Monday, July 30, 2012

Not Too Hot!

Recently I got into a conversation with my sister about Green Tea and she told me it can cause cancer.  My first reaction was shock because all I've ever heard about Green Tea is that it prevents cancer (because of it's nutrients and antioxidants that fight and kill free radicals.) However, I decided to do some of my own research on the subject and see what I could find.

For the most part, everything I found online talked about how Green Tea and tea in general prevents different types of cancer and diseases.  But I did come across one study that had to do with the temperature of the tea and not the actual tea itself.  Drinking very hot tea can cause problems with your throat.



If you're a big tea drinker like me, you may want to pay attention to this.  Tea is really good for you, but you need to be careful how hot you are drinking it.  Let it cool off at least four minutes  before you drink it.  If you drink your tea a couple minutes after it was boiling, you are increasing your chances of having throat problems and getting throat cancer.

I haven't found anything really saying that consuming Green Tea can cause any type of cancer.  Almost everything I have found recommends drinking Green Tea and other kinds of tea for health benefits and to fight against free radicals in the body.  Plus,  it's also mentioned and is interesting seeing the health of Asians compared to Americans and how much Green Tea they consume on a daily basis. If you want to know more about Green Tea and where it comes from, check out this site.

So I would say that it's safe to drink Green Tea and the other varieties of tea out there as long as you drink it at the right temperature.

Treat your throat kindly, don't burn it.

Kayla


Friday, July 27, 2012

Can't Cook? Ask Your Mom..or Mine.

One thing I love about being home for the summer is my mom's cooking.  From making homemade pad thai  to cream cheese frosted pumpkin cookies to pesto stuffed zucchini boats, she can pretty much make it all.




Several years ago when my sister went to college, she kept calling my mom and asking her how to make different recipes.  My mom finally decided to start up a food blog so my sister could get online and see step-by-step pictures on how to make different meals.  The blog quickly turned into a hobby and she started using it for other stuff like Oklahoma City restaurant reviews and family story posts.  

Not long after, the views on her food blog started going up and local chefs began to recognize her as a food blogger.  Then, two years ago the Oklahoma City Channel 4 News contacted my mom asking her to come on for a day.  When she went on the News, they talked about her blog and showed some of her recipes.  The views were higher that day than any other day during the week.  She was offered a weekly segment on the News which she has been a part of for two years where she brings in local chefs to make a famous dish or shows viewers how to cook her own recipes.  Lastly, my mom was recently asked to be the author of a book titled "Food Lover's Guide to Oklahoma", where she has written about hundreds of "hole-in-the-wall" places across Oklahoma she recommends trying.  PRE-ORDER the book now! 

To say the least, my mom is an amazing cook.  But it's not only that.  She is the type of person who is willing to let you get in the kitchen and be a part of it with her or figure it out yourself.  But be cautioned as to what you're wearing or what you look like, because she could be taking pictures for her food blog at any moment..




Oh how it saddens me to go back to school every year (and after breaks) to Saga (if you don't or did not go to ORU, just ignore this-if you did or do go to ORU, you can share in my grief).

My mom's blog is a blog worth visiting.  If you are looking for a diverse selection of cooking recipes, this is the blog for you.  


Kayla




Tuesday, July 24, 2012

French Press Your Tea

There's one problem when it comes to looseleaf tea (tea that is not in a bag): you need a strainer of some sort.  I currently do not have a tea strainer, which may come as a surprise.  So, I was talking to my mom recently about it and we both thought it would be a cool idea to use the french press for loose leaf tea.

"What is a french press?" you say.

A french press is normally used for coffee and is known to give a coffee and extremely smooth texture.  How it works:  you put your grounds in the bottom of the french press (if you have coffee beans, you want to make sure they are ground before you put them in the french press), boil some water, pour the water in the french press, and then after a bit of time press down the grounds and pour out your coffee into a cup. 


So why is this relevant to tea?  Sometimes when you use a tea strainer, you can still get some floaties in your cup.  I don't really have a problem with them, but if you do and you want a really smooth-brewed looseleaf tea, you should try this method.  I'm going to use my french press in the same way I would with coffee, but to make looseleaf tea instead.


If you are still confused with how to use a french press, you can check out this video or these if you prefer reading instructions


What you need:






-French press (you can get these at target or cheaper on amazon
-Desired amount of water brought to a boil (plug-in tea kettle or stove top tea pot)
-Looseleaf tea of your choice
-Good size mug
-Any other ingredients you desire (sweeteners)


DO IT YOURSELF:


Get out your looseleaf tea of choice and pour your desired amount into your french press.  I'm going to use my Darling Darjeeling tea.  If you want to know the facts behind this tea check out my blog post on it.



Now that you have your tea in there, boil some water.  I like to use my trusty plug-in tea kettle that heats up water in a matter of twenty seconds.  You can get one for super cheap at Walmart.

After your water is boiled, pour it into your french press and put the lid on it, but don't press it yet.  Let it sit for a few minutes.



After a few minutes, use the lever on the lid to press down the leaves to the bottom of the container.


