Easter Is Coming, History of Gift Baskets!

Their never disappointed with a Gift Basket;
Although we might think of gift baskets as a
modern way to give gifts, they have actually
a rather long legacy. Spanning years and
cultures, there are several fascinating stories
of gift baskets that have been given throughout
history.


Likely one of the earliest accounts of a gift
coming in a basket is the basket of young
plants that the pagan goddess Eostre carried
in a basket, to be used as a sacred offering.


Although some scholars argue the place of
Eostre in Easter history, nevertheless this is
the likely source of the idea of what came to
be the modern-day Easter gift baskets.
"Anytime Is Coffee Time!" 

Coffee, A New Aid For Postmenopausal Women!

Coffee, the second most popular drink in the world
may also be one of the most healthy. The latest news
on coffee and health is that drinking one to three cups
of coffee per day might help save postmenopausal
women's hearts.

A 15-year study published in The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition shows fewer deaths from heart disease
or other non-cancerous inflammatory diseases for
postmenopausal women who reported drinking at least
one to three daily cups of coffee. Coffee is a major dietary
source of antioxidants, which may curb inflammation
and heart disease, write Andersen and colleagues, stressing
that their findings need to be confirmed.

The study conducted by researchers from the nutrition
department at Norway's University of Oslo included 27,312
postmenopausal women who took part in the Iowa Women's
Health study.

When the study began in 1986, participants were 55-69 years
old and hadn't been diagnosed with conditions including heart
disease, diabetes, or cancer (except for skin cancer).

The women completed a 127-item survey about their daily
coffee consumption, cigarette and alcohol use, and other
health habits (including diet and exercise). None of the women
were asked to drink more or less coffee or change anything else
in their lives for the study's sake.

They were followed for 15 years. During that time, a total of
1,411 participants died of heart disease, 1,733 died of cancer,
and 1,211 died of other diseases.The women who had reported
drinking one to three daily cups of coffee (or more) at the
study's start were less likely to have died of heart disease or
other inflammatory diseases (but not cancer) during the study.

Women who reported drinking one to three daily cups of coffee
at the study's start were 24 per cent less likely to die of heart
disease during the study, compared with those who didn't
drink coffee.

Women who reported drinking one to three daily cups of coffee
at the study's start were also 28 per cent less likely to die of other
non-cancerous inflammatory diseases, compared with those who
didn't drink coffee, the study shows.

Cancer deaths did not show any association with
coffee consumption.Those results are adjusted for other
factors and "were not repeatedfor other beverages, including
tea, fruit juice, sugar-sweetened drinks, diet soda, and skim,
low-fat, and whole milk," write Andersen and
colleagues.

The researchers call for caution in interpreting the results explaining
 that the study doesn't prove that coffee consumption was solely
responsible for the findings.The data also doesn't show antioxidant
in the women's coffee.

In conclusion, the researchers say results are consistent with a
protective effect of intake of one to three cups of coffee per day
on total death and death from cardiovascular and other inflammatory
diseases in a group of postmenopausal women.
Article By Edward Mulindwa
"Anytime Is Coffee Time!"

Cappuccino Coffee – What Is It?

Cappuccino coffee is one of the best known blends not just in the United States but basically all around the world. Anywhere you go, whatever café or coffee shop you enter, you would certainly see a long selection of coffee with this type of blend. This only shows that more and more coffee connoisseurs prove the great taste and aromatic excellence of this java blend.

Among the many other types of coffee including latte, macchiato, espresso and mocha. For cappuccino vs latte which is this blend the most loved and preferred? It usually depends on your palette but this coffee blend is a captivating one for casual coffee drinkers and aficionados alike. The great news is that you need not shell out a big amount of money in buying your favorite cup of coffee because you could now make it at home.


A Variety of Recipes;

There are different recipes you could find in the internet and coffee books which could help you come up with your very own homemade caffeinated masterpiece. It is quite simple and foolproof and learning how to make this coffee blend only requires you to know the basics. For instance, the main ingredients are espresso and steamed milk. Nevertheless, due to the increasing modifications, style and diversity of the java blend you could now find other ingredients to mix.

Some coffee lovers experiment with the taste and mixture of their blend and add other recipes such as nutmeg, ground chocolate and colored candies to sprinkle on top of the froth. There are also choices of adding more milk, vanilla extract and so much more to give their blends an extra kick and boost to the palette.

