under the moonlight, the serious moonlight
by Stace on July 1st, 2010
filed under ticket to write
let’s dance for fear your grace should fall… let’s dance for fear tonight is all… – David Bowie, “Let’s Dance”
Not long ago, I blogged about So You Think You Can Dance. And yes, my friends, it’s that time again. But first, if I may, a tangential indulgence? I need to vent. I don’t think I’ve ever been a “screamer.” I know I’ve never been a real woo girl (the easiest way to tell if you are one is whether or not the presence of actual woo girls annoys you). I will admit that I can remember screaming my full head off at a New Kids on the Block concert, once. But, I was eleven going on twelve. Since then, I can’t remember a time where I really have ever felt much need to scream my appreciation for…well, for anything, really. Furthermore, I don’t get the screaming. I certainly can have my moments where I enjoy loud music, loud atmosphere, or even a loud conversation. But the idea of just loud noise for no apparent reason, I don’t comprehend. (I also can’t fathom how “wooooo!!!” became the appropriate answer to “how you guys doin’ tonight?” during a show, but I understand that “fine, thank you, and you?” doesn’t work, either.)
I think MTV might’ve started it all. Remember TRL? Remember how they used to actually show the videos? (Almost the whole videos, even?) And they’d interrupt the video with a clip of some lame teenager who “voted” for that song du jour announcing it, followed by a “wooooo!!!” which became (somehow, for reasons I will never grasp) SOP.
I started noticing an interesting development in the “woo” somewhere around ten years ago: the throaty woo. I can’t really describe it to you if you don’t know what I mean by this…but maybe I can try? It is definitely still a “woooo!!!” scream but it’s almost always a girl (god! Are there woo boys? I don’t even want to contemplate the possibility) who does a growly thing while she’s woo-ing. And does it repeatedly. It’s the louder, lower-pitched, much more obnoxious cousin to the basic woo, and I hate to say it, but if often belongs to a girl who desperately needs attention. Suffice it to say I do not enjoy this woo. I prefer the original, thankyouverymuch.
What does this have to do with Dance, you ask? Well, last season I noticed a new aberration. One night in particular, there seemed to be one young lady in the audience who had a very distinct scream. I can think of no other way to describe it but that of a high-pitched piggy. (It reminds me of one of my old roommates, who used to call the screamers just that: piggies. I can’t help but shake my head in dismayed agreement every time I hear this sound.) Well, that’s not true. I can also liken it to a kazoo on crack. You know that buzzy sound kazoos & noisemakers make? Think of the things you make noise with at birthdays and new years? If they were super high-pitched (as if designed specifically to pierce your ear drums and make them bleed), that would be the noise I’m talking about. The first time I heard it in the audience on this show, it annoyed me so much I literally became sick to my stomach by the end of the episode.
Let me stop here and say I don’t watch many of these types of shows. I’m not into American Idol much, I don’t watch America’s Got Talent or Last Comic Standing – I watch my share (okay, and yours and the girl’s next to you, too) of reality tv, but this isn’t the kind I watch – I prefer those along the line of Survivor/Amazing Race or Top Chef/Project Runway. The distinction, of course, is that the shows I like don’t usually have a live studio audience and as such, are free from this hellacious, vomit-inducing sound. But not Dance. Dance is bloody chock-full of squealing piggies. Much to my horror, I realized last week that either that very same girl is in attendance now week after week, or more girls are starting to scream in this manner. (Trust me, if you watch it to check the phenomenon out, you’ll know exactly what I mean.) I repeatedly find myself trying to figure out how one even goes about getting that sound to come out of her mouth?! I’m sure I could probably reproduce it (or get in the neighborhood, at least), but why would I ever want to? And yet, it always makes me curious to try, just to see if what I think will make that sound is right…I think I’d rather be treated to fingernails on a chalkboard, given the choice.
