By: Korbin Newlyn

Candy is a special treat we all enjoy, particularly during holidays and other special occasions. But, what if you could make your own candy? Of course, you will need to purchase some candy making equipment, but there are a lot of easy recipes that you can try with your family that will help you to create fond memories that you can recreate each time you gather with loved ones. Here are some of the kitchen tools you will need to buy.

Tools That Make It Easier

There are numerous types of candies that are genuinely easy to make, such as peanut brittle. For this recipe, you will need a skillet or saucepan that is big enough for you to gently stir the contents of the brittle so that the sugar can settle and give the dessert its texture.

A wooden spoon is also essential, and you might wish to buy parchment paper as well, so that you can set the brittle on the paper to cool. This candy making equipment can be found at your local grocery store, and you’ll most likely be able to make a batch of the brittle for your family for under $20.

If you are creating pasty-like candies or tarts, you will most likely need a pastry bag. This candy making equipment allows for you to create designs and apply frosting or glaze to your candy. The bags also help to eradicate messy icing spills, and some of the this candy making equipment comes with instructions on ways to create certain designs on your candy, such as polka dots or flowers.

The bag comes with an assortment of tips that will create different designs on your confectionary creations, and you can locate pastry bags at your local grocery store as well. You can also check out places like Target for quality pastry bags that will last a long time.

Caramel, Toffee and Fudge

If your creating toffee, caramel candies, or fudge, you might also want to buy a bench scraper. This candy making equipment looks like a large wide knife, and is used to ‘knead’ candies that are created out of hot sugar. The bench warmer allows the flavors and colors of the candy to be evenly distributed, and will give you better control when you are trying to lay the candy flat on a baking sheet for cooling.

If you would like to know more about how to make some of the best candy you have ever tasted, you can get ideas for recipes from on various sites throughout the internet. Happy candy making.

Candy Making Equipment - Tools to Make Your Candy Creations Easier
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By: David P. Owen

When my wife and I were engaged, we envisioned the romantic daily routines of married life: waking up together in the morning, taking walks together and of course ? making and eating great food together. Of course our house would be clean, our fridge fully stocked, and our daily menus perfectly planned.

Then reality set in.

I was finishing school and had a job on top of that, and of course she was working as well. We barely had enough time together to remember we were married, not to mention go through all the planning required to have that perfectly organized home you read about in all those magazines. We struggled to decide what to eat every night, and even though we always bought a cartload of groceries every week at the supermarket, we usually ended up throwing out much of it when it spoiled.

After two years of eating out, we eventually grew tired of all the restaurants in town and decided to try cooking again. We were visiting a friend and noticed a chart on their refrigerator: they had planned out dinner menus for two weeks of meals, and they would rotate a menu every other week. Monday was pasta, Tuesday was Chinese, etc. Below the menu they listed all the ingredients they would need for the meal and that served as their shopping list. So once a week they would go through the list, check off anything they already had, and then go shopping. We found out that they were spending about half as much on food every month as we were.

So we decided to try it. We sat down and planned dinners for three weeks. We tried to make one meal from the leftover ingredients of the night before, and we usually had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. It worked wonderfully! We saved hundreds of dollars a month, and by choosing easy recipes we saved time as well.

Not too long ago I started working for a company called DVO Enterprises. They have created a cookbook software program that makes things even easier. We can drag and drop recipes into a menu and the program automatically generates a shopping list, organized by store aisle. I can then look at the leftover ingredients from a meal and get suggested recipes for them. We even imported some of our favorite cookbooks into it, and some recipes from their site that looked good.

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Good luck with your menu planning!

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1719.shtml

By: Steven Stallard

If you have been curious about the heathful qualities of tuna, canned tune in particular, one tuna stands above the rest: Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna

Why is Troll-Caught Albacore Different?

Unique Population.

Troll-caught albacore are smaller, younger, and richer in flavor than the older albacore harvested in the tropical waters of the Pacific. Troll-caught albacore come exclusively from cold Pacific waters. These differences in environment and age result in differences in composition. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch calls the troll-caught albacore fishery healthy and sustainable.

