Kombucha 101 – Fermented Sweet Tea

If you have found my Kombucha 101 page, you may have heard me talking about the concept of making fermented sweet tea with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast).  Kombucha tends to come up in many of my conversations with my friends, because I am excited about it!  Most people do not ferment their beverages anymore.  However, for centuries, traditional cultures have fermented their drinks and their food in order to increase the nutritive value and to protect the food from the wrong bacteria and yeast.

 

If you have plenty of the right bacteria and yeast, you decrease the chances of your food having the wrong kinds of bacteria and yeast.

Kombucha 101

How I Started my Kombucha Obsession

I have now been making kombucha for four going on five years.  My first SCOBY was given to me by a sweet friend (at the time, barely acquaintance) Claude while I was living in Italy.  I took the slick round mass of bacteria and yeast that she gave me and made up a batch of sweet tea.  I laid the SCOBY on top and waited!  It was fantastic being able to make my own fermented tea.

Why I Continue My Kombucha Obsession

If it was all about making some slightly vinegary tasting tea, then I would not have continued drinking or making fermented sweet tea.  Kombucha is so much more than a simple enjoyable drink.  Check out the amazing benefits below:

  • Immune boosting –> Jam packed with anti-oxidants
  • Contains glucaric acid –> Very important for healing common malformations of cells
  • Detoxes the body while supporting the liver
  • Filled with glucosamines –> Important for joints and arthritis
  • Contains gut healing probiotics

All sorts of fermented drinks have […]

Elderberry Tea Recipe – Reusing Elderberry Syrup Berries

Do you love elderberry syrup, but hate throwing away the used elderberries?  This this elderberry tea recipe is for you!

Elderberry Tea

Waste not, want not.  Why waste all those beautiful elderberries after you make your elderberry syrup?  Use them again by enjoying elderberry tea.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons organic elderberries
  • 8 ounces filtered water

Instructions

  1. Boil 8 ounces of water.

  2. Place 2 teaspoons of the organic elderberries into the water.

  3. Let sit 4-15 minutes depending on desired strength, add more elderberries if you'd like it stronger.

Recipe Notes

Since this will only use two teaspoons of your wet elderberries at a time, you can dry the used elderberries to keep using them as tea.  You have two options for drying your berries.

Drying Your Elderberries

Take the elderberries and place them in a dehydrator and dehydrate them until dry.

OR

Spread the berries across a jelly roll pan (the type with short edges) and turn your oven to its lowest setting.  Heat the elderberries until they are fully dry and store in a mason jar.

Supplies

Organic Elderberries - Check out Vitacost for better prices.
Dehydrator - if you purchase this, don't tell me . . . it will make me jealous
Mason Jars

 

I’m so I saved you from throwing out your elderberries!  That was a close call 😉  If you love me every so much more for saving you from this terrible deed, let me know!  Comment below or come over and visit me on my –> Facebook page.

Brooke Shambley
THE Boholistic Mom

Affiliate Disclosure

I am an Amazon Affiliate and the links included in this post (including some of the pictures) will take […]

DIY Elderberry Syrup Recipe – Home Remedies

Have you been thinking about trying your hand at making elderberry syrup?  Then this will be a great recipe to help you through your first attempt!  I tried a few other recipes and I was so frustrated with the instructions, my hope is that this recipe will make it all clear and help you get it right the first time!  Enjoy!

DIY Elderberry Syrup

Elderberries have been used through the ages to help people who are sick and need a boost.  Elderberry tonic, wine, and syrup have their place in history . . . and in our cupboards.  Use the recipe below to help you and your family build up their immunity and fight off any unwelcome visitors!

  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 1.5 cups organic elderberries
  • 2 teaspoons dried ginger ((or 2 tablespoons fresh))
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon ((or you can add in a cinnamon stick))
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
  • 1 cup raw honey ((local raw organic is best; organic is next best))
  1. Fill pot with 4 cups of filtered water and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Note: Do NOT add raw honey at this point.

  2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.  The liquid will reduce by half.  Note:  Do NOT cover.

  3. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.

  4. Pour the elderberry juice through a colander or strainer into a bowl.

  5. Save the elderberries!*

  6. Let the liquid cool almost completely to keep the raw honey from being heated.

  7. Mix the honey into the elderberry juice stirring until fully combined.

  8. Pour the mixture into mason jars or glass bottles.

  9. Store your DIY Elderberry Syrup in the refrigerator.

Adults can take one teaspoon daily for wellness and children 1/2 to a teaspoon. Increase […]

No Veggies for Me: Guide to Children and Vegetables

As a health coach for families and mothers, I hear one common problem that appears in most families and at most dinner tables.  Aversion to vegetables.

“No Mommy!!!  I won’t eat my ________!!!”  Fill-in-the-blank with your choice of vegetable.

