Archive for January, 2008

The Origin Of Southerners Beloved Mint Julep

Thursday, January 31st, 2008


The word julep is an old and honored one and can be traced as far back as A. D. 1400 - long before we ever heard of the Southern States of these United States, where the julep is popularly supposed to be indigenous.

For centuries the julep has been described as “something to cool or assuage the heat of passion,” and “a sweet drink prepared in different ways.” We know nothing of the first definition but will confirm the second statement that it can be made in different ways.

The earliest form of the word was iulep. Arabs called it julab, the Portuguese julepe, the Italians giulebbe, Latins named it julapium, Persians, gul-ab, meaning “rose water.” The Greeks, alas, did not have a word for it! Julep, as we spell it, is French. All this being settled, let us get on with our juleping.

Don’t use rye whiskey in making a julep. If you do use whiskey let it be Bourbon, which serves its highest purpose when it becomes a component part of that prince of all thirst-quenchers known as the Mint Julep. There are many kinds of mint juleps, one for nearly every Southern State - such as Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana juleps.

For a mint julep, you’re going to need the following:

1 teaspoon sugar

1 dozen mint leaves

1 jigger Bourbon whiskey

1 pony rum

Put the mint leaves into a tall glass in which the julep is to be served. Add the sugar and crush in a little water. Four in the Bourbon whiskey, then the rum, and fill the glass with shaved ice. Jiggle the mixture with a long-handled spoon (do not stir) until the outside of the glass or metal goblet is heavily frosted. Arrange a bouquet of several sprigs of mint on top just before handing to the recipient, who will ever after bless you.

Naturally, one is aware that he takes his life in his hands by even suggesting the way a real mint julep should be prepared, for there are as many recipes for this truly Southern drink as there are southern states in the Union.

Julep experts - may their tribe never decrease! - know that correct and authentic recipes take on changes in passing from one state to another. Southern colonels, to say nothing of majors, captains, and buck privates, have been known to call for pistols under the duelling oaks when it is even hinted that mint leaves be crushed in preparing a julep. Other colonels, majors, etc., emit fire and brimstone, and a Bourbon-laden breath, if the pungent leaves are not crushed in the bottom of the glass and a bouquet of short-to-measure sprigs placed on top in which to snuggle the nose while the nectar is being withdrawn with a reverent, albeit, audible sucking through a straw.

There is also a difference of opinion concerning the variety of spirits that go into the making. In the recipe above the pony of rum may be added or subtracted - it all depends on your drinking mathematics. Rum, however, gives added zest to a regulation whiskey julep.

The one thing upon which the two mint julep schools are fully agreed is this: it was a julep the two Carolina governors had in mind when making their celebrated observation regarding the length of time between drinks.

Other than that agreement, the ingredients and ratios involved in making a julep have been widely debated. However, as long as you know how to make one julep, you’ll be smiling by the end of the night.
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Cooking With Lamb

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008


We all know and have read about the health benefits of eating a varied diet, consisting of a selection of one product out of the 5 main food groups. (Fruit & Vegetables, Meat & Fish, Dairy Products and Milk, Bread cereal and potatoes, and fatty and sugary foods) When it comes to choosing a meat product Lamb is one of the most flavorsome of all the meats.

With lamb you have a varied choice of cuts i.e. Breast, Leg, Shank, Shoulder, Loin, Chump Fillet Scrag and of course Minced Lamb.

When people think of a joint of lamb they tend to think of roast lamb and mint sauce, whilst this is truly delicious there are so many other recipes that you can choose using different cuts of Lamb.

If you have the opportunity to buy a whole lamb from a local farmer so much the better, the flavor of the meat and the tenderness is so much better than the lamb that we tend to get in the supermarkets.

You also have the benefit of knowing that the Lamb has been reared on a local farm and hopefully has been well looked after. If you do have to buy lamb from the supermarket then make sure that you but the leanest cuts with firm creamy-white fat.

A lot of recipes that we tend to use beef mince for are in fact so much better if you use lamb, how can you make Moussaka with beef, and all curries are so much better made with lamb try it for yourself and you will see the difference.

Because lambs are young when they go to slaughter the meat is always tender, ever heard of a tough bit of lamb, I very much doubt it. If you can get it the neck fillet is one of my favorite cuts and you can do absolutely anything with it that you like.

Cut it into large chunks and roll in some spices and fry quickly in a frying pan and it’s meltingly soft and so full of flavor. Mince it up and make Moussaka or Shepherds pie I bet you notice the difference from beef. Cube it for all your curries.

