KombuchaCHIC

My One Week Raw project launched last night! Read more about it on KombuchaCHIC.

























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Labels: One Week Raw

Because I don't want it shut down! I've thought about importing all these posts into Wordpress, but I don't want the order to be disrupted. So, I'll link to a few of my latest posts on kombuchaCHIC.com.

I made a raw pumpkin pie.

Joe took some nice photos of me in belly garb.

I made enchiladas for a friend's birthday, super fast style!

Happy reading and thanks for stopping by!

I have a new blog, so I will no longer be posting to this one.

Here it is: http://www.kombuchachic.com

Kombucha has a vast history and is brewed all over the world. In its many homes and travels this fermented beverage has accumulated quite the load of names. For your curiosity, enjoyment and perhaps for your boredom, I have listed them below:

1. Algae Fungus
2. Algentee (German)
3. Brinum-Ssene (Latvian for wondrous mushroom)
4. Cajnyi Kvas (Russian)
5. Cajnyj Grib (Russian)
6. Chamboucho (Rumanian)
7. Champagne of Life
8. Champignon Miracle (French)
9. Champignon or Elixir de Longue Vie Combucha (French)
10. Chinapilz (German)
11. Chinesischer Teepilz (German)
12. Comboucha (French/Japanese)
13. CombuchagetrNnk (German)
14. Divine Che
15. Fungojapon (former commercial name)
16. Fungus Tea
17. Funko Cinese (Italian)
18. Gichtqualle (German for gout jellyfish)
19. Gift of Life
20. Godly Tshce
21. Gout/Hero Fungus
22. Haipao
23. Heldenpilz (German for hero's mushroom)
24. Hongo (Spanish)
25. Indian Wine Fungus/Mushroom
26. Indisch-Japanischer Teepilz (German)
27. Indischer Weinpilz (German)
28. Indischer Teeschwamm (German)
29. Indischer Teepilz (German)
30. Japanese Fungus/Sponge
31. Japanische Combucha (German)
32. Japanischer Teepilz (German)
33. Japanisches Mutterchen (German)
34. Japanpilz (German)
35. Japanskij Grib (Russian)
36. Kargasok Teepilz (German for tea mushroom)
37. Kargasok Schwamm (German for sponge)
38. Kargasoktee (German for tea)
39. Kouchakinoko (Japanese for black tea/mushroom)
40. Kombucha Sponge/Kvass
41. Kombucha Thee (Dutch)
42. Kombuchamost (German)
43. Kombucahschwamm (German)
44. Kombuchawein (German)
45. Kongo
46. Kvass/Kwas
47. K'un-Pu-Ch'a
48. Ling Zhi (Chinese)
49. Little Japanese Mother
50. Ma-Gu
51. Magic Mushroom
52. Manchurian Elixir/Fungus/Sponge/Tea
53. Medusa Tea
54. Miracle Mushroom
55. Mo-Gn (former commercial term)
56. Olinka (Bohemian)
57. Red Tea Fungus
58. Reishi (Japanese)
59. Russian Flower/Jelly-fish
60. Russian Tea-Vinegar
61. Russische Blume (German for Russian flower)
62. Russische Mutter (German for Russian mother)
63. Te-Aramoana
64. Tea Fungus/Wine/Beer/Cider
65. Tea Mould (Javanese)
66. Tea Plant/Beast
67. Tee Kwass
68. Teemost (German for tea must/cider)
69. Teyi Saki (Armenian)
70. Thee-Schimmel (Dutch)
71. Theebier (Dutch)
72. Theezwam Komboecha (Dutch)
73. Titania
74. Tschambucco
75. Tsche of Kombu
76. Volga Mushroom/Jellyfish
77. Wunderpilz (German for wondrous mushroom)
78. Yaponge
79. Zauberpilz (German for magic mushroom)
80. Zaubersaft (German for magic juice)
81. Zaubertrank (German for magic potion)



List taken from the book "Kombucha Rediscovered" by Klaus Kaufmann

A huge thanks to Josh from Chicago for purchasing his own kombucha kit! He is now on his way to making his own fermented tea. Good luck, Josh and feel free to check in with any questions and updates! I hope this helps to bring you health and happiness!

Two nights in a row we spend trudging in the white under our feet. I'm always amazed at the peace I feel when we do this at night. I let my eyes wander upward at the dark, velvety sky and our snowshoes crunch against the tough snow on the main road. Millcreek Canyon closes the road about 4 miles up during winter months. It becomes a haven for outdoor activities of the colder genre.

