Alcohol More Harmful Than Crack, Heroine

This has been my main argument in favor of making marijuana legal across the country—and now a British medical journal confirms that alcohol is more harmful to humans than at least 20 other recreational drugs. It’s actually even considered three times as harmful as tobacco.

Though I’m not a smoker, I’ve seen how its illegality ruins families, and how people who use it are stigmatized while alcohol is not only legal, but promoted on everything from billboards to restaurant menus. We have whole stores dedicated to it, yet people die from it every day. My grandfather died of liver disease from drinking himself to death, and I have many other family members who were or are addicted to alcohol so badly that it makes them sick, interferes with their lives and the lives of their children, and causes a plethora of problems that are not related to marijuana. Yet, people found with the substance are jailed while those who drink every day—putting themselves and their children at risk while driving, operating machinery at work, or even cooking—are not penalized at all.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not advocating making alcohol illegal. I am asking, however, that we get smarter about our use of it as well as our understanding of it. Having known alcoholics all of my adult life and some of my teen life, I have witnessed alcohol’s impact on families, particularly children. I vowed to never drink while caring for my daughter and to only have alcoholic beverages when she is with the care of a sitter or my husband. Since then, I’ve kept this vow for the most part—I’ve had a flavored malt beverage or a glass of wine now and then, nothing more—knowing that my judgment and care of her would be altered significantly if I were to drink a lot.

Like Melissa McEwan of Shakesville (where I learned of this study) says, “Of course alcohol is a serious drug. And like any other serious drug, it is safe in moderation.” Yet people who drink regularly—even alcoholics—will claim a moral high ground when compared with “illegal” substances simply due to legality—as well as our culture. If only we’d stop embracing it as something totally safe—or somehow morally superior to, say, pot, or even tobacco—and start looking at the whole picture when it comes to addictive substances.

"Cheers" for Sangria!

This past summer, I took a small mini vacation for a few days in California. It was near dinner time and I went for a grocery run for a band that I was staying at in the recording studio. I drove a band member’s smart car to head down to the local Whole Foods market just about a few minutes away from the studio. I had a list of food items dialed onto my cell phone just in case I forgot something. It was about 7 p.m. in the evening, so traffic was actually not too bad. I was actually making dinner that night for some band members. They specifically wanted ravioli and bread for dinner. As I was going down the list of food items on my phone, I passed by the wine aisle. I do not drink wine, but happened to be glancing around. I noticed some Sangria alcoholic beverages lying nearby. It had a very interesting design to the bottle, so I decided to put a couple large Sangria bottles into my shopping cart. I was making my last stop for cold tea drinks at the store and headed out to the check out stand. As I drove my way back to the band’s studio, I was thinking about the bottles of Sangria I just purchased. Since I was staying in California for a few days, I wanted to have a good time. I decided I wanted to have some drinks tonight with the band mates over ravioli and Sangria.

Sangria is basically a famous wine punch from mainly Portugal usually consisting of fruity red-wine, sliced fruits, sweetener, cinnamon spices, sugar, a small amount of other alcohol such as brandy, triple sec, or liquor, and ice with added sparkling soda flavor. The alcoholic content of Sangria varies. White wine can be used in Sangria instead of red. For example, Chardonnay can work as a type of white wine to Sangria. Some people add a bit of sweetener to sangria such as cinnamon or sweet sugar. For a richer taste, people usually add a more intense wine flavor for a stronger taste. It is usually served with orange juice, sweet lemonade, and a slice of fruit choice for sweetness. Preparing small slices of fresh fruits and refrigerating them for a few hours can also be great to add to ice and served with Sangria cold. If you are allergic to certain alcohol content, there is also a non-alcohol version of Sangria consisting of wine grapes, carbonated water, lemon, and cane sugar.