It’s always the vegetables, rarely the mashed potatoes, the macaroni and cheese, or the cookie.  If it is colorful and vibrant in flavor naturally, an alarm goes of in their little brains with a warning, “WARNING:  This item is a vegetable!!!  Avoid at all costs!!!”  And so they do.  They kick up a fuss.  They start crying.  They refuse.  The broccoli ends up in the floor.  The carrots swished in unnatural ways.  Spinach . . . well that’s in your hair.  It’s a new look.

Is all this pain necessary?  Is there some better way to do vegetables?  Why do children identify vegetables as “bad?”

I have some answers for you.  Vegetables do not have to be alien invaders and strange food groups that your children are forced to consume.  In fact, if you consider the guiding principles below, you may find that veggies are welcome into the house as a friend.

Getting Children to Eat Vegetables

Why your children hate their vegetables

This is really the point isn’t it?  Your children have learned to hate their vegetables.  At the early age of 1-3, something has taught them that vegetables are less preferable.  Why?  I will provide four reasons that children learn to hate their vegetables.

Reason #1: Baby food

When we first introduce vegetables to our children, we often give them baby food that we have bought in a grocery store.  Some parents buy organic, some buy regular, but the problem is the same.  Have you […]

Whole Grains and Phytic Acid – Process grains naturally

How to process whole grains naturally

Whole Grains: Good or Bad?

In reaction to the over-processed, nutrient-deprived grain products that fill our supermarket shelves, many families have returned to using whole grains. Whole grains are what our ancestors used before we reinvented food to what you see today. So shouldn’t this return to the past be great?

Yes, but we are missing a pivotal step.

Whole grains are what our ancestors used, but we have lost the skills that allow us to naturally process the grains so that our bodies properly utilize the nutrients in the grain. Even our ancestors “processed” the grain before eating it. They didn’t use heat, machines, and extruders; instead they used God’s natural fermentation process to help release the nutrients from the grains.

Grains naturally contain phytic acid, a nutrient blocker. This phytic acid keeps the grains safe while going through the intestinal track of animals so that the seeds can travel to new places to be reintroduced to the ground. However, this is bad news for humans. We want to gain nutrients from the grain and this phytic acid blocks the absorption of magnesium, calcium, zinc, and other essential nutrients.

Therefore, we need to soak and ferment our grains (including seeds and beans) to decrease the phytic acid before we consume them. For oatmeal, this can involve taking 2 cups of oats, 4 cups of warm water and 2-4 tablespoons of whey, yogurt, or buttermilk and soaking them for 7 to 24 hours. Other grains can be soaked in other methods to get rid of the phytic acid.

Do you have any questions about soaking, fermenting, or phytic acid?

How to soak oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal Recipe with Black Currants and Walnuts

The BEST Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Today, I made something wonderful.  I made the BEST baked oatmeal recipe that I have ever eaten.  As if that wasn’t great in itself, this recipe has no gluten, no sugar, and no dairy.  I’m ecstatic!

First let me tell you where I found my starting recipe.  Martha Stewart shared a baked oatmeal recipe on her website that she originally found from the cookbook Super Natural Every Day by Hedi Swanson.  My new recipe isn’t really like the original anymore!  When we cook we take our medium and we paint a different picture.  Today, I’m going to tell you about the baked oatmeal recipe that came out of my coloring outside the lines!

The Best Baked Oatmeal Recipe Ever

First, gather these ingredients or feel free to do your own coloring outside of the lines.  Recipes are made to be reinvented and you should always feel free to add your own personal touch.

3 tablespoons of ghee, melted if needed (I make my own, but if I don’t I buy –> this) – Ghee has the milk proteins removed from the fat, so this is not considered dairy to most dieters. However, if you have a milk allergy, substitute with coconut oil/butter or olive oil.

2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats (I use –> these)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped or just broken

1 teaspoon of baking powder (I use this brand without aluminum –> here)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I buy –> this salt)

1 cup coconut milk (You want to find a coconut milk with the least amount of extras, I buy them […]

Real Eggs Vs Borg Eggs – Learn More Now

Almost everyone uses eggs.  Recipes call for them.  You may have them for breakfast.  You pick them up in white sterilized Styrofoam at the grocery store.  You know about real eggs, right?

We know a version of eggs that have been washed, resealed, packaged, and made to look all identical by selecting all the same sizes.  It’s like calling Borgs from Star Trek human.  And if you are not a Trekkie, just ignore that last comment.  I’m going to give a comparison between real eggs and not so real “Borg” eggs.

Real Eggs VS “Borg” Eggs

Real eggs are not washed; they have a natural protective coating surrounding them that protects them from the air and bacteria.

Borg eggs are washed and sterilized removing their natural protective coating and leaving them open to pick up bacteria from the environment.

