Oh I am so excited to finally post this! I’m jumping up and down like I just won lottery. Okay not really, but you get my enthusiasm here.
So where do I begin?? First good news, the wonderful people at CSN has allowed be to review some of their amazing products. There are so many to choose from. Fitness, cookware, bakeware (they even have my favorite Le Creuset ), and household items. Check them out if you haven’t already, http://www.csnstores.com/ourstores.asp, and stay tuned for some future reviews and product offers on the blog. YEA!
Next up, some fun times and recipes to be shared. Last night the hubs and I went out to our little local wine bar and pub (FIONS) for nice drink together. We love this place and its nice to get away and chat while sipping on good wine. Well, 30 minutes later, we were starving. The sweet potato fries were good but did not hold us over very long. haha.
Now, we could have just stayed and ordered a pizza or another entree but I was craving my local goat cheese in the house back home. I told the hubs I’d make him an awesome pizza since he treated me to some awesome wine.
Back at the house, I whipped out our Gluten Free thin pizza crust, fresh tomato sauce, ready to eat shrimp, spinach, and GOAT CHEESE. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes then broil the last 2 to 3 minutes. This makes the cheese a little browned and even more delicious!
Next time I am going to use fig, goat cheese, and mushroom. Gotta get my goat cheese fix in various ways. Any other flavor combos I’m missing here? Do tell!
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Okay, I saved the best for last…….my kombucha has been brewed and flavored. Announcing my COTTER KOMBUCHA BREW and the many FLAVORS to go along with it!
I have to admit this experience has been so drawn out but I am so glad I did it. I now have my own scoby to brew more and I actually created some descent kombucha. Well, at least I think so. I may be bias.
So here’s my brew that fermented for about 7 days with the mother scoby inside.
I then used these juices and a little honey agave nectar to flavor them.
Remember I brewed it with a green ginger and black tea so all the bottles will have a little ginger flavoring. The hubs wanted me to use pineapple juice and I wanted blueberry so we decided to go with 4 flavors. Blueberry Ginger, Pineapple Ginger, Pineapple Ginger Berry, and Honey Ginger Pineapple.
We poured the juice in the glass bottle first and then used a plastic funnel to pour our brewed batch on top.
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| blueberry Ginger |
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| pineapple ginger fizz, yumm! |
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| pineapple ginger
After all the mixing, we bottled and labeled them in our jars. I actually kept a lot of my old synergy bottles so this was perfect for storage! |
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| look at the fizz. perfect! |
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| told you I was excited! |
I think my favorite is the honey ginger pineapple. Its got a nice tang and kick to it! Any other suggestions for flavors? What about watermelon or honey dew? Hmmmmm, thats a thought.
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| first batch gone. Bye bye booch. |
Now, I hope to continue to brew and save some $$ but like I said, I’m an impulse buyer and if I see another brand of Kombucha out there, I just might have to try it. A big thanks to Averie and Hannah for answering all my Booch questions. You both were lifesavers!
Alright, waiting for these suckers to chill so that I can enjoy a full bottle. Cotter Kombucha is Complete!
Cheers,
LC
Sounds like a great night.. wine and pizza and a hot date- couldn't get much better!Still haven't tried goat cheese.. it scares me! LOLAnd yay for your kombocha! I am impressed!
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Wow, that pizza looks yummy! Goat cheese is my *favorite* pizza topper (coupled with caramelized onions!) Which GF crust did you use? Or did you make your own?I'm so impressed that you made your own kombucha! I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and thought it was okay…but I definitely want to try it again! I'm thinking it's sort of an acquired taste. :)Glad we found each other's blogs!!
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Brian, did you want the pizza or kombucha recipe? I can email it to you. Whats your email?
Did I miss it…where is the recipe? Please share & if you did post the recipe already I apologize for being blind 😉
goat cheese pizza? HELL YES PLEASE! mmm anything with fresh mater sauce and goat cheese ranks top notch in my book 🙂
Wow, that pizza looks yummy! Goat cheese is my *favorite* pizza topper (coupled with caramelized onions!) Which GF crust did you use? Or did you make your own?I'm so impressed that you made your own kombucha! I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and thought it was okay…but I definitely want to try it again! I'm thinking it's sort of an acquired taste. :)Glad we found each other's blogs!!
YOU DID IT!!!! That Kombocha was one time (mother) sucker! 😉 HA! But well worth it, I'm sure!
YOU DID IT!!!! That Kombocha was one time (mother) sucker! 😉 HA! But well worth it, I'm sure!
