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Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Latte is a popular hot drink, especially in the fall. We’ll show you how easy it is to prepare your own Pumpkin Spice Latte.

In order to drink Pumpkin Spice Latte, you don’t have to go to a joint of controversial multinationals like Starbucks. In this article we will show you how you can make the popular hot drink yourself.

Making Pumpkin Spice Latte yourself has many advantages:

You decide for yourself which ingredients you use.
There is less waste from disposable cups.
You can use less sugar.
you save money
Tip: You can prepare the Pumpkin Spice Latte particularly quickly if you have Pumpkin Spice and pumpkin puree in stock.

Pumpkin Spice

Mix all of the spices together according to the instructions in the Pumpkin Spice: Spice Blend Recipe article. Store the autumnal spice in tightly closed jars in a dark, cool and dry place.

pumpkin puree

You can also easily make the pumpkin puree for your Pumpkin Spice Latte yourself. In the article Fine pumpkin puree: How to make it yourself, you will find out how it works. Keep the fresh pumpkin puree tightly closed in the refrigerator. Stored cold, it stays fresh for up to five days. Alternatively, you can freeze it in small portions. Tip: Use ice cube trays to freeze, as you only need a tablespoon of pumpkin puree to make one serving of Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Pumpkin Spice Latte: The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon nectar
1 tbsp Pumpkin Spice
1hot espresso
150 ml milk or foamable plant drink
1 tablespoon pumpkin puree

Directions:

Place 1 teaspoon of agave nectar in a small bowl. Note: If you like your Pumpkin Spice Latte unsweetened, you can omit the agave syrup.
Mix the Pumpkin Spice well with the agave syrup until you get a smooth spice syrup.
Prepare the espresso.
Warm the milk and froth it.
Mix the frothed milk with the espresso, the spice syrup and the pumpkin puree.
Pour your Pumpkin Spice Latte into a coffee mug and decorate with a dollop of frothed milk.
Sprinkle the milk foam with a touch of Pumpkin Spice and enjoy the autumnal hot drink.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Latte: You should know that

Whenever possible, purchase high-quality, organic spices when preparing Pumpkin Spice Latte. You can find useful tips for this in the article: Buy organic spices: the most important brands and online shops. Since all four spices are exotic ingredients from Asia, Africa or South America, you should also look out for a fair trade seal. You are committed to fair wages, good working conditions and environmental protection in the growing countries.

Coffee, too, has a long journey behind it before it reaches the supermarket shelves in Germany. Therefore, buy fair trade coffee whenever possible. Or would you like to try one of the regional coffee alternatives instead? Regional food has shorter transport routes and therefore leaves a smaller CO2 footprint.

Tip: If you don’t have an espresso machine or pot, you can also brew a strong filter coffee.

You can also prepare your Pumpkin Spice Latte vegan by using a foamable plant-based milk as a milk substitute. As a local alternative to agave syrup, you can use a teaspoon of honey.

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Lifestyle

How to Clean Your Bathroom Properly

How often should I clean the bathroom? We have tips and instructions for cleaning the bathroom properly. Because in order to stop germs and bacteria in the bathroom, you should clean the bathroom regularly. Some hygiene measures and cleaning rules can make your work much easier and ensure that a bathroom stays clean for a long time.

Bathroom cleaning tricks

Simple hygiene measures help you to keep your bathroom clean for longer. Even in the bathroom at home, germs and bacteria can quickly collect. Regular cleaning of the bathroom is therefore essential in order to avoid germs in the household. But with a guide and cleaning tips, cleaning becomes an easy routine. In addition, see our article on a bathroom renovation.

1) Clean from top to bottom

This rule is not only helpful in the bathroom but in all rooms. So it is best to start by cleaning the surfaces of hanging shelves and removing dust. You can also clean the mirror without leaving streaks as one of the first steps. In contrast, wiping the floor should be done at the very end.

2) Put away bathroom and hygiene items

Before you start cleaning, you should definitely put hygiene items such as creams, make-up, and other cosmetics out of the way. Because this is how the bathroom can be really cleaned. You can also use this opportunity to put other things aside or put them in the washing machine, such as bath mats, towels, scales, and trash cans.

3) Ventilate regularly and avoid mold

You should also air your bathroom regularly. Increased humidity in the bathroom causes mold to form. Therefore, air the room for several minutes every day, preferably after showering. In windowless bathrooms, you should open the bathroom door and the nearest window. This way you can avoid mold. If mold has already formed, read our home remedies for mold removal.