Sangria is very popular in South America during the summer months of mainly Spain and Portugal. It is also very popular in many parts of the country. It is a great drink amongst tourists in pubs, clubs, and bars. Sangria is served as a punch, from a large pitcher bowl in the Spanish culture during social gatherings, parties, and events. A big wooden spoon or folk is often used to get the fruit out of the bottom of the pitcher. Many restaurants in parts of South America are commonly served with Sangria in restaurants. During the hot summer months, Sangria is great for a cold alcoholic beverage drink anywhere.

As I was cooking ravioli for dinner that evening, I decided to make some ice cold Sangria drinks for the band. Since the summer weather was a bit hot and humid in the evening, Sangria was a lovely edition to the delicious ravioli dinner. Drinking a glass of Sangria was very nice and lovely. Sangria will be added to my list of favorite alcoholic drinks.  

Watch Out for High-Calorie Drinks!

Washington State just imposed a bottle tax as a way to gain revenue to make up for shortfalls in the budget; the soda lobbyists are angry, but I think the American people should be angry about what Americans pass off as a healthy beverage in this country. Men’s Health--who truthfully write much more than just health pertaining to men only--just ran a piece describing the Top 20 Worst Drinks in America. I didn’t include the entire list here, primarily because it is too disturbing for the average person to take. Not all the beverages are supposed to be healthy, but some of them have a much higher calorie content than you could ever imagine.

However, here are a few of the drinks masquerading as healthy:

In the “WATER” category:


Instructions: Understand that what passes for water in a gas station in the US will not pass for water anywhere else.

And the winner for the WORST WATER is: Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water:

Hello? People? This so-called water has 150 calories. Not a good choice.

In the “KID’s Drink Categoy:


Imagine your child (or a child you know) running around the house for 30 minutes and accidentally breaking something as a result of one 20 oz. drink of this delightful beverage dreamed up by no less than Pepsico itself.

And the winner is: Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister

All calories, all sugar, and no juice. You might as well give your child a Pepsi instead because the impact will be the same.


In the ESPRESSO Category:


Recognize that what you are drinking goes directly to your abs, hips, butt, and thighs faster than you can do 20 push-ups and 10 lunges.

And the winner is: Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream

I’ll just say it straight: this delicious concoction has 660 calories. According to the Men’s Health researcher, this is the equivalent of more than 8 scoops of ice cream. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have the ice cream instead.

In the DRIVE-THRU Shake Category:

Close your eyes to the reality of the calorie-count I am about to reveal to you if you are a chocolate-shake lover-- it  may just mean cutting down on your favorite “treat”, but your body will thank you profusely if you do. Also, think about how amazing it is that we live in a country where a shake is considered a beverage.

And the winner is:  McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake

1,160 calories, which is about the number of calories you could eat in an entire day, and more calories than some people in poverty-stricken countries get in a week. As Men’s Health points out, you could get the same number of calories at McDonald’s by eating 13 Baked Hot Apple Pies.

Peet's Gourmet Coffee

Who doesn’t love coffee? I have found a new love in coffee. Peet’s coffee. I love coffee. I have tried many different kinds of roasted coffee blends in the past but happened to saw a Peet’s coffee aisle at the local grocery store. Many people I’ve heard from love this type of coffee brand. There is also a Peet’s coffee and tea shop too. Since I was not near the Peet’s coffee shop to purchase coffee there, I tried my luck to see if it was sold at this new place that just opened recently called Metropolitan Market.

The first Peet’s coffee and tea store opened in April 1966 on Vine Street in Berkeley, California. Peet’s coffee was created by Alfred Peet, who begin the process towards transforming the taste of coffee in the way that Americans experienced the taste and quality of coffee. This type of transformation still persists to this very day. Alfred Peet was born in Holland and came to the United States after World War II ended. He grew up in the coffee trade business and was stunned at the poor quality of coffee Americans were drinking. Eager to act fast, Peet became inspired to open his first coffee and tea shop in 1966. Since he emphasized on the importance of very good quality coffee, Peet’s style of coffee consisted of creating smaller batches, adding freshness, quality beans, and a darker roasting blend style. All of these combinations created into Peet’s coffee created richness, consistency, and most importantly, taste.

