Have You Ever, Reader Dear,

had Buckeyes for breakfast?!

I have a dear cousin who is not a Buckeye (those humans who hail from the state of Ohio [where grow all those Buckeye trees]),  but he knows how to concoct a stunningly tasty, edible Buckeye (those chocolate-and-peanut butter confections that make you want to stand up and shout, "Hail to the person who concocted these!"

At the breakfast table was also a bowl of mixed nuts (roasted by the wife-of-cousin, my very hospitable hostess this morning!)  I was the only guest at this breakfast table, and, in addition to the  Buckeyes and nuts, I was presented with gifts!  Perhaps the most special was the mother.  Yes, yes, you heard me right, Reader Dear: My cousin gifted me with a mother!*
*(The mother had a name, but I
don't know how to spell it. Scoby?)

*Our human mothers were sisters;  but, once again, I'm not talking of humans here.

Before you get too confused, Reader Dear,  let me say: in addition to the foods at the table there was the drink.  Kombucha!   Lest I set off on a tangent about how delicious this beverage, and how nutritious and good for the body, and how entertaining my cousin's description of making it, plus his other interesting endeavors...I'm going to quickly give you a  rundown  of the steps for creating this beverage (as told to me):

1. Brew a gallon of black or green tea (herbal tea won't do!).
2.  Add a cup and a half of sugar*
3.  Add the mother**
4.  Add extras such as ginger or orange, etc.
5.  Let sit.
*Don't be concerned.  The mother will eat the sugar! ( So said my cousin)
**See what a gift?! Without the mother,*** this tea will never be Kombucha!

***noun 
1.   a stringy, mucilaginous substance consisting of various bacteria, especially Mycoderma aceti, that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid and causes fermentation when added to other liquids, as in changing wine or cider to vinegar.

I must tell you, Viewer Dear, that the appearance of the mother is rather enough to make a person cast their eyes elsewhere and feel a bit queasy!  The photo below does the mother great favors (shows her in the very best light)! 

But, looks aside, she is essential to the life of Kombucha.  And, too, only a mother can produce a mother. (So said my cousin).  Thus, those receiving a mother as a gift, well,  they should be looking upon her as a thing of beauty! (So say I).
Oh, the lovely mother!

(As to the Buckeyes, those two that I ate at that breakfast table this morning didn't need a mother.   Adam and Eve, I'll call them; they needed only a super-capable creator, and these two had a great  one!)
Thank you, Cuz!