Ten Teas From Plants Around You And Their Benefits

All teas unless specified are brewed with 1 teaspoon dry
material or 2 teaspoons fresh material to 1 cup of water.
Always steep.  This means pouring hot water over material and
letting set for 5 – 15 minutes.  Always dry leaves and roots out
of the sun, in dark airy places.  Then store in airtight
containers.

Persimmon Tea:  The leaves when dried and crushed make a fine
strong tea.  Can be used all year round.  Rich in vitamin C.
Used as a healthful tonic.

Sassafras Tea:  Boil fresh roots after washing, until water
turns reddish brown.  Can be sliced and dried for later use.
Claimed by some to be a blood thinner, a blood purifier, to help
bronchitis, a stimulating spring tonic.  Mostly it is used for
pure enjoyment.

Birch Tea (Wintergreen): Black, yellow and white birch.  Dried
leaves can be used year round.  A large handful of fresh leaves
steeped in hot water was drunk 1 to 2 cups a day for rheumatism
and headaches.  Said to reduce pain of passing kidney stones,
and a fever reducer.  Cold it was used as a mouthwash.

Blackberry/Raspberry Tea:  The dried mature leaves of these
brambles make a good tea.  Used to help control diarrhea, as a
blood purifier and tonic.  Use all year round.

Blueberry Tea:  The dried mature leaves are steeped until cool
and drunk 1 to 2 cups per day as a blood purifier and tonic.
Also used to help inflamed kidneys and increase the flow of
urine.  Somewhat bitter.  Use all year round.

Alfalfa Tea:  The dried and powdered leaves and flower heads
make a very nutritious tea, but it is somewhat bland.  We
suggest mixing them with normal teas to stretch them and add
nutrition.  Its vitamin content was the reason it was used.
Used all year round.

Wild Strawberry Tea:  Use dried leaves normally.  Pour several
cups boiling water over a handful of fresh leaves in the
evening. Cover and let steep overnight.  Strain water and reheat
in the morning.  Believed to help with a multitude of things,
from stomach troubles, eczema, diarrhea, etc.   According to
experts, it is much more healthful than purchased coffee or
teas.  Use all year round.

Wild Rose-Hip Tea:  A handful of these steeped for 10 minutes,
then strained, make a healthful tea.  Can be used dried or fresh
in season.  Instead of boiling, place a handful in cool water
overnight, then stain and reheat in the morning.  Use all year
round.  Strong Vitamin C content.  Helps with Colds and the flu.
Also for sore throat.

Sweet Goldenrod Tea (Anise):  Can use dried or fresh leaves or
flowers.  Makes a very flavorful tea.  Pure enjoyment only!!
Used all year round.

Soldier’s Herb Tea:  This common yard weed with green leaves and
two seedie spikes was used by the colonials and Indians alike.
One teaspoon of seeds per cup of boiling water steeped for 1/2
hour was used for dropsy and jaundice.  A tea from fresh leaves
(chopped fine), one heaping teaspoon per cup of boiling water
steeped for 1/2 hour.  For dried powdered leaves, use one level
teaspoon and reduce time to 15 minutes.  Drunk 4 to 5 times a
day until relief was obtained.  Used for gout, to help clean out
nasal passages and to slow menstruation.  Also used to expel
worms.  A tea cooled made from rainwater was used as an eyewash.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wine for Your Meal

Many people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, but a good percentage of those don’t really know how to properly pair a wine with their meal.  Often they will find one wine that they like and drink it with everything.  What’s happening is that they’re missing out on some of the joy of the experience, because each wine complements food in a different way.  It really does matter what you drink.  These tips for choosing the perfect wine for your meal may just open up a whole new culinary experience for you.

In the simplest terms, people generally choose red wine to go with red meat and choose white wine to go with white meat.  If you’re having a nice steak, leg of lamb, or another red meat, choose from a variety of red wines. Fish, pork, and poultry would be served with a nice white wine.  This simplistic rule, of course, isn’t always the case.

Instead of matching a wine with the color of the meat being served, a better idea would be to match the intensity of the wine with the intensity of the meat.  A deep, full-bodied red wine would go well with a juicy steak or lamb chops.  Lighter meals would be good with a nice white wine.  If you have a spicy poultry dish you might want to serve a red wine just as you might want to serve a white wine with a delicate meal that has a red meat entrée.

Appetizers ideally shouldn’t be paired with red wines.  They can, however, be paired with these white wines: Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc; these roses: White Grenache and White Zinfandel; and these sparkling wines: Blanc de Noir, Brut Extra Dry, and Spumante.

Barbecue and marinated poultry are best served with one of these red wines: Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Beaujolais.  Beef dishes are also best served with a red wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel.

Mild cheese would benefit from Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon white wines.  You could also serve White Grenache or White Zinfandel in the rose, or Blanc de Noir, Brut Extra Dry, or Spumante champagnes.

Choose a red Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Zinfandel for strong cheeses.  A nice white Chardonnay or sparkling wine would also be a good choice.

Desserts would be best limited to a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, White Zinfandel, or Spumante sparkling wine.

Pasta dishes, especially those that are heavily seasoned with tomato sauce, and smoked or barbecued beef, would be great with a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Red Zinfandel.  White wine choices include Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling.  Rose and sparkling wine would not be ideal to serve with these types of meals.

Pork dishes can be enjoyed with a Pinot Noir or red Zinfandel, white Chardonnay or Gewurztraminer, or a White Grenache.
Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and White Zinfandel are good choices for poultry dishes.

Finally, if you plan to enjoy a seafood dinner, consider choosing a Merlot, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Semillon, White Grenache, or White Zinfandel for heavy seafood.  Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, White Grenache, and White Zinfandel would be recommended for lighter seafood fare.

It doesn’t take a genius to choose a good wine to enjoy with dinner.  These tips for choosing the perfect wine, while not exhaustive, will hopefully make that next decision a little easier.  Take your time, consider your options, and enjoy whatever you choose.

Halloween Party Punch

What’s a Halloween party with a big bowl of punch with floating eyeballs in it?

Ingredients:

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 liters ginger ale
1 apple (optional)
Eyeball candies (optional)

Instructions:

Get a large punch bowl or other container to serve your punch from. 
Combine the apple juice, cranberry concentrate, and orange juice.  Stir until any frozen parts are dissolved.  Slowly mix in the ginger ale.  Slice the apple in whole slices to float on top as brain slices among the floating eyeballs.

Boolicious Trick or Treat Smoothies

Ingredients:

2 cups orange juice
2 cups milk
2 pint orange sherbet
4 ripe bananas
2 cups whipped topping
miniature chocolate chips

Instructions:

Blend together orange juice, milk, sherbert and bananas until smooooooth.  Pour into party glasses.  Fill a decorator pastry bag with whipped topping (or fill a ziploc and cut off a corner tip) and squeeze out ghost like shapes on top of each drink just before serving.  Use chocolate chips for eyes. 

« Previous Page