I Have a New Mother? and Broomball!

This blog comes to you in two parts!

Part One, Broomball!

The other night (last Friday to be specific) I went out with APO to play broomball!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the great and noble sport of broomball, picture hokey. Except replace the puck with a ball. And then replace the sticks with broom-like sticks. And then nix the skates and go with tennis shoes.


The Actives were Team USA and the Pledges were Team Russia. (I am happy to say that the US triumphed over Russia! 8-1! [And then 1 didn't really count, because the Old Woman (the pledge's sort of Active Mentor who we forced to pledge again] picked the ball up and threw it into the goal.)


Here the actives have just scored.

And here is Kimbo, flaunting that goal.

And, of course, because we were playing on ice people took some falls!


And personally? I think that Kevin deserves the Best Dressed of the night.


(Frightening, right? I think I might have seen a pledge crying at one point... haha!)


Yay, APO!

So, because I have no transition between Part 1 and Part 2, here! Have a picture of Emma.


I know! Sweet, right?

...And (I suppose) that brings me to Part 2! Kombucha!

I went to my mother's house tonight and... she gave me a new mother. This one isn't nearly as kind and loving, and I certainly wouldn't want it to give me a hug OR a kiss goodnight. Yuck! Want to see my new mother?


(EEW.)

(GROSS.)

Okay, so obviously it requires an explanation. My mother gave me a mother so that I can make my own Kombucha! I'm not entirely clear why it's called a Mother, but it is also called a Mushroom, so here I am assuming it is a kind of fungus? Whatever it is, it turns a gallon of tea into a delicious drink.

So, to make your own Kombucha, you need...

A recipe! (Adorable ducky magnet optional, but recommended.)

You need a gallon of boiling water.


(Not boiling yet, but it had big aspirations.)

You need a cup of brown sugar!


And you need five tea bags. I used green, because I drink enough black tea as it is. (I went through my tea today and counted six different black teas, one herbal tea, and one green tea. I, um, may need to go to Tea-holics Anonymous soon.)


You need a Big Jar with your Mother in it. (No, not your REAL mother. The gross one.)


You need to boil water. Then add the sugar and boil uncovered for five minutes. Then add the tea bags and boil uncovered for a further five minutes. Then cover it and boil for fifteen minutes! (Or if your fixated on the five minute thing, feel free to boil covered for three consecutive five-minute increments.)

Stick it in the fridge for an hour. This doesn't cool it down as much as take up room in your fridge for an hour. (Still fixated on the five minute thing? That's twelve five-minute increments.)

Once you take it out of the fridge, pour it into the jar with your Mother. Don't close the lid, because the mixture needs to breathe. (I must remind you not to get confused: this is the fungus mother not your real mother. I understand the confusion here, since BOTH mothers need to breathe.) So to let it breathe, cover with a paper towel and rubber band. (I used a hair tie because I apparently have no rubber bands!)


And then? To make sure your roommates aren't confused when they wake up in the morning and see a jar of suspicious contents, decorate it with post-it note disclaimers.




I have a thing for post-it notes. And so, apparently, does my Kombucha!


More on that after March 22!