Homemade Dishwasher Tablets

I ran out of dishwasher detergent and I don't need anything from the store so I decided after some years' break to make my own. I was inspired by this recipe a friend shared with me recently. I didn't want to use the lemon drink mix, and I am not very good at following recipes, I always change them a little (although I like to think of it as a skill it really is more of a handicap and changing recipes or not measuring because "real cooks don't measure" etc. doesn't always end up well...) so I came up with this recipe:


Homemade Lemon Scented Dishwasher Detergent Tablets

1 cup washing soda (if you don't have washing soda, no need to run into the store, although they have it at laundry aisles, just follow the instructions below how to MAKE some from baking soda!)
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup salt
(no need to use your fancy sea salts or pink Himalayan salts here, just the refined cheap table salt will do)
20 drops lemon essential oil
1 cup water

1. Make your washing soda from baking soda if you don't have any: Heat baking soda for 30 minutes in an oven proof dish in 400F and your baking soda magically becomes washing soda! This has something to do with chemistry, NaHCO3 becoming Na2CO3, but let's not go there. You can google it if you want to know more.
2. After the newly made washing soda has cooled down, mix in all the other ingredients. If you prefer powder form, just leave the water out and use as is.
3. Mix well, let it do its fizzing (I kept thinking that it could be useful for the dishwashing if the fizzing happened in the washer?) and form into little balls and let dry. You can also press the mixture in ice cube trays. I only had heart shaped ice cube molds and lego shaped molds so that's what I got... Fun and fancy.

TIP: Use vinegar instead of rinse aid.

Aren't they cute?

Follow this link to see my other nontoxic and homemade detergents recipes (there is another dishwasher detergent recipe too).

Kombucha - Becoming Friends With Your SCOBY

I confess. When I first got the kombucha scoby from my friend a few years ago the living slimey gooey mushroomey thing grossed me out and I asked my husband to make the kombucha for us. I wanted to drink it but didn't want to touch the scoby.

After some time (long time) I got used to the scoby hanging out at our house, got curious about it and became friends with it. I started making kombucha and it is probably my all time favorite ferment to make. Here are my instructions - you'll find several different instructions online, with some variation. It has been a journey. I have learnt a lot. And above all, I have become friends with my scoby.

What is Kombucha?
Basically it is a fermented drink made out of sweetened tea using a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). It has been consumed for thousands of years all over the world. Read more about it here and here.

What do you need to make your own kombucha?



A Kombucha SCOBY also called a kombucha mother or mushroom 
The SCOBY grows and can be cut in pieces so ask from a friend who makes kombucha or order one online (for instance from Cultures for Health, you can find a free ebook about kombucha making from the link as well). You can also grow your own (instructions in the end of this post).



A big glass jar
I use gallon jars. I have several as I have divided the growing scoby. You can order them online or sometimes find in department stores or thrift stores. If you buy food in big glass jars, save them. you don't even need the lids. The jar needs to be big enough for the amount of kombucha you are making, the scoby and some extra room for the growing scoby.

Cheese cloth, kitchen towel or a napkin
Instead of the lid you need something to cover the jar with. The scoby needs air so a cloth works well. It keeps bugs and debris out but let's the air circulate.

A rubber band or a piece of string
Use it to keep the cloth in place.

Tea
Black tea is used traditionally and is probably the best choice. Some flavored teas can damage the scoby. If you want you can mix in green tea or white tea. I often use a mix of about 2/3 black tea and 1/3 green or oolong tea. In my experience my scoby didn't like it when I used just green tea so I use mostly black. It is best to use organic tea to avoid pesticides from harming the scoby. I like to use fair trade tea so I know the people picking the tea have been fairly paid. If you want to avoid caffeine, you can try using decaffinated black tea. I use loose tea with reusable cotton tea bags or big stainless steel tea infuser mesh balls.