4) Change towels frequently

Germs particularly like to collect in damp towels. It is therefore advisable to replace them regularly and wash them at a wash cycle of 60 degrees. This ensures that all germs and bacteria are killed during the hot wash. You should also wash the bath mats regularly so that all dirt disappears. Because here, too, germs can form very quickly which is not healthy for humans themselves.

5) Clean the sink

The sink is super easy to clean with vinegar. To do this, mix the vinegar with water in a ratio of 1 to 1. This will also remove stubborn limescale stains. As a result, your bathroom is really clean. You also save on chemical cleaning agents. If you would like to do without these, you can also use washing soda as an environmentally friendly alternative.

6) Clean the shower and bathtub

Probably the worst task when cleaning the bathroom properly is the large shower and bathtub. But here, too, thorough cleaning is required. The use of baking soda or other common home remedies such as effective lemon juice can help you with this. So start by cleaning the tiles and joints, for example with the help of baking soda, which you mix with a little water to a paste. You can then clean the tub properly with lemon juice or diluted vinegar.

7) Tips to avoid lime

If the water in your region is particularly hard, it is advisable to dry the wet surfaces after every wash or shower. Use a microfiber cloth for the sink. And for the shower stalls, it is advisable to use a special squeegee. It is also advisable to use a microfiber cloth when cleaning and to dry everything with it. You should definitely use a small sieve for the shower drain so that hair and fluff don’t get into the drains and clog the pipe. Also, note our tips for cleaning chrome and chrome parts.

8) Remove lime with home remedies

If limescale deposits are difficult to remove, you can remove them with various home remedies. As a result, you can use it to remove limescale from washbasins and shower basins as well as from taps and shower heads. This means that unsightly deposits are a thing of the past.

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Cooking Tips

How to Clean Your Fully Automatic Coffee Machine

Cleaning the coffee machine made easy: In our instructions we will show you which steps are involved and what you have to consider.

With the right steps to a thoroughly cleaned fully automatic coffee machine.

With a coffee machine you can conjure up delicious and enjoyable coffee. Whether it’s a caffè latte, cappuccino, milk coffee or a simple black coffee – the all-rounder machines deliver all kinds of delicacies at the touch of a button. However, so that you can always enjoy your coffee free of bacteria and germs, you should make sure that your fully automatic coffee machine is properly cleaned. The mostly extensive technology offers many points of attack, which represent sources of fire for dirt and pathogens. With the help of regular and professional cleaning, however, you can enjoy your daily coffee absolutely free of any pathogens.

Thorough cleaning of the different components

If you want to clean your coffee machine properly, you should do each component individually. Pathogens such as fecal streptococci, pseudomonas and E. coli bacteria quickly collect in uncleaned machines. The growing breeding ground also provides an excellent environment for fungi, salmonella and algae. What seems quite frightening at first glance is not really dramatic. Most germs are not pathogens and can only harm small children and people with weakened immune systems. However, preventing mold growth should always be taken seriously. If you haven’t cleaned your fully automatic coffee machine for a long time, a crust can even form on the outlet. This is a clear sign of the spread of germs. Certain components should therefore be cleaned daily. Depending on the container, simply cleaning with hot water is not enough and you should use washing-up liquid or suitable cleaning agents.

The easiest part of a fully automatic coffee machine to clean is the water tank. Depending on the water quality, limescale can quickly build up in the tank. With most devices, the water tank can be removed without any problems. Here it is then necessary to descale the container. Whether you use simple cleaning agents or descaling tablets is entirely up to you. With constant cleaning, however, warm water and washing-up liquid should be completely sufficient. The next step is to take care of the coffee bean container. In addition to dust and all kinds of germs, grease residues can also settle. Here, too, you can use warm water and washing-up liquid to remove dirt. If there are large amounts of fat residue, we also recommend using a coffee fat remover. It is best to clean this part of the machine after each complete use of the beans it contains.

In order to clean the coffee machine properly, thorough cleaning of the so-called brewing group is very important. This is the heart of the fully automatic coffee machine and therefore requires special treatment. Ground coffee and hot water meet in the brewing unit – this is where the aromas unfold and the actual coffee is created. Of course, this process leaves residues, which can quickly develop into a source of fire for bacteria. Cleaning is usually done by removing the brew group. You can then rinse them thoroughly with warm water so that residues are loosened and fall off. Aggressive cleaning agents should not be used if possible, as they could affect the subsequent brewing process. Another important component of every fully automatic coffee machine is the milk frother. If the milk residues are not removed, a large number of bacteria and germs will form here. As is so often the case, warm water and detergent helps with regular cleaning. When you clean your coffee machine, you should do it piece by piece and clean each component individually. In this way you prevent the formation of germs and pathogens in the long term.