All the joints can be roasted, make some slits in the skin with a sharp knife and place some slivers of Garlic in each slice with some thyme or rosemary it gives the meat a most wonderful smell.

There are so many things that can be done with such a succulent piece of meat. If you are stuck for ideas or have never cooked lamb before try looking for some recipes online, or try cooking it on its own and when your confidence grows start to add things to the meat.
Vicki Churchill writes for a site that specializes in Recipes ,simple cooking ideas, ways to serve up stunning dishes with minimum effort & cooking tips and ideas.


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Fruits Savior Of Health

Sunday, January 27th, 2008


There are certain healthy foods that prevent mental, physical and sexual senility and prolong youthful vitality and appearance. The usefulness of some of the more important foods noted for such properties rendering good health are discussed here.

Almond as a health food
Known as the king of nuts, almond is a highly nutritious food. It is rich in all essential elements needed by the body. Almonds are highly beneficial in preserving vitality of the brain, strengthening the muscles and prolonging life. It is an effective health building food both for the body and mind.

Substances such as Copper, iron, phosphorous aand vitamin B1 present in almonds exert synergic action and help the formation of new blood cells. They also play a major role in maintaining the smooth physiological funtions of the brain, nerves, bone, liver and the heart.

Almond is a valuable health food for several common ailments, including anemia, constipation, skin disorders and respiratory diseases. The best way to consume almonds is to soak them in water and eat it after peeling or grinding in into a paste after peeling.

Another health food: Apple
Apple is invaluable in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention and treatment of many ailments. This fruit is a highly nutritive food and contains minerals and vitamins in abundance. It has been found beneficial in the treatment of anemia, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery stomach disorders, headache, heart disease, high blood pressure, rheumatic afflictions, eye and dental disorders.

The various chemicals present in apple such as vitamin B1, phosphorous and potassium help the synthesis of glutamic acid. This chemical substance controls the wear and tear of nerve cells. Eating an apple with honey and milk is very valuable in the nervous disorders like extreme tiredness, lack of concentration, lack of memory, mental irritability and mental depression. It acts as a very effective nerve tonic and recharges the nerves with new energy and life. The apple is the best fruit to tone up weak and run down condition of the human system.

It removes all deficiencies of vital organs and makes the body stout and strong. It tones up the body and the brain as it contains more phosphorous and iron than any other fruit or vegetable. Its regular consumption with milk promotes health and youthfulness and helps build healthy and bright skin. It has a calming and relaxing effect.
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on home based natural cures and remedies and the importance of fruits such as apple and almond.


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Become a Barbequing HippyChange Out Your Propane for Natural Gas

Thursday, January 24th, 2008


Everyone who does more than casual cooking on their gas grill should convert from propane to natural gas if at all possible. The ultimate convenience of not running out of fuel or having to change the tank is definitely worth the time, effort and cost. Grilling is a fantastic hobby. It is so simple and accessible to go outside to your grill - take off the grill cover and pronto - the grill is ignited. No leftover charcoal ashes to clean up first. No need to find a bag of charcoal, No need to empty the charcoal briquettes into the grill and light.No doubt of is there enough propane in the tank to cook the steaks?

But, all gas grills purchased today by consumers are equipped to use bottled propane gas that comes in a refillable container. Thus, in order to ensure that you will not run out of propane gas while you are a nice steak, you must have a spare container of propane gas available. If the first container should happen to run low while you are a nice steak, you can quickly replace the empty container with the full one and continue the cooking process. Murphys law holds especially while a nice steak - understand the propane container to empty while you are in the middle of cooking those amazing ribs. Panic! And of course it will only happen when you are entertaining guests.

How do you eliminate this crisis? Convert from propane to natural gas for your grill and have a continuous flow and endless supply of natural gas forever in the future. What is the difference? What must I do? Why wont my grill work as is on natural fuel? We will now answer all of those questions and state how to convert from propane to natural gas on your grill. But before you can convert from propane to natural gas, you will need to have a accessible source of natural gas for your gas grill with a quick disconnect connector. Assuming you already have natural fuel coming into your house for cooking or heating purposes, a connection can be brought to your grilling area by a plumber.

First, what is the difference between propane and natural gas? Propane is stored in a container under much pressure. Therefore the orifices that control the gas flow in your grill have a smaller opening for propane. The smaller orifice allows the proper flow of natural gas to escape to the burner and ignite. If you connect a gas grill fitted with propane orifices to a natural gas supply, the pressure in the natural gas line is much less and an insufficient amount of natural gas would escape the orifice to the gas burner. Not enough natural gas would reach the burner to ignite properly. There requirements to be an larger orifice for sufficient gas to escape to the burner to ignite properly.

