Drinks

Kefir Soda

June 27, 2011 By jenniepaige 17 Comments
water kefir after primary fermentThanks for checking back at Pure Homemaking, I hope you make yourself at home!

Many people are familiar with the increasingly popular pro-biotic beverage kefr but usually think of the diary version. Dairy kefir is fabulous and amazing beneficial to you, but what if you are looking for something a little light in flavor and texture and more appropriate for sipping on a hot summer day? You could also be looking for an alternative to the nasty poisonous cola type sodas that many American’s are hooked on? [Read more...]

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An Intro to Dairy Kefir

May 16, 2011 By jenniepaige Leave a Comment
Kefir for Dummies-A guest post I did at another blog

So I have this very good friend named Lisa and she has undergone a VERY dramatic food conversion over the past couple of years. Most of the changing has taken place over the past several months and I am amazed at her enthusiasm and conviction that she has about it. I remember the first time I took her to Whole Foods right before she got married   ( about 4 years ago I think) and bought some organic meat. She didn’t understand why I would pay more for meat and what the benefits where. Well, we just placed our third joint purchase for half a grass-fed cow and are entering our third year as CSA members at our local farm.  I must say that I have enjoyed watching her family grow and the steps that she has made to provide her family with the most healthful food that she can. I feel the sense of pride that she got when she made her first soaked grain granola. I LOVE it, it makes me happy. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dairy Products, Drinks, Homemade Dairy Products, Kefir, Random Stuff

How to Grow A Scoby-Kombucha Making

May 4, 2011 By jenniepaige 1 Comment
This is what it looks like from the top after it forms

Maybe you killed your scoby, or perhaps you don’t have one and want to try to brew your own Kombucha tea. Either way as long as you have some K-tea from a previous batch (always keep at least some tea in a tightly closed glass jar in your fridge for a back-up) you can re-propagate your own scoby.  This method works best if your tea has a few thread looking things in the tea. They look pretty ugly but they can easily grow into a new baby (or is it mother?) scoby. [Read more...]

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Kombucha Punch

May 2, 2011 By jenniepaige 9 Comments
Kombucha Punch

So, we had Taylor’s 5th birthday party this past weekend and I wanted to serve a fun punch that could be for both adults and kids. I wanted to use my Kombucha as the base of the punch. I was honestly a bit nervous about it because I didn’t want to get in a lengthy discussion about it at my kids birthday party, so I was pretty vague about what it was. I did talk a bit about the benefits of Kombucha such as it being detoxifying and generally good for us. I ended up just calling it “a healthful tonic” which is pretty accurate if you’re trying to keep it simple. So I made up a super simple punch that was very pretty and I’m not going to lie, I put some Peach Schnapps beside it and let the adults add it to their punch. Uh…YUM! That’s all I’m gonna say about that one. [Read more...]

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Warming up to Green Smoothies

April 20, 2011 By jenniepaige 2 Comments
green berry smoothie

 

I’m sure many of you, if not all, have heard of green smoothies.  It’s really no big deal stick a few greens in with your smoothie. It sounds stranger than it actually tastes.  (Plus the smoothies don’t actually have to BE green as the picture above shows) I have learned to do it in moderation and most of the time my kids don’t even know. You can’t taste it if you don’t add a huge amount or don’t choose something like mustard greens. Not that I hide vegetables or try to “sneak them” at all, but it’s nice to get extra greens in when you can.

Here’s a good recipe to start warming up to the idea. Or if you are already a green smoothie pro, then you can add this one to your smoothie menu.  This fresh fruit smoothie is packed full of probiotics, antioxidants, iron, potassium, and good fats all while being a pleasure to your palate. [Read more...]

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How to make Kombucha Tea-A Video Tutorial

April 18, 2011 By jenniepaige 5 Comments

So I’ve never done a video tutorial before. Ever. This is my first one! Please excuse my nervousness.

One thing I need to clarify is that you add 2 more quarts of water after you pour in the concentrated tea/sugar into the fermenting jar or bowl. (Remember to ONLY use clear glass) This will also bring the tea mixture down to room temperature relatively quickly so you don’t have to wait as long to add the water.

Also, make sure that what you use to cover the fermenting container with the clean and white only. A clean white tea towel works, as does a coffee filter. [Read more...]

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Kombucha Tea is the Coolest

April 15, 2011 By jenniepaige 2 Comments
kombucha

I started making Kombucha last summer and have since gotten away from it. It’s easy to do things like that when your life is so busy. Well I killed my scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) a while back because I knew I wanted to take a break from it. And here is just another one of the reasons that Kombucha is the coolest. I did keep some of the tea in my fridge for oh…lets not try to remember how long, and I wanted to see if I could re-culture a Mother (our would it be a baby?) myself. This has happened before when I have done a double fermentation by just leaving it out on the counter after transferring the scoby for a new batch. I wasn’t sure how well it would work though, seeing as it’s been a long time since I’ve messed with it. But I figured hey, can’t hurt anything right? So, I took out my quart size mason jar of the tea, placed it in a safe quiet place and topped it with a coffee filter and just let it be for about a week. [Read more...]

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