Despite all the points that speak for a carefully cleaned coffee machine, we know how difficult it can be to keep a coffee machine clean. Especially when many different colleagues or customers are drinking coffee, not everyone feels equally responsible for cleaning and so it is inevitable that the cleaning will be forgotten or not done properly. A cleaning plan can help you with this. Simply hang it in a conspicuous place near the coffee machine – and nobody will overlook the cleaning anymore.

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Food

Minerals: These are the Most Important Nutrients in Your Diet

Minerals are essential for our body. But which are the most important ones and what effect do they have? And what is the difference to vitamins?

Minerals: why do we need them?

Minerals are vital for our organism (to survive). They ensure that everything, really everything, works well – from the bones to digestion and cell renewal. Like vitamins, minerals are micronutrients that the body needs in addition to macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats – to regulate metabolic processes. They are important for the electrolyte and water balance, for the immune system and indispensable for the structure and function of bones, muscles and teeth. The body also needs minerals for vision and the nervous system, and they are involved in blood clotting and reproduction.

However, our body cannot produce the micronutrients on its own – but we can support it by eating the right foods. Minerals are found as inorganic food components in various animal and vegetable foods. You can read about which minerals are in which foods at the end of the article.

How many minerals does the body need?

In order for the processes in the body to work properly, the supply of minerals and vitamins must be right. But how many minerals does the body need? Because this is not so easy to assess, there are official nutrient recommendations. In German-speaking countries, the D-A-CH reference values ​​are the standard. These reference values ​​indicate the amount of nutrients a person should consume in order to stay fit and healthy. Incidentally, there are also these recommendations for the other nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and also for energy, water, fiber and alcohol.

The reference values ​​are initially based on the nutrient requirement – i.e. the amount of nutrients that is necessary to avoid a deficiency. This requirement is increased by 20 to 30% because it is an average value: this means that the reference values ​​are usually higher than the actual nutrient requirements. Individual needs vary from person to person and depend on many things such as age, gender or metabolism.

If you eat a balanced diet, you shouldn’t have any problems with deficiency symptoms: Most people in Germany are adequately supplied. However, there are some risk groups that should pay special attention to their mineral intake. They include pregnant and breastfeeding women and the sick, but also people with a lot of stress, an unbalanced diet, special diets and vegan diets. If you belong to one of these groups, you can take minerals in a targeted manner: either through dietary supplements or – and we recommend this – by eating the right foods.

Minerals: bulk and trace elements

Minerals are required by the body in different amounts and are divided into bulk and trace elements depending on their content in the body.

The bulk elements include: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus and sulfur. They occur in a concentration of over 50 mg per kg of body weight.

Trace elements, on the other hand – as the name suggests – only occur in traces in the body. They are only found in the body in concentrations of less than 50 mg per kg. The minerals iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium and molybdenum are considered trace elements. A special feature is the mineral iron: Although it occurs in a concentration of around 60 mg per kg of body weight – it should therefore theoretically belong to the bulk elements – due to the similarity of its functions to the trace elements, iron is counted to this subgroup of minerals. The most important minerals and their functions at a glance: Many types of fruit and vegetables contain minerals.

The most important minerals and their functions at a glance

Minerals have different functions and are found in different foods. We give you a brief overview of the most important minerals here – if you want more detailed information, browse through the linked articles on the individual minerals.

Magnesium is important for the muscles and enzymes that stimulate metabolism – it also ensures strong bones and is involved in the storage and release of hormones. The mineral is found in many plant sources such as spinach, kohlrabi, nuts and sunflower seeds, wholemeal bread and legumes.
Calcium: Teeth and bones need enough calcium (or calcium) to grow and remain stable – children in particular should therefore always consume enough of the mineral. But it also strengthens your cell walls, helps make hormones, and plays a role in blood clotting. If you are deficient, calcium is “pulled” out of the bones and into the blood, which can cause osteoporosis. It is therefore best to eat enough green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, algae or nuts – dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt also contain a lot of calcium.
Sodium: This mineral is found in almost all foods – especially table salt and salty products. You need sodium for your water balance, your blood pressure, the activity of enzymes and your acid-base balance. However, be careful not to eat too much salt – too much sodium can cause problems with high blood pressure, edema, drowsiness and restlessness.
Phosphorus: Just like calcium, phosphorus is important for teeth and bone formation. In addition, the muscles need the mineral to convert energy into movement and it is a building block of our genetic make-up. Phosphorus is added to industrially processed foods in particular – but even if you do without such products in everyday life, you don’t have to worry about a deficiency here: The substance is found in protein-containing products, legumes, nuts, most types of fruit and vegetables and also in Meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Potassium is extremely important for the transmission of nerve signals, water and electrolyte balance as well as for good muscle function. You can find it in many foods, especially spinach, potatoes, kale, mushrooms, and nuts.

