Tag Archives: water

Saturday Snippets 30th October 2021…Water…

Welcome back to Saturday Snippets..where I indulge my whimsy and have a play with one word prompts…My muse has answered me and this week my word is…Water…

Water is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odourless, and nearly colourless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth’s hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms  It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients…The body needs lots of water to carry out many essential functions, such as balancing the internal temperature and keeping cells alive.

As a general rule of thumb, a person can survive without water for about 3 days. However, some factors, such as how much water an individual body needs, and how it uses water, can affect this.

But what connections can I find to the word “water” apart from drinking it or using it to wash your hands with soap? Which if you haven’t already was last weeks Saturday Snippets…

Water Man…The Movie…Desperate to save his sick mother, an 11-year-old ventures into the remote Wild Horse forest to search for a mythical figure rumoured to have the power to cheat death.

Several scenes for Waterman were filmed in a coveted tourist location in Columbia County. In June 2019, the crew set up their base near Vernonia Lake, a serene lake and surrounding park located in the suburban city of Vernonia.

Did you know?

Water is the only chemical that expands when it goes from a liquid to a solid. Because solid water, aka ice, is less dense than liquid water, ice floats. This allows ice to insulate the liquid water underneath it. Without this unique property, life would not have survived earth’s many ice ages.

Devil’s Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

Shark Ray Alley to snorkel among nurse sharks and stingrays; visit Hol Chan Marine Reserve to get up close with eels, turtles, and colourful fish; or explore the underwater caves of Blue Hole. When you’re not in the water, admire its warm glow from a hammock on the beach.

Spectacular waterfalls tumble into the brilliantly blue lakes at this UNESCO World Heritage Site in China’s Sichuan province. The park’s most famous attraction is the crystalline Five-Flower Lake—the startlingly blue water offers a window-like view to the bottom where fallen trees make a lace-like pattern on the lake floor. The water is so still and clear it mirrors the surrounding mountains and trees as well as the sky above. How beautiful is that where you can’t see where the blue water ends and the sky begins…

Did you know?

Water molecules are so good at sticking to each other that they can overcome the force of gravity. In biology, this is called capillary action and is the mechanism that allows plants to move water from their roots to their leaves. This unique property of water also allows oxygen and nutrients to reach the outermost edges of your brain.

The Water Chestnut…

Before I discovered that these Shiny black things were the water chestnuts that I had only ever eaten in a Chinese stir fry and hadn’t a clue where they come from or what they looked like were these ugly looking vegetables…One of my favourite vegetables they are crispy and just beautiful.

Usually available in speciality groceries or supermarkets, freshwater chestnuts should be washed thoroughly and peeled with a sharp knife, especially if to be eaten raw. At this point, adding a few drops of lime juice keeps them from turning brown when steamed or sautéed.

The water chestnut is however not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes, underwater, in the mud. I have always connected water chestnuts to Chinese cookery here in Thailand they are more often used in desserts using coconut milk and often dyed a pretty pink…

Water chestnuts are an excellent source of nutrients and antioxidants, making them a good addition to a healthful diet.

Some evidence suggests that consuming water chestnuts could help reduce free radicals in the body and lower blood pressure, among other benefits.

Water chestnuts are quite versatile — people can use them in many types of cooking or eat them raw.

Once peeled, they’ll only remain fresh in water that’s changed daily for two to three days.

Chinese Chicken with Water Chestnuts…

Water under the Bridge by Adele,

Did you know?

Water is a universal solvent. Water is able to break most chemical bonds and dissolve most chemicals. It is very difficult to create pure water even in a laboratory setting, as nearly all chemical compounds will dissolve in water. This makes water one of the most reactive compounds known to man.

Water Nymph greek mythology

As with all nymphs in Greek mythology, the Naiads were depicted as beautiful maidens; often shown with a pitcher, as the Naiads were thought to carry water for their parents.

Naiads were not necessarily considered to be immortal, for they would live and die alongside their water source, so if a spring dried up, the associated Naiad was thought to die. Naiads were also thought to have a finite lifespan, although Plutarch did suggest that this lifespan was 9720 years.
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Aside from the bringing forth of water, Naiads were also considered protectors of young maidens; additionally, their waters were also often thought to be able to heal or aid in prophecy.

Asian Water Monitor…

The Asian Water Monitor is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most common monitor lizards in Asia, ranging from coastal northeast India, Sri Lanka, mainland Southeast Asia to Indonesian islands where it lives close to water.

The bodies of Asian water monitors are muscular, with long, powerful, laterally compressed tails. Water monitors are often defined by their dark brown or blackish colouration with yellow spots found on their underside – these yellow markings have a tendency to disappear gradually with age. This species is also denoted by the blackish band with yellow edges extending back from each eye. These monitors have very long necks and an elongated snout. They use their powerful jaws, serrated teeth and sharp claws for both predation and defence.

