Year: 2024

Benefits of Drinking Tea

admin October 10, 2024 0

Going back thousands of years, the benefits of drinking tea remain today. Tea is a low-calorie drink containing unique compounds that support heart health. Drinking tea was used for its medicinal qualities and enjoyed as the cultural beverage of choice. It's generally accepted that green tea has the most benefits as it contains EGCG, the most powerful type of catechin. Whether you use bagged or tea leaves, the benefits of drinking tea are not diminished. The original tea bags were handmade, hand-stitched muslin or silk bags, much like Mighty Leaf's handcrafted, artisan tea pouches. Patents for tea bags existed as early as 1903. However, Thomas Sullivan, a tea merchant from New York, is often credited with creating the first commercial tea bag concept.

According to Chinese legend, the history of tea began in 2737 B.C.E. when Emperor Shen Nong, a skilled ruler and scientist, accidentally discovered tea. While boiling water in the garden, a leaf from an overhanging wild tea tree drifted into his pot. The Emperor enjoyed drinking the infused water so much that he was compelled to research the plant further. Legend has it that the Emperor discovered tea's medicinal properties during his research. Like Europe, tea initially came to America in the mid-1600s through the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. The colony was captured by England in 1664 and renamed New York, where the tea trade flourished amongst colonial women and wealthy colonists.

Health Benefits of Drinking Tea

Tea is also associated with a lower risk of many ailments, including cognitive issues, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and more. Teas are hydrating and tasty, making them a good alternative to water. The nutrients and minerals available in them can contribute to overall health. While drinking tea alone is not a solution or cure for any health condition, it can be easily integrated into a healthy diet.

Various studies suggest that polyphenolic compounds present in green and black tea are associated with beneficial effects in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, particularly of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. In addition, anti-aging, antidiabetic, and many other health-beneficial effects associated with tea consumption are described. Evidence is accumulating that catechins and theaflavins, which are the main polyphenolic compounds of green and black tea, respectively, are responsible for most of the physiological effects of tea.

For the users of dry tea leaves, we offer a line of reusable tea infusers. All are machine washable.

Click Here for a list of available infusers.

Cooking With Cast Iron

admin October 8, 2024 0

Cooking with cast iron is nothing new. My favorite cookware has been around some say since the 5th century B.C. There are tons of cooking pots and pans on the market today, all types of coatings, colors, etc. With the advent of aluminum skillets with Teflon coatings, cast iron fell out of favor. Teflon did NOT make cast iron obsolete, people who had them continued using them for their awesome properties.

What I like best about cooking with cast iron is how it holds and distributes heat around the pan. I translate that into more even cooking, shortened cooking times, and a reduction in gas usage. We use natural gas where I reside but I'm sure the same holds for electric stoves. You can also use cast iron over open flames outdoors. Anything can be cooked using cast iron, any style. Deep-fried fish is my specialty, followed closely by fried chicken. Perhaps cooking in these skillets reminds me of my mum's cooking but I'm okay with that. While cooking, the cast iron surface easily reaches +300 degrees which will kill any bacteria unfortunate enough to stick around.

When cooking with cast iron, you should avoid cooking acidic foods. You should also avoid marinating ANYTHING because marinades are usually acidic. Other than that, anything can be prepared. I will say eggs can be a problem because of the porous surface. I solve that problem by applying a thin layer of oil.

Preparation for cooking with cast iron:

The process of preparing cast iron for use is called seasoning. The process involved rubbing a fine layer of oil on the surface and baking it for an hour at 400 degrees. You should avoid soaking cast iron in water. Cast Iron will absorb water and accelerate the formation of rust. The only problem I have with cast iron is the weight. If you've used it you understand how heavy it is. Nevertheless, cast iron is my favorite, it's like lifting weights..

