A Trail Life
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • HIKING
  • RECIPES
  • DIY
  • ABOUT US

Homemade Kombucha Tea

9/27/2012

10 Comments

 
I am so excited to share this post with you all!  Kombucha is one of my dietary staples and I genuinely feel better each time I drink it.  I'm addicted to its bubbly goodness and I love trying different flavors. 

What I don't love is the price tag.  Most health food stores charge anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 per bottle.  If you drink even half of a bottle per day that really adds up.  So a few years ago I decided to do what I always do when something is out of my price range... I find a way to make it at home for less. 

Not including one-time start-up costs (I'll get into these below), this recipe will end up costing you about 5 bucks for every 155 cups that you make.  Yep.  You read that right.  You can make Kombucha at home for just over 3 cents a cup.  Sign me up!

But let's back up.  For those of you not familiar with Kombucha, I want to cover a few basics of this fizzy little drink.  Kombucha is made by adding tea and sugar to a culture that is comprised of bacteria and yeast.  Over time, the ingredients combine and ferment to create the final product, a drinkable probiotic tea! 

The health benefits are debated and you should spend a little time researching this before you jump on board the Kombucha train, but I've had nothing but positive experiences.  It has improved my skin and hair and my digestion plus it just generally makes me feel good.  I feel like I get a glow when I drink it. 

OK, so let's get to the part you're really interested in... the recipe!  Instead of my normal format, I'm going to use step-by-step with pictures so that it's easier to follow.  I know might look tricky at first, but don't be intimidated!  After your first batch, you'll be a pro.  And if you have any questions at all, please ask me! 
Picture
Picture
1. If this is your first time brewing Kombucha at home, you will need to gather a few basic supplies.  These are the one-time start up costs that I mentioned above.  After batch #1, your only ongoing expenses will be sugar and tea.  You will need:
  • Large stainless steel pot
  • Large glass container
  • Medium air-tight glass container
  • Wooden or stainless steel spoon
  • Plain white sugar
  • Plain black tea
  • Kombucha starter*

*I ordered my starter from Happy Herbalist and I'm really satisfied with it. 

Picture
2. Bring 32 cups of water to a low boil.  It helps to have good water so I run mine through a water filter first.  It's also important to use a glass or stainless steel measuring cup.  A large mason jar works well.

Please note, it's important not to let anything but wood, glass or stainless steel touch your tea.
Picture
3. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of white sugar until it is dissolved.  Then add 10 tea bags to the pot and cover for 10 minutes.
Picture
4. After the 10 minutes are up, your mixture will look and smell a lot like strong tea.  Remove the tea bags, squeezing all of the tea out, and discard them. 

Next, transfer the tea to your large glass container and let the tea cool completely to room temperature.  This is a very important step as high temperatures will damage your starter culture.  I usually cover mine with a clean t-shirt and let it cool overnight.

Picture
5. Once the tea has cooled, you can add your starter culture and the liquid included with it to your tea.  You can just dump it all in and let it settle wherever it wants.  Mine usually float to the top, but some sink.  Either way is okay.
Picture
6. Cover your tea/culture combination with a clean t-shirt and place it somewhere in your home where it will remain undisturbed for 5-10 days.  The conditions that I've had the most success with are dark spaces where the temperature stays in the 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit range.  I have a kitchen cabinet above my stove that works perfectly, but it can be anywhere you have space for it.
Picture
7. Let it sit, undisturbed, for about a week.  There is no exact time to use because there are so many factors that impact the length of fermentation, including your own taste preferences.  This photo is from day 4 of my most recent brew cycle.  Bubbles are just starting to form and the culture is about 1/8 inch thick and covers the whole surface of the tea.

Picture
8. For me, a brew cycle usually takes about 7-8 days.  I know it's ready when I see a good deal of large bubbles and it smells like vinegar.  If you're unsure, use a clean spoon (glass, wood or stainless steel only) to take a sip and see if you like it.  Don't double dip!  The black tea taste should be gone and it should taste slightly tart, but still drinkable.  This photo is from day 8 - the culture is about 1/4 inch thick.


Picture
9. Once your fermentation brew is complete, you will remove the culture and prepare to start the cycle again.  The really awesome thing about Kombucha is that the culture keeps growing (it doubles in size each time) so you will always be able to make more Kombucha.  Or you can share your culture with friends!  In this photo you can see the original culture (the small circle) and the amount of new culture that grew around it.

Picture
10. Place your culture in an air-tight glass container with 6 cups of the new fermented tea.  Set this aside in the same place you used for your fermentation process.  In your next batch, you will use this like you did with your original starter. 

Note, if you think you will be waiting more than a few days before starting your next batch, you might want to store the cultures in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation.  Just be sure to bring it back to room temperature before using it again.
Picture
11.  Once you remove your cultures, you can drink the tea according to your preferences.  Some drink it plain, but I prefer to flavor mine with fruit.  For this batch, I used 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, the juice from 1 lemon and 1/2 cup black cherry juice. 

