Best Hot Wings....

I live in the land of Sports Bar/ eatery and chain restaurants. That being said there is debate over who makes the best hot wings. Every body has a favorite. 

I Have the best answer....You do!!!! The best wings are made the way you like them. Your cooking method and your sauce or sauces!

The biggest difference is in the cooking. The deep frier method makes a plump wing but adds fat. I bake my wings and drain the fat half way through. I prefer a baked wing with 1/2 Texas Pete's and 1/2 Nancy's Hot with a teaspoon if Chipotle Chilli Pepper Powder per cup of sauce. If you like a sweet and or bbq wing flour the wings just before cooking and add the sauce/sauces you love. I love an original flavor sauce and honey mixed. I use 1/2 cup sauce and 2Tbsp. Honey. I also like to let the wings cool for 3 to 5 minutes before i add sauce.

So by all means...Go out and eat your favorite..But do not be afraid to buy some wings and sauces and try making your new favorite. It can really be a lot of fun!

A link for my friends and readers

Since i am a wine lover and have a great love for history...
http://www.history.com/videos/america-goes-dry-with-prohibition

Jelly Belly

So on my way through my local Giant food store i found a bag of Jelly Belly. As an impulse buy it was a good choice! I had oral surgery and have been on a soft food diet. Any way...the Jelly Beans. Jelly Belly -30 Flavors with a flavor guide on the bag (very handy) 7oz. bag...almost  $4.00. Definitely a treat for a shoe string shopper like me. I was amazed at the accuracy of the flavors. My favorite was the Toasted Marshmallow..so sweet and so much like a fire toasted marshmallow! Sizzling Cinnamon was the next in line only because i love Cinnamon. I have had some of the Extreme flavors in the past like dirt and some terribly accurate and undesirable flavors. It was a great treat and worth every penny. Check out their awesome product at JellyBelly.com . They offer some very cool and unique products..not to mention it is fun! As a foodie i would give them two thumbs up!

Night Harvest Wine

The wine of the day is Night Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon by R.H. Phillips. The bottle claims to provide a crisp acidity with black currant and sweet oak tones. I can definitely appreciate the hint of currant. A rather sweet and slow start with a great and fruity crisp finish. Though i am not so sure of the claims on the bottle being accurate i thought i would try it because it was different and on sale. I was rather surprised and delighted with the product. I would not serve it with any thing other than a mildly sweet desert. Better to drink while sharing a few laughs.

The Magic of leaves......

I want to talk tea a bit today. Tea really is like a Miracle or Magic in a cup. Just as there are thousands of flavors in the world of food... there are thousands of flavors and several colors of tea. Ideally i think it would be a healthy practice to drink the Tea Rainbow every day. All of the tea colors have different properties just like those of the vegetable family.

What is tea? Tea is more the product of the leaves and or plant parts that we steep in modern times than the true Tea grown in China. Every person has their favorite be it plain or combination. In America we have the benefit of learning from all of the different cultures that call our land home. Tea is simply a leaf. Once a week i hope to write about a different type of tea. I personally love a great Oolong with fresh ginger! I have some great loose leaf Oolong i purchased from the Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill, Pa.

To make the tea by the cup i mince a small amount of fresh Ginger, peel and all, and put it in the bottom of a heavy mug. On the stove top if possible i bring the water to just before the boiling point and let it set for a few minutes. Then i pour the water directly over the ginger releasing the wonderful aroma and let it steep for two to three minutes. Then a touch of honey and finally the Oolong. This is an exceptional tea for cold winter days. Not to mention the health benefits of the Ginger, Honey and the tea themselves possess.

Ginger is said to lower LDL or bad Cholesterol... Increase circulation while reducing blood pressure...Aid in digestion...help relieve stomach cramps and nausea and relieve morning sickness. Science has not necessarily found these to be true, but for thousands of years people have benefited from the effects of Ginger.

Now for the benefits of the Great and Powerful Oolong. Oolong is credited for the improvement of the entire body! People use it for weight loss and or control...Removing free radicals and other toxins from the body...skin care..stomach aches..vision..stress control...relaxation.. energy boosts in large doses. Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer protection...bone and cell health...and more! Holy Tea...this stuff is good!