Chloride: The mineral is related to sodium and potassium and is a component of stomach acid and bones. In addition, chloride regulates the water balance and is involved in the acid-base balance. A good source of chloride is table salt. You can also cover your chloride needs with foods such as salami, pork ham, kefir, milk or cheese.
Iron: is involved in the storage and transport of oxygen in the blood, blood formation and the regulation of numerous metabolic processes. The mineral is also important for brain development in children and adolescents. Menstruating women have an increased need. You can cover your needs with green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, brown rice and other whole grain products or with animal products such as meat or offal.
Iodine: As an essential component of the thyroid hormones, iodine is involved in growth and maturation, heat production and energy metabolism. Iodized salt is a good source of iodine.
Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth, it promotes the development of tooth substance and inhibits the growth of caries bacteria. You can get fluoride from mineral water, fluoridated salt, or black tea.
Zinc: The trace element is a component of many enzymes and the antioxidant protection system, it is also involved in growth and development, influences hormone metabolism and the immune system. Because our body cannot store the mineral well, we depend on a continuous supply – for example through whole grain products, oatmeal, milk and milk products or meat.
Selenium protects against oxidative damage, influences blood clotting, is involved in thyroid metabolism and stimulates the immune system. You can cover your needs with potatoes, brown rice, peanuts, asparagus, wholemeal bread or hazelnuts.
Copper has many functions in the body. Among other things, it helps with the mobilization and transport of iron, protects against free radicals and contributes to the coloring of eyes, hair and skin. Nuts – especially cashews – salsify, artichokes and whole grains are good suppliers of copper.
Manganese supports the development of connective tissue, protects against free radicals and is involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Blueberries are a particularly good source, but blackberries, spinach, strawberries, kale or wholemeal rye bread also help to cover your daily needs.
Chromium supports the absorption of glucose from the blood and thus ensures a balanced blood sugar level. You can meet your needs with foods such as mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, spinach and tomatoes.
Molybdenum is a component of enzymes and is found in foods such as red cabbage, green beans, peas, peanuts and whole grain products.

Minerals vs. vitamins: A distinction

Both minerals and vitamins are micronutrients and very important for your body: They influence all life activities, so a deficiency can have serious consequences. But the fundamental difference between vitamins and minerals lies in their origin: vitamins are organic compounds in the body, while minerals are inorganic components.

You need both micronutrients for a healthy and functioning organism: Both vitamins and minerals are involved in numerous metabolic processes, they play a major role in the electrolyte and water balance, are for the immune system and for the structure and function of bones, muscles and teeth indispensable. They are also necessary for vision and the nervous system and are involved in blood clotting and in the processes of reproduction, cell division and differentiation.

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Cooking Tips

Roast Your Own Coffee

Coffee is popular with young and old. If you are not satisfied with ordinary beans from the department store, you can also try your hand at roasting coffee.

If you want to drink fresh coffee with a full aroma, you can also roast the coffee beans yourself. But how does that work in your own four walls?

Coffee is very popular around the world. The coffee drink has now become a highly coveted drink and is available as standard in every bakery, café and restaurant. According to a study by the 2016 coffee report, roasted or bean coffee is one of the most popular coffee and tea drinks in Germany.

Through many inventions over the decades and even centuries, the coffee drinks have been further developed and optimized. They all want to achieve one thing: get the right aromas out of the coffee and optimize the taste. But coffee drinkers can also do something to give their coffee a better taste. This includes the use of freshly roasted coffee beans. This is due to the fact that after the coffee bean has been roasted, the bean quickly loses its aroma and changes in taste. It would therefore be best to roast the coffee shortly before preparation. But is it also possible to roast coffee at home? What methods are there for this and which ones really work?

Coffee bean roasting process

The coffee roasting process takes just 10 to 20 minutes. The ideal internal bean temperature is between 180 and 230 degrees Celsius. While the beans are heated to this temperature and then held, their color changes during the roasting process: from an initial light green to a more intense shade of green, yellow, yellow-brown and brown to dark brown or black. Now it depends on many variables such as the duration of the roasting process of the coffee beans that determine the final taste. The chemical Maillard reaction is one of the most important reactions in the roasting of green coffee. When a sufficiently high temperature is reached – between 145 and 200 degrees – various sugars and proteins, more precisely their amino acids, combine to form new compounds. This creates so-called roasting substances. This connection can also be found when baking bread, for example, when the crispy crust is created. There are also many other reactions that take place in the coffee bean. However, not all of them have been elucidated to this day. Roast coffee contains quite a lot of aromatic compounds, somewhere between 800 and 1,200. However, they are all intertwined, so no flavoring can be isolated from the others. Rather, they all together in different concentrations make up the coffee aroma that we are familiar with.

