- Hot chocolate, the real stuff, doesn't come in a chocolate delight pudding dessert or powder. Instead, it's a rich, creamy drink made to be savored and served with elegance. You can make a big splash at your next dinner party or gathering by serving up this ancient treat in style, dazzling guests with its decadent flavor.The gourmet variety chocolate drink is one that's been perfected over the course of literally hundreds of years. The drinking of chocolate, in fact, dates back to ancient central and south Americans. To get the real deal in a drink for that's gourmet, you'll need to purchase the best in chocolates. Take care in choosing the chocolate for your drink. French or other imported dark or even unsweetened chocolate work well. The best chocolate recipes, of course, makes the best drinks.Once you've decided upon your chocolate base, you'll need fresh heavy cream, sugar if you've gone the unsweetened chocolate route and vanilla, real vanilla, not the fake stuff. Anything but the best will not do if you're trying to make gourmet drinking chocolate.
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Now, get a double boiler and carefully melt about one ounce of the chocolate. You'll want to take care in this process to make sure you don't burn the chocolate. If using a sweetened gourmet type of chocolate, you won't need to add any sugar. If not, add a few tablespoons to flavor. Once that's done, mix the chocolate with about two cups of heavy cream. If the cream overpowers the chocolate, melt a little more and whisk the combination together.With the chocolate and cream carefully blended, serve in delicate cups. A chocolate pot can be used for serving to add a flair for the dramatic, and even traditional.The drinking of gourmet chocolates is an art form in Europe where fine porcelain makers specialize in creating pots and cups to add elegance to the tradition.Don't be afraid to experiment with the types of chocolate in your drink or flavorful additives. Mint, for example, can be a refreshing addition to this gourmet drink as can fresh whipped cream, cinnamon sticks and other side touches.
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Friday, 13 September 2013
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Tips on Choosing the Right Travel Mug
- A good travel mug is a must when you need to put your produced coffee beverage recipes or tea with you on the road. There are many different types of mugs available, so here are a few tips to consider before you purchase one.Travel mugs are offered in both stainless steel and plastic with plastic being the least expensive.Even though stainless steel initially costs more, it will give you much better value for your money.Plastic mugs can break when dropped and they don't keep your coffee or tea hot nearly as long as the stainless mugs.
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- YAY! I finally got my orla kiely travel mug :) #designer #travel #mug #kenco#designertea instagram.com/p/do9e45DByH/
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You can expect superior performance from a stainless steel travel mug keeping your coffee or tea hot for about an hour. If you are looking for the very best way to keep your favorite beverage hot or cold longer, look for a mug with stainless steel double wall insulation.Stainless steel also cleans up easier than plastic and the plastic liner over time will absorb coffee or tea. This build up will affect the taste of your beverage and the only way to remedy it is to buy another travel mug.If you still prefer a plastic travel mug, make sure it has a stainless steel liner. The advantages of these are you won't feel the heat on the outside of the mug and you have a variety of colors to choose from.You should also decide if you want your travel mug to fit a cup holder in your car or if you want it to have a wide bottom for stability.The advantage of a travel mug that fits a cup holder is you don't have to hold onto it. Just make sure the dimensions of the mug will fit your holder.If you don't have a cupholder or don't like to use one, you need a travel mug with a wide bottom.Look for a non-slip wide bottom because not all of them come that way. You don't want it to slide if you let go of the travel mug.Next, what kind of a lid do you prefer? The lids that snap on can sometimes come off if the travel mug tips over or is dropped. Screw on lids are better because they stay on no matter what happens and that's the idea of a travel mug to begin with.Also, consider how the beverage hole will be covered and uncovered when you want to drink. Do you like a flap over the drink hole that snaps shut or do you prefer a slide that stays open or closed? Then there is the Press'N'Sip lever design that opens when you push on the spring loaded lever and closes when you let go.Travel mugs come in a variety of volume sizes too. If you only drink a small amount, consider a smaller 8 oz. travel mug. On the other hand, if you want a large amount of coffee or tea to drink, consider a larger 16 or 20 oz. travel mug.Once you get the travel mug that is just right for your tastes, hand wash it instead of putting it in the dishwasher. Sometimes soap residue gets left behind either in the lid or in the travel mug and no one likes that kind of surprise. So be sure to rinse it extra good so all that you taste is the rich flavor of your coffee or tea.If you leave your travel mug in the car while at work, store it away from direct sunlight. That way the hot sun magnified by the windows won't damage the rubber seals in the lid.Keep these tips in mind the next time you shop for a travel mug so when you fly out of the door with your favorite hot beverage, it will stay in the mug and remain hot until the last drop.
