April 25th, 2013 Welcome to A Day In Candiland. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my blog. You can also find me ontwitter.Thanks for visiting! Bagged or Loose?
I just started a series on tea and the benefits of them. Do you like your tea hot or cold? Do you like it loose or bagged? Do you like it green, black, white, red? Wow, so much to learn.
I love tea, I love it all of the above ways. I also like to teach how it’s made, along with tea history. I will share that in one of the posts in my series. Today I will talk on loose and bagged tea.
Loose tea is the best kind to purchase. It is usually full leaf tea. Bagged tea is referred to as tea dust.
The teaspot.com says - Bags of tea are generally mass-produced. Often the leaves contained in a bag have been picked, processed, and packaged by machine. In contrast, premium loose-leaf teas are carefully hand-selected.
If you have been to tea stores such as Teavana, you have seen how beautiful full leaf tea can be, especially if there are flowers in it. They have a wonderful store, where you can go in a do a tasting. I highly recommend it. Full leaf tea is usually hand picked and sold within a year to remain fresh. Bagged tea may be on the shelf for a few years. Loose tea is also a higher grade than diced up tea in bags.
There is usually a price difference between the two also. Loose leaf tea is generally a higher price point. But it’s like they say (who are they), you get what you pay for. If you don’t care, you might not even notice the difference until to try the loose leaf.
Caffeine extraction, together with nutrients loss, causes tea bags to taste bitter. In contrast, if you want a cup of tea that is calming and relaxing, then you will have to go loose-leaf.
Did you know the more times you use the tea bag or loose tea in a tea ball or tea envelope, the more you weaken the caffeine. You can get the same flavor but less caffeine. I think its a wonderful trick. I hope you will go out and try some loose leaf tea, come back and share what flavors you like.
What type do you drink, loose or bagged and does it matter to you?
Stop by my last post in the tea series. Make sure you join the conversation on facebook.
April 22nd, 2013
What temperature do you like your tea?
It’s no secret here around Candiland that I love tea. In 2005 I started a tea party business and had weekly parties for the Red Hat Society. We would serve between 8 and 40 Red Hatters over in my beautiful Victorian home. It was my dream come true home. It lasted about 3 years until we had to sell it thanks to the crazy economy.
Did you know that tea is actually good for you? It is the number 2 drink consumed after water. Not only is it popular but there are so many ways to enjoy it. There are probably more combinations than other drink, plus you can drink them hot or cold.
According to Enjoytea.com here are some of the benefits to drinking this amazing beverage.
Fight Cancer & Heart Disease
Tea contains antioxidant compounds of polyphenols that help the body fight harmful free radicals. It is believed that harmful free radicals can lead to cancer and heart disease. Tea also contains flavonoids that restricts the build up of cholesterols and help with blood vessel functionality.
Protects Teeth & Strengthens Bones
Polyphenols found in tea may reduce plaque, which lowers your chance of cavity and gum disease. Tea also contains fluoride that helps protect against tooth decay. Fluoride is extracted from the soil by the tea plant. This identified mineral also strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis.
Improves Digestion
The polyphenols in tea, help with digestion of fatty food by increasing the flow of digestive juices.
Prevent Food Poisoning
The catechins in tea are a powerful sterilizing agent, which kills germs and bacteria. Tea prevents food poisoning by fighting against stomach diseases caused by harmful bacteria’s.
Look and Feel Younger
Studies suggested that the high concentration of antioxidants in tea have an anti-aging effect.
Strengthen the Immune System
Vitamin C in green tea helps to treat the flu and the common cold. Moreover, the polyphenols in tea have shown to increase the number of white blood cells in our immune system.
Prevent Dehydration
Tea is a good source of fluid intake that replenishes lost body liquid. Doctors recommend that it is vital to drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid a day. Tea is low in calorie and it is a great thirst quencher.
If you enjoy these reasons to drink tea, stay tuned for the next issue of A Day in Candiland, for different types of tea and easy recipes that you can enjoy.
Make sure you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to my next blog post.
Leave a comment letting me know which of these reasons, you might start drinking tea. Do you like it hot or cold? What is your favorite blend?
April 15th, 2013 It’s tax day 2013. This year for the first time I had to get an extension for our personal taxes. I usually file at the beginning of the year, but my husbands shop became an LLC during the year so we have different returns to file. I am a little nervous because I like things simple and I like to be in control and right now, it’s in the hands of my preparer.
Scary!
So I decided to find the silver lining in an otherwise red letter day.
