#cloves

The Roofie Blend- dedicated to my mate Arion Oates (aka Rufus Hicks)

The blend consists of the following ingredients:

• Hibiscus
• Apple
• Orange Peel
• Elderberry
• Black Berry Leaves
• Blueberry
• Raspberry  
• Strawberry
• Red Currant
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Cloves
• Cardamon
• Fennel
• Jasmine Flowers
• Pepper
• Rich Black tea

This is a very complicated blend, and in my opinion one of my riskiest. It has a floral, yet fruity scent to it and the taste, just…intense. It’s a mix of spice and sweetness, a floral explosion that literally sends you flying into outer space…and that was the intentions behind this particular blend. Sweet and spicy enough to get you interested, with a subtle fruity/flowery taste to drown out the noise created by the spicy punch. I tend not to risk mixing fruity ingredients with spicy ones for fear of it just tasting like an awkward mess, but i’m pleasantly surprised at how refined this awkward mess turned out to be.

Here are my picks for this week’s Albums of the Day on Spotify. You guys know I’m extremely tardy to the party for all musical media evolutions; it took me like 3 years after everyone had bailed on cassettes to buy my first CD. So this gramma is all marveling at Spotify like you did 2 or 9 ago. Better late than never!

I’m so stoked to be able to indulge my random stream of consciousness musical yens, e.g. “WHOA I really wanna hear ‘Wasted Days and Wasted Nights’ by Freddy Fender!” cos that was a favorite when I was like, five. Then I hear a song as the end credits of that show Casual on Hulu, Google some lyrics to come up with the title, and BOOM, Cloves is my new favorite 20-year-old Australian singer-songwriter sensation.

Also found two new favorite bands that are the offspring of old punk rockers from my generation–FIDLAR and SWMRS (cos ALL CAPS IS A THING WITH YOU YOUNGSTERS APPARENTLY). These dudes are playing San Diego soon, so maybe I’ll even go out and see them!

So yeah, Spotify is joying up my geriatric heart these days.

Todays post is about Cloves, some of their health benefits and uses!

Health benefits when added to the diet:

• They contain a very potent amount of Phenols, a strong branch of antioxidant that helps protect the cells of the body from damage particularly from free radicals which are known to cause cancers and speed up aging. It also works as a natural preservative in meals due to actions such as slowing down the oxidation of fats in the food.
• Adding them to your diet can help keep coughs and colds at bay due to antibacterial properties and the Eugenol oil that they possess, similar to Menthol in it’s aroma and aromatic flavour it is strong in fighting throat & chest infections. This combines to give it strong expectorant properties which makes it easier to cough up phlegm.
• They are a great source of Vitamins C, K, B-6, B-1 and B-2. They also include Potassium and Sodium, valuable electrolytes. All of these are needed by the body for optimum function and can be added to the diet by seasoning with ground Clove powder or adding whole cloves to a meal such as a soup and taken out before serving.

Remedial uses:

1. Clove tea for fighting infection (especially in the chest & sinuses), aging and poor digestion -

• First add a tablespoon of whole Cloves to a Pestle & Mortar and bash them down into small pieces but do not grind them as they need to be strained afterwards.
  
• Next add the Cloves to a cup of boiled water in a mini cup strainer or tea infuser and allow them to steep for 10 - 20 minutes. The longer they are left the greater the potency but the flavour will become more bitter/pungent.
• Strain the Cloves out and now you can flavour the tea with lemon/lime juice or honey/stevia depending on your preference.
• You can also add a black tea bag for the last 3 minutes of steeping to get a form of spiced tea that may be more to your taste.

This tea should not be taken too often as the warnings below will explain, but taken twice a week can have a tonic effect on overall health due to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

2. If you are suffering from a toothache or a sore throat you can suck/chew on a Clove to release it’s anti-inflammatory and local anesthetic properties. This will not only reduce the pain greatly but help to fight the cause if it is infection based.

3.Quick facial mask for fighting acne causing bacteria and reducing oil buildup -

• Use a Pestle & Mortar to bash & grind a tablespoon of whole cloves down into a fine powder.
  
• Add a teaspoon of water or honey and muddle the mixture together.
• Add a few drops of Lime juice.

Apply to the worst effected areas and let it sit for 20 minutes, rinsing off with cool water. Doing a facial steam with a bowl before hand will increase the effectiveness! 

This not only kills excess bacteria but helps to reduce inflammation. This mask should not be used too regularly otherwise it can cause irritation due to the potency of the Eugenol oil.

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Cautions -

If you have any allergies to Cloves or similar aromatic Spices then don’t use them in anyway.

If you have a bleeding disorder or are on blood thinning medication don’t drink the tea or add them to your diet in any great number as they have blood thinning properties. 

If you have a kidney or liver disorder you should not consume Cloves without checking with your Herbalist or Doctor.

Anyone with blood sugar problems such as Diabetics or Hypoglycemics should be very wary of using Cloves as they lower blood sugar levels.

If pregnant it is always best to avoid trying new things in your diet without checking with a professional first.

Always take a sensible approach to the amount of a Spice you add to your diet as anything taken in excess can be harmful.

Lastly, always check with a trained Botanist, Herbalist or Doctor if you are unsure about anything.

Hope you are all well and have a good day!

 (:

chronic-mastication:

St. Louis Pork Steaks

Spiced Almond Breakfast Cookies recipe at Oh Sweet Basil

Spiced Chocolate Plum Smoothie recipe at Unconventional Baker

Chai Pie

Serve this pie among friends to bring luck and keep your bonds strong. The spices and sweetness will have everyone smiling and asking for the recipe!

Chai ingredients can vary by company, but it wont make too much of a difference. I chose chai that included cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, and allspice.

4 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
8 chai teabags (about 1/8c)
2Tb melted butter
2Tb all purpose flour
1Tb white vinegar
1/4tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk eggs and butter together until fluffy. Whisk in the flour, sugar, white vinegar, chai, and salt until blended. Pour into a prepared pie crust (I made a simple graham cracker crust, but plain or store bought is fine) and bake 30 minutes. The outside of the pie should be browned and firm and the inside will be slightly wobbly. You can add whipped cream or sprinkle some cinnamon on top if you feel. Serve it to your friends and enjoy!

Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Balls
(Click image for recipe)

Birria de res con consomme

BOILED BEEF AND CARROTS

sweet potato latkes + spiced thyme applesauce

Cloves real close up. 

~Spices real close up series, click here for more~

Chai Cider

4 qt apple cider

8 tbsp packed brown sugar

¼ tsp ground ginger

3 apples, thinly sliced and cut crosswise into bite size pieces

1 c halved kumquats

3 oranges, quartered and seeded

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 Darjeeling tea bags

Cognac

fresh cranberries

Combine cider, sugar, ginger, apples, and kumquats in a slow cooker. Wrap the quartered oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns in a large piece of cheesecloth and tie to prevent from opening. Add to the pot and cook on the lowest possible heat until the apples are completely tender and soft, 2.5-3 hours. Once you are ready to serve, steep the tea bags in the cider for 10 minutes. Remove and discard along with the spice packet. Ladle into cider mugs with a shot of Cognac. Top off with some of the fruit and cranberries.

“Książęce korzenne aromatyczne” - #beer with #honey, #orangeskin, #cinnamon, #ginger & #cloves
#instagood #photooftheday #picoftheday #instamood #beautiful #iphone #iphoneonly #photo #pretty #awesome #2013 #nice #cool #tyskie #ksiazece #browar #bottle #piwo #spice #poland #polish #limited