Adventures with a hot glue gun, or channeling my mom through wreathmaking: Part 1

My mom died five years ago. Yeah, I know, great way to start a post, right? But her influence is great in my life and when I'm doing this particular craft, I feel especially close to her.  She did tend to use less skulls though.

Pineapple jalapeño - The craziest sounding, most awesome tasting secondferment Kombucha to date!

This kombucha recipe came about through a lacto-fermented pineapple with jalapeños recipe from oh, lardy!.   If you would like to read my post about the lacto-fermented pineapple, please click here.

I'm here to tell you, that these fermented pineapples or one of my absolute favorite treats! It is really the only way that I'm getting fermented food into my diet right now. I have actually eaten so much of the pineapple that I burned my tongue. 

Seriously. 

It's that good. So you should absolutely try them, but I digress...

After having the awesomeness that is the pineapple I started to wonder if I could translate that into a drinkable beverage and, of course, I went directly to kombucha as my base. The complex flavor and sourness from the fermentation of the tea gave the drink the same indescribable combination of flavors that I talk about in my post on the lacto-fermented pineapple with jalapeños. It's a flavor that hits all five of the Chinese Five Spice Doctrime flavors. It is a completely complex, full, and well-rounded flavor. As a drink, it is hard to nail down exactly what ingredients are used to make this particular flavor, but it's really amazing.

That time when I geeked out at The Scarefest Convention

And now for something completely different...

And yes, I am stepping out of 221B Baker Street. Awesome-sauce. 

This past weekend I went to my first con in 20 years, I'm sad to say. I have been missing a lot! The Con I attended was The ScareFest. While I am no longer a huge horror movie fan, I still love the classics and love dark yet beautiful creations, so I thought this might be fun.

How to start a Kombucha business. Part 1 budgeting

I am so in love with kombucha and enjoy the health benefits and the actual labor of making it, that I've decided to pursue it as a business venture. At first I was thinking of lofty dreams of having my own computer/coffee/Ice cream/art supply shop in lounge. As you can imagine this would be extremely complicated, but I never tend to do things easy, as my husband can attest.

I am making a conscious effort this time to start small and work my way up to the ideal community center with awesome beverages and snacks and art materials.  

The best way I see you to do this is to start with a conviction on tap tricycle. They are just cute as can me and very portable and all around A more practical start then a full on shop or a food truck.

I have hundreds of things to figure out:   Everything from how to convert my regular homemade kombucha to kombucha that is kept in containers to go on tap, to branding and marketing my new lineup. I just have to figure out how this whole process works. 

I will share with you my learning process as I get ready to open my business in the spring. Maybe it'll save you some steps in learning how to open your own trike business!  

My first step was to find a insulated crate tricycle manufacturer that would also put beverages on tap.  Right now I'm looking at Icicle Tricycles.  I asked for a quote from them and they responded within a day with various options and addition information and links to help me learn more about starting my own business.  They even said that they would answer any other business related questions, as they run a fleet of trikes in their area.  So far, I'm very pleased with their service.  I could jut tell from the tone of their response that they are passionate about it!

I just love this concept! I may even dress like that when peddling my wares. (See what I did right there? Ha ha!)

I will update you as I get pricing, state and county codes that I have to meet, and equipment needed.  Hopefully, we can figure this out together. 

Are you doing this?  If so, I'd love some tips!

Freezer Preserved Creamed Corn

At the same time as I'm doing the fermenting and pickling of various goodies, I am preserving other foods at the peak of their freshness.

One of our family's favorite vegetable dishes is creamed corn.  I preserve enough to make sure that we have some for Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and any other special holiday between now and next summer. I usually do about five dozen ears.

This year, I want to share with you a trick that I learned from watching "Good Eats" with Alton Brown, whom I would call the food meets science guru.  It's the only cooking show that I have ever watched with my husband. I'm fairly sure that we have seen every episode and own a few on DVD.  His take on the scientific approach to cooking has greatly affected my cooking preparations and techniques.

Here's his secret technique for getting the kernels off the cob and my simple recipe for preparing and freezing creamed corn.

Plum Wine-ish Kombucha

Today, I am sharing two recipes using plums in the second fermentation of kombucha.

The first is the most basic with only adding plums to the second fermentation bottles.

The second is a little more complex and layered in flavor. It is a plum, lime, and ginger kombucha 

If you would want to know everything to start brewing kombucha, visit my Kombucha page by clicking the tab at the top.

If you would like to read about how to do the first fermentation, please click here.

And now to the plum kombucha recipes!

Starting Your Very First Batch of Milk Kefir - Video

For more detailed instructions, read my blog post here.