I wanted to share some freebies with you to get you excited about April 15. I love free stuff, don’t you?
Most of these are nationwide, some might be in specific areas.
In L.A check out – if you like Cinnabon make sure you get there in the evening. Two free bites. Yum.
If you like the movies and popcorn check out Momscharlotte.com
I bet your local city has some specials too. Don’t forget to google it.
Happy Tax Day and enjoy something for free. Who says you can’t get something for nothing? Enjoy.
April 2nd, 2013 If you want to brighten up your day, bake some lemon bars. I have a friend who loves lemon bars and it was recently her birthday. She sent me a text that she would really like some, so I made some for her birthday. Unfortunately for her, we couldn’t get together right away so I took them to a family reunion we had. I promised her some more when we get together.
When we got back a few days later I made them again and we went to a play and she got to eat her lemon bars.
You can never eat just one and I think by cutting them into little triangles you don’t feel like your eating too much. Until you notice most of them are gone.
If you like what you see, make sure you subscribe to my blog and follow me on facebook and twitter. If you like lemon, find some of my other recipes here.
Here is the recipe for The Best Lemon Bars:
Ingredients - For the crust:
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- 2 sticks of room temp butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- pinch of kosher salt
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- For the filling:
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- 6 jumbo eggs room temp
- 2 TB grated lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemons (about 5 lemons)
- 1 cup flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- For the crust, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and add to butter mixture. Put the dough into a 9 X 13 pan and sprinkle with flour and using a small roller or your hands, roll into the pan building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Using real lemons makes all the difference. Pour over crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or triangles.
2.2 http://adayincandiland.com/2013/04/the-best-lemon-bars.html
March 7th, 2013 If you love lemon you will love these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!
Have you ever been to a restaurant for dinner and started looking at the breakfast menu? We were at Cheesecake Factory and if you have ever been there you know how big the menu is and not only lunch and dinner items but breakfast too.
As I was looking at the menu, something lemony and cheesy stood out and after reading the description, I had to call over the waitress and ask her about it. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I love anything with lemon in it and I will try to make anything that has it in it too.
We went home and I found a recipe to make it. I went to the store and got all the ingredients and I made the batter and hubby made the pancakes. Now I love pancakes and all breakfast food, it’s really my favorite meal of the day. I was so excited to eat it and it tasted delicious. My kids even ate it knowing there was cheese in it, made it questionable to them, but it was a hit. We added strawberries, but blueberries would have been just as good.
This recipe is great with strawberries or blueberries on top. It is not too sweet so the addition of the berries works well. This recipe was adapted from the Cheesecake Factory. Ingredients - 1-3/4 Cups AP Flour
- 1 Tbs Baking Powder
- 1ts Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ts Vanilla
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups Fresh Ricotta cheese
- 4 Tbs granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs lemon zest
- Fruit of choice for top
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- 2 1/2 tsp oil for griddle
Instructions - Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together until combined. Set aside.
- Pour the buttermilk into another mixing bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and oil into the bowl. (I did add a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice also)
- Add the ricotta cheese, sugar and lemon zest into the bowl with the buttermilk. Using a whisk. gently still the ingredients together.
- Add the flour mix into the bowl with the buttermilk and ricotta cheese. continue to fold the ingredients together until evenly combined with a few small lumps remaining in the batter. Do not over mix the batter.
- Heat 1/4 tsp of vegetable oil on a griddle or in a large non stick pan. Ladle the batter on the griddle until the pancake is nice and golden on each side.
- This recipe is enough to feed 3-4 people.
2.2 http://adayincandiland.com/2013/03/lemon-ricotta-pancakes.html
March 4th, 2013 Time got by me and I missed a few weeks of Menu Plan Monday – I did do my menu planning, but I didn’t get it online. I bet you have had days like this where you just ran out of minutes or hours of your day. I have found that planning your menus saves you time in the long run. After you have done 2 months worth, you can just switch a few days around and already have them planned for you.
I suggest you start in your pantry and your refrigerator. You can find several items to start your meals with. My goal is to have some pictures soon of my meals to link to the recipes. I like to sit down on Sundays and plan my week. Sometimes I do my shopping on Saturday so I plan my meals before I go to the store. Today as I am sitting here, both of my kids are playing at the park with my husband, the oldest son is 18, so he comes and goes, but for the most part, it is very quiet except for Fiddler on the Roof, which is playing on TV right now. My mother took me to see this as a child and then I bought the record so I love all the songs even 30 something years later.
