Kom-BLEW-cha!

 

A few weeks ago I secured my very first SCOBY. Yes...I am a Kombucha virgin <blush>. 

I know, I know it has been a hot topic for a very long time, but gee it took me 25 years of my life to discover just how amazing homemade sauerkraut tastes. Yes and this coming from the kid who used to be forced to eat the canned stuff ...you know the one... the kid who gagged because of it. (Thanks Mom!)

Ok, on with my discovery. 

While perusing Facebook Marketplace I came across someone in my local area offering to give a SCOBY and starter to anyone interested. With the FALL season upon us, my mind always wanders to unique ways to preserve whatever I can of FALL and most of the time that means jam, herbs, garden goodies and hauling in our outdoor plants before the first freeze. Can you imagine that is just around the corner...in my area it is less than a week away! Well anyway, with that on my mind I thought sure why not try out this fermentation thingy to see what happens. 

My dear friend Ms. Google and I got busy researching what we could do with this SCOBY thingy. What really intrigued me was the 2nd ferment process and adding various fruits to "feed" the tea and make some hopefully yummy "naturally fizzy" drinks. I learned that Kombucha starts out as sweetened black tea, a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and some already made kombucha tea to get it growing. With a little warmth and love the tea begins to make more healthy symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast and grows a new SCOBY that floats along the top of the liquid. After about a week the tea loses its sweet taste and becomes tangy and a fit fizzy. So I put together my first gallon of sweet tea, SCOBY and kombucha tea, tucked it away in the pantry for a week THEN...Oh happy day, we made Kombucha! 

I was amazed and delighted that it really was quite good tasting, kind of reminded me of ginger ale without the ginger. 

I was now really enjoying this new experience so I quickly began another batch since my sweetheart was going to have it drunk before I could try the "2nd ferment" process. Oh yeah, there is a second step to this process. So now we have about a gallon and a half, the second batch was made with green tea called Jun tea. My brew now was funneled into some 32 oz containers with swing top lids, a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of mashed plum was added. I wanted to keep my first experiment simple...I thought I'd save the more complex flavoring for later. The send ferment just needs a couple days to allow the tea to feed on the sugar and fruit combo. Day 2 I take a peek and there are loads of bubbles...

Hm-mm maybe it's ready? I popped the lid back and an explosion of fizz and fruit come forth. I'm so glad I took it out to the porch! Ok, so after a bit of cleanup I think I'm so glad I checked that.

The other bottles looked fine so they all went back in the pantry. 

My sweetheart and I kicked back to enjoy a late night Netflix movie before bed but suddenly we heard a startling noise. 

Running toward the sound I had that unsettling "uh-ohhh" feeling. 

Opening the pantry door confirmed it... red pulp, glass and sprays of juice all over the floor, carpet runner, shelves, you name it! 

Well 1 1/2 hours later... the mess is mostly cleaned up. the other two bottles are opened to release any extra pressure and I learned that just because the bottle is designed to hold xyz psi Kombucha might just have more kick than that!

 

Autumn Delights

Autumn kinda snuck up on me this year. 

It seemed we went from the warm summer days to suddenly it's Fall...oh so quickly. Maybe it is because there were travel days that took us to other areas with different climates. Hmm... YES Colorado, Phoenix, then Long Beach and San Jose then back to the mountains of Alpine, thats what it was. 

Well now I find myself trying to savor the last bits of color, SIGH.

Part of the enjoyment of Fall for me is the last bits of the garden, recounting what I have put aside, seeing the beauty of the changing colors, homemade soups, fall recipes of every kind and pumpkin everything. 

The end of last month we  were able to take several days to enjoy the beautiful Alpine Loop, Sundance and Park City since we had family (Tom's brother Lee and his wife Kay) who came for several days. We crammed in a lot of site seeing in those few days and made some great memories. The first day and evening we spent around our house. We hiked to Lambert Park is a foothill area on the edge of the national forest.

In the evening we kicked back and had some really delicious Butternut Squash Soup and Spinach Pear Salad with wine and  cheeses.  The recipe for the soup was shared by my friend and pastor Greta Novotne. It turned out as yummy as I remembered it. 

There is a "law" when quoting someone that the first time you give them credit, the second time it is a random association then finally it becomes yours. Well apparently that's what happened with the soup, hence the name on the cute recipe card. 

 If you try the soup let me know what you think. 

Roasted Squash & Pear Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed, roughly chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 leeks, halved and washed, chopped

4 tbsp. sage, chopped

2 pears, cored, peeled and diced

1 tsp. grated nutmeg

4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp. chili pepper flakes (optional) 

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 slices of bacon, chopped

Prep:

1.                Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

2.                Add the squash, pears, 2 tablespoons of sage, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl and mix to combine. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and empty the bowl out into a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes. 

