Sunday, April 26, 2009

Ice Cream And Its Wworldwide Popularity

While ice cream is generally considered to be as American as baseball, hotdogs and apple pie, Americans have no monopoly on the love for this famous dessert. People worldwide share an affinity for ice cream in its many forms and varieties.

In Italy, ice cream is a very popular dessert. The Italian style of ice cream, which is called gelato, is now being sold in some parts of the United States. There are a number of differences between Italian gelato and American ice cream. Contrary to common misconception, gelato does not contain any gelatin. Gelato contains much less fat than the American styles of ice cream, and its consistency is not as hard-frozen as its American ice cream counterparts. Gelato is usually made of fresh, all-natural ingredients. Produced in many of the same flavors as ice cream, nuts or chocolate chips are occasionally added. It is not surprising that this "new ice cream" has made its way to the United States, and is growing in popularity.

After the United States, New Zealand tops in the world's ice cream consumption, at twenty litres per year. The New Zealand Ice Cream Company states that their Calci-Lite dairy dessert was likely the world's first low-fat, calcium-fortified ice cream. Not wishing to sacrifice taste, this ice cream is made in seven flavors, including Saucey Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Malted, and Honeyed Vanilla. As an interesting fact, showing that ice cream truly is a universal favorite, two of New Zealand's Tip Top Ice Cream Company's most popular products are Rocky Road ice cream and Eskimo Pies!

Australia is the world's third largest consumer of ice cream. Although some Australians like to make their own ice cream, the commercially-made types which most enjoy as a basic part of their diet are standard ice cream, soft serve, and Italian gelato!

Ice cream is also a favored treat amongst people in Japan. While the Japanese enjoy the same ice cream flavors that are most popular worldwide, such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, they also have a number of varieties which are quite unique! Of Japan's unique list of ice cream flavors, such as Cactus ice cream, Chicken Wing ice cream, and Wasabi ice cream, there is one which has recently begun to attain acceptance in the United States Green Tea ice cream. Green Tea ice cream is not difficult to make, consisting of green tea powder, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream.

The French love ice cream, too, and have many ice cream shops which specialize not only in ice cream but also soft serve and gelato. Chez Scoop, which is deemed to be one of the best shops in Paris, offers tourists and local customers the same universally-loved flavors of ice cream, such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Other styles of ice cream which are popular in Paris are the Grasshopper (vanilla ice cream with mint) and the Tortoise (vanilla ice cream with chocolate, caramel, and pecans). The French are also partial to ice cream which is topped with Vermont maple syrup!

Ice cream is so popular in the United Kingdom that the Ice Cream Alliance has existed since 1944. While mainly directed toward producers and sellers of ice cream, the Alliance also holds annual ice cream competitions. Although the United Kingdom consumes considerably less ice cream than the United States, they presently have more than a thousand ice cream companies. The British enjoy many of the same flavors as Americans, but have some which are likely unique to their region, such as Black Pudding ice cream and Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Vegetables: The Healthier Snack

The easiest place to affect our health is through our eating habits; in fact it’s the most effective solution to better health, sharing the spotlight with exercise. What about our food intake? What choices do we have to make eating a healthier occurrence?

Vegetables are a great place to start. There are so many choices in the filed of vegetables, being picky isn’t even a problem here. It does not matter where your location, the time of the year, or the method of preparation, there are vegetables to suit the most discriminating taste

As a teen, most of us don’t even care if we’re eating right, or begin to understand the implications of poor eating habits. As we age, however, we do begin to notice the effects of improper exercise, poor eating habits, and how they affect our health. Today, as the baby boomers begin their retirement years, health concerns and questions are on the rise. These aging boomers are more concerned than any previous generations about their good health, their ability to keep their good health, and how their diet affects their health.

The choices in vegetables run the gamut in color preference, leafy versus bean, fresh and raw, or freshly picked and cooked. There are vegetables high in beta-carotene, high in flavonoids, anti-oxidants, or just plain high in flavor.

What about as a snack? Do vegetables meet the snack requirement for taste? We already know that vegetables are good for us, but if we’re going to snack, we want something that tastes really good.

There are vegetables that fill that bill, quite successfully. What about celery? Celery with pimento or peanut butter is quite delicious. Or, you have the broccoli and cauliflower combination with ranch dip. That’s a snack that any other snack would be hard pressed to surpass.

