The Story of Tea Drinking

The story of tea begins over four and a half thousand years ago. According to Chinese mythology, in 2737 BC the Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar and herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. A leaf from the tree dropped into the water and Shen Nung decided to try the brew. The tree was a wild tea tree.

From the earliest times tea was renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. By the third century AD many stories were being told and some written about tea and the benefits of tea drinking, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 906 AD) that tea became China's national drink and the word ch'a was used to describe tea.

Tea drinking has been practiced throughout the world for hundreds of years. From the imperial court of ancient China to the Russian tea room, from the Japanese tea ceremony to British village tea shops, the soothing, healing and invigorating effects of tea have been appreciated and understood by many peoples.

Tea is a naturally refreshing drink and taken on its own it has no calories, so it's the perfect drink to keep you looking good and feeling fit. When taken with milk, four cups of tea a day can provide you with significant amounts of the following nutrients: approximately 17% of the recommended intake for calcium, 5% for zinc, 22% for Vitamin B2, 5% for folic acid, and Vitamins B1 and B6.

A cup of tea is also a good source of manganese, which is essential for general physical development, and potassium which helps to maintain your body's fluid balance.

The Secret Components of Cigars

Cigars are comprised of surprisingly few component parts.  Unlike cigarettes, which usually have filters, two different kinds and colors of paper, and filler ingredients other than tobacco, cigars are all tobacco.  What makes one cigar so different from another is the type of tobacco, where it’s grown, when the leaves are picked, how the picked leaves are cured and fermented, and how the finished leaves are cut and rolled.  Because cigars are made in so many parts of the world, there is a diverse range of product, as you’d expect.

Wrappers

The outermost layer of cigars is called the wrapper.  It is made from the widest part of the tobacco leaves, and it has a big impact on the cigar’s flavor and aroma.  Cigar wrappers vary in color, and because the wrapper color is what is most visible, cigars are often described by the wrapper color.  Here is a list, from lightest to darkest:

*  Double Claro:  very light color (sometimes with a green tinge); color comes from leaves that are picked while still immature and cured quickly.

*  Claro:  light-brown or yellowish-brown color, which is the result of tobacco plants grown predominantly in shade.

*  Natural:  light-brown or brown.

*  Colorado Claro:  medium-brown; most often associated with Cuban or Dominican Republic tobacco.

*  Colorado (or Rosado):  reddish-brown.

*  Maduro:  dark-brown; very popular color among serious connoisseurs of cigars.

*  Oscuro:  very dark-brown to oily black; typically exudes a pungent aroma and deeper flavor.

Fillers

Cigars are composed mostly of whats known as filler tobacco.  Cigars can have filler comprised of three basic types:  Seco, Volado, and Ligero.  Cigars with Seco filler are drier and have a lighter flavor.  Volado filler produces a mid-range of flavor.  Ligero is the darkest, oiliest filler, producing cigars with lots of bold flavors and aromatic smoke.

One reason to choose thicker cigars (Churchills or Double Coronas, for example) is that these cigars obviously have more room for filler tobacco.  This gives the cigar maker the ability to add blends of Seco, Volado, and Ligero varieties.  You will find that these bigger cigars generally produce more varied and complex flavor combinations.

Filler is either whats known as long or short.  Long filler in cigars is comprised of whole tobacco leaves, whereas short filler contains a chopped mixture of leaves (sometimes just the leaves), stems, and other plant materials.  In most cases, cigars with long filler are of superior quality.

Binders

Many low-end cigars only use wrappers and fillers.  But the better quality cigars youll find on the market use another component binders.  Binders are an intermediate layer of more elastic tobacco leaves that help cigars hold the filler material together in a more cohesive manner.  The best cigars have binders that also add another complementary flavor to enhance the overall smoking experience.

The Origin Scotch and Irish Whiskey

The origin of Irish whisky is a little cloudy, no one is actually sure when it was 1st created, it is summised that brewing started sometime in the 12th century.

Irish whisky is barley, malt whisky made in Ireland. Irish whisky resembles Scotch whiskey in that its ingredients and formulation is slightly different.

Note that Irish whisky is written differently.Peat is almost never used when malting Irish whisky, resulting in a whisky with a smoother, sweeter flavour. In most Irish whiskys, the smoky, earthy flavors of Scotch are absent.

