Ingredients 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast4 cups sugar1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen juice concentrate – any flavor except citrus, thawed3 1/2 quarts cold water, or as needed Directions 1.Combine the yeast, sugar and juice concentrate in a gallon jug. Fill the jug the rest of the way with cold water. Rinse out a large balloon, and fit it over the opening of the jug. Secure the balloon with a rubber band. 2.Place jug in a cool dark place. Within a day you will notice the balloon starting to expand. As the sugar turns to alcohol the gasses released will fill up the balloon. When the balloon is deflated back to size the wine is ready to drink. It takes about 6 weeks total. »View More
Many people say there’s nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that’s one hundred percent red, white, and blue. From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don’t realize is that although it’s based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation. Iced tea’s popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes. Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong,... »View More
If you’re a coffee drinker you have heard of, and probably tried, a cup of Columbian. Bland, sometimes adequate, and sold everywhere. But that’s predominately coffee shop or grocery store coffee. Would you criticize the fine food of a four star restaurant by comparing it to a cheap diner before you’ve tasted both? Like any major producer, Columbia does generate a lot of average beans. If you’re willing to look a little deeper within that huge output you will find some great gems. By contrast to Brazil, which dry-processes most of its coffee berries, almost all Columbian coffee is washed, which helps carry away impurities. Done properly, it can still produce a flavorful, robust cup. Soaked in cold water for 24 hours, the... »View More
There are basically four types of coffee makers on the market today: the drip, the vacuum, the French press, and the stovetop. Each requires a different type of preparation and a varying amount of time and involvement on behalf of the user. However, having different types of coffee makers allows the user to find his or her particular taste and preference and make coffee at home. Drip coffee makers: The drip coffee is the easiest and most common coffee maker used today, partly due to its simplicity and efficiency. The machine itself does most of the work – you just add the freshly ground coffee and cold water. The drip coffee machine is an efficient method whereby the cold water is poured into the reservoir and the heating element then... »View More
Many people say there’s nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that’s one hundred percent red, white, and blue. From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don’t realize is that although it’s based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation. Iced tea’s popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes. Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong,... »View More
Imagine that you are hosting a party for a number of your best friends. The atmosphere is bubbling with the excitement of everyone chatting and mingling with each other, when all of a sudden you listen to a crashing sound and see the sight that every host prays will seldom happen; a glass of red wine has taken a swan dive and landed not on your tile floor where it is easy to tidy up but on to your embarrassed guest and all over your furniture. It would appear that Murphy’s Law has struck again, but don’t panic, it is possible to get red wine stains out! The first thing to do (aside from not panicking) when cleaning red wine spills is to remove the excess spillage. If the wine has been spilled on a couch or carpet take an absorbent cloth... »View More
If you enjoy wine and your friends enjoy wine, a casual wine tasting can be a great way to enjoy wine together and test each other’s palates. You can hold blind tastings if you really want to test your skills and the skills of your friends, or you can just get together and try out the different types of wines that you and your friends enjoy. Many formal wine tastings do not allow you to swallow the wine. The tasting is simply to get the taste, smell the bouquet and enjoy the overall experience of the wine. At your casual tasting you can feel free to allow your guests to drink the wine, but there may be sobriety issues if you do this. It is also important to realize that you may not get the full flavor and effect of the wine as you get deeper... »View More