Fun Things to Do With Mint

!±8± Fun Things to Do With Mint

Mint is a beautiful and tasty herb. Try it in your drinks and cooking for a refreshing change in your routine. Use mint in ice cubes, sugars, fruit salads and more. To use mint in drinks, it's best to smack it with your hands to wake it up and not to muddle it.

1. Mint as a garnish - add mint leaves as a garnish for smoothies, sliced fruit, juices, teas, lemonades, water, sparkling water, flavored water, yogurt, ice cream, and light sodas (like Sprite, Ginger Ale and Mountain Dew).

2. Mint frozen in ice - put baby mint leaves in ice cube trays and top with water. Use these ice cubes in juices, teas, or any drinks from the garnish list.

3. Mint in boiling potatoes - add some mint leaves to boiling potatoes.

4. Mint in potato salad - combine 1/2 medium red onion (chopped), 1 red bell pepper (cored, seeded, cut in match sticks), 1 clove garlic (minced), 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Boil potatoes (cut into 1/2 inch slices) for 15 minutes, drain and cool. Add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, and toss. Add potatoes and freshly ground black pepper and gently toss.

5. Mint in hot cocoa - smack a handful of mint and add hot cocoa.

6. Mint and melon smoothie - blend in high-powered blender (like VitaMix or Blendtec) 2 cups crushed ice, 1 cup honeydew melon (peeled and seeded), 1 cup orange (peeled, or 1 cup of orange juice), 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves.

7. Mint jelly - great with lamb.

8. Mint vinaigrette - combine 3 tablespoon finely chopped red onion, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoon raspberry vinegar and 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint. Whisk in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Smoked Chicken with Mint Appetizers - Cut 1 1/2 lbs boneless smoked chicken into 3/4 inch chunks. In bowl, whisk 2 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken with vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours. Cut mangoes into 3/4 inch cubes. Assemble on skewers with 1 piece of chicken, 1 mint leaf, 1 mango.

10. Mint-scented syrup for fruits- whisk 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and 3 tablespoon honey. Spoon syrup over melons or other fruit.

11. Mint added to chocolate cake topping - Add sour cream to a layer cake mix to make it rich, top with minty whipped cream. Garnish with fresh berries and slivers of fresh mint and some orange or raspberry liqueur.

12. Mint with flowers - use mint stems in your flower bouquets like with roses or carnations.

13. Mint in liquors - use in your favorite mint julep and mojito drinks, or with gin, rum, or vodka.

14. Mint-scented sugar - layer 2 inches of white sugar with one layer of mint leaves. Repeat until you get to the top of the jar. Screw lids on and put in a dark cabinet for a few weeks. When sugar has absorbed the mint, sift out mint leaves. Rebottle into pretty jars, add a few mint sprigs on top and give as gifts. (This would also work well with lavender.)

Bonus Ideas for Mint 15. Mint-scented bath salts - mix 5 cups of Epsom Salt with 2 cups baking soda. Wash and dry glass jars (can use swingtop, cork, or screw-on lids). Layer 2 inches of the mix with one layer of mint leaves. Repeat until you get to the top of the glass container. Add ribbon to the jar. Add "Mint Bath Salts" label and tag with directions. Directions for use: add 1-1/2 cups to warm bath, enter tub and soak. Can sooth aches and pains.

16. Bug repellent - dried mint can be used to keep ants and bugs out of cabinets. Sprinkle dried mint along doorways and inside cabinet corners. Refresh as needed.

Types of Mint · Spearmint: Most common and widely grown mint variety. It has a more mild flavor than peppermint. Spearmint is used in chewing gums and toothpastes and is popular asin milkshakes. Spearmint leaves have serrated edges and in summer have purple flowers.

· Peppermint - Most peppermint varieties have long, pointed leaves with serrated edges. It has the greatest percentage of menthol.

· Apple mint - Has slight apple scent and aroma with a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

· Curly mint - Has frilly-edged leaves with mild flavor that is similar to mint and parsley.

· Pineapple mint: Apple-green leaves with creamy white edges. It has a subtle tropical-fruit scent.

· Chocolate mint: has a dark chocolate-colored stems with a chocolate scent.

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Fun Things to Do With Mint

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Types of Crockery Cookware and Crockery Tableware

!±8± Types of Crockery Cookware and Crockery Tableware

The term crockery applies to a variety of pieces, including dinnerware, serving ware and cookware. Crockery comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but does tend to have minimal designs and embellishments. Natural materials, such as clay, are used in the creation of crockery and are the reason for its durability. This makes crockery perfect for daily use, and the simplistic designs allow it to be incorporated with other serving pieces. Some finer pieces, made from porcelain and fine china, may have more decoration and embellishment.

Crockery performs the same function as stoneware, but is more affordable. Any type of dinnerware and most serving pieces are available in crockery. Some of the varieties used in creating crockery Victorian majolica, tin-glazed pottery, terra cotta, raku, delftware, creamware and faience.

One benefit of purchasing crockery is its durability. Crockery is difficult to break, can be run through the dishwasher and holds up well under regular use. This means it works well for both home and catering use.

Creamware is a type of crockery that was very popular throughout England's history. Wedgewood, a famous producer of creamware, improved its manufacturing process in order to create coloured creamware. One of the more popular of these coloured creamware designs was a blue-tinted creamware called pearl ware. Wedgewood's creamware graced the tables of both Catherine the Great and Queen Victoria. Original Wedgewoods are still around, and these pieces bring quite a high price. At the height of its popularity, creating crockery was considered a true art form. Today, early pieces are highly valued for their artistic merit.

Delftware, which originated in the Netherlands, offers a more decorative option for those choosing crockery. Delftware features a white background with blue decorations. The blue is created with the use of metal oxides. Faience, another type of delftware, is also found in Europe. Styles vary based on the region.

Condiment bowls, gravy bowls, plates, serving platters, and much more are all pieces of crockery. Those looking to buy crockery will find it in any tableware store or store that sells kitchen essentials.

Crockery cookers, or crockpots, are yet another type of crockery. These are typically used to cook foods, like meats, to cook poorly in water. Crockery cookers allow these foods to cook at a lower temperature in order to seal in all of the flavour of the food. When using a crockery cooker, consider using a removable lining. This makes cleaning the crockpot simple. Always test the internal temperature of the food before consuming. It should reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it does, it is considered safe to eat.

Today, busy families use crockery cookers to simplify meal preparation. Food is placed in the crockery cooker in the morning, usually with as few as five ingredients, and allowed to cook all day while the family is at work or school. When evening arrives, dinner is ready, and no one has to spend time in the kitchen cooking it. The Rival 3040VC 4 Quart Crockpot is an example of a basic crockery cooker that earns excellent reviews.

Types of Crockery Cookware and Crockery Tableware

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KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

!±8±KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

Brand : KitchenAid
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Price : $129.37
Post Date : Dec 04, 2011 09:29:00
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This cookware set is an exceptional value, including all of the pans needed to equip your kitchen with the most used cooking pieces. As the set contains only basic pieces, you'll really use each and every pan. It includes saucepans for whisking a homemade sauce or cooking your morning oatmeal, a big stockpot for soups, stews or boiling pasta, and skillets (probably the most used pan in any kitchen) that will help you turn out perfect crepes or a simple grilled cheese sandwich. The set also includes a sauté pan, a wide, straight-sided pan that can perform many of the functions of a skillet but features deep sides for extra capacity, perfect for one dish meals. Start your dish in this pan by sautéing onions and browning meat, then add your liquid and other ingredients into the same pan to finish on the stovetop or in the oven.

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