Update on our homemade soda!

It has been about a week I think and the sodas are still on the counter!  At first I was wondering what on earth was going on as I followed instructions to a T and there was no soda action!!

Low and behold however, there is now fizz in our strawberry soda!  The root beers haven't started yet, but I will not give up hope!  The strawberry soda is not as fizzy as I want it yet but is definitely carbonated!  Yay!  I will continue to update as it goes!

Strawberry Vanilla probiotic soda!

So I had to make 3 jars of soda to use up my ginger bug.  You don't have to use up your ginger bug, you can simply fill the jar up with water and continue feeding it.  Or you can put it in the fridge for later use (but have to bring it back to room temperature before you can use it again!)

I made 2 jars of root beer, and decided to make a strawberry one to go with!

Here's how I did it:

Step 1:  make your simple syrup (2 cups water, 1.5 cups sugar brought to a boil until sugar is dissolved).

Step 2:  Pour your simple syrup over about 15 frozen strawberries in another pot (or add strawberries to simple syrup pot if it is large enough).  Bring to a boil and then set aside until strawberries are thawed and mixture is bright red.

Step 3:  Strain mixture and really squish berries to get all their juice out!   Add this mixture to about 3 cups of warm water and stir.  Add a capful of vanilla extract if you want!

Step 4:  Pour mixture into your jar, and add 1 cup of strained ginger bug.  Stir and then top up the jar up (leaving head room) with extra water if needed).  Screw lid on, and let sit!!!

Here is a picture of our 3 sodas!  It should only take a few days to get to bubbly!  We can't wait to do pizza and soda night!!!

aren't they beautiful!?

Homemade Probiotic Root beer!!!!

Okay, so our ginger bug is ready!  Here is a pic of it this morning:

I fed it a final day yesterday and it is really nice and bubbly today!

So how do we make root beer?

Step 1:  Make your simple syrup.  I used 2 cups of water, and 1.5 cups of sugar.  Bring it to a boil, until sugar is dissolved.  Take syrup off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of root beer extract (I used Watkins).  Taste.  Is it flavoured enough for you?  If not, add a bit more flavouring.  It will taste sweet.  Remember that this is just the syrup (you will add water to it) and the sugar will be eaten by the ginger bug to make carbonation and healthy probiotics!!

Step 2:  Fill a jar with 6 cups of hot water and make sure there is still head room!  I do this to make the jar warm enough to prevent breakage once you pour in your syrup water!!

Step 3:  Fill a large measuring cup with 4 cups of hot water (I used bottled water).  Pour your simple syrup into another container and check taste again.  Not necessary but yummy!

water, simple syrup and glass jar with warm water

Step 4:  Pour simple syrup into the 4 cups of hot water.  This should make approx. 6 cups of liquid.  Mix and taste to see that it is root beer flavoured enough for you again at this point.  If not, add a bit more!!

Pour root beer syrup into water

Step 5:  Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Step 6:  Pour water out of glass jar (this was just keeping jar warm).  Then pour your mixture into the jar.

I left some out to make sure there was room for the ginger bug.

 

Step 7:  Strain approx. 1 cup of ginger bug out of your jar into a measuring cup or other container.  Make sure there is no ginger floating since that would probably taste weird!  LOL.

Step 8:  Pour ginger bug into your jar along with your mixture.  Gently stir. Screw lid onto jar and set in a warm place out of direct sunlight.

after adding ginger bug, I topped it up with some of the reserved mixture
but I left head room for the carbonation. 

This will sit for a few days until bubbly!  The longer you leave it, the more sugar will be eaten by the ginger bug and the less sweet it will be.  Taste it once bubbly and see if you want it to sit longer.  Once it tastes perfect put it into the fridge to get nice and cold!  If you don't drink it all at once, make sure to taste it every so often since even in the fridge, the ginger will continue to work (and get less sweet).  

It's ALIVE!

Muahahahaha!  My ginger bug is alive!!!

Check it out!

see the little bubbles at the top! 

So it only took 3 days of warmth, ginger, water and sugar and we are almost ready to go!  Since I put the mixture in an old applesauce jar, the top felt distended today.  I took a closer look to see that the bug is bubbling!  Just starting to bubble, but definitely alive!  So I will use the cheese cloth on top again to allow it to oxidize a little bit more through the day, and screw the lid back on tonight.  In the morning its soda making time!!!

Day Two of homemade soda!!

Day Two!

All you have to do today is add 3tsp of ginger and 3 tsp of sugar to your jar!  Pop a lid on there and give it a good shake!!

(you are going to be doing this every day until your ginger bug starts bubbling!)

Here's today's ginger bug!

Soda Making Day One!!!

Mmmm... amazingly awesome homemade probiotic soda!  Delicious AND healthy!!!  Not laden with sugar like store bought soda, and good for your tummy too!

Every day this week I will blog our progress on homemade soda making and you can see how easy it really is!!

Day 1:  Starting your ginger bug starter!

You need:
- 3 cups of water (warm, bottled to reduce chlorine)
- 3 tsp of white sugar
- 3 tsp of ground fresh ginger root

Mix the warm water with the sugar and the ginger root.  Put it into a container (I used an old applesauce glass jar).  Put a square of cheese cloth over top, secured with an elastic band.  Put in a warm place out of direct sunlight :o)

That's it for today!!

I almost think it needs a little face :o)

Sneaky Muffins 2 (egg free, dairy free)

So I ran out of eggs today.  Well actually a few days ago, but I haven't ventured out to get any.  Making breakfast without eggs can be a challenge, since we make everything from scratch.  Ugh!  BUT the good news is that we found an awesome muffin recipe that is egg free and dairy free!

They turned out soooo yummy!

Here is the pic from this morning while they were cooling

Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup soy milk 
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar would work in a pinch for us budget friendly mamas!)
• 1 cup pureed carrot and sweet potato
• 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips or carob chips

Mix your dry together well, in a separate bowl mix together your wet ingredients.  Add the wet to the dry and combine well.  Add in chocolate chips.  Spoon into lined or greased muffin pan.  Fill them up to the top!  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.  This will make 12 jumbo muffins or if you double it (or triple it like I do) you will get enough for breakfast and enough for freezing!