Real eggs are various sizes just like babies are born different sizes.  They are also different colors as real chickens lay eggs of all different colors (including white).

Borg eggs are only accepted in certain sizes and colors.  The commercialized chickens must lay white eggs or brown eggs.

Real eggs that haven’t been washed can be left out on the counter for as much as two weeks without spoiling.  This is done all over Europe.

Borg eggs will go bad quickly when left out.  Since they have their natural protective coating removed, they are now porous and susceptible to bacteria.

Real eggs are nutritious and have Vitamin A, D, and K2 as well as Choline and healthy cholesterol.

Borg eggs may have DPB (Disinfection By-Product) from being cleaned by Chlorine.1  They may also […]

More about Delicious Bone Broth – Troubleshooting

Past the Fundamentals of Bone Broth

In 2014, I wrote a post covering all the fundamentals of making –> bone broth.  Since that time, I’ve learned even more about bone broths, stocks, and meat broths.  If you are just getting into bone broths you may want to start at my basics of bone broth post.  However, if you are ready for some more bone broth knowledge, read on.

 

Bone Broth Troubleshooting - Boholistic Mom

Gelatinization

One of the goals of making a true bone broth is gaining the gelatin from the bones.  Gelatin, as mentioned in my other broth post, improves collagen status, thus supporting skin health and supports digestive health.1  The structure of the gelatin is what makes the bone broth “gel.”  When the broth has been adequately simmered and the nutrients have been pulled from the bones, beef broth and chicken broth should become somewhat solid when cooled.  Think jello.

If your broth does not “gel,” you may not be gaining the gelatin that you desire.  Heat and lack of nutrients are the two primary causes for bone broths not becoming solid in the refrigerator.  If you boil your bones rather than simmer them gently, you will break down the gelatin.  Let me be very clear.  When your food is overheated and processed, your body cannot absorb the broken down nutrients.  Our food contains the building blocks for our health.  Take care with the building blocks as you reheat your food and when you simmer your bone broth.

Gelatin can become broken down if heated too high for too long.

The other reason that your broth may not gel is due to lack of gelatin in your pot.  If you do not […]

Tantalizing Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry

 

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry | BoholisticMom.com

I started making my regular curry, heating the oil, adding onions, adding garlic, and then I had cauliflower.  So I knew I was making a cauliflower curry, but I wasn’t planning to get creative.  Then I was heating up some leftover sweet potatoes at the same time.  Then I started thinking . . . I could add these sweet potatoes to my curry, but do sweet potatoes go with cauliflower?  I began to search recipes.  I found a few with cauliflower and potatoes, then I finally found one that matched my intentions almost completely.  This one.  I mean it’s amazing, I had my fire roasted tomatoes out, the sweet potato just ready to jump in the pan, AND I even had cilantro in the fridge.  I continued cooking adding all the ingredients together and since I saw another cauliflower and sweet potato curry that had toasted almonds, I added in almond butter.

Let me tell you.  This was TASTY!

I hope you like it as much as I did!!!!

Ingredients

1 tbsp ghee (or ghee and coconut oil)

1 tbsp curry powder (more if desired)

Add other curry spices as desired (ginger – 1/4 tsp, cumin – 1/2 tsp, coriander – 1/4 tsp, turmeric – 1/4 tsp)

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped (or one elephant garlic clove)

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

½ cup canned diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes)

½ cup chicken broth (bone broth is great!)

¼ cup full-fat coconut milk […]

Whole 30 Diary: Start

Whole 30 Diary

Day 1

Breakfast

Eggs fried in lard on my cast iron skillet

Lunch

Whole 30 Lunch | Boholistic Mom

Huevos Con Chorizo

+ a handful of pecans

Dinner

What did I eat again?

+ an orange

Day 2

Breakfast

Paleo Bacon (Doesn’t have the sugar that normal bacon has. Did you know that your bacon has sugar?)
Eggs fried in the lard from the paleo bacon in my cast iron skillet

Lunch

Roasted Root Vegetables

Dinner

Hamburgers from the grass-fed beef that we are getting in our basket from Blooming Colors!

(no bun, but with pickles and homemade mayo that I’m about to make, but I’m scared!!!!)

and

Something vegetably (I know that’s not a word. Today it is!)

 

Whole 30 Diary: Day 1 and 2

If you haven’t heard of the Whole 30 Diet, you should definitely look it up.  While some people are doing it as a “diet” as in do this and you’ll lose weight, I find the Whole 30 much more than that.  I think it is a GREAT first step toward a healthier lifestyle.  I couldn’t care less about how heavy you are, how skinny you are, how much medicine you are on, or how much pain you are in . . . because that’s just a starting point.  Who cares where you are now when the possibilities are endless on what can change?

Here are my reasons for doing the Whole 30:

  • I have a lot of back pain that is due to inflammation.  The Whole 30 […]