The cold is shocking at first. The crisp, biting breeze slaps against my face and we start our journey. Being our first time using poles, I feel awkward at first. I am sure I must look terribly silly with my arms all over the place, trying to keep rhythm with my feet. I put everything in order in the only way I know how at the moment. I start singing to myself. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. A slow, haunting melody helps keep my body in motion. My feet step with every beat and my arms moving on every other one.

How akin this is to dancing, I think. I set the beat deep inside me. I let my body flow. It keeps me moving. It keeps me moving. My focus is set.

As we stop to rest, I am able to relax my body and mind. Suddenly I am flushed with all sorts of great ideas. It's really amazing what a little exercise can do to stimulate your imagination. Joe and I brainstorm together, thinking ideas for business, home life and for fun. We come up with a great budget plan to regulate our outdoor activity spending. I feel so revived and innovative. I feel alive and renewed.

On our way back down to the car, we keep a look out for trails leading off that might take us through some delicious powder. We spot the infamous Pipeline and decided to take that, thinking it will lead us back to the car.

The Pipeline Trail take you up high and fast. All of a sudden we are up high above the road, looking far across the canyon and down into the valley. The trail dips deep into the canyon, undulating in and out, putting much more time on our trip than we expected. We finally see a break off and we take it, hoping that again, it will lead us to where we want to be.

I feel lost, not having seen this part of the canyon before. However, we are headed in the right direction and we have a little bit of powder to run in. Finally, we reach a beautiful peak that doesn't seem to have an escape route. Looking down to the bed of the canyon, we see the car not too far off. If we can just get down this mountain and walk up the road a few hundred feet, we'll be done!

There is no where to go but down, but there is no trail to be found. Joe spots some footprints in the now sparse, rocky snow and we decide to follow. Because it is so rocky and steep, we take off our snowshoes and hike down in our boots. Weaving back and forth down the mountain following some mad man's tracks, I wonder if we will reach the bottom in one peace.

The tracks end and all that is left before us is a very steep decline to the road below. It seems our only option is to slide down on our asses. I giggle and scream and I slip down the hillside, reminiscent of earlier days when I'd find myself in my own back yard doing this very thing. In a moment it is over and we are back in the warmth of the car. And for a minute, time stands still as I look into Joe's eyes and see him smiling back at me. Another starry night, another timeless adventure.

Oh yes, I had a revelation. It came to me while in the midst of reading "Blatant Raw Foodist Propaganda" by Joe Alexander. I have been having a hard time staying on the all raw wagon. I went 28 days completely raw in October, then I broke it all Halloween weekend in Goblin Valley when I partook of some evil witches' brew (soup). It was good soup, and I enjoyed helping cook it and eating it with friends.

However, I have been trying to justify my addiction to cooked foods as a substitute for comfort. Yes, I like most people, find immense pleasure in both cooking and eating cooked foods. I rationalize eating it by saying that it makes me feel good to eat with friends, and it brings me comfort on cold days. To be a part of something so simple that can bring people together in such a way food can feels really nice. It feels good to make a big pot of soup on a cold day and eat until I feel warm all over.

The folly of these comforts is in that they are temporary. The feeling of ease and well being lasts only a moment and then I am back to feeling something else.

When I eat raw food for extended periods of time, something extraordinary happens within me. I feel alive, healthy, happy, and renewed. I am in a constant state of feeling emotionally stable. And when this happens, I feel at one with my body.

Many people out there knows how it feels to be in a battle with your own body. It is not a happy feeling. Even when I eat "healthy" cooked food, I feel dragged down, sluggish, bloated and even a bit guilty because I know what it does to me. When I eat a diet that is completely uncooked and completely nutritious, I feel completely comfortable in my own skin. In fact, it was this quote in Alexander's book that led me to this epiphany: "There's no pleasure greater than feeling comfortable in your own body."

And its true, painfully true. I've had my share of self-loathing. I've had my share of eating disorders. I've had my share of low self-esteem. I've had my share of demons surrounding every body image issue known. These feelings about myself is part of what prompted me to regain control over my body and myself.

So really, the trade off isn't such a bad one. A few small, short lasting comforts for many, long lasting ones. The rewards are there. The pleasures are vast and amazing. It's not hard to do once I get in the swing and get determined. Sometimes you just loose sight of what's really important: Feeling the best you possibly can. When you are at complete ease yourself and love who you are through and through, then everything else falls into place, and life is a sweet, fruit filled journey of amazing experiences.