Then you have the dill pickle. This is such a successful snack that manufacturer’s put it in little plastic bags with juice and sell it. The dill pickle can be found in convenience stores everywhere. Past the pickle, you have carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. These wonderful vegetables can be fixed in so many different ways to snack on, that it would take several papers to touch on all the possibilities.

One of a southerner’s favorite snacks would be baked sweet potato. Now, this is normally consumed with large amounts of butter, but doesn’t have to be, in order to be good. The baked sweet potato can simply be peeled and eaten straight from the oven and it’s still delicious.

Onions can be fried whole as blooming onions, or cut into rings, battered, and served with dip as a snack or appetizer. Many restaurants carry them as a staple on their menus. Jalapeno peppers are often stuffed with cheese and served in this way.

Then you have the little carrot. This wonderful little finger food is full of beta-carotene, flavonoids, and anti-oxidants that make it one of the most healthful snacks we can consume.

You should have enough options now for snacking, that healthful snacking can become a standard, not an exception for you. These ideas do not by any means encompass all vegetable options; these are just simply the most popular local favorites if you live in the South and in Alabama.

DISCLAIMER:

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Top 8 Tips on How to Choose the Right Tasting Wine

If you are that type of person who loves wine in every meal, then this is the article for you. Whenever you are confronted with a variety of wine bottles in your neighborhood shop, sometimes, you tend to let go of the thought of purchasing because you can’t determine which is which. There are wines that came from foreign countries with names you can’t even read.

Sometimes, these types of wines are those that taste exquisite and therefore shouldn’t be taken for granted just because of your lack of understanding. Sometimes, you tend to choose something that you have already drank and swore never to drink again. In order to determine that a wine tastes as good as it looks, you have to know 8 factors which can make wine tasting all clear to you and to be able to make the right choice.

Educate yourself

If you know nothing about wine, better ask someone to do it for you or else, you can just spend a sum on something that has a similar taste with polluted water. Read about the different kinds of wines which are assured to tickle your taste buds. There are tons of books readily available to help you gain knowledge on some of the most reputable wines.

Free taste

For one to know how it feels, one must endure it first. That is why, whenever there are free tasting of wine within your area, grab that once in a lifetime opportunity. Events like these usually advertise good tasting wines which are offered cheaper compared to other brands. You local wine store can host evening sessions of wine gatherings. Through this, you are expanding your knowledge regarding the various types of wines.

Depend on dependable sources

If you have the money for it, you can just go to wine establishments and ask for advice on the kind of wine that will suit your taste. Some of the elegant wine stores have services that will filter you with information about different kinds of wine. You will find yourself inside a cellar that’s full of wine laid horizontally on compartments that prevents that wine from being exposed to heat and light.

Watch out for bad advertisements

As much as possible, do not go for commercialized wines because these are usually poor in quality and you’ll get lesser in taste. Do not settle for wines bragging about their labels because these can turn out to be just gimmicks. It is still best that you go for those local wine stores for they have some of the most exquisite wines not available anywhere.

Be aware of the importer

Wine bottles which are imported are required by the law to have certain shipping information printed at the back of every bottle.

Be an avid wine drinker

Sometimes, all you need to do is try it. To be able to determine the right kind of wine which completes your taste buds, you just have to make wine tasting your hobby. Frequent drinking can indeed put you in a lot of spending but if you have the amount for it, then go for the idea. You don’t need to use up the entire bottle.

A glass of wine is enough for you to identify the kinds of wine which tastes superb.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Whisky 101

Scotch has undoubtedly been elevated to the top spot of most popular spirit however it is said that if that spirit was not made in Scotland then it has no right baring the name. The land itself lends to this spirit and what is taken s naturally replenished.

Scotch whisky is said to be a nobleman among spirits brought about primarily by what mother earth has to offer. This makes it a popular drink for the naturalist among us. Scotland is so abundant in natural recourses from the moors of peat to the endless flowing fields of barley and wheat which is why it is the perfect place for brewing this tasty drink.

The fine art of distilling has traveled generations; each step of the way gaining knowledge and refinement as distilling and maturing the fine malt gives way to what it is now. There are two kinds of whiskies in production in Scotland today thanks in part to the creation of the still in 1831. One of those is the single grain variety and the other is the blended malt variety.

