Crazy for kombucha

Kombucha is the craze right now. From the original black tea kombucha to the local brewery-invented flavors, this trendy fermented tea has become all the rage. It contains probiotics and has many health benefits, so I am not surprised that it’s become so popular.

I first became acquainted with this refreshing beverage when my cousin from Bend, Oregon gave my sister and me some Humm kombucha this summer. After taking my first sip of pomegranate lemonade Humm from Bend, I was swept off my feet. Since then, I have taken to trying and enjoying different kombucha flavors and brands. Humm continues to be my favorite.

Finding the right brand

Being from Washington, I try to support locally made kombucha as much I can. Popular brands include Bellingham Kombucha Town and Townshend Brew Dr. While these brands are both tasty, Humm is the best in my opinion.

Recently, I learned that many “kombucha” brands are not authentic or properly made kombucha. A longer brew results in more culture. Kombucha takes 7-30 days to ferment and must be fermented in dark glass. Anything other than glass will damage the flavor of the drink and if too much light gets into the drink it will damage the brewing process.

I have read about many flaws in California-brewed Synergy, which is probably the most well known brand. I have noticed that this brand has not taken to brewing in dark glass. I have also read that they add many vitamins and other ingredients that are not natural for kombucha.

Another frequent complaint about kombucha is that sometimes it can taste too vinegar-y. The longer the kombucha is brewed, the more sugar it loses and the stronger the flavor of vinegar becomes. I hate to say this because I reside in Bellingham, but Kombucha Town’s brew is a little too vinegar-y for my taste. I have noticed that they sell their product in cans, which may also be a contributor to the vinegar flavor – this is just a guess. I can assure you that most kombuchas do not taste like vinegar, so if you happen to taste a brand that does have that flavor, try another one.

From my experience and in my opinion, to get the most natural health benefits and the best flavors, smaller local breweries are the way to go when looking for a good glass of kombucha.

Fun ways to enjoy kombucha

Straight up, from the glass. Or, even better, from a growler (I own two – one from Kombucha Town and one from Humm).

The graveyard. I used to enjoy mixing sprite and orange soda when I got fountain drinks. Now I enjoy mixing blueberry mint and pomegranate lemonade kombucha (both made my Humm). The local Haggen sells kombucha on tap so sometimes when I go to refill my growler, I put two flavors in to give it some extra pizzazz. You could also buy single-serving bottles and mix them together. Check grocery stores near you to see if they sell kombucha on tap. Or, look for local breweries near you.

The kombucha Italian soda. Think Red Bull Italian soda but, healthier and tastier. Take your favorite kombucha to a coffee shop and ask them to make you an Italian soda with it, the same way that they would make one with Red Bull. I took my pomegranate lemonade Humm to Starbucks and had them make me one with added raspberry syrup and cream. If you like sweeter drinks or think the flavor of kombucha is weird, try this because it really dilutes the kombucha flavor but you’re still getting the same health benefits. 

As a mixer or a hangover cure. Does this even need to be explained? (Thanks to Lexi Ortiz for this idea). 

May you find your favorite kombucha! Happy hunting :)

Seaside, Oregon - 6/24

Took these photos while walking on the Promenade in Seaside, Oregon. The lighting was beautiful. 

Cannon Beach, Oregon - 6/22-23

Bridal Veil Falls / Lake Serene Hike

Bridal Veil Falls

Wildflowers along the trail 

Raymond DeQuina and his Dog, Diesel, make their way up the Lake Serene portion of the trail. 

Mini waterfall on the way up to Lake Serene.

Lake Serene

Hiked the Bridal Veil Falls/Lake Serene trail at 7 a.m. June 17. The hike is 7.2 miles roundtrip according to Washington Trails Association. The trail was uphill switchbacks the entire way with some very rocky paths. The beginning of the trail leads to a fork where the hikers can choose to take the half-mile trail up to Bridal Veil Falls or the two-mile trail up to Lake Serene. We hiked both. The hike to Bridal Veil Falls is fairly easy because it's so short and the view is breathtaking. We hiked to Lake Serene which was a longer hike and we didn't get to see much of the lake because of the foggy weather. There were lots of mini waterfalls along the way however. I strongly recommend this hike however I'd suggest going when it's sunny because the view of the lake would be a lot better. Also, I'd suggest going early in the morning like I did. When we got there the parking lot was completely empty but when we returned at noon, the lot was completely full. 

Activist shares her passion for greyhound rescue

Click Here For Audio Slide Show

Christine Lenfant’s son brought home a greyhound one day and she thought, “What is this?” Lenfant, 59, was not a fan of the dog. She spent some time playing with it throughout the day and ended up falling in love. Ever since then, she has been in love with greyhounds and had a passion for rescuing them.

