Gourmet teas are a treat any time of the day. As any tea drinker knows, although there are several factors to consider in brewing tea, timing is important in order to optimize the flavor. Most gourmet teas will come with suggested steeping times, use these as a guide. After your first cup, to adjust strength you can adjust the time up or down.

Yesterday, I found the perfect timer I can use for brewing tea. Appropriately named Perfect Tea Timer, this timer is actually 3 timers in one. Three sand dials measure 3, 4 and 5 minutes allowing you to steep your tea perfectly every time.

Perfect Tea Timer

The color of the sand is also a general guide for steeping time for teas should you lose the directions that came with your teas. A general rule is 3 minutes for green tea (green sand), 5 minutes for white tea (white sand) and 4 minutes for black teas (reddish sand).

This timer for tea makes a great gift for any tea drinker or yourself.  A simple yet practical gift for tea drinkers, it is also a perfect gift for Mother’s Day.

Spring cleaning time is almost here and I already got a head start by cleaning out my kitchen cabinets. Over the past few months I somehow had managed to collect a large assortment of plastic containers. Leftover takeout food, dinners given by friends and family during recent illness have resulted in far too many containers. In addition to the challenge of opening a cabinet without an avalanche of plastic, there’s a bigger problem, many of the containers are not BPA free. Sometime ago, after learning of the possible connection between cancers and the use of BPA in plastic, I made the decision to switch to BPA free water bottles. Food storage containers present an even greater risk as they often go into the microwave for reheating.

 
Go Green Premium BPA Free Storage 9pc Set w/lids

BPA is bisphenol-a, a chemical used in plastic. Over time BPA leaks out of the plastic and contaminates the food and drink.  Whenever you heat food in a plastic container or put it in the dishwasher additional BPA leaks out.  When you eat or drink the food or beverage in the container, you also consume the chemical.  There has been some research that BPA can cause cancer. Since I have seen enough cancer, this is not a risk I am willing to take. BPA free storage containers was an easy decision.

The problems with BPA also include  more risks to children; in addition to increased incidence of cancer, it has been associated with conditions such as behavioral problems and precocious puberty. Since this research is still new and not as advanced there may be even more risks. I definitely do not want to subject my children to any more risks.

Rather than taking chances, I threw out all the containers containing BPA, I will only use BPA free plastic containers. Making the switch to BPA free food storage containers is an easy one.  Not only do I feel it is a healthier choice, my cabinets are a lot neater. Of course I still have far too many coffee cups, see Coffee Memories, but that will never change.

Matcha tea is a premium green tea. There are a couple of major differences between matcha tea and other green teas. First the tea leaves used in making matcha are grown in the shade by blocking the bushes from sunlight. Then, instead of whole or broken tea leaves, the tea leaf is dried and then ground into a very fine powder. The color is a much brighter green than typical green teas.

Preparing or brewing matcha tea is very different from other green teas and requires a whisk and shallow bowl. Visit Matcha or watch this short video to learn more about Matcha Tea.

All teas – 10% off 2 of the same item or 20% off 4 of the same item at American Tea

Matcha tea is not only a treat, it has many health benefits. Like most green teas, it is filled with antioxidants making it a better choice than coffee or other beverages.
When serving matcha you do not need to add sugar as it is naturally sweet. Matcha can also be used in cold drinks including smoothies and iced drinks.

Match tea makes a great gift for any tea lover.

Chilly fall days are perfect for sampling new teas. Today I brewed a pot of Kabuki Green Tea from Japan which is a green tea with cherry blossoms. I brewed this green tea using a glass teapot and an infuser. The water was just under boiling (175 degrees F) and I allowed the first pot of tea to steep for two minutes.  The brewed tea was pale green almost yellow in color and the aroma of the tea was wonderful; it had a light cherry scent. 

Green teas often have a vegetable or grassy taste and I prepared my palate for a typical green. I was very much surprised by the sweet flavor of the cherry blossoms. The grassy flavor that is typical of many green teas was extremely subtle.  Since I more often drink black tea that has a stronger flavor I decided to brew a second pot and let it steep longer.

