Ep 23: Healthy Homemade Alternatives to Soda & Coffee w/ CeAnne Kosel

In Episode #23 of The Coop, Anna Sakawsky sits down with longtime friend and fellow homesteader CeAnne Kosel of Farmhouse Teas to talk about creating delicious, better-for-you drink alternatives at home.

CeAnne shares how her journey began with growing calendula flowers and expanded into making teas, salves, and eventually healthier replacements for coffee and soda. 

After developing a sugar allergy that caused her throat to swell and becoming sensitive to caffeine, she started experimenting in the kitchen. What began as personal necessity turned into a thriving business creating healthy, flavorful herbal tea blends and flavorings for homemade sodas, kombucha, and more.

In this conversation, Anna and CeAnne discuss:

• How CeAnne developed her popular “Not Coffee” alternative and a wide variety of soda syrups (vanilla cream, root beer, fruit flavors, and more)
• The basics of making kombucha, water kefir, and ginger bugs as fizzy drink options
• Practical tips for busy families … including how to store ferments when life gets hectic
• Why homemade versions can be more budget-friendly and taste better than store-bought options
• The importance of starting simple and finding what works for your family’s tastes and schedule

If you’ve been wanting to move away from conventional sodas and coffee without feeling deprived, this conversation will give you the inspiration and practical starting points you need.