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While most of the world enjoys their morning coffee, I start off my day with a hot cup of tea. The sweet aroma and smooth taste helps jumpstart my brain for the busy day ahead. I’ve been a tea drinker for years, but I’ve just recently learned about the added benefits. Perhaps one of the most important reasons you should drink tea is that it is an easy way to get your antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they help your body fight against the excess free radicals. Clearing out the free radicals can help prevent heart disease and cancer, reduce blood pressure and slow the effects of aging. Besides tea, antioxidants are found in a variety of berries, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, red grapes, spinach, carrots, and many whole grains.
Tea can also act as Draino for your arteries. Keeping your arteries clear of blood clots will greatly reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. “A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.” (Lynn Grieger) Tea also helps strengthen your immune system from everyday illnesses.
In the past, I have watched many of my family and friends grow very dependent upon caffeine. Their dependency causes them headaches and even indigestion. By switching to tea, they could still get their much needed caffeine, but in smaller doses. On average, a cup of tea has about 100mg less caffeine than coffee or soda. Too much caffeine can lead to fatigue and dehydration. On the flip side, tea has been proven to aid in hydration. And since it is calorie free, you won’t be wasting your precious daily intake on a drink.
Some of my favorite teas are made by Lipton. If you are a new tea drinker, I would suggest you start with Lipton’s Bavarian Berry. This black tea’s smooth sweet taste will help keep you from adding any unneeded sugar. Other favorites of mine include Lipton’s Mixed Berry Green Tea, Lipton’s Blueberry White Tea, and Twining’s Pomegranate. What are your favorite teas?
Grab a latte (or a cup of tea), put up your feet, and join the discussion!
I am not a big fan of shrimp, but this recipe was a favorite of my husband’s. He eats this shrimp by the pound! If you like it spicy, add a little more red pepper! Do you have a mouthwatering recipe you would like to recommend? Shoot me an email at betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com and I can post it for all to enjoy!
Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed
Directions
1. In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened.
What movies are you looking forward to seeing this year? For those of us who don’t get out much, which movies do recommend us checking out on DVD?
Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!
If after watching that video you still feel you won’t be able to resist checking those incoming text messages, check out this new alternative. “DriveSafe.ly is a mobile application that reads text (SMS) messages and emails aloud in real time and automatically responds without drivers touching the mobile phone.” (http://www.drivesafe.ly/). My husband tested out this application last night, in the safety of our home. He sent himself an email and within 30 seconds his Blackberry was reciting the email back to us. Now we have no excuse to take our eyes off the road. No urgent texts or emails will be missed.
Please share the YouTube link with all those you care about, as my friend shared it with me. Let’s work together to get our roads safer for everyone.
I will admit, this is not a recipe that I have tried. I saw it on allrecipes.com and it looked so good I wanted to share it with everyone. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! Do you have a mouthwatering recipe you would like to recommend? Shoot me an email at betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com and I can post it for all to enjoy!
Ingredients
• 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
Directions
1. Arrange a steamer basket in a pot over boiling water, and steam the green beans 3 to 4 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, garlic chili sauce, and honey.
3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Serve immediately.
Last night I came across the great blog, Theta Mom. The great Theta Mom encourages mothers to take some Me Time. Me Time you say? What is this Me Time? “Me Time” is that little time that you set aside for yourself so that you can be a better mommy. Whether you can get a little time each day or once a week, me time is important. My kids are my whole life and I love them dearly, but they take a toll on my energy, patience, and sanity. In most households, the mother’s mood often sets the mood for the entire house. If mom is frazzled and frustrated the rest of the family will probably follow suit. This means more tantrums and arguments (and an even more frazzled mom). If you were able to schedule in some relaxation time for yourself, your household would probably run smoother. I know it is usually second nature for moms to feel that they have to take care of everyone and everything else first, but if you are tired and grumpy you won’t be able to do your job to the best of your abilities.
If you are worried about taking too much time away from your family, start small. Take 30 minutes to read a book, take a bath, or watch a “grown-up” TV show. Take a quiet walk in the evening and let your spouse clean up the dinner mess. As you start to feel more comfortable schedule some longer me time. Go out in the evening with your girlfriends. When was the last time you saw a movie? When was the last time that you had dinner without someone in your lap?
Me Time may be hard to find, but I say grab some soon (before you go loony). This month I was surprised by my husband with me time. Out of the blue he asked if he could take the kids to the mall and then out to dinner. This has only happened, maybe, one other time. To say the least, I was ecstatic beyond belief. I went straight to my comfy bed and curled up with a great book. Can you imagine reading for two uninterrupted hours? If not, it is time for you to find some me time! Best of Luck!