Kabuki Green Tea

I let the second pot of tea steep for about three and a half minutes. The color this time was a bit darker and the scent was a little stronger. I much preferred the second brew as it had a a stronger tea flavor. My daughter who also sampled both pots of tea, preferred the first batch.  She was struck by the sweetness of the tea and suggested we make some iced tea.

We took the leftover tea and allowed it to cool completely. We then poured in a tall glass of ice. The iced tea we made was amazing. It needed no sweetener, it was perfect. My daughter and I have decided that Kabuki green tea will definitely be made next summer.

My suggestion is that when you brew this tea for the first time you follow the instructions. If you’re like me, then the second time you can experiment with a longer seeping time.  If you have any brew left over try pouring the cooled tea over ice.

Remember all those apples I bought? Well, still have some left so here’s another recipe using apples, as a main ingredient.  It would be impossible to have all those apples and not make applesauce. Fresh homemade applesauce is delicious. It is perfect as a healthy snack or as a side with pork chops or chicken. I make applesauce without the sugar. If this is the first time making applesauce either skip the sugar or add only half the sugar, you really won’t miss it.

It is very easy to make applesauce at home. You can make it on the stove, in the microwave or in yourslowcooker. 

Ingredients for Applesauce

• 3 pounds apples (about 8 apples)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• optional – about 1/3 cup granulated sugar OR 1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions for Making Applesauce

Wash, peel and cut apples into fourths; remove seeds. Place in large pot, add water and then with medium heat/flame bring to boil. Be sure to stir every couple minutes. When apples and water begin to boil lower heat/flame and simmer for ten minutes. Again be sure to stir every 2 minutes or so. Now add cinnamon and nutmeg. If desired, add the sugar. Stir and bring back to boiling. Boil for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and enjoy! Be sure to refrigerate.

To make in the microwave, use only 1/2 cup water. Place all ingredients into microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for about 12-15 minutes stopping to stir and mush apples every 3 minutes. Be careful when removing cover.

To make in crock pot, throw all ingredients into crock pot, cover and cook on high setting for about 2 hours, a little longer if needed. Do not remove cover while cooking. Stir and mush apples if needed. 

Homemade applesauce is delicious and without the sugar is a healthy snack. The aroma of the apples cooking is wonderful. If you want you can easily cut the recipe in half to make a smaller batch. Remember, this is a perfect way to use apples that are a little bruised.

I confess that I love my slow cooker,  I use it at least once a week. The best part is that clean up is easy and you don’t have to watch over the food. Throw ingredients in the crock pot, turn it on and come back when it’s done. Whether it’s a whole complete meal in the pot or just the main dish cooking is a breeze.

My kids love spare ribs but I am not a fan of the mess and time involved in making them. When you have children in the house, it is very easy to over cook the ribs with all the distractions. The result is dry or burnt ribs.  Although I prefer my ribs well done, most everyone else doesn’t. Making barbecue ribs in a slow cooker is the perfect answer. Extremely easy to make and never dry or overcooked.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

• 4-5 pounds pork ribs
• 2 onions
• 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

Directions for Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

For easier clean up, lightly spray inside of crock pot with a no stick cooking spray.

Thinly slice onions and place in bottom of crock pot. Place the ribs on top of onions, try not to let ribs touch the sides of pot. Pour barbecue sauce over ribs, making sure they are completely covered. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until ribs are tender. The ribs will be perfect but because I like a little crisp to mine I pop a few under the broiler for a couple minutes.

I serve the ribs with a tossed salad, corn on the cob and some home made cole slaw or potato salad. Using a slow cooker to make ribs is a perfect way to have a summer barbecue even if there is snow on the ground.

I went to the supermarket and they had apples on sale. Originally planning to make apple pie or apple crumble, I bought two bags. When my children got home from school and saw the apples, they asked for baked apples. They are very easy to make and I was happy to do it. The children also really enjoy helping to mix the stuffing. The ingredients are found in most kitchens.

