Post-Thanksgiving Blues...

-
Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut
After a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday with my husband, here I am back at work. I love my job. I teach some beautiful students and have the best colleagues anyone could ask for. But there is something about the onset of winter and nesting in the cold climes of Minnesota. All I want to do is be at home and make things.

I have a cabbage waiting for me, ready to be turned into sauerkraut. Not just any sauerkraut, but an Apple JalapeƱo Red Sauerkraut. I have Apple Ginger and Orange Ginger Beet Kvass waiting to be bottled. I have a batch of Apple Cider Vinegar that is ready to be placed in a secondary fermentation vessel. And it's Kombucha time! I am ready to make some Pomegranate Kombucha (TO DIE FOR!!!). Oh, and lets not forget the Fermented Green Chili Sauce -SOOOOOOOO GOOD!

But, alas. I am back at work. Dreaming of these delights. Ah well. Work I must. And, somehow, I must find joy today in teaching these young minds and bodies. And I will.

Here's to working and living and loving. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.

I will be back this week with another of the above recipes.



I'd like to grow my readership. If you enjoyed this blog post, add a comment and share it with a friend. šŸ˜€ Please visit, subscribe and like my YouTube channel "Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut " to find more things I've made.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Apple JalapeƱo Sauerkraut

-
Image
Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut In previous posts I have mentioned that I started making and eating probiotic foods such as sauerkraut because I had been diagnosed with something called "Leaky Gut Syndrome".  Leaky gut syndrome occurs when there is an increased intestinal permeability which causes bacteria and toxins to leak through the intestinal wall directly into the bloodstream (McMillan). Though, in the Western medical community, the debate rages on as to whether this is a real thing (GI Society),  I know for me it is definitely REAL! Before the diagnosis and the subsequent treatment with probiotic food and supplements, I felt awful! All the time! So why probiotics? Because they heal the gut! Probiotics are the good bacteria that line the intestines and help break down food and help your body absorb nutrients as well as help regulate and increase energy (Krajmalnik-Brown et.al.). I no longer take probiotic supplements because I get all of this through
Read more

Our Thanksgiving Tradition - Collard Greens and Deep Fried Turkey

-
Image
Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut For the past 12 years, Troy and I have ventured north to brave the cold and snow of Lake Superior's North Shore. We do this because most everybody else in Minnesota travels south on Thanksgiving leaving us alone with the calming and rhythmic swells of the waves of Gitchi Gummi. Well, not exactly alone, each year we plan this tradition with Troy's parents Deb and Phil.  In truth, Deb and Phil started this tradition by inviting us up to "Gooseberry Cabins" with them to celebrate the holiday. We always complement this tradition with the tastiest of menus. On our menu for this and most Thanksgivings is: Deep Fried Turkey, Collard Greens, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes PureĆ©, Cranberry Sauce (out of the can - of course), Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, and plenty of Wine and Spirits! Today, I will share two of these recipes with you: Palmen's Collard Greens & my version of Bob Mer
Read more

The Holiday Season is Upon Us: Homemade Gifts and For Lips

-
Image
As the snow flurries flip, twinkle, and waft gently to the ground, I find myself thinking of my family and loved ones, the one's I've lost and the family I still have left. I reminisce and hear the laughter of my dear sister (1964-2013); I remember us as young girls eating cookies and giggling endlessly as we haphazardly wrapped gifts we either made or that our parents bought  for our other siblings and let us say they were gifts from us. We were two peas in a pod. Just six months apart (I was adopted), we were the best of friends. As this holiday season ramps up, I rejoice in my memories, but I miss her so much.  Forty-nine is a young age to pass from this world šŸ’”, but I was blessed to have the 49 years I was able to spend with her beautiful spirit. With a joyous heart, in my dear sister's memory, I make gifts. Not the Shrinky Dink  art I used to do when we were 5, but non-toxic homemade gifts that my colleagues, friends and family can make use of everyday. I believe in
Read more