Oh so back to Meal Plan Monday
I am going to start out with
Monday – Pulled Pork Sandwiches/ This is a recipe I have tried in the slow cooker that you can use. You can use cole slaw or potato salad as your side.
Tuesday – Parmesan Herb Chicken. I bake the chicken after rolling it in herbs and Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Then bake for 40 minutes. I use boneless breasts. For a side dish I make green beans and serve with some fruit.
Wednesday – Hamburgers – Hubby is the barbecue r, so when he gets home he fires up the grill and makes the patties and adds some good cheese and onions and tomatoes. I like tater tots with these delicious burgers.
Thursday – Tacos, We love tacos around here and we can use the leftovers from last night for the tacos. Hamburger, tomatoes, cheese, onions, black olives and avocado. I did go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get the tostada shells container that you bake the tortillas in for 7 minutes and they are healthier that fried shells.
Friday is almost always Pizza night, I like the pizzas from Fresh and Easy and I add some more cheese, black olives and anything else I have left over, and I make garlic bread.
Saturday and Sundays just happen, we are a busy family and we eat what we find in the cupboard or make grilled cheese sandwiches. I would love for you to share your menus or easy meals in the comment section. To find my past menus click on Menu Plan Monday . I have also linked up to OrgJunkies menus.
Have a terrific week,
February 4th, 2013 Well it’s week two of Menu Plan Monday on A Day in Candiland. Last week went so good, I decided to go with it again. Although it takes a little planning, it really goes smoothly during the week. My kids have been looking at my menu I post on the fridge and they are prepared and even have been helping me get it on the table. I did have to switch one of the nights with another because I forgot I work late one night. It was so easy, because I just looked at my easiest meal and switched it.
I really feel like I am saving money too. It is helpful to go through your pantry and freezer before you make your meal plans. Also think about your week, is there a night that you want to make a big meal or maybe you want to do sandwiches so you don’t have to turn on the oven. It is really simple and takes the stress out of feeding your family. If you missed my menu last week, you can find it here. I have linked up with other menu planners here.
Monday: Cheese Enchiladas, Rice and Fruit
Tuesday: Chicken Tacos, Beans, and Corn
Wednesday: Mostacolli and sauce, Crescent Rolls and Berrys & whipped cream (I bought blackberry s this week)
Thursday: Baked Chicken, French Fries, and Vegetable.
Friday: Homemade Pizza and Garlic Bread
This week on Saturday we will be at my nieces 16th birthday party. We live a few hours away so we will see all of our family.
Do you have a tip to make your meals go smoothly? I would love to hear them. Leave a comment and tell me what your making this week. You can leave a message on my facebook page also.
January 28th, 2013 I am happy to announce A Day in Candiland is participating in Menu Plan Monday. It’s funny that I struggle with getting dinner on the table since I am a baker. I probably wouldn’t have trouble getting a cupcake on the table at night, but I think that would be considered abuse. I am so busy that going grocery shopping is not one of the things I enjoy doing. So since the new year is here and I am working on some goals for this year, by family goal is to be better at getting dinner on the table in a timely manner.
This started last week when I brought my husband with me to the store (first mistake) and $165.00 later not one meal could be made from what we bought. I couldn’t figure out where it we went wrong. Not even junk food could be found. Then I started googling (one of my addictions), and found Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and also on my friend Jens blog.
This was an answer to prayer. I sat down and came up with not only this weeks meals, but also our lunch meals. I spent less at the store and have meals that include fruits and vegetables as a side dish with each meal. I feel better about serving them and hopefully the kids will be happier about eating. Now I won’t be looking through the pantry at 6:00pm thinking what can I make?
Monday: Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese and a Vegetable Side
Tuesday: Baked Chicken with Italian Parmesan Cheese, Vegetable Side and Fruit
Wednesday: Spaghetti and Garlic Bread, Fruit
Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas, Rice, Corn and Fruit
Friday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, French Fries and Dessert
This was really easy to come up with by shopping from my freezer, fridge and pantry. I have lots of things that have been sitting there because I didn’t have the right things to go with them. I usually shop on Saturday after I make my menu so it works into my schedule. We might eat left-overs or go out on the weekends, and sometimes to a friends. I am really excited about this and hope you will share some of your menus with me. You can also come stop by facebook and share your links.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you will make A Day in Candiland one of your blogging stops.
January 17th, 2013 Yes, I admit it, I am addicted. I can’t stop. I can’t give them up. Please don’t make me.
I’m just kidding, mostly. I like to have fun, and these 10 items are my favorite things. My addictions.