Best Machines;

If you are making coffee at home or if you are starting your café, there are other essential must-haves such as having your own coffee maker or machine. Cappuccino-makers are vital tools in every kitchen especially if you have an insatiable thirst for this java blend. There are lots of brands and models of machines for your coffee making spree. Gaggia Platinum Vision Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Capresso 121-01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso-Cappuccino Machine and Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine are just few of the models to invest on.

Take note that these home appliances are very vital to your every day coffee making tasks and enjoyment. Make sure you find the model that suits your needs and has features that help you make great tasting and aromatic blends without the mess and fuss.

Although the frothy and foamy blend is undoubtedly a great treat for coffee lovers, it is quite difficult to deny that latte is also a popular choice. There are similarities between these two coffee blends however they also have distinct characters. This is entirely attributed to the mixture or ingredients used in making your cup of coffee.

Cappuccino is basically a balanced mixture of espresso, steamed milk and milk froth while latte is double shots of espresso and generous amount of milk without the froth. Froth in latte is usually for presentation sake only and not necessary part of your blend. "Anytime Is Coffee Time!"
Article written by; Coffeefacts!

Coffee And Depression!

Coffee as an Antidepressant?
When you grab that morning cup of java, you’re
probably not thinking of it as an antidepressant.
You’re just trying to get that morning pick me up
to antidepressant, raising the spirits of people who
regularly drink the stuff. It acts on the central nervous
system and has mild antidepressant effects.


Coffee and depression studies have found that
drinking coffee reduced the rate of suicide in the
large demographic populations observed.


The first coffee and depression study that raised
the topic of java as an antidepressant was done in
1993. In this study, a Kaiser Permanente Medical
Care Program study of 128,934 nurses found that
java drinkers were significantly less likely to commit
suicide than nondrinkers.


This Nurse’s Health Study on coffee and depression
did not go so far as to establish a causal relationship
between java drinking and the drop in the suicide rate.
The study stated that it could be that the coffee itself
had little to do with it, but that people who drink coffee
share other characteristics that make them less likely to
commit suicide. A second study on coffee and depression,
however, confirmed these controversial findings and went
farther as to state that it was the coffee that dropped the
suicide rate. This study was especially noteworthy, as it
was large-scale and adjusted for a wide range of other
factors.


Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1996,
the study followed more than 86,000 registered nurses in
the United States between 34 and 59 years of age for ten
years. Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, an epidemiologist at Harvard
Medical School who led this study, looked at the data from
the Kaiser Permanente study hoping to discount their findings.


Instead of what he expected to find, he confirmed the
original study’s results with his own: using coffee as an
antidepressant reduced the suicide rate in these nurses.


Dr. Kawachi discovered that the nurses he studied who
drank two to three cups of coffee a day were one-third
less likely to commit suicide as those who didn't drink any.


The nurses who drank more than four cups a day were
58% less likely to commit suicide than their colleagues
who drank less. The coffee and depression study of female
nurses found eleven suicides among those who drank two
to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day, compared with
twenty-one cases of suicide among those who said they
almost never drank coffee.


However, Dr. Kawachi and others aren't ready yet to use
coffee as an antidepressant for clinical depression. At the
minimum, Dr. Kawachi says that his study shows that drinking
lots of coffee can’t be bad for your health.


Psychiatrists point out that people must understand that
depression isn’t simply a state of mind; it is a very serious
medical issue that cannot be resolved simply by drinking
coffee. 


And cardiologists, while they recommend to their patients
with heart and other health problems to steer clear of caffeine,
know that it’s not good for a patient’s mental health to do so
immediately in a cold turkey manner. Instead, they recommend
bringing down the
coffee consumption gradually in order to avoid a severe state
of depression due to the drop in caffeine and other antidepressants
in coffee.


Whether it is the caffeine or something else, coffee does seem to
have at least a mild antidepressant effect. The caffeine in coffee
may have mood-elevating actions through effects on neurotransmitters
such as dopamine and acetylcholine.


It is also possible that coffee drinking has social effects, such as
increasing personal contacts and time spent socializing, that might
reduce thoughts of suicide.


Article Source: Randy Wilson
"Anytime Is Coffee Time!"