After you press the leaves to the bottom, pour your tea into your tea cup.



After your tea is poured, add whatever else you want and stir.  I like to add some honey to my cup.


There you have it. I really hope you enjoy it!  This was my first time making a cup of tea this way and I already absolutely love it.  Using a french press, especially for tea, is wonderful because it presses nutrients out of the leaves and into the water for you to drink.  You get a lot more nutrients and antioxidants this way compared to a regular tea bag. Try it out.  You may find you love it as much as I do.


Kayla

Saturday, July 21, 2012

FOR WOMEN ONLY

Tired of menstrual cramps?  Looking for a healthier type of medicine you can use each month?

I have a solution:  drink the earth.

Since I started becoming fascinated with herbal life, I've wondered how many different types of teas there are out there and what all they can be used for.

Yes, I'm one of those people who wants to get off of man-made meds and use herbs for everything in my body.  If it's from the ground (plant based) and can do the same things for my body that chemical based medicines do, I'm interested.  How about you?

Two in particular medicines I would love to get off of are Ibuprofen and Midol.  I've been researching and looking for different teas that can be used for head aches and menstrual cramps and that I can substitute for these medicines.



One tea that I found today is by Yogi, called "Woman's Raspberry Leaf".  Yogi's teas are organically certified and tested for pesticides and insecticides.  This specific box of goodness cost me less than four bucks and has sixteen tea bags.



This box contains 1,811 mg of Organic Raspberry Leaves per tea bag.  Raspberry leaves help with the entire reproductive system.  If taken pretty consistently, a woman can experience numerous amounts of health benefits from it.  It can help to ease pain and relieve discomfort that most women experience on a month to month basis.  The reason why this happens is because this specific herb releases its goods further down in the digestive system than the stomach.  It regulates uterine muscles and also tones them, making a menstrual cycle more relaxing and less painful.  This herb also helps ease stomach pain and is great for morning sickness, so if you're pregnant and looking for something healthier to help you out, try this!

DO IT YOURSELF:

For my first try, I'm going to steep this one as a hot tea.


Let it steep for a couple minutes.


You can either leave it like this or you can spice it up and make it the way you want to.
I'm going to add some of these for a little extra flavor. 


These are ginger honey crystals.  You can get there at your local Asian Market. 


And there you have it. Let me know if this works wonders for you.  I am trying it out myself and will post any improvements I feel from it!

Kayla

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

DO IT YOURSELF: Earthy Canvas Frame

Today I started a small craft project.  Midway through cleaning my room (don't tell my mom), I found a frame of mine that used to be a mirror but broke.  I started thinking about things I could do to make it a cool decoration of some sort. What I did was super easy and took me probably thirty minutes, so I thought I'd share it with you all in case you wanted to make one yourself.

You'll need:

Frame
Twigs
Twine
Buttons
Canvas fabric (or fabric of your choice)
Hot glue
Paint of your choice and brush

Here's my frame:



The first thing I did was head outside to explore and find some twigs.  After I found some, I brought a good amount inside and stripped the twigs of their leaves.  I left a couple on just to accent in spots.



 (I know this probably isn't the most flattering picture or best way I could have displayed these but oh well)

Next, I cut out some strips of twine and fastened the twigs to the frame with it.  In a few spots, I doubled the twine and tied a bow just to add something.


After securing all of the twigs the way I wanted, I found some buttons I had that I liked and glued them on the front in random spots.  




I then cut out a piece of canvas fabric and hot glued it over top the twine on the back of the frame to secure everything and the fabric itself.  I waited a few minutes for it to dry.


  
Lastly, I got out my paint brushes and colors of choice and painted on the front side of the canvas fabric.  





There you go!

This is a really simple and easy craft to do and makes a great decoration.  You can do it with any frame of any size, any fabrics and colors you like, and it takes only about thirty minutes. Anyone can do this.  Go for it! 

Kayla

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Heart Behind My Music



Besides making tea, another one of my "pass times" is music.  It's definitely one of my biggest passions and to be honest, I never would have imagined being where I am with it today.

I started out as an eighth grader wanting to become a "rocker" on electric guitar.  I was sadly disappointed when my parents decided to buy me a nylon stringed beginners acoustic.  I stuck it in the closet for a year.  I still to this day can't remember when I picked it up for the first time or why.  But soon I was trying to teach myself chords (it came in handy that I had long fingers- if you don't, you can still play!  Don't let people tell you you can't).  I taught myself for about six months and got guitar lessons for six months and shortly after started writing music.  I never expected to write.  

In high school I felt the Lord really speak to me strongly about music and how He had a huge purpose for it in my life.  So I (as resisting and stubborn as I was) decided to set aside my own plans and go after the plans the Lord had for me.  Coming into college at ORU, every music opportunity I wanted was taken away from me.  I never stepped foot on a stage because every door that led to the stage was closed for me.  The only thing I was involved in musically was worship missions with my school where I played drums for my missions team (India).  It was a truly humbling process for me and taught me the true meaning of worship.  Through that process, I gave myself to the Lord and told Him that if I never set foot on a stage again, I would worship Him for the rest of my life.  I was content with worshipping Him by myself in a room.  After this two year process, I entered into my junior year at ORU (this past year) and the Lord began to really put dreams in my heart for music that involved using music in a business sort of way.  I would make music, sell it, and give all the profits I made to people in need.