"Life's Good When You're Cookin Wit' Hus"

Left Coast Surf Fishing

admin September 25, 2024 0

Ocean Surf Fishing along the beautiful California coast is one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day or two. Hidden below the waves are fish ranging from Perch to Halibut to many other species looking for a meal. Surf fishing involves wading ankle-deep out into the incoming waves. Tossing your bait selection as far as you can into the deepening water. When heading out for an afternoon, I usually have 8-10 types of artificial baits and my trusty rake. The rake is for digging out sand crabs. What's fun about this type of fishing is that you can use freshwater tackle. Saltwater is corrosive and will devour tackle not saltwater specified even if you're meticulous about cleanup.

Call it suicide, but when I go out ocean surf fishing, my rig consists of a spinning reel loaded with 10 or 12-lb monofilament line. One would think I'm fishing for panfish but in the back of my mind is the potential for larger species. Those species include striped bass, white seabass, and halibut. Sharks are always in the water but nothing to worry about other than getting busted off.

Ocean Surf Fishing Bait(s) of Choice

Other than telling you what I use, you're on your own deciding what to throw into the drink, okay? Many surf fishermen use soft plastic baits, hard plastic baits, spoons, and live sand crabs. Live bait usually out fishes artificials but you never know what's lurking under the surface. Overall, plastic baits produce more bites across a wider number of species but having access to live bait reduces the risk of being skunked.

Fish caught in the surf is not bad table fare. For me, the real prize when ocean surf fishing is Halibut. When using larger bait in the surf, you must consider using heavier lines with fluorocarbon leaders. Halibut has sharp teeth, get large, and are mean making it a challenge to land anywhere. Stripped Bass can also be caught when surf fishing so tackle selection is important and centered around bait choice. There are many other flavorful species available so try what you catch and decide for yourself what you like to eat.

Ocean surf fishing is fun and good exercise. Being out on the water always makes me feel at peace whether I catch fish or not. Please take a moment to peruse our online store where you can see many of the baits I personally use. Most rigs the serious ocean surf fishing community uses are extremely long rods and the reels can get expensive. I started off with low-end tackle and graduated to the good stuff once I decided surf fishing is something I was interested in. And with all the walking I've managed to lose weight and improve my health. Ocean Surf Fishing is one of the best cardio exercises available.

PSA

Sharks are often caught in the surf so keep that in the back of your mind when tossing bait into the surf. I usually release the large "breeders" to keep the species safe so feel free to contribute to the next generation.

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Hand Crafted Fry Coatings & Gravy Mixes

admin August 27, 2024 0

From Our Store to Your Door:

There’s nothing like the taste of fried foods. These same foods are even more awesome when smothered in gravy. Cookin Wit’ Gus has taken coating/gravy game to another level by making hand crafted fry coatings blends that can be used on meat, biscuits, or vegetables of any type. And for lovers of gravy, these mixes are as aromatic as they are flavorful for whatever you use gravy. An inexpensive product and resealable bottles add value you don't find everyday..

The main reasons for coating foods are to improve their appearance and eating quality and to increase their variety. Coatings are applied to foods to modify their texture, augment flavors, improve convenience, and add value to food products prepared for everyday consumption. Our blends are consistent across the product line and that includes products we make for our friends with food allergies.

Consistent with our philosophy of eating well and eating healthy at the same time are our seasoned coating and gravy products. Gus has hand-crafted these hand crafted fry coatings products for maximum flavor and maximum value. All our natural products are additive, preservative-free, and flavor enhancer-free. And for our friends with food allergies, we’ve crafted an awesome lineup for those requiring gluten-free products.

What's NOT in our hand crafted fry coatings / Gravy Mixes

Here is a small description for what may be used to make coating or gravy mixes in stores today: Polysaccharides are natural polymers used extensively to produce edible coating or films. Examples of polysaccharides used in producing these films include; Pectin, cellulose, starch, chitosan, alginates and pullulan.

If that sounds less than awesome then click the button below and select our Seasoned Coating / Gravy Mixes aisle in our store. No additives, preservatives, or flavor enhancers sounds good to me.

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“Life’s Good When You’re Cookin Wit’ Gus”