In the past there was only single malt whisky. Now there is malt whisky made from several grains which are blended to create the final product. This malt is bottled in select quantities which are referred to as single malt. Some of the more famous blends are now blended with what’s known as a grain whisky.

Distilleries are in the heart of the country side and use the ingredients of the land. Some grow their own wheat and barley to control what they use in production. Some use reputable farmers to which give great service for a good cause creating some of the finest spirit in the world.

The use of natural springs and rivers is very common practice as well. As a matter of fact the Skye River runs right through the region that holds the title of malt capital of Scotland. Once the mashing process is complete, the drying starts.

There have been bottles of fine scotch coming from Islay in the very south of Scotland’s shoreline going for as much as $7,000.00. A very select liquor store in Rhode Island placed this product on the shelves and within 24 hours 20 bottles where snatched up. This is a definite indication of the sheer quality that the company stands buy and promotes with pride.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Ice Cream, the Great American Dessert

Ice cream, America's favorite treat, has been around for a very long time. It may be America's favorite treat, but ice cream did not originate in the United States. Ice cream has evolved throughout a history that goes back over 2000 years to around 200 B.C. In the 1st Century, Nero, the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (A.D. 37 - 68), ordered his slaves to bring ice back to him from the mountains. The ice which was used to make an iced mixture with his favorite fruit toppings mixed in.

Another form of ice cream was made by King Tang of China (A. D. 618-97). He combined ice and milk. From China ice cream was brought to Europe when, in the 1200's Marco Polo had brought an ice cream sorbet recipe back with him to Europe from the Far East. The recipe called for the ingredients snow and milk.

Ice cream was later imported from Europe to the United States where it was served by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to their guests. Historians say that George Washington really loved his ice cream and ate large amounts of it.

In New York City, in 1776, the first ice cream parlor was opened. The word ice cream was started by the American Colonists. They first called it "iced" cream and it was later shortened to "ice" cream.

When First Lady Dolly Madison was in the white house from 1809 to 1817, she served ice cream to guests.

The hand crank ice cream maker or freezer was invented in 1846 by Nancy Johnson. Today, ice cream is still made using the basic method of the hand-crank ice cream freezer. In 1848 a similar ice cream freezer, the Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer was patented. By 1850 ice cream had become a popular treat. It wasn't until 1851 that Jacob Fussell's Baltimore Company began to manufacture and market ice cream commercially.

The ice cream cone was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 when on July 23 Charles E. Minches thought of making a pastry cone and filled it with two ice cream scoops. The ice cream cone first appeared at the St. Louis World's Fair later in the year where, historians believe, there were more than 50 ice cream cone vendors. Historians also believe that the ice cream cone had actually been invented by many people, all at around the same time.

In 1926 Clarence Vogt came up with a process of continuously freezing ice cream for the commercial manufacturing of ice cream. By the 1930's ice cream had a huge increase in popularity and many flavors of ice cream and sherbets had become available. By the 20th Century many flavors of ice cream were being sold on a large scale in grocery stores, supermarkets and ice-cream franchises.

Ice cream is so popular that it has its own month of celebration! President Ronald Reagan proclaimed in 1984 that July is National Ice Cream Month, with the third Sunday of every July being National Ice Cream Day. President Reagan declared that over 90 per cent of the population enjoys ice cream and that ice cream is a healthy, nutritious and fun food that should be appropriately celebrated.

Besides the obvious delicious benefits of ice cream, ice cream helps the nation because over $21 billion in sales are generate every year by ice cream. The industry creates thousands of jobs for Americans and keeps the cows busy. Ice cream manufacturing uses around 9 percent of all the milk produced by American Dairy Farmers.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Water and Healthy Eating

Our bodies need the water to effectively digest food and perform all the necessary functions we ask of it each day. You don’t stop to realize what we ask of this marvelous machine, we just take it for granted that it’s going to function properly. Let’s take a look at the relationship of healthy eating and our body’s daily intake of water. There is a direct correlation between eating healthy and consuming enough water to absorb the vitamins and minerals we need from the healthy food we’ve eaten.

