Kombucha the Magical Drink

Kombucha is a fermented drink of sweetened black tea. It is produced by fermenting the tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or "SCOBY". 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, the finished product is a refreshingly fizzy, slightly sour fermented  beverage that is relatively low in calories.

Why drink Kombucha?

1 — Detoxification
Detoxification produces healthy livers and aides cancer prevention. One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body.

2 — Joint Care
Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis.

3 — Aids Digestion and Gut Health
Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage.

Here are a few articles on the health benefits of kombucha:
http://www.kombu.de/val-gwf.htm
http://www.gaiaresearch.co.za/kombucha.html
http://www.acupuncture.com/herbs/kombucha1.htm

First Brew

You will need:

3 quarts water
1 cup white sugar
5 bags black tea (or 2 tablespoons loose tea)
2 cups starter tea from last batch of kombucha
1 scoby per fermentation jar


Equipment needed to start and have continuos brewing

Stock pot
1-gallon glass jar with spout
2 large mason Jars with plastic lids
Bottles: Six 16-oz glass bottles with plastic lids or swing-top bottles, or clean soda bottles
clean cotton cloth
string
Instructions

Note: Avoid prolonged contact between the kombucha and metal both during and after brewing it can affect the flavor of your kombucha and weaken the scoby over time.

1. Make the Tea Base: Boil water and add tea bags. Remove from heat, remove tea bags, and stir in the sugar. Then allow to reach room temperature.

2. Add brewed tea, started tea, and scabby to glass jar

3. Cover with cloth and tie off with string or large rubber band

4. let brew for 7 to 10 Days: Keep the jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and safe from too much movement. Check the kombucha and the scoby periodically.

Second Brewing -

Pour the fermented kombucha into jars ( always leave a few cups left in your continual brewing, add any juice, herbs, or fruit you may want to use as flavoring, leaving about an inch of head room in each Jar I add 3 Tablespoons of organic sugar to promote more fizz like soda. Add lid and let sit in room temperature for 24hrs. Once 2nd brewing is over you can strain and add to bottles and refrigerate. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation, and then consume your kombucha within a month.


1.Remake the Tea Base to feed the mother: Boil water and add tea bags. Remove from heat, remove tea bags, and stir in the sugar. Then allow to reach room temperature.

2. You can now start doing the second brewing every other day. repeat steps 1 and 2.

To Your Health!!

Hearty Skillet Rice Dinner

Here is another great quick dinner. This is also a great way to use up leftover rice. I like to do big cooking once a week and then keep precooked rice and pasta in the fridge for easy meal planning. The meat can be substituted with any ground meat,  diced up whole meat, or beans of your choose. I love to make this meal for our friends that eat gluten free.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cup Brown Rice, cooked

1 cups chicken stock

1 med onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 Red Pepper, Diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 med. zucchini, Diced

1 Lb of Ground Pork, pre-browned

1 Jar (homemade or Commercial) of Med. or Mild Salsa

1 cup precooked left over or frozen corn

Fresh - Sprig of Cilantro and Oregano

OR

Dry -1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 lime, juiced

Salt

2 cups shredded cheese - we use a Mexican Mix


 In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook Sausage till browned. Add veggies and saute. Add rice and broth cook it and stir for a few minute. Once broth has absorbed add salsa and herbs. Turn the heat down to low and covered for a few minutes to raise the heat. Add cheese and cover again till melted.

Buy Local: Farmers Market wk 1

My treasures from Central Market! 

I have started living what I "preach" by shopping local. I am very blessed to live in a town with 3 year round farmers markets. Shopping them, I see as an investment in my family, our health, and our community.

I love shopping local, I love how it helps me see my town as an important part of our lives.  Buying from local farmers has made me fall in love with cooking and feeding my family. Week 1 I got some lovely fresh fish, produce, bread & baked goods from the Student Run Bakery, and plus a whole lot.

 I am working on buying local, budgeting and shopping with cash! I use My Weekly Budget app on my iphone to keep me on track! The app gives me one place to keep track of all that I spend no matter if it is cash or bank card. In a future post I will show you some of the yummy meals we make.

 Do you shop local?

Goals for this week:

• Don't plan, buy in budget and buy fresh! 
• Reduce the plastic, bring containers!
• Buy from new stand!