Brawn at 9 months, May 2017.

My kombucha beauties! Bottled and undergoing their 2nd fermentation (which creates the carbonation + slightly increases the alcohol content). After 3 days, they’ll be chilled and ready to drink on the 1st of May.

Ginger Minister

A Jamaican influenced concoction with ginger, lime and spices

The Leper

Date and vanilla, supposedly tastes like Dr. Pepper.

Go Go Mango

Mango juice

Ta da! My first batch of Kombucha at the start of its fermentation. This time around, I bought my scoby through Kombucha Kamp, partly because they’re nearby, but mainly because they ship their scobies fresh with each order. No sitting around in packets for weeks on end. The difference between this scoby, and the one I bought last year from The Kombucha Shop, was immediately apparent. Kamp’s was bigger, more natural in shape, and the starter it came packaged with smelt like strong Kombucha, vs the pure vinegar smell of the previous one.

Because caffeine acerbates my anxiety, I used a naturally decaffeinated Irish Breakfast from Trader Joe’s. A quality loose leaf Assam would have been preferable, but my anxiety said hell no.

I’m fermenting this batch for 7 days. Then I bottle, flavor and ferment for another 2 days. The second fermentation creates the carbonation, so it’s not something to skip out on.

I’ve already came up with names for my flavors:

“Ginger Minister”

“Go Go Mango!”

“The Leper”

Tea with a Squid

I’ve been planning on homebrewing kombucha again. Mainly because kefir (though more probiotic in nature) would mean drinking way more milk then my system could handle, and Kombucha has just that right blend of beneficial acids, carbonation and low alcohol that keeps my digestive system happy. My end goal is to one day brew beer or mead, but it’s too complicated a setup for a newbie like me. Not to mention the extended brewing time and higher cost of equipment and ingredients.

I find the process of fermentation absolutely fascinating. Like a mad cross between science experiment and culinary art form. This is especially true when it comes to Kombucha, since you’re pretty much brewing with a squid alien:

This is a SCOBY, which stands for “Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast”. For the curious, It’s actually not too dissimilar from a mother of vinegar. This is essentially the “beehive” of the bacteria and yeast and mostly made from cellulose.

Kefir cultures look like large, spongy curds of cottage cheese, while beer/wine/mead yeast looks like what you’d use for baking.

A note on kombucha: while I’m over the moon about it, my mother doesn’t like it at all. I would say it reminds me of black tea married to a hard cider (less sweet, more tang.) I enjoy most fermented foods/drinks, so I guess that’s to my favor. My favorite store bought kombucha flavors also have an added yeasty quality that reminds me of beer.

For those curious about giving it a go, GT’s Kombucha “original” and “ginger” are my favorites, but their “Mystic Mango” is nice and lite for a newbie.

Happy Easter from me & Brawn!

I) Me & Brawn

The neighborhood has been a real hazard lately, and the only time I can safely walk Brawn without harassment is 6am, so I’m getting up at 5am every morning. It’s possibly for the best. I don’t get much peace during the day, so I kind of enjoy the silence of the early morning. I’d appreciate more sleep, but I’d rather sidestep the bullies, their slurs and their cameras. I can honestly say I wish I lived someplace rural, or just set back from the community. I’ve had enough of loud, toxic neighbors and urban living. Last week I had to pin up a timetable on the wall, just to help keep my mother safe and remind her when it’s a bad time to step outside.

Brawn’s been a star, though. I think my mother has laughed more in the last 5 months than she has in the last 10 years. He’ll readily go and comfort her when she’s sitting alone. It’s so appreciated. He’ll be sitting next to me, just patiently observing, then plop down on my lap when I’m ready. This somewhat makes up for his habit of pushing toys into my butt when he wants to play. And since I can no longer sleep in, he’s stopped messing about in the morning, which is cool… as his previous antics revolved around flipping the lights on and off and locating my socks and slapping my feet with them.

I’m also beyond relieved he’s 8 months. He was a wild thing between 3 and 5 months. Boundless puppy energy! There’s a lot we’re still working on, but he’s finally learned how to chill. The fine art of mellow.

~ Cóz

Puppy and papyrus!

Brawn in early November, at 3 ½ months.

Ok, Let’s Try This Again.

I haven’t been using this Tumblr account as regularly as I’d planned, mostly due to lack of free time, visual impairment, and soul crushing levels of stress… I feel like I should give it another go, especially now that I’ve finally got a handle on Tumblr and its frenetic culture.

Since I tend to go on about my life with Brawn, general animal behavior, and hobbies/non-fandom interests, it seems logical enough to continue on that path. Keeping it relaxed. I’ve learned enough lessons over the years about not revealing too many private details or getting involved with communities. I have very little time in the day to “decompress”, so I’m not about to sabotage my brief escapism. That said, I think I can strike a balance and add an occasion personal post. We’ll see how it goes…

I’ve also started a “fandom lite” account (TheGoodTailor) where I post and reblog whatever I’m currently watching/reading. It’s become a quiet sandbox for whenever I have a few minutes to spare.

I think my motto is to just keep it mellow. Log out when RL is too much to bear, come back when I have something worthwhile to share.

~ Cóz