How to Make the Perfect Easy Cup of Coffee

There are a lot of people out there who have reported knowing how to make the perfect cup of coffee, how to perfectly brew your espresso, how to avoid the Starbucks line. In my opinion, most of these people have over-complicated the matter with machinery and manifestos. Today we'll show you how to make a perfect cup to turn your morning from all right to great. And we'll do it for cheap. No buying crazy beans, contraptions or special filters.

Pick Your Beans
Last time you went to the supermarket, I'm willing to bet there were about 50 different bags of coffee to choose from. And so many promises, too. Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Italian imports, a few made-up Starbucks terms. And freeze-dried instant? Put that stuff down! You're better than that. You know how coffee smells so wonderful and you think it should taste that way too, only to find it's bland and watery and bitter? Yeah we're going to banish that disappointment. With the right bean, there's no worry. Look for:

• Whole bean (not pre-ground or instant)
• Breakfast blend if you like a lighter flavor or a little extra caffeine
• Espresso or French Roast if you like stronger flavor or less caffeine
• Fair-Trade/Organic if you can afford it (Costco has a great fair trade espresso for cheap)

Get Your Gear

I'm willing to bet that someone you know has a poor, neglected coffee grinder lying around. Grab it up. If not, you can find them for about $10-$15 brand new. Same goes for a French Press, at about the same price. Lastly you will need either a kettle or a pot to boil water in. Whatever you prefer.

via coffee.gurus.net

Keep It Clean

We like to say that a lot around here, but in this context it is truly vital. That bitterness and weird oily residue you see in your office coffee cup? That's because someone's not cleaning the electric coffee pot very well. Coffee beans are oily, and in time build up gunk and burn bitterness into every pot made. Don't just rinse off your stuff or throw it in the dishwasher. Scrub it out with a sponge and rinse it with vinegar from time to time. Especially if you got your gear second-hand. Your taste buds will thank you.

Brewing Your Cup

1. Measure out enough water to fill your french press to the line plus a cup or two more, and put on the stove to boil.
2. Put in just enough whole beans into your grinder for the pot. The amount varies depending on pot size and individual taste, but start with about 1/3 cup. I do about 2 small handfuls.
3. You're looking for a "coarse" or "medium" grind for a french press. Fine grind is when the beans are the texture of soft sand, and is usually what you'll find pre-ground at the store. If you get that, you've gone too far. Medium grind looks like small gravel.
4. Put your ground beans into your press.
5. Once the water boils, take it off the heat for a few moments. Give it 10 seconds or so for the boiling to stop, then slowly pour the hot water in.
6. Let the coffee steep for 5 minutes.
7. Put the top on your french press and slowly press down on the plunger to move all the grounds to the bottom of the pot.
8. Pour and enjoy!

I like to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to my coffee, but you can, of course, dress it however you like.

That's it! The simple, no-frills way to brew an amazing cup of coffee. Enjoy your joe, and until next time... Keep it Clean!

Natural Skin Care

It's no secret here at Azuma that we dig the natural lifestyle. One of the things that I'm most proud of are all the compliments on my glowing skin. The great thing is, there's really no magic or expensive secret to keeping it clean, gorgeous and healthy. Here's my regimen for looking fresh.

Baking Soda

The easiest and cheapest trick in the book. Forget expensive exfoliating gels and creams. Baking soda is proven to do it all. Removes dead skin cells, whitens and brightens uneven color and dark splotches, removes blackheads, and alkalizes the skin surface to prevent zits from getting out of control. Just put about a teaspoon in your hand, add a little water, and scrub in the morning and before bed.

Witch Hazel

It's not magic, just a wonderful plant with great astringent qualities. You can get witch hazel extract for cheap in the first aid aisle of most grocers, but fancier scented varieties such as Thayer's are also out there. The antioxidants fight acne, relieve eczema and psoriasis, and soothes swelling and cracked, dry skin. I like to wipe down my face with it after removing make-up or scrubbing with baking soda. It also works great as an aftershave! No more razor bumps.

Aloe

Aloe is also a wonderful skin soother and mild moisturizer. Keep some in the fridge for days when you're a bit puffy and smooth it on your face. I also mix aloe as a carrier for other oils as a daily moisturizer.