Do you know that your body is 98% water? Do you find this fact hard to believe? Most all of our body fluids are water, and many of our organs are mostly water. Do you suppose water is important to our daily functions? I would hazard a guess of YES.

During the course of consuming our food, we drink water with our meals. We don’t even stop to think about the role this water plays in our digestive process. We drink it because we become thirsty when we eat.

What happens to the food and water as they enter our digestive system? They are both necessary components of the digestive process. Stomach acids need the water in order to properly breakdown the food as it travels through our stomach, and nutrients are absorbed by the blood. The food continues down the path of the intestines, still being broken down and absorbed through the lining of the intestines, still requiring the presence of water. All of the digestive process must have water in order to happen as designed.

At times, there are imbalances in our intestines that create an environment that won’t allow for proper processing of food particles, or doesn’t allow us to absorb any of the nutrients we need at all as they pass through our intestines. Stepping up our consumption of water can often correct this without the need for medication. We simply need to flush our system, as you might flush a slow drain.

Proper flushing of the body, filtering of the blood, and transmission of waste from our bodies can only occur when there are enough fluids present. The only way for enough fluids to be present is in our consumption of water. Only through the intake of necessary amounts of water do our kidney’s function as designed.

Many of the body’s organs depend upon fresh blood supplies in order to function properly. The kidneys and intestines require vast amounts of water in order to accomplish the difficult task of flushing the waste from our body. Now, if you don’t realize the importance of this task, you need to stop and think about waste. Wastes are produced from the daily processes your body goes through, toxic by-products that we don’t need to live, and don’t need to retain in our bodies. As a general rule, whatever we might need for our body should be absorbed as the food has passed through the intestines, whatever is left, is not needed.

Proper digestion, from beginning to end, cannot take place without water, lots and lots of water.

DISCLAIMER:

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Storage Efficiency for Suitable Wine Taste

Don’t you ever wonder why sometimes, wine just tastes ordinarily? Yes, it must be in the way that it was badly made or it has something to do with how one storages wine. Because of the thought that as time ticks, so as wine’s taste and quality. For that reason, it is of utmost important that desirable changes should be attained and on the other hand, avoiding uncompromising events that can lead to wine loss and waste. To be able to avoid harmful effects on wine, one must control a lot of factors like being in contact with light, air, vibration and extreme temperatures of the wine itself.

Controlling Light

Bottles of wine are stored in places where light can never touch it. That is why you will notice how precious wines are not usually displayed in array for people to see. They are just brought up if someone requests for it. Light should always be kept at a minimum. Because wine bottles of today are made with reliable UV filters, it is said that wine can be safe although, at some point, light can still penetrate through it. Light struck is the condition wherein light has penetrated the inside of the bottle. When this happens, an aroma of unpleasant smell will appear.

Controlling Air

Air is an ingredient to hasten a wine to spoil. Exposure to air causes the wine to lose its freshness and worse, cause it to oxidize. When this happens, premature aging results wherein the product is more of fermented vinegar instead of wine. Good thing is, bottles are impermeable to air partnered with a reliable cork and you have an impenetrable barrier free from air.

For ensuring proper aging, it is very important that the cork should remain moist so that air won’t have a reason to penetrate through it. No wonder, one is advised to store wines in a horizontal manner to keep the cork from experiencing any cracks or shrinkage which may result to admittance of unwanted air. Cork placed firmly in a bottle is an important factor for the life of the wine to stay as a wine fanatic wanted it to be. It plays one of the major roles to ensure that wine remains fresh and ages in a proper manner.

Controlling Vibration

Vibration can cause sediments to stir up and interferes with the process of aging. Not unless wines are ready to be served, avoid applying too much pressure and vibration on it.

Controlling Temperature

For wine to become drinkable, proper temperature must be maintained – not too hot and not too cold. Once wine is stored in a certain condition wherein it is too cold, the cork can shrink that may lead to air penetrating through it. If the temperature is too warm, wine will immaturely age faster than expected. For great tasting wine, it should be stored in a temperature with an optimum level of 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-12 degrees Celsius.

People can store their wines in their cellars to achieve the desired temperature. Rate of change in temperature is also one important factor. Frequent temperature change can damage the wine’s credibility severely.

That is why it is most advisable that wine owners should be firm in taking good care of their wines so that years of waiting wouldn’t go to waste just because of a glitch.