All About You

2010-07-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

Freelancer.com

2010-07-14T15:36:00.001-07:00

Getting the Best from Your Coffee (Espresso)

2010-06-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

Getting the Best from Your Coffee (Espresso)

The espresso is ‘the ultimate in coffee,’ some say. ‘Because it’s special preparation amplifies and exhibits the characteristics of the beans.’

Are you a coffee drinker? Would you like to master the art of brewing espresso? What does it take to produce a perfect cup? Just hold on for a while your questions are about to be answered.

GETTING THE BEST OF BLEND

Each bean variety has its own character and contributes to the final flavour of the blend. To get the blend of your choice, takes time. Some experts in the industry put their finest blend together for to six months or more. This is the why coffee rosters guard their recipes jealously. Getting the best of blend, is mastering the roasting process, the rate at which heat is applied and the degree of roasting.

The BREWING

The extraction of espresso is the most efficient and difficult of all coffee brewing methods. Making perfect espresso requires a skilful balance of three key processes namely;

1. Grinding and compacting the beans into the filter basket on the coffee machine.

2. Pouring the espresso shot.

3. Getting the grinding correctly is crucial.

The reason why the grinding is very important is because, if the grind is too coarse, the espresso will be thin and watery. If it’s too fine, the coffee will taste bitter and burned. After grinding the beans a packing tool called a tamper to compress them firmly into a filter basket. Next, lock the filter basket into place and turns on the pump. Getting the perfect pour is sometimes a case of trial by error.

Purists usually enjoy espresso in its classic form. Commonly called ‘short black’. In other words, they add nothing to the liquid expect perhaps a little sugar. Others, however, add milk to create cappuccino, latte, or a host of other espresso style. Today, milk-based espresso drinks account for more than 90 percent of all espresso beverage sales.

BUYING AND STORING OF COFFEE

Roasted coffees begin to lose flavour after a week, ground coffee an hour after grinding, and brewed coffee in minutes, according to coffee guide. Hence, if one get its own beans, it is best to buy them in small amounts and store them in a cool, dark place. But, do not refrigerate them, for they may absorb moisture and lose their flavour. And always brew your coffee just after you grind it.

Coping with the grief of the loss of a loved one.

2010-06-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Coping with the grief of the loss of a loved one.

There are a few things that affect us more deeply than the death of a loved one. It is not only that we have to endure the intense pain of loss, but we are also left to face a future that will likely be different from what we had expected.

The grief of a loved one, sometimes may force one to contend with a range of emotions that one have never experienced in life. How then does one cope with the flood of emotions that comes from losing a loved one?

Cry if you have to. Crying go a long way to ease the pain of grief. You don’t have to be afraid to let the tears flow. It is not a sign of weakness neither is it the lack of faith.

Don’t be plagued by the feelings of guilt. Sometimes there is this feeling of guilt which is most of the times unrealistic. Perhaps you feel a measure of guilt for things you neglected to do. You might even torture yourself with words like, ‘if only.’ ‘If only I had done this.’ ‘If only I had done that.’ But remember that, it is normal to feel regret over things you’ve wished you would have done differently had you known what would happen. But you did not know. Therefore the guilt is inappropriate.

Discuss your feelings. Keeping the feelings locked inside may make it difficult for you to deal with your grief. More so, discussing your feelings with someone you trust will pave the way for you to receive kind words of encouragement when you need them most. This few tips might also be useful.

· Talk to a family member.

· Talk to close friends.

· Talk to God.

Writing down your thought about the lost loved one can be of a tremendous help in coping with grief. Here are some suggestions that might be of help.

· List some pleasant memories you have of the person.

· Write down what you wish you could have said to the person while he or she is alive.

· Imagine that you have a younger one who is also struggling with feelings of guilt over the death. Write what you could say to comfort your younger one.

Grief can be liked to a wave that crashes ashore at unexpected moments.

2010-06-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Combating Ageing and diseases

2010-06-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Combating Ageing and diseases

The human body is powerfully created, to perform at a very high capacity, if proper care and maintenance is observed. There’re factors of note if high performance is required, one of such is the mind.

The mind is a veritable part of the body; it could be likened to as a driver who controls the entire system. What we think goes very far in determining the state of our health. Therefore, we should pay great attention to what allow into our minds.

To combat ageing and diseases, the right kind of exercise should be taken into consideration. This is very important, because, it makes our muscles and joints strong and flexible. Checking up of one’s physician is also important to assess the general condition and advises one where necessary. Secondly, the effectiveness of the exercise depends on the enjoyment of the activity itself.

One of the things that are as important as the others, if not considered to be more important, is what we eat. In combating ageing and diseases, good and proper nutrition is very vital. What we eat plays a major role in fighting disease. It is advisable to eat a low fat diet. Fat intake shouldn’t be, above the average rate of 15 percent of all daily calories. Though, this might make you lean, but, it will boost your immunity. Also, a low salt diet, and a potassium based salt should be encouraged in cooking and on the table.

Intake of high fibre foods are of utmost important, because, it protects the colons from cancer, lower the cholesterol level and stabilize blood sugar. 40 to 50 grams of mixed fibre daily, as contained in cereals, vegetables and fruits.