Sweet Almond Oil

There are a few different oils to choose from for moisturizer. Some prefer castor oil, some like coconut or avocado, but I've found the one that least irritates my face and delivers the right amount of moisture without clogging my pores is Sweet Almond. All of these natural oils have amino acid chains similar to the oils your skin naturally produces. That means that it soaks in and penetrates rather than just sitting on the top and sealing in what oil you have. I put half and half almond oil and aloe into a travel bottle, shake it up and squeeze out a dime sized amount when I need lotion for my face.

Eat Right

I know, I know. We've heard it a million times. But it is SO important to eat your cruciferous veggies and greens. The nutritional powerhouses are packed with antioxidants that clean your body inside and out and leave you with a healthy beautiful glow. I firmly believe my plant-strong diet is the biggest reason why my skin stays healthy and young. Kale, arugula, broccoli, collards, romaine, chard, cauliflower, mustard greens galore!

Exercise

Some type of movement every day keeps your blood moving, delivering important nutrients and oxygenating your cells, triggering the hormonal responses necessary to make new cells and revitalize your skin. Running, walking, yoga, playing with your children, swimming, biking. Science has proven time and again that those of us who stay young mentally and physically exercise regularly. Whatever it is you do, keep active.

Until next time, keep it clean!

The Incredible Edible... Dandelion!

Dandelions are a familiar weed in American backyards, known as a fluffy firework of seeds to kids and a bane to many gardeners. These sunny little plants are also a hardy, healthy, easy to grow food.

Every part of the dandelion is edible. Traditionally, dandelions have been used as an herbal remedy, mainly for digestion. The roots of dandelions can be dried or roasted. When boiled and steeped for a few minutes, the resulting tea has a rich, deep flavor reminiscent of coffee. Dandelion tea relieves heartburn and is considered an assistant to liver cleansing by herbists. I like to drink it after an especially heavy meal or the morning after having a few beers. The thick long leaves at the base of the plant are excellent in salads. Leafy greens are an excellent source of iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium and are alkalizing to the body. Dandelion leaves are also a mild diuretic, helping to prevent water retention and flush the body of waste materials more quickly. Dandelion flowers open up in sunlight, and their happy visage and fragrant nectar make a salad look happy and add an interesting floral flavor. With lots of potassium and more Vitamin A than carrots, they're also a welcome burst of additional nutrition.

Dandelions grow quickly and easily almost anywhere and in any soil. Since they are considered a weed, it is best to plant your own in containers rather than just picking them straight from your yard in order to avoid possible pesticides. Press seeds about an inch apart and 1/4 inch deep into moist soil and place in an area where your flowers can get full sun. In the right conditions, dandelions can grow up to 12 inches tall! Dandelions will take about 3 months to grow, but you can pull leaves off your dandelions for salads as much as you wish once they're grown. Dandelion roots, however, can take a couple of seasons to be ready to harvest. Dandelion tea can be purchased at many natural food stores if you don't want to wait to enjoy the roots.


Purchasing salad can get expensive. Since they grow so fast, dandelions are a cheap, healthy and easy way to stay healthy. Stay tuned for more tips on healthy living, and keep it clean!

Vinegar!

     As I grow older and wiser there are many changes I have decided to make in my life. These start as small as buying generic items, and can be as big as changing my diet! Some of the smaller in-between consist of trying to recycle, conserve water and energy, and even be more organic in my everyday life! When I began trying to cut out all of the harsh chemicals in my life, i began to realized how many options there really are for natural cleaners! I've learned most of them here on this blog from my fellow bloggers. :) Since gaining the interest to make these changes, you wouldn't believe the time that I spend on the computer researching new ways to clean and/or create things for my home. I not only enjoy knowing that I am handling things without the use of chemicals, but I also enjoy expanding my knowledge on the topic! One of the best universal cleaners I have discovered is: Vinegar. It's an amazing little tool that I never thought had the capabilities that it does! Here at AZUMA Leasing we all know our favorite topic is Laundry! So here's a few reasons why you should use this god sent item in your laundry room!