Nearly all gas grill manufacturers will offer a natural gas orifice for your model grill. Contact your local distributor - he will be able to order new natural gas orifices for you if he does not have them in stock. The difficulty of changing from propane to natural gas orifices depends upon your grill. Some gas grills have easier access to the orifices than others. Usually detailed directions will be provided with the new orifices.

After the gas orifices are installed but before you reassemble the rest of the grill, you will want to check all of your connections for any leaks. To do this check, do not light any burners. Make sure all of the burner orifices are closed or in the shut off position. Connect your gas supply hose to the natural gas connection. Turn on the gas. Using soapy water around each connection, see if any gas bubbles seem at any of the connections. If you detect a leak - shut off the gas, Repair the connection and repeat the test. Once you determine that there are no leaks, finish reassembling the gas grill. Congratulations! You will never run out of a supply of gas while bbq again.
Love meat? Love cooked meat? Then ForBBQ.com is the place for you. Barbecue recipes, barbecue supplies, barbecue tips, and so much more! If you have a hankerin’ for hot, juicy, barbecue then you owe it to your tastebuds to head on over. Barbecue Recipes and Tips Like Never Before!


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

The Many Uses Of Elderberries

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008


Elderberries are common enough around parts of North America and Europe, and even in some of the more tropical southern regions of the planet they can also be found. But what the heck do you do with an elderberry?

Well, there are several different things that can be done with them. Wine is one very popular choice, and in Hungary they even use them to make brandy. As a general rule of thumb, it’s not the brightest idea on the planet to eat them raw, as they are mildly poisonous, and usually tend to induce vomiting. The green parts of the plant are all poisonous, and should not be consumed. However, the berries also make excellent pies and jams, and the flowers can be used to make tea.

In addition to dietary uses, an extract of elderberries has been shown to be of some use in fighting the flu, and the herbal tea made from the flowers has traditionally been known as a remedy for fevers and colds.

Elderberries and the elder bush have been the focus of many curious studies, and are known throughout many regions of the earth for their healing properties, although many of these wives tales are yet to be proven. However, there are commonly held beliefs in many cultures that elder bush, elderberries, and the flowers that produce them can be used in many different ways to cure any number of maladies. There has been some scientific basis for the idea of this plant having healing properties, however much has yet to be explored.

Elderberry also has been found to be a good source of essential amino acids and proteins, and has been described by Wiley InterScience as “a good source of high biological value protein and thus a suitable source of raw material for a variety of food and dietary products”. Roughly translated into english, that means the stuff is good for you. Since there are so many different ways to eat (or drink) the elderberry, I recommend you try a few out and see if you like any of the variety you can get out of them. If you do, there’s something else to eat that is good for you. If not, well at least you can say you tried.

If you’re interested in learning a few elderberry recipes, please search few sites and you will have enough to get some. I checked out some of the information on this site, and I gotta say, I’m looking forward to brewing a batch of elderberry beer, if for no other reason than to say I did.
Try looking young, okinawan coral calcium, womens harmony, fresh harvest for better health.


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The Green Tea Diet Reviewed

Sunday, January 20th, 2008


Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. The addition of green tea diet into diet pills and weight loss supplements is perhaps spurred by reports of harmful side-effects of other drugs like ephedra.

Why Choose the Green Tea Diet?

For four thousand years, green tea has been used all throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. It is different from all other tea diets because its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to full oxidation. In this way, the green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.

The green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.

Another antioxidant in the green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in the diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed.

The EGCG also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes the diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.

It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of the green tea diet, the body’s total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.

The diet helps increase the body’s metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that it can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea has an inhibiting effect on insulin, it therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.

The Downside

Although the diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.

Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed the green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.

Although the researchers never explained how the green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.

Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found there was no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.

There is no such thing as a miracle diet. The green tea diet like all other diets needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. It requires both discipline and determination for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.
Julie Health writes about weight loss with green tea. Feel free to learn more benefits of drinking green tea.


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Food Safety | Do Not Forget Food Safety or You will Spoil Your Picnic

Thursday, January 17th, 2008


Ahh, summer picnics and barbecues on the horizon. But before your next al fresco adventure, take steps to make sure germs are not on the menu.

Bacteria in food kept between the temperatures of 60 and 120 degrees can double within an hour, so keeping food at the right temperature is a must during the summer months, says Susan Moores, M.Sci., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Food receives a lot of handling. Picnic foods such as potato or macaroni salads, sandwich fillings, hamburger patties and cut watermelon often receive a lot of handling during preparation. Handling increases the risk of contamination with harmful bacteria.

