using higher fat milk and bringing it to a near boil as it makes the kefir thicker.

[jmana]

Lifeway (www.lifeway.net) sells various types of kefir. Many stores carry their products and you can buy online. I can't vouch for the taste, it's all gross to me, but my wife likes it.

Jmana - if something your wife isn't clear (like what type of cereal she meant), I recommend asking her to send you a link. I recall earlier you mentioned she asked for peanut oil. I thought that's strange, and she likely meant peanut butter. With the net it's easy to clarify any kind of confusion.

Oh my, you really think she wanted peanut butter ?  I would have much preferred to carry a container of that rather than the huge bottle of peanut oil that I was scared to death would leak in my luggage all over my clothes!!  Now I know why she looked at it strangely, and why when I asked what she would do with it she said she would "bake a cake".  I never understood it either, considering oil is oil and she said she wanted it because she had "never tasted it", but the only oil I'd eat for taste is olive oil.  Now I'll have to send her an email apologizing for the mix up!

[Shadow]

We get kefir from the shop that is about 20 miles away, if it was not for the nervousness about dairy producs at the US border I would be happy to send some over...

[Daveman]

Oh my, you really think she wanted peanut butter ?  I would have much preferred to carry a container of that rather than the huge bottle of peanut oil that I was scared to death would leak in my luggage all over my clothes!!  Now I know why she looked at it strangely, and why when I asked what she would do with it she said she would "bake a cake".  I never understood it either, considering oil is oil and she said she wanted it because she had "never tasted it", but the only oil I'd eat for taste is olive oil.  Now I'll have to send her an email apologizing for the mix up!

I did find peanut butter in one small supermarket in Donetsk.  They also had, surprisingly, Nutella and that marshmallow spread for which the name escapes me at the moment.

Chances are that peanut butter is available there though there will probably be a bit of a search. 

However, I think Konfushus is correct with his guess that peanut butter does seem much more likely to be what she actually wanted because butter and oil are both "maslo/масло" in Russian..

[calmissile]

I have to agree that wife probably meant peanut butter.  We were unable to find it in smaller towns in Ukraine and wasn't that easy in Kiev either.  It was always a big hit to bring several jars of peanut butter over on my trips.  Former fiance even invited the neighbors over to try it.

I read somewhere that the reason it was originally invented was to have a healthy food for people with no teeth.   

[The Natural]

Peanut butter I associate with the USA. We have it in our store across the road, but it's not a great sell item in Norway and my wife never asked for it either. I like the taste as thickly spread on sandwiches, but it leaves a dry afterfeeling in my experience.

I'm surprised to learn that kefir is not widely available in the US (thought you could find anything very close to where you live there).
In Norway the most use of kefir to my understanding is to spread it over some hard (kavring), a cereal that you crunch in a deep bowl and then add sugar. It's a kind of dessert. We have two kinds of kefir, low fat and high fat. As a matter of nutritional principle I always buy the high fat type.

[missAmeno]

She said she wants yogurt with cereal, does she mean like granola?

It is a pouring yogurt that is used with cereals

http://www.danoneactivia.co.uk/ranges/versatile-pouring-yogurt/

She said she wishes we had kefir here, I suppose I could make it for her.  I've made it in the past with limited success.

If you do not manage to find (or fail to make) kefir get some probiotic yogurt drink. It is not same but a good alternative.

http://www.danone.ca/en/products/danactive
http://www.yakultusa.com/

[TomT]

She said she wishes we had kefir here, I suppose I could make it for her.

Many cities with Russian-speaking enclaves have Russian delis that import authentic foodstuffs from Eastern Europe. I've seen kefir at one such store in Hartford; perhaps you can find such a store near you. (Hopefully, it will be less than a ten-hour drive.)

[Reyan]

Trader Joe and Whole Foods has kefir. I've also begin to see more major grocery chains keep kefir in stock. I'm personally not a fan of it, but my wife is.

[Gylden]

We love kefir! Drink it staight and also make svela with it (norwegian pankakes).

[The Natural]

We love kefir! Drink it staight and also make svela with it (norwegian pankakes).

Kefir melk? Kefir ikkje kaffi?
- Sjelden norsk dialekt.
 
Get it, Gylden? 

[jmana]

I know the "immigration" forum probably isn't the best place to be asking this, but from this thread you guys already know everything that's going on!  So here's my question, Alina wants to get my son a gift for when she gets here and she asked me what to get him.  This is really frustrating me because my son is 12 and probably wouldn't use anything she gets and that would make her feel bad.  She sent him a huge hardcover book of Pushkins poems for his birthday, and I don't think he's even opened it    So it's on me to suggest something that he'd actually like, but that's not going to cost her a lot, and isn't going to be too difficult for her to find or carry in her luggage.  It wouldn't be so bad, but he just had his birthday, and Christmas, so he got everything he wanted and more, so I don't know what to tell her.  He likes antiques, and I thought maybe an old military item, but I don't know how easy that would be for her to find.  He already has a Russian nesting doll.  Any suggestions on Russian items a 12 year old boy might like?

[Reyan]

Does your son like chocolate?

[southernX]

ruski chocolate is generally  less sweet than the local stuff, it actually borders on bitter , not usually liked by adults  here ,  let alone kids imo


how much have you communicated with your lady about your sons likes and dislikes ??
as his future step mum , how well does she know him ?


id be wary of asking about genuine  military items  unless they are replicas only  for him ,
 many FSU citizens dislike the trade in real military medals and such memorabilia , its seen as low or dishonorable/disrespectful  to trade in them , 
people do it to make money , but it is often frowned upon , proceed with caution on that one


what are his hobbies ? passions etc ?, does he collect anything ?
her citys design or tourist spot on a t shirt ? or cap ? game or dvd with english subtitles he may use thats a bit different ?

SX

[jmana]

ruski chocolate is generally  less sweet than the local stuff, it actually borders on bitter , not usually liked by adults  here ,  let alone kids imo


how much have you communicated with your lady about your sons likes and dislikes ??
as his future step mum , how well does she know him ?


id be wary of asking about genuine  military items  unless they are replicas only  for him ,
 many FSU citizens dislike the trade in real military medals and such memorabilia , its seen as low or dishonorable/disrespectful  to trade in them , 
people do it to make money , but it is often frowned upon , proceed with caution on that one


what are his hobbies ? passions etc ?, does he collect anything ?
her citys design or tourist spot on a t shirt ? or cap ? game or dvd with english subtitles he may use thats a bit different ?

SX

He doesn't like chocolate anyway (he's odd!). 
Alina doesn't really know much about him at all, mostly because there isn't much to say.  He isn't "into" anything except video games at the moment.  It annoys me somewhat actually, I wish I would have never gotten him a PS3.  She said she could get him a game for it, but to be honest I really don't want him to have any more games.  She's from St. Pete so I thought a bridge related souvenir would be cool, but when I was there they were all really lame and nothing he would like.  Maybe a ship in a bottle, although that would be a pain for her to travel with.

[missAmeno]

Any suggestions on Russian items a 12 year old boy might like?

Military belt or backpack, selection of military pins and badges, soviet/russian military vehicles models, something related to upcoming Olympics (from mum of 10yo who also into video games)

[jone]

Miss A,

You are one smart Mom!