Crater Lake, Oregon

This lake in Banff National Park owes its brilliant blue hue to the icy meltwater and silt from the Peyto Glacier and the Wapta Icefields.

Did you know?

In simplest terms, water makes up about 71% of the Earth’s surface, while the other 29% consists of continents and islands.

But will we ever run out of water?

While our planet as a whole may never run out of water, it’s important to remember that clean fresh water is not always available where and when humans need it. In fact, half of the world’s fresh water can be found in only six countries. More than a billion people live without enough safe, clean water.

Also, every drop of water that we use continues through the water cycle. Stuff we put down the drain ends up in someone or something else’s water. We can help protect the quality of our planet’s freshwater by using it more wisely.

This is one of my favourite songs…

Thank you for joining me today…I hope you are having a great weekend…xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home made Mustard.

Who doesn’t love mustard on your Ham or other cold meats??

wholegrain mustard 1

I can get it here on occasions although as it is imported and I know you can’t have everything at local prices… Once it disappears from the shelves…stock control is not great here…It could be months before you see it again and yes we could stockpile but only so much…

A big cheer went up from me…Well, that didn’t last… I have got the mustard seeds from here before…but not anymore it’s that black hole of…” we no have, madam”

I tried online and unless I wanted to buy a minimum of a Tonne..yes this is not a typo a tonne of Black mustard seeds.  Or it was we don’t deliver to your area…. mmm

Then salvation came along in the guise of our friend Jan and he posted me some… Oh for good friends…I owe you a jar Jan 🙂

Well, the recipe didn’t go quite as planned however the result is a very nice whole grain mustard… but I now know why my Indian friends dry roast their spices it is not only to release their lovely flavours but to dry them out and then you should get a nice powder.

It took a while and a few tweaks but thank you for the recipe, Rex.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cold quality vinegar (wine vinegar, rice vinegar etc.)

1/2 a cup of cold water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 of a cup of mustard seeds

 

Let’s Cook!

 Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric, then chill this in the refrigerator for a half hour to an hour.

 Grind the mustard, then pour the cold liquid over the ground mustard immediately. Set it in the refrigerator overnight before using, for the best flavour.

If you don’t want yellow mustard, simply omit the turmeric.

The reason for the emphasis on cold vinegar and water is because this retains the flavour of the mustard,  otherwise, it loses its pungency quickly. Let it stand overnight as this reduces the bitterness although I found 2/3 days was much better.

Also, as it chills, it should thicken up. This is the reason that store-bought mustard can be difficult to get out of the container if it comes directly from the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature.

 This mustard will keep in the refrigerator for about a year due to its vinegar content.

Home made mustard

My second batch as you can see from the photo is smoother but I think I need to either dry my seeds in the oven or in the sun as dry frying it is so easy to burn them..which I did with the first batch so had to start again. However on doing a little research of my own I have found another recipe which recommends soaking the mustard seeds for 24/48hrs and then putting them in a small food processor and you will have a smooth paste after then passing the paste through a fine metal sieve however if you want a grainier mustard then pass on the final step.

My quest for a smooth mustard like the famous Colman’s mustard is not yet over but a work in progress……I will keep you updated…

In the meantime, my son taste tested …we had a little Colman’s mustard left so he used both on his dinner and said he really couldn’t taste any difference so it got the thumbs up from him and as he is a very good chef that was praise indeed!

About me and my cooking:

I use natural ingredients wherever possible. I do not use packet or bottled ready made mixes. I also do not use a microwave ( for personal) reasons.

I cook as far as it is humanly possible with fresh, home grown or home made condiments. I support local farmers as much as I can. Saying that I am not fanatical and on occasions, I buy a bottle of salad cream…I just don’t buy ready meals or meals in a packet or tin I like to make my own.

To be honest, a lot of foodstuffs which I used to buy are so easy to make, more flavoursome and cheaper and importantly better for your health.

Once I have perfected this mustard I will be attempting to make Worcestershire sauce. Will it taste like the famous Lea & Perrins sauce? Which I buy at the moment but intend to add it to my repertoire of homemade sauces etc…The list is growing.

N.B. I have added a clickable link on mustard seeds which will give you further benefits and uses of this little seed.

Until next time enjoy!

 

 

 

 

The health benefits of Mustard seeds.

You are what you eat…The benefits of Mustard Seeds.

lady holding veggies

 

Those tiny little seeds belong to the Brassica family and do they contain a bounty of benefits to your health and beauty.

I am loving what I am discovering about all these seeds and herbs we have so much at our fingers tips or growing naturally in our environment which benefit us for little or no money…Some effort? Yes, but some of that is minimal.

How long does it take to mix some mustard seeds with lavender or rose oil and you have a completely natural scrub and skin exfoliator?

Mix mustard powder with Aloe Vera and it is a natural skin hydrator…I am lucky that I have some growing in my garden…Do you or could you grow some?