3.                Using a saute pan, add one tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the bacon, cooking for five minutes or until slightly crispy. Remove from pan and place on a paper towels.

4.                Using the same pan, add the final tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the leeks and garlic, cooking for 3 minutes or until softened.

5.                Working in batches, transfer the leeks, onion and squash mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.

6.                Pour into a large pot with the stock and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

7.                Meanwhile, toast the breadcrumbs and remaining sage in a small fry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add in the bacon and stir to combine. Set aside.

8.                To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon &  breadcrumb mixture. Finish with chili pepper flakes.

9.                Serves 6.

Baby Spinach with Pears, Pecans, Goat Cheese and Bacon
(hoping to a picture in the near future.) 

Yields: 4

The Goods:

…for the dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked fresh pepper

…for the salad:
4 cups baby spinach
2 medium ripe pears
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. honey
pinch salt
4 bacon slices, cut in thirds
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Prep:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine honey, salt and cayenne and toss in the pecans until coated. Spread on a lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake until toasted, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a small bowl combine the cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and sugar and whisk. Slowly add in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Season and set aside.

3. Pan fry the bacon for a few minutes per side until golden brown. Drain and reserve.

4. Toss the baby spinach with most of the dressing in a bowl, reserving about a quarter. Plate the spinach. Halve and core and cut the pears into thin strips and toss the pear slices with the toasted pecans in the same bowl the spinach was tossed in.

5. Add the pears and pecans to the spinach and place bacon strips on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and place crumbled goat cheese over top.

6. Serve.

The Spinach Pear salad was an adaptation from one the one above. I'll definitely be making it again! 

(FYI, what I really did was  toss in the spinach, pears and pecans dressed with a bit of olive oil and a Lime Pear Balsamic vinegar and cracked pepper and sea salt.)

Sweet September BOLD X926

September brings a smile to my face, I love the change of colors, the crisp nights, garden fresh produce, the whirlwind of back to school and planning to celebrate another anniversary with my husband of almost 41 years! The first day of Fall is just one week away and so is our aniversary :)
We'll be savoring the memories of last year's travels around the country as we headed to Vermont, it was magical!
This year we will be celebrating in our fair state of Utah where we have some of our own astonishingly beautiful scenery. Perhaps we'll celebrate our anniversary a week or two later this year... A very exciting opportunity is about to be released and we are truely on fire with anticipation of it's launch. X926 is the code name...Sh-hhh don't tell anyone but the components of this new product and its opportunity will in September of 2013 mark the bold beginning of a momentous era within XANGO and across the MLM landscape!
Did you ever wish you had heard about something when it was still brand new...ground floor? Well I'm telling you now...This is a HUGE opportunity for those who take action now. Do YOU want to learn more? Click Here!

Chasing Color The Saga

As many of you know, my dear husband and I celebrated 40 years of marriage on September 22nd...no accident that we planned a trip to see the Fall Colors in the east...Vermont to be more precise. September 22 marked the first day of Fall and it is also my MOST favorite season. Some people view Fall as the last hurrah and goodbye to Summer, not me!

Here is a quote I really identify with...

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale

I had so much to share and had hoped to keep you all updated on a day by day basis...NOT happening LOL! I'm kind of going backwards a bit just so I can get my thoughts all in one place so for the repetition I'm sorry ;)

So-ooo here's the rest of the story illustrated in pictures. I hope you enjoy!!


Heading out of town we see the beginnings of fall color as we pass Provo and beyond in our own fair state.

Our first stop was to visit friends in Colorado...errr I missed the opportunity to get pics of all of us but the kids were having so much fun dancing, I just couldn't resist!

We had a fun time catching up, enjoying a meal together (thanks Mike & Maureen) and then we had to get on the road.  

Colorado is beautiful this time of year... 

We had one more stop to make in Brighton, Colorado. Dear friends and partners in business.The Huss family is always ready at the drop of a hat to share their lives... whether business, family or for entertainment it is just as though we saw them 10 minutes ago...except for how much the children have grown LOL. Tyler will be taller than me before long...Sophie is running all over the place...Oh my! Karen didn't have to do much arm twisting for us to stay for a meal...she offered Cincinnati Chili, YUM!

Well we really did have to get on the road if we were to make it to Vermont in time for the peak colors so we headed out with a goal to get to North Platte Nebraska.

