Becoming Peculiar — Adventures in a Backwards Kingdom

Remembering C.S. Lewis, On the 50th Anniversary of His Death

November 22, 2013 by Kathleen Quiring 14 Comments

(Visiting Lewis’ grave. Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry, Oxford. 2008) For most of my young adulthood, my bedtime prayers always began thus: Thank you God for my wonderful husband, a loving family, great friends, and C. S. Lewis. To this day, Lewis has had more influence on my spiritual life than any other person. Without […]

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Filed Under: Life Updates

Brewing Your Own Kombucha: Flavouring and Carbonating

November 20, 2013 by Kathleen Quiring 9 Comments

Finally! The last installment of my How to Brew Your Own Kombucha series! Last week I explained how to grow your own SCOBY from store-bought kombucha (Stage One); I then proceeded to share how you can brew your own kombucha from a home-grown SCOBY (Stage Two). Next, I want to explore how to keep […]

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Filed Under: Peculiar Eats

Why We’re Not Listening to Christmas Music or Putting Up Christmas Decorations Yet

November 13, 2013 by Kathleen Quiring 23 Comments

It’s mid-November and Christmas trees and wreaths have been popping up in our neighbourhood for a while now already. Not in our household. Now don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. I went through a stretch of time (after marriage but before kids) when I lost my enthusiasm for the winter holidays; but since having […]

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Filed Under: Holy Days

Brewing Your First Batch of Kombucha With a Homegrown SCOBY

November 11, 2013 by Kathleen Quiring 5 Comments

Interested in brewing your own kombucha? It’s an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy that delicious, tangy, healthful, probiotic beverage! In my last post, I explained how I grew my own SCOBY from a bottle of store-bought kombucha. (It’s absurdly easy). That was Stage One. Next, I’ll explain how you can brew your first batch […]

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Filed Under: Peculiar Eats

How to Start Brewing Kombucha Without a SCOBY

November 6, 2013 by Kathleen Quiring 13 Comments

Folks: after years of wanting to brew my own kombucha, I’m finally doing it. I’ve been brewing my own kombucha successfully for a couple of months, and it has become my favourite beverage. I drink it every day. Also? It’s easy! I can’t believe I was ever intimidated by this! And I never even […]

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Filed Under: Peculiar Eats