Sugar
I use organic fair trade cane sugar. Alternative sugars might not work very well. Unrefined sugar is best as it has minerals and nutrients left. Although some say some really raw unrefined sugars like turbinando might not be best as the scoby has hard time utilizing the nutrients from it. I am not sure but I know my scoby likes the organic cane sugar I use. The amount of sugar used is one cup per gallon. People warn against using less. I have to say though that over the years it seems to me that my scoby seems to prefer slightly less sugar. I have played around with it a little and I keep coming to the conclusion that the usual amount is too much for my scoby friend. I don't know why but listen to your scoby, that's all I am saying.

Water
The water should be clean. If your tap water is clean it works well, filtering it might be even better but not critical. The chlorine in the tap water might not be that great for the scoby but since you boil the water, it is not a problem as the chlorine evaporates.

Other things:
Bottles or jars
Funnel (you might not need it if you pour the ready kombucha in jars)
pH paper (optional)
Fruit juice, ginger etc. for secondary fermentation

The process of making kombucha

1 gallon water
1 cup sugar
About 5 tea bags or 2 tbsp loose tea
Starter liquid that came with the scoby (some kombucha from a previous batch) or vinegar

1. Bring the water to boil and let it boil for a few minutes to kill any unwanted bacteria and remove chlorine.
2. Add the sugar and mix until it has dissolved.
3. Put the tea bags in or the loose tea in reusable bags or mesh balls (or strain the tea later if you put loose tea directly in the water).
4. Steep for a few minutes and remove the tea bags or strain the tea.
5. Let cool to room temperature. Keep the lid on to avoid any extras from falling in (I had once a package of gum fall in my pot from the shelf above the stove...)
6. When it has cooled down, take your jar and add the sweet tea in it. Make sure there is space still for starter liquid and the scoby.
7. Add the scoby, the starter liquid or if you don't have any, add a splash or two of vinegar. If you bought the scoby dehydrated from online, follow their directions.
8. Cover with a cloth and rubber band and place in a dark place in room temperature. Dark is better as it discourages the growth of some unwanted organisms as light encourages it.
   
   
9. After a week check in with your scoby. Does it smell sour? Does it taste sour? You can even measure the pH with pH strips you can buy online. Make sure they go low enough (some stop at 7). Your kombucha is ready when the pH is 4 or under.
   
   
   
   
   
10. When you have determined it is ready, pour the kombucha in bottles or jars that close tightly. Close the bottles or jars tightly and leave them to room temperature for secondary fermentation for another day or two to create some carbonation. If you are making plain kombucha, add just a little bit (maybe 1/4 cup) of the sweet new tea to the bottles to give them a boost. You can also add fruit juice, pieces of fruit or ginger (or juiced ginger) to the bottles. After a day or two they are ready to drink or move them to the fridge for later. They keep for a long time.
11. 
    
    
    
12. Remember to leave some of the kombucha with the scoby in the jar for the next batch (1-2 cups should be enough, sometimes I leave more). I don't always even remove the scoby from the jar, I just pour carefully making sure the scoby doesn't fall out or touch anything. You can also lift the scoby out and put it back to the new liquid. If it has grown very big, you can cut it in half or quarters and give out with some of the kombucha as starter liquid to your friends. It is also a good idea to keep a piece as a backup if your scoby would go bad. I cut threw the layers, I don't separate the layers. Sometimes I might remove the bottom layer if it is getting loose or very dark and stringy. The new layer is on the top. But otherwise I leave it untouched. You might want to leave a piece to the fridge with some of the liquid from the batch as a backup.
    
    
13. Fill the jar with the new sweet tea, the starter liquid (kombucha from previous batch or a little bit of vinegar) and the scoby. Cover and repeat the process.
    
    
    

How to grow your own scoby?

