The Health Benefits And Effects Of Whole Coffee Beans By Sl Groezinger

For over thousands of years now, coffee has been identified to stimulate talkativeness, alertness, activeness and creativity. It is one of the most in demand drinks and you can simply prove it by means of the growing numbers of coffee establishments sprouting all over the world. Whole coffee beans are seeds of a coffee plant. It is the kernel inside the violet and red fruit called cherry.

There have been lots of health studies that revealed how drinking coffee affects human beings. Coffee contains numerous compounds which affect the person's body chemistry. It is consists of substances which are gentle psychotropics for individuals as defense mechanism. However, these chemicals are poisonous if taken in high doses, or even in their usual quantity if drank or eaten by people. Coffee has caffeine - a stimulant.

Moreover, there was a research which discovered that coffee has more stimulating effects which are not connected to its caffeine content. It contains unidentified substance that enhances the production of the two stimulating hormones - the adrenaline and cortisone.

Drinking coffee results in several health benefits which other beverages cannot give and they are the following:

1. Some studies found out that those who drank more coffee have fewer chances to acquire?Alzheimer's disease in their advancing years and had a reduced threat of developing?dementia.?

2. Caffeinated coffee intake results to a lower incidence of?disease on gallstones?and?gallbladder?in both male and female.

3. Coffee minimizes the risk of diabetes but researchers have not proven yet why it has this effect.

4. Coffee drinkers lower the possibility of developing Parkinson disease at about eighty percent (80 %) because of its caffeine component.

5. The caffeine content in whole coffee beans helps to boost emotions and sharpens the mentality.

6. It also cures headaches because of caffeine.

7. It contains large quantity of antioxidants which help to control the damage to body cells.

Eating or drinking the coffee is the easiest way of permitting caffeine to penetrate the bloodstream and can have harmful results it taken in huge doses and on a regular basis. The following are the effects of coffee.

1. Coffee has high level of acidity which can lead to abdominal pains.

2. Caffeine makes you think that you have more energy, as a result you are going experience hot flashes and you will sense that you have to burn it off. Hence, the body breaks down because it feels that the energy level is low.

3.When too many coffee beans are consumed by the body, the lack of ability to perform normal tasks can occur, thus the loss of motor capacity. You can easily experience overdose because of its high caffeine content.

4. Incidence of inability, nausea, exhaustion, fever and fatigue can arise when too much caffeine was taken by the body.

5. Individuals who are not a coffee drinker but with risk issues for heart disease may possibly increase the possibility of heart attack if they consumed a large amount coffee.

These are just some of the health benefits and other effects of intake of whole coffee beans.

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Gluten Free Baking, A Journey into New Territory By Chris Rawstern

Gluten-Free foods are taking their place in the world these days. We are all becoming more aware of gluten, gluten intolerance, celiac (or coeliac) disease, and what this means for so many people. While I am not gluten intolerant, I often cook and bake for functions, locally. Last year I was asked to provide little treats for a Princess Party, put on by the Dacotah Prairie Museum. Accompanied by a queen, little girls from tots to teens were invited, to learn about the lives of real princesses. They were taught how to wave properly, and curtsey.

Little girls hear the word princess and go dreamy-eyed. The program was sold out. I made lots of little treats, but found out one of the little princesses and her queen were gluten intolerant, and could not partake of many of the little treats. This was an intolerable state of affairs. I decided I needed to learn about this disease, be aware of what was involved, and provide alternatives that would be tasty and exciting.

Over the past year, I have been trying out different gluten-free flour mixtures, and making lots of goodies, mainly from my own normal recipes, converted by simply substituting gluten-free flour and adding xanthan gum. In the main, they have been a whopping success. In my honest opinion, as someone who has been baking for 42 years, some of the cakes, fruit or nut loaves turn out more moist and tender than when made with wheat flour, a very happy discovery, without a doubt. The queen mentioned above, works at the museum, so I took an afternoon to talk with this young woman and learn more about what was involved. I also had baked one of my favorite coffeecake recipes, gluten-free and took it for her and the museum staff to try. They all loved it, moist and tender and full of flavor. The young woman was happy with my experiment, as was I.

Another great help along the way was finding Shauna Aherns Gluten Free Girl website. I have studied her site extensively and learned all sorts of things there. I mixed up her gluten-free flour mixture to experiment with, as well as trying out one of her bread recipes; another success. I took some of the bread for the woman at the museum to sample, as well as a slice I slathered with homemade pesto and cheese and broiled. She exclaimed, This is the best bread I have tasted since going gluten free.

