The ancient cultures, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans and the like, used to mix wine into their tepid water to try to kill any bacteria or other living organisms in the water. Reports from Ancient texts show that this could be anywhere from 20 parts water to one part wine to as little as 3 parts to one.
Because the quality was poor and because in the Greco-Roman period people began enjoying sickeningly sweet wines, honey was often added. Illustrates Augustine regarding the Holy Trinity, “…one drink is made from wine and water and honey, and each single part extends through the whole, and yet they are three things…there is no part of the drink that does not contain these three things…”
In later periods, lemon and spices began to be introduced as the culinary arts developed, turning this old world survival mechanism into a new world treat. Please enjoy my contemporary version and adapt any way you like.
Heat a small amount of water to just warm enough to mix in the honey. Add it to a jar with the rest of the water. Let cool to room temperature.
Squeeze the lemon into the mixture.
Fill to a total of 1500 ml with the dry white wine-I used Sauvignon Blanc.
Get it good and cold in the fridge. Serve with a wedge of sweet lemon and, if you like, a sprig of mint.
Admittedly, some people really don’t like the taste of milk kefir. Happily, I love it! Lately, I’ve been making it a little differently. In the brewing jar, I leave the kefir grains and milk together until the milk is Very Thick. Then I strain it out and keep the kefir in the refrigerator. It is as thick as yogurt after it gets cold. Here is how I have been enjoying my daily kefir lately…Blackstrap molasses is strong flavored, but I find this combination very nice. The sourness of the kefir nicely balances with the molasses. In addition, blackstrap molasses is amazingly good for you!
Pour a kefir into a small glass or bowl.
pour in just a small amount of organic blackstrap molasses.
Stir it up a little and eat it with a spoon.
Ginger is both refreshing and a helpful digestive aid. It also can help ease a queasy stomach. Enjoy a cool glass of this fizzy beverage on the hottest of summer days to quench your thirst.
Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart Fido jar. Cover with a tea towel to keep out the light.
Leave the jar at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Strain into individual 12 oz flip top bottles and store in the refrigerator.
These will keep for several months. Do not open for at least a week in order for carbonation to build up in the bottles.
Lavender not only classes lemonade up and gives it a smooth finish, it renders it’s soothing, stress-relieving properties to de-frazzle the nerves. This soft purply herb has a very strong flavor, so all you have to do is drop a bouquet of it into a jar of lemonade and it will infuse beautifully. If you don’t have access to fresh lavender, simply use one of those reusable tea bags, fill it with dried lavender, and place into the recipe.
Place all ingredients except lavender in a blender (you’ll get the smoothest results from a high-speed blender like a vita-mix). Blend on hight for 45-60 seconds. Pour into a pitcher or a 2-quart mason jar.
Use cooking twine to tie together the lavender. Drop into the lemonade & allow it to steep a few minutes before serving. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor gets. Once the lemonade is gone, you may tie up the lavender in cheese cloth (pictured below) and place it in the tub to bless the next bather with a soothing, fragrant bath.
Summer is upon us and peaches are everywhere you turn. Peaches are my daughter’s favorite fruit. We almost always enjoy a glass of water kefir in the morning I had this idea to make her a virgin Bellini. Traditional Bellinis are made from Champagne/Sparkling Wine and Peaches. This is a really refreshing, fun to serve beverage. Be sure to use the sweetest peaches that you can find to help balance out the tangy kefir. Using very cold kefir produces the best beverage.
Use an immersion blender or high powered blender like a VitaMix and puree the two peaches until they are very smooth.
Slowly pour the kefir into the peach puree and mix slowly with a spoon. Mixing quickly will produce more foam.
Carefully and slowly pour into a fluted glass (try not to create any more foam than you have to) and garnish with a slice of peach and a mint leaf.
*Only use if your peaches aren’t the sweetest and you need a little extra sweetness
Learn how to brew your own water kefir and make your own probiotic beverages at home!
When the weather turns hot, I find myself craving smoothies nearly on a daily basis. In my quest for making the “perfect” smoothie, I have found the key to creamy, cold, thick shakes! This fruit-sweetened recipe not only tastes delicious, but is full of antioxidants from the berries!
