All You Need To Know About Sparkling Wine

If you fancy something bubbly for your next party or get-together, why not go for a sparkling wine? Sparkling wine makes a great value alternative to Champagne and can be served in a similar way. Read on to find out more.



Sparkling wine shouldn't be underestimated



A sparkling wine may not have the status of a big brand champagne but you'll get all the style and elegance for a fraction of the price. Sparkling wine has become increasingly popular in recent years and there is a good selection to choose from, so why not give it a try and see for yourself?



Sparkling wine to start



Sparkling wine is a really good aperitif and looks good when welcoming guests to a party or celebration. However, the key is not to go overboard. If you are hosting lunch or a dinner party, it is likely that most of your guests won't have eaten for a while and because sparkling wine is fairly acidic, more than one or two glasses per person will simply kill their appetites.



Sparkling wine with food



Like Champagne, sparkling wine goes well with food. Drier versions of sparkling wine are best enjoyed with fish and chips, seafood and sushi, as the acidity of the sparkling wine works against the oils and fats in the fish, while slightly sweeter sparkling wines go better with fruit.



Serving Sparkling wine



A sparkling wine needs just 45 minutes in the fridge before serving. Don't be tempted to chill it for longer, as the taste and smell of the sparkling wine will be lost. Ideally, sparkling wine should be served in tall, thin flutes, although standard wine glasses are a good substitute. If drinking as an aperitif or without food, consider serving sparkling wine with canap

Do You Know What Chocolate Truffles Are?

Many know the word truffle as a type of fungus and are therefore a little set back when they hear the term truffle but what they need to realize is that the chocolate truffle is not a truffle like they are thinking. It is not a chocolate covered fungus, the entire thing is made in the kitchen and no fungus is involved in the making of it!



First off the actual ingredients of a chocolate truffle are liquids, flavorings and chocolate which is called a ganache. For a long time the confectionary treat was only available to the wealthy and affluent just as other chocolate treats were for so long. Some people even still conjure up the image of some famous person lying on a lounge chair by a pool sipping champagne and eating the delightful chocolate truffles.



Gone are those days when the sweet treat was only for the rich, now they are available just about anywhere from candy stores and chocolate shops to even supermarkets. It is amazing what competition can do to the market.



Another big improvement is that chocolate truffles now come in just about any possible flavor you can imagine from milk chocolate or dark chocolate to white and even with fruit flavors included. If you are the type of person that enjoys the fine liqueurs they also come with flavors such as Frangelico and Kahlua. Now you can find truffles that will suit nearly anyone's taste and they are also reasonably priced.



If you live in an area where truffles may be hard to find you can always take the do it yourself route. With the internet you can find tons of websites that will have recipes, ideas, and tips with a wide variety of flavors of truffles that you can make. You will make your family ecstatic by giving them home made truffles and make them love you all the more.



Making this chocolate treat doesn't require any unusual ingredients as you can create a chocolate truffle with cocoa, corn syrup, whipping cream, and butter which you probably already have most of in your pantry already.



So now you know that the chocolate truffle is not just for the wealthy anymore and you know it isn't a chocolate covered fungus. Once you try one you will probably be hooked just like everyone else and you will have to have them on a regular basis. Treat yourself to a rare chocolate treat and take the time to enjoy every morsel.

Tea Pot Can be a Medicinal Answer

Tea pot, also called cannabis tea or sometimes weed tea, is exactly what it sounds like. It is a method of making tea using marijuana. It is not done with the intention to get stoned, as the levels of psychoactive ingredients are dispersed when added to hot water. There is nothing new about brewing cannabis into a tea. A number of cultures, including some tribes of Native Americans, Chinese and citizens of India have used cannabis as both the brewed tea and as an additive to other types of brewed tea. For example, in India the process of brewing tea using parts of the cannabis plant is referred to as Bhang, which simply means a tea and cannabis mixture.



Despite the ongoing controversy regarding marijuana as a medicinal plant there is enough proof to show that is can help with certain conditions. One of the benefits to this tea pot instead of smoking pot is that it eliminates the need to smoke it. That in itself is a health benefit. Especially since the ingestion of the cannabis in this manner seems to be as beneficial as the other method. One testimonial to this method of using medicinal pot comes from a British athlete, known as one of the best cricket players of the last one hundred years that it helps him to control eye problems he has. Ongoing research into the use of marijuana also indicates that drinking cannabis made into a tea has the same pain relieving benefits that some terminal cancer sufferers receive when smoking cannabis.



Interestingly this tea pot, or Bhang, is very popular in India to be drunk on special occasions for traditional Hindus. They drink it usually during the Holi festival or during the Festival of Kali. Many of the more conservative Indians think it is wrong to use but enough Hindus believe in its use that it is readily available. Oddly growing marijuana is illegal in most places in India, yet there must be some where it is not only legal but encouraged to grow since this drink can be found in many Indian restaurants throughout the country. There are stores that are allowed to sell and serve this type of tea.



Typically it is prepared in a cup and served as it would be in a restaurant. The product can also be sold as a paste that can be used to make into your own tea at home. However, no vendor may sell the paste unless the business has specifically obtained government permission to do so. This restriction on the sale of the paste helps to control the quality of the product and eliminate any type of additives that would make the paste cheaper to produce, but dilute the health benefits.

The Best Indulgent Chocolate Dessert Ever ! (And it

A friend recently told me that she has a particular love for praline in white chocolate, which is not easy to find, she says, so she's pleased that we sell it (Princess, a heart shaped chocolate in gold foil).



Because my busy little mind is always working on new dessert recipes, I wrote this one and dedicated it to her; so Sarah, this one's for you!



It's an easy recipe, shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes to make, and will dirty about 2 pans, 1 bowl, 1 cake tin and 3 spoons (the amount of washing up a recipe calls for is important to me because I'm lazy and don't have a dishwasher!) The total cost of the ingredients was about