Common wisdom says that the Irish invented whisky, but it is speculated that the Scots perfected it. Both claims are open to doubt, if "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," then "perfection is on the tongue of the glassholder." In other words it is a question of taste. The word whisky comes from the Irish Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life" ("uisce" is pronounced ish-ka).

There are fewer distilleries of Irish whisky than there are distillers of Scotch. Economic difficulties in the last couple of centuries have led to great number of mergers and closures.

Currently there are only three distilleries operating in the whole of Ireland (although each produces a number of different whiskies.) Irish whisky, like Scotch, comes in several forms. Like Scotch whisky, there is single malt, (100% malted barley and grain whisky.

Grain whisky is much lighter and more neutral in flavor than single malt and is almost never bottled as a single grain. It is instead used to blend with single malt to produce a lighter blended whisky.

Unique to Irish whisky distilling and something that the scotch have never followed on, is pure pot still whisky (100% barley, both malted and unmalted, distilled in a pot still). The "green" unmalted barley gives the pure pot still whisky a spicy, unique Irish quality. Like single malt, pure pot still is sold as such or blended with grain whisky.

Irish whisky is believed to be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe, dating to the mid-12th century). The Old Bushmills Distillery also lays claim to being the oldest licensed distillery in the world since gaining a license in 1608.

The McWorkout

McDonalds, the most notorious proprietor of French fries, fried burgers and fried, well, just about everything else, has come a long way since the popular film Super Size Me, exposed the horrors of the high-fat diet and forced the Ronald to remove the "super sized" options from his fat-induced menu.

Ever since the film grossed over $28,548,087 worldwide, the red-haired clown has had a gaping whole is his clogged heart – even though the folks at McDonald’s Corporate deny that the removal of "super size" menu options was in any way a reaction to the film – sure! It’s true, McDonald’s has gone a long, and even possibly broken a sweat in attempts to resurrect its fryer-soaked image. Now they’re attempting to encourage the burger-eating sect by plugging into their gaming systems.

I was really glad to hear about McDonald’s new offering, the new Go Active Happy Meal for Adults. On my site, FitnessGear101.com, I always try to offer my readers realistic healthy fast food options for when they’re on the go. This adult happy meal goes a long way in encouraging McDonald’s clientele - which let’s face it, often leaves something to be desired in the fitness category.

The Go Active Happy Meal for Adults, will be available for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PCs starting on April 25 until May 22, and will feature 1 of 4 exclusive Yourself Fitness DVDs each week, plus a bottle of Dasani water or medium/large beverage, and any of the following premium Mickey D’s salads:

California Cobb Salad (with grilled or crispy chicken) – features plump grape tomatoes, carrots, bleu cheese, smoky bacon and eggs all on a bed of crisp mixed greens. Opt for no cheese, light dressing and grilled chicken for a healthier alternative.

Caesar Salad (with grilled or crispy chicken) – enjoy bust-in-your-mouth grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese, carrot and crunchy croutons on a bed of fresh greens. Again, say no to the cheese, and opt for a light dressing and grilled chicken for a lower fat meal.

Bacon Ranch Salad (with grilled or crispy chicken) – a mêlée of fresh mixed greens, shaved carrot, grape tomatoes, hickory bacon sprinkled with jack and cheddar cheeses. To make this a lower fat meal, ask for no cheese, light dressing and grilled chicken on your salad.

Each 15-minute Yourself Fitness DVD features Maya, a virtual personal trainer, who leads viewers through a one-on-one workout that focuses on one of the following:

•    Relaxing Yoga
•    Calorie-Shedding Cardio
•    Toning Resistance Training
•    Ab-Defining Core Training

The Many Uses Of Adjustable Swivel Bar Stools

When you think of bar stools, the first stools that might come to mind are wooden bar stools, kitchen bar stools, or adjustable swivel bar stools. Many of you out there thinking of buying bar stools usually only have a one tracked mind when you see a bar stool. A bar stools can be multifunctional and not for the way it was primarily designed. Here are some examples of using one type of bar stool for other purposes; this will often end up a better fit.

Artists using bar stools are built to seat painters, sculptors, and architects as they ply there trade. These types of bar stools are manufactured with adjustable height gauges to accommodate any size of artist. Unlike standard bar or counter stools, these stools are not designed to be fully sat in, but instead for a mixture of sitting and standing. They allow for a lot of changing between standing and leaning when into there work.