I do think that more and more of us are becoming aware of just what we can make or grow and that is good…

Better for our health and easier on our pockets…

Mustard seeds have been found to have been mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit writings which go back 5,000years. They have been mentioned at least 5 times in the Bible and in the New Testament, The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a grain of mustard seed.

There are about 40 varieties of Mustard seed but generally, they are divided into  3 principal categories of black, white and brown.

Black is the most pungent and is found growing in the Middle East.

White mustard seeds are actually yellow in colour and come from the Mediterranean region, the mildest in flavour and American yellow mustard is made from these.

Brown mustard seeds are actually dark yellow and grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and are what Dijon mustard is made from.

There have and are currently many studies in the health benefits of mustard seeds and they are known to contain plentiful amounts of phytonutrients called Glucosinolates. They are also an excellent source of Selenium and Magnesium which is proven to help reduce inflammation in this case particularly beneficial in the gastrointestinal tract and colectoral cancers.

They have also been found to be an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, copper and Vit B1.

The powder can be used as an effective muscle soak.

Also due to containing sulphur mustard has excellent antifungal properties.

It can be used in your diet in many ways, it can be used to baste meat or fish, a dip for vegetables or add the seeds to cabbage at the end of cooking.

Here is my recipe for homemade mustard

Until next time enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain Top Homemade Prepared Mustard

 

 

 

One of the joys of living here…NOT…Is the fact that everyone must use the same importer because everyone runs out of the same product at the same time and then it appears at the same time albeit months later and also it can be very expensive….

Well no more, thanx to my blogging friend Rex I now have a recipe in my hot, little hands and I will be making my own Yellow, mustard with no mayo just hot, smooth, yellow mustard.

Over to you Rex 🙂

 

 

There are a lot of different brands of prepared mustard sold in stores and each tastes a little different than the others. For flavor, though, it is far better to make your own. It is also quite simple; my favorite kind of recipe.Kinds of mustard. It needs to be mentioned that this is made with mustard seeds. That might seem like an absurdly simple statement, but there are three kinds of mustard seeds and all of them work well in this recipe and the variations.The three kinds of mustard seeds are white mustard, brown mustard, and black mustard. White mustard is the blandest and this is what most commercial prepared yellow mustard is made from. Brown mustard has more piquancy or ‘bite’ and it is more full of flavor. Black mustard is the most piquant of all and has the fullest flavor. Use the kind of mustard that suits your taste. You can even use a blend. “Grey Poupon” mustard is a mixture.The seeds Mustard seeds can be ground using a blender, food processor, herb grinder, or even a mortar and pestle. They can be course ground or fine ground, depending on your preference. Once they are ground, though, they need to be immediately immersed in a cold fluid. This is because the grinding process releases the volatile oils and these dissipate rapidly. Heat also destroys them. The cold fluid, especially with an acid and salt in the mixture, stabilizes the volatile oils.This is the secret that commercial products don’t tell you. Mustard is basically ground mustard seed and water, with both an acid and salt added. The yellow coloration comes from turmeric. Commercial companies tend to use low-quality vinegar for the acid and not much of it. Water is cheaper than vinegar. The Mountain Top version uses quality vinegar because the result never exceeds the quality of the ingredients. In fact, you can use whatever good salt that you prefer, too.Prepared mustard ingredients:3/4 cup mustard seeds, ground (mustard powder can be used if you must)1/2 cup cold water1/4 cup cold quality vinegar (wine vinegar, rice vinegar, cactus vinegar, etc.)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground turmericPrepared mustard instructions:1. Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric, then chill this in the refrigerator for a half hour to an hour.2. Grind the mustard, then pour the cold liquid over the ground mustard immediately. Set it in the refrigerator overnight before using, for the best flavor.If you don’t want yellow mustard, simply omit the turmeric.The reason for the emphasis on cold vinegar and water is because this retains the flavor of the mustard, which would otherwise degrade quickly. The reason for letting it stand overnight is because freshly ground mustard tends to have some bitterness to it. The bitterness goes away when it is allowed to stand for several hours.Also, as it chills, it should thicken up. This is the reason that store-bought mustard can be difficult to get out of the container if it comes directly from the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature.This is also a tip; if you want your mustard to be easy to pour on hot dogs and burgers or whatever, let it warm up to room temperature. The vinegar prevents a lot of bacteria from growing, so you are covered in that regard. In fact, this mustard keeps for about a year in the refrigerator, though it becomes weaker with time.Note: Lessening the amount of fluid will result in thicker prepared mustard. If it is too thick, just add a little vinegar and stir it in.Bonus recipe As a bonus recipe, if you want to have some honey-mustard dipping sauce, simply mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1/4 cup Mountain Top prepared mustard.It isn’t difficult at all to make prepared mustard and while there is a waiting time, it is definitely worth it. Once you try the Mountain Top prepared mustard, it is likely that you will wonder why you’ve been using the almost flavorless store-bought prepared mustard all this time

Source: Mountain Top Homemade Prepared Mustard