However, it is possible to divide the coffee roasting process into a few phases. These phases differ according to the appearance and volume of the beans. During the roasting process, coffee beans lose weight and become more voluminous. This reduces the density of the roasted coffee bean to 1/3 of the original, raw bean.

Depending on the degree of roasting, the bean can lose between 12 and 18% in weight.

However, they are most clearly distinguishable by the sounds of the first and second cracks of the raw beans. With the help of the degree of roasting of the coffee bean, aromas, acidity, taste and body of the later coffee beverage can be identified. During the first roasting phase, for example, a strong and sparkling acidity develops. However, it decreases again during the further roasting of the coffee beans. If the coffee beans are removed from the heat source, the roasting reaction continues for at least 12 hours. This process usually takes even longer: it takes up to 72 hours for the roasting reactions to subside completely and for the roasted coffee beans to achieve their final taste. During the internal after-reactions, carbon dioxide is released for a while.

Coffee roasting using pan and oven

There are quite a few ways to roast coffee in your own four walls. One of the most common methods you can find online is to roast coffee in a pan or in the oven. If you decide to roast the coffee beans in a pan, you will need an infrared thermometer in addition to the pan in order to be able to monitor the temperature constantly. It is important that the coffee beans are continuously stirred during the roasting process. However, this method roasts the beans very unevenly, if at all, as many remain completely unroasted, while others may already be burnt. In some cases, individual beans can be unroasted in some places and roasted in others. So if you don’t have strong taste buds, you shouldn’t use this method. In addition, it can be quite dangerous if the beans “crack”. The so-called crack is the bursting of the coffee bean, as the new gases in the bean create high pressure. This causes the cell walls of the bean to become more porous. If the coffee bean, which is up to 200 degrees hot, jumps into the air with the first or second crack, it can quickly catch your eye.

Another method is to roast the coffee beans in the oven. If you decide to do this, first preheat the oven to 200 degrees circulating air. Next, the green coffee is spread out on a baking sheet and placed in the preheated oven. This method is definitely safer than roasting the coffee beans in the pan, since the oven door can be used as a protective wall. In addition, the coffee beans are roasted more evenly. However, a disadvantage arises from the fact that the roasting coffee beans cannot be stirred without interrupting the roasting process at a constant temperature. After about 10 to 20 minutes, the roasted coffee is put into a sieve and quickly cooled. If you make sure that the beans are washed before roasting in order to remove as many skins as possible, you will prevent the skins from flying through the oven when roasting the coffee beans. Coffee roasting in the oven is therefore ideal for a more pleasant and even roast.

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Cooking Tips

How to Grow Your Own Coffee Plant

Become your own coffee expert and start growing coffee plants at home. These tips will help you grow coffee quickly.

The way to your own coffee plant

The coffee bean originated in the highlands of Ethiopia and Sudan. From there she has been traveling the world for three centuries now. Subtropical countries around the globe are now emerging as ideal locations for growing coffee plants. With the help of huge harvest fields, global demand can be met. But what do you do if you are a real coffee lover and want to grow your own coffee plant?
We associate coffee with pure enjoyment and an unimagined variety of tastes. Growing your own coffee plant therefore offers a very special appeal. In this article, we will explain the intricacies of cultivation and help you grow your first coffee plant. Because it is a tropical plant, the coffee plant cannot be grown like a normal houseplant. You have to pay attention to temperature, humidity, nutrient levels and much more. It takes a long time from the individual coffee seed to the fully grown coffee bush. You can expect the first yields after about three years. The harvest path is therefore quite long and should not be underestimated. However, if you enjoy growing coffee and don’t shy away from constant care, after a while you can look forward to a wonderful, home-grown coffee plant.

Tips on cultivation and proper care

By far the most popular type of coffee is Coffea Arabica. Using this coffee plant as an example, you can set up an optimal cultivation and breeding plan. First of all, you need to decide on a starting phase. You can start with simple seeds or buy small seedlings directly from the garden store and grow them further. If you start with a seed, it is best to use a fairly fresh one, which comes from ripe coffee berries. The seed can sometimes still have a hard shell and a silver skin. You can simply detach them. You can then place the seed one centimeter below the ground. Here is the perfect place for him to mature into a seedling. Only one bean should be used per pot. Incidentally, already mature head cuttings can be obtained from a coffee bush and also planted at home in a pot. Whether seeds, seedling or cuttings – all need a warm location to thrive. In this way, the coffee plant grows quickly and benefits optimally from the warm environment.