A couple things I forgot to mention:
Don't use ultra-pasterized milk, so that knocks out most organics. I use a non-organic that is hormone and antibiotic free.
Don't use anything metal.

Hope this helps.

Please feel free to leave questions in the comments.

Lacto-Fermented Spicy Pineapple

Such a simple ferment, such amazingly yummy results!

I am literally sitting here eating the spears of pineapple out of the canning jar. I know that's a no-no because I'm introducing germs into the jar, but I don't expect it to last overnight, so I think it's OK.

These are that good. Really.

Each bite starts with a tingle on your tongue.
Then you taste the sea salt in the brine
and the heat from the jalapeños build.
It finishes with the sweetness of the pineapple. 
Every bite is a flavor experience.

Sour Patch Grapes - a sometimes treat that you might be hiding from the children to eat for yourself

  So, I'm supposed to be blogging about healthy recipes for your family, and yet, I start off with a recipe that is not really healthy and definitely not clean eating. But I tried this recipe for the first time last night, and it was such a hit with everyone that I thought I had to share it.

Sour Patch Grapes

Grape Ape Kombucha - Easiest Second Ferment Ever!

We all get set in our ways.

For instance, I always use fresh or frozen organic fruit in my kombucha. 

Maybe this has turned me into a bit of a kombucha snob, because when someone suggested using store bought juice in the second ferment of kombucha on a thread on Facebook, I visibly cringed. And the flavor combination just sounded nasty!

But, I thought, "as much as I'm making, I can take a quart and try it out.".  What she was suggesting was using concord grape juice in the second fermentation.

First School Project - Due First Day of School!

Oh my goodness!

The first days of school are upon us. 

School starts here in two days.  Orientation was last week.  Two weeks ago, we received a letter from O's teacher.  She is entering 5th grade in an accelerated cluster within the school system.   Since it is an accelerated program, we expect a faster pace and a little more homework.  But we were a bit surprised to find that the introduction letter from the teacher included a project due on the first day of school.  A fairly simple one, maybe, unless you have a gifted kid.

 A mobile.

Lemon Lime Ginger Kombucha - The #1 drink in our house!

Our favorite drink 

This is the one.

The recipe for which I always have ingredients on hand.

The flavor that we keep on tap in our fridge.  

...Seriously...

I'll post a picture, I just have to clean up the fridge a bit first.

We don't run out of this drink.  

The only time that I have drank soda in 9 months is when we have ran out.
Not only do I love this flavor, but my girls love it!  It is their favorite as well.

(Results may vary with children.  

My girls love ginger and are little foodies.  The first restaurant that my eldest asked to go to by name was a local Cajun place and the first food our youngest loved was Indian.  Odd, but in a good way.)
My husband, not so much, but I have yet to convince him of the health benefits.
Another great thing about this flavor combo is that you are not adding more sugar to the ferment.   The bacteria and yeast continue to eat the sugar added at the beginning of the first ferment.  This results in a low sugar content kombucha that still packs a wallop of flavor.

But, let me say, as much as we love this drink, this is not the flavor that I start with 

for non-kombucha drinkers.
The Blackberry Lavender or Pina Colada (recipe coming soon) are better starting flavors.  These are the flavors that my husband prefers.  He actually likes both of these quite a bit.  He will drink them if I set a glass in front of him, but he still won't seek it out.  One of these days...

But, if you love ginger or ginger ale, and are ready for an addicting tangy, sour, sweet, and slightly spicy with the ginger kick, this one is for you!

The acidity from lemons and limes does a wonderful job of cutting through the sour vinegary-ness that is a natural side effect of the healthy yeast and bacteria munching away during the fermentation process.  *I recommend, as you try your own flavor combinations, to include lemon or lime in most flavors, even if it is only 1/2 lime per 1/2 gallon of fermented tea.*

First, complete the first fermentation of the tea.  Click here for detailed directions. 

When the tea has reached the right color, smell, taste, and effervescence (and pH, if you are testing, which you should be doing every three or four batches, at least).  Yes, trust me, you will quickly learn how to read the signs that your tea is done with the first ferment.  I realized that as the summer heat started taking affect on my kombucha.  My tea went from fermenting in 7 to 9 days to fermenting in 5 days!  I want to let the first ferment go as long as possible, without it going too vinegary, because the longer it ferments, the more probiotics, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients are produced.
But I digress...

