Archive for December, 2010

Delicious Raisins for Celebrating a Pop-culture Icon

What do you think of when you think of raisins? Sure, you know they are tasty and nutritious, but something else come to mind? Perhaps you remember the groovy, sunglasses carrying raisins, dancing on television screens and into the hearts of families across the country years ago.

In fact, the word of the rumors that the California Dancing Raisins Turn, 25 in 2009. It’s hard to believe that 25 years since the 1980 phenomenon. In addition to her status as pop culture icons California raisins have long a family favorite snack and a delicious addition to recipes.

A perfect reason to celebrate everything from the food that is packaged in tiny California raisins. They are fat-and cholesterol-free supply, rich in antioxidants and raisins valuable potassium and fiber. Only 1 / 4 cup is a serving of fruit, raisins makes a smart choice for small and ideal for adding to recipes naturally sweet taste.

To kick off the birthday festivities, try this delicious chocolate cake recipe Happy Birthday. Pureed California raisins are treated the secret ingredient that makes these moist chocolaty cupcakes and a healthy. More California Raisin recipes to keep the celebration going all year round, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.

Happy Birthday Chocolate Cupcakes
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook: 18 to 20 minutes
Cupcakes
3 / 4 cup raisins California
2 to 3 tablespoons hot water
1 / 2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 / 4 cup soft heart healthy vegetable spread
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 cup flour
1 / 2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 / 4 teaspoon salt

Frosting
1 3 / 4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 / 4 cup soft heart healthy vegetable spread
1 / 3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons fat-free half and half
1 / 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F and line 12 cupcake tins filled with papers. Set aside.

Combine raisins and hot water in food processor or blender, process until smooth. Beat spread raisin puree with sour cream, and in a large bowl until light extract. Beat in sugar, then egg whites. Dry ingredients and beat until well combined. Spoon into lined cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

For frosting, beat together 1 1 / 4 cups powdered sugar with remaining ingredients until smooth, spread the top of each cupcake with a thin layer. Stir remaining 1 / 2 cup powdered sugar together with a few drops of half and half until thick and smooth. Drizzle a swirl on top of each cupcake.

Makes 12 muffins

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Good Reason – Tea Has Been Loved for Ages

Tea as a beverage, is older than coffee, more than wine, and perhaps even more than beer. Some may argue about this, because some types of beer can be as old as 10,000 years ago, while there have been around for tea was “only” about 5,000. Well and good, we do not quibble. Tea is old.

Tea is also enormously popular. This much is clear, volatile at a glance. But how popular is it? The annual production of tea leaves is now around £ two billionth Yes, billions. Since it only takes an ounce or so, a cup, make a lot of tee’s. And that is the annual production. Annual Report, as in: “every year”.

Well, you say, at least tea has less caffeine than coffee. Yes and no. The tea leaves are about 1-3% caffeine, by weight more than twice as much as a similar weight of coffee beans. But, it is true that a cup of coffee is prepared about 100mg of caffeine and tea has only about 60mg. And after all, people drink tea and coffee, more often than they eat the leaves and beans.

Beer, wine, coffee and tea all have health benefits, some of which the result of the same compounds in the beverage. Antioxidants in both wine and tea. Caffeine, in moderate amounts shown was to have health benefits.

But let’s be honest. For most people it is not history or economics or science or medicine, the great, centuries-old and produced today’s demand for tea. Tea drinking is just wonderful.

Whether you want to pick up tough one for me in the morning, or a relaxing cup at night, is tea – we dare say – perfect. It clears the cobwebs and relaxing. Iced or hot, green or black (or oolong, which lies in between), tastes, or even red or white (yes, they exist), tea, and you feel wonderful.

Throughout history and to this day is both a wonderful tea experience and a social ceremony had been drinking. Yes, it will certainly sit down together people and enjoy a cup of coffee or a pint of beer or a glass of wine.

But there are very few cultures there is something like a “beer ceremony.” Ok, in a way it is among the students. But, calls the “ceremonies” really stretching a point. In any case, tea ceremonies are not exclusive to Japan. In England It is practically a requirement afternoon. New York has dedicated the art of the tea club.

East and west a few times on very little. But in the world – China, Turkey, Russia, Australia, the USA and Great Britain, and all points on the map between enjoying a cup of tea.

So no matter where you are, you can now Wu Yi in a Yixing clay pot or a glass cup of Rooibos in a Danish. You can make a lemongrass herbal tea or a blueberry vanilla Ceylon. What you can not do if you are among the over one billion tea drinkers in the world, is a perfectly brewed cup of resisting the world’s finest. Tea.

