7 Quick Takes: Water Kefir, Crocheting, and My 3 Year Old Astronaut

19 September 2014

- 1 -
Are you an Arrested Development fan? We are. I probably should've written Arrested Development into our love story. Did you see these motivational posters inspired by Lucille Bluth?

- 2 -
I ordered more Kefir Grains from Cultures for Health. I haven't made our own Water Kefir (or Tibicos) since I was pregnant with Lucy June. But I'm very excited to start again. I've dispatched Jacob to buy and consume some Grolsch Beers, so I can reuse the bottles for Water Kefir.

Any other Water Kefir lovers out there? Or are you Kombucha people? In the great Water Kefir vs. Kombucha debate, I stand pretty firmly in the Kefir Camp. It's easier to make than Kombucha because it involves no heating, and it doesn't taste...well...so Kombucha-y.

- 3 -
Thanks for your feedback on my closet doors post about our house remodel. There is absolutely no consensus over what we should do...but you all gave me a lot to think about, and I love you for it. I bring you up when we're having little meetings about the remodel. And don't you know I feel fancy. I get to say things like: "Well, my readers think we should..." Which is very useful in the perpetual game of Me vs. The Boys, and elicits no eye rolls at all.

Jacob actually said I was getting too emotional over the design choices. Which is ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE AND UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!

!!

- 4 -
I've been crocheting again.

Last Sunday, the temperature dropped below 80, and all I could think about was my crochet hook. So I put down my beach reads (the last of which was quite the disappointment) and I've picked up work on a blanket for Lucy June. I started it before she was born and haven't worked on it in months and months. I've always planned to finish it before she turned one. That's next month.

- 5 -
With crocheting comes TV watching. I watch a lot more TV when I have yarn-y projects to finish, and the shows have to fall into a nice little zone of entertaining enough but not so good that I get distracted away from my work. Shows like Downtown cannot be embroidered through. The recent episode of crocheting has been brought to you by Once.

Do you watch Once?

 I liked Season 1 but then cooled to it in Season 2. Now I'm watching season 3 on Netflix, and I'm liking it better than I remembered.

[Never was there ever a more brilliant Quick Take: So there's this show, and it's OK, and I like it.]

- 6 -
Jake is currently obsessed with all things Rockets and Space. He's constantly throwing me imaginary tethers so I don't float away. He builds rockets and launch pads and docking stations with legos. His favorite planet is Jupiter. He manipulates his voice so he sounds like he's coming through a radio. The only way I can put a diaper on him for naps is by calling it a space harness. And then I get lots of variations of this:
8  9  40  7  8  4  BLAST OFF!!!!!

My son is a boy. And a nerdy one?

- 7 -
Did I tell you we took the kids to Bluebell Creameries in Brenham a few weeks ago? I can't remember. Probably. But since I just pulled the pictures off the camera you're going to get a rerun.
We went to Brenham to see the Bluebell Factory. I'd never been there despite my native Texanism and Bluebell fanaticism. We couldn't take any pictures of the factory so instead we took lots of pictures of the kids with their hands on an ice cream truck.

- 7.5 -
I'm sure you've all read Blythe's post about taking her kiddos to watch her brother's band. But if you haven't...Off you go. Off you go. It's so great.

Happy Weekend!





15 comments :

  1. Hey hey hey! I love when you blog.

    And I've been bit by the crocheting bug now, too. Last crocheting season, I was all about Call the Midwife, and then I also watch really bad medical dramas because you don't have to stick that close to the plot, you know?

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  2. "Get me a vodka rocks." "Mom, it's breakfast." "And a piece of toast."

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    1. Ha! I almost made that reference, but then I thought nobody would get it. My brother went to that competition once!

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  4. Haven't tried water kefir, but various experiments with kombucha have me convinced the best way to flavor is to add dry tea flavors. I have one in the fridge right now flavored with loose-leaf apple cinnamon tea and it tastes just like cold apple cider (as in...not hot). Probably my favorite so far, but a vanilla earl grey is pretty delectable too.

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  5. I've never tried water kefir - any good insight? Also - all my boys went through the obsession phase with something. My now 11 year old could name ALLLLL the dinosaurs by their scientific names. Seriously. All of them. Another knew ALL the correct terminology for every construction vehicle ever built. And so on. Also, have you read Orphan Train? Just finished it this morning. SO good. Made me tear up at the end.

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  6. Is it awful that I want to grow up to be Lucile a little bit?

    Yay! I crochet too. But it's usually to my husband's football/hockey watching. But Downton was up there last year too. Good times. And Lucy June and Jake looks like they're having a good time!

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  7. Ha ha! I love the way you write :) That blanket is to die for! And, I hope you ate enough ice cream for the both of us!

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  8. That poster! I need it in real life! And can you come here please and teach to how to make granny squares? Thanks/

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  9. Ahahaha, those Lucille Bluth posters made my day!

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  10. I have made both water kefir and kombucha and I am at the side of the kombucha camp. Water kefir is done very fast in a warm weather like where I life at Phoenix. My experience is that if I let it sit a little longer, the continuous fermentation increased the alcohol content very quickly! I used grape juice in making water kefir many times because when it is done right, it tastes like grape soda. However I let it fermented a little over once and it turned into something like grape beer! My youngest that time (probably 4 years old) drank a bunch. I did not realize the effect on her until her face was flush and she acted funny. What a lesson I learned! When life gets busy, I find the need to take care something very promptly actually is more work. Water kefir grain also reproduces very quickly and abundantly! On the other hand, if I let the kombucha sit on my counter a little longer, it just tastes more vinegar like instead of alcohol like. If I really ignore my kombucha and let it turn into vinegar, I have used it to pickle vegetable successfully. When making kombucha, instead of boiling 12 cups of water, I just boil 4 cups of water enough to dissolve the sugar and put the tea bags in. When the tea is done brewing, I add the rest 8 cups of cold water. It cuts down the time of waiting the water back to room temperature. This is my first time posting and I want to let you know I've enjoyed reading your blogs and the pictures of your beautiful children!

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    Replies
    1. Margaret! Thank you for commenting. That story about your four year old! Oh my goodness!!!! I think I love water kefir because of how easy it was to make it fizzy! But you're right. I need to pay attention to it at least every 48 hours. Thank you so much for sharing your kombucha brewing process. I eat that kind of stuff up!

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