Rich in Omega-3s

These are the essential fatty acids, unique to seafood, that boost heart health, reduce the chance of sudden cardiac mortality, improve blood fat levels, are essential for infant brain and neural development, and are linked to improvements in several inflammatory and immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Because troll-caught albacore are rich in fat, they contain more omega-3s than any other canned tuna. Fresh troll-caught albacore offer 2-3 times more heart-healthy omega-3s than most other fatty fish. Two servings of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids is recommended by the American Heart Association (AMA).

Common Albacore vs. Troll-Caught Albacore

Common canned albacore or “white meat” tuna, the kind found on supermarket shelves, comes from tropical Pacific waters. During processing, nearly all the fat is lost. Common canned albacore is almost fat-free, but has very little omega-3 fatty acids. In contrast, Pacific troll-caught albacore are younger fish from colder, northern waters. Troll-caught albacore are handled to retain their fat with all its healthful omega-3s. That’s why troll-caught albacore tastes juicy and rich and has all the health benefits of these special omega-3 fatty acids.

The question arises about the standard light/white meat tuna we find on out grocery store shelves?

Light meat tuna comes from different species of tuna, usually skipjack or yellowfin tuna. But no distinction among species appears on the labels of canned light meat tuna. The flesh color is usually slightly darker than albacore. These fish, like tropical albacore, come from warm waters and are rich in protein, but have less fat and omega-3 fatty acids than troll-caught albacore.

Where to Find Troll-Caught Albacore

These delicious fish are available fresh in the Pacific Northwest during the harvest season, July through September.

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Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1878.shtml

By: Korbin Newlyn

Are you a superior baker? Do you love candy? Why not try your hand at becoming a chocolate candy maker? While you might not actually work in a factory or sell your treats to thousands of people everyday, you will still be a big hit with all your family and friends, and you might even decide that you wish to make a business out of this moneymaking hobby.

One of the first things you should do when you are thinking about becoming a chocolate candy maker is to attempt as many recipes as you discover. Find out what specialty you want yours to be, and try to make as many assortments of the candy as you are able. This way, you can perfect the recipes you attempt, and you might even create a few of your own.

All Shapes and Sizes

Chocolate candy comes in numerous forms, so you can make fudge, candy bars, turtles, the small chocolate candies that come in boxes as well as gift bags. You might even create your own version of chocolate covered fruit.

Ask your family members to get old recipes that have been in the family for many years, and check out online resources for great chocolate candy recipes from people all over the world. You should also add a few of your own exceptional ingredients to make the recipe stand out.

Standing Above The Rest

Being a chocolate candy maker will also call for you to pay particular attention to the skill that you devote to the candy. How do you wish your candy to look? It is crucial to make sure that your chocolates stand out, particularly if you are going to be selling them.

What special ingredients do you wish to add to make the taste of your chocolate candies distinguishable? You can try vanilla, fruit extracts, cinnamon, coconut, or even more exotic flavors like black pepper, cayenne pepper, as well as smoky flavors to give your chocolate candy a taste that people will always remember.

Another sign of a great chocolate candy maker is the packaging. If you are starting up a business from scratch, you will need to make certain that the colors and logo you select make your candy stand out.

Are you going to use gourmet paper or small bags to wrap your candy in? Will you apply ribbon to tie your candy package together, or are you making a custom box for your treats? These might seem like small details, but they might be a big difference when your attempting to make sure that your fudge, truffles, or candy bars are being noticed.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.

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By: Emma Snow

One of the greatest experiences of being human is to be out in nature. There is just something about being in the fresh open air of the wilderness that makes a person feel more alive, more grounded. The stresses and responsibilities of life lessen in the great outdoors and it is less complicated. After a long day hiking or on the river even if exhaustion is felt, it is refreshing and invigorating. Along with the hard work comes a hearty appetite and a good meal is welcomed by everyone. Even food tastes better when enjoyed in nature and it is received with enthusiastic appreciation. The supper that is tasty is all the more satisfying. A cook can really get rave reviews at a camp. If some thought and a little preparation are made a great meal can be enjoyed and increase the quality of the outdoor experience. Here are some suggestions.

The first thing to note is that all three meals are not created equal. Breakfast and dinner are the meals that more time is put in. The first meal should be filling, one that will stay with you all day. Whole grains probably fit this requirement the best.

