Category: Beverages - Kale to the Queen

Kumquat Kombucha

5/28/2013

Bottling kombucha with fresh fruit or juice will build up carbonation making it more like soda. It is so delicious and it will also get rid of any sour or vinegar taste.
For instructions on how to make your own kombucha go here: Making Kombucha Tea!
After you make the tea just put it in a bottle or glass jar with a little fruit or juice and let it sit at room temperature for a few days to three weeks (the longer the more fizzy it will be). Leave a little room at the top so the bottle doesn't explode! And be careful when you open it.

Kumquat Kombucha
Wash your kumquats, slice them in half, and take the seeds out. Add a few kumquat halves to a clean glass jar or bottle and fill the rest with kombucha leaving a little room at the top.

Kumquat trees are all around campus! The cleaning ladies and I are the only ones who eat them I think!

Look at all that foam!!! mmm...so bubbly. haha...it looks like beer, but it is SO great for detoxing your liver.

Green St. Patrick's Day Smoothie

3/17/2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Rather than starting off my day with green beer like most people (well at least in Pittsburgh), I decided to have a healthier more energizing green drink. Packed with powerful ingredients, this smoothie is not only festive, but delicious and rejuvenating! The kombucha is nice and bubbly and adds a little zing (I guess you could call it a healthy nonalcoholic beer..hehe!).

In this smoothie I used chlorella powder. If you don't have this, you might consider getting some from the health food store. Chlorella is one of the oldest organisms on earth! It is an algae that contains large amounts of chlorophyll, making it a nutrient rich and cleansing food. It helps detoxify the body of heavy metals, especially mercury, by binding to it and removing it in a safe and natural way. Chlorella also helps lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, improving liver function and strengthening the cardiovascular system. Chlorella has tons of other benefits (improving immunity, digestive health, inflammation, asthma,and allergies), but I won't list them all because my post would be too long.

Green St. Patrick's Day Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 tangerine, peeled

1 apple, chopped with core removed
1 cup spinach

1 tsp chlorella powder

1 cup kombucha

1 Tablespoon ground hemp or pumpkin seeds (I chose these because they are green..hehe)

1 handful of ice (or more if you want it icier)

Wash your produce, blend everything together for about a minute and enjoy!!!

For instructions on how to make your own kombucha go here: Making Kombucha Tea!

Coconut Milk Kefir

1/2/2013

Coconut milk kefir is a vegan kefir alternatives that still has amazing benefits.
If you have never heard of kefir, I am about to change your life. It is similar to a yogurt, only thinner and with significantly more health benefits. Kefir contains around 35 major strains of healthy bacteria that do not exist in yogurt. Don't get me wrong, yogurt is still very healthy! But unlike yogurt, kefir’s healthy bacteria, active yeast, and digestive enzymes actually help digest all of the foods you eat. The healthy bacteria not only eats up candida and sugars, it actually colonizes in your gut to help digest your food and kill off future pathogens. It helps keep you regular (not in a bad way!) so I highly doubt you will ever suffer from constipation. Also, if you drink it at night you will not have acid reflux.
I also read about a study where they put harmful bacteria into the kefir and the grains were not contaminated, but completely destroyed it!
I know I post about kefir all the time, but I will never be able to cover all of its health benefits. I am always reading new studies and articles on the amazing qualities of kefir and there are countless stories about people who have cured longe term illnesses, allergies, digestive problems, etc.
You can buy kefir from the grocery store, but making it at home is really simple, helps you save money, and is also much healthier because it doesn't have additives. To start making it, all you need are some kefir grains. I can send you some or you can order them other places on line. Once you have the grains they will last forever and continue to multiply if you keep feeding them with milk. I am constantly dehydrating my extra grains to save them (instructions to come).
Here is the link to my milk kefir article: Making Kefir

Coconut Milk Kefir Instructions:
Place one tablespoon of the kefir milk grains in about 2 cups of coconut milk. (It is best to use a glass jar when fermenting).
Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel and secure it with a rubber band. Let it sit for 12-36 hours; the fermenting time will depend on you taste preference. The longer it sits, the more sour it will get. Also, the warmer the room the faster it will ferment.
It is good to stir it halfway through the fermenting process to mix the grains around (you can just shake it a little or stir it whenever you think about it).
When the kefir is done fermenting stir it with a wooden or plastic spoon (metal may harm the kefir grains) and remove the kefir grains. I usually do this by passing it through a fine plastic strainer, but you can also use a cheesecloth, milk bag, or fish out the grains with a plastic fork.
When you put the coconut kefir into the fridge, it should thicken up a lot, similar to yogurt.