Here is the recipe for:

Lemon Lime Ginger Kombucha

Lemon Lime Ginger Kombucha

You need:

• 1 gallon fermented tea
• 3   1/2 gallon mason jars
• 2 wide mouth mason jar lids (the rings and lids for an air tight seal)
• Plastic strainer
• Plastic funnel
• Juicer 
• Coffee filter
• Rubber Band

• 2 lemons
• 1 lime
• 6-7" of ginger
• 5 to 7 black tea bags (or equivalent)
• 2 to 3 green tea bags (or equivalent) 
• 1 cup of sugar (unprocessed is preferred)
• 1 gallon spring water

I prep for my next batch before I start moving my tea for it's second fermentation.
Here is what to do to prep for your next batch. 
This keeps your SCOBY from sitting out too long with only 1 1/2 cup fermented tea.

Start your next batch of tea for it's first fermentation by brewing 7 - 9 bags of tea
in a 1/2 gallon mason jar.  I use a combination of black (5 to 7) and green (2 to 3).

Brew with 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Shake to combine.

Allow to cool.

Now go to your gallon jar that holds your tea that has completed the first fermentation:

After the first fermentation, remove the SCOBY and approximately 1 1/2 cups of the fermented tea. Place in a bowl rinsed with really hot water and then vinager (this is how everything should be sanitized) 

Pour the fermented tea into two 1/2 gallon mason jars.

Juice 1 lemon into each of the 1/2 gallon mason jars.

Do the same with 1/2 a lime in each.
Wash the ginger with hot water.

Grate or finely dice the ginger.  Add 3-4 inches worth into each jar. (Depending on your preference. 
Close with mason jar lids.
If you have chalkboard labels, write the type and the date the 2nd fermentation will be complete.

Allow to sit, out of direct sunlight, for two days.  Watch for the tops popping up.  You may want to burp them (loosen the lid to allow a little air to escape, then re-tighten) if the top is raised or you are seeing a lot of bubblies happening.

Strain the flavored fermented tea into the bottling solution of your choice.

Refrigerate.*
Drink and feel good food knowing that you are enjoying a drink that is helping your whole body.

Start your next batch:

Add cooled 1/2 gallon of sugared tea to 1 gallon container.

Add another 1/2 gallon spring water.

Add SCOBY and reserved tea from the previous batch that your SCOBY has been swimming in.
Cover with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band. 

*Refrigeration will greatly slow down the fermentation process.  It does not completely stop fermentation though, so, if you leave a bottle in the fridge for a couple weeks, if it is happy kombucha, it will start to create a new SCOBY and free floating yeast.  This does not mean it has gone bad, quiet the opposite.  Like I said; this is a sign of happy, healthy kombucha.  All you need to do is strain the drink into a glass before drinking.  I am now really used to the whole SCOBY concept, so I sometimes don't bother to strain it.  That SCOBY is really good for you!

But then I remember that I am eating one of my baby civilizations, and feel a bit guilty...  But I get over it.

Let me know what you think.  Did you crave this flavor after your first glass or was it too tangy/spicy?
How are your SCOBY's doing?

Milk Kefir - The Basics

Milk Kefir  - The Basics

What'cha need to know

If you have digestive issues or IBS, 

Milk Kefir is the drink for you!

It has changed my life.  I have severe IBS and have been on a variety of medications for 5 years.  None of these have really worked.  Before Milk Kefir, I was on a regiment of Linzess 290, plus 1 to 2 doses of Miralax every day - and it still was only marginally better!
Now I drink a glass or two of Milk Kefir, one first thing in the morning and sometimes one in the evening, if I just want one or feel a little bloated.  It is a bit of an acquired taste, but I now absolutely love the recipe that I am about to share with you.

The Grains 

First, they are not actually grains, but a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), just like Kombucha has a SCOBY.  Kefir SCOBY's have a very different look and feel than Kombucha.  While Kombucha is one large jellyfish/mushroom-like mass that floats at the top of the tea during fermentation, Kefir SCOBY's more resemble a clearer cottage cheese.

The best way to get your grains is to find a friend with some.  They will gladly give you enough to start your own 1/2 gallon batch, which is about 1/2 cup.  I know this because I am currently overrun with Milk Kefir.  I have 2 cups sleeping in the fridge and another cup in rotation making Kefir.  I have a friend stopping by today to pick up some Kombucha starter for a friend and I plan on forcing her to take some Milk Kefir starter for both her friend and herself.  I just can't bring myself to throw them away!  They are my little civilizations and I feel I must protect them.  (I, obviously, need a pet.)  I may resort to using some as fertilizer in my garden or throwing some in smoothies.  These grains reproduce like bunnies if they are happy and well-cared for.   

We have been sticking to the Scooby and gang theme, so we call our Milk Kefir grains Fred, because, um, he's a very, very, white boy.


