either way, I must have a diet soda.
My soda of choice tonight: Boylan Bottleworks diet cherry soda. I suppose it feels healthier because its in a glass bottle and its not a product of the pepsi corporation (or is it….hmm…..). Yes, it has splenda in it. No, I don’t care tonight. I simply must have it, and quite frankly, the smooth feeling of it running down my throat is just divine.
Not sure what brought on such a craving, but its been a weird day. First, hot days always make me feel weird, especially now that I’m in Oregon and heat is something like an eclipse – its a rare and special occurrence. But today I also ate a ton of fermented foods, like kimchee and amazaki and saurkraut. I taught a class on fermented foods, which was fun, but certainly gave my body an unusual mix of flavors I don’t normally combine. I will say, however, that being able to make cheese and eat it within 15 minutes post-production was pretty awesome.
Admittingly, I don’t love fermented foods. I know that I probably should, as they really are a beneficial part of the diet. All those live enzymes and healthy bacteria are just fabulous for the gut (as opposed to the artificial coloring in my current beverage of choice). Its just that they taste….well, weird. Its a part of the healthy eating sub-culture that I just don’t focus on because I suppose I feel somewhat shameful that my fridge isn’t always full of homemade yogurt and I don’t sprout all my grains before I eat them.
Oh well. C’est la vie. Today I will simply drink my soda and beat the heat.
But for those who do want to try their hand at fermented foods, check out this really easy, no-brainer way to make yogurt:
Ingredients:
1 cup organic, plain, high-quality whole milk yogurt
1 quart organic whole milk
1 large sauce pan
1 candy thermometer
1 13×9 pyrex dish
On the stove, heat the milk to 180 degrees (use thermometer) in the saucepan. Once there, slowly bring temp down to 110 degrees. Add yogurt and stir.
place mixture in the pyrex dish and house overnight at 110 degrees, preferrably in your oven or other contained space that is temp controlled.
In the morning you can drain off the liquid which forms on top (whey) and stir the yogurt. Refrigerate and enjoy! Add your own fresh fruit for a healthy, fruity snack.
Benefits:
contains millions of live, active cultures
easier to digest than milk, because the fermentation process breaks down the proteins to make them more digestible
can be helpful if you have just taken antibiotics and need to replenish all the healthy bacteria in the gut.
Okay, must get back to the original purpose of my escape to the cafe – to work on my book.
Enjoy the heat, Oregonians!