This coffeecake recipe was given to me by my best friend of 54 years, and is a terrific recipe, no matter which flour you choose. This is the original recipe, for gluten-free, I substituted a gluten-free flour mixture made up of 6 cups brown rice flour, 2 cups potato starch and 1 cup tapioca starch. I used this mixture measure for measure in this recipe, and added 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the sifted dry ingredients. Be sure to check the labels of ingredients for hidden wheat when making this Gluten Free.

Bundt Coffeecake

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts; walnuts or pecans are good
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

Mix together the chopped nuts, the 2 teaspoons sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle 1/2 of this topping into the greased pan. Put in half the batter - this requires plopping small spoonfuls of the batter into the pan as the batter is very thick. Then carefully smooth it to fill in any gaps. Tapping the pan on the countertop helps. Pour on the rest of the topping and again plop spoonfuls into the pan till all batter is used.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake if desired. Serves 12 to 16.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Replace the flour with your preferred gluten-free flour mixture and add in 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Mix and bake as directed. Sometimes baking is a little bit longer than normal, but since the texture and moistness is so wonderful, I can wait those few more minutes.
Try this recipe, either way, and you will not be sorry.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

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Tea the Real Story By Chris Rawstern

Everyone knows what tea is, right? Tea, technically, comes from the leaves of one plant, camellia sinensis. Anything other than the leaves from this plant is not actually tea, although tea is often used as a catchall word to include all the different herbal beverages used these days.

Legend has it that tea was discovered long ago in China quite by accident. Some leaves from a nearby plant blew into a cup of hot water; a nice brown colored beverage resulted, was found to have a refreshing taste, and tea was born. However it was discovered, tea is very refreshing, whether it is black, green, oolong or white. Tea has been proven in more recent times to have wonderful health benefits. We have all heard of antioxidants in tea, helping to fight free radicals that can cause harm to the body. Tea is far lower in caffeine than coffee. It is refreshing, whether used hot or cold.

There are various types of tea, all beginning with the same leaves. Black tea is created by bruising or crushing the green leaves to expose them to oxidation and allowing them to ferment, then rolling the leaves and drying. This produces a beautifully colored beverage and has the strongest flavor of all the varieties of tea. Oolong tea (pronounced OH-long) is oxidized and fermented the same as black tea, but only for about half the amount of time and the resulting product is a lighter, more reddish beverage with a flavor all its own, somewhere in strength between black tea and green tea. For green tea, the leaves are heated immediately, stopping the fermentation process entirely, then dried and rolled. It produces a lovely light colored beverage, and is said to have the most health benefits. The processing of white tea is similar to that of green tea, but only the unopened buds of the leaves are used. It has the same health properties as green tea, but the flavor is the lightest and most delicate.

Good quality tea is a wonderful beverage. Whole rolled or twisted leaves are the best quality; the smaller the leaf, the higher the quality of the tea. The top grades are called Flowery, Golden Flowery or Tippy. Seconds, termed Choppy, are the leaves that have broken into smaller pieces. They brew a great tea, and are usually less expensive. The smallest particles leftover from the tea process, called Fannings, are what is used in tea bags. It brews tea of course, but once tasting a tea brewed from a wonderful full leaf Darjeeling Black Tea, for example, it is hard to return to a tea bag for optimal flavor.

Orange Pekoe (rhymes with gecko) is a western terminology applied to a grade of black tea; the word orange in the name has nothing to do with flavor, but could be a reference to the Dutch House of Orange using the name Orange as an implied sea" of some sort. Pekoe may be a westernized interpretation for a Chinese word meaning white hairs, referring to the fine white down on the tea leaves.

So, what are herbal beverages called? Herbal beverages are called tisanes, and may be prepared by different methods, usually infusion or decoction. It is incorrect to apply the term tea to anything infused or decocted, although tea is actually infused. Infusion is the preparation method of choice for leaves, flowers or buds; plant matter that will release its properties easily into a drinkable beverage. Placed into heated or boiled water and allowed to steep, the herbs release their goodness into the water, and then are strained out. Decoction is the method used for harder or denser plant materials, such as roots or barks that take longer to release their flavors or health benefits. With a decoction, the plant materials are brought to a boil, simmered gently for 15 minutes or more allowing the liquid to reduce, and then straining.

No matter which you prefer, tea or tisane, for pure enjoyment or for health benefits, look for the best quality. Discover your favorites among the different types of loose teas. Taste the different herbal tisanes and discover new flavors. Above all, enjoy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

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5 Advantages of a Home Made Ice Cream Maker By Adrian O.

Ice cream is one of the worlds' favorite comfort foods. It just seems to make everything better, don't you agree? You can mix it with fruits, custard, wafers, chocolates, nuts, brownies, cheeses and other stuff that people like, to give it different wonderful flavors. There are even eccentric flavors such as squid, wasabi, chicken, and bacon! Ice cream has been enjoyed by the elite from as early as second century B.C., and as its goodness became known, more and more people hungered after it which gave birth to its massive production in the 1800s.