Now the kefir is ready to drink and the grains are ready to be put into new coconut milk to start the process over.
Storing the grains:
If you want to take a break from making kefir, you can store the grains in a little bit of coconut milk in the fridge. If you do this, you should put them in fresh coconut milk every couple of weeks.

Avocado Almond Green Smoothie

9/15/2012

about 20 raw almonds (or 2 Tbs raw almond butter)
1 cup spinach
1 ripe avocado
1 banana
1 1/2 cups almond milk
agave or honey to taste

Start off by blending the almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Blend in one cup of spinach, 1 banana, and 1 avocado and then slowly add in the almond milk. If the banana was not very sweet, you might want to add a little agave or honey.
Serves two!

Kombucha Mojito

8/19/2012

This picture is from the internet because I forgot to take one. I will try to remember next time. :) The kombucha made the drink darker than this picture.

Kombucha is a natural liver detox! And as a matter of fact, it is fabulous as a substitute for liquor in cocktails.
I love mojitos, so I decided to make one with kombucha and it actually turned out great. I honestly felt like I was sipping a real cocktail.

Kombucha Mojito
serves 2

- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 2 Tbsp agave
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- ice
- 1 cups kombucha
- 3/4 cup sparkling water (if your kombucha has already built up lots of carbonation, you can substitute this with additional kombucha instead)
- mint leaves for garnish (I like a lot!)
Instructions
- Crush the mint, lime juice, orange juice, agave and lime zest together to release the flavor of the mint leaves.
- Strain and pour into two glasses filled with ice.
- Top each glass with kombucha and sparkling water, stir and top with a fresh mint leave for garnish.

Blueberry Kefir

8/14/2012

Blueberry Kefir
Blend 1 cup homemade kefir with 1 cup blueberries! You can add a little honey or agave if your blueberries are too tart.
Optional: Leave it out on the counter for about 4 to 6 hours for a second fermentation to boost its nutrition.
This drink is delicious and filled with probiotics and antioxidants. For instructions on making your own kefir go here: http://kaletothequeen.weebly.com/3/post/2012/07/making-kefir.html

Super Revitalizing Detox Drink

8/5/2012

HAHA! This is great for hang overs or after a junk food binge. I woke up with a terrible headache after a night of bar hopping in LA for my 22nd Birthday. Everyone was telling me to take something to get rid of it, but I had already put my body through so much the night before. I didn't want to add more chemicals to my body, so instead I made this fabulous detox drink. My headache went away and I felt fabulous!
hahaha! This picture is really funny. It was obviously before I drank this super revitalizing detox drink.
4 cups of fresh spinach
1 cup coconut water
a squeeze of lime

you can obviously add lots of detoxifying ingredients like cayenne, but when you are hung over or don't feel well, it's sometimes best just to keep it simple.

Mango Kefir with Lime

8/5/2012

Mango Kefir
1 cup mango
1 cup kefir (see recipe here: http://kaletothequeen.weebly.com/3/post/2012/07/making-kefir.html)
Puree the mango in a food processor or blender and slowly add the kefir. It is delicious served with a slice of lime!

I added a little agave to my dad's because he loves it sweet! Look how happy he is!

Lavender Honey Rice Milk

7/27/2012

I was actually originally making this into ice cream, but I had my mom try it before I stuck it in the ice cream maker. She loved it so much that we ended up just putting it in coffee and tea. It can also be used in baking, cooking, smoothies or anything that you want to add a touch of lavender to. It is divine!

Lavender Rice Milk
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lavender (or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried lavender)
2 cups rice milk (or other milk, I bet almond milk would be delicious. I used rice because it has a light flavor that doesn't overpower the lavender. It is also the cheapest to make.)
a little honey, agave or other sweetener (I just put a teaspoon, but you might want it sweeter depending on what you are using it for)

1. Put the rice milk, lavender, and honey in a pot.
2. Heat it to the point where it is steaming, but not boiling. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 45 minutes. I let mine sit for several hours so it had a strong lavender flavor.
4. Strain out the lavender and store it in the fridge.
I think this is best in tea and coffee! mmm!! Right now I am enjoying it in my afternoon mint tea. Exquisite!

Probiotic Tangerine Julius

1/17/2012

Probiotic Tangerine Julius
1 cup coconut milk kefir (or whatever kefir you prefer...almond or rice milk, cow or goat milk)
1 cup fresh tangerine juice (orange juice would also be great)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ice cubes

Blend the kefir, juice, and vanilla in a blender. With the blender running add the ice cubes one at a time.

To read all about kefir and how easy it is to make, go here: Making Kefir
For coconut kefir go here: Coconut Milk Kefir