Tag Archives: Ginger

The majesty of loose leaf tea, made incredible by Yogi

Posted on 30 January, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered why loose tea tastes better than tea made with a tea bag? Let’s be frank: have you ever realised that loose tea tasted better than tea from a tea bag?

Loose tea leaves are complete or at least bigger compared to the broken scraps found in your common tea bag. Bigger really is better in this case because, bigger leaves retain their essential oils while broken particles allow more of those nutrients to evaporate, leaving a comparatively lifeless flavour.

Yogi is no ordinary tea

No ordinary tea

No ordinary tea

Now, Yogi tea is different, not least because they are made of an amazing mix of spices and not simply tea leaves. However, Yogi tea bags are different too. Their commitment to natural flavour means their many teas are packed individually in heat-sealed envelopes to help preserve the health benefits of the herbs used. This also maintains the freshness and flavor.

But now Yogi are letting you get your hands on their original loose leaf concoctions. Another big advantage of brewing loose leaf is that the leaves have space to swell with water and release their flavour. The water circulation around the tea leaf is also important.

So, Yogi are offering some new flavours. See if you can taste the difference…

Ginger Lemon Chai
- warm pungent ginger balanced by refreshing citrus
Choco Chai, Aztec Spice
- a recreation of the ancient Aztec recipe called ‘Xocoatl’
Good Morning Chai, Roasted Chicory Spice
- roasted chicory, cinnamon, cardamom and licorice brings  a warmth and full-bodied taste
Himalaya Chai, Ginger Harmony
- sweet fennel seeds, spicy ginger and cosy cinnamon for uplifting moments
Classic Chai, Cinnamon Spice
- original recipe is cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and black pepper

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Posted in Antioxidants, Organic

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An instant hot mulled spice drink from Twinings

Posted on 3 January, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Right now the weather is cold, wet and windy. Welcome to January! But wintry conditions like this are the perfect excuse for a hot mulled wine.

For those times when it can’t be wine (such as now, when I’m sitting opposite my boss), Twinings have made a soothing Mulled Spice Tea- a rich assam scented with cinnamon and cloves, infused with the mulled spices of the festive season.

Tea with mulled spices

Tea with mulled spices

There’s little that can relax you in winter months like the warming notes of a hot spiced drink. This tea is amazing if you add milk and (if the boss isn’t looking) a splash of sherry…

Another winter warmer, focussed more perhaps towards revitalizing your senses, is Twinings Green Tea with Ginger. Definitely good if you’ve just been caught out in the cold and want to avoid any chance of a sniffle.

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Posted in General Food

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Ginger Wine in winter time – some things never go out of style

Posted on 14 December, 2011 by | Leave a comment

My Dad used to like drinking ginger wine in the winter months. I wonder if it’s a traditional thing? But then I note that Gran Stead’s Ginger is based on a recipe that dates back 150 years…

What can you do with ginger wine? (Gran Stead’s is a non-alcoholic version, you  can find more ‘spirited’ varieties but not easily with as much kick – the award winning Gran Stead’s is helped along with a little capsicum chilli in the recipe.)

Ginger Wine

Invigorating warmth for the winter months

Aside from adding to a whiskey, rum or some other notable liquor, you can stir ginger wine into a mulled wine, add to lemonade, warm with fruit juice or even sprinkle into champagne! It brings a notable warmth to your average party drink.

Ginger wine is also good for cooking. Try as a marinade (think of spicing up your lamb) or in a vinaigrette or sauce. You can add it to a tomato soup, pour over ice cream or even make marmalade or cake with it.

Gluten-free and suitable for vegans, Gran Stead’s Ginger is a perfect flavouring for the cold months. With all these opportunities for gastronomic adventure it’s hard to believe that traditional ginger wine could ever go out of style.

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Posted in Coeliac (Gluten-Free), General Food, Vegan

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Let Yogi Christmas tea warm you up this winter

Posted on 6 December, 2011 by | Leave a comment

If you are a fan of tea, especially Yogi herbal teas, then their Christmas Collection is likely to warm you – right down to the cockles of your soul.

It’s a perfect cup of Christmas with its range of warm restful flavour and exotic spices. And there are so many to choose from, its ideal to share with friends.

Yogi teas - share a little love

Yogi teas - share a little love

Each Christmas Collection box contains two of the following tea bags: Classic Rooibos, Sweet Chilli, Choco, Licorice, Jamaica, Bright Mood, Heart-warming, Ginger Hibiscus, Ginger Lemon, Bedtime and Black Chai.

It’s a selection that should meet anyone’s desire for herbal tea, and it makes a nice little gift too.