Even if you are not normally a cook, camping is a good place to be willing to put in some effort and time. With all the energy burned you will truly appreciate a meal that will fill you up and keep you going. Oatmeal is the first option. For those who want something hot, with little effort, oatmeal fits the bill. It will “stick to your ribs” and keep you full longer, but this breakfast seems to be a popular one on trips and because of that it gets a little old. If that is all the further you want to go in your culinary efforts you can still spruce it up a little. Add dried fruit into the mix. Raisins seem to be the old stand by, but there is a plethora of other choices. Any fruit is an option. Try mangos, apples, strawberries etc. and a little dry milk mixed in. Your regular old oatmeal just turned into fruit and cream, much more satisfying. If you are a little more adventurous pull out the pan for your camp stove. Whole wheat pancakes with freeze dried fruit are amazing. Even syrup is not necessary for these delicious creations. They will be the hit of the camp so be sure to bring plenty. When planning pancakes bring oil in a spill proof container and pour a little into the pan before each cake (about 1 tsp).

A non-stick pan is also recommended for pancakes. These cakes are filling and delicious. Freeze dried fruit is recommended over dried for pancakes because they hydrate as they cook and return to a fresh-like berries rather then staying chewy in your pancakes like dried ones would. Prepackaged meals are fine camping, but you can make your own. Not only will it be cheaper, but it will last for many trips (and even at home).

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Dinner is another time that it is worth putting in the effort. Meals in the can are not recommended frequently while camping because of the trash it creates. What gets brought in, gets brought out. Instead try a box of pasta with dry packs of sauce and then add a can of tuna or chicken. Dried vegetables added to this meal would be delicious. Just rehydrate them in a little water for 10 minutes or so before cooking and you have an entire dinner in one dish.

A few last notes to make. Do not pack you fuel in the dry bags with your food. If the fuel leaks, the food will not be good. If you are going to make something new on your trip, try it at home first. Better to learn when you have more food to try again. Instead of bringing trash bags bring plastic grocery bags with you. They are smaller and even if you use a couple, because of their size, they can be stuff in corners easily. Another suggestions about these plastic bags is that it is easy to double up on them for your trash to prevents leaks and such. Do not sacrifice food on your trip, make it delicious and you will enjoy the outdoors even more.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1740.shtml

By: Korbin Newlyn

If people were to go by accounts of Chou Kao-ch’i who was the author of the Yang Hsien ming hu hsi, an historical account that dealt with Ishing teapots, it was teapots such as these that were the creations of the potters at Ishing that were later made very popular to Europeans and were known to them by the Portuguese term, bocarro, which essentially means largemouth.

These pots were smaller in size and came to Europe accompanied with tea to later become the models after which the European teapots were initially fashioned. Nevertheless, this point of view has been disputed and these pots in Europe might have been ascribed to either the Chinese wine vessels or to the Islamic coffee pots that were originally imported as items of curiosity.

Spanning the Globe

In any event, there’s no denying the reality that tea was originally Chinese, even though teapots as we have known them nowadays are European. To start with, European teapots were heavy cast and were short, straight and had spouts that were replaceable that were unlike Chinese teapots. This was later followed by importations on a large scale of teapots through the East India Company, which realizing the demand was increasing, imported them. They also added extra ballast for ships on which they were being transported.

With the advent of industrialization, the increasing middle class and had excess cash and may wish to duplicate the lifestyles of the upper classes and that’s also included the afternoon tea ritual, which was very common among the more financially fortunate parts of society. The market for these teapots thus, grew through well-known artist merchants such as Joshua Spode and Joshua Wedgwood started to cater to the increased demand.

Fascinating Designs

The teapots design cater to every style and taste and it included every major trend in Victorian craft styles which includes the Renaissance, Chinese, Gothic, Japanese, Moorish, and Art Nouveau.

The design of contemporary style teapots made a return to a more basic form and throughout the 1960s became increasingly functional, to portray the modernism that was permeating throughout society and during the next 10 years, novelty teapots made a a surprising reappearance.

With the passage of time there have consistently been changes to the design of teapots. At times they will tend to be elegant and refined and many of these teapots are a reflection of the classic patterns of the 18th and 19th centuries.

There are quite a few common types of styles of teapots and peace include the classic Brown Betty, Japanese Tetsubin, Porcelain and Silver Teapots as well as Clear Glass Teapots and Chinese Yixing Teapots. Each of these has their own unique style and are very well-liked among numerous sections of society.