So I ask you, with all due respect: can someone please tell me, what the eff is meant by this? What’s the purpose? I can remember being a teenager, I can remember being enthusiastic, over-the-top, excited. I can remember loving something or someone so much I thought I’d burst. (Hell, most of these still apply – don’t forget, I’m a lifelong NKOTB fan!) But I cannot wrap my head around what it is that makes people actually scream. They do it when you put cameras in their faces, too (which I really don’t get). Do they think someone’s going to see/hear them screaming & be so flattered that they’ll realize, “that’s the girl for me!”? Do they think mom or dad or best friend or big sister or whoever the hell will see their open, screaming mouth for a hot second on tv and be proud? Can anyone explain it to me?! As you might’ve guessed by now, it drives me bat shit crazy. Can someone turn it off. Please?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, who’s everybody liking on this season of Dance? Jose’s my favorite, but I like a lot of them. I’m not sure the kid can win, but then again, it’s like me to root for the underdog. I think Alex is the guy to beat, and how insanely amazing was tonight’s hip-hop routine with Twitch? I was so excited to see two guys perform together, and I love Twitch…wow. That’s all I can say.
I love this season’s panel, although I miss having a rotating member. (So we can hear opinions from Sonia, Mary, Lil’ C, etc…and where are Dan & Brian these days?) I totally agreed with Adam’s reaction tonight to this performance, it totally blew me away. Proud is the right word. Wow. (See?) Also, I wish Legacy were one of the All Stars. Maybe next season, if they choose to go with this format again next time. Love him.
So yes – my tangent was exponentially longer than my actual topic. Like I said, I really needed to bitch about it. I’d really really really like if there’s anyone out there who can explain it to me. Not to put her on blast, but my friend T is a screamer (I know first hand from having accompanied her to a show) and an email subscriber to my posts. Can you help me out?!? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Alright. Good night.
let’s dance! put on your red shoes and dance the blues…
here go my single, dawg, radio needs this
by Stace on June 10th, 2010
filed under ticket to write
you know what the midwest is?
young and restless
where restless … might snatch ya necklace
and next these … might jack ya lexus
somebody tell these … who kanye west is – Kanye West, “Jesus Walks”
Love him or hate him, that’s some great rhyming. I love this song. In addition to the quotes already framing this post, I have to add one more, because it gives me chills:
“they say you can rap about anything except for jesus
that means guns, sex, lies, videotapes
but if i talk about god my record won’t get played
huh?
well let this take away from my spins
which’ll probably take away from my ends
then i hope it take away from my sins
and bring the day i’m dreaming ’bout
next time i’m in the club everybody screamin’ out
jesus walks…
I’m a huge fan of anyone with cajones to release that, not just on an album, but as a single. Amazing. Love him or hate him, most people will admit he’s talented. (And I, for one, love anyone who can so boldly own his own faith in a world where it’s not “cool” to do so.)
This is as good a place to segue as any, because I didn’t intend my blog topic tonight to actually be about Kanye. In truth, he’s just an example of what good rhyming ability looks like. True, some songs are better than others. Besides the fact that I think “Jesus Walks” is fantastic, I also think it’s one of his best lyrically. Maybe it’s just me, but I pay attention to lyrics more than to beat, harmony, even melody when I listen to music. I suppose that’s because I’m a writer. Words are what I pay attention to. If I were a dancer, it’d be a music or beat thing that I would focus on most. (Which might explain why I tend to prefer pop – even top 40 – to anything electronic/without a melody, or at least good lyrics.)
So, because I focus a lot on the words to a song, I have some peeves. The biggest, though…is rhyme issues. I’ll admit right now I’m sitting comfortably on the fence. I don’t know if I think songs should rhyme or not. In pop music, they do. In hiphop, they kind of have to. (What might that sound like if they didn’t? How would they flow?) But here’s the thing…not all rhymes are created equal. You know what I mean, right? It’s like that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie is asked to write something for a couple’s wedding, and Big makes fun of the idea of rhyming “love,” “glove,” and “dove.” Exactly, Mr. Preston. Exactly.
