Green Tea Benefits

Posted by Karen on 06 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: Tea, Tea Facts, Health

Many health products use extracts of green tea in their formulation; it has excellent antioxidant properties, widely used by drug and health product manufacturers. Using green tea weight loss products to burn off extra calories is claimed to be the most natural method and you won’t find a better source; one which can be purchased in liquid form, taken as tablets and even drunk as normal tea.In addition to weight loss functions, it can also help slow the signs of aging by helping to speed up the regenerative functions of the cells. However, weight loss treatments using it rely on the laxative and toxin purging qualities of the plant that speed up the metabolism. The way to stop fat from forming is by burning calories faster than they can be put on as excess weight, and this is where the product excels. 

This said, green tea weight loss supplements still need the help of the person using them because if you are eating large amounts of junk food every day without any physical activity then you will still put on weight. Many people seem to think that its use will solve all their weight problems but the fact you are taking the product implies you are trying to improve your health by eating more healthily.

If you use green tea as a drink then the best time to take this is just before you retire for the night. It is possible that during the first two or three days, you may experience some bowel discomfort, but that is very likely to pass soon. This is not something to be concerned about as it only normally affects someone who has never taken green tea weight loss products before and then because the tea is improving the body’s metabolism. It doesn’t take long to see the results and if you follow your diet correctly; i.e. increasing your liquid intake, regular exercise and eating fruit and vegetables then expect to see good results within your first week.

Often, green tea is combined with other products to work more effectively and one such product is ginseng. Considered to be the root of life in China and Tibet, ginseng root brings the vitamin and mineral supplement the body needs during a detoxification period.

Getting back to a normal weight can be stressful but the addition of ginseng to the green tea helps provide extra energy and fortification by assisting the body’s own immune system. Green tea and ginseng have not been found to have any harmful side-effects even during periods of up to six months at a time.

Coffee in the Office

Posted by Karen on 28 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: Coffee Facts, Coffee

With the choice and variety of office drinks machine available today, choosing the most suitable one for your office can be difficult. I have already posted several articles discussing the pros and cons of different types of machines and in this article we discuss another ‘ the traditional office vending machine.Many years ago the basic office vending machine consisted of a table top unit containing several canisters of loose dried drinks ingredients, push buttons to select the drink and a simple coin mechanism to enable money to be collected.

A typical arrangement for the machine of ingredient canisters or hoppers would comprise of freeze dried coffee, powdered milk, drinking chocolate, sugar and one other ingredient usually soup. Tea was not really an option as the taste of instant tea was not of sufficient quality and despite improvement this still remains the case today.

A plastic cup was taken from a column, money inserted in the mechanism and the cup put underneath the various selections and a button pressed to select the ingredient required. A white coffee for example would require a 6 stage process to produce a drink that still had to be stirred. Coin inserted, cup taken, coffee pressed, milk pressed, sugar pressed and lastly hot water added by pressing the final button.

This format still forms the basis of many smaller budget office drinks machines today. The technology has improved, the taste and choice of the drinks is vastly superior but the concept remains the same.

Larger automatic machines still use different ingredient hoppers, but have incorporated the whole process into a single one button operation that dispenses the chosen beverage into the cup at a fixed position so there is no need for manual operation.

Generally these types of machines offer instant drinks only, so that tea drinkers are often forced to choice an alternative. This sort of machine is easy to restock as it is a simple matter of refilling the various canisters inside the machine with the appropriate product. However spillages do occur and it is important that a daily cleaning and hygiene process is undertaken.

Modern and more expensive office vending machines can offer fresh brew coffee and leaf tea options and serve fabulous tasting drinks. However the complicated brew process means that cleaning and maintenance is more involved and your service engineer will need to call more often. Machine, drink and service costs are all higher for fresh brew machines, so this needs to be taken into account.

It is always best to discuss your requirements with a reputable supplier who will advise the best solution to your office drinks needs and suggest the most appropriate style of machine to suit your particular office layout, taste and budget.

Chinese Prosperity Cake

Posted by Karen on 21 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: General, Recipes

Prosperity Cake, or Fa Gao in Chinese, is a classic Chinese New Year food. All the symbolic food that Chinese people eat during the Chinese New Year has an auspicious meaning. Check out the meaning of this one, and its recipe.

Prosperity Cake, or Fa Gao in Chinese, is a classic Chinese New Year food. All the symbolic food that Chinese people eat during the Chinese New Year has an auspicious meaning. This includes good health, good fortune, and good luck. Prosperity Cake, as the name hints, means that you will make good money in this upcoming year after eating it on New Year’s Day. In Chinese, Fa means becoming rich, and Gao simply means cake. Since Fa could also mean “rising” of batter in baking, make sure your Prosperity Cake rises and splits at the top when you make it with the recipe below! The more it rises, the more prosperous you will be!

Ingredients:

Dry white rice - 4 oz (or 1/2 cup)

Luke warm water (90F) - 5 liquid oz (or 0.6 cup)

Brown sugar - 2 Tbsp

Low protein flour (cake flour) - 3 oz (or 6.5 Tbsp)

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Directions:

1. Rinse rice to clean. Pour some water over rice and let soak in room temperature for 3 hours.

2. Drain off the water. Put the soaked rice with lukewarm water and brown sugar in a blender. Puree to smooth.

3. Combine flour and baking powder with the rice milk in step 2 and stir well.

4. Pour and distribute the batter into 6 baking cups. Steam over high heat until the batter rises and splits open at the top (about 30 minutes).

Enjoy this delicious, auspicious, and healthy Prosperity Cake and have a prosperous Year of the Rat!

Coffee Tips

Posted by Karen on 08 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: General, Coffee Facts, Coffee Tips & Tricks

Coffee Storage
Never store your coffee in the refrigerator. Coffee will absorb flavors and aromas from other food products in your refrigerator. Freezing coffee can also have a damaging effect, and we do not recommend this practice unless you will not use-up your supply of coffee for a prolonged period of time [two weeks or more]. Coffee should be stored in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool, dark place.

Dosage Tip
When making brewed coffee, allow 2 to 2 1/2 level tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water [3 tablespoons for 8 ounces]. For espresso, allow 7 to 8 grams for a single shot, and 14 to 16 grams for a double shot.

Buying Tip
When purchasing coffee, always ask when it was roasted. Many common misconceptions exist when it comes to judging the freshness and optimum time to experience a roasted coffee at its peak of perfection. Generally coffee is best if used a day or two after roasting, and if kept in an air tight container, flavor should not diminish significantly until after seven to ten days. Old coffee beans may appear very oily, will have little or no aroma, or will take on a somewhat unpleasant aroma.

 

Roasting Coffee In A Popcorn Popper

Posted by Karen on 01 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: General

Yes, just as the title says - Roasing coffee in a popcorn popper.

I found this facinating article at CoffeeGeek.com that outlines how to roast coffee in a popcorn popper.  Although this is a ’should not do at home’ type concept - risk of fire and all that - it is a concept that is sound and I can see how the popper would make for some great tasting coffee.

Check out the article.

 

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