But, if the purist in you makes you more choosy about the teas in your cupboard then perhaps one of Yogi’s  latest organic creations might interest you:

■ Ginger – ginger with lemon grass, liquorice, peppermint and black pepper
■ Pure with Lemon – lemon grass with dandelion, ginger, cinnamon, liquorice, lemon myrtle, lemon peel and peppermint
■ Ginger Orange with Vanilla – ginger with liquorice, lemon grass, black pepper, orange peel, peppermint, vanilla extract, orange extract

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Posted in General Food, Organic

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So many alternatives to alcohol…

Posted on 30 November, 2011 by | Leave a comment

A quick brainstorm comes up with lots of reasons why you might not want to drink alcohol – aside from the obvious alcohol abuse.

You might be trying to lose weight, or be on a fitness programme. There might be spiritual reasons or you may want to follow a healthier lifestyle.

You might be pregnant, on medication or have an ongoing illness.

Aside from anything else consuming alcohol washes vitamins and nutrients out of your system. There are benefits of course, alcohol has been enjoyed by many for centuries. But few people know the range of non-alcoholic drinks out there.

Breckland Orchard make various sparkling fruit drinks with special infusions such as Strawberry and Rhubarb or Cranberry and Rosehip. Other drinks companies offer their own specially made versions: Free Natural offer caffeine free drinks, Thorncroft promise no added sugar and Luscombe drinks are organic.

Another organic brand, particularly for the party feel are The Organic Collection’s sparkling fruit berry drinks. Rock’s are also an organic brand but they specialise in varieties of flavoured water.

Fentimans brew traditional tasting beverages such as cola, dandelion & burdock, jigger and ginger beer.

Fancy a bottle of bubbly?

Fancy a bottle of bubbly?

In fact there’s heavy competition between ginger drinks all round, with options like Gran Stead’s Ginger Wine, Great Uncle Cornelius Finest Spiced Ginger or Rochester’s Organic Hot Toddy and more.

Of course, there are many fruit juices as well. James White are are a notable bottled brand in this area.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning the popular Yorkshire Punch made with infusions of herbs and spices, and Rochester’s Mulled Berry or Rum and Raisin – just in case you’re looking for something with true Christmas spirit.

So many pleasurable drinks and you’ll be able to enjoy more than the odd tipple.

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Posted in Diabetes, Organic

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Fall For The Comforting Flavours Of Dr Stuart’s Beneficial Blends This Winter

Posted on 29 November, 2011 by | Leave a comment

If you’re thinking of stocking up ready to fight off those winter ailments and ensure your immune system is firing on all cylinders during the coming cold months, you can rest assured that Dr Stuart’s remarkable range of warming herbal teas has a beneficial blend to help you every step of the way.

Help your body absorb vitamin C
It’s a known fact that vitamin C is the most important nutrient in helping to bolster the immune system to help it fight off those unwanted winter coughs, colds and infections; but did you know in order to ensure that vitamin C is working to the max, bioflavanoids (found in a many plants) play a vital role in enhancing its absorption?  Trace elements of these powerful vitamins and minerals can be found in many plant sources.  As Dr Stuart’s herbal teas are made with ‘Active Botanicals, the highest quality herbs from the most prized parts of the plant with the greatest essential oil content possible, why not stock up this winter on Dr Stuart’s warming beneficial blends that can help boost your defences, while giving you that feel good factor?

Echinacea, elderflower and other enriching teas
Keep a pack of Dr Stuart’s Echinacea Plus handy to help boost your body’s natural defences and keep you fighting-fit. This refreshing herbal infusion is packed with hibiscus, peppermint, rosehip and blackberry leaves and enriched with echinacea to boost your immune system and help keep colds at bay.

When it’s chilly outside, why not sit back and sip one of the newest blends, Dr Stuart’s Elderflower and Lemon to keep you toasty on the inside?  For hundreds of years people have looked to the elderflower for its healing properties, as it’s thought that the plant can help lower a fever, reduce inflammation and soothe irritation.  This fragrant combination will satisfy your palate as well as your body.

If you do succumb to a sore throat, Dr Stuart’s offers a simple and altogether more enjoyable way to ease your discomfort. Make yourself a soothing cup of Dr Stuart’s Throat Relief and let its blend of comforting herbs including liquorice root, marshmallow root, cinnamon, myrtle leaves and cloves coat your throat and help melt away your symptoms.

For those miserable wintry mornings when it’s hard to climb out of bed, Dr Stuart’s Detox, packed with the pure natural flavours of dandelion and burdock, sage, ginger, peppermint and spearmint, will help to cleanse and refresh your system from the inside out, giving you just the kick-start you need.

Finally, if you feel like a reviving pick-me-up, make yourself a delectable cup of Dr Stuart’s Apple and Ginger tea.  Its wonderfully spicy blend of fruity apple and invigorating ginger laced with cinnamon will warm you through and through!

Only Dr Stuart’s that are made with are made with ‘Active Botanicals,’ meaning you get the maximum taste and health benefit from each and every cup.

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Posted in Colds

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How to make easy ginger beer

Posted on 4 July, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Home brewed ginger beer is out of this world. I don’t think there’s anything quite like it.