- Starbucks Iced Tea – Yes, I drink from 1 to 3 Vente’s a day. I am not ashamed.
- Milk duds and whoppers – I love milk duds, but they get stuck in my teeth, so I limit my indulging.
- The Bible – I read from the One Year Bible each morning at 5:45 am. It starts the day off right along with my affirmations.
- The Iphone – Why did they invent this. It doesn’t leave my side (like men and their remotes), it’s like a money sucking machine. There must be some subliminal messages coming out of it. – Buy me, play with me, spend time with me, etc. etc.-
- Starbucks Iced Tea – Again with the Starbucks. My kids think they would have more STUFF, if I would stop drinking them. They think it’s all about them.
- Big Bang Theory – Bazinga. Need I say more?
- My two cats – . Aren’t they the cutest babies? My husband says, “who are you talking to, me or the cat?” Sometimes I lie and say, “You of course!“
8. Cupcakes – Obviously, hence Candiland Dessert Company I make cupcakes and hope one day to have a little tearoom with pastries.
9. Dell Taco – 1/2 pound Green Burrito with tomatoes and onions – its my go-to food when I am on the road.
10. The Internet – I am a surfer. I admit it. I also have adhd and go from page to page. I never know where I will end up. I should leave bread crumbs or Cookies to get back home.
Obviously, I am not in therapy for these addictions, but I am not willing to give even one of them up.
January 4th, 2013 Family vs Work oh my…
This has got to be one of the most sought-after life-long questions since time began. I do have to envy our ancestors who lived together and helped as a family. Aunts, sisters, grandparents all lived in the same household and supported each other.
Nowadays, the husband works, the kids are too busy with their lives and school and friends, and most of the responsibility lands on us moms. I am not saying that husbands don’t help out because I know mine does. Even right now he is helping our daughter with her Mission project. Still, the cooking, cleaning, banking, laundry, meetings, church events, sports, dance, etc, etc. needs to get done.
Then, we mothers’ want to work or have a home based business so we can earn some money to either survive in this economy or have a little extra spending money.
So what is the secret?
What is the trick?
How do we get it all done?
Well, the first thing I have learned and was told even before I ever had my three wonderful, adorable children, was it won’t all get done (the way I would like). You have to pick your (battles) priorities. You have to have communication with your husband and children and ask for help. They are part of the family too.
Then I make lists. I have learned through many books and seminars that LISTS are great. You can either pick your 5 or 6 things you must accomplish each day.
You have to adjust your thinking and your priorities to get what needs to be done each day accomplished.
Each day I start with reading my daily bible. I then say my affirmations. This starts my day out right. I wake up at 5:45am. Then I do all my banking online. I get my kids up and ready for school, make lunches, and go to work. After work, I take my kids home from school, get them started on homework and then go and help my husband for an hour at his shop. I come home and start dinner, work on my blog, read 15 minutes something encouraging or something I want to learn about, then get everyone ready for bed.
The kids have a few chores they do during the week and they help out on the weekends. My husband helps with the laundry and I do grocery shopping on Saturday.
The house never looks perfect and I don’t have all the latest fashions. We don’t go crazy at Christmas, like we used to. This year our plan is to be debt free,(except our house) so that is what our focus is on.
One thing we are going to do this year that we didn’t in the past is take more day trips. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, you can make sandwiches and pack an ice chest and go to the mountains or the beach or even a day at the park and bring a book to read. It’s all about spending time together and getting to know each other as our children grow.
I have also worked on a dream list that I do each December or January, it focuses on some major things that we want to accomplish during the year or two. It may be a vacation or fixing up a room in the house. I have found that the key to much of this is to pray about it. If it’s in God’s plan it will happen, maybe not in my timing but if it doesn’t it wasn’t meant to be. Then we get it back at the end of the year.
I would like to know what you do to start out the new year. Do you just go through the year and let things happen or are you more of a list person?
Happy New Year.
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Welcome Thanks for visiting. I love to create desserts and my kids love to help me. I like to blog about Tea, Baking and Networking. I am working with new recipes including Gluten Free, Casein Free and No Refined Sugar. I hope you enjoy your time here.
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I am a baker, I think about it all the time, coming up with new desserts, that is, while spending time with my 3 children. Two of them help me in the kitchen. The oldest doesn't think it's the cool thing to do. I also teach cooking classes including gluten free baking. I like to read and work out in the garden. I finished culinary school a few years ago and volunteer at our church and school. I am busy, busy, busy, but love every minute of it. 