That’s the kind of criticism pop music gets a lot. Take Britney Spears, for example. Every time I think about terrible rhymes, she comes to mind. Partly because so does that episode of SATC, and then my thoughts go from there to that godawful song “Oops!…I Did it Again” that had some “sent from above”/”love” rhyming rubbish in it…shudder. (Sorry Elle.) I used to bitch a lot about the kind of lazy (or dare I say it: bad) rhyming that happens when people to whom the natural gift of rhyming ability has not been given. I cringe even at the thought of giving you the two worst examples I know, because…well, nevermind. All I’ll say is I think rhyming anything with “food stamp” is ridiculous. But then again, I never lived a life with those, so maybe I shouldn’t comment at all. (Especially when a google search turned up several artists who have used not just “food stamp” but my least favorite, “wet food stamp” – I’ll be shutting up now.) Another bad example is a line I’ll never forget (and this particular songwriter, god love him, was full of these): “now from the moment we met… I thought that I was all set…” Yeesh.
I hate most poetry. I think I hate most poetry because amateur poets have ruined it for me with their incessant need to rhyme, and not doing it well. I don’t think that’s difficult, and so I don’t think writing sappy rhyming crap qualifies as talent. I don’t think it qualifies as much of anything at all, except a good way to work through some emotions. But listen, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about poetry, and don’t walk away from this post thinking I’m a fool that wouldn’t enjoy Pablo Neruda or Walt Whitman. Read it again: I hate most poetry.
Anyway, I’ve noticed something recently that bothers me even more than this grade-school, no-talent rhyming thing for which pop music is notorious. (If not synonymous?) What’s with “rhyming” a word with the same word?!? I think the first time I noticed it that bothered me (recently, anyway) was either “Dangerous” by Kardinal Offishall (although, that’s not really a rhyme; the line says “girl I can’t help but to notice you noticing me…“) or Lady GaGa’s “Just Dance” (the remix coincidentally featuring Kardinal Offishall): the line says “soldier solutes with no Viagra, sorry Viagra, I’m north of Niagara…“. Technically, in the first one, it’s just an unfortunate double use of the same word. The second one is phrased like a rhyme in the song. “Niagara” is a great rhyme for “Viagra,” as far as I’m concerned. “Viagra” again, however – is not. How lazy is this? I love this song, but this bit drives me crazy. I always roll my eyes at the gym. Wonder what people think is happening in my brain when I’m on the treadmill?
Up next…I don’t want to admit this, but it was my beloved Donnie Wahlberg. On the song “I Got it,” the first few times I heard it (while I was still learning the words), I thought that “we can start a family, you can make the band with me” was cute, since the song features Aubrey O’Day from Making the Band. And then I realized the line that precedes it is “I’ll meet the family”. Wait, wait, wait. Stop the show. Did you just rhyme “family” with…”family?” Come on, Dub! You’re better than that! Le sigh.
And then it happened again this week. Rounding out the trilogy of recent offenders is Ms. Aguilera herself. (Side note: Bionic is freaking awesome!) On the title track of the new Bionic album, the line goes: “bionic, take it supersonic… i’m bionic, hit you like a rocket… bionic, so damn bionic…” blah blah blah. Okay, repetition is to be expected in music. I get that. My mom is always complaining about how repetitive/”monotonous” music is. I want to explain, “Mom, that’s kind of the point…it’s like singing poetry. It has a verse, a chorus, another verse, the chorus again, and so on…” But the “bionic, so damn bionic” line kills me. “Supersonic” and “bionic” aren’t bad. But “bionic” and…”bionic” again? Is this really the best we can do? Don’t these people make millions??