YOU DID IT!!!! That Kombocha was one time (mother) sucker! 😉 HA! But well worth it, I'm sure!
omg this post makes me sooo happpy for you!!!!! bravo!!!!!
i always just keep tons in my fridge cold and ready to go. then when i am ready to drink it, i either pour over ice or not, add a splash of juice or not, add stevia or not, whatever moves me, i do it. I dont premix/preflavor it b/c i have found over time, i just like it plain w/ stevia best..but your flavors look divine and thx for the shout 🙂
xoxo
omg this post makes me sooo happpy for you!!!!! bravo!!!!!i always just keep tons in my fridge cold and ready to go. then when i am ready to drink it, i either pour over ice or not, add a splash of juice or not, add stevia or not, whatever moves me, i do it. I dont premix/preflavor it b/c i have found over time, i just like it plain w/ stevia best..but your flavors look divine and thx for the shout :)xoxo
Wow. honey ginger pineapple?! Sounds fabulous! And please do take a go at Honeydew!! 😀
I think I need a lesson on how to love kombocha. The first time I tried Synergy I felt like I was drinking the juice you store pickled eggs in :(Perhaps I will like your concoction better?
Yay for Booch completion! you deserve some sort of trophy! seriously, I would not have the patience! You should start you own "Cotter Brewery" and sell them!
Goat cheese is a fantastic pizza topping!
Boy, do I wish we lived closer too. Especially when I see that homemade pizza. not to mention the KOMBUCHA!! How does it compare to Synergy? I'm tempted now to try to make my own, but I'm the worst at patience!!
I really don't have the taste for kombucha, but I bet if you made it for me, I would like it (or I'd pretend to). Hows abouts when I get my rear down to Austin? I'm requesting the pineapple ginger flavor!!! 🙂
That pizza combo sounds amazing! All the blogs I'm reading this morning are making pizza and I had pizza for dinner last night. So funny!
I'm soo glad that the crazy mother sscoby worked out! 🙂 i love that you made your own kombucha! Next time I head to whole foods i'm going to try the synergy stuff!Pizza and wine— doesn't get better than that! 🙂 and I would always rather make my own pizza than take out too! It's ust so much better!
good work on the kombucha! make some and send this way 🙂
oh i so bet your version tasted so much better than the original flavors in the bottles! good call on saving them btw :)goat cheese is fabulous, i couldnt believe it was as good as it was when i first tried it, although i do admit there was a bit of a 'goaty taste' haha..but it goes away after u get used to it for sure :)xoxo <3
I've never had an urge to try Kombucha, but yours looks really good!
I love homemade pizza! And sweet potato fries! And wine! I have never tried the kombocha – I'm still really intrigued by the whole idea/process of it but it seems like I'd drive myself crazy playing the waiting game. But by your reaction it seems like it was worth it.
Can you believe I've never tried Kombucha? I do have kombucha tea at home, but never had it straight up. I'm curious to try it though!Your pizza looks delicious… goat cheese is the best.Have a great evening 🙂
I'm so excited for you! Good things come to those who wait, right? The pineapple sounds delicious. I wonder if it would be yummy with POM? Oh – and yummy pizza. Homemade is my favorite way.
so jealous of you and averie with your homeade kombucha!! mmm, sweet potato fries and goat cheese pizza?? yes please! 🙂 goat cheese goes with everything, really. try a drizzle of balsamic with the figs & goat cheese 🙂
I gotta say that pizza looks awesome! and i've never had kombocha (sp?), but Im' stoked for ya. and you look so organized over there w/all your jars and labels and all!
I gotta say that pizza looks awesome! and i've never had kombocha (sp?), but Im' stoked for ya. and you look so organized over there w/all your jars and labels and all!
definitely april! I used my frozen shrimp from WF. 🙂
definitely april! I used my frozen shrimp from WF. 🙂
definitely april! I used my frozen shrimp from WF. 🙂
That's a great way to use up my shirmp in the freezer! Plus I love goat cheese!
Sounds like a great night.. wine and pizza and a hot date- couldn't get much better!Still haven't tried goat cheese.. it scares me! LOLAnd yay for your kombocha! I am impressed!
That pizza (minus shrimp for me) sounds fantastic. Love the idea of the figs next time. Yum. We need to get together for a pizza party! Congrats on your successful brewing too. Happy Sunday!
That pizza (minus shrimp for me) sounds fantastic. Love the idea of the figs next time. Yum. We need to get together for a pizza party! Congrats on your successful brewing too. Happy Sunday!