YumSugar

Tea Time: Three Trick Treatments With Chamomile

PetSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:16 -0700

Tea for two, doggie and you! That's right, the same soothing chamomile tea you drink can be used with your pooch. Here are three dosing suggestions for a variety of ailments:

Sip. Coming from a pet-safe plant, tea of chamomile uses the natural healing and disinfecting effects to settle tummies upset from colic, gas, or anxiety. Make sure the drink is cooled and add to a pup's water dish.
Spray. If your pooch has itchy red skin, you can use the steeped tea to cool it - simply chill the tea and then spray lightly onto the bow-owwie - the tea can help kill the bacteria or other skin irritation and make it all better.

Soak. When the infection needs a stronger dose, use the already steeped, still warm tea bag as a compress on the affected body part.

Pinkies out and bottoms up!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Leaves: Tea-Inspired Fragrances

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:01:03 -0700

I loved tea parties as a little girl, and just a whiff of Celestial Seasons Sleepytime (which has soothed many a tummy ache and tastes great with ginger snaps) is enough to make me smile and breathe a sigh of relief. That's why, when I want to feel really comfy, I turn to tea scents - they're the chunky cable knit sweaters of the fragrance world, with the added bonus of going with any outfit and being comfortable to wear no matter how high the mercury in your thermometer goes.

My personal favorite for instant relaxation is perfumer Christopher Brosius's Russian Caravan Tea ($60), which is designed to smell like "smoked black Indian tea, bergamot and the hint of shelves full of old books." I'm also eagerly anticipating Dior's new tea scent, Escale a Pondichery, which is coming out this Fall and is supposed to be a true tea scent. While I'm waiting for the new Dior, though, I've put together some other lovely tea scents for you to sniff out - hopefully one of them will smell like happiness for you, too.

Relax Already: Make a Cup of Tea

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:00:32 -0700

Stress is a common phenomenon of a hectic workday, when everything speeds up to an unmanageable pace. To help slow things down and relax a bit, brew a cup of tea. This simple action can create profound results. Unlike chugging an ice-cold drink, sipping something hot takes time and a bit of patience. A cup of herbal tea like chamomile, known for its relaxing qualities, can provide a moment of calm and help you recharge so you have energy to tackle the rest of your day.

Food Section Sampler - May 6, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:50:47 -0700

Does snapping asparagus truly yield the most tender results? - New York Times
A behind-the-scenes look at the sustainable farm featured in The Omnivore's Dilemma. - Washington Post
Experts spill their secrets for making the best-ever meatloaf. - Chicago Tribune
Now more than ever, restaurants are taking note of food allergies. - Boston Globe
One Japanese contemporary is bringing the traditional tea ceremony into the 21st century. - Wall Street Journal
Is decanting your wine really all that important? - Los Angeles Times
Taste-tested: store-bought strawberry frozen yogurt. - San Francisco Chronicle

Noteworthy Nibbles - Apr. 14-21, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:00:15 -0700

Food festival season appears to be in full swing! The weekend's chock full of fancy food productions, from Scottsdale to Pebble Beach to Blue Ridge food and wine festivals. A number of your favorite celebrity chefs, like Top Chef's Fabio and Carla, Paula Deen, and Thomas Keller, will be making appearances across the nation. And what Southerner could miss out on crawfish and grits? If you think of anything we've left off, please feel free to add in below. What events will you be hitting up?

Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Apr. 14-19
Charlotte, NC: Taste of the Nation Charlotte - Apr. 15
San Antonio, TX: Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour - Apr. 15
Atlanta, GA: World Barista Championship - Apr. 15-19
Atlanta, GA: Toast of the Town Atlanta - Apr. 16
Austin, TX: Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival - Apr. 16-19
Pebble Beach, CA: Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival - Apr. 16-19
Blowing Rock, NC: Blue Ridge Wine Festival - Apr. 16-19
Biloxi, MS: MS Coast Coliseum Crawfish Festival - Apr. 16-19
Springfield, MO: Rock 'n Ribs BBQ Festival - Apr. 17-18

To see the rest, read more.

York, PA: Pennsylvania Herb Festival - Apr. 17-18
St. George, SC: World Grits Festival - Apr. 17-19
Salisbury, MD: Pork in the Park - Apr. 17-19
New York, NY: Coffee & Tea Festival NY - Apr. 18-19
Moulton, AL: Alabama Chicken & Egg Festival - Apr. 18-19
Atlanta, GA: Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show - Apr. 18-19
Norfolk, VA: Virginia Culinary Expo - Apr. 19
Princeton, NJ: Taste of the Nation Princeton - Apr. 20

Two Popular Beverages Linked to Throat Cancer

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:30:00 -0700

A cup of hot tea can be soothing on a cold day, but a new study urges you to think about the temperature of your beverage before you start sipping. Drinking scalding hot tea that is greater than 158°F (70°C) has been shown to increase the risk of throat cancer. Participants in the study who made black tea and drank it two minutes after pouring were five times as likely to develop throat cancer as compared to those who let their tea sit for four or more minutes. Researchers think the relationship between super-hot tea and cancer is connected to repeated injury to the lining of the throat.

I didn't know this but cancer of the esophagus is one of the deadliest cancers out there, and 500,000 people worldwide die each year from it. So take preventative measures by allowing your hot tea to cool so that it's warm or lukewarm, and less than 149°F (65°C).