There are TONS of recipes though so be sure to experiment and have fun.  Just be sure to remove the culture before you add any flavors.  If you use whole fruits, let them sit in the tea for 24 hours then remove them to prevent them from fermenting. 

Store your new Kombucha tea in the refrigerator and enjoy!!

So that's it!!  Now you know how to make homemade Kombucha.  When you are ready to make your next batch, just use the culture you gathered in step 10 to start this process all over again.  I start my next batch the same day that I finish the prior batch.  It's called a continuous brewing cycle and I love that we always have Kombucha in the house. 

Enjoy!!
If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted or shared this post either ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on
Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
10 Comments

Updated Gear Lists

9/26/2012

0 Comments

 
It's been awhile since I've blogged about hiking.  We have been adjusting back to our city lives and I really haven't given my gear much thought.  I haven't uploaded my pictures or gone through my trail journal.  I think I just needed to clear my head for a bit and focus on something other than hiking. 

I still love hiking and camping, don't get me wrong.  We went camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan not long ago, simply because we missed the woods.  But what I didn't miss was thinking about gear lists or trying to plan out a food bag. 

Until today!  Two of our very good friends from the trail finished their thru-hike last week (congrats, Bearcub and Guy Line!!) and we had lunch with them today.  It was so great to see them and I love that we all live in the same city now.  We have one other Chicago friend who should be finishing his thru soon (good luck, Waldo!) and once we are all back in the city it will be so nice to have them nearby.

Reminiscing about the trail and sharing so many laughs inspired me to revisit my AT gear lists.  Basically this is my long-winded way of telling you that I went back and reviewed the gear lists that I put together before our hike and updated them to include notes.  I added comments about how the gear worked and whether or not I would use it again.  I hope you find interesting and maybe even useful in planning your own gear list!

Click here to see Jill's updated gear list
Click here to see Rooney's updated gear list


And of course, if you have any questions or if you would like me to review your gear list, give me a shout!!

If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted and/or shared this post  ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
0 Comments

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

9/22/2012

0 Comments

 
These sweet potato fries are tasty and crispy, but without having to fry them.  I had been making these with just olive oil for years, but they were more like roasted potatoes instead of fries.  But then I looked around on Pinterest and learned that cornstarch gives a little crisp.  Totally changed the game!  So if you want crispy fries without having to actually fry them, give this recipe a shot.
Picture
Yields: 2 Servings (115 calories per serving)

1 Medium Sweet Potato

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Thyme
1 Tsp. Salt*

*You can adjust the seasoning to whatever you prefer

  1. Cut the sweet potato into small, thin pieces (the thinner the pieces, the crispier they will be).  I cut them into 1/2 inch strips (see picture below)
  2. Toss the pieces with the cornstarch in a mixing bowl until they are thoroughly coated
  3. Then toss the pieces in the olive oil until it is evenly distributed
  4. Spread the coated pieces on a baking sheet (no need to grease the sheet first) and sprinkle with seasoning.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the fries are as crispy as you would like them to be.
  6. Allow them to cool a bit (those suckers are hot just out of the oven!)

Enjoy!
Picture
Cut the pieces into 1/2 inch strips.
Picture
Toss in cornstarch.
Picture
Toss in olive oil and spread on baking sheet, then season.

If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted and/or shared this post  ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
0 Comments

3 Ingredient Veggie Burgers

9/21/2012

4 Comments

 
This burger is easy to make, healthy and very satisfying.  I make it at least once a week and we never get tired of it. There are just so many ways to dress it up or adjust the flavor - the possibilities are practically endless.
Picture
Yields:  2 Burgers (125 calories per burger)

1 small sweet potato
1 C. cooked black beans
1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (optional)

  1. Cut the sweet potato into 1-2 inch cubes and place in food processor.  Pulse until the sweet potato is in very small pieces (the size of peas or smaller).  Empty the contents into a mixing bowl.
  2. Rinse and drain the black beans then place them into your food processor (no need to clean it after the sweet potato) and pulse until a paste forms.  It's okay if there are black beans remaining, but majority should be a paste.  Empty the black beans into the bowl containing the sweet potato.
  3. Stir in the ground flax seeds and any seasoning that you want to include.  I usually add a Tbsp. of Mama Garlic.  Mix until all ingredients are combined evenly.
  4. Form into two patties.
  5. Lightly coat a stove top skillet with olive oil or coconut oil, then turn the heat to medium.
  6. Cook the patties for about 7-8 minutes on each side, or until the outsides are browned and the insides are thoroughly heated.

I like to serve mine on one piece of Ezekiel Bread with a slice of swiss cheese, salsa, peppers and avocado on top. Or on top of a salad.   