Tea for Your Health

Recently, people all becoming more aware of the wonderful health benefits of some teas. Green tea and black tea contain those wonderful antioxidants that slow aging and help protect against cancer. It is not often that something so delicious is so good for you – so you enjoy a cup of tea with no worries!

Tea Gifts

Do you know of a tea-lover in your life? could then be a tea gift is sure to please, and there are some great gift ideas tea related go with you:

Tea sets: Get a unique tea for tea lovers set in your life and you should have no doubt that your gift will be useful and have enjoyed. Asian decor as if they could look forward to a traditional Japanese tea set, when Victorian and romantic styles, then an antique floral sentence could accurately estimate the thing.

Tea Clubs: Joining a club is a great way to tea, some of the exotic and gourmet varieties are taste and would be perfect as a gift for a tea drinker, and also perfect for you if you try some new teas do.

Tea Gift Baskets: You could buy or repair a basket with your favorite receiver teas, a little tea set and some teacakes, and you’ve got an incredible gift.

For the Love of Tea

The people have enjoyed tea over the centuries for its variety of natural flavors, and some cultures have enjoyed tea for health benefits as well, and the rest of the world has only recently discovered that some teas are very good for you. The different flavors associated with these wonderful health benefits of tea loved by many.

I’m definitely one of the quantity of tea lovers, my closet is about 30 different varieties including green tea for my morning cup of hot tea, black tea for my afternoon iced tea, a variety of naturally flavored teas-filled night and everything in between including tea and wheat on a rare occasion rice tea.

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Possibly One of the Healthiest Beverages Around with Black Tea

Black tea and white, green and oolong tea comes from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. What makes a kind of tea is different from other species has the state of the region that the tea plant is grown in, and do the season in which plucked the leaves. Some variations of black tea are Assam, Ceylon, Yunnan tea. These teas come from India, Sri Lanka and China, respectively.

A mug for your health!

As tea was brought to Europe in the seventeenth century, it has far and wide. Today enjoys most of the world black tea – hot and iced – for his great taste in bold. And now there’s more to love about it, as with many other teas, studies have shown that black tea is very good for your health.

Recent research shows that black tea can make an important contribution to healthy nutrients in the American diet, as there are more flavonoids to the average U.S. diet contains as any other American to eat or drink, and the researchers believe that it is even healthier than green tea.

What are flavonoids?

Flavonoids are phytochemicals diet, which are mainly in fruits, vegetables, wine, tea and dark chocolate. They are strong antioxidants and antioxidants help to neutralize free radicals, and this leads to anti-aging and cancer-fighting effects. It is also believed that these flavonoids may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as increasing the body’s immune system.

They should not replace your fruits and vegetables with black tea, since they do not have other important nutrients that black tea, but it makes a healthy and tasty beverage choice to go with your meals.

The Good Guy – Black Tea

In traditional Western in the cinema, with the good guy’s white hat. This is definitely black “good guy”.

All true tea is the product of the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. But, oh, what a difference a little oxygen and sunlight. Green tea is very easily oxidized, Oolong tea is the standard way and black oxidized most of all. There is even a fourth variant, white tea, which is rarely the western shore.

The black tea leaves are picked, washed, dried and rolled. From there they can find some soil in a tea bag or sold more or less completely. But in what form the sheet makes it to market, the taste is largely the result of the region from which it came, and the processing can be used there.

Much of it originated in China in the near Mount Wu Yi in the Fujian province. A style that Lap Sang Sou Chong is by drying the leaves over burning pine. The result is a wonderfully strong, smoky flavor. From the province of Yunnan is the tea, which adopted the name of his home. Here is a dark, malty tea is produced full of rich flavor.

India, for centuries one of the world’s largest tea producer, has two names, which may be known as the tea itself. Assam is full and strong with a harshness that many calls, dilute them with milk. The Darjeeling from West Bengal is fine, but still a very strong tea. Slightly spicy, making it the perfect breakfast drink.

Initial efforts to grow tea in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka known) in the 18 Century, failed with the utmost. But the farmers stopped and tea drinkers around the world are the beneficiaries. The black Ceylon teas grace many beautiful table in her home country and around the world.

Vietnam has recently been efforts to join the ranks of the leading manufacturers made. The light flavor of a Vietnamese black is deceptive. This dark brew has a wonderful taste that is the real deal.

Even Turkey has a black tea that every fan will want to try. Directly from the province of Rize on the east coast, this mahogany-colored brew in a samovar prepared and served to “koyu”. The best way to translate this word, just something to drink. Be prepared for a jolt.

Black tea also makes an excellent partner in traditional or modern blends. For example, the famous Earl Grey (named after his 17th-century promoter), a sweet, perfumey mix, its unique flavor from a small amount of oil of bergamot.

Which country that you enjoy for what taste, sample a variety of black tea, straight or flavored. Drink up!