If you can not get one from a friend, I recommend ordering this one:



You also need the following equipment:

• At least 3 half gallon mason jars
• a large plastic funnel
• a large plastic strainer
• a bamboo or wooden spoon
• coffee filters
• a rubber band
• reCAP large size (optional, but nice to have)
• glass flip-seal bottles (optional)

The Milk

Normally, I would say, use organic.  We prefer organic in both cooking and drinking.  However, most mass produced organic milks are ultra-pasturized; that is why they last so long in our fridge and we can buy the little boxes of it not refrigerated to send to school with our kiddos.  Ultra-pastured is not good for the process as it removes some of what is necessary to ferment.  If you have a raw milk source that you trust, many people use raw milk.  I do not have access to raw milk, so I buy regular milk from companies that do not use hormones or antibiotics on their cows.  It seems to be a good compromise and the Kefir comes out tasting wonderful and with all the probiotics that our bodies, particularly our gut, need. 

Now to the basic recipe, finally!

Do not use anything metal. 
Honestly, I can't explain why, but all the fermenting gurus say this, so I am passing it along.

• If you have 1/4 cup grains, start in a quart mason jar (or only fill the half gallon half way).  You will quickly (within a week or so) be ready to move up to a full half gallon.
• If you have 1/2 cup grains, start in a half gallon mason jar.
• Pour either a quart or a half gallon (see above) of milk into the mason jar. 
• Gently add the Milk Kefir grains.
• Cover with a coffee filter held in place with a rubber band.
• Allow to sit out of direct sunlight for 24 to 36 hours.  The curd will separate from the whey.  That is what I actually wait to happen.  When there is a descent amount of separated whey, it is time to strain.

  

  This is after 36+ hours with 3/4 cup grains. 
  It is a little more separated than I would like,
  but it still looks good.

• First I stir it a little with bamboo spoon.
• Then pour small amounts at a time into another half gallon mason jar through the large plastic mesh strainer and funnel.  Use the spoon to gently move around the grains the push through the cream and whey.
• Place grains into third half gallon mason jar.
• Repeat pouring small amounts through the strainer and placing grains into third jar until you have gone through all the kefir.
• Fill third mason jar, now with all the grains, with milk.  (If you are still below 1/2 cup, wait to completely fill the jar.  If you have at least 1/2 cup, fill that jar up!)  You will probably be able to tell the grains have grown after your second or third rotation.  They need a little time to wake up after delivery.  If they are given to you from a friend, you might see a difference after the very first batch!
• Take the strained Kefir and either do a second fermentation with flavoring (Add flavor and seal the jar with the mason jar lid.), or take to your fridge because it is ready to drink.  It will continue to very slowly ferment even in the fridge.  We will discuss second fermentations in a future post.
• My favorite way to drink it is to add maple syrup to taste after the first fermentation and take it directly to the fridge.  It's a very simple, but yummy flavor.  I thoroughly enjoy it.

Any questions or suggestions?  Please leave them in the comments.  I look forward to your ideas and questions!

Blackberry lavender Kombucha

Now that we've covered the ugly truth of what a SCOBY really looks like and have gone over the basic recipe to ferment your first batch of Kombucha, we can get to the fun part - flavoring and the second ferment!

This first recipe that I'm going to share is the one that most people that are not used to the slightly sour taste of the Kombucha are drawn to. 

Being photographed in studio for a local publication.

My "day job" is as an artist. I have work in many galleries, and a studio, but I also do several outdoor art shows. I continue to do them mainly because of the amazing group of artists that I have grown to know over many years. They are like an extended family of nomadic gypsies. Every show at set up, you can hear squeals, "Miss you's" and "love you's" and lots and lots of hugs.  They are simply some of the best people I've ever met and I consider us so lucky that our children get to experience this environment.

Many of us bring food and/or drinks to share with our fellow artists. I think that many of them have gotten used to my bringing strange flavor combinations or something unexpected. They know that I'm always experimenting in the kitchen the same as I experiment in my studio. Most of them are always up for my balsamic strawberry or mango sriracha ice cream, green smoothies, and local donuts.

But this past year, when I brought Kombucha, many of them were hesitant.
They were hesitant because:
a. They are old hippies and had made kombucha when they were younger and did not do the second fermentation and simply got completely burned out on the sour taste of the, once fermented, straight up tea.
b. They had only tried the store-bought version.
 - or -
c. They knew just enough about it to hear or see what's behind the curtain and could not get past that.  So this was the first time I had to actually convince people to try what I brought. Every one of them loved this flavor combination.  More than 30 people tried Kombucha for the first time last March at an art show and every one of them liked this flavor combination!  Even the ones that had previously had bad experiences with homemade kombucha were completely surprised at how the second ferment made the flavor and the mouth feel so totally different.
So if you've tried Kombucha before and were not impressed, this may be for you! If you already like Kombucha, then this might still be for you - to add variety into your daily drink.