How would you serve it?  Maybe with a side of Homemade Kale Chips or Baked Sweet Potato Fries?

Enjoy!
Picture
Chop the sweet potato into smaller pieces before putting in the food processor.
Picture
Process the sweet potato into pieces no bigger than a pea.
Picture
Blend the black beans into a paste. It's okay if there are still whole pieces of black bean in the mix too.

If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted and/or shared this post  ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
4 Comments

Homemade Kale Chips

9/20/2012

0 Comments

 
To say I am addicted to these would be a massive understatement.  In fact, my entire household is addicted to these (yes, even the dog) - when they're in season we have them every. single. day.  Kale chips are the perfect salty snack with a major nutritional leg up on a potato chip.  Try them.  Build your own addiction.  You'll thank me.
Picture
Yield:  2 Servings (150 calories per serving)

4 c. Raw Kale (1-2 bunches, depending on the size)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tsp. Salt (adjust to your taste preference)*

*There are lots of ways to season kale chips.  I like mine best with just salt, but experiment with your favorite spices to find the recipe you like best.  Cayenne & nutritional yeast are both popular choices (but not together... yuck).

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.  If you prefer to keep the recipe Raw, you can use a dehydrator set to 115 degrees.
  2. Wash the kale and shake off excess water.
  3. Tear the leaves from the stalks and into large pieces.  Place in a large bowl
  4. Pour the olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands or a spoon to mix until all leaves are coated.  
  5. Sprinkle the salt evenly throughout the bowl.
  6. Spread the coated & salted leaves onto a baking sheet and place into the oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring 1-2 times during that time.  The leaves will not cook evenly on the sheet so stirring occasionally is important.  It will prevent you from ending up with leaves that are half soggy and half burnt. 
  7. If you are keeping the recipe Raw, spread the leaves evenly on dehydrator trays.  It will take 3-5 hours, depending on how many leaves per tray.
  8. Baked kale chips are best when eaten right out of the oven.  Raw kale chips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Helpful Tip - If you have a dog, save the kale stalks.  Our dog loves to eat them plain or with flax oil drizzled on top.  It's one of his favorite treats.
Picture
This is how the kale looks when you first put it on the baking sheet. There will be a lot of kale at first, but it will shrink up when you bake it.
Picture
This is how the kale looks about halfway through baking it. I usually flip the pieces over at this point and make sure that the soggy parts are turned down and on the sheet so that they crisp.

If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted and/or shared this post  ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
0 Comments

Flaxseed Breaded Mozzarella Bites

9/19/2012

0 Comments

 
This is one of those recipes that I'm so glad I came up with, but kinda wish they were harder to make.  You know, so I don't end up eating them every day.  They're just that good. 
Picture
Yield:  12 Bites (50 calories per bite)

4 Oz. Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 C. Flaxseed Meal (ground flax seeds)
1 Egg (or egg whites, if you prefer)
1/3 C. Flour (I used 50/50 whole wheat and white)
2 Tsp. Olive Oil
1.5 Tsp. Mama Garlic
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Pepper

*There are lots of ways to season these little bites.  Use what you have available in the kitchen and have fun with it.

  1. Set up the following ingredients in separate bowls.  Bowl 1 is flour.  Bowl 2 is the egg, beaten.  Bowl 3 is flaxseed meal and spices, mixed together.
  2. Cut the mozzarella cheese into 12 pieces.
  3. One at a time, dip the mozzarella pieces into the bowls in the following order:  bowl 1, bowl 2, bowl 3.  I like to do this for all of the pieces at once then set them all aside on my cutting board.  It's easier than trying to dip. fry, dip, fry, etc.
  4. Once you have your pieces breaded, add the olive oil to your skillet and turn on the medium heat.  Warm the oil until you see a slight bit of steam coming off of the oil, or about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Once the oil is ready, drop the breaded mozzarella pieces into the oil and let it sit for about 30 seconds on each side.  I like to do them two at a time in the pan so I can keep an eye on them.
  6. Once both sides are crisped, remove the pieces from the oil and set aside. 
  7. Let cool for about a minute and then they're ready to serve. 

Enjoy!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  Oh and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you pinned, tweeted and/or shared this post  ;-)

And be sure to stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
0 Comments

Review: Mama Garlic

9/19/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
This stuff is perfect and amazing.  Add it to just about anything and it will take care of all of the seasoning.  It's got garlic of course, but it also has other complimentary yummy spices to go with it.  You won't need much more than this.  It's that good. 

Not much more I can say about this.  Go order some!  :-)


**I was not compensated or asked to review this product.  These are my unsolicited opinions of a product I actually use.**

0 Comments

Review: Sweet Almond Oil

9/8/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'm not exaggerating when I say this product changed my everyday life.  I've always been a moisturizing kind of girl, but I never really felt good about covering my skin with lotion.  I mean, the skin absorbs everything you put on it and one look at the ingredients of my lotion made me squirm. 

