Archive for January, 2010
One of the pleasures of the holidays is the feasts and the snacks. The bane is the extra weight we need to lose as our New Years resolution. Here is a caffe latte recipe that might help shed some of those pounds and allow you your favorite coffee shop treat. The source for this is the weight watchers website.
Not on a diet. Try it with real sugar. Or maybe with a couple of pumps of your favorite flavoring syrup . . . Yummy!
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups regular grind espresso or other dark roast coffee
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
- 6 cups water
- 2-1/2 teaspoons EQUAL® FOR RECIPES or SPLENDA
- 2-1/2 cups skim milk
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg
Instructions:
Place espresso and cinnamon stick in filter basket of drip coffee pot; brew coffee with water. Stir sugar into coffee; pour into 8 mugs or cups.
Heat milk in small saucepan until steaming. Blend half of milk in blender at high speed until foamy, about 15 seconds; pour milk into 4 mugs of coffee, spooning foam on top. Repeat with remaining milk and coffee. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Information:
Calories 31, Total Fat 0 g, Protein 3 g, Carbohydrates 5 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 46 mg, Fiber 0 g
Until next time, happy brewing!
Want the benefits of tea, without the high stimulating effect in your body? Decaffeinated tea is the answer. This type of tea still come with the usual tea materials, but with reduced caffeine content. Perfect for those who want to enjoy a cup of tea and needs to call it a day right ahead. Decaffeinated teas also gives the same benefits as what the regular tea does.
Some people prefer decaffeinated tea because it minimizes the frequent urination effect of regular teas. People who drink this tea will benefit greatly from the immense sense of relaxation it brings. Tea without the caffeine is also great because it helps the body regenerate.
Traditional “masala” chai is a mix of savory spices such as clove, cinnamon, anise, ginger, and cardamon, which are ground and boiled in water. High-quality black tea is added and steeped with the spices, then the tea is strained and sweetened with sugar and honey. The result is a wonderfully sweet and fragrant beverage, enjoyable hot or cold.
Enjoyed for centuries, especially in India, this rich and complex beverage is now becoming popular in America. Available in different spice mixes and also in green tea mixes, chai mixes are readily available for having this new taste treat at home or at your local coffee shop.
Enjoy!
While used interchangeably, hot chocolate and hot cocoa are two distinct products.
Cocoa (often called drinking cocoa) is made directly from the cocoa bean. Most of the cocoa butter is removed from the bean and what’s left is ground into a powder. Consequently cocoa must often be reconstituted using milk instead of water. Cocoa is also less sweet, more of a dark chocolate flavoring, and much lower in fat content than hot chocolate.
Hot chocolate is made from bar chocolate, which already contains cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar. Most hot chocolate is made from milk chocolate, although it can be made from dark, semi sweet and bittersweet chocolate. (When not made with milk chocolate additional sugar may be added to counteract the increased bitterness of the chocolate.) Hot chocolate usually also contains powdered milk allowing it to be reconstituted using water.
So, stoke up the fire, stare out the window at the falling snow and take a deep sip of cocoa (or chocolate). The marshmallows are optional
Until next time – happy sipping.
There are many people that enjoy the smell and even the taste of coffee but are averse to getting hooked on the drink. After all, just take one look at a caffeine addict before they’ve had their morning cup of coffee, and it’s enough to scare you right off the drink for good! But coffee is such a social drink. (Just think, who doesn’t love meeting up for coffee?) So how do people strike a balance between the drink and the caffeine?
For many people, the answer is gourmet decaf coffee. This has the flavor of coffee but drastically cuts down on the caffeine. This kind of a drink also allows you to enjoy all those social meetings and chitchats over lattes and drip coffees. Decaf is even a good option for any after dinner or late night cup of java, as it won’t keep you up to all hours of the morning.