     First, lets talk about your clothes. We all know that wash after wash the colors become dull, and that is something we all dread! Just by adding 1/2 a cup to the rinse cycle, will keep your clothes bright and looking brand new! No more faded jeans! This, my friends, is priority number one in my book! At the same time we're not only brightening our colors, but fabric softener won't be needed!  That's right! Vinegar is a great substitute for softening your fabrics!
      Have you ever forgotten your clothes in the washer because you got busy, or even fell asleep, and when you return they smell gross?! All you need to do is throw a couple cups of vinegar into the washer and run through a rinse cycle - once completed, wash them again with detergent. Your clothes will be fresh like they never sat over night forgotten in your washer! Vinegar also works great to remove perspiration odors AND stains! Spray a little bit of vinegar on the stain or 'smelly location' before throwing the item into the normal wash and you'll be covered. :)
     Any pesky residue from walking around after it rains that sticks around and leaves your shoes looking dull, can be easily removed by wiping them down with an equal part solution of water and vinegar. Not only does it clean the stains from your garments, it is also great for cleaning the washer, itself! Run a load in the washing machine without any clothing, and add a few cups of vinegar with hot water. This will clean out your washing machine and keep it fresh for your clothing! Not only can it clean the washing machine, it is also great for your iron! We all know that starch, and all sorts of funk can build up on the iron over time. In order to clean it and keep it working well, take equal parts vinegar and water and use this mixture in your iron. Fill it up, let it heat up and steam upright for about 5 minutes, then let the iron cool. Once cool, rinse and fill back up with water. This keeps the mineral deposits from building up in the steam vent and spray nozzle! This cleans the inside of the iron, for the outer surfaces, you can use the same mixture with warm water to scrub the residue off of the heat plate itself (when cool, of course)!
     Vinegar is an amazing substitute for bleach! Add 1-2 cups of vinegar to a pot of boiling water, then add your whites to the pot (socks, dingy rags, etc), then let it soak over night, you'll be amazed at the difference! Not only can it whiten those dingy whites, but it also works great as a spot treatment! Take a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar and apply mixture to the stain and rub it in. Then throw it in the wash, and watch the stain disappear! Last but not lease, lets talk about our towels. Are your towels not absorbing as much as they used to? Run then through a warm wash with 2-3 cups of vinegar. This strips all of the extras that get absorbed into your towels, causing them not to do their job!

     If this didn't convince you to run out to the store and buy some vinegar for your laundry room, I don't know what will! From your friends at AZUMA Leasing - until next time, keep it clean! :)

Homemade Sandwich Bread!

   Last week, you were taught how to make a delicious homemade pizza crust using simple ingredients.  I love this idea because the more basic the ingredients, the healthier the outcome. This week, I would like to provide you with another easy, yet extremely satisfying, homemade bread recipe for a white sandwich loaf.
   If you are an avid label reader like myself, you have probably noticed the lengthy, unpronounceable list of ingredients on store-bought breads. This is very unsettling and I much prefer to make homemade bread whenever I get the chance. The following recipe yields three loaves of sandwich bread. That way, you will have a couple of loaves to freeze for a later date or give away to friends!
   First you will need to gather your ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 cups warm milk or filtered water (or half and half)
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 cups bread flour (more or less depending on consistency of dough)

   Now for the fun part. Mix together yeast, all purpose flour, oil, and milk and/or water. Rest for about 20 minutes. Now add the salt and enough bread flour until the consistency is no longer sticky. Knead several times and allow to rise until doubled (about 1 hour) in a warm area. Shape the dough (I usually flatten the dough and then roll it up like a burrito almost, pinching the ends in and the bottom until there is no seam.) Place in pre-oiled bread pan ‘seam’ down and allow to rise again for another hour or so. Bake @ 375 degrees F for around 35 minutes until tops are nice and brown. If you do not have a bread pan, you can also just shape the dough into 3 rounds, slice an X on the top, and bake it the same way! Either way you do it, this bread is a winner.

    You can use this loaf for sandwiches, but don't stop there! This bread is wonderful for bruschetta, french toast, and bread pudding. You can also use leftover bread to make amazing croutons or breadcrumbs for your next fried endeavor! Use this recipe and help eliminate the processed, store brand breads with all of their additives and preservatives. Eat homemade bread the healthy way! Because is there anything better than warm bread and butter? Happy eating! :)

Grow Your Own: Sprouts!

   Sprouts are baby plants with a lot of impact. The health benefits for these tiny seedlings are abundant. Sprouts contain antioxidants that fight free radicals along with protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The enzymes in sprouts allow for the plant to digest itself, giving your hard working body a break while still invigorating you thoroughly! It is recommended to eat large portions of sprouts as they contain all essential vitamins and minerals.
    Almost any grain, legume, or seed can be sprouted and consumed. Most common sprouts are mung bean, alfalfa, and lentil, however, you can sprout just about anything! They are a delicious addition to salads, sandwiches, stir-frys, and more! You can easily purchase pre-grown sprouts at your grocer or health food store. Sprouts are also super easy, fun, and rewarding to grow yourself!!!
   To grow sprouts you don't necessarily need any fancy equipment. I have a special three compartment sprouter made specifically for this purpose. You can you also just as easily use a jar to make your sprouts! To do this you want to:

• Soak seeds in water for 8-12 hours. Larger seeds may need longer.
• Drain the water using a sieve or cheesecloth. 
• Rinse seeds well and swish slightly to remove any hulls.
• Drain again and keep seeds in jar covered with cheesecloth.
• Rinse and drain every 12 hours.
• Harvest and enjoy!

