Kombucha - How to Make it

What Is Kombucha Tea?

Kombucha starts out as a sugary tea, which is then fermented with the help of a scoby. “SCOBY” is actually an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” It’s very close cousins to the mother used to make vinegar.

The scoby bacteria and yeast eat most of the sugar in the tea, transforming the tea into a refreshingly fizzy, slightly sour fermented (but mostly non-alcoholic) beverage that is relatively low in calories and sugar.

The SCOBY

Let’s talk about that scoby. It’s weird, right?! It floats, it’s rubbery and slightly spongy, brown stringy bits hang from it, and it transforms sugary tea into something fizzy and sour. It’s totally weird. But if you take a step back, it’s also pretty awesome.

There are a lot of theories about why the bacteria and yeast form this jelly-like layer of cellulose at the top of the kombucha. The most plausible that I’ve found is that it protects the fermenting tea from the air and helps maintain a very specific environment inside the jar that is shielded from outsiders, aka unfriendly bacteria.

http://fitlife.tv/how-to-make-kombucha/

Presents from a local garden

Look at this KALE

click image to see in full size

Kale and Spinach Juice

salad with the spotted lettuce and some things that we in the house.

I just wanted to share some photos from these beautiful greens we recieved as a gift from some very special people. The top image is of kale, spinach, and a spotted lettuce wich went into making the 2nd image. Courtney & Landon live in Pine Mountain GA. and we went out to celebrate Landon's birthday this past Sunday. (Oh, on a side note let me thank Kim for taking on the phones that day.) They have been growing their own veggies and herbs for some time now and know when to start their lettuce beds. ;)
Since ours isn't even close to being ready to eat we came home like rockstars arms full of these delicious gems. We have been enjoying our daily salads and juices all week.
Next on the menu.... Baked kale chips ;)
There is always something wonderful about eating greens grown locally and buy wonderful people. I suggest that everyone try to grow some greens this summer and see just how sweet it is.

Take a look back at how easy it was while living in a loft in downtown Atlanta. Click HERE

Here's a simple recipe on baked kale chips. HERE

This Spring

Since moving in to this beautiful home which I like to call "a cabin in the city", because we are still in the city but also surrounded by the tallest trees. Let me share that is was vacant for a long time so everything on the property was overgrown and just lush with life by the end of summer 2011. Experiencing the changes of the season from the comfort of a cozy sofa on the back deck where I'm able to look out into the trees and watch the leaves fall, and return. I sit here now listening to the many song birds echo for miles in the light rain. Spring has blessed our home  with a birds nest inside the drain pipe against the side of the back deck. Friends for my beloved Cat... Consuela. There's a stream that wraps around the long half of the property which adds that extra sound of water trickling off in the distance. The wild coyotes that use it's path to cross the stream and freely roam over the back 1.5 acre which we don't use is now completely hidden for safe passage. They were so beautiful to watch during winter with tan coat of fur.

Since this post upon moving in, We've answered the question. "Where will our garden go?"

Right here.... well partially. ;) 

click on image to enlarge

Say hello to our raised garden bed. We used large and small rocks found scattered around the property without disturbing the grounds foundation. We also have the large pots from last year we can use so we washed them out and gave them a good scrub with a small bit of all natural dish soap and a scrubber. 

click to enlarge images

Here are the tomatoes we started indoors while there was still a bit of cool weather and frost. This year we bought our seed from a company in NC, Sow True Seed who sells open-pollinated/non-hybrid and untreated seed. So what you are looking at are the Native Cherokee and the Yellow Pear tomatoes.   

photo courtesy of sow true seed

photo courtesy of sow true seed

I plan on jarring plenty of tomato sauce using old authentic Italian recipes ;) Yummy, and hope to share them on etsy.com Who knows... Is there a market for that? 

Where was I? who knows here's some more photos and we're done till next time. 

wild strawberries 

The warmest wishes to the 4 people that read this blog.... May you be inspired to start growing within. 

It's the Juice baby!!!

This week is Juice Week (yea) 

I have been juicing for a number of years and it's something my mom started when we were young which I carried over. Well This week I felt the need to step it up a bit and see how far I get by Friday. Oh, I should mention that last week I started substituting a meal a day for my juicing but everything else in regards to what I ate stayed the same. i.e, we still enjoyed homemade pizza on Sunday :)

day one:
Early - 8oz water

Breakfast - coffee, granola

Lunch - cilantro, kale, celery, carrot, spinach juice

Dinner - Chicken salad with water

Snack - Amish Swiss cheese slices, grapes

day two: 
Early - 16oz water

Breakfast - carrot, kale, beet, orange, celery, grape juice

Lunch - cilantro, kale, spinach, carrot, ginger, apple, orange, tomato juice.

23.5 oz