My friend makes it all the time and the thing is it’s so easy… (She let me borrow this recipe.) All you have to do is make a ginger beer plant.

(Oh, and make sure you save a few spare jam jars and bottles to store your brew.)

To start the plant you’ll need…

• ½ oz Fresh Yeast (14 g)
• 2 tsp Ginger Powder (10 g)
• 2 tsp Sugar (10 g)
• ¾ pint Water (425 ml)
You’ll need more ginger, sugar and water (and some lemon) as time goes on, but this is how you start…

1. Mix the ingredients together in a large jar.
2. For 7 days, feed the plant daily with 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp sugar. Give it a good mix each time.
3. After 7 days (or longer, if you’ve missed a few days) strain the plant through muslin (or a sterilised stocking).
4. Then make 2 pints (1150 ml) of boiled water and dissolve 1 ½ lbs (680 g) of sugar in it, in a jug.
5. Add 5 pints (2.8 litres) of cold water, a squeeze of lemon and the strained liquid from the plant.
6. Bottle the beer and leave for 1 week (but leave the lids loose and loosen daily to prevent explosions)
7. Halve the plant every 2 weeks and continue the process for more ginger beer!

Just beware of popping bottles! Have fun!

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Posted in recipe

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“Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer ” How much do you know about traditional Wassail? (a.k.a fruit punch)

Posted on 19 November, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Sing carols, eat gingerbread and sip wassail punch – that was how the Victorians would celebrate Christmas. A centrepiece of the gathering would be to set the punch bowl on fire.

Yorkshire Punch - a cup of good cheer

Yorkshire Punch - a cup of good cheer

A roasting fire on a cold winter night and a richly aromatic warm drink in hand ready to toast your friends’ good health? Or a reviving stiffener for when you’re well wrapped up, strolling through a Victorian Christmas market, while the carollers sing in the background?… Most European nations still know how to make their own version of the hot punch.

The recipes vary from family to family, and nation to nation, but the central idea of Christmas punch is that it’s a hot spiced drink sipped to keep the winter chills at bay.

Yorkshire Punch is made from an old traditional recipe. It’s herbs and natural flavours are carefully chosen for pleasure to relax and to cheer you as intended. As a non-alcoholic drink, it can be served cold to refresh or warm to relax.

Rochester’s Organic Hot Toddy is another punch that’s non-alcoholic (which means you can your own tipple if you choose). While it’s made with ginger it has a fruitier blend to the Yorkshire’s rich warming spice version.

But the main point about drinking punch (as opposed to cocktails) is all about friendship. Make sure you do it with friends, preferably with a ‘Loving Cup’, and don’t be afraid to begin a song or two.

For other seasonal drinks such as Great Uncle Cornelius Finest Spiced Ginger, check out GoogleDirect’s drinks shelf to find spicy and sparkling non-alcoholic drinks.

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Posted in General Food, GoodnessDirect, Lifestyle, Organic, Uncategorized

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Chai-tea – I’ve found a new religion

Posted on 14 June, 2010 by | Leave a comment
Tea-thoughts

Tea-thoughts

Perhaps for some people tea is the perfect religion.

If you want a moment’s quiet, what better than finding calm in the depths of a cup of warm copper coloured infusions.

Or if you need some healing, then there are a variety of time-tested tastes to ease your ailments.

Are you desperate for a listening ear and sympathy? Invite your friend over for no better reason than the ritual brew of tea-for-two.

And if you really need to know the future, well, you can always get your aunt to read the tea-leaves…

Of course the humble tea bush and all its adherents won’t quite match the majesty of a higher power, but many a prayer has risen on the incense of a steaming cuppa, and many a moment has been satisfied by the perfect choice of tea at that perfect time.

It’s not as if the gurus of tea making don’t know they’re on to something. You’ve surely noticed how shops’ shelves have become increasingly laden with a greater supply of different teas? Continue reading →

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Posted in Fairtrade, Organic

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Incredibly delicious gluten free cookies from Byron Bay

Posted on 23 April, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Byron Bay Gluten Free Cookies - delicious!

Byron Bay Gluten Free Cookies - delicious!

I’ve been enjoying some amazing gluten free biscuits, sublime almost -from The Byron Bay Cookie Company.

I think your friends will want these whether they are coeliac or not.

If you’re coeliac you’ll know as well as I do that fine-tasting gluten-free cookies are hard to come by.

But Byron Bay Cookies (sold by Selfridges and Harvey Nichols) have now created a cookie of gluten-free of such quality each mouthful is an indulgent melt-in-the-mouth crunch – you’ll just have to try them to know what I mean.

You can choose from the dreamy White Chocolate and Macadamia, the sophisticated Tripple Chocolate Fudge, or the luxurious Sticky Date, Ginger and Walnut.

Trust me, every little nibble is pure delight.

Perfect I think for Coeliac Awareness Week’s ‘Free For Tea?‘ Campaign on 10-16 May.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free)

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