Food is not cooled rapidly after cooling. Some common picnic foods require precooking and are prepared in llarge quantities. Cooked foods must be rapidly cooled by putting in shallow pans and refrigerating immediately after cooking so harmful bacteria does not grow.

Warm temperatures promote bacterial growth. Equipment to keep hot food hot and cold food cold is usually not used and food sits out for long periods of time. Warm temperatures support the growth of harmful bacteria. The longer food is at warm temperatures, the more likely foodborne illness will result.

To stay problem-free:

Time it right. Foods can sit out for up to two hours, one hour if the outside temp is above 80 degrees. Keep an eye on the clock once foods leave the cooler or grill, says Moores. Once time is up, store food at 40 degrees or less or toss it.

Freeze goodies ahead of time. Frozen drinks, buns and other icy items help chill the cooler.

Cook it well. Grill meats to an internal temperature of 160F. Hamburgers should be cooked through; hot dogs should be steaming hot. Cook chicken until juices run clear, meat is no longer pink.

Avoid blackened or charred barbecued meats. They contain carcinogens. Keep meats from touching flames by placing items on the grill once coals start glowing after the flames have died down. This reduces the chance that meats will char, says Moores.

Bring alcohol wipes. Wash up before touching foods, or cooking and eating, Moores says.

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers. That way, they will cool fast; slow cooling gives bacteria more time to grow.

If you cannot keep cold food cold and hot food hot, take foods that do not need refrigeration:

1. peanut butter sandwiches
2. dried fruit, nuts, unpeeled fresh fruit — apples, oranges, bananas
3. jelly sandwiches
4. unopened cans of food, meat, fish or fruit
5. cookies and cakes
6. crackers

Picnicking is a special part of many summertime activities. If picnic foods are not handled safely, they can cause foodborne illness. To prevent illness, take safety on your next picnic by reviewing these few quick tips on how to prepare safe and tasty food to keep you food safe and sound for your eating pleasure.
Remedy is an award-winning magazine that can help you and your family get healthy and stay healthy for life! Sign up today… FREE 2-Year Subscription


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

An Indoor Smoker Adds New Flavors to Meals

Monday, January 14th, 2008


An indoor smoker adds new dimensions and variety to meals for family and friends. A smoker prepares meats, chili, and other dishes with very distinctive flavors. The indoor smoker uses wood chips of hickory, oak or mesquite to flavor meals. Other hard wood flavors are also available for use in a smoker, and each cook can decide exactly which flavor is best for the current meal. Some of the indoor smokers also double for cooking in the normal ways. The indoor smokers are available in different capacities.

Indoor smokers are usually versatile appliances that provide different uses. Some of the smokers can be used on a small stove top and double as a steamer as required. The indoor smokers can be used over any type of stove including gas or electric. The smokers are known for maintaining and adding special flavor to the dishes prepared. The use of an indoor smoker should keep the meats and vegetables moist and nutritious. Some people maintain that smoking foods preserves more of the nutrients than other types of cooking methods. The smoking method is supposed to prepare foods that are lower in fat and cholesterol. The indoor smoker can be used to prepare meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

An Indoor Smoker Prepares Flavorful Meals Quickly

Indoor smokers are easy to use, and most of these cooking tools come with detailed instruction books to help the cook. Some of the smokers can be used indoors and outdoors. There are small models that can be taken on a camping trip to be used on a small camping stove. Many of the smokers come with a variety of hard woods so the buyer can try the different flavors available. The smokers often come with recipes especially for smoking foods for the best nutritional values.

Indoor smokers are great for preparing some of the most nutritional foods available. Smoked salmon is a great treat for the family and always full of the important nutritional substances to keep the family in perfect health. Many other types of seafood known for their great nutritional value are especially tasty when smoked with a flavorful wood. Smoked turkey is great for Thanksgiving, but also for every day sandwiches and casseroles. Most of the smokers available are made so they are easy to clean and store. Many smokers come with excellent directions, but cooks will be able to show their talents with creative use of the available flavors.
For more information on indoor smokers visit http://www.SimplyBarbeque.com/ or http://SimplyBarbeque.blogspot.com/


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Become a Barbequing HippyChange Out Your Propane for Natural Gas

Saturday, January 12th, 2008


Everyone who does more than casual cooking on their gas grill should convert from propane to natural gas if at all possible. The ultimate convenience of not running out of fuel or having to change the tank is definitely worth the time, effort and cost. Grilling is a fantastic hobby. It is so simple and accessible to go outside to your grill - take off the grill cover and pronto - the grill is ignited. No leftover charcoal ashes to clean up first. No need to find a bag of charcoal, No need to empty the charcoal briquettes into the grill and light.No doubt of is there enough propane in the tank to cook the steaks?