The Lord's dreams for me, which are now my dreams, are more than I could have ever asked for.  Truly.  It is so beautiful to me what the Lord is choosing to birth into the earth through me and I would rather live off of people's testimonies than money.  I want to see the children of God know they are Sons and Daughters through the words the Lord sings over them through me.  I want to see peoples' lives changed physically with the money I raise through my music.  We all (believers) have been given the ministry of reconciliation, and I want to reconcile people to the Father's heart through song. 

Below are a few of my tracks/videos.  CLICK THE PICS TO WATCH.

My first track "Orphaned One"


My second track "Wilderness"


My most recent cover of "Dog Days are Over" by Florence + The Machine

  

"Like" my facebook page

Tweet @ me! @knicholsmusic

Book me: kaylanicholsmusic2011@gmail.com or via facebook or twitter

WEBSITE:  songsfororphans.com

ALL profits I make off my music go to an HIV/aids orphanage called Agape International that I personally visited in Hyderabad, India.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Estes Park




Last week I spent the fourth of July in Estes Park, Colorado.  My friend's (Brettley Ruggles) parents recently moved there to run a small resort called the Brynwood, so we went and stayed with them for the holiday.  

Airport security is always an experience. 



They now have these cylinder things you have to walk through, but when you step inside it, you have to put your hands above your head in a "I'm about to dive into the pool" form.  After going through it they make you stand on a mat and watch this computer screen.  The screen then shows you areas where you supposedly have metal objects.  So I went into the cylinder, put my hands above my head in "diving" form, walked out and then stood on the mat watching the screen.  The lady then says, "Ok, you have something on the back of your head and something on your back."  Back of my head?  My hair is down and I have no bobby pins.  However, she continues to pat me on the back of the head. 

I then turn around to see a lady clutching my suitcase in her arms.  She brings it over to a little table and sets it down, asking me if there are any "sharp objects" in it.  I simply reply with a no and try hard not to laugh when she opens my bag and this is the first thing she sees. 



Anyway, we start on the drive to Estes park.  I had never really seen or been in mountains like this before, so I was completely amazed on this trip (note the amount of panoramic pictures I am posting-if you don't know what those are, you will by the end of this post).





Estes Park is truly beautiful:  small town feel, little shops, mountains surrounding the town, river running through the city, earthy American Indian shops everywhere, authentic and unique coffee shops.  It seems pretty perfect for someone who has quickly turned into a hippie since entering college.


Above is a river that runs through the city.  We went into town one day to try out a coffee shop called Kind Coffee, which is right by the river.  I had never had a Chai Shake before and let me tell you, it was pretty scrumptious.  While we sat outside and had our breakfast bagels and coffee of choice, a man supposedly walked by (that I did not see but Brettley's brother did) who had on a full hunting suit with a knife strapped to the back of his hamstring.  A couple days later we saw someone kayaking down this little river.  We also saw two bears, deer trotting down the side of the road next to cars, bunnies, and I even hand fed a chipmunk (I was a pretty happy camper).  I guess we were truly in the mountains.



One day we also went on a hike up in the Rocky Mountains (cue panoramic pictures).

  
  










The hike in the Rocky Mountains was absolutely incredible.  However, me and Brettley both got altitude sickness two days later.  I guess most visitors get this, especially after hiking like we did.  Changing altitudes so quickly can do damage to your body.  Everything is also different because of the altitude.  You can sweat and not even know you are, one drink in the mountains can equal two or three normally, and your body can dehydrate a lot faster than normal.  It was even more interesting how we got rid of our sicknesses:  going to the oxygen bar.  We went into The Oxygen Sanctuary where they gave us oxygen made of different herbs (which as you can imagine was intriguing to me).  I took 30 minutes of oxygen and felt fine by the time I went to sleep.

Something I love about Estes is that the shops carry a lot of Indie/Bohemian clothes and objects.  They had a lot of these hoodies that people supposedly call "drug rugs".  I ended up buying two of them.  While I was picking out my second one, two girls came up to look at them and one said, "I feel like I don't smoke enough pot to justify wearing one of these."  I was just silent as I realized that I, a non-pot smoker, was picking out my second one.





"How was the 4th?" you say.  Well, it was interesting.  There were no fireworks because of all the fires going on, so the town was doing a "light show" in a small stadium.  They brought in all the firemen and cops who helped with the fires to honor them and let all the kids meet them.  They scattered balloons everywhere and then after the count of three the light show consisted of all the cop car lights and the popping of balloons (lights plus popping sounds = fireworks).

However, this was probably one of the best places I have been to on vacation.  If you are looking for place to go to for a weekend or for a family vacation, I would definitely consider Estes.  I can't wait to go back.   

Kayla