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By: Joachim Oster

Premium arabica coffee is a gift from the sun and the earth, born only under perfect environmental conditions in the mountainous regions between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. The best coffee requires light, fertile volcanic soil, abundant rainfall, some cloud cover, warm temperatures, very little wind, sunny mornings, rainy afternoons and the purest air. But where on earth can these ideal conditions be found? How about Kona, Hawaii? At the base of volcanoes Mauna Loa and Hualalai, the view is bounded on one side by mountains of perpetual green and pacific blues on the other. The morning air is soft and balmy, yet pure and refreshing. There is no place more beautiful where one would desire to pass their allotted time on earth, nor is there any other place better suited for growing specialty coffee! This is the Kona Coffee Belt, a 20-mile long by 2-mile wide band, which rests 700 to 2,500 feet above sea level. Spanning between the slopes of two volcanoes, lush green hills are covered by small, family owned plantations made up of trees that are sometimes more than a hundred years old. Here’s are the 10 key reasons why Kona coffee, one of (if not THE) worlds top gourmet coffees can come only from Kona, Hawaii.

The Air

There is an island, which is far away from any other land. So far actually, that when the winds finally arrive, the air is cleaner and clearer than anywhere else on earth. Naturally filtered of pollutants and oxygenated by thousands of miles of ocean in each direction, it feels like breathing pure silk. This is Hawai’i, the most isolated archipelago in the Pacific and in the world. Hawaiian weather patterns are affected primarily by high-pressure zones in the north Pacific that send cool, moist trade winds to the island’s northeastern slopes. The winds are forced up-slope, where moisture condenses into rain producing clouds - a phenomenon that creates the rich tropical environment for Hawai’i’s flowers and vibrant greens.

The Earth

The Big Island is a bit smaller than the state of Connecticut and slightly larger than the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the largest of the seven Hawai’ian islands though, yet only 130,000 inhabitants call this place home. Due to Hawai’i’s remoteness, the islands have been spared many diseases and countless pests have never landed on its shores, which enables the land, the sea, even the air to remain abundant, fertile and pure. The disintegrating volcanic rock on the Big Island is rich in natural minerals and erodes easily. This geologically young, porous and well-drained soil, mixed with decayed vegetation creates nutritious and healthy pastures for Hawaii’s flowers, fruits and verdant greens. The Big Islands broad slopes and high peaks obstruct the flow of weather patterns over the Pacific, causing 13 of the world’s 16 global climates to be found here: sunny beaches, tropical rain forests, cool alpine regions and stony deserts - each with its own unique weather, plants and animals.

The Water

The year-round warm ocean waters are responsible for the equally balmy air temperature. On their long journey, the trade winds pick up the cleanest ocean water and drop it onto our mountains. Rain is not gloomy here, but nurturing, cleansing, warm and refreshing. Towering cumulus clouds tend to build up over the volcanoes on sunny warm afternoons, resulting in brief, intense and localized showers. One may ask where all the rainwater goes, if not used by vegetation or running back to sea? Accumulated rainwater is filtered through rocks and pools between ancient layers of lava, creating gigantic aquifers of the purest fresh water deep in the earth to be tapped by future generations.

The Fire

The Hawaiian islands were created by a fine crack in the mantle of the earth, which leaked so much lava onto the deep ocean floor that it created the world’s highest volcano. And if measured from the ocean floor, it is also the world’s highest mountain. Magnificent steam explosions occur where the glowing lava flow enters the ocean and creates new land out of rocks, pebbles and sand. The volcano is believed by Hawaiian’s to be an incarnation of the goddess Pelé, who is soothed by sacrifices and offerings of respect. Occasionally one may find stony strands of her ‘hair’ or pellets like shiny ‘tears’ on the beach, from when she wanders amongst us mortals in the figure of an old woman.

Sun drenched mornings and misty afternoons are not all Kona needs in order to produce the perfect Hawaiian coffee climate. Large steam plumes on the other side of the island are produced where lava enters the ocean. These clouds contain a mixture of light hydrochloric acid and water droplets, which is created when the intense heat of lava evaporates salty seawater. This hazy mixture we call ‘laze’. The constant airborne emissions of the Kilauea crater releases sulfur dioxide gases, which react chemically with sunlight and oxygen. They form a sulfuric acid fog we call ‘vog’ (volcanic fog). The trade winds dilute these cloud mixtures and send them on a hundred mile journey around the southern tip of the island to Kona. Here in the coffee belt this cloud mixtures serve as a gentle and natural fertilizer for the coffee trees. Volcanic soil is sometimes too alkaline and requires these acids in order to balance the pH value, which in turn creates the perfect growing conditions for coffee arabica trees. This unique combination is yet another reason that Kona coffee beans come from the most productive trees on earth!

