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Jamba Juice Turns to Hot Blended Drinks

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:00:08 -0800

Most of you aren't taken by the idea of a hot smoothie, but maybe the concept isn't too far off. This week, Jamba Juice introduced Hot Blends, a new line of organic hot blended beverages. The drinks, which are $2.95 for 12 ounces, come in four flavors: Heavenly Green Tea, Perfectly Chocolate Chai Tea, Original Spiced Chai Tea, and Classic Hot Chocolate. All are blended hot with nonfat, two percent, or soy milk. "Building on the spin of the blender and taking it from cold smoothies to hot beverages is something that hasn't been done before," the company said.

Jamba has also begun serving new scones and Mighty Leaf whole leaf teas in-store. Later this month it will expand its grocery offerings with smoothies in three of its most popular flavors: Razzmatazz, Mango-a-Go-Go, and Strawberries Wild. The make-at-home smoothie packs will come with frozen fruit, nonfat yogurt, and antioxidant boosts.

Sounds like Jamba Juice is firing back at other chains competing for market share in the recent fast food coffee drink and breakfast wars. I think the idea of hot blended drinks is silly - that's why it's never been done before! Do you agree?

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Who's Most Fab at BAFTA/LA's Annual Tea Party?

FabSugar — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:24:15 -0800

Award season is fun, but celebs took a minibreak to relax at BAFTA/LA's 16th annual award season tea party. The old-fashioned, British-style event feted the following lovely ladies: Diane Kruger in soft pink, Anna Kendrick wearing a tan strapless number, Julianne Moore in black and white florals, Emily Blunt working a blue sheath dress, and Claire Danes looking confident in an ivory skirt suit. They all look sharp, no doubt, but who's most Fab?

What's Cooking at Slashfood

partysugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:00:51 -0800

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

The secret to making super aromatic tea is ginger.
Tips for pairing wine with Winter fruits.
The FDA is investigating the fake "unfaithful" Tiger Woods Gatorade campagin.
A stray pig was found at a Quiznos drive-thru window.
Anthony Bourdain discusses the new season of No Reservations.
A cheese recall has hit the national markets.

Hanger Teabags: Love Them or Hate Them?

partysugar — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:00:18 -0800

How adorable are these little t-shirt-shaped teabags? I'm not a huge tea drinker, but there's something so special about these delicate hanging teabags that makes me want to sip a cup of fragrant, soothing tea. Want do you think about them?

Tea Time: Three Trick Treatments With Chamomile

PetSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:16 -0700

Tea for two, doggie and you! That's right, the same soothing chamomile tea you drink can be used with your pooch. Here are three dosing suggestions for a variety of ailments:

Sip. Coming from a pet-safe plant, tea of chamomile uses the natural healing and disinfecting effects to settle tummies upset from colic, gas, or anxiety. Make sure the drink is cooled and add to a pup's water dish.
Spray. If your pooch has itchy red skin, you can use the steeped tea to cool it - simply chill the tea and then spray lightly onto the bow-owwie - the tea can help kill the bacteria or other skin irritation and make it all better.

Soak. When the infection needs a stronger dose, use the already steeped, still warm tea bag as a compress on the affected body part.

Pinkies out and bottoms up!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Leaves: Tea-Inspired Fragrances

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:01:03 -0700

I loved tea parties as a little girl, and just a whiff of Celestial Seasons Sleepytime (which has soothed many a tummy ache and tastes great with ginger snaps) is enough to make me smile and breathe a sigh of relief. That's why, when I want to feel really comfy, I turn to tea scents - they're the chunky cable knit sweaters of the fragrance world, with the added bonus of going with any outfit and being comfortable to wear no matter how high the mercury in your thermometer goes.

My personal favorite for instant relaxation is perfumer Christopher Brosius's Russian Caravan Tea ($60), which is designed to smell like "smoked black Indian tea, bergamot and the hint of shelves full of old books." I'm also eagerly anticipating Dior's new tea scent, Escale a Pondichery, which is coming out this Fall and is supposed to be a true tea scent. While I'm waiting for the new Dior, though, I've put together some other lovely tea scents for you to sniff out - hopefully one of them will smell like happiness for you, too.