But, all gas grills purchased today by consumers are equipped to use bottled propane gas that comes in a refillable container. Thus, in order to ensure that you will not run out of propane gas while you are a nice steak, you must have a spare container of propane gas available. If the first container should happen to run low while you are a nice steak, you can quickly replace the empty container with the full one and continue the cooking process. Murphys law holds especially while a nice steak - understand the propane container to empty while you are in the middle of cooking those amazing ribs. Panic! And of course it will only happen when you are entertaining guests.

How do you eliminate this crisis? Convert from propane to natural gas for your grill and have a continuous flow and endless supply of natural gas forever in the future. What is the difference? What must I do? Why wont my grill work as is on natural fuel? We will now answer all of those questions and state how to convert from propane to natural gas on your grill. But before you can convert from propane to natural gas, you will need to have a accessible source of natural gas for your gas grill with a quick disconnect connector. Assuming you already have natural fuel coming into your house for cooking or heating purposes, a connection can be brought to your grilling area by a plumber.

First, what is the difference between propane and natural gas? Propane is stored in a container under much pressure. Therefore the orifices that control the gas flow in your grill have a smaller opening for propane. The smaller orifice allows the proper flow of natural gas to escape to the burner and ignite. If you connect a gas grill fitted with propane orifices to a natural gas supply, the pressure in the natural gas line is much less and an insufficient amount of natural gas would escape the orifice to the gas burner. Not enough natural gas would reach the burner to ignite properly. There requirements to be an larger orifice for sufficient gas to escape to the burner to ignite properly.

Nearly all gas grill manufacturers will offer a natural gas orifice for your model grill. Contact your local distributor - he will be able to order new natural gas orifices for you if he does not have them in stock. The difficulty of changing from propane to natural gas orifices depends upon your grill. Some gas grills have easier access to the orifices than others. Usually detailed directions will be provided with the new orifices.

After the gas orifices are installed but before you reassemble the rest of the grill, you will want to check all of your connections for any leaks. To do this check, do not light any burners. Make sure all of the burner orifices are closed or in the shut off position. Connect your gas supply hose to the natural gas connection. Turn on the gas. Using soapy water around each connection, see if any gas bubbles seem at any of the connections. If you detect a leak - shut off the gas, Repair the connection and repeat the test. Once you determine that there are no leaks, finish reassembling the gas grill. Congratulations! You will never run out of a supply of gas while bbq again.
Love meat? Love cooked meat? Then ForBBQ.com is the place for you. Barbecue recipes, barbecue supplies, barbecue tips, and so much more! If you have a hankerin’ for hot, juicy, barbecue then you owe it to your tastebuds to head on over. Barbecue Recipes and Tips Like Never Before!


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Why Iced Tea is So Popular

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008


All across our nation, we find that iced tea is on the menu of every restaurant and is invariably setting in a pitcher in our kitchens. We like it with sugar and we like it with artificial sweeteners. We like it with honey, and we like it with no type of sweetener at all. What is it about chilled tea that seems to make it such a part of our cultural landscape? Here are some thoughts on the place of tea with ice and its place in our lives.

Tea has long been one of those beverages that we use to be sociable. Custom has long dictated that we not offer any alcoholic beverage to guests in our homes until after a certain time of day. Instead, we would invite persons to sit down with us and enjoy a nice pitcher of tea complete with ice and lemon as we enjoyed a bit of lunch, or had a nice visit in the afternoon. Because of the refreshing nature of the beverage, we could serve it with confidence in most situations, and feel ourselves to be a courteous host or hostess by doing so.

When it comes to an emotionally upsetting event, many of us often think of tea as something to drink as we settle our jangled nerves. While the practice began centuries ago by producing a piping hot cup of tea in times of trial, these days one may also find a glass of iced tea with ice lemon and within reach. Tea in this sense is like a comfort food. It is real and familiar and can help us put some perspective back into what may be causing our lives to be temporarily turned upside down. Having the tea handy reminds us of the everyday world and that things will return to a sense of normality once the current crisis is addressed and resolved.

The fact that iced tea is easy to make and fits in so well with the landscape of our lives gives the beverage an enduring quality that continues in spite of all sorts of changes in the way we live. Tea has been with us for centuries and tea that is iced has already carved out its own place in our modern world. Chances are that a hundred years from now, people will still be ordering tea with ice and lemon at their favorite cafes and restaurants.
Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://iced-tea.tea-universe.com. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Iced Tea


Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com