I hope by this point in the blog, I have convinced you to drink more (or even just try!) coffee and find a new appreciation for the bean. With the holidays coming up, why not try to incorporate coffee into your Thanksgiving after meal, or Christmas treats? The most popular and well known coffee dessert is tiramisu, but it's not the only one!
I'll post an easy recipe first for decedent coffee fudge. Yum!
Ingredients:
1-14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1-12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Heat the condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the instant coffee to the warm condensed milk.
3. Add the chocolate chips and stir until completely melted, but not too long else the mixture will scorch.
4. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
(credit to: http://www.cooktj.com/node/2494 for the recipe)
This is a perfect recipe that is quick and simple and would be excellent to show off to your family for the holidays.
Let me know how your fudge turns out!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Caffeine and the body
Now that you how caffeine effects your brain, what about your body? There's the obvious effects such as increased heart rate, easier breathing, shakiness, and increased energy and alertness.
There is also the non-obvious effects: the health pros and cons.
PROS:
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| Credit: http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/HumanBodyScience-Images/ Effects-of-caffeine-on-the-body_400w.png |
There is also the non-obvious effects: the health pros and cons.
PROS:
- Lower the risk for diabetes
- Lower the risk for heart disease
- Increase your metabolism rate
CONS:
- Can cause anxiety
- Raises blood pressure
- It can make you dehydrated
- It blocks the absorption of vitamins
Want more information? Visit this FDA site for information.
Glorious Caffeine
Coffee has a lot of caffeine. That's why most people are addicted, and why some refuse to drink it.
My personal stance is bring on the caffeine! I am very pro-caffeine and consume about 250+ mg per day. I have drank so much coffee for so long, that I can drink it before bed and still pass out.
Caffeine is wonderful because it keeps you awake, increases adrenaline, and makes you feel happy. I found a cute video to explain this further.
Ignore the ad for books at the end, unless you need school books.
My personal stance is bring on the caffeine! I am very pro-caffeine and consume about 250+ mg per day. I have drank so much coffee for so long, that I can drink it before bed and still pass out.
Caffeine is wonderful because it keeps you awake, increases adrenaline, and makes you feel happy. I found a cute video to explain this further.
Ignore the ad for books at the end, unless you need school books.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Tea time
Coffee's older cousin is tea. It's been brewed for centuries. There are hundreds of different types and flavors, but they all fall under six regular categories: Green, White, Oolong, Black, Herbal, and Rooibos.
Green tea: One of the oldest teas in the world, it was discovered in China, it is the most popular tea choice in the world. The tea has a low caffeine level. It is great iced or hot. Also wonderful mixed with flavors such as lemon, mint, or peach.
White tea: White tea is not fermented at all, which makes it look so light in the cup. It has virtually no caffeine. It can be mixed with lavender, violet, or fruit pieces to make a wonderful cup of tea.
Oolong tea: Oolong was also discovered in China, but the flavor profile is different because the tea is bruised after picking and the leaves are fermented. The caffeine in oolong is very low. It also is great mixed with a chai blend.
Herbal tea: Herbal tea is made from dried flowers, fruits, and herbs. They are mixed together so when they're steeped the flavors mix. Herbal tea blends have no caffeine in them which makes for a great cup right before bed. The most popular herbal blend is a chamomile tea.
Rooibos tea: Rooibos tea is made from the African red bush. The leaves are picked and fermented. Rooibos (pronounced Roo-e-bous) is a great tea to be mixed with herbal teas such as flowery or fruit based. It is caffeine free.
Black tea: The most popular tea in the US. It is a fully fermented tea. It does have quiet a bit of caffeine in it. It is great hot or iced and mixed with just about any flavor. The typical sweet tea is made from the base of black tea.
Have you ever tried tea? What was your favorite?
I'm partial to herbal teas because I love the flowery taste.
If you'd like to learn more about tea, you can visit one of the largest tea re-sellers - Teavana: http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/types-of-tea
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| From left: Black, rooibos, herbal, green, white teas. Credit: http://www.teasentials.com/images/IMG_05572.jpg |
Green tea: One of the oldest teas in the world, it was discovered in China, it is the most popular tea choice in the world. The tea has a low caffeine level. It is great iced or hot. Also wonderful mixed with flavors such as lemon, mint, or peach.
White tea: White tea is not fermented at all, which makes it look so light in the cup. It has virtually no caffeine. It can be mixed with lavender, violet, or fruit pieces to make a wonderful cup of tea.
