I have been in love with kombucha since I first tried it with a coworker at a local co-op.  That refreshing bubbly drink was unlike anything I have ever tried.  I quickly became addicted and loved how filling it was and how it seemed to ease a stomach ache.  I tried just about every flavor and brand out there, some better than others!  I was buying it by the caseload at Whole Foods.  Then I realized a friend was making it so I was excited to learn more.  She not only showed me the process but gave me a SCOBY culture that I have been using for about 5 years now.  If you are Kombucha curious, here's my method.  It's surprisingly simple.  The most difficult part is keeping track of when it's ready so I add reminders to my calendar.  I like to brew with a green tea and English Breakfast type black tea blend for 7 days.  And I flavor with R.W. Knudsen juice for 2 days; sometimes I leave small bits of SCOBY in for a less sweet flavor.  I've been reading more about fermentation and am excited to start flavoring my base with fresh fruit!
Below is my recipe, given to me by my friend who is now teaching fermentation classes and has moved on to other ferments I look forward to learning more about!  I've had success with sharing and shipping my SCOBY cultures through etsy or yerdle.  I would love to be your fermentation friend and hear about your favorite recipes.  Some of mine are R.W. Knudsen Grape and R.W. Knudsen Spiced Pear juice using 1/3-1/2 of the jar as I don't like mine as sweet.  Also, the Santa Cruz lemonade blends are great (strawberry lemonade, mango lemonade, etc.  I have not had luck with straight up lemonade).  Enjoy!

KOMBUCHA
Supplies Needed:                                                                 Basic Brewing:                                 Flavoring:
Glass vessel to hold at least 1 gallon liquid*                        1 cup sugar to                                  Kombucha; SCOBY removed
      *If there’s no spout a ladle & funnel is needed               1 gallon water                                  ¼ cup Sugar
White Cotton Flour Sack Towel*                                           1 cup kombucha                             32 oz Organic Juice**
Rubber Band*                                                                        3 black tea bags                             
Glass Jars for bottling                                                            2 green tea bags
 
SCOBY                                                                                           
 
*2 of each needed for continuous brewing
**Juice that is clear, without pulp works best (grape, cherry NOT orange, pineapple)
 
Step 1 Prep:  Make sure all supplies are clean; glass jars/vessel sterilized, towel washed.

Step 2 Tea:  Make a simple syrup by boiling 1 cup sugar into 1 gallon water.  Once dissolved, brew 3 black tea bags & 2 green tea bags for 15 minutes.  Allow tea to cool to room temperature.

Step 3 Kombucha:  Add cooled tea mixture to the glass vessel along with SCOBY and 1 cup of kombucha.  Cover with towel, wrapping rubber band around the lid.  Store in a draft free place away from anything else that is fermenting or fresh produce.  Allow to ferment for 7 days.  Remove SCOBY along with 1 cup of kombucha.  Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator to hold fermentation or repeat process over at step 1 for another batch.  The SCOBY will grow and develop thick layers.  Peel the layers apart to create more SCOBYs!

Step 4 Optional Flavoring:  To add fruit flavor in a glass vessel add kombucha, 32 oz juice and ¼ cup sugar.  Cover with towel, wrapping rubber band around the lid.  Allow to ferment 2 days.

Step 5 Bottling:  Bottle as is or if you do not like the floaties strain using coffee filter or cheesecloth.  Fermenting in a drink dispenser makes bottling very easy but ladling juice out and using a funnel to fill the jars works just as well.