1. Buy a bottle of raw plain kombucha from a health food store.
2. Pour it (including any bits there are, it is probably the baby scoby! Awww!) in a glass jar, leaving a little bit of space for growth.
3. Make a sweet tea following the kombucha making instructions above (you'll need less than a gallon now to start with, make let's say a quart with 1/4 cup sugar and one tea bag or half a quart with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a tea bag).
4. Let the tea cool down and pour it in the jar with the store bought kombucha.
5. Cover according the regular instructions above. 
6. Leave in room temperature in a dark place and check weekly. When the scoby on the surface of the liquid has grown to about 1/4 inch it is ready. Make then kombucha using the instructions above. Save the liquid for starter liquid. if you made a quart of tea, you can drink some of it, I know it is exciting to start drinking your own kombucha!
   
   

Remember: The scobys can look different. Sometimes they first sink to the bottom. It is ok. People often worry about their scobies. But unless there is hairy black or blue mold growing on it or it smells rotten or all the liquid has dried from it, it probably is ok.

Do you have any questions? I am more than happy to answer - just post your question in the comments below or use the contact form in the right side panel to send me an email. Or email me at info @ kaikulifestyle.com.

Enjoy the kombucha!

Sirpa

PS. Still want to know more about kombucha? Learn more, read, watch videos, browse recipes etc. from here.

Make your own coconut milk

Yes, you can make it yourself! Never buy the canned (possibly with BPA in the lining) coconut milk with icky additives again. And save money. All you need is some shredded coconut, water, blender, a strainer and cheese cloth (or a kitchen towel or an old cloth diaper or a nut milk bag).

Home made coconut milk

1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups water
(amounts are not so crucial)

Follow these steps to make your own creamy and additive free coconut milk:

1. Boil some water. Turn it off just when it is about to boil.

2. Put the coconut in a blender and add the water. Let sit for a few minutes.

3. Put the lid on and - carefully, it is hot! - blend for a few minutes or as long as needed so it seems like there are no more solid parts and it looks creamy.

4. Strain it through a cheese cloth in a strainer. Squeeze the last part to get all the liquid through the cloth. That's it! Store in the fridge. It will separate so shake before using. Use for homemade icecreams or make your own coconut milk kefir. If you make kefir, make sure to blend and strain well, otherwise the solid parts sometimes become a mass of coconut on the top of the kefir and the kefir grains get stuck in there and you'll loose it while trying to dig them out (speaking from experience as you can tell).

Fizzy Water Kefir – A Healthy Homemade Soda (Difficulty level: Easy!)

Water kefir is a caffeine free, probiotic and fizzy! Water kefir is made of water and sugar and additional fruit juices can be added. Water kefir is fermented only for a day or two. It is easy to make and don’t require a lot of effort or special skills.

Water kefir grains multiply quickly so you might find someone locally who is willing to share theirs. You can also order dehydrated water kefir grains online. Follow their instructions for rehydrating them – or you can also find instructions online.

How to make water kefir?

2-3 tbsps or more rehydrated water kefir grains
1 quart of water
2-4 tbsp organic sugar (do not used refined white sugar that is stripped of minerals, the grains will need the minerals for nourishment)
A pinch of baking soda – this is for pH
One inch piece of kombu sea weed (some use bone meal instead) – this is to feed the grains

You’ll also need a 1.5 quart ball jar or a jar with an airlock (I use Pickl-it) or a cheese cloth or kitchen towel and a rubber band or piece of string to cover it.

1.  Place your grains in the jar.

2. Add water, sugar, baking soda and the kombu. At this point some add dried fruit. I find that my kefir has gotten slimy if I add dried fruit now so I skip it. Leave space to your jar, don’t fill it to the rim.

3. Mix with a spoon (or don’t mix, I don’t think it is critical, I sometimes skip this step). Close the lid and attach airlock if using. If you close the lid completely and don’t have an airlock, some pressure can accumulate in the jar from the fermentation process. If you leave it out for a long time, burb the jar by opening it after a day or two to let the pressure out.