As soon as the growth process has started, the first roots form within a short time. Your coffee cultivation has now reached a crucial point. It’s time to repot your plant. A larger vessel offers more growth opportunities and has a larger breeding ground. In addition to normal soil, you can now also use substrate. This enables constant moisture, which has a positive effect on the growth of your coffee plant. Another repotting will not be necessary very often and only has to be done every two to three years. By the way, you can use normal rainwater when watering. This is completely sufficient to provide the coffee plant with sufficient nutrients. In addition to caring for the soil, the leaves can also be moistened with water every day. Tropical plants absorb a lot of water through their surfaces and thus grow even faster. Slowly but surely, the seed should develop into a real coffee bush. Incidentally, your coffee plant needs more water in warmer months than in colder ones. However, the humidity should not be too high.

It can take a few years for the coffee plant to finally bloom.

If you want to grow a coffee plant, then you have found the perfect candidate for your home. As a real houseplant, it prefers temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. If it gets a little colder outside, the robust plant can easily withstand low temperatures of up to 12 degrees or colder. A shady place in the sun and little draft ensure optimal growth all around. If your plant has strong growth spurts, you can also prune the coffee bush a little. This does not affect growth. However, it may be a few years before the coffee plant finally blossoms. If you have finally reached your goal, the only thing missing is pollination. You pollinate the flowers of the coffee plant and ensure that red berries develop. Coffee cultivation is now entering the final phase of the ripening period. The first coffee cherries are slowly growing. After 8 to 12 months, these then turn red and can be harvested. The coffee beans contained in it are used to prepare coffee. When you have reached this point, you can proudly say that you have grown your own coffee plant.

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Food

Oversalted, Charred, Too Sweet: This is How You Save Your Food

Something went wrong in the kitchen? Most of the time you can still save your food. We give you tips on typical problems.

You weren’t paying attention for a moment, the salt slipped or the recipe didn’t work. This can happen, but don’t worry: you can usually save your food. Before throwing it away, avoid wasting food and try one of our tips.

Save oversalted food

Almost everyone has probably oversalted a meal at some point. This can often be prevented by adding small amounts of salt step by step and tasting in between. However, this is not easy with some dishes such as casseroles and it can also happen that you add too much salt all at once.

How to save oversalted food:

If you’ve just slipped the salt, you may still be able to skim it off the surface of the food.
Cut a raw potato into large pieces and cook them for a few minutes. It absorbs some of the salt. Then remove them from the pot. The same works with carrots, bread or prunes. Cook the latter for about 15 minutes.
Sweeten your dish slightly, for example with honey or maple syrup. If it tastes too sweet afterwards, you can counteract it with a little acid (e.g. lemon).
Serve unsalted side dishes with the dish, such as lettuce leaves or yogurt.
The following tips also work for foods that are too sweet, spicy or sour:

Mix soup, sauce or your stew with water, wine, milk, cream or a vegan cream or plant-based milk. You can then thicken the liquid – there are tips for this below.
Prepare the dish again unsalted (or without spiciness, sugar or acid, as required) and mix both variants together.

Too spicy food? you can do that

Sharpness is not always easy to dose. Some chili peppers are very hot, others hardly at all. In addition, everyone perceives sharpness differently.

How to save overly spicy food:

Capsaicin, which makes the chili hot, is fat-soluble. You can often save overly spicy food by skimming off the fat on the surface.
Again, add a tablespoon or two of honey or maple syrup to the food. You can then compensate for too much sweetness with acid.
Serve the dish with bread and/or yoghurt or quark or provide milk. These foods help mitigate spiciness.
You can also save food that is too spicy by cooking raw potato pieces in it for a few minutes.

Save too sweet food

Sweetness is also a matter of taste – in both savory and sweet dishes. For both variants, you have different options for saving food that is too sweet:

A pinch of salt can help tone down the sweetness of savory foods.
You can season both savory and sweet foods with acid to balance out the sweetness. Lemon juice or vinegar, for example, help with savory dishes (note: some vinegars contain sugar). You can also round off some sweet dishes with lemon juice. For others, it is a good idea to add sour fruit to compensate – for example a berry sauce or rhubarb compote.
As with other taste flaws, you can sometimes salvage food that’s too sweet by stretching it. This works especially well with rather liquid foods. Stretch them with water or a dry wine, for example, and taste them again.

