New Roommate

That's right, there's a new man in my life. He hangs out in the kitchen with me, never has to be told not to leave his skivvies in the bathroom floor and never interrupts. Then again, he doesn't say much, never helps with dishes, and although he started out being really sweet, I hear it's only a matter of time before that will only be a memory...

 

That's right, the newest member of St. Aidan's Abbey is Bob, my new kombucha culture. If you've never met someone like Bob, join the club. He's pretty new to me too, but he sounded like he might be fun to play with. Part [alleged] health drink and part science fair experiment, I couldn't resist inviting him in...

 The short version, for those of you who never click on my hyperlinks, goes like this: Bob is an abbey unto himself, a symbiotic colony of yeast and friendly bacteria. I feed him very sweet, very strong tea every now and again, and when he's eaten all the sugar, what's left is a probiotic tea that I can drink and share with friends (or at least friends who are into this kind of thing). After that I feed him more sweet tea and the circle of life continues.

Now then, this is the point where I want to be neither so closed-minded that nothing worthwhile can get in, nor so open-minded that my brain falls out. Kombucha tea has been around for a few zillion years in cultures far older than our own, and probably deserves more of a fair shake than it's received in the Western medical community (remember, these are the same rocket surgeons that won't approve use of chamomile for an upset stomach but did approve Vioxx and Celebrex, whose side effects have been known to include killing you). It does not naturally follow, however, that every claim being made about kombucha's ability to heal Crohn's disease, liver disease and cancer should be accepted as gospel.

So, like every other man I'm now living with, Bob will be greeted warmly and treated cordially but kept on 'probationary' status until he has proven himself trustworthy. So far he's doing okay, though I have yet to discover whether he cleans out the lint trap on the dryer when his laundry's done...

Comments

[cheryl]

Hey! I know Bob! Or maybe it's one of his cousins. One of my favorite drinks is Kombucha Wonder Drink in asian pear flavor. I bought a different brand up here and it's, well, not as easily consumed. But what would you expect from a crazy (?) ex-Californian who cooks with coconut oil. Millions of Pacific Islanders might know something....

[Melissa Wood]

Going "pro" is the way to go! Hey, do you guys enjoy kefir. We've been known to create our own. E-mail me when you get a chance. I want to ask you a health question.

[Jeff]

How many years does probation last?

[kristen]

hey! right next to the liquor cabinet!!

[mrs. n]

In the order they were received:
Cheryl- I'll be experimenting with flavors in another batch or two. Interested in being a guinea pig?
Melissa- I've seen it but never tried it. How do you make kefir?
Jefe- you'll know when, because it'll be the day you wake up to discover I've taken off your ankle tag.
Kristen- actually, around here we call that the medicine cabinet.

[anon]

u r a very negative person!

[mrs. nygren]

I wouldn't try to deny that I can be at times. I'm something of a work-in-progress. That said, it seems peculiar to me that a) you would make such a comment on an older post that doesn't strike me as being all that negative (seriously, read some of my other stuff), and b) that you felt confident enough to offer that public critique on my blog, but not so confident as to sign your name.

There is indeed something about the safe haven of anonymity that can embolden us to speak our minds. That said, for future reference, you should know that anonymity is nearly impossible to maintain when you visit someone's web site.

When the sun comes up in California, friend, if you have any interest in starting an actual conversation on the matter, I really would welcome the opportunity to talk. Please email me or feel free to comment here.

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” --Abraham Lincoln

[lauren]

a) my friend (an admitted hippy, masseuse/nutritionist who works at whole foods), is totally in love w/ kombucha and the jazzy zing (aka righteous buzz) it gives her

b) my mom and i have a hard time taking it seriously because my brother used to listen to this armenian death metal band who had a song about the "kombucha mushroom people" (no really).

c) kefir is ke-lovely.

[cheryl]

K-
Hope you are feeling better.

I would be happy to sample from Bob or any of his kinfolk (boy does that sound strange!). I've been drinking a ginger flavored Kombucha from the store lately. A cheaper and healthier habit than lattes, but pricey all the same. I'll have to get in on the brewing.