Lenfant is an activist who has raised and spent money to rescue 19 greyhounds in the last year alone. She has brought 10 greyhounds to her home since she started rescuing them in 2006 and currently has six.

In the U.S., dogs are bred in breeding farms then sold at three months to a racetrack she said. At a grade A racetrack, a dog is purchase for $25,000 to work with a trainer. The dogs learn to be muzzled and are kept in a kennel for about 20 hours out of the day she said. At 2-years-old, they are put on the racetrack. If the dog makes it through not being injured, it’s retired at 5-years-old. If it’s a good racer, it’s used for breeding.

“A greyhound if you take it off the track, doesn’t even know how to go up and down the stairs,” Lenfant said.

The dogs are fed 4D meat which isn’t approved by the FDA she said. Greyhounds at racetracks and farms frequently get parasites because the owners don’t want to spend money to prevent it Lenfant said. There are protestors outside of every racetrack in Florida she said.

Greyhounds that race are given tattoos in their ears she said.  One ear gets a tattoo with the dog’s number when it’s purchased and the other ear gets a tattoo with the dog’s racing number where anyone can look up the number to find out information about how many races it’s been in or it’s health history and birthplace she said.

Dead greyhounds have been found in wells because putting them to sleep costs money that owners don’t want to spend. In Spain, greyhounds are used for hunting. When hunting is over in February, 50,000 Spanish greyhounds are killed. They are put into gas chambers and killed Lenfant said.

Lenfant has made friends worldwide through Facebook because of her passion. People send her paintings, clothing and other types of art with greyhounds on them to show their support and love for her activism.

When she retires, Lenfant is going to travel the world to places where greyhound racing and abuse takes place so she can raise awareness and fight against those practices she said.

“You’ll never meet a kinder, more gentle, more loving, affectionate dog,” Lenfant said. “They’re addicting, they’re like potato chips – you can’t stop at one.” 

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey in Seattle, May 27

Stand Alone

Na-Moya Flint, 20, gets a strange look from a student while she hands out fliers for a fundraiser hosted by WWU Students for Farmworker Justice. "It will be very casual and there will be a brass band, raffle, prizes and food," she said. The fundraiser will take place May 31 at 2 p.m. 

Beer Staffs

A Sasquatch! camper gets ready to shotgun a beer from the beer staff that he made. Beer staffs were a very common sighting in the campground at the Gorge.

Campground neighbors at Sasquatch!

Our neighbors in the campground at Sasquatch! brought a homemade solar-powered cooler with a built in sound system. It also lit up at night. They were awesome neighbors, we had a lot of fun hanging out with them this weekend. 

Feminism has just started (and it's not stopping now)

Sara Comstock, 20, poses to show women empowerment and strength to illustrate an excerpt from an essay on the increasing popularity of feminism which was posted on Huffington Post.

Read the essay here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-solnit/feminism-has-just-started_b_5357515.html 

Boulevard Park Hula Hoopers

Boulevard Park Hula Hoopers

Motion Photo

Django Holt, 20, falls off a slack line at Boulevard Park Boardwalk May 7. Holt and his friends have done this before and are looking for more extreme slack lining locations. Their difficulty is finding places that are safe he says. "We're having an off day today," Holt says, mentioning that the windy weather might be a factor. 

Boardwalk Slack Lining

A group of friends slack line across the water at Boulevard Park Boardwalk May 7. Passers-by stop to watch the group in action and several friends of the slack liner's friends cheer them on. Django Holt, 20 has also been featured in the Bellingham Herald for slack lining at this location he says. The group says they come here often. 

Left: Taylor Pace, 22, Right: Sverre Finney, 19

Pace

Django Holt, 20

Holt

Friends watch Holt

Finney

Lauren Tee, 19

Tee

Tee

Slack Lining

Friends cheer on Lauren Tee, 19, as she slack lines across the water at the Boulevard Park Boardwalk May 7. 

Emotion Photo

Hank Juhnk, 4, gawks over a train cruising through Boulevard Park April 30. Juhnk and his parents Lenn, 43, and Jennifer, 44, came to Boulevard Park to enjoy the sun and the beach. Hank climbed on the rocks and rode his tricycle at the park throughout the day.

Silhouettes

Pan-motion from class today

Christine Lenfant

Christine Lenfant, 60, adjusts the collar on one of her six greyhounds at the dog park in Mountlake Terrace, April 19. Lenfant is passionate about rescuing greyhounds and rescued her first in 2006. “In the U.S. greyhounds are seen as livestock,” said Lenfant. Two puppies are picked from every litter for racing and the rest of them are killed she said. Lenfant has rescued greyhounds in all types of situations, from a dog that won 50 races to a greyhound puppy, which is rare to find. Rescuing greyhounds can be expensive because they are sold for thousands of dollars if they are going to race.