Relax Already: Make a Cup of Tea

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:00:32 -0700

Stress is a common phenomenon of a hectic workday, when everything speeds up to an unmanageable pace. To help slow things down and relax a bit, brew a cup of tea. This simple action can create profound results. Unlike chugging an ice-cold drink, sipping something hot takes time and a bit of patience. A cup of herbal tea like chamomile, known for its relaxing qualities, can provide a moment of calm and help you recharge so you have energy to tackle the rest of your day.

Food Section Sampler - May 6, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:50:47 -0700

Does snapping asparagus truly yield the most tender results? - New York Times
A behind-the-scenes look at the sustainable farm featured in The Omnivore's Dilemma. - Washington Post
Experts spill their secrets for making the best-ever meatloaf. - Chicago Tribune
Now more than ever, restaurants are taking note of food allergies. - Boston Globe
One Japanese contemporary is bringing the traditional tea ceremony into the 21st century. - Wall Street Journal
Is decanting your wine really all that important? - Los Angeles Times
Taste-tested: store-bought strawberry frozen yogurt. - San Francisco Chronicle

Noteworthy Nibbles - Apr. 14-21, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:00:15 -0700

Food festival season appears to be in full swing! The weekend's chock full of fancy food productions, from Scottsdale to Pebble Beach to Blue Ridge food and wine festivals. A number of your favorite celebrity chefs, like Top Chef's Fabio and Carla, Paula Deen, and Thomas Keller, will be making appearances across the nation. And what Southerner could miss out on crawfish and grits? If you think of anything we've left off, please feel free to add in below. What events will you be hitting up?

Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Apr. 14-19
Charlotte, NC: Taste of the Nation Charlotte - Apr. 15
San Antonio, TX: Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour - Apr. 15
Atlanta, GA: World Barista Championship - Apr. 15-19
Atlanta, GA: Toast of the Town Atlanta - Apr. 16
Austin, TX: Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival - Apr. 16-19
Pebble Beach, CA: Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival - Apr. 16-19
Blowing Rock, NC: Blue Ridge Wine Festival - Apr. 16-19
Biloxi, MS: MS Coast Coliseum Crawfish Festival - Apr. 16-19
Springfield, MO: Rock 'n Ribs BBQ Festival - Apr. 17-18

To see the rest, read more.

York, PA: Pennsylvania Herb Festival - Apr. 17-18
St. George, SC: World Grits Festival - Apr. 17-19
Salisbury, MD: Pork in the Park - Apr. 17-19
New York, NY: Coffee & Tea Festival NY - Apr. 18-19
Moulton, AL: Alabama Chicken & Egg Festival - Apr. 18-19
Atlanta, GA: Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show - Apr. 18-19
Norfolk, VA: Virginia Culinary Expo - Apr. 19
Princeton, NJ: Taste of the Nation Princeton - Apr. 20

Two Popular Beverages Linked to Throat Cancer

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:30:00 -0700

A cup of hot tea can be soothing on a cold day, but a new study urges you to think about the temperature of your beverage before you start sipping. Drinking scalding hot tea that is greater than 158°F (70°C) has been shown to increase the risk of throat cancer. Participants in the study who made black tea and drank it two minutes after pouring were five times as likely to develop throat cancer as compared to those who let their tea sit for four or more minutes. Researchers think the relationship between super-hot tea and cancer is connected to repeated injury to the lining of the throat.

I didn't know this but cancer of the esophagus is one of the deadliest cancers out there, and 500,000 people worldwide die each year from it. So take preventative measures by allowing your hot tea to cool so that it's warm or lukewarm, and less than 149°F (65°C).

Unfortunately, there's more bad news when it comes to esophageal cancer. If you drink alcohol then you'll want to read more.

Another study shows that a person who experiences a red face or flushing after drinking alcohol may have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. About one-third of Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans display this red-face phenomenon, accompanied by an increased heart rate and nausea. It's cause by an inherited lack of an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Many doctors are unaware that ALDH2-deficient people have this elevated risk, and they should be since the survival rate of esophageal cancer is really low, about 15.6 percent. Even moderate drinkers are at risk, so for those who suffer from a red face after drinking, it's best to avoid alcohol. Tell me, do you turn pink when you drink?

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