Oolong tea: Oolong was also discovered in China, but the flavor profile is different because the tea is bruised after picking and the leaves are fermented. The caffeine in oolong is very low. It also is great mixed with a chai blend.
Herbal tea: Herbal tea is made from dried flowers, fruits, and herbs. They are mixed together so when they're steeped the flavors mix. Herbal tea blends have no caffeine in them which makes for a great cup right before bed. The most popular herbal blend is a chamomile tea.
Rooibos tea: Rooibos tea is made from the African red bush. The leaves are picked and fermented. Rooibos (pronounced Roo-e-bous) is a great tea to be mixed with herbal teas such as flowery or fruit based. It is caffeine free.
Black tea: The most popular tea in the US. It is a fully fermented tea. It does have quiet a bit of caffeine in it. It is great hot or iced and mixed with just about any flavor. The typical sweet tea is made from the base of black tea.
Have you ever tried tea? What was your favorite?
I'm partial to herbal teas because I love the flowery taste.
If you'd like to learn more about tea, you can visit one of the largest tea re-sellers - Teavana: http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/types-of-tea
No coffee? No problem!
What if you don't like coffee? That's okay! There are many different options for the non-java junkies out there who want to get their caffeine fix, if you go to a coffee shop or not.
If you aren't going to a coffee shop, there is regular options such as soda, tea, green coffee based drinks, energy drinks, or even semi-sweet chocolate has a little caffeine!
If you are going to a coffee shop, most have both iced and hot teas. Some tea has caffeine, but some do not. (I will address types of tea and caffeine levels in a later post). A very popular coffee shop that has a store everywhere in the world, has a green coffee based drink that tastes like a fruit juice. It has almost as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Most mocha based syrups have a tiny bit of caffeine in them, so a cup a hot chocolate has a slight zing.
There's also a few options if you want to go out, that don't have any caffeine in them at all. There's lemonade, non-caffeinated tea, apple cider (try caramel apple spice at Starbucks during the fall, it's amazing!), and smoothies. All are great options if you're trying to avoid caffeine or getting a drink for a child.
If you aren't going to a coffee shop, there is regular options such as soda, tea, green coffee based drinks, energy drinks, or even semi-sweet chocolate has a little caffeine!
If you are going to a coffee shop, most have both iced and hot teas. Some tea has caffeine, but some do not. (I will address types of tea and caffeine levels in a later post). A very popular coffee shop that has a store everywhere in the world, has a green coffee based drink that tastes like a fruit juice. It has almost as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Most mocha based syrups have a tiny bit of caffeine in them, so a cup a hot chocolate has a slight zing.
There's also a few options if you want to go out, that don't have any caffeine in them at all. There's lemonade, non-caffeinated tea, apple cider (try caramel apple spice at Starbucks during the fall, it's amazing!), and smoothies. All are great options if you're trying to avoid caffeine or getting a drink for a child.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Creative Ways to Brew
The last post was the common ways to make coffee at home, but what about those cool gadgets at that wonderful home store (you know what it is)? If you would like to impress your friends or feel like a real coffee connoisseur, maybe try one of these three methods.
1. Vacuum Pot - There are two chambers, a lower and upper. Coffee grounds are placed in the upper, and water in the lower. As the water is heated, it's pulled into the grounds on the top, thena s the water cools, it filters out of the grounds back into the lower chamber as coffee.
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| Vacuum Pot Credit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/ best-coffee-brewing-method_n_5233438.html |
2. Aeropress - A very cool gadget that uses hot water, grounds, and air pressure to make your cup of coffee. Simply place the aeropress onto of your cup, add grounds, hot water and then the 'plunger' and begin to press down. The air pressure forces the first stage of coffee out of the beans without the oils.
How to make that java at home
There are many different ways to brew coffee at home to make it feel like you're having a fancy cup at a cafe. You don't necessarily have to go out to get your fix. Below are the top 3 most common at home brew methods.
Top 3 brew at home methods for coffee:
1. Standard coffee maker (like a 12 cup Mr. Coffee maker) or a single cup coffee maker (like a Keurig). This is the most common and easiest in the brew methods because the standard coffee makers are so cheap, and the single serve is so easy.
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| Single serve coffee maker Credit: http://mr-coffee-espresso-machine. applianceschoice.com/keurig-k140-coffee-maker-and/ |
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| Standard coffee maker Credit: www.viewpoints.com |
2. French Press coffee - While this one is slightly more difficult, it is not so much so that it would be discouraging. Just place coffee grounds and boiling water into the french press device, wait a few minutes, press the filter down and you get a fresh brewed cup of coffee!
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