"peppermint" news and stories

There's a great candy out there and it is packed with ones of my favorite flavors, tangy ginger. Chimes ginger chews are full of all the healthy benefits of ginger.They can be used to help with a cold, upset stomach and heartburn, motion sickness, lower cholesterol, and to boost your immune system.

The chews are a taffy like candy inspired by a three generation old Indonesian recipe, and made from all natural ingredients.The ginger is harvested from volcanic soil in the shadow of Mt. Bromo in East Java which gives it a unique gingery flavor, and stone ground for the best texture and taste. They come in three flavors: Original Ginger, Peppermint Ginger, and Peanut Butter Ginger.

You know how ginger and peppermint put you in the holiday mood, so kick back and nibble on a few for a zesty and tasty treat. They come in large packages or an attractive metal tin that would make a great stocking stuffer for everyone who likes to hang their stocking with care by your fireplace.

It's time to break out the flour, cookbooks and parchment paper and start doing some holiday baking. Aside from an increase in the amount of red and green sprinkles used for decorating, there isn't anything that really separates a Christmas cookie from a regular cookie, but there are some seasonal flavors that are going to be a bit more prevalent in these seasonal treats. This month, we're going to put up a new Christmas cookie recipe every week that will hopefully inspire you to bake a little bit before December 25h. Our first cookie recipe is for Chocolate Peppermint Drops.

These cookies have a deep, dark chocolate flavor and a moist texture, like a soft and slightly chewy brownie. In fact, they look just like little brownies. They taste very decadent and rich, so make sure to have a glass of milk or a cup of coffee at the ready to wash them down. The peppermint flavor comes from crushed up peppermint candies, although Andes mints or chopped up peppermint bark would make an excellent substitution.

By the end of the year, you can expect to see some new things from the company that produces the "curiously strong mints." Altoids are being released in three new chocolate-covered versions: chocolate mint, chocolate ginger and chocolate cinnamon. The three popular Altoids flavors will each be coated in a tin layer of dark chocolate, adding an interesting contrast to the slightly powdery, strongly-flavored candies.

This move should not come as a surprise, since chocolate is a natural pairing with all three flavors - not to mention the fact that many people have already been combining Altoids and chocolate on their own.

If you can't wait a couple of weeks to try them yourself, three tins are up for auction on eBay, one in each flavor. The proceeds of the auction are to be donated to the American Red Cross - which is a nice gesture, considering that the price for the three tins is up to over $180 and there is still a day to go in the auction!

[via Candyaddict]

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Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Mint Creams tempted me from their plastic containers, stacked appealingly close to me as I stood in line with my other purchases at Trader Joe's over the weekend. After a moment of hesitation, I gave in a tossed a box into my cart. And I am so glad that I did. These little candies are about an inch in diameter and are slightly domed. They taste like a cross between a junior mint and a York peppermint patty, with a filling that is creamy, but with a little bit of texture to it. The difference between those other candies and these is that the TJs dark chocolate shell is much thicker, providing the perfect compliment to the filling and a noticeable chocolate flavor. They're really good when chilled and end up tasting like a minty, bite-sized ice cream treat, which makes them incredibly refreshing (not to mention that it keeps them from melting) on a hot day.

Good nutrition, with well-balanced meals and lots of fruits and vegetables every day is obviously the best way to help your kids perform their best on standardized tests, but students are now turning to sucking on peppermints before exams. 

The peppermint craze is based on findings by Professor of Psychology in West Virginia, Bryan Raudenbush, who found that the smell of peppermint oil is associated with improved performance in athletes. Raudenbush applied different scents to athletes on treadmills, piped scents into locker rooms and gyms, then studied athletes'' performance. Peppermint seemed to have distracted people from boredom and helped to make them feel more energetic. It works because the smell of peppermint increases blood flow. Cinnamon has the same effect.

Peppermint has been added to so-called "brain foods" that teachers have been asking parents to feed their children -- white grape juice, dark chocolate, peanuts, carbohydrates and protein-rich meat.

Back when I was in high school, all I remember is my parents feeding me fish at every meal before my big exams.