No Calorie Sweet Green Tea

During the summer, there’s nothing better than a cold glass of sweet tea. I enjoy the beverage but wanted a low calorie option that was also healthy for you. There are numerous antioxidants, along with Vitamins C and E found in Green Tea. (*See a report by Harvard Health Publications at the end of this post on the benefits of drinking green tea.)

This simple No Calorie Sweet Green Tea is good for you, easy to make and tastes wonderful.

Here’s all that is needed to make your very own No Calorie Sweet Green Tea:
Tea Kettle
Glass Tea Jar
10 Green Tea Bags (I use 5 Caffeinated and 5 Decaffeinated Tea Bags)
6 + 4 Cups of Water
1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia

Using a clothespin, use the tab at the end of the string to corral your tea bags.

Clip the tea bags to the side of your glass tea jar. Boil 6 cups of water in your tea kettle.

After the water in the tea kettle whistles, pour the boiling water into the glass tea jar. Aim for the tea bags as you pour.

Steep for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, pull the tea bags from the liquid but still inside of the tea jar. Slowly squeeze out any remaining water from the tea bags using a wooden spoon.

Add the 1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia.

Add 4 Cups of cold water to the tea jar.

Stir the tea a few times to mix the stevia in.

Let the tea cool in the fridge for several hours. Once it’s cool, pour yourself a glass and enjoy!

[*Tea’s health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.
Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.

Source: Harvard Health Publications]

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It’s My Birthday and I have a few Wishes

I’m getting older-today.

Not too old, mind you-but older. I still have my original teeth, hair and eyesight-so, I’m still doing pretty good.

And, since it was my birthday today, I’d thought I’d let you in on a few wishes that I have:

1. I wish I could eat these without gaining an ounce-every day of my life.

2. I wish some rich super distant uncle I had never met bequeathed this sweet ride to me.

3. I wish kittens never died. Instead, they would be whisked up into heaven just like Elijah.

4. I wished these people….

5. …and these people lived closer.

6. And above all, I wish I never disappointed this guy, made him mad or ticked him off. Fat chance, but I’ll sure as heck try.

I have many more wishes, but I’ll keep it to six. I need time to go party!

There’s a Hummus Among Us!

Yep, the title for this recipe is pretty lame. But I’ve had a weird week dealing with terroristic threats and what not, so anything that amuses me is rushing out quicker than I can close the dam.

I absolutely love hummus-I could eat hummus slathered on sandwiches, by the heaping spoonful, or with veggies if I feel like being a little more sophisticated. What I don’t love is paying $3 or more dollars for a tiny container that’s full of hard to pronounce ingredients.

So, off to the kitchen lab! And, within a few minutes, I had fresh hummus at my fingertips.

Here is what’s needed to make this Hummus Among Us Recipe-without tahini:

3 Cups Drained Garbanzo Beans (reserve juice if desired instead of the water)
3/4-1 Cup Water or bean juice (more or less depending on how tender/cooked your beans are)
1 TBS Lemon Juice
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
3/4 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp-1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt (depending on your taste)
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Salt (not pictured, sorry…)
Food Processor/Blender

Pour the 3 Cups of Garbanzo Beans into the blender. Add 1 Cup of Water and hit the puree until the beans are smooth.

The Hummus should have this type of consistency-thick but still pliable.

Add the 1 TBS Lemon Juice to the mixture.

Next, add the 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Add the 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds and blend again until smooth.

Now for the spices! Add the 3/4 tsp of Chili Powder-(or if you like things a little spicy, take the plunge and add a full 1 TBS).

Add the 1 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt.

And finally, add the 1/4 tsp Onion Powder and the 1/4 tsp Salt. Blend again until all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Put the hummus into a cute bowl and then add a little more chili powder that will show off your awesome hummus.

Serve with fresh cut veggies and enjoy the Hummus that’s Among Us!

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Remodeling and Regrets-the Living & Dining Room Debacle

Dear Readers:

I have been dragging my feet for quite some time on an issue I normally attack with my ninja skills. I want to repaint and redecorate two rooms in my house:

The Dining Room

And the Living Room.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with these rooms and I do feel rather American wanting to redo a perfectly good room. The idea when we first chose this light gray paint was to have a very minimalistic, clean look (Bicep’s desire) but with a little color (my desire).

However, it just feels cold and blah.

I am determined to do it with no money out of pocket. This means selling things I own to buy new decor and paint, making deals and waiting for sales. I have been patient, grasshopper.

Here’s what inspired my color choice originally. While on tour, I came across this unique cinder block fence. I loved the turquoise color and filed the color in the back of my little creative brain.

Months later, I put together my case for change and presented this color board to Biceps. Lo and behold, the minimalist man liked the idea and enthusiastically supported it.

He has become a big supporter of my decorating prowess after I redid the Master Bathroom and Master Bedroom while he was on tour. I think he became this aforementioned big supporter mainly because he didn’t have to do any of the work. Heh.

So, dear Readers:

Here’s why I am writing to you. I have the inspiration, the go-ahead, the non-budget-budget and the time. It’s getting to the ridiculous point of just needing to pull the trigger and I can’t seem to do it. I think I’m afraid to paint a color so bold and possibly trendy. Should I just jump in, no regrets and slap that paint on the walls?