The Trade Winds

Throughout most of the year Hawaiian weather patterns are affected primarily by high-pressure zones in the north Pacific that send cool, moist trade winds to the island’s northeastern slopes. The strength of these winds build as the heat of the day rises and reach a peak in the afternoon, only to diminish in the evening and start again the next day. The trade winds are forced up-slope by the mountain heights where moisture condenses into rain producing clouds. Most of this rain falls then in the mountains and valleys on the wet, windward (northeastern) side of the island and it is this weather phenomenon that creates the rich tropical environment for Hawaii’s flowers and vibrant greens. Shelter on the dry, leeward (southwestern) side from the prevailing trade winds and occasional tropical storms is provided by the 14,000 foot height of the volcano Mauna Loa. But there is enough wind left for the Kona coffee belt for some cooling breezes during tropical nights.

The Shade of Vector Clouds

Coffee trees cannot withstand dryness, heat or frost. For these reasons only the world’s premium coffees are grown under shade trees, which protect against the overhead tropical sun. Other commercial or inexpensive coffee varieties require additional fertilizers and pesticides in order to thrive in harsh, sunny terrains. Without a lush tree canopy for protection, the thin tropical soil of these sun-loving varieties is exposed to blazing rays and eroding rains. The sun literally scorches the much-needed microorganisms that exist within the earth. Once destroyed, they must then be replenished artificially. Naturally shade grown Kona coffee maintains a nutrient rich soil, which reduces acidity and produces dense and more flavorful beans. During the course of any given Kona day the land is gently heated by the sun, which draws moist breezes up the slopes to create what’s called vector clouds. These clouds not only make shade trees obsolete, but they prompt drizzly convection rains throughout the afternoon. Therefore only in Hawai’i is coffee grown at lower altitudes and naturally irrigated. Each day around 20,000 gallons of pure, fresh Pacific rainwater is poured onto each acre of happy coffee trees. But moments after these periodic rains disappear, one may witness the sun once again pushing its way through at the coast below, creating magnificent rainbows and the most breathtaking Hawaiian sunsets.

The Trees

The coffee tree is one of the few plants that can simultaneously grow a blossom as well as a ripe fruit on the same branch.

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The Sun Drying

During the pulping process the harvested red berries are soaked in the freshest and purest rainwater to ferment overnight. This labor-intense ‘wet method’ is the preferred way of processing high grown arabicas. The soaked skins and pulp are then removed from the beans, which are later washed and spread out to dry on a wooden dry deck. The moist beans are raked many times throughout the day so that the drying happens uniformly. Kona’s warm sun and gentle breezes dry the beans slowly to the perfect moisture level. Commercial grades of coffee utilize a mechanical drying method, which forces hot air over the beans to speed up the drying process. This method proves less labor intensive, therefore lowering the price. Sundried coffee maintains more of a delicate, mellow flavor–whereas kiln dried coffee will oftentimes lose some of the aromas Kona coffee is famous for. The only way to safely preserve coffee and its rich aromas for as long as possible is to keep it in its parchment form. Yet most coffee is processed very quickly to its green bean form in their respective country of origin. Once the green beans are exposed to air, light and humidity, the surface oxidizes and bacteria, yeasts and moulds start their deteriorating work. Many months journeys in the stuffy hold of a ship, various cargo trucks and warehouses go by before the green beans get to the roasters and ultimately to your cup. Better to only hull the parchment of the beans right before they are roasted. It’s simply healthier and tastier.