Now, imagine this a busy cook in their kitchen at home. Cooking often entails 1st mixing and preparing the ingredients, then baking or roasting. This takes a lot of standing up and sitting down, working at one place, then moving to get more ingredients or make sure something in the oven is cooking well. Wouldn't an adjustable swivel bar stool be a perfect match for this kind of action?

Now think of bar stools that are mainly manufactured for use at bar counters, breakfast bars, game halls, or high restaurant tables. This type of adjustable bar stool can also be used in your living room with more traditional pieces of furniture like designer chairs or a plush sofa and also don’t take up to much room.

Finally, folding stools are extremely versatile. Made primarily to be lightweight aluminium for carrying to isolated places, they are used by painters looking to canvas pleasant pastoral scenes. They are also favourites among hikers, campers, and anglers, those people who would be constantly on the move in the open country side and like to rest, make camp or fish.

These stools have multiple uses, from parties in the garden, where transitory seating is needed, to being used in your hobby shop or garage. They can sit lower than other types of stools, so reaching things closer to the ground is more fitting.

The Maligned Potato: Respect At Last?

Ah, the poor, maligned potato! Beaten up by dieters (especially the low-carb variety), nutritionists and other experts as being "ok in moderation", the potato may at long last be gaining some respect in the scientific community.

From an article in Science Daily ("Transgenic Potato Confers Immunity: Vegetables Or Fruit Could Replace Vaccine And Needles"), we find that the potato could be used to help keep us health.

We quote from the article:

"Transgenic potatoes engineered to generate an immune response to E.coli infection have passed their first test in human beings. In the May issue of the journal Nature Medicine, Carol Tacket, MD, professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and colleagues report successful results of their first human clinical trial of the transgenic vegetablesdeveloped at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, affiliated with Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Fed to healthy human volunteers at the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development, potatoes genetically engineered to contain a gene from the E.coli bacteria produced antibodies in the blood and in the mucosal lining of the intestines. Volunteers who ate garden-variety potatoes in the randomized, double-blind trial showed no immune response.

"It is truly remarkable to think that you could eat a potato that has an extra protein and produce antibodies against a bacterial pathogen," Tacket remarks, "but that is exactly what happened." She calls transgenic plants "a new strategy for development of safe and inexpensive vaccines against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis B. Oral vaccines in edible plants offer hope of a more practical means of implementing universal vaccination programs for the developing world.""

The article goes on to say that the testers were all volunteers who tolerated the potatoes well with no other problems.

Could this be an answer to helping rid third world countries of certain diseases and maladies?

Who know...more research will follow but the initial reports are encouraging.

Take that, Adkins.

The Joy Of Summer Sweet Corn

Summer is coming, and one of the most anticipated treats is the delight of enjoying a fresh ear of sweet corn brushed with melted butter. Corn on the cob is delicious, but there’s more than one way to serve fresh corn. Along with the corn harvest comes a big variety of other vegetables and dishes.

When you cut the corn from the cob, the possibilities for preparing corn are endless. You can add it to bread to make a wonderful spoon bread recipe, or a great Southern favorite, corn pudding. Corn combines well with other summer vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. The secret to a great dish is to use the freshest corn available. The less time that passes between the garden and the finished recipe the better.

When you’re selecting corn, choose ears with tight, green husks and tender milky looking kernels that are evenly spaced on the ear and firm enough to puncture if you squeeze it a little. If you’re not going to be preparing your corn immediately after you get it home, then buy it with the husks and put it in the refrigerator to prevent the sugar in the corn from turning to starch and tasting less than sweet. If your recipe calls only for kernels of corn, remember that two average size ears will usually give you about one cup of corn kernels.

Here’s a delicious summer corn recipe to try out this year.

Corn and Tomato Casserole

8 slices bacon, cut in half
2 c soft breadcrumbs
2 c peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
1 med green pepper, chopped
3 c fresh corn cut from cob
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp pepper
¼ c butter, melted

Place half of bacon in a shallow 2 qt casserole, and top with 1 c breadcrumbs. Layer half of tomatoes, green pepper, and corn over breadcrumbs; sprinkle with half of salt, sugar and pepper. Repeat layers of the veggies and seasoning. Combine the melted butter and remaining 1 c breadcrumbs, stirring well; spoon evenly over casserole. Top with remaining bacon; bake at 375 F for 40-45 minutes. Serves 8.