Ingredients for Baked Apples

• 6 apples
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts or chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
• about 1 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and core apples. Place apples on a baking dish. Make a couple small slits in skin of apples. In small bowl mix orange juice, cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour over each apple.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes for medium size apple, 30 minutes for small apples. Every 10 minutes carefully baste apples with the juice mix. While apples are baking, mix the stuffing.  In a small bowl mix raisins, chopped nuts and cheddar cheese. Remove apples from oven and turn oven off. Using small spoon carefully stuff center of warmed apples with the cheese-nut-raisin mix. Let them sit a couple of minutes until cheese softens or put the dish back into the oven for a couple of minutes (do not turn oven on!).

Serve apples in small bowl. Spoon a little of the juice, cinnamon and brown sugar from baking dish over each apple.

Here in New York, most of the leaves have fallen off the trees but there always seems to be more to rake up. After an hour or two out in the cold air raking and sweeping a warm beverage is a great way to warm up. If you are tired of coffee, tea or hot chocolate here is a great recipe for spiced apple cider. To serve as an after dinner drink add brandy or apple brandy after heated.

Ingredients for Spiced Apple Cider

• 1 quart apple cider
• ground allspice
• ground ginger
• optional – brandy or apple brandy

Pour the apple cider into a small or medium sized pot. Add 1 pinch of allspice and about 4 pinches of ginger. Stir to mix then heat using a low or medium flame. Stir it occasionally. Do not let it boil, just heat until very warm.

When warm pour into four mugs. We like to use glass mugs. If desired you can add 1 jigger (1.5 ounces) of apple brandy or brandy to each mug.

Spiced apple cider, with or without the brandy, makes a nice after dinner drink when entertaining. If entertaining, spiced apple cider is best served with a simple cookie. Try serving with a plain butter cookie or biscotti.

Thanks to some good sales at the supermarket and some coupons about ready to expire, I had several bottles of Caesar salad dressing in my cabinet. Last night I made up a batch of Caesar Dip and served it with dinner. It was a big hit with my children and my husband. I made up another batch so everyone could take some for lunch today.

Ingredients for Caesar Dip

• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Caesar dressing (creamy)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• about 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• assorted raw vegetables – carrots, green pepper, cucumber, tomato and celery

Mix Miracle Whip, Caesar dressing, sour cream and Parmesan in a medium size bowl. Refrigerate at least one hour. Stir again before serving. Serve with plenty of fresh raw vegetables

For variety, after chilling for one hour, I split the dip in half and add some fresh finely chopped onion to one half.

Shish kabobs are easy to make, taste great and mean very little clean up which is a big plus during the summer. I just finished getting my shish kabobs ready so that later all I have to do is fire up the barbecue.  This is a very simple recipe for shish kabobs that everyone loves from picky kids to meat loving husband.

Ingredients for Shish Kabobs

• beef cubes (about 1″ squares)
• white meat chicken (about 1″ squares)
• fresh cherry tomatoes
• fresh onion sliced thick
• green or red pepper (about 1″ squares)
• canned whole potatoes, drained and large potatoes cut in half
• teriyaki marinade or other marinade

Marinate chicken and beef in marinade overnight or for minimum of 2 hours. The longer you let it soak the stronger the flavor.

About a half hour before you are ready to assemble your shish kabobs soak the wooden skewers in water. This will help to prevent them from burning during grilling.

On each skewer place tomato, beef or chicken, onion, pepper in repeating pattern. Don’t cram everything together, leave a little loose to help cook evenly and completely.

Skewer potatoes on separate skewer and sprinkle potatoes with a little seasoning such as  garlic herb. Either wrap skewer in foil or skip the skewer and place potatoes in tin for easy grilling. I keep the potatoes separate because I find they have a tendency to fall apart. It’s also why I wrap them in foil or use a tin. I use canned potatoes because I don’t have to peel them and raw potatoes never seem to keep properly.

Place all on barbecue and grill until cooked through.

When done serve immediately. I serve with some raw fresh baby carrots.

Everyone loves shish kabob night. Never any left overs and never a mess to clean up.