Grown Up Dessert

COFFEE JELLO

• Dissolve one packet of plain unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold liquid (water or coffee).  Let sit 5 minutes to soften.

• Add 1.5 cups of hot (boiling) coffee. 

• Stir in 1/4 cup sweetener of choice ( I used Splenda...you can use sugar if you wish) and a dash of salt.   Stir until dissolved.

•  Chill until set.

• Serve spooned into coffee cups, top with whipped cream.

A nice addition would be a drizzle of Chocolate Magic Shell for a mocha flavor.  You might add some chocolate syrup too as part of the liquid, reducing the added sweetener to taste.

In the future I'm going to try making this using green tea in place of the coffee.

Mixed Tea

I like to have a variety of teas on hand.  When I get several it's time to mix and match.

Here is my delicious cool brew.

• one black current tea bag
• one Tazo Passion tea bag (hibiscus tea)
• one Constant Comment tea bag (orange rind, spices)
• one plain Lipton tea bag

Hang in a quart mason jar and fill with water that you've brought just to the boil.  

Put the lid on and let it sit on the counter.  

Leave the tea bags in if you want--I do. 

When you're ready for a cool drink, decant into an ice filled glass. 

Flavorful without the addition of sweetener.

What in your pantry?

Heading Into the New Year: Focus on fiber and cinnamon

If you'd like to get more fiber into your diet this upcoming year eat more beans.  They are a great source of fiber, cheap and good for you.

Yes they are carbohydrates, but complex.  Pass on the bread and eat  beans instead.

Fiber not only promotes regularity, it helps you fill full longer and it feeds the good bacteria in your gut.  And you want to feed that good bacteria--so it can control the bad bacteria population.


 As for cinnamon, it has several healthful benefits. Dr. Oz recommends it and I find him to be credible. When it comes to losing weight, 'they' say cinnamon helps by increasing metabolism.

And if you are diabetic or have insulin resistance issues, cinnamon has some proven benefits for those issues too.

In Asian cultures and Ayurveda  it is considered to be a warming spice.  And don't worry if it is Ceylon cinnamon or cassia.  Cassia is even higher in the beneficial elements than cinnamon per my research.

My goal is to consume a teaspoon of cinnamon every day.  The easiest way I find to ingest it is in a tisane.

Here's how I make mine.

CINNAMON GINGER TISANE

I bring some water to a boil.  While I wait on that I grate some fresh ginger into my cup--a good amount--probably a teaspoon or more-- I like it gingery and spicy.  To that I add a third teaspoon of cinnamon and a packet of stevia to sweeten it.  Then I add the water, about 10 ounces, and I let that steep, covered, for about 5 minutes.

If you don't like ginger omit it.  But be sure to allow the cinnamon to steep and soak up the water.  If need be, reheat it after steeping.  If you don't allow it to steep it will taste sharp instead of sweet.

Sometimes Simple Is Best: Green Tea

I'm not a fan of plain green tea, and too often I've purchased the flavored ones and found them not to my liking either.

Sitting in my larder was a jar of whole green tea--the kind that looks like broken leaves with a twig thrown in now and then.

I'd read a blog post on how lovely green tea is with yuzu juice added.  The post described it and I plan to get some, next time I visit the big city and hit the Oriental market.

But I did have a fresh lemon.  

Now I've tried lemon flavored green tea bags--yuck.  Maybe it was the brand?

But brewing plain loose leaf green tea, chilling and adding fresh lemon.  Wow..totally does not taste like green tea and is very refreshing.

Here's how to make one quart.

In a small sauce pan add 4 cups of water and 4 teaspoons full leaf green tea.  Bring to a rolling boil.  

Remove from heat and allow to steep until liquid is cool enough to decant into a glass container.  Pour through a strainer as you decant to remove tea leaves.  Chill.

To serve, pour over ice, squeeze in the juice of one large wedge of lemon and sweeten if desired (I do)--don't skimp with the lemon. 

Yum.  Enjoy.

Milk Tea (With Turmeric and Ginger)

Try this hot beverage for a pick-me-up or a nightcap. My own unique concoction? I add the question mark because it may not be anything new.

In a heat proof mug place about 1/8 teaspoon ( I don't measure) each: turmeric and powdered ginger (if you want you can use fresh ginger). On top of that add a big tablespoon of good local honey. Then add enough boiling water to make a paste. Stir, stir, stir until smooth. Then add more hot water so the mug is 2/3 full. Top off with milk the rest of the way. Continue heating by placing in the microwave. I like it to almost reach boiling. I think it helps the turmeric and ginger 'get into' the milk.