The Small Estates

Family owned plantations produce the finest, estate-grown coffee with superior large, dense and flavorful beans. Kona coffee maintains individual subtleties; much better tasting than pooled, generically sold cheaper alternatives. Kona is comparable to the Champagne region in France, which produces the only legitimately named ‘Champagne’ product. And like Champagne, 100% Kona coffee is distinguished from commercial blends not only by region and the ideal growing conditions, but also by the enormous amount of care taken throughout each step of the farming, harvesting and roasting processes. Whether it’s from the individual pruning of the trees, handpicking only the ripest coffee cherries, carefully sun-drying on large open decks and roasting prior to packaging the coffee in specially sealed bags to ensure freshness–you can be assured that Hawaiian Kona coffee is comparable to no other. Only 14,000 to 16,000 sacks of this precious Kona coffee is produced each year by the few hundred farms dotting the hills of this region, making pure Kona coffee the rare and sought after gourmet coffee in the world.

The 100% Rule

Most likely any coffees you ever drank came from ultra-productive, low-waged labor, machine-picked and pesticide sprayed coffee farms in other parts of the world. Large companies who trade in coffee are interested in buying the cheapest beans available, resell, ship, store it for many months to the point where they have to infuse coffee aromas back into the beans during the roasting process! And you wonder why your stomach rebels against that second cup… Intense hand labor, only ripe beans, a unique climate and soil in Kona combined with natural processing gives this coffee its greatness. Real, fresh 100% Kona coffee is hard to come by outside of Kona, which is why many coffee drinkers are easily duped. Companies all over the world mislead customers and profit on the reputation of the Kona fame by mixing few Kona coffee beans with much, much cheaper inferior Central or South American beans. This combination produces an atypical, cheaper taste, and is commonly referred to as ‘10% Kona Blend’, ‘Kona Roast’, or ‘Kona Style’. Yet this name misleads folks to believe that the bag of coffee they’ve purchased contains a mix or ‘blend’ of various Kona coffees. The law of Hawai’i stipulates that a bag of pure Kona coffee must have printed on its label the words 100% KONA COFFEE to guarantee its contents. So watch out for it and check the bag or cross check the coffee websites carefully before you order!

See many pictures and read more of how a small farm produces delicious, affordable 100% Kona coffee: http://www.bluehorsekona.com/ (low end pricing)

Life seen through the eyes of a little Hawaiian girl growing up on a genuine small coffee farm in Kona: http://www.athenaofhawaii.com/ (moderate pricing; celebrity clientele; presented in handcrafted wooden gift boxes and unique tapa cloth pouches)

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1877.shtml

By: Diana Walker

Green tea has a long history of healthful benefits and its qualities are significantly more effective than black tea. Both teas come from the carnellia sinensis plant but green tea leaves are steamed rather than fermented like black and oolong teas. This prevents a powerful anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and therefore diminished.

Antioxidant Properties

Most of us have heard of the positive effects red wine can have on a fatty diet and its healthful benefits on heart disease. High amounts of catechins polyphenols, particularly EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon towards lowering cholesterol, inhibiting blood clots and negating the effects of a fatty diet.

EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and is reported to have glucose-lowering effects. In addition glucose can cause a person to feel hunger and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try drinking a mug of green tea at the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to managing your appetite.

Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis literally means heat generation. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becoming a potent appetite suppressant and increasing fat oxidation, helping the body to use fat as an energy source. This means the body is preferentially burning fat over protein.

Green tea also raises the body?s metabolism, increasing the rate at which calories are burned. In a recent study, the combination of green tea and caffeine burned more calories than those given a placebo.

Add to its thermogenesis benefits, green tea also has energy-boosting properties, which makes it a perfect breakfast tea or mid-afternoon pick me up.

Other Healthful Benefits

There are many other conditions in which green tea is reputed to be helpful:

Killing cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells untouched

Treating Rheumatoid arthritis

Lowering LDL cholesterol

Preventing thrombosis which causes heart attacks and strokes

Addressing cardiovascular disease by inhibiting abnormal formation of blood clots

Preventing infection

Improving impaired immune function

Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson?s and Alzheimer?s)

Treating multiple sclerosis

Preventing tooth decay by killing the bacteria that causes dental plaque

When you compare the heath benefits of green tea with the harmful effects of regular and diet soda, coffee and other damaging drinks, it is easy to see why green tea has a long and successful history of benefiting the drinker.

Adding Green Tea to Your Diet

Green tea has become so popular that it can be found in mainstream grocery stores as well as gas stations and convenience stores. There are many flavors and varieties of green teas so you will be sure to find a combination of flavors you?ll enjoy.

Consider also adding green tea water to some cooked foods. Adding tea to a pot of boiling pasta will affect the flavor in a fresh new way.