Surprisingly, not a lot of people know that you don't have to look for a gelateria or sherbet shop every time you want some dessert. Through developments in technology, you can now make your own frozen dessert according to your tastes. Ice cream makers are available in the market and can be purchased in almost any appliance shops or online store. Some think that these machines are expensive but the truth is they have many advantages that can outweigh their prices.

One of the main advantages of having a homemade ice cream maker is the ability to create healthy desserts anytime. Unexpected guests may always visit one's home and it can be a real treat to serve them delicious homemade desserts such as sorbets, sherbert and yogurt. You can always lug one of these over to a friend's house to have an impromptu party, as most of them can be easily cleaned and stored after without hassle.

Another good thing about these machines is that they can be used to make different ice cream flavors effortlessly. Right after you create one mix, you can go ahead and pour it into a freezer bowl and make another one. Even a cheaper model can make tons of flavors since most of these machines can create desserts in as little as 20 minutes.

Aside from portability and ease of use, the homemade stuff is healthier than most frozen desserts bought in the store. You may not be so sure whether the ice cream that you are about to buy from the grocery has been defrosted and frozen back several times which can lose its flavor and health benefits. Having a homemade ice cream maker gives you the option to create your own flavor and to put ingredients which you think are beneficial to you.

If you are looking for a quality machine for a fraction of the price, you may also look into buying a durable ice cream maker online. A durable one can last a long time and it can be very good investment if you are planning to use it very often. Some of the trusted brands in the market are Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Lello and KitchenAid. They can be easily purchased online where you can also read feedback from users so you can assess if their features are apt for your needs.

Last but not the least, having a homemade ice cream maker saves you time than going out and looking for the flavor that you want. You do not need to be a professional to create new flavors. All you need to do is to look for a recipe and gather all the ingredients and you can make as much ice cream as you want.

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Making a Rich and Thick Coffee with Turkish Ibrik By Sergei Pikovski

It is a fact that coffee has become a huge industry these days that is why there are different ways in brewing them that includes using an Ibrik from Turkey. As a matter of fact, it is the industry that is second largest to oil all over the world. In addition, coffee has always been one of the favorite beverages that many love. Coffee can be brewed in different ways.

There are different recipes that people can make using the Turkish apparatus called the Ibrik. Turkish coffee is known to be really strong and at the same time flavorful. However, the coffee that the said apparatus produces is not recommended for those who are faint-hearted.

According to history, Ibrik is a traditional pot that is handmade. It has an open top with a long handle. The most common materials that it is made of are copper, brass, copper, as well as other metals. On the other hand, there are some who use ceramic.

The Ibrik is a small pot that can only hold enough coffee. It makes about a cup or a couple. The top of the pot is known to be narrower as compared to its bottom area. The long handle of the pot is designed to be able to accurately prevent burning the users' hands because the end of the pot is directly placed in the source of the heat.

Most people use dark roasted coffee that is extremely and finely ground. It is put into the Ibrik along with a similar amount of sugar. Usually, a spoonful for each individual is enough to make a cup. In addition, a small quantity of water is also needed. Typically, it would require about 4 fl oz every spoonful of coffee.

There are times when the grinders in the coffee pot are unable to thoroughly grind the coffee fine. That is why most people use a pestle as well as a mortar in order to pulverize the coffee before using. If the coffee is too course, it will not be able to produce a Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is rich that provides coffee drinkers an intense pleasure. It is also sweetened and is often spiced. Often, sugar as well as cinnamon is added to the pot with the coffee.

The process of making a Turkish coffee is very simple. Sugar and water are boiled together in the Ibrik. When they are boiled, finely ground coffee is then added. When the water simmers, the coffee begins to foam up on top of the Ibrik's neck. The foam has to be stirred in and then heated again until it comes up one more time. The process has to be repeated many times. The whole process takes about seven minutes to finally brew. And then, the pot is taken off the heat that makes the coffee grounds to settle.

As a result of the said process, the coffee is thicker and more intense. Moreover, the Ibrik coffee is more sediment, and it has a certain "chewiness" as compared to a cup of French press coffee.

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Cookie Making Made Easy My Busy Mom Method By Chris Rawstern

In the early 1970s, when I was very young and with small children to care for, I had a few cookie recipes I would make very often, because they were simple recipes, with ingredients I usually had at hand. Cookies are a terrific snack, don?t require utensils to pick up and eat and can be made ahead for a party. However, even with all that, they are just not my favorite things to make, because they need to be made either by dropping individually onto the baking sheet, rolling out and cutting (making a mess on the counter and more cleanup), or the often added step of having to chill the dough before working. I like immediacy. I want to mix up a recipe, bake it, clean up and be done.

