The Porters
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Homemade Peach Iced Green Tea
(Speaking of anxious, tea has a potent amino acid, L-theanine, which is a natural anti-anxiety compound. That's why even when you drink caffeinated tea you feel relaxed and have no caffeine jitters.)
With my love for green tea, I was knocking back generous amounts of Arizona Decaf Green Tea from the grocery store, but that stuff is loaded with sucralose, which is not something I want to put into my body in large quantities. Instead, I started buying the expensive stuff from Whole Foods, but it had caffeine in it. I'm not a big fan of caffeine either.
What's a girl to do? Make her own.
Peach Iced Green Tea
2 cups hot water
4 small green tea bags (or decaf in my case)
2 cups cold water
1 peach, diced
Directions:
Boil the water, pour into container. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
Toss the tea bags into the hot water (not boiling). Let them steep for 2 minutes. (Green tea is delicate and does not need to steep long.)
Remove tea, toss in peaches.
Store in the fridge overnight, remove peaches next day or drink it all!
PS. For those who want to know, it really is important that the water is not boiling and that it only steeps 2-3 minutes. I've heard lots of people say that they don't like green tea, but they're usually treating it like black tea and as a result are both scorching and over-steeping it.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Personality
http://allaboutpersonality.blogspot.com/2012/10/who-are-you.html
Enjoy! ~L
Friday, March 23, 2012
Smothered Cabbage
If smothered cabbage were a woman, she wouldn't make it as the cover girl of any magazine. She's just the girl next door who you take home and marry. Whoa! A little too personal for cabbage? Probably, but it's just a darn good comfort food.
Why is smothered cabbage so dear to my heart? I remember my mom making smothered cabbage, deep in the heart of Cajun Louisiana. And it wasn't limited to cabbage - we'll smothered-any-vegetable! It's the Southern cook's go-to vegetable preparation...and you know I love me some Southern cookin'.
I made it for friends last night, and they didn't even know they were eating cabbage. So, if you know a picky vegetable eater, this recipe might even make them like cabbage.
Smothered Cabbage, Laura Style
1 onion
2 TBS olive oil (or fat of your choice)
1 head of cabbage (the green kind, not purple)
1TBS sweetner of your choice
Salt to taste
Spritz of lemon juice to taste
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup water
Slice onions into half-moon slices. Heat the oil in a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat for about a minute. Place the onions in the skillet, and cook for about 7-10 minutes until carmalized. Add more oil if you need to keep it from burning, but don't be afraid of getting them brown...that's what you want!
Once the onions are carmalized, add the rest of the ingredients except for the water and stir until cabbage is slightly wilted. Put the water in the pan, turn the heat down to medium low, cover the pan, and smother it! You'll want to keep an eye on it to make sure you have enough water in the pan so the cabbage doesn't burn. Don't be afraid if it does turn a little brown, it's better that way.
Enjoy your Southern comfort food goodness!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Get Started with your Gluten Free Diet
#1) Plan your meals around rice and corn. These are inexpensive and entire food cultures, like Asia and Latin America, are dedicated to these grains. That's a lot of people eating mostly rice and corn - you can do it too! You won't feel like you're going without when you're stuffing enchiladas down your pie hole.
#2) Add in some Gluten Free essentials. I personally cannot imagine living the rest of my life without bread, pasta, or an occasional cookie. I'm sure you can't either. Experiment with products from your local health-food store. I'm lucky to have Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, and Sunshine Health Foods all within 10 miles of me. If you don't have one of these stores near, look online. I've listed some resources below.
#6) Be picky. Welcome to the world of being a picky eater. To protect your health you absolutely must read food labels, eschew questionable food, and ask waiters tons of questions. You also may have to send food back to the kitchen. It's a pain, but it's less of a pain than a hurting stomach.
#7) Tell everyone. Tell all of your friends because they'll want to cook something special for you. You can help them too. Offer to bring a side or small main dish so that you'll have something to eat. Tell the waiter, tell the hotel where you're having a a business lunch, tell the wedding coordinator, tell the party hostess. They'll feel badly if you show up and can't eat anything. With a little preparation, your needs can be met and the party can go on without a hitch.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Three Years!
- Reid was accepted into grad school!!!
- had fun with Maegan and Joy in Colorado!
- started fixing up our house and finished a few projects!
- got up at 4AM to watch the Royal Wedding (yes, this was a highlight for Laura)
- Laura conducted the Christmas & Easter choirs at Hope
- saw Rebecca & Daniel marry
- put up a real Christmas tree - watched it fall - put it up again
- saw Harry Potter 7.1
- gained two fabulous roommates. Thanks Ben & Kristin for being so awesome!
- Laura collaborated on the short-film score to Moira
- welcomed two new little friends into the world: Linc & Claire!
- watched way too much World Cup. I want a vuvuzela...