We do Yoghurt and Kefir at our house. I drink kefir straight with a little salt and pepper, but the kids like it better in a smoothie. You can also use it to make frozen pops that have a really nice bit of sparkle.

We ferment practically everything at our house so it's no surprise I suppose.

do you strain the yogurt to make it thicker? If so, how do you utilize the whey?  I have heard two theories:  

1.  you can cook it to make ricotta  or

2. you can't.   But you can make paneer or something along those lines.

My sister made kefir once, I think she did something wrong.  Noone ate any.

ahhhh keep losing my post - will try later

Chemguy and I switched from sour cream to yogurt about a year ago.  I figure with my lactose intolerance it's a good idea (no problems with yogurt).

I told my parents we switched, and to not bother with sour cream, but they bought both last Christmas *sigh*.  It was only my Dad and I who really ate the sour cream before that.  The bowls (it was Christmas Eve so the table was a little too fancy for just the containers) with the 2 got mixed up, and even after tasting them my Dad and I couldn't tell which was which.

I like it with souvlaki, and also use it for anything else where I would use sour cream - perogies, baked potato, dips, etc.  If you like kefir I suppose you could substitute it too!

I am wondering if I can make a good tzaziki with the Kefir.

well let's see:   

batch of  yogurt # 1 : delicioius! Nice with granola.  I strained the rest for really thick Greek style yogurt. 

I made frozen yogurt pops but the kids didn't care for them. too  yougurt-y tasting.  I will thaw slightly and add more milk and make a smoothie later.

Kefir:  it makes a lovely base for  a tangy, creamy salad dressing.

Batch #2 of both are underway.  I feel a bit like a mad scientist. 

We don't strain our Yoghurt, but you certainly can. Lots of people use the whey in soups or salad dressing.

I'm thinking the kefir might be too thin for tadziki, but hey, you never know till you try

If you use whole milk and let it sit for 48 hours you get thicker stuff.  I was told 1 tbsp of grains per cup of milk. 

Now I have ready kefir in the fridge, some more being created on top of the fridge, and finished strained yogurt  and whey all waiting for me to get busy with it. What have I gotten myself into? hahahah!

I tried my first kefir smoothie last night. I added a fair dollop of honey and it was still pretty ummm... tangy. I used banana and frozen mixed berries.  It reminded me of a berry lemonade.  My eldest daughter really liked it. I didnt' tell her it was the kefir that made it tangy.  It has also worked well in muffin recipes and scones.  It is also being used with flour as a sourdough starter.  So yes I am finding ways to use up my 'strange brew'. The flavor is ideal as a base for tzatziki but as Witch said it is a bit thin. Some Greek  yogurt for thickening seems to work.

Speaking of strange brew I am contemplating trying Kombucha tea. Finding a culture around here for starter is a bit tricky as not may people have even heard of it. I saw some for sale on ebay that is situated in BC so I can always order if I don't have any luck locally.

The trick will be keeping it and the kefir far enough apart in my smallish kitchen.
 

Yes the biology lab is alive and well.