One morning I made a batch of these cookies, finally popped the last pan in the oven, and set the timer. Itching to get outside for a bit and see what the children were doing, I went out and got distracted. By the time I remembered the cookies in the oven, they had burnt and shrunken down to tiny little black hockey pucks - not even the dogs had any interest in them! It pays not to get distracted when baking. This was the last straw. I had to think of a better way.

I came up with a brilliant idea that I call my Busy-Mom-Method one I use to this day. Rather than take the time to make all the individual cookies by batches, with separate baking times (and time to get distracted), I would roll the cookie dough directly onto a greased baking sheet, working it evenly to the edges and baking it as one large cookie. It is best to use a baking sheet that has three open sides, as it is simpler to maneuver the rolling pin and get the cookie rolled evenly. Keep in mind also, that a little more flour may be needed in the dough to allow for lifting it out and forming into a rough rectangle for rolling. Also, a little extra flour over the surface while rolling helps to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Try not to add any more flour than absolutely necessary, or the cookies will come out denser and harder.

It takes a few minutes more in the oven with one large cookie, but it comes out perfectly. Just watch for the edges to be golden, and the center to be set. With these cookies, I also make a simple icing that is just 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and enough water or milk to make a relatively thick consistency (very slow to fall from the spoon). Spread this over the hot cookie straight from the oven. The hot cookie warms the icing, making it melt and spread easily, using the back of the same spoon I used to mix the icing. I am all for less cleanup! Once the cookie cools, the icing dries and hardens, and I just cut the large cookie into small bar or square shapes, and voila, cookies in half the time. Two of my favorite recipes for this method were Hermits and Simple Vanilla Cookies. If you are a busy mom, try this method with any simple cookie dough. The Hermit cookies had raisins in them, but the thickness of the dough was no less than the thickness of the raisins, so it still worked well.
Simple Vanilla Cookies

Makes about 7 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add vanilla and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in flour, mixing well. Drop from a teaspoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with floured, flat-bottomed glass. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove immediately from pan.

These Simple Vanilla Cookies are incredibly good, from such a simple recipe. Don't take my word - try them out, either as individual cookies, or with my busy-mom-method.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

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Why These Three Fruits Are Great for Smoothies By Steve Sheer

A smoothie is a tasty style of saving time. Modern people simply HAVE TO love them. Think about it, you can actually eat something you like and feel you're getting healthier. You can drink it without feeling bad about this short period of enjoyment. They're sweet as well as tasty and they're healthy too, what a mix!

The Fruit

Many people have been asking for quite some time now, is there a fruit that's better than another? Does the best fruit really exist -- the healthiest one that goes perfectly with any other?

The response to that concern is quite simple -- there is no such thing as the greatest fruit. You can find fruits that offer you much more nutrients and there are those which are basically tastier than others. Still, as with almost anything on the planet, everything boils down to the way you make it. To help you choose the best fruit for your needs, here is a listing and description of the most favored fruits used to make a smoothie.

Fruits Used Most Often

The best fruit to start with is undoubtedly oranges. Oranges aren't just probably the most famous fruits, but they're also one of the most beloved ones. It's also a well known fact they're incredibly healthy, too. Oranges have beta carotene, which is an incredibly strong anti-oxidant -- it prevents cells from being harmed. This means it's one of the most healthy fruits in existence.

Another fruit that we need not to overlook, is undoubtedly strawberries. Of course, strawberries are as nutritious as oranges, let me tell you that. Strawberries are jam-packed with riboflavin (vitamin B2), that is accountable for body growth (crucial for kids). This fruit is additionally really light and very tasty -- sweet and delicate.

To be honest, there's practically nothing simpler than preparing a banana smoothie -- you don't need to add any other thing. But the real reason why we love smoothies so much is because their flavor is more complex. There are several positive aspects of bananas inside a smoothie, aside from the vitamins and minerals -- it's the fullness they bring. Bananas also add a bit of sweet taste (just be certain you don't overdo), which may successfully remove the need to add refined sugar. Also, bananas contain tryptophan, a substance that makes people happier compared to what they usually are.

The Conclusion

What you ought to keep in mind at all times is, that in most instances the beauty of a smoothie lies in its simplicity. Combining many fruits might give you amazing results, however it may as well make the taste too complicated. But when you stick to those three fruits and add a maximum of 3 or 4 more, you will not be sorry.

Just be sure to continually try out new stuff, to check out untried combinations. Oranges fit with bananas, yet not so good with strawberries; they also make a great mix with oats. If you try many mixtures, you can rest assured that you're going to think of many different flavors you (along with everybody else) will love.

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