I was using the most natural, fragrance-free lotion I could find, but still didn't know what 95% of the components were.  Enter sweet almond oil.  The ingredient label reads "Expeller-pressed and Hexane-free. 100% Pure."  Heck, it's food grade.  Basically that means that they steam and press almonds until they turn into oil.  That's it.

The brand I like is NOW Foods, but there are others out there that work just as well.  It goes on slightly wet like an oil and then absorbs into the skin and quickly dries.  It's that simple!


**I was not compensated or asked to review this product.  These are my unsolicited opinions of a product I actually use.**
0 Comments

Review: Skin Deep Cosmetic Database

9/8/2012

9 Comments

 
Picture
For anyone who isn't familiar with this site, my advice is to bookmark it right now.  The Skin Deep Cosmetic Database is a really useful site that rates the level of toxicity in your everyday beauty products, using a 0-10 scale.  Go ahead, type in one of your go-to products... I'll wait. 

Scary, right?!  Makes you think twice about touching that mascara wand to your eye or slathering that fragrant lotion all over your body. 

Now before you go crazy throwing everything in your cabinets out, keep in mind that it's near impossible to have all zero-rated products in your life.  My advice is to weed out the highly toxic items and work on replacing them with 0-2 rated items, paying attention to which ingredients are making them toxic.  In the database, you can click on the product then scroll down to see the rating of each ingredient.  Pretty great. 

So now you know!   Go share the love and tell a friend.

**I was not compensated or asked to review this site.  These are my unsolicited opinions of a website I actually use.**
9 Comments

Morning Yoga Routine

9/6/2012

2 Comments

 
One of my new fitness goals is to work on my flexibility.  Post hike, I've been really consistent with my yoga routines and I'm already seeing a difference.  The stretches are easier and my back is feeling stronger and more supported. 

I've been working on a few different yoga routines lately, but my favorite is my Morning Yoga Routine.  My mornings basically look like this:  wake-up, brush teeth, down a big glass of water, morning yoga routine, another big glass of water, coffee & breakfast. 

It's a great way to get my blood flowing and stretch my body out after a night of sleep.  So today I thought I would share my morning yoga routine with you.  I'm not a yoga expert, I just do what feels good and flows well for me.  If this doesn't feel good to you or doesn't start your day off right, don't be afraid to adjust it. 

Just to clarify - this is not me in the pictures.  I wish I looked that good when I'm doing yoga!  I use the site Yoga Journal to build my routines.  They have a feature called the Sequence Builder and I save off combinations of poses that I enjoyed so I can remember it for future use.  **I have not been compensated in any way to promote this site, I simply use and recommend it.**

OK, kiddos.  On to the routine!

Morning Yoga Routine

Moves 1-8 should be repeated twice, rotating which leg is forward for moves 6-8. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments
    Update!  Life has become busy in a great way, so we don't have a lot of time for blogging these days.  We've left the site up as a reference, and we do check our blog emails whenever we can, but we are no longer actively posting or commenting.  Thanks for understanding and have a wonderful day! 

    Stay In Touch

    feed-32x32
    facebook-32x32
    twitter-32x32
    pinterest
    instagram-32x32
    Follow on Bloglovin

    About US

    Picture
    I'm a Chicago girl who loves the outdoors and everything DIY.  He's an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and addicted to nature.  Follow us as we share our experiences with home projects, recipes and hiking with our energetic Weimaraner, Rooney.

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    DIY Crate Coffee Table
    Picture
    Making Kombucha Tea
    Picture
    Gear Lists - Hiking the AT
    Picture
    Hiking 1,000 Miles with Rooney

    Instagram

    Grab  Button


    Serial's Other Sites

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    2012 Section Hike
    Appalachian Trail
    Asheville
    Blue Ridge Parkway
    Chicagoland Parks
    Diy Project
    Fitness
    Giveaway
    Hiking All
    Hiking All
    Hiking Gear
    Hiking Numbers
    Hiking Qa
    Hiking With A Dog
    Home Life
    Home Tour
    Jill's AT Journal
    Kitchen Gadgets
    Link Up
    Pic Of The Day
    Product Reviews
    Recipes All
    Recipes Breakfast
    Recipes Cheeze
    Recipes Gluten Free
    Recipe Sharing
    Recipes Juicing
    Recipes Main Dish
    Recipes Milk
    Recipes Pulp
    Recipes Raw
    Recipes Snack
    Recipes Sweet Tooth
    Recipes Vegan
    Recipes Vegetarian
    Rooney
    Running
    Serial Hiking
    Sponsors
    Weekly Workout
    Woodworking

    Archives

    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.