   Depending on what you are sprouting, you will usually be able to harvest within a couple of days! You can keep sprouts fresh in the fridge and eat within 3 weeks. If they start to get slimy or smell funky, it's best to toss them!
   Sprouts are quick and delicious nutritional powerhouses that are easy to grow yourself. I encourage you to try this method and also increase your sprout intake! Until next time, stay healthy and have fun! :)

Simplifying Your Stuff

A lot of our current culture revolves around the easily accessible, the cheap, the replaceable and the disposable. Even with discount items and big box super stores, all of that stuff adds up and costs money. Today I'd like to challenge you to swap quantity for quality and change your idea of what you "need" to get by.

Disposable Items
There are a lot of disposable, packaged goods that people purchase every week, but mankind thrived for thousands of years before these were invented. Think about each packaged thing you purchase and replace at least one of those each week with something you can keep instead. Do you have allergies and need to blow your nose twice a day? Instead of tissues, try a handkerchief. Having 2 or 3 on hand, one to use while one is in the wash, is usually plenty for most people. Handkerchiefs are sturdier and easier on your face. Save tissues for when you have a terrible case of the flu. Do you use plastic bags and foil to wrap up leftovers? Try glass jars or cheesecloth. There are even companies that make reusable bags that mimic sandwich bags that can be thrown in the dishwasher after a few uses.

Clothes and Fashion
When was the last time you wore that dress, and why do you need 20 pairs of jeans? You shouldn't be hanging on to clothes you might grow into or eventually lose weight and can wear again. And it could be years before you need to reuse those baby clothes. Pare down your closet to what you can wear for a week, plus a couple of seasonal or special occasion items like sweaters, swimsuits or something you'd wear to a fancy gathering. When you have less to choose from, you have less to worry about, less space to fill with stuff, and you get more creative with mixing and matching what you have. Give the extra stuff to those who need and can use it today.

Kitchen Items
There are 3 of you in your house, yet you have enough dishes and place settings for Thanksgiving. You don't have to have all that stuff just for that one day out of the year. Limiting your use to one or two dishes of each kind per person cuts down on dishes to do, provides incentive to keep things clean, and limits clutter.  Think about gadgets, too: a frying pan and a knife work just as well as a grill and a slicer-dicer. Have items that do multiple things and learn to use them instead of specialized items that just do one thing.

Storage and Someday Items
When was the last time you went camping? Do you really need a treadmill, or can you run outside? Are you still hanging on to your 16 year old's tricycle? Remember that what you use daily is often not a lot. Get to know your neighbors, make friends in your community and learn to share. You're not going to mow your lawn or cut down a tree every day, but there are rental programs and free community sharing programs that make it easy to access convenience items when you do need them. You don't need your own personal item for each activity you do a few times a year.


100 Items
There are likely tons of other things in your home that I haven't listed. Hobbies and abandoned crafts, things stuffed under the bed, 4 different shampoos in the shower, 5 different cleaners under the sink. Decluttering your life extends to all sorts of places in your home, and the benefits include more space, less money spent and peace of mind. If there are other items you need to factor in, it helps creative thinking to limit yourself to a number. Often minimalists limit to 100 personal items (5 shirts, one toothbrush, one pen, one pad of paper, etc.). If something breaks and can't be fixed or needs to be replaced, you remove the one thing and replace it with one thing so the number stays constant. The number is arbitrary, your number can be whatever you're comfortable with. But having a number helps to keep focus and control and a mental image of what you can expect to have in your home at any given time.

It may be hard to let go of things that you have, especially if it's something of nostalgic value. But what matters most is not the things themselves but the memories and the people in them and what you share with them. If you let go of a thing, you are not letting go of that person or that experience. If you have less physical items to hang on to, you have less to worry about insuring, replacing, or losing. When you pick and choose what you keep and use, you also give yourself the freedom to worry less about the stuff you have and the stuff you're going to buy and the ability to do more.