Please feel free to share the good, bad, and atrocious if you agree with this wretchedness, or good rhymes if you know some, Kanye or otherwise. Thanks for joining me on the ride of the rant, and I’ll leave you with some great West rhyming…good night.
i ain’t here to argue about his facial features
or here to convert atheists into believers
i’m just trying to say the way school need teachers
the way kathie lee needed regis
that’s the way i need jesus…
a ginger sling with a pineapple heart
by Stace on June 7th, 2010
filed under ticket to write
cool cherry cream, nice apple tart … i feel your taste all the time we’re apart – The Beatles, “Savoy Truffle”
I’d like to call myself a “foodie.” Truth be told, though, I’m not really one. Maybe you could call me too picky. I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but I grew up eating just a few meats regularly (mostly turkey, chicken, beef & fish – but by fish I mean as in fish & chips or tuna salad; just the basics), so I don’t eat much seafood, sushi, pork (in any form), or other more adventurous meats. And I hate onions in/on/around/in the same zip code as my food, always. I also don’t like melon (canteloupe, honeydew, yes, even watermelon). But…don’t we all have things we don’t like?
Now that you know my specifics, I can explain my version of “foodie.” I love food. I love to bake, I love to cook, I love to eat. I love trying new places and going back to regular greats. I’m a teeny bit snobbish (no thank you, Applebee’s/Denny’s/IHOP) but I certainly can get down with the basics from time to time. (To make a wine analogy that explains this bit perfectly, I love a great bottle like a Silver Oak cab, but I won’t turn away “2 buck Chuck,” either. If it isn’t vinegar, I’ll drink it.) In other words, there are moments made to enjoy all levels of culture/class.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, for two reasons. First of all, because I’m proud of something I’ve been up to for the past two weeks. I decided to do without two things I love most in the food world (dessert and red meat), as well as two things I don’t often consume but that I know to be terrible for me (soda and fast food). In addition, I’ve made a commitment to get myself to the gym no less than 4 times a week. Why? Basically because I could be happier with my body image, and I’m curious to see what will happen if I go without my faves. If I see a noticeable difference, I may have to consider seriously limiting the consumption of these treats. If not, then I’ll figure out a few new sacrifices and see how that works. I feel like my very own lab rat.
I really thought I was gonna miss dessert. I’ve grown up eating a savory-ish meal and finishing it off almost always with something sweet. I’ve heard that’s how your brain gets the signal that the meal is over and it’s time to stop eating. I don’t know if that’s true or not, (if it is, how do people who don’t eat sweets get the memo?) but there’s some truth in that for me either way. But it turns out that if I allow myself something that’s sweet that isn’t dessert/doesn’t contain processed sugar, I’m fine. Fruit, yogurt (Trader Joe’s organic low-fat “Vanana,” vanilla banana, is my fave), cereal, waffles (provided the latter two are ok in the ingredients department) will all scratch the sweet itch. I even had one of my faves: waffles with peanut butter and syrup. Instead of corn syrup-drenched maple syrup, I used agave. I barely tasted the difference, except it’s noticeably thicker. But so?
The only time I miss it is when I’m at work. My restaurant has some gorgeous desserts. (And also it’s important to note that I don’t gravitate toward the seafood or sushi, so the dessert is the best thing we have, according to me.) In particular, the chocolate peanut butter pie and the key lime tart – divine. Seeing them as they get passed around the restaurant makes my mouth water. Other than that, though, I’m doing okay. I’ve resisted more than one weekend’s worth of donuts in the morning before we open, and even our balsamic strawberry lemon olive oil cake with buttercream ice cream concoction (basically, imagine it’s the resto’s twist on a strawberry shortcake) that the chef brought to our staff meeting. Nope. Pass. Haven’t tried it yet, so just tell me the good points and I’ll never know what I’m missing (yet, of course I can still sell it).
Interestingly, I haven’t missed red meat much. If I see/smell it, I might drool a little, but when it comes time to eat, I’ve been okay without it. (But I’ll admit I quickly got sick of turkey in its place, even though I love ground turkey & turkey burgers.)
It’s amazing how much fruit I’ve been eating just to satisfy the need for sweets. I love combinations of sweet and sour, sweet and salty, and sweet and spicy, (told you I was a sweet tooth!) so yesterday I was trying to come up with something great to make for dinner and had an idea. After work, I stopped at Whole Foods. The final result of what I bought was so damn good I have to share.
