Thursday, February 7, 2013

More on Fermenting, Kombucha and My Favorite Sweets

I started writing this blog super early yesterday, but then I got distracted by an early swim that I had to do in order to get on my podcast call with Lucho in time, followed by a bike with half-ironman efforts, t-run, then work...
Post-swim just after sunrise.
Fast forward to the afternoon, and about ~3 1/2 hours of training later...

"That bike and run were hard, this looks like a good place to lay for a while..." get the point ;)

So remember my fermenting project? The sauerkraut worked out great, and in fact we've already gone through nearly 2 jars! We definitely preferred the kraut that was made with whey over the one made with just salt (too salty). The only thing that I'll change next batch is adding caraway seeds. I will not add them. They give an overpowering flavor that we weren't too keen on -- they're the seeds in rye bread apparently, and it gave an odd, not bad, flavor.
The homemade sauerkraut being enjoyed with sausages!

To put my sauerkraut to the test, I bought, for this one time, a fancy "real" sauerkraut to do a taste test. I had no idea what "real" sauerkraut is supposed to taste like -- I grew up on the fake crap like most others out there! Conclusion: My homemade kraut was equally good and very comparable in flavor. Score. Bring on the sausages (that is, organic, antibiotic free, free-range chicken sausage of course haha).

Now, on the other hand, my kombucha project was a complete FAIL. Where are my kombucha-growing experts? Need your input on this one: I was trying to grow a scoby and did everything exactly as I should after reading many instructionals online.... but nothing was happening. Then something did start happening: MOLD. Or at least I think it's mold. Care to diagnose? Check it out:
Not normal, right? Mold?

Perhaps some scoby action in there, but also some sketchy action.

One more: This is the same batch at a different time of day so different lighting,
and it doesn't look as bad (maybe that's the scoby on the bottom left),
but you can still see the weird floaty growths.
After doing some research I think that the room it's been in (my office) gets super cold this time of year at night. We've gone through some "extreme" cold spells here in ol' So Cal, and we live in an older apartment building where the insulation ain't that great so it gets just as cold inside as outside at times. I can't keep the heaters running 24/7 (dude, I've already doubled our electricity bill this past month by just occasionally using the heaters). So, yea, fail on the kombucha. I may wait until spring to try again so it can grow in a more stable climate. Unless anyone out there has a scoby they want to send my way ;)

My new project in the kitchen is going to be making some homemade bars for snacks and pre/post training fuel. I'll try to re-create the CocoChia Bars made by Living Fuel because those things are amazing, and they're so popular that they're often out of stock.


Ya know what else is amazing? Here are a few desserty things to satisfy that sweet tooth and not feel guilty about:

First, Hail Mary Macaroons and Tarts. Like heaven! And totally quality ingredients! My friend (who's a foodie and recently turned vegan superstar mom) introduced these to me. I just wish they weren't so darn expensive! Either they need to sponsor me or I need to learn how to re-create these things too! In fact, I did find a recipe for the macaroons here, and it doesn't seem too complicated!

Second, Earth Cafe Cheesecakes. These are another scrumptious treat that are arguably even "healthier" because they soak the nuts they use and they use more of a variety of nuts and ingredients (not sure if Hail Mary uses soaked almonds in their a-flour). The downfall on Earth Cafe Cheesecakes is, again, price as one slice runs ya $5.99. But with the dense caloric content and quality ingredients, I can justify buying one (or two like last night) every once and a while! I like a decadent dessert every now and then that I can feel good about eating. I'm sure if I went to a restaurant for a slice o' pie I'd have to pay a similar price for way shittier quality, no thanks.

Check out their ingredient label/nutrition facts, solid:


  1. If you master the CocoChia Bars recipe pleeeeeeeeeaase share it with us!

  2. yes, the scoby is forming. but get it warmer. like 75-80F at least. YAY for fermenting!

  3. the Hail Merry macaroons are crack!

  4. It doesn't look like mold to me, but it's hard to tell from a picture. I ended up buying a new scoby online for $20 after my last batch turned out moldy. Totally worth the $20 to get one that works great.

    Add a packet (or two) of some instant coffee to that macaroon recipe, and some cacao nibs and you'll have the best macaroons ever. I make the regularly. Soooo good!

  5. You are beautiful person and the CocoCia master!!!!! Go Go girl!

  6. So, I asked my dr. about your Kombucha/fermenting experiments (she's so knowledgeable about integrative medicine, etc. that I usually throw one or two nutrition questions at her). She said the key is finding really good quality cultures online. Her guess is that's why the Kombucha didn't come out great. She was very reassuring that you should be able to make it for pennies!