Talk about some serious Adventures in Nourishment

Adventures in Nourishment continue! 

Yesterday I bottled MY FIRST SUCCESSFUL BATCH OF KOMBUCHA! It sure took a few tries… mold killed my first few mamas, and I waited forever for a new mother (Thank you Mariko!!) But it worked, and it is SO delicious and so nourishing! (When I say “mama” I am actually referring to the mushroom used to make kombucha, which is actually not a mushroom but a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria).

Kombucha is a fermented tea that is excellent for digestion (because of the acetic and lactic acid it contains), and for detoxification (because of the glucuronic acid it contains). It boosts the immune system and even protects against cancer and other degenerative diseases. Talk about some amazing stuff! And the best part about it is that kombucha tastes like soda from the Gods! which is pretty amazing, because I don’t even like soda.

Kombucha is super easy to make. If you are interested, Google it! There are a lot of sites online with directions. The tricky part is finding the mushroom, but you can usually ask around and find one, or order one online. Good luck!

 

So, the Adventures continue… Yesterday I made pesto with the last of the basil from the garden. What a treat to have frozen for winter.

 

Speaking of winter, Toby finished putting in the natural gas stove in our house. A winter with heat will be such a new thing for us…Notice the rock hearth… we used rocks/ shells from all over: Chile, Alaska, Mariposa, Washington and Santa Cruz.  But don’t worry, there are no rocks from Hawaii, that’s bad luck!

 

The apple tree in our backyard has left us with a bounty of apples… So today I made Apple Butter. It is kind of like applesauce, but I used whey in it, and I am letting it ferment on the counter for two days before transferring it to the refrigerator. Yum!! This is all it consists of: 4 cups cooked apples, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1/4 cup whey, and 1/4 cup raw honey, and cinnamon. (Blended together and then left out of the fridge for 2 days).

 

I also made an Apple-Rhubarb Pie! I used my mom’s recipe this time, which has more sugar and butter in it than the recipe I usually use (from Nourishing Traditions). Toby LOVES it when I make pies with more sugar/butter. I do, too.

 

Tonight my parents are coming over for dinner. I am making a very special Japanese dish called Sukiyaki. I learned how to make last weekend when we were up in San Francisco visiting Kanoa and Mariko. On Saturday Mariko made us Sukiyaki (which her grandmother taught her how to make). It blew our boots off because it was so amazing tasting. Sukiyaki consists of either chicken/ tofu or thinly sliced beef. It is cooked slowly in a sauce of shoyu, sugar, and sake, and alongside yam noodles, napa cabbage and grilled onion. It is served over rice, with a raw egg in between the rice and stew. Mariko took me to Japan Town in S.F., so I have all the authentic ingredients to make it.

 

Talk about some serious Adventures in Nourishment.