4. Let ferment in room temperature and in preferably a dark spot for 24-48 hours. When bubbles are forming it is ready. You can also taste the kefir before you start fermenting and after and it should be less sweet when it is ready as some of the sugar has been used in the process.

5. Strain the grains from the water kefir to make another batch. People say metal strainers aren't good for this purpose because they will weaken the culture. I am a rebel and I use a stainless steel strainer (never aluminum though, heard that is the worst). I don't leave them to sit in it though so they touch it just briefly. I don't like plastic so I don't want to use a plastic strainer and the bamboo strainer is hard to clean. But I put it on the photo as it should be a better option. I usually leave some of the liquid in the new batch to help it but I do not know if it is necessary.

6. Now you can either drink the kefir or bottle it for a secondary fermentation: Put the kefir in a bottle with a flip top lid or some other air tight seal top. You can add some fruit juice (or dried fruit) at this point to help make it bubblier. One of my favorite flavors is apricot-pomegranate.

TIP: Using high fructose juices like pear or

apricot make the best bubbles in my experience.

7. Leave the bottles out for another day or two and then move them to fridge. It is ready to be consumed anytime.

My favorite water kefir flavors:
- Water Kefir Lemonade: Add a juice of a lemon to the secondary fermentation to make a lemonade tasting water kefir!
- Apricot Pomegranate: Add about 5-10% apricot juice and just a splash of pomegranate juice for color to the secondary fermentation. Juice squeezed by you from fresh pomegranates is the best. I tried the store pomegranate juice but it didn’t taste as good.
- Pear Ginger: Add about 5-10% pear juice and just a hint of fresh juiced ginger (or a few pieces of fresh ginger) to the secondary fermentation.
-Lemon tangerine: For the secondary fermentation add a juice from one lemon and 1-2 tangerines to a little bit less than a liter of water kefir.

What are your favorites? Do you have any tips to share?

If you are new to fermenting and have any questions, feel free to ask them in comments or by sending me email from with the contact form in the right side panel.

Homemade Coconut Milk Kefir

I make my coconut milk kefir the easiest way possible. I learnt about it from a friend and went to get some regular milk kefir grains from a local place selling ferments. It turns out very delicious. And it is full of probiotics. Way more than the store bought kefirs. How do I know? I don't know exactly of course but the store bought ferments don't seem very alive to me. If you leave a store bought fermented food out, it doesn't seem to keep fermenting. This one - if you leave it out for a while lid tightly closed and then open it, you can hear from the fizzing sound that it has been hard at work fermenting. It looks alive, it bubbles and froths. But it tastes better than the store bought coconut kefirs in any case.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp or more milk kefir grains (see below from where to find some)
1 cup (or more for more grains) coconut milk (buy full fat and additive free or make your own)

Here are the steps of making your own delicious probiotic kefir:

1. Obtain milk kefir grains. Google or online sources or find a local source (like your local Weston A. Price chapter) or a friend who has plenty to share.

2. If you are sensitive to cow's milk, rinse the grains well with filtered water (chlorine can kill them). In my experience it took a few batches to get all the cow milk out of the grains (if it completely ever leaves but my dairy allergy symptoms left after a few weeks of making batches all over an over again and I also rinsed the grains in the beginning in between the batches). People say aluminum strainer is not good to use in contact with the grains. Some say no metal at all but I have used stainless steel strainers, it has been fine. if you are worried about it, use a plastic or bamboo strainer.

3. Place the grains (about a tablespoon should be enough) in a glass jar and add about a cup of coconut milk. I use additive free coconut milk called Aroy-D. Be careful with coconut milks as they contain possibly gut harming additives like different gums as thickeners. You can also make your own coconut milk.

4. Cover the jar with a napkin or something similar (I use old napkins, they are the right size for a small jar) and put a string or rubber band around the jar's mouth to keep the cloth in place. Place on the counter or in a cupboard (keep several feet in between different ferments if you have other ferments in your kitchen, they might contaminate each other and weaken the grains or the other cultures like your kombucha scoby). (I have been told now an airlock jar would be great for the kefir too and I am in the process of trying it out.)

