If last week we had Christmas coffees, now we have Christmas teas.
David Bicierro, owner of Tea Drinkers, a Seattle-based company that specializes in organic gourmet teas, offers Christmas Spirit, a tea blend of rooibos, cinnamon, orange peel, cloves, peppermint and rose petals.
When steeped, the tea’s aroma is festive, a mix of spice with spikes of candy cane—fruity, hints of mint. It is the perfect ending to a rich, heavy and creamy meal. Long after the cup is emptied, one still feels that soothing, cooling effect.
“What separates our tea from the rest,” says Bicierro, “is that aside from the health benefits from each ingredient, our tea is specially blended for taste and flavor.”
Functional food
David also owns Forzudo Inc., a company that’s into “functional food” such as chia and maca.
“Functional food is not medicine. They are foods that are high in nutrition and provide certain health benefits—malunggay, for instance; chia is another.”
The package indicates that chia, gram for gram, has 1,440-percent more magnesium than broccoli, 700-percent more Omega 3 than salmon, 500-percent more calcium than milk, 200-percent more antioxidant strength than blueberries, 200-percent more iron than spinach, 500-percent more vegetable protein than kidney beans, 100-percent more potassium than bananas, 300-percent more selenium than flax seeds, 800-percent more phosphorous than milk and 100-percent more fiber than bran flakes.
David adds: “It is also an energy booster, increasing stamina and allowing athletes to do cardio exercises longer. It also helps control sugar levels, perfect for diabetics and people who want to lose weight. It is also good for the brain.”
To prepare our figure for the holidays, take chia before going to a party, advises David. “Soak 1 tbsp chia in 8 oz of liquid and wait for it to gel. The gelled seeds are what fill your stomach; the seeds being nutritionally rich, they kill hunger cravings by giving the body the sustenance it needs.”
For best results, take 3 tbsp of chia thrice a day. But remember to consult your doctor before altering your nutrition regimen (www.sugarleafph.com; angelo@sugarleafph.com).
Fire gadget
When I heard about this new fire gadget, it seemed too good to be true.
Three days ago, I met Irene Nubla during an impressive product demo. Irene said the gadget is no longer called fire extinguisher—it has other extra features.
“Ours is designed with a heat sensor. The unit will trigger automatically when it senses the heat hitting 57°C-68°C in a confined area. Thus, it is always ready for action even without a person to man the gadget.”
No residue, noncorrosive
“A 10-lb unit covers about 30 sq m, and is effective on all types of fires. It carries a certification from the fire department. It is noncorrosive, safe to use on computers, TV sets.
“It can be sprayed over and over again as long as the tank is not empty. But if the sensor goes off, it must be replaced (cost is only P300). The chemical is good for 30 years. It has a 10-year warranty, with refills costing P700 per pound.
“Food also stays safe, since the chemical is nontoxic. And if you spray it on yourself, you can even walk through fire!”
Well, I am not too sure I’d like to do that. But watching the demo, I was amazed to see how the pants of the demo person were ignited, and how the gadget snuffed out the fire instantly. The man was unscathed and so were his black pants, which were even stain-free.
There’s a Christmas promo: Irene offers 10-percent discount on fire gadgets, from today till Saturday. (E-mail firegadget168@gmail.com).
For my new cooking class schedules, call 0917-5543700/ 0908-2372346/ 4008496/ 9289296.