I bought: pizza dough, mozzerella, olive oil, garlic, pears, bacon, gorgonzola, arugula, and hazelnuts. Last night I let the dough do a slow rise in the fridge. Tonight, I toasted the hazelnuts, cooked the bacon extra crispy, and sliced the pears. After rolling the dough out, I slathered it in olive oil & garlic and then topped it with the mozz, pears, bacon & gorgo (in that order). While it was in the oven, I tossed the arugula with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper & the hazelnuts. When the pie was done, the little salad went on top. I’ve had the pear & gorgo pizza at CPK (one of my fave places) as well as another restaurant that invented their own “imitation is the highest form of flattery” version. I have to say, though, and I’m being serious…mine put ‘em both to shame! I’m so excited with this end result – after only one attempt, it’ll be a new staple in my kitchen. Check it out:
Who needs dessert? Up till this point, my coconut curry from scratch was my favorite thing I’d ever made (and it’s good, too) besides my growing cocktail list. This, though, takes the cake…er, pie. 
(And if you try it for yourself I want you to report back on how it came out! Baked on the pizza stone at 400ish for about 20 mins, but check the crust to make sure it isn’t gooey in the middle w/all the toppings on it.) Good night, and sweet dreams (or hell…eat something sweet for me & I’ll live vicariously)!
you know that what you eat you are, but what is sweet now turns so sour
look at the other side of the coin
by Stace on June 3rd, 2010
filed under ticket to write
yes there’s much in life for which i could atone, but let him without sin cast the first stone… – Solomon Burke, “The Other Side of the Coin”
Not long ago, I wrote about customer service in the 21st century and how “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Only a few days later, I realized I had another angle I wanted to cover on the same issue: yes, customer “service” these days is atrocious. It’s true. But you know what else is equally horrifying? The way people seem to think it’s okay to treat “service people” – and I don’t just mean rich pricks. I’m talking normal, working class people!
Less than a week after I wrote that post, I was having lunch with some girlfriends. The youngest of the group was the one that got to me – she’s 23 or 24 and had her little one with us (a doll baby, for sure). While poor Mama was trying to retrieve her wandering child (who was off making friends with all the neighboring tables), I sat and watched, but I couldn’t help but be astounded at the way I heard her speak of (or to!) our waitress. Let me paint you the picture…
It’s about 1 in the afternoon. It’s not “slammed” busy, but it’s not slow, either. (And I say this from both the perspective of the server and as a consumer.) We are not a high maintenance table, at least in our orders. We don’t give the server any trouble, and I don’t notice for the first half of our visit that it is busy because I’m wrapped up in my conversation with the girls. And then the food comes – and with it, a need from my friend for something she hadn’t originally asked for. (Technically, her bad, but it happens. Right?) At this point, it was due to her attitude that I realized the server had her hands full. I looked around to see if there were other servers, and I’m sure there were. What I saw, though, was that she must’ve been juggling half of the dining room on her own. I don’t know what my friend saw, but it was a very different situation. She sighed loudly in frustration at not being able to get the busy waitress’s attention. Rather than waiting or even getting up to ask for what she needed, she decided on raising her voice. It’s here I have a problem with the attitude, which she insisted on giving to our server from that point on. My jaw dropped when she rolled her eyes and said, “old people…” I don’t even think the server was “old.” Maybe I am old, too, by those standards. In reality, our waitress was probably a bit younger than our moms, who are pushing 60.
I gotta say, if you’re in your 40s and 50s and can handle half the resto at lunch rush, I gotta give it to you. Again, that might just be because I understand what all they’re doing. It’s a big mental (and physical!) job, and anyone who thinks it’s okay to disrespect service folk is seriously lacking class, in my opinion. I think it’s offensive, as well as ignorant. The crazy part I always come back to is, don’t you realize you’re not the poor server’s only table? There’s only one of her for you, and she has to take care of X number of tables…and if you need/want something that bad (provided s/he hasn’t *gasp!* shown his/her humanity and made a mistake of some kind), maybe you might consider asking for it in advance? This will save them steps and negate you having to condescend in the first place! (Unless that’s your thing…in which case, can you let me know? I don’t wanna go out with you.)