Unfortunately, there's more bad news when it comes to esophageal cancer. If you drink alcohol then you'll want to read more.

Another study shows that a person who experiences a red face or flushing after drinking alcohol may have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. About one-third of Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans display this red-face phenomenon, accompanied by an increased heart rate and nausea. It's cause by an inherited lack of an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Many doctors are unaware that ALDH2-deficient people have this elevated risk, and they should be since the survival rate of esophageal cancer is really low, about 15.6 percent. Even moderate drinkers are at risk, so for those who suffer from a red face after drinking, it's best to avoid alcohol. Tell me, do you turn pink when you drink?

Source

Happy Hour: The Grey Lady

partysugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:00:44 -0700

Last month YumSugar and I attended a cocktail competition hosted by the drinks-based social networking website, Nirvino. We were a little worried about the contest, not because we were competing, but because each of the five cocktails had to use No. 209 Gin. Normally, I'm not a fan of the strong, intensely botanical flavor of gin, however the concoctions created by San Francisco's bartending elite were surprisingly well-balanced and drinkable. The winning drink, The Grey Lady, created by Greg Lindgren, the owner of one of my watering holes, Rye, was particularly memorable. A mixture of gin, fresh lemon juice, and Earl Grey syrup, this drink is innovative (who would think to use breakfast tea in a cocktail?), light, airy, smooth, and delicious. Although one of the ingredients, bergamot, is incredibly hard to find, the tipple can be enjoyed without it. To watch a video of Greg making the concoction at the party and check out the recipe, read more.

Nirvino Presents: The Grey Lady from Nirvino on Vimeo.

The Grey Lady
From Greg Lindgren of Rye

Ingredients

1 3/4 oz gin (recommended: No. 209 Gin)
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Earl Grey tea syrup
1/2 egg white
1 Pinch Bergamot Dust (finely grated zest from one bergamot)

Directions

Add egg white to cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously for 10-20 seconds.
Add the other ingredients. Shake again for 10 seconds.

Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy.

Makes 1 drink.

Print recipe with images | without images

Source

Snapple to Debut Redesign and HFCS-Free Formula

partysugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:30:34 -0800

Last week the New York Times announced that iced tea brand Snapple is redesigning its look and formula. The font is more modern, and the new bottle will be slimmer, so it can fit into cup holders. Real sugar will replace the high fructose corn syrup and lower the calorie count by 40 calories. The label will highlight the type of leaves - green and black tea leaves - used to make the drink and points out that it's "all natural."

With fierce competition in the specialty tea industry, Snapple hopes the more contemporary look will increase sales and popularity. The changes are set to hit supermarket shelves over the next few months. Snapple isn't the first brand to update its look to showcase the wholesomeness of ingredients - Heinz ketchup did it last month.

Do you drink Snapple? What do you think of the changes?

Source

Yummy Links: From Free Denny's to Disliking Top Chef

partysugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:45:32 -0800

From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. today you can get a free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's . - Fast Food News
Take a trip to the original McDonald's in San Bernardino, CA. - A Hamburger Today
Fifty easy ways to eat and cook green. - Bon Appétit
Empty tea tins make adorable flower vases. - The Kitchn
Use fresh lemon juice to remove tough food stains. - Chow
Why one journalist can't get into this season's Top Chef. - The Epi-Log

Source

Taste Test: Starbucks Tazo Tea Infusions

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:00:01 -0800

Despite hard times, coffee chain Starbucks continues to try new tactics. Two weeks ago, I introduced you to the company's tea lattes, its latest beverage to hit counters nationwide. But if lattes aren't your thing, Starbucks is hoping you'll reach for its new Tea Infusions instead, which are available in two flavors: Tazo Berry Chai and Tazo Apple Chai. I had a chance to give these drinks - a nondairy blend of Tazo black chai tea and fruit juice - a try. To find out how they fared, read more.

Tazo Berry Chai: Described as "a blend of aronia berry and blackcurrant juices steamed with black tea and exotic spices," I could taste the cloves and cassis sticks in the chai blended into this beverage. Although the drink had a mellow blackberry taste, each sip had a spicy, peppery ending. It did strike me as very sweet, and I wondered how much sweeter it would taste once lukewarm.

Tazo Apple Chai: Although there were supposedly "sweet spices" steamed into this beverage, PartySugar and I thought it was a dead ringer for spiced apple cider. It was also heavy on the sugar.

If you're in search of a spiced cider with a caffeine kick, or want to enjoy a drink akin to mulled wine without the alcohol, these drinks would be for you. It's hard for me to rationalize forgoing the taste of classic chai tea in exchange for one of these infusions. I found them both to be too sweet. While Starbucks maintains that they can also be served on ice, I wonder whether they would taste even more cloying when enjoyed cold.

Have you tried either of these drinks? What did you think of them?

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Trance Essence - Genie in a Bottle Perfume Oil - Roll On - 3.75ml - $46.00	Serge Lutens Five O'Clock Au Gingembre - $120.00
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Parfums de Nicolai - Fig Tea Eau Fraiche - 100ml Spray - $65.00	The Tea Eau de Toilette by L'Aromarine - $18.00
L'Artisan Parfumeur Tea for Two - $95.00	Bvlgari Fragrance Eau The Blanc White Tea, 2.5 ounces - $80.00
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea for Women Perfume Collection - $10.00	Kenzo Eau de Fleur Tea - $55.00
Green Tea with Mint Eau de Toilette - $46.00