NOTES:  Fermentation time will vary depending on the weather conditions, taste and adjust time to your liking.  Fruit flavoring also varies per taste.  You may find you can get away with less juice but maintain the amount of sugar as that is what creates the fizzy effect

My Engine No 2 Challenge ended as planned right before my birthday.  Final verdict even though I lost 7 lbs and proved I can live without sugar (surprising it was the booze I missed the most!) long term cleanses are not for me.  I felt unsatisfied, tired, frequently hungry and weak.  One day I was so exhausted I walked into a glass door realizing I was barely pushing it!  I had other side effects regarding my hair and skin that I am still dealing with as well (I'm very sensitive!).  Giving up sugar, gluten, oil, alcohol and dairy was a bit too much for me.  I am a My Fitness Pal fan so I kept track of everything there for fear or not meeting my protein goals but that wasn't a problem.  For me moderation is best.  I had a difficult time working out like I usually do because my energy level was so low.  I prefer to stick with My Fitness Pal and work out regularly eating what my body craves!  I did learn some interesting recipes and new ways to make things more healthy (broth in hummus was a good idea now when I add olive oil it feels a little too heavy!) so I would say it was a good read and interesting experience.

The new year brings a reminder of all the good times that were had last year!  A few too many good times and now my pants are getting a little tight!  It's a good time to get back on track with healthy living.  Every year I like to do something in January to get back into shape after the holidays.  This year I knew I wanted to go vegan but I feel like I need to kick it up a bit more than that.  During a regular visit to one of my favorite places, the library I skimmed the "diet" aisle remembering that I hate diets.  Then it came to me, I heard about these guys and even tried some of their food - The Engine 2 Diet!  I checked this book out and knew I could do this 28 day challenge.  The premise is plant power; no dairy, eggs, meat, oil, processed foods, refined sugars, processed grains along with no food with 2.5 grams fat per 100 calories.  I'm already vegetarian and was excited to cut back on the sugar crashing I've been doing lately.  The universe seemed to be on my side, after reading the book Whole Foods sent me an email that they were doing an Engine No 2 Challenge.  Sign up and get a coupon for their food.  I was excited to do this and scheduled it to end right before my birthday.

I was looking forward to making the recipes in the book but ended up with a busy week and not making it to the store.  I had many approved foods in the cupboards so I was going to make do with brown rice, beans and the random fruits and veggies I had in the fridge.  Along with the food change the challenge recommends 10 minutes of exercise 5x week which I have been slacking on as well.

My first few days were not as bad as I expected but not great.  My meals were a little bland and it encouraged me to plan better so I did make a list and get to the store.  I'll post the food highlights that are helping me through.  My only craving has been for a swift drink but I'm trying to avoid alcohol as well.  I'm also using myfitnesspal to help track calories.  I'm finding with all these cut backs I want to make sure I'm keeping up with my goal of getting enough protein.  I've found that I'm actually not eating enough calories so I got more hearty things that I can eat to help.  The foods I was eating were not very filling so I was getting hungry about every 3 hours.  One day I broke down at Walgreens I was so hungry I needed food!...  I got a giant bag of plain Blue Diamond almonds to keep in my car for snack emergencies!
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Reading food labels has been exhausting so I'm trying to focus on natural foods that I know what they are and get back to cooking.  Check here on the recipes section for some tasty approved good eats!

Day 19...  a recap of what we learned and d one reading.  This has been great fun and inspirational to continue with my passion for sustainable apparel.  Here's the list of books that are recommended.  I've read a few of these and look forward to reading some more. 

Fashion & Sustainability by Kate Fletcher
Sustainable Fashion Textiles by Kate Fletcher
Sustainable Fashion Handbook by Sandy Black
Overdressed: Shopping in the age of cheap fashion by Elizabeth Cline
Factory Girls by Lesley Chang

I would also add anything by my inspirational teacher, Sass Brown and follow her blog ecofashion talk.

Day 16 of the sustainable fashion challenge is something I shoukd really  do.  I plan my meals carefully, I fill up my free time with plans and keep myself challenged and busy in my work but I do not ponder my wardrobe needs!  Can I blame it on working in the apparel industry?...  majority of my purchases being impulse!  This topic is a thinker that I won't figure out today but do commit to making a plan soon!

Day 15...  again with the restyle!  At first I dread it but then I have fun mixing and matching!...  here's an old skirt with a tank top and a new H&M tencel shirt with one of my favorite new necklaces made from Bombay Sapphire liquor bottles!...  my Miss Daisy dog approves!