It’s not just this friend of mine. And also, I don’t think she’s a terrible person. I think she just doesn’t think anything of it – if I’d have said anything to her, I fully expect she would’ve been flabbergasted that I had a problem with her demeanor. That, as far as I’m concerned, is the real problem. When did parents stop raising their kids to think? Or at least think about other people? It’s frightening, really. Manners are my friends. And for the record, I can be rude. In fact, I’m rude by nature – I have to work to be polite, so don’t think I’m preaching. It’s just that I wonder: is it really so difficult to stop for 2 seconds and think about what you’re doing/saying and how it will make other people feel? Empathy is a lost art in the 21st century. It’s a damn shame, too. Don’t forget, my friends, you’re not the only person in the world. And it would suck if you were.
Another important thing of note is that it’s not just restaurants. Anyone in any kind of service-based position has to deal with this kind of rubbish at an increasingly alarming rate these days. Concierge, front desk at a hotel, call center, salesperson (especially in person), and the list goes on and on and on…it’s atrocious. I’ll admit, it makes me wonder: which came first, the chicken or the asshole? I mean, did customer service standards tank in retaliation for the way we’ve been treated all these years? Or did consumers get sick of the fact that no one in a customer-service-based job takes it seriously/does it right anymore and start treating them like crap in defense? I wonder. (And as I already said, I wish I was just talking about the rick jerks…I’m not. They are a big problem, too, because they act like they’re freaking entitled to treat you like the “hired help.” Unfortunately, so does the rest of the world, somehow. Starting to get why I want to move into another industry?)
I know that “stop the madness!!” is a cliche. But in this case, I wish someone somewhere would do just that. I know people suck. Even if it makes me cynical, I believe there’s a lot of truth to that phrase. I just try to remember as often as I can that just because people do suck doesn’t mean I should too. What the hell kind of revenge is that? In that case, no one wins. And that’s not the kinda world I want to live in. I’m gonna quote Gandhi & go to bed: “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Seriously. Think twice next time. It’s not so painful to be nice. Maybe the person you’re stepping on is having a bad day. And if not, and they happen to be less than stellar at their job, let karma handle it – don’t mess up yours in the process…
take a look before you close the book – look at the other side of the coin
life brings life, it's valuable
by Stace on April 14th, 2010
filed under ticket to write
they say you are what you eat, so i strive to be healthy… my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy… – Dead Prez, “Be Healthy”
First of all, please don’t anyone call me out for the fact that the second half of this song trashes the first half. It suits its purpose!
I can’t remember when I first got hooked on Kombucha. I do remember the instance, though. I was at work, getting ready to open the restaurant with a Texan coworker named Randall. He had some crazy fermented ginger tea in a bottle. He swore it was the healthiest drink ever, and when I heard it was nearly $4 a pop, I thought I’d pass. He let me taste it, though, and I liked it. It had a slightly “beer-y” taste (fermentation) and I loved the zip of the ginger. (I’m a sucker for spice.)
It wasn’t until probably a good six months later that I actually started drinking it on my own, though. What I do know is that it quickly bloomed into a full-fledged love for the supposedly-life-giving elixir. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not sure I believe all of the amazing health benefits it’s supposed to have (these are straight from the Synergy Drinks website): Beneficial Probiotics – Due to the prolific presence of pesticides, antibiotics, and preservatives, the beneficial micro-organisms present in our bodies are being destroyed and killed off on a regular basis. These friendly microbes play a huge role in our digestive and immune systems. Therefore, it is crucial that they are replenished from natural sources like kefir, yogurt, and Kombucha. Our beverages contain Lactobacillus Bacterium and S. Boulardii, which can help support a healthy digestive and immune system. Live Active Enzymes – Active Enzymes are generally only found in foods that have not been cooked, processed, or refined. They are like the “spark plugs” for the body’s cells because they put “life” back in our bodies. If you think about it, the body is a living thing; why would you feed it something that is dead? Polyphenols – These are antioxidants that fight off the free-radicals that stress the body and compromise its youth and health. Organic Acid – These nutrients can help promote tissue and blood alkalinity and help normalize the natural process of homeostasis throughout the body.