Place berries, milk and banana in a blender and blend until smooth. Add in cacao nibs and process briefly, and then pour into a large glass and enjoy!
*I like to freeze some raw milk in ice cube trays; this is what makes creamy, thick smoothies without diluting the flavor like ice would! Each cube equals about an ounce of milk, and so for this recipe, I used 6 oz. fresh milk and 2 milk cubes. If using frozen berries, you can adjust ratios.
This smoothie tastes like summertime itself. Freeze any smoothie leftovers in popsicle moulds for a refreshing treat later on.
Place all ingredients in blender (you will get smoother results in a high-speed blender like a vita-mix). Blend on high for about a minute or until it’s smooth enough to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
This strawberry lemonade has a higher ratio of strawberries to lemons so I would not have to add as much honey to sweeten the drink up. For an added treat, use Meyer lemons for their special sweet and tart flavor.
Place the strawberries in a large pot. Add enough water to just barely cover the strawberries.
Boil the strawberries for 5 minutes or until the strawberries turn from red to pale pink.
Strain the berries out of the juice with a fine mesh strainer or a strainer lined with a coffee filter.
Add the berry juice and lemon juice to a large pot.
Add the honey. When adding the honey start off with a smaller amount and taste your juice before adding more keeping in mind that you are tasting concentrate.
Bring the concentrate to a boil.
Add the juice to hot, sterile jars leaving ¼” headspace.
Place lids that have been simmering in hot water on the jars. Screw on the second part of lid.
Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Serve cold and diluted with 1 part water 1 part juice.
Rhubarb is one of my favorite spring vegetables with its pretty pink stalks and tart flavor. To preserve that wonderful flavor all year long, I usually make a rhubarb nectar that can be drank in place of lemonade or added to yogurt for a quick and refreshing drink. Be sure to use safe canning pracites when canning this recipe.
Zest the lemons and oranges. Juice the lemons and oranges.
Place the zest, fruit juice, and rhubarb to a pot.
Add enough water to barely cover the rhubarb.
Boil the rhubarb on medium high heat until the rhubarb is very soft and falling apart when picked up with a spoon, about 30 minutes.
Strain the rhubarb and zest.
Place the rhubarb nectar back in the pot and add the honey.
Bring the nectar to a boil
Place the rhubarb nectar is hot, sterile jars leaving ¼” headspace.
Add lids to the jars that have been sitting in a pot of hit simmering water. Add the second piece of the lid and tighten the lids.
Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
To serve, use 1 part nectar to 4 parts water.
I make these wonderful smoothie enhancers when my spring and fall garden is filled to the brim with mild green lettuces, broccoli raab, fennel fonds, and spinach.
Place the greens and water in a blender, food processor, or in a wide mouth mason jar for an immersion blender.
Finely chop the greens with your choice appliance.
Fill the ice cube tray with greens. Add any excess water to the green filled cubes. Adding the excess water will allow you to remove the green cubes easier from the ice cube tray.
Freeze over-night.
Remove the green cubes from the ice cube tray and move to an air tight container in the freezer or toss in any smoothie that you want to add extra flavor and vitamins to.
This is a super fast, super delicious smoothie that also travels well, and is a great choice when you need to run out the door! Creamy, smooth, and slightly tangy from the yogurt, it is a refreshing treat on a hot day!
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a glass or jar and enjoy!
Editor’s Note: While some may feel okay about using orange juice concentrate, you should be aware that flavorings are almost always added to bottled and frozen orange juices. They reason for this is to make every batch taste exactly the same and also to make the orange juice taste palatable because it has been stored in holding tanks and had the oxygen removed to make it last longer. The removal of oxygen makes the juice flavorless and flavors need to be added back to it, this can be done chemically or “naturally.” It’s best just to stick with juice you make yourself, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Raw, fresh, ice cold milk with Real maple syrup! Delicious, and soul satisfying. Maple syrup is rich in minerals, particularly manganese, zinc and iron and can be an important addition to a healthy diet.
Pour milk into a glass.
Add the maple syrup and stir.