Upon arriving in North Platte we headed for the nearest Walmart...we had planned to pick up a travel size blender previously but time ran short. Why a blender? Well as many of our friends know, we have been changing our eating habits...a lifestyle reset.  Favao™ has made a huge difference in how I've been feeling so I didn't want to leave all our success behind as we traveled right??

 Here's the one we picked...It turns out this is a great portable blender! Toward late afternoon, heading into Lincoln, Nebraska we were so needing a break and we found a wonderful place called the Sunken Gardens. Wow! What a wonderful stop! I posted a ton of pictures on day 2, check them out.

 

We continued on our way arriving in Iowa City, Iowa quite late. We had arrange to stay at the Smith Family B&B. I wish we would have taken pictures of the driveway space we pulled up into that night...OMG! Do it in the daytime is all I have to say! They have a wonderful room with equally wonderful beds and we had a really nice visit with them over breakfast before heading out again. Did I mention how much I like B& B's...

Even the rest stops had interesting moments... The Iowa transportation department incorporated the story of the underground railroad and the beautiful quilt designs used to secretly tell their secret coded messages. 

 



Then on to...

And...

And...

Whoo-Hoo! New York...

Then on to Niagara Falls. Night time at Niagara is so fun on the Canadian side... Should we get tickets for the Sky Wheel??? 

Sure, why not! 265 ft up in the air!

 

We arranged to stay to allow time for a proper tour of the falls and I am so glad we did! The falls are breathtaking. I wanted to share so many photos I decided to create a Niagara Falls folder on Flickr.



 What can I say about the amazing beauty of the falls? I echo what the psalmist said; Psm.19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions Psalm 104: 24.

Leaving Niagara was sad but an anticipation for the main event has been building in my heart for so long... 

Continuing along through small towns and long patches of highway we enjoyed glimpses of beautiful architecture from long ago, roadside harvest delights, enjoyed meals at uncommon spots, stopped to stretch our legs along the Batten Kill and thoroughly enjoyed the just living in the moment. This beautiful church, founded by a Scotch settlement in 1792 caught our eye as much for the fall color as the delightful victorian-gothic design.

 

 

Our first covered bridge siting!!! This historical bridge built in 1858, is a Town Lattice Truss. It crosses the Battenkill in Eagleville, NY.It has a single span bridge, 101 feet long!

 We're just a just a few miles from the Vermont border now...yippie!

 

Our journey started on Sept 23rd in the afternoon, our goal to get to Vermont to see the leaves at their peak is about to be tested. It is September 29th and our fun app Leaf Peepr has been doing a good job so far of reporting where the colors are turning.

Drum roll please....hey...where are the fall colors?? Shouldn't there be a huge stand of maples right here under the sign??? Ok, patience...

Our first destination is Manchester and the Manchester Art Fair. Did I mention it has been raining, and raining, an-ddd raining? When we got to the fair (late in the day) it was truly a mudfest...Oh my...now I know why in some areas of the country the designer boots are rubber bottomed!

  

 

The fair is a three day event and we planned one full day to fully enjoy all the offerings but we now were having second thoughts. Deciding to do a quick walk about it was determined that YES it was going to be worth a mud trudging experience...TOMORROW.

Our whole roadtrip has been very loose in the planning. We've not made lodging reservations until the actual arrival and so far we've had mostly wonderful experiences. We went looking for a nice place to eat and in the process also came upon some wonderful new friends and a comfortable, cozy room at the Stamford Motel & Nippers Cafe, thanks Karen for making our stay so fun!

Ok, on to the promised beautiful Fall pictures...In my next post which I promise to post before Thanksgiving so stay tuned...

 

Oh, and this blog IS primarily to share my Scraproom adventures so stay tuned for whats been happening in my scraproom since my return :)

Chasing Color: Day 2

Tuesday...the land is flat,long and wide open. These stretches of road feel weary and just as you feel you cannot stand another mile something crazy appears on the roadside!! I look up just in time to see a huge T-Rex, what was that?? The landscape seems to change right past this crazy siting and we soon approach the capitol city, Lincoln.
We are soooo ready to take a break...perfect timing to stop for a bit at the Sunken Gardens. What a beautiful job the people of Lincoln have done converting an eyesore into a place of beauty and serenity! We snapped lots of pictures, gazed at the water lilies and koi before heading to our dinner destination an hour away in Omaha. Looking for some tasty Mediterranean food in Omaha? Mediterranean Bistro has a yummy menu ;) Feeling quite satisfied we jump back in the car heading toward our final destination of this day... Smiths Bed & Breakfast. Although we really prefer to enjoy B&B longer this stay will only be a quick stop...I hope the beds are comfy , this has been a long day.