A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Good Things Sometimes Come in a Glass: Cucumber Lime Water

Especially as we're heading into spring and summer, what could be more refreshing than Cucumber Lime Water?  No fuss, no muss, no sweetener, simply chilled fresh filtered water with a light aroma and taste and a few ice cubes and cucumber spears to crunch on.  A pitcher of this water makes it easy to get those 8-10 daily recommended glasses in without seeming like a chore.

My entry for Cate of Sweetnick's ARF/5-a-day Antioxidant Rich Foods, eating the cucumbers and the lime juice you squeeze into the water give you the same Vitamin C as drinking orange juice, only without the sugar added to commerical drinks.  Cucumbers are a good source for Vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.  Set a pitcher in the fridge and enjoy all day long. See Cate's round up for other healthy foods this week.

To make, simply toss peeled cucumber spears, the juice of one lime, and slices of another into a pitcher of water, along with as much ice as you'd like.  Chill.

Pomegranate Martini or Spritzer

I confess I've never squeezed a real pomegranate before. I found them intimidating. I used to look at them in the produce section but never had the guts to buy one and find out how to eat it.  I've had the juice before and have ordered dishes with pomegranate in them from restaurants but have just never gotten around to investigating them up close and personal for myself until now.

This is my entry for Cate of Sweetnick's, ARF/5-A-Day blogging event featuring antioxidant rich foods.  The pomegranate definitely fits that category.  Loaded with Vitamin C, A, and E, and folic acid, it's a powerhouse fruit.  Studies have shown that the fruit can lower lipid profiles in diabetics with hyperlipidemia (too much fat in the blood), and increases blood flow to the heart while lowering cholesterol profiles in both healthy patients and those diagnosed with heart disease.  In one article that summarizes five studies, it states that pomegranates increase levels of nitric oxide in the blood, which dilates the vessels allowing blood to flow more easily which also assists in lowering systolic (the top number) blood pressure and pomegranate also reduces plaque build-up by as much as 30%.  The same article also suggests eating/drinking daily pomegranate can positively affect erectile dysfunction.  Holy Blood Flow, Batman!  Forget Viagra and Cialys, just slug back pomegranate juice frequently and regularly to...uh..affect other things in life you'd like to do frequently.  Okay, seriously that might have a little merit because blood doesn't just flow to the heart, you know.

Display Teas: A Sight of Beauty, A Taste of Spring

I had never heard the term "display tea" until researching an article on dragon pearls for A Nice Cuppa a few months ago. Dragon Pearl tea is the most simple of the display teas, a hand-tied bundle of two of the earliest of the green teas picked specifically in the Fuji Chinese province, wrapped around a jasmine blossom.

As the pearls steep, they unfurl into leafy tendrils and form a pale, floral, uplifting tea, perfect for evenings to me.

I'd seen reference to other teas on the net, specifically those made by a company called Adagio but hadn't seen any face to face until my trip to Napa with Sher of What Did You Eat?  There, in Dean & DeLuca, I literally grabbed onto a can of blossoms that I will be reordering. Behold my stash in the long silver cylinder:

And this is what they look like when steeped full on. Again, beautiful to watch and just as gorgeous to drink.  All display teas of from the Fuji province, the youngest, best quality green tea leaves, with floral surprises tucked inside, and hand-tied or sewn.  this one has both a jasmine bud, hard to see, and a small chrysanthemum, which looks like a pink clover to me, actually.  They are reusable. I steeped this one twice for photos and then twice more for drinking before I gave up on it.

To purchase beautiful display teas as well as glass tea pots and mugs to prepare them in, see Teaposy at www.wholelottalove.com . There's also a really nice video showing several different display tea arrangements steeping and opening up.  Nice site and reasonably priced, not that I'm getting a kickback from them or anything, I swear. I'll just be ordering from them myself.

The Three L's: Lavender, Lemon Verbena, and Lime

My health food market has been carrying more dried florals and I've decided to take advantage. I love the smell of lavender. I could get lost in it.  I made scones, I've been making hot tea, now I'm venturing into lavender lemon limeade.  This is the perfect drink for summer. Not only has lavender always smelled like summer to me, the lemon and lime give the perfect citrus Jaw tingle to make me forget the heat. 

You know what the heat in southwest Missouri is like in August, right? An old college roommate of mine from Calgary came to visit several years ago for the frist time. She asked me if she should bring any long sleeves since by the end of August it's beginning to cool down in the evenings up north.  I tried not to laugh in her face as I told her that naked is good for late August in Missouri.  When she deplaned the first thing she said to me was "Wow. I can feel the air moving into my lungs. Is that the humidity?  It's like being at the indoor pool only without the smell of chlorine."

That sums it up.  With this citrus cooler you can at least drink your liquid at a cool temp rather than breathing it in at 100+ degrees during this last hellish month.

Weekend Herb Blogging:  Lavender & Lemon Verbena Limeade

Check out Kalyn's Round up of WHB at Kalyn's Kitchen.