What to do when your food burns

Charred or burnt food is annoying for two reasons: The black spots don’t taste good and contain harmful substances like acrylamide. So you better always keep an eye on your food. Still, you can salvage burnt or charred food.

If something burns in the pot, you may still be able to salvage your food. Be sure not to stir so the burnt doesn’t mix with the rest. Instead, carefully skim off the unharmed portion of the food and place it in a new pot. You can continue cooking the food in it. It may still taste slightly roasted – either that goes well or you can try to cover the roasted flavor with spices.
A few spots have become too dark when roasting or baking? It is best to cut them off generously. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look so nice, especially with a cake. However, you can cover up the broken spots by covering the cake with icing, vegan frosting or whipped cream, for example.

Save food that is too liquid

Soups and sauces don’t always have the desired consistency – they often just don’t want to be creamy. However, food that is too liquid can be saved easily:

If you still have time, you can let the soup or sauce simmer uncovered. This is useful if you are not that far from the desired result. If so, this method is very time-consuming and energy-consuming.
Mix about a tablespoon of flour or starch with a little water, wine, or milk. Stir the mixture into the food and cook again until thick.
(Vegan) cream or crème fraîche (substitute) can also make dishes that are too liquid creamier.
Grate a raw potato and stir it into the food. Cook them until the shavings dissolve and combine with the rest of the sauce.
Stir cold (vegan) butter into the food in chunks.

Overcooked food? You can save even that

Some people don’t mind if the vegetables are soft and the noodles have a wobbly texture. For others, overcooked food is inedible. Unfortunately, the cooking process cannot be reversed – you can still save the food:

Prevent worse by immediately removing the food from the stove. You can also rinse noodles or vegetables under cold water to interrupt the cooking process.
Garnish the food with a crunchy topping. You have many options for this – for example (roasted) nuts or seeds, homemade croutons or crispy fried tofu.
You can prepare a delicious mash, puree or vegetable soup from overcooked vegetables and potatoes.
Sear overcooked foods or gratinate them in the oven until they get a crispy surface. This works particularly well with starchy foods such as pasta or potatoes.

Cake base is broken

Cakes are often served on festive occasions, which makes it all the more important that they turn out well. A broken cake base is therefore very annoying. It can break for a variety of reasons:

You took the dough out of the mold too soon. It should always cool down first.
The pan wasn’t greased well and the dough stuck in one spot. You can prevent this by very carefully removing the dough from the mold and, if necessary, using a knife or something similar.
You tried to cut through the cake base.
Even if it is broken, you can of course still eat the cake base. How to save him:

The easiest thing to save is a cake with multiple bases, only one of which is broken. Simply use this as a middle or top pie crust by piecing it back together. In the latter case, you can cover the mishap with a layer of whipped cream or fruit, for example.
If you only have the one cake base, you can also puzzle it back together. When cutting, some pieces may be a bit crumbly later. However, a creamy filling or a layer of fruit with icing will hold the cake together.
For example, if the cake base is very crumbled, you can layer the crumbs in muffin cups, alternating with the filling. With some fruit, for example, they become delicious apple muffins. Or you turn the broken cake base into a mole cake.

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Cooking Tips

Prepare Your Own Cappuccino – Here’s How!

Do you like to order cappuccino in the café and would you like to prepare this coffee variation at home? No problem: we will show you step by step how to prepare a cappuccino.

Chocolate cake with a cup of hot cappuccino on the table with Shell.

Where does the cappuccino come from?

Anyone who thinks that cappuccino is a purely Italian coffee specialty is wrong. The origins of the drink are in Austria. The cappuccino as we know it today came from a Viennese coffee speciality, the so-called “Kapuziner”. This consists of mocha and liquid whipped cream. The “Capuchin” owes its name to the typical light brown colour, which is reminiscent of the habit of the Capuchin monks. In German, the related word “cappuccio” means hood or haupe, which can be associated with the monk’s habit. During World War I, Austrian soldiers brought their specialty to Italy. Here the “Capuchin” was further developed and refined into the “Cappuccino”. The name “Cappuccino” is derived from the name of the original drink “Kapuziner”. Today, the Italian version of the cappuccino is usually served in cafés around the world.

When is cappuccino drunk?

In Italy, cappuccino is usually drunk at breakfast. Italians like to dip hard pastries such as rusks or cantuccini into their drink. In this country, the coffee specialty is drunk throughout the day. For example, at the start of the day, but also in the afternoon with coffee and cake.