5. Let it ferment for 12 to 36, even 48 hours. Taste it to see if it is sour enough for you. If you have too many grains, the whey might separate from the creamy part. Try using less grains for that amount of coconut milk. Or add more coconut milk for the next batch. Or divide them in half and get two batches going. Or share with a friend. Note that the grains will start growing too at some point.

6. Strain the kefir and start a new batch with the grains (no need to rinse in between - unless you want to do so like I did in between the first few batches as I worried about the cow milk contamination).

7. Drink the kefir right away or store in the fridge. It starts to thicken in the fridge and can become solid in a few days. You can find new uses for it then.

TIP: Use the coconut milk kefir in puddings, smoothies, as a base of home made probiotic ice cream, in place of sour cream when thickened in the fridge, eat as a yoghurt with fruit and berries or with honey. You can also strain it through cheese cloth overnight in the fridge to make kefir cheese. My favorite is to eat the kefir with pomegranate seeds or any berries.

How to prepare spaghetti squash

I had to hunt down the squash for its photo shoot from under the couch
where it had rolled when my almost 3 year old was playing with it.

Spaghetti squash is a staple food in my home. It is very handy for grain free and low carb meals.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (You can put the squash in the oven before it has heated too, just takes longer.)

2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half.

TIP: If it feels hard to cut through the tough skin you can heat it whole in the oven or in a microwave if you use one for a while to soften it enough to cut it in half. In this case, poke some holes in it with a fork so it doesn't explode and cause a huge mess in your oven. You can also bake the whole squash until a knife goes through it easily and then cut it in half but I think it is easier to remove the seeds from the squash before cooking it.

2. Remove the seeds from the squash halves and put the halves in a pan the cut side facing down with an inch of water.

3. Bake in about 375-400 degrees for an hour or until a fork or knife goes easily through the skin.

4. Let cool down a little bit and shred the "spaghetti" from the skin using a fork.

I don't know why the photo won't rotate to a horizontal photo.
The computers don't always seem to do what I tell them to do.

5. Eat as is or add some olive oil and fresh herbs (I use oregano and basil). You can use it in place of spaghetti and add a spaghetti sauce of your choice on it too. Then you don't need the oil and herbs. I use those when I eat it plain or as a side.

DIY: Organic wool duvet

So while the rest of the family went camping and climbing to Joshua Tree, this is what I was up to. I bought a while ago this bale of wool batting from Craigslist. I have been replacing our bed and bedding for organic and nontoxic materials (see the bed in this post). Now it was the comforter's turn! I like the idea of most of our bedding being nontoxic as we spend so many hours sleeping next to them. The regular bedding can have toxic fire retardants and the polyester might outgas toxic substances as well.

This is how I did this (it was actually super easy!):

1. I spread a flat king sheet on the floor (realized later, a queen sheet would probably have been enough, I had to cut some off).

2. I spread the wool batting on the sheet (I had three pieces and I contemplated sewing them together but decided that they will stay in place after I make the knots through all the layers). At this point I measured with a king size duvet cover that the size would be right and trimmed some wool off. I still left the sheet untouched.

3. On top of the wool I put the other flat sheet and smoothed them out.

4. Starting from the middle and working towards the sides, I made knots with wool yarn through all the layers. I used an upholstery needle.

5. Then I cut the extra sheet fabric leaving it 2-3 inches bigger than the wool portion on each side.

6. Then I turned the fabric inside and pinned it and using my sewing machine I stitched all the edges with organic cotton thread.

It is the most comfortable thing I have slept under in my entire life! You can buy these online too but they cost about 400 dollars. If you can find affordable wool batting, consider making your own. It wasn't hard at all. Can't wait to go to bed tonight!