Monday, 9 September 2013
Salad Special Recipe with Quinoa
- Quinoa can easily be included in a macaroni salad and can add a new dimension to the nutritional count to your meal.Before you make the salad you need to take 1 cup of quinoa and boil it with 2 cups of water. When it comes to the boil simmer it for 10 - 15 minutes. For a crunchier texture choose the shorter time. If you prefer a soft fluffy look and feel the cook it for up to 15 minutes. Then leave to cool for 1/2 an hour.While it is cooling you can prepare the other ingredients.Salad Example Dish 1A simple example for a quinoa salad would be yellow sweet pepper, celery and tomato. The 3 salad vegetables here give a great mix of colours so the salad tastes good and looks good on the eye as well.If you have some left over it can be stored in a refrigerator in an airtight container. You can easily have it as a packed lunch the following day
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When you have prepared all the ingredients simply combine the meal together with the cooled quinoa and you have a simple salad. You can serve it on a bed of spinach or salad leaves. You can add french dressing, mayonnaise or balsamic vinegar to taste.You are only really limited by your imagination for this type of salad. You simply add what you like and have to hand.Salad Example Dish 2Another set of ingredients for a completely different quinoa salad would be chick peas, kidney beans, fresh green peas and sliced french beans. Mix with an olive oil dressing. Again there is a mix of colours and textures here that make the salad very appetizing.I hope I have shown how easy these salads are to prepare and enjoy. The only limits for you are your imagination and what you have to hand to include in the salad.
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Sunday, 8 September 2013
Temper Chocolate the Right Way
- While tempering chocolate, it is essential that you follow the correct procedure; otherwise it may burn or separate. Many people think that tempering is the same thing as melting it. However, even though tempering calls for melting the chocolate, the two procedures are not the same. Thus, before we get into the actual procedure for, here is a look at what tempering means.What Is Chocolate TemperingTempering is a method of liquefying chocolate through a process that entails melting of chocolate, cooling it, and then again melting it so as to stabilize the cocoa butter present in the chocolate and allow it to harden properly, thus bringing about the correct solidification when cooled.What this essentially means is that unlike melting where the chocolate is simply brought to a liquid state through gradual heating; tempering involves cooling and then reheating to the precise temperatures, so that the it hardens properly, achieves a glossy shine, and does not bloom (formation of cocoa butter layer on the cooled chocolate, resulting in a white powdery look like what you see in chocolate delight pudding dessert).
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Step-by-Step Guide to Tempering Chocolate1. Cut the chocolate into about 1/4th inch pieces and place in a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, you can improvise by using a saucepan to hold the water in and put a metal bowl on top wherein the chocolate goes. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the metal bowl as it boils.2. Heat the water and melt the chocolate till it reaches a temperature of 113 to 118 degrees F. Stir the chocolate regularly so that the cocoa butter does not separate from the chocolate. Use a chocolate thermometer or a candy thermometer to avoid over heating or burning of the chocolate. It is important to use a thermometer to check the temperature as the chocolate can burn if overheated even by a few degrees.3. Once the chocolate has melted, cool it until it reaches temperatures of about 82-84 degrees F for white and milk chocolate, and 85-86 degrees F for dark chocolate.4. Put the chocolate back on the double boiler and heat once again until temperatures of 87-88 degrees F for white or milk chocolate and 88-90 degrees F for dark and bitter chocolate.The tempering procedure is now complete. You can check if it has been tempered properly by applying a layer of chocolate on butter paper. After about 5 minutes, the chocolate should peel off easily from the paper. If it does, then the chocolate has been tempered properly.By following these steps precisely, you can rest assured that your chocolate will be tempered in the right way.
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Soup Recipe that Strengthens Immune System
- A strong immune system is your first line of defense against allergies, colds, flu and other illnesses. There are many disease causing viruses and bacteria that invade our systems each day. Having a strong immune system can reduce your chances of becoming ill. There are many ways that you can reduce your risk of catching diseases, including washing your hands well and often, eating a easy healthy meals and exercising regularly. There are also many herbal infusions and foods that can also help to boost your immune system.Your mother's chicken soup cure was right on the money. Make your own by boiling the chicken and seasoning it well to make your own stock. Add fresh vegetables and fresh herbs, such as basil or tarragon, for a soothing, mild flavor. Tip: Basil can be really easy to grow in a garden pot on your back porch!
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To make your own soup to strengthen your immune system, follow these guidelines.For each person you are serving add this per person:Chop at least one half an onion.Chop or slice at least two cloves of garlic.Sauté these well in olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.Add chopped fresh vegetables, whatever is in season is fine, or try theseYellow SquashZucchiniBell Pepper (red, green, yellow or orange)BroccoliGreen beansCornYou can try any one or all of them together.Also add a lot of seaweed, mushrooms and tonic roots. Add sea salt for flavor.Use seasonings such as:TarragonBasilOreganoMake your own vegetable stock by cooking the vegetables and seasonings in a pot of water. Alternatively, you can purchase vegetable stock or vegetable broth; just make sure that you get the low sodium kind.Add your onions to your vegetables and seasonings, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. You can also add a little cooking sherry or white wine for a mild flavor. After your soup simmers, remove it from the heat and let it sit overnight in a cool place. This is called "mellowing." The next day you can serve the soup with hard, crusty bread.Seaweed is very beneficial for removing radiation and heavy metals from the body's tissues. Mushrooms are great for strengthening the immune system. They also work to prevent cancer. Shitake mushrooms are most widely recognized for their medicinal properties and helping to prevent disease and cancer, but other mushrooms, including the button kind, work great too. Try different kinds of mushrooms, including Portobello's, porcinni or others.Glyconutrients PowderYes! You can actually add several scoops of glyconutrients powder directly to the pot or mixed into each bowl without noticing any change in the flavor. Just make sure that the glyconutrients supplement is not a cheap knock-off product and has been formulated correctly so that the vital nutrients will not be denatured in the hot soup. This is a great way to maintain a strong immune system since glyconutrients are essential to immune system function!
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