# Lactic acid helps maintain healthy digestive action (through the probiotic lactobacilli) and for energy production by the liver
# Acetic acid is an antiseptic and inhibitor of pathogenic bacteria.
# Glucuronic acid, normally produced by a healthy liver, is a powerful detoxifier and can readily be converted into glucosamines, the foundation of our skeletal system.
# Usnic acid has selective antibiotic qualities which can partly deactivate viruses.
# Oxalic acid encourages the intercellular production of energy, and is a preservative.
# Malic acid also helps the liver to detoxify.
# Butyric acid protects human cellular membranes, and combined with Gluconic acid strengthens the walls of the gut in order to combat yeast infections such as Candida.
# Nucleic acids, like RNA and DNA, transmit information to the cells on how to perform correctly and regenerate.
See, they make all kinds of crazy claims about its ability to basically cure everything, including cancer in some cases. Essentially, it’s touted as a wonder tonic. (Look it up on Wikipedia, for example…interesting.) Do I necessarily believe it’s capable of curing everything that ails me? No. Do I think that my belief that it’s pretty damn good for me may actually be the reason it is? Yes, I’m a psych major – I’m familiar with the placebo effect. Do I care which is responsible for keeping me generally healthy? (As in I didn’t get a single cold for more than a year & a half…) Nope. I think it’s probably good for me, and I enjoy it. I don’t drink soda much, and kombucha has a similar effervescence (though you won’t find ANYTHING syrupy sweet about a single one you find). In short, I dig it.
So, why the post? Not just to inform you the benefits (or the whole tea, if you weren’t familiar). I just wanted to take a minute to shout from the rooftops my excitement at a recent discovery: Whole Foods Markets are now selling kombucha on tap!! In my store’s case, for example, I think they might actually be brewing their own. In another store I read about, (I do my research!) they’re using G.T. Dave’s. In the case of my store, I’ve seen flavors such as White Grape (my fave so far), Elderberry, Hibiscus Island, and Pomegranate. It’s also cheaper than most of the bottles, and (yay!) more earth-friendly. Friendlier than glass? Yup. Because while you can buy the smaller sizes for individual servings, you can also purchase a 22-oz. bottle for $4.30, and when it’s empty, bring it back for a refill at just $.15/oz. Not only do you save money, you save the glass. (Which is pretty damn recyclable even if you don’t ever refill.) Want more than the 22-ouncer? They also sell a 64-oz “growler” that is refillable, too. Same deal.
This is pretty exciting, and a great move on Whole Foods’ part (as if we didn’t already love this place)! My store always lets me try a flavor I don’t know, and I haven’t tried one yet I didn’t like. Oh, and I have yet to open a 22-oz bottle (I’ve bought two since this discovery last week) that fizzed up & out & all over. No muss, no fuss. Awesome. And no – neither Whole Foods nor any kombucha manufacturer paid me in any way to tout this stuff. I just love it, so I share it. One more thing – there is one minor caveat, at least in my store. The bottles & growlers alike are dark brown glass. The cool thing is that (esp. in the case of the big ol’ growler), when you don’t use it all up, it continues to ferment in this container. There is a “kombucha” sticker, but…when you walk around with an open 22-oz brown glass bottle of anything, it looks a little suspicious. Or, try driving with it. I do both, but you definitely will notice a few second looks…
lentil soup is mental fruit, and ginger root is good for the youth…