Now let's talk recipes...

Blackberry Lavender Kombucha

Milk Kefir Part 2 - Separating the Grains, Cream, & Some of the Whey

Milk Kefir Part 1 - Starting a New Batch

The Ugly Truth about the Amazing Drinks - Kombucha

If you've tried homemade kombucha and fell in love with it, or read/heard about all the health benefits, you might be ready to start your own brew.  

It is a wonderful thing: much cheaper than almost any store-bought drink, be it soda, flavored water, juice, or pre-made kombucha and more health benefits that any other drink that I know of.

But as we know, sometimes the magic behind the curtain is not nearly as attractive as the finished product.  This is certainly one of those cases.

I mentioned in a previous post my difficulty in dealing with the wonderful SCOBY that makes the delicious and healthy drink possible.

I'm going to share with you some of photos of my healthy SCOBY in order to prepare you.  Again, this is a healthy SCOBY.  Remind yourself that it is similar to making beer and just jump into making it.  The squeamishness about it goes away very quickly.

The first photo is of a SCOBY sitting in starter liquid while I prepare a fresh batch of tea.

Healthy SCOBY

Obtaining a SCOBY & Making Your First Batch

The first step to making great Kombucha is getting a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast).  If you are really lucky, you have a friend already brewing.  If not, I suggest that you order from a reputable supplier.  Here is a link to a great starter SCOBY:

Kombucha Kamp Genuine KOMBUCHA CULTURE (1 Lrg SCOBY + 1 Cup Strong STARTER LIQUID - Makes 1 Gallon)

As soon as you receive your SCOBY, check it to make sure that it is sealed tight and the starter fluid is all around it.  If it looks like it made the trip safely, it is time to sterilize your equipment (which we will cover in another post) and to consider the liquid you will use for your brew.  We will cover several ideas, but today we will start with the most basic.
A Black Tea Brew

Fermenting Equipment

Supplies, supplies, supplies!

Even before you order/get your SCOBY, you need to have the right supplies on hand. 

To get a good idea of what to expect of your SCOBY if you have not worked with one before, read this post.
To read about my first experience with my SCOBY's, click here.
Once you have your supplies and are ready to brew and ferment your first batch of kombucha, click here.
For your first batch of Milk Kefir, click here.

 - Very Important -

NO METAL SHOULD BE USED NEAR YOUR SCOBY!  I honestly, can not explain the science behind this statement, but all the fermenting gurus are quite emphatic about it.  I trusting them on this and passing it along to you.

Also, do not wash any of the equipment, bottles, or your hands with soap right before caring for your SCOBY.  We are working with bacteria and yeast.  Soap could harm them.  Instead clean with very hot water and a scrub brush dedicated to cleaning fermented beverages/foods equipment, then rinse everything (including the scrub brush) with vinegar.  Rinse your hands with vinegar, as well, especially before handling the SCOBY.

Click the Read More below to see my list of essential equipment.

So, you want to home brew? Here's my first experience with it.

Kombucha and kefirs are old, old, drinks that are becoming increasingly popular in Western culture as people learn about the many health benefits of eating and drinking cultured foods.  (more about the history of the drinks in a future post)

Before I started brewing my own, we bought cases of milk kefir from Costco because I knew the probiotics were so good for our digestion.  Unfortunately, the sugar content is higher than the value of probiotics.  I had no idea how sugary sweet the commercial products were until I started making my own.  I now drink one large glass, the equivalent of one travel bottle of kefir a day (OK, maybe two sometimes, I really enjoy it.) and it only costs me the price of the milk.  Huge cost savings, plus the amount of probiotics in homemade vs store-bought can't even be compared.  The probiotic levels in homemade kefir greatly out-number store-bought.  The longer you allow the kefir to brew, the higher the probiotic level.

As far as Kombucha, I had never even tried it!  I had one friend that is a firm believer in the health benefits and she twisted my arm until I gave in.  The first SCOBY she sent home with me sat on our kitchen counter for 2 months while I tried to work up the courage to handle that slimy pancake and drink something that was its by-product.  I eventually gave-up and threw it away.  I cringe at the thought of throwing it away now, but I just could not do deal that slimy, jellyfish looking, thing.

Three months later, after researching extensively the safety and health benefits, I decided to take the plunge.