This is a nice light hot drink and the benefits of turmeric and ginger have been oft touted .

Give it a try. I love it. So might you. Even husband thought it was good.

A Cup of Christmas Tea

If you haven't read the poem "A Cup of Christmas Tea" by Tom Hegg you can do so here. It is a real gem, especially this time of year.

Over the years I've tried making different Christmas teas--none of them were stellar--but I've settled for the ready made blend "Constant Comment". When you pour the water over the tea bag, the fragrant scent of oranges wafts up, along with a hint of clove and cinnamon--just the right amount--and it smells just like Christmas in a cup.

Constant Comment has been around for as long as I can remember. I was introduced to it back in the 1970's. Twenty individually foil wrapped quality tea bags for $2 is a real deal as well. If you've never tried it you might what to give it a go. Combine with a cookie or two and serve it up in a festive holiday mug or tea cup and you've got yourself a special moment.

Tea Time Raisin Bars

I've had this recipe for years and oft enjoyed it. These bars are the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea or coffee on a cold blustery day--and quickly mixed up from the staples in your pantry. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a sauce pan mix:

1 cup raisins
1 cup water

Bring to a boil, then add:

1/2 cup oil or melted shortening or butter

Let cool. Now add the rest:

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
optional: 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 cup nuts

Mix together, pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake until done--careful not to over bake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy. Hint: if you are not using oil, add the butter or shortening to the boiled raisin water mixture when you take it off the heat-- so it will melt. It saves on washing up. Also, all you need is a spoon to mix this. Quick, easy, economical, tasty.

Sweet!

For a sweet treat that is calorie free and good for you try the Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride herbal tea. It really does taste like a sugar cookie--even before you add any sweetening. I was surprised at how much I liked it because for the most part I don't care for most herbal teas. I purchased mine at Walmart for the grand sum of $2.08 plus tax --a bargain I think.

Celestial Seasonings has some other holiday teas. Check them out--click here.

With Thanksgiving on our heels followed by Christmas, New Years and the Superbowl, a calorie free treat is the order of the day.

Bubble Tea and Joy Fit Club Video

I did it! I made bubble tea. I've been fascinated with it since hearing about it. And today I found the black tapioca pearls at the area world market.

Note--the pearls were not easy to find. The market is huge and I had to thoroughly investigate many aisles before finding anything that resembled tapioca. To make things more difficult, the writing on the package was not in English. It looked Japanese, definitely Asian. But fortunately for me, the tag on the shelf said tapioca. And the picture on the package looked like black pearl tapioca. But...it could as well have been black beans . The tapioca itself, as I could see it uncooked through the packaging, was brown.

When I first began cooking it I had my doubts that it would turn out. It was small and brown with only a little black on one side and no way could I envision it swelling into those lustrous pearls I'd see on the Web. But...it did!! And I had the key ingredient for bubble tea.

I steeped the pearls in lemon and sugar for about half an hour and then placed them in the bottom of a clear glass. I used the traditional milk tea (iced) which is strong black tea with milk and sweetener added. When you add the milk it allows you to see those beautiful black "bubbles" at the bottom of your glass. It happened that I had a straw that would accommodate the size of the pearls and I was in business--sucking up those yummy gummy pearls, chewing them as I slurped my way through my tea .

My next quest will be to find the colored tapioca pearls so I can make some fruity bubble tea.

***************************************

In the event the video won't work for you, here's the link: click here

Lovely Ginger Tea

Nothing is nicer and more comforting than a cup of steaming ginger tea. Especially when it's gloomy and raining , ginger tea is cheering. And nothing could be easier to make.

The main ingredient is fresh ginger which you can purchase at most any grocery store. It is sold by the pound and if you've never purchased it before don't be alarmed by the price. The pieces in the bin are called hands, but you need only buy a finger...about the size of your thumb....just break off a piece. At the check out it will be weighed and will probably cost a quarter or so.

Besides ginger you'll need some water and a tea bag. Regular orange pekoe is good, or you could use green tea with its highly touted health benefits.

Slice a piece off your finger of ginger, maybe a half inch thick....no need to be precise....,rinse it, peel it and then mash with the bottom of a sauce pan or slice finely and add to about 12 ounces of water. Bring the water to a boil and let simmer 2 or 3 minutes, then pour into your cup and dunk your tea bag into the concoction 2 or 3 times...be quick...unless you want stronger tea. Add some sweetener if you desire...I like a teaspoon or two of sugar....honey would be nice. Allow it to steep another minute or so until it is just the right drinking temperature.

It is especially lovely with some toasted and buttered cranberry walnut whole wheat bread.

Enjoy!