Saturday, January 31, 2009

kombucha

kombucha is a yummy tangy refreshing drink. it uses a "mushroom" or "mother" (scoby or symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) placed in a sugar and tea mixture, this will make a fizzy acidic good for you drink. there have been may attributes given to kombucha but it is said to aid the body's natural cleansing process & it helps boost the immune system. here is how i make 'bucha.
(finished kombucha tea and scoby's)
the first thing i do is make the tea. i use both organic black and green tea. so i get a quart of hot water add 4 tea bags to it. i let this sit until it is room temperature. take the tea bags out and mix with 3 more quarts of water and add 1 cup of cane sugar. i take about a cup of this mixture and set aside, the rest is placed in a container that can hold a gallon, mine are made of glass. metal should not be used! the container should also be wider than it is tall, but i do also use a gallon pickle jar.
(a daughter in a glass container waiting for a new tea and sugar mixture)
your mother and kombucha tea should already be separated, with about one cup of the kombucha tea set aside. this cup of kombucha tea is mixed with the tea and sugar mixture and then the mother placed in. when your mother is done brewing it will have made another scoby. these can be separated from each other. i put the new scoby in a quart jar with about a cup of tea/sugar mixture and k tea. these can go in the fridge and eventually given to a friend!
(mother in a new mixture of tea and sugar, waiting to be covered and placed in a dark spot)

(these are 2 of my kombucha brewers covered and on the top shelf of my pantry)

in 7 to 10 days i will check on them and taste them to see if they are ready. if they are i start the whole process again.

but what about the finish tea?, you ask. well here's what i do:

the tea is transferred to 1/2 gallon jars. they are left on the counter for a couple days for their second brewing. this will give the tea it's fizziness. i will also add fresh or frozen fruit during this brewing.

(green tea kombucha with raspberries on the counter during second brewing)
(blueberry kombucha tea. i don't let them set in this window, but i thought the color was really cool.)
i use the canning jar lids because once i can no longer push down their button, i call the tea done. i strain out the fruit, if there is any and i place the k-tea in the frig. it's ready to drink! my family likes it cold, i don't mind it room temperature.
(finished k-teas. green tea, black tea and blueberry in the front)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

bail out tea party

Tea Bag Party 2009!-
Are you tired of bombing those who have caused you no offense?
-Trillion Dollar Bailouts that help the wealthy while saddling future generations with debt?
-Deficit spending and inflationary tactics that silently steal your savings?
-The American Army being stationed upon our own soil in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act?
-"Spread the wealth" schemes that amount to theft?
This February 1st, show your disapproval by mailing a single teabag to the new President and your Congressional representatives.
Remind them that as this country was founded by the people, so shall it remain a nation of, by, and for the People!
You can mail a teabag to the President at:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Use this link discover the addresses of your Congressional representatives:http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
Join up and invite your friends!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Mark your calendars!!

Join us for our Mothers for Liberty National Online Afternoon Tea Party: Wed. Jan. 28th @ 2pm Central We'll have interesting, educational and entertaining posts -- fun quizzes -- live keyboard chats -- contests -- prizes -- and more! Participation is easy ... simply join our Mothers for Liberty National Group online via CafeMom. Go to: http://www.cafemom.com/ -- Type in the words "Mothers for Liberty National" in the search bar -- This will take you to the group's homepage where a link is provided to register at CafeMom so you may join the group. Note: If you are already a member of CafeMom, simply click on the following link: http://www.cafemom.com/group/54702/

the mothers institute's new advisory board members

The Mothers Institute has 2 new advisory board members!! yours truly is one of them and so is Sharon Brewer. Check out the updated advisory board member page!!

Mothers for Liberty coloring contest

The national Mothers for Libery group is holding a coloring contest!! Color our Mothers for Liberty Logo The Mothers Institute is sponsoring a Coloring Contest for children ages 3-12. The Coloring Page is the Mothers for Liberty logo, a unique image created especially for The Mothers Institute and our Mothers for Liberty Magazine. Children are eligible to participate in this contest if their mothers (or grandmothers) are members of one or more of the following organizations/groups: 1) The Mothers Institute 2) Mothers for Liberty Meetup Group 3) Mothers for Liberty Yahoo Group 4) Mothers for Liberty National at CafeMom. The contest runs from January 5 through January 31st. Completed Coloring Pages must be received by February 5th to be considered for judging and should be sent to: The Mothers Institute 515 W. MainGreenville, IL 62246 Judging will be done in three categories: ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Winners (and prizes) will be announced on Monday, February 9th via our MI Weekly Update posted here on our website. down load the color page here.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

100 foot diet challenge.

we just signed up for the 100 foot diet challenge. you should too.