After Peet’s coffee and tea shop was launched in 1966, many coffee lovers, including nearby restaurants and neighbors were instantly flocking their way to this friendly neighborhood coffee place. Due to Peet’s brilliant success, he mentored and inspired many coffee entrepreneurs. This also included the founders of Starbucks. He supplied Starbucks with his own roasted beans during their first launch of operation in the coffee business. Peet’s coffee had instantly won the hearts of coffee lovers across the nation for over the past four decades. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Peet’s coffee is deeply admired and well loved.

My favorite Peet’s coffee is the French roast, which is more of an intense, dark roasted, smoky taste. I like to add my coffee with coconut creamer as well. I love adding sweetener to my coffee because it creates a luxurious, finishing taste. A spoonful of sweet light agave nectar helps too. Whatever your coffee taste buds are, I recommend Peet’s coffee.   

Rice Milk

          Oh yum. Rice milk is one of my ultimate favorite non-dairy milk beverage added to my refrigerator. I fell in love with rice milk about a year ago. I learned about this yummy drink through a former friend whom introduced me to this healthy non-dairy product. I decided to head to the nearest grocery store to try out a carton of this oh-so-good rice milk. For a 64 oz size carton of Rice Dream rice milk, I paid about $4 at the store. I also picked up a box of raisin bran cereal too. Since I am a club member at my local Safeway store, I scored a sweet deal since the rice milk was on sale as well.

          I went straight to my kitchen after I got home and bought out a bowl and spoon to eat cereal. I poured the raisin bran over the bowl and added rice milk. I took my spoon and took my first taste of my raisin bran cereal. It tasted very delicious with the Rice Dream rice milk. With the rice milk flavor, it tasted very different from original milk dairy products. I am not a huge fan of regular milk products at all because I don’t like how it tastes. Therefore, I stopped drinking milk a few years ago. The rice milk had this very distinctive, natural, and healthy taste.

          Rice milk is processed from a kind of grain, mainly brown rice. It contains mostly carbohydrates, and usually rice syrup sweetener, which is concentrated from cane juice or natural sweetener. Calcium or vitamin D is usually mixed with these ingredients as well. Rice milk is largely great for vegetarians or for many individuals who are lactose intolerant because rice milk is a good nutritional replacement for milk. Rice milk also works great as coffee creamers or added into ice creams and hot oatmeal for flavoring and taste.  

         The ingredients in rice milk contains:

- Filtered water

- Brown rice

- High oleic safflower oil

- Tricalcium phosphate

- Sea salt

- Vitamin A palmitate

- Vitamin D2

- Vitamin B12

         I highly recommend rice milk to anybody who wants to experience a nutritious, healthy non-dairy beverage drink. Not only does rice milk provide a strong source of rich calcium and vitamins, it is very healthy for your body. If you are lactose intolerant and do not enjoy the taste of regular milk, rice milk is the best substitute. For a carton of rice milk at any organic or grocery store, it ranges about $4. You can also get them in a huge case at Costco for cheap too. Try out this yummy, delicious rice milk. Honestly, it does taste better then milk.

Henry’s Organic Internal Cleanser

           No, this is not a facial cleanser. This Henry’s organic internal cleanser is designed for the human body to help cleanse, eliminate toxic substances, strengthening the immune system, and balancing our endocrine functions in the body. I have first found out about this drinking cleanser from an old friend of mine who had been taking this food supplement drink for years. My friend claimed that this cleanser works amazingly well. Since I am very open and curious about certain new things, I was open to the idea of trying this cleanser out. I went to the Greenline Organic Health, Inc. store to purchase some kangen water.