Getting Fit on the Cheap

Fitness has become a growing market in the United States. With all the advertisements for weight loss plans, equipment, gym memberships, TV shows about getting thin fast and celebrities selling shakes and "superfoods", on top of advertisements for regular supermarket foods touting their supposed health benefits, it's no wonder that most people are confused. Some of the information we're getting is downright contradictory. Here's a few quick and easy tips to bypass all of that, and save a few bucks too!


Ditch the gym. Depending on what membership you get, fitness clubs can range from as little as $20 bucks a month to upwards from $100 or more. That's a lot of dough! If you have a pair of running shoes and a sidewalk or a not-too-busy road, just walk out your front door and start jogging. Cardiovascular activity is the surest way to lose weight fast (and show off muscle tone!). Check out free programs such as Walk to Run or Couch to 5k if you're new to running for tips on building stamina. Ideally, running 45 minutes to 1 hour consecutively in your heart rate zone will burn the most calories, build the best heart health, strengthen your memory, boost your creativity and improve your mood. Yep, exercise does all of that, even after just one run! If you're new to working out and having trouble figuring out how hard your working, invest in a basic heart rate monitor and learn what your heart rate zone is. Continually running in your zone will get you used to the difference between feeling the burn and hurting yourself by working too hard. It takes 21 consecutive days to build a habit, so put a calendar on your wall, sleep in your gym clothes, roll out of bed and put on your sneaks and get out the door. It's much easier than packing a bag and driving, then working out in front of a bunch of strangers.

You don't need fancy gear to sweat. I admit, it's tantalizing to try out moisture-wicking technology and compression gear that's supposed to make you more aerodynamic and your muscles recover faster. But actually, scientific studies show that a lot of that gear doesn't help by much. Unless you're a professional athlete, shaving 0.12 seconds off your race time isn't going to do you a lot of good. If it helps you get over your embarrassment to work out by wearing good looking clothes, check out a local thrift store, browse a big box store for comfortable pajama pants, and dig out those rock band t-shirts from the back of your closet. Get the most basic sports bra that will support you if you need it, even the expensive ones will warp and stretch out quickly with daily use. Pajamas are basically the same drawstring pants but $5 or $10 cheaper. Get clothes made from natural fibers such as cotton and wash them on cold to keep the smell out and keep them lasting longer. The only thing you should spend your money on is a good pair of shoes, especially if you're running in an urban area. Shoes should be replaced every 500 miles or about 6 months to a year. Bad shoes or bad running form can result in shin splints, which will set back your running routine fast.

Stick to simple foods. Though sometimes convenient, the calorie content and ingredients in sports foods are usually more harmful than helpful. Some sports bars have just as much sugar and calories as a big cookie. Companies will try to sell you on the sciencey superiority of their formulation, but in actuality this is just another thing that really only benefits hardcore athletes who are working out 3 hours or more per day. Electrolytes are amazingly found in fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, coconut water, and good old pickle juice. Pickle juice is even more hydrating than the average sports beverage! Save your dough for a good salad with lemon juice and oil for dressing, or a fresh fruit smoothie. Packaged foods are usually at least 3 times more expensive than making something yourself. If you like having something to grab and go, don't underestimate the power of your refrigerator. Baking whole grain breakfast bars, or meal additions like brown rice and saving them in your freezer will save you time during the week and money that might have been misspent on frozen dinners or boxed and processed foods. Cut up fruits and veggies and store them in water or lemon juice in the fridge to keep them fresh and easy to snack on. Stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store and get veggies, fruit and bulk grains and nuts before you venture down the aisles. If you commit to picking up the healthy food first, you'll be less likely to spend your remainder on a bunch of junk food.

Use your surroundings creatively. You don't need weights or machines to build muscle and stretch. Use the curb, a wall or a table to press against to get the maximum stretch. If you can't touch your toes, wrap a belt or a towel around your feet and pull yourself forward. Chin ups can be done on stable supported surfaces, like door jams, stairs or monkey bars. Put your feet on the bed and your hands on the ground for an assisted push-up, or flip on your back in the same position for a greater range of motion sit-up that will work your back muscles as well as your abdominals. And you certainly don't need assistance to do yoga poses. In time, everything will start to look like something you can work with.

Working out is a part of life and a part of maintaining balance and a healthy body, just like brushing your teeth and getting a good night's sleep. Hopefully these tips will help you to treat it like an easy, normal part of your daily routine. Until next time!