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http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1701.shtml

By: Nina Romanov

You have grown up hearing how your grandmother could bake a cake without ever using a recipe, the story may even claim she never measured anything. However if we ordinary humans want to successfully make a cake we need to follow a recipe and measure carefully.

When you are going to make a cake, preparation is absolutely vital. It is very important to preheat the oven in order to ensure that baking times will be accurate. Use a thermometer.

You also need to properly prepare the pans you will be using. Most baked items require a pan to either be greased or greased and floured.

To grease a pan, use a paper towel or pastry brush to apply a thin even covering. Grease generously only if the recipe calls for it. Try using solid vegetable shortening, it won?t add flavor to your cake. You can also use a cooking spray specifically for baking.

If a recipe calls for greasing and flouring a pan, grease the pan as usual and then shake the pan to coat all surfaces. Turn the pan upside down to get rid of the excess flour.

Before you start to make a cake, make sure you have everything you need. Check to be sure you have all of the ingredients the recipe lists. Do you have the right size cake pan?

Don?t substitute ingredients unless the recipe lists alternatives. When you are a little more experienced then you can play with your recipes. Especially with a cake, if a recipe calls for butter, use it.

You also need to measure carefully. A cup of liquid does not have the same volume as a cup of dry ingredients. So if you use a dry measure for liquids, you will have less, you will only have 2/3 cup when you need 1 cup. On the other hand, if you use a liquid measure for dry ingredients, you will be adding extra and your baked goods may be too dry.

It is best to use a clear standard liquid measuring cup. Place the cup on a level surface and fill to the desired mark. Check it at eye level for accuracy.

With dry ingredients, lightly spoon the ingredients into the proper cup and level it off with a spatula or knife.

When measuring solid fats and brown sugar, firmly press the ingredient into a standard dry measure cup and level it off with a knife or spatula.

Measuring margarine or butter is easy, as the wrapped sticks are marked for each tbsp. and ¼, 1/3, and ½ cup marks.

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Along with liquid and dry measuring cups, you need a set of measuring spoons. Most sets have four spoons for ¼, ½, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon. Fill the spoon with dry ingredients and level it off with a spatula or knife. Liquids can also be measured in these spoons. Just fill the spoon to the top.

Another necessity for successful baking is a good basic cookbook.

You can go on line and find charts that will show you the metric and imperial equivalents of both liquid and dry measures.

There are also instructions for how to halve or double a recipe and oven temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.

High altitude baking requires adjustments in temperature liquids baking powder and sugar, there are also charts that can give you these adjustments. Cakes, biscuits and muffins, cookies, yeast dough and quick breads all have their own altitude adjustments.

These tips are actually making a couple of cakes will soon turn you into an expert.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1584.shtml

By: Roland Jefferson

Coffee does not exist in the form that we are used to purchasing it in at the stores. Coffee comes in the form of green coffee beans that grow on the coffee plant. These green coffee beans are then collected from coffee plantations and are sent to places to be roasted, ground and finely crushed to make the coffee powder that you are use to purchasing at your local store.

The Processes that Green Coffee Beans Undergo

There is a process that these green coffee beans must go through before they actually become coffee powder. Firstly, the beans must be picked from the coffee plantations. This is usually done by hand by laborers who get paid for each basket that they pick. Then, since coffee beans have a fruity flesh that directly wraps around the coffee bean, once they are gathered this flesh has to be removed right away. This is done by soaking the beans, scouring them and then mechanically rubbing the bean.

Once the green coffee bean is free from its fruity flesh it is then cleaned with water. This is done in order to remove any of the fruity flesh that may still be sticking to it, as well as any additional sugars that are on it. The beans are then dried by spreading them over a large concrete or rock plane where they are dried by a combination of the air and direct sunlight.

After the beans have been dried it is time for the beans to be put into categories that are based upon the color and the size of the coffee bean. Any beans that are discolored, decayed or damaged are removed from the other beans at this point.

When the beans are finally dried, they are then roasted. This process is important if you want an aromatic cup of coffee. At this time, the coffee bean will actually expands to nearly twice that of what its initial size was. It will also change color and density as it takes in heat. The color turns to yellow and then to a light cinnamon brown. At this point the coffee beans will start to crack, just like popcorn does.

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http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_1629.shtml