          When I went inside the store to have my water jugs filled up, I asked the store shop owner, Kuang, about the Henry’s organic internal cleanser and the many benefits of it. Kuang briefly discussed the cleanser with me and said that he and his wife including their children take this cleanser every single day. He says the cleanser has benefited him in so many positive ways such as feeling energized, stronger, and healthy too. During our conversation, Kuang made me a cleanser drink. He told me while drinking the cleanser, it should be fast with no sipping at all because the cleanser can get difficult to consume. The powdered cleanser was mixed with organic apple juice that he mixed for me. Boy it tasted delicious! I loved it! After finishing up my cleanser, Kuang gave me a glass of kangen water to drink. Kuang specified that you must have a glass of water after each cleanser drink taken to relieve stomach irritations. The Henry’s organic internal cleanser is supposed to be drank everyday 2 times a day in the morning and evening. You can mix the cleanser with at least a 12-ounce glass of juice or milk. Finish it after with water about the same size drink.

Benefits of taking Henry’s organic internal cleanser:

 

-         Rich in vitamins, herbs, minerals, and fibers.

-         Detoxification

-         Rejuvenation

-         Regulating the body’s pH balance.

-         Strong enhancement of the immune system.

-         Prevention and relief of constipation.

-         Relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

-         Relief of intestinal obstruction, diverticular disease, and colitis.

-         Prevents skin rashes, irritations, acne, dermatitis eczema, and psoriasis.

 

Ingredients include:

 

            - Blond grain husks

            - Soy protein lecithin

            - Hydrolyzed soy protein

            - Sunflower oil

            - Yeast

            - Parsley

            - Swiss chard

            - Kale

            - Spinach

            - Watercress

            - Celery

            - Carrot spices

            - Herbs

            - Kelp and dulse.

            - Papaya enzymes

            - Oat bran

            - Ginger

            - Garlic

            - Orange concentrate

             I have been taking Henry’s organic internal cleanser for a few months now. The results are phenomenal. This amazing extraordinary cleanser has given my body a boost of energy, cleared up my skin, and strengthening my body as well. This cleanser drink reminds me of a juice smoothie. It’s a very light, healthy drink with great nutrients and ingredients all in one cleanser drink. I definitely recommend this cleanser to anybody who wants full nutrients with healthy benefits all in one food supplement drink. This cleanser will change your life. Drink to your health!

 

 

 

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Hot Apple Cider Recipes

As I sit sipping some store-bought apple cider—and yes, it’s real and yes, it’s still yummy—I can’t help but pine for the most delicious cup of apple cider I’ve ever had, way back during Christmastime in 2005. My daughter had just been born 3,000 miles from home over a month earlier, so my husband and I were spending Christmas away from home with friends in town. It was actually one of the most special Christmases—and one of the most blessed, since our daughter pulled through her prematurity and came home with us in late January.

At our friends’ house, a catered meal was prepared—something we definitely were not used to!—and the most exquisite, orange-flavored apple cider was served along with the hors d'œuvre. I think it had a stick of cinnamon in it, too—but the floating slice of orange and tangy, zesty flavor of it really made the drink the most heavenly hot beverage I’d ever experienced. (And we experienced a few; our stay in California yielded some of the most exotic and delicious things we’d ever had.)

The thing is, I’ve never been able to replicate the drink—and my friend doesn’t have the recipe, either, as it was catered. I would love for anyone who has a delicious, orangey apple cider recipe to share theirs so I could try to replicate such a tasty fall treat.

In the meantime, I will keep looking—and I as I search, I’ve discovered many different delicious-sounding recipes to be used.

Hot Apple Strudel sounds like an absolutely mouth-watering drink. It combines cider with vodka, cinnamon, sugar, caramel apple sauce, and a fresh apple for a taste that sure to be sweet. I’ll have to make this one during our next bonfire!

Wassail Punch is something I’ve always wanted to try—well, Wassail, anyway—and this recipe looks so scrumptious. It also includes orange juice and ginger, so I might be able to get the citrus zing I’m craving from this recipe.

Oh, this Sparkling Cider recipe is something I may have to make even sooner. It just sounds fabulous—with both orange and tangerine juice as well as grenadine and sparkling cider. Mmm…

Muddled Cider, with cranberry juice, cloves, nutmeg, and maple syrup, sounds like something that will warm your bones, too. I’m a huge cranberry juice fan—if it’s not too tart—and I’ll definitely have to try this recipe.