How is a cappuccino prepared?

Like a latte macchiato, cappuccino only needs two ingredients, but in comparison it is a little more skilful when it comes to the figures in the foam. But read more here.

Ingredients needed for a cappuccino:

An espresso
150 ml milk (alternative)

Step 1:

Prepare an espresso and pour it into a thick-walled cup with a capacity of around 200 ml. You will get the best result if the cup is preheated.

Step 2:

Froth about 150ml of milk with a milk frother and warm it up. Be careful with the temperature: it must not exceed 60 degrees. Otherwise the foam falls apart and the creamy consistency is lost. The milk froth is ready when the volume has roughly doubled. The number of calories in a cappuccino depends on the fat content of the milk used. Therefore, a cappuccino can have anywhere from 70 to 150 calories.

Step 3:

Pour the milk into the cup with the espresso shortly after frothing. With the right speed and technique when pouring, artistic images can be conjured up in the rising crema of the espresso. Find out more about this in the text.

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Lifestyle

What Does the Taste of Your Coffee Say About You?

Do you drink coffee black, as a latte, cappuccino, caffé latte or espresso? Take this personality test to find out what the taste of your favorite coffee says about you. Your coffee preferences say a lot about your character. Find out!

This is what the taste of your coffee reveals about your personality

Black

You are a confident and straightforward person who doesn’t care for unnecessary frills. They like to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. The same applies to coffee, which you can only pimp with a little sugar. In order to master the day, the coffee machine is turned on in the morning. If you had to be described in one word, you would probably be called “minimalist”. True to the motto: Less is more.

Espresso

You are at home in big business. With you, everything has to go in no time. You don’t have time for extensive coffee talks and therefore prefer to have a quick espresso (or a double). You are a workaholic and enjoy taking on leadership roles within a group. You work hard for success. So you need the quick caffeine kick. A healthy diet and balancing out with sport are also very important to you.

Latte macchiato

Let’s be honest: You don’t actually like coffee that much and you would still like to drink hot chocolate. But because you are of a certain age, you reach for the latte macchiato. Since it’s mostly milk, drink the mildest coffee beverage. No wonder you can be described as a comfortable and easy-going person. You like to drink your latte in good company at Sunday brunch with your loved ones or in a cozy café around the corner.

Coffee latte

You prefer the caffè latte in a cozy environment with friends and family. It is particularly important for you to spend a lot of time with your loved ones, which is why you like to put some duties on the back burner.

Cappuccino

The first thing you do after waking up is not the coffee, but your cell phone. Something important might have happened on your social network. They are very active and like to be everywhere. At work are at home in the creative field, always motivated and slightly obsessive. You prefer to drink your cappuccino in a sweetly decorated café, where you can also relax for a few hours with your laptop or a book. Served with a small muffin or croissant. Yummy!

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Food

Plant-based Milk Alternatives for Your Coffee

For many, the milk in their coffee is just as essential as the sun on a beach holiday. But what to do if you cannot tolerate commercially available cow’s milk? Fortunately, lactose-intolerant or vegan people no longer have to do without lattes and cappuccinos these days. In addition to lactose-free cow’s milk, there are also numerous types of plant-based milk alternatives that taste at least as good. We would like to introduce you to a few.

Milk alternatives for full coffee enjoyment

Soy milk

Soy milk is probably the best-known plant-based milk alternative for coffee drinks. It is now available in most cafés and coffee shops as an additive in coffee drinks. The creamy consistency and the slightly sweet taste shows its effect particularly well in milk coffees or iced coffees. In addition, unlike other plant-based milk alternatives, soy milk can be frothed well, which is why it is ideal for latte macchiatos or cappuccinos.

Oat milk

For many, oat milk is the milk alternative that most closely resembles cow’s milk. Because of its neutral taste, oat milk can be used in any coffee drink. Last but not least, oat milk is popular with many coffee drinkers because of its milk-like consistency.

Almond milk

Popular with vegans because of its high nutritional content, almond milk is a tasty alternative to cow’s milk. The creamy milk is less frothable than ordinary cow’s milk, but it is still ideal for all kinds of milk coffee drinks. Thanks to its great popularity, more and more cafes are starting to offer almond milk as an alternative to cow’s milk.

Rice Coconut Milk

Rice coconut milk is the most dissimilar to cow’s milk, at least in terms of taste and consistency, which is why many people tend to use other plant-based milk alternatives. The light white milk is rather watery and cannot be compared with the creamy consistency of cow’s or other types of plant milk. Thanks to the strong taste of its own, every coffee with rice and coconut milk is still an exotic taste experience.

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