Twenty 2 Vodka - Gotta Try It!

I just tried Twenty 2 vodka for the first time and it blew my mind.  A friend brought a bottle back from a trip to Maine.

It's the smoothest and cleanest vodka I've ever tried.  If I didn't see how fast the bottle emptied I would never have thought my drinks were so strong!

I don't know where to get it but I'm going to look for it.

LOVER PLAYHOUSE

 

Night Crew Productions and 106.1 KISS FM present: LOVERS PLAYHOUSE

 

 A Costume party and Halloween costume preview from Lovers.

 Come out and try out all those amazing outfit ideas. Costume Coupons, Prizes and giveaways all night from LOVERS!!

 Hosted by Denise McDonald and Ash Hollywood and their sexy friends!!!

 KISS FRIDAYS with 3 rooms of music and Seattles bigest dance floor there is something for everybody!!

 To reserve a table" e-mail info@trinitynightclub.com or call 206.697.7702

 Main Room: Live broadcast hosted by Tyler with DJ PHASE

 Blue Room: House and breaks with Pressha and AJ Sorbello

 Card Room: DJ KIPPY

 COME OUT AND PLAY!!

 Where: Trinity Nightclub, 111 Yesler, Seattle WA

 When: Friday, October 22 at 9:00pm - Saturday, October 23 at 2:00am

My “Peach Margarita” Experience

           I had plans to see a very good friend of mine for a night of fun on a Saturday evening. My friend text me Saturday afternoon asking what I was up to that day and I replied saying nothing much really. I asked her the same question back. My friend said she just got off of work and was home alone. I was thinking it would be a wonderful idea to drive over to her house and see her. I could sense something was not feeling right since she told me she was home alone. I instantly was thinking, “boyfriend break-up,” probably. I told my friend I was running a couple errands and wondered if I could stop by to see her. She replied back saying it was a terrific idea. As I was nearing close to finishing up my errands, I drove to her house in kind of bad traffic on a Saturday evening.

            As I neared my friend’s house, I gave her a call that I was at her house since no one was at home. She was at a nearby restaurant with a friend for dinner and said she will be on her way shortly. I was really excited to see her since I haven’t seen my friend for awhile. As my friend pulled up to the driveway with her friend, she came out of the car looking like a hot “mamacita” all dolled up and glam for the night. After her friend left, we talked about going to a casino that night. I was feeling hungry so I asked her if she wanted to get some food before the casino night. My friend said she already ate, but would love to have a drink with me at the restaurant.

          We went to a Mexican family styled restaurant and sat in the bar area where there was live music and karaoke. Our waiter came and my friend ordered a strawberry margarita. I have never had a margarita before so I thought to myself, “why not try a margarita too?” I love peaches, so having a playful, sweet drink for that night was fun and yummy. Since I am allergic to certain alcohol content of drinks, I thought a fruity margarita drink won’t hurt me. As I ordered beef fajitas for dinner, our margaritas came out. When I took a sip of my peach margarita, I was in blissful splendid heaven. I could not believe how delicious and flavorful the margarita was! When my beef fajitas came out, it was just such a colorful dinner for me. Drinking peach margarita with my dinner was fantastic.

         A margarita is basically a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with “triple sec,” an orange flavored liqueur made from skin peels of very bitter oranges mainly from the Caribbean, lime or lemon juice. Salt is often added on the glass rim for more flavor and design. This is the most common tequila drink cocktail in the United States. People often have it served shaken with ice, on the rocks, without ice, or blended with ice (frozen margarita style). Since it was my first night drinking a frozen peach margarita, I wanted to have seconds. My friend across the table from me was enjoying her drink so much with a huge, yummy smile on her face with signs of a satisfied customer. LOL. That was my first experience drinking a peach margarita which will now be added to my list of favorite alcoholic beverages.

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