Cool! Mehndi Tattoos with Cocoa Powder

May 2, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Cocoa powder makes a temporary tattoo, similar to Indian mehndi skin designs.

Be a Bollywood star with a mehndi design – crafted from cocoa powder (and a doily)

Go Bollywood this weekend: The Mehndi Cocoa Paint design shown here uses a doily as a stencil, with added flourishes from a paintbrush.

Mehndi skin designs predate Bollywood by a few centuries, dating back to ancient India as a ceremonial art form of body painting. Brides and grooms are adorned with intricate mehndi patterns and symbols, usually on hands, palms, and feet. It’s also worn for festivals and other special occasions in countries stretching from the Sudan to South Asia.

Today, mehndi is a chic fashion statement in the Western world and a trendy alternative to true tattoos; it’s been flashed by Madonna, Sting, Prince, Erykah Badu, and models on magazine covers ranging from Cosmopolitan to WIRED. (Rubina Ali, child star of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, wore mehndi-painted hands to the Oscars.)

Mehndi (or mehendi) is made from henna, a type of plant, and though the stain isn’t permanent, it will last for weeks. The traditional color is a reddish brown, though black mehndi made with toxic additives is also sold.

Mehndi Cocoa Paint

This kitchen version of mehndi is safe, nontoxic, and nonpermanent. It doesn’t stain like real henna because it’s made of egg yolk, cocoa powder and molasses (for elasticity). It rinses off with soap and water, and while not waterproof, it does resist a light rinsing in water. (Anyone who’s ever tried to clean dried egg off a plate knows the sticking power of egg yolk.)

For best results, apply it to smooth skin areas that won’t be getting wet for a while: around the ankles, upper wrists and arms (not on palms), cheek, as an armband or necklace, or as a shoulder tattoo. It should last several hours, long enough for a night on the town or an all-day wedding.

Ideas: Ocelots, leopard, tiger and zebra prints. Paint a wild pattern using Mehndi Cocoa Paint – for a fab fashion statement or a Halloween costume that’s literally skin deep.

Tips

• Remove any clumps or thick strands from the egg yolk, for a smooth consistency.

• A thick mixture leaves a slightly raised texture, which may be desirable. But don’t dab it on too thickly, or it will crack off. Thin with a drop of water if it thickens while standing.

• Dab on fine dots with the point of a skewer or fork tines, or paint on with a very fine brush.

• Wash the mixture off with soap and water; it’s not waterproof, but will resist a light rinsing.

• Use pre-made stencils or cut your own from plastic or paper. Doilies make great stencils. Use masking tape to hold them in place.

• This recipe makes enough for one fully designed arm, and may be doubled or tripled.

Basic Tools & Equipment

Small bowl

Small fork

Fine paintbrush

Masking tape and paper doily (optional)

Fine sponge (optional)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon molasses

2-1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Instructions

1. In a small bowl with a small fork (like a cocktail fork), beat the egg yolk with the water. Remove any thick clumps of egg yolk. Beat in the molasses and cocoa powder, stirring until smooth. The cocoa powder may resist dissolving, but keep stirring. The mixture will be syrup-like, and will thicken as you use it.

2. With a fine paintbrush, apply designs to dry skin. Or, with masking tape, secure a doily (or stencil) around the wrist or arm; rinse a fine sponge and squeeze dry. Dab the paint over the doily. Allow a few minutes for the design to dry thoroughly.

Is Caffeine Safe for Kids? Ask Canada, U.S. Has No Guidelines

April 30, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Kids and Caffeine? Turn to Canada’s Guidelines

Remarkably, the U.S. government has no official guidelines for children’s caffeine consumption, but Canadian guidelines say:

Preschoolers should be limited to 45 mg of caffeine per day – about the amount of caffeine found in a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) can of Diet Coke or four small (1.5-ounce/43-gram) milk chocolate bars.

Health Canada also recommends:

For ages 12 and younger: no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, per day. Or, based on average body weights, no more than these caffeine amounts:

Ages 4-6: 45 mg
Ages 7-9: 62.5 mg
Ages 10-12: 85 mg

Sex, Smartphones, or Caffeine: Which Would You Give Up?

April 23, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Caffeine has us hooked – and so do smartphones. Sex? Not so much.

At least for certain age groups and genders, according to a poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. which surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationwide.

Respondents were asked what they would be least willing to give up for a week, if given a choice between sex, smartphone/tablet, alcohol, or caffeine.

Sachs Media Group’s infographic shows the results, which are excerpted below. Here’s what buzzed through my brain when I saw the numbers…

Caffeine Trumps Everything Else

Nationally, respondents said they’d give up alcohol, sex and maybe their smartphones before they’d forego caffeine.

Smartphones May Be Habit-Forming: Smartphones ranked almost equal to caffeine in importance.

Caffeine Is More Important As You Age

Baby Boomers – people in their 50s and older – prized caffeine the most. Among ages 18-49, smartphones were more important than caffeine (but nationally, it was a tough choice).

Sex is Overrated

Caffeine was more important than sex, for all age groups. But then again, smartphones and alcohol were also more important than sex.

Men Love Alcohol More Than Women Do: As a group, men were least willing to give up alcohol; caffeine was next on their list, followed by smartphones, and then sex.

Women Love Caffeine and Smartphones More Than Alcohol: As a group, women were equally torn between giving up caffeine and smartphones. But they’d easily give up alcohol and sex.

The complete poll also shows how Republicans, Democrats, and Independents value their caffeine, smart phones, alcohol and sex. Which group has the biggest sex drive? You might be surprised: View the full infographic by Sachs Media.

Source: March/April 2013 Sachs Media Group National Poll Results Infographic. 1000 registered voters were interviewed nationwide by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc (+/- 3.2% margin of error)

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So people, tell us: how important is caffeine to you? Could you go without it for a week? How about a day? Have you ever tried kicking the caffeine habit, and if so, what happened? Post your comments below.

Does Death Wish Coffee Live Up to Its Claims?

April 20, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Journalists do crazy things to chase a story.

Taste-testing Death Wish Coffee isn’t as harrowing as being waterboarded – which Christopher Hitchens did in 2008. But for a caffeine-sissy like me, the prospect of hyper-caffeination was nearly as unnerving. Fortunately, my actual experience was far more pleasant than Hitch’s (which he details in Vanity Fair). His was torture, mine was…well, I’ll get to that later.

It’s not my fault I’m a caffeine wuss; I blame it on my genes. A mug of half-caff is my morning max. So when Death Wish Coffee claimed it was 200 times more caffeinated than regular coffee, I realized – reluctantly – that to write about it, I would have to try it. Reporters do what we gotta do.

Death Wish Coffee does a masterful job of sounding ominous – and fun. “The World’s Strongest Coffee” comes in a pitch-black bag, emblazoned with skull and crossbones. The website screams out to daredevils: “This is Extreme Coffee, not for the weak. Consider yourself Warned.” And the company pastes this statement – more of a challenge – on every bag:

In Truthiness We Trust

But what really sparked my attention was the claim – or claims – of caffeine potency. They confused me. In comparing itself to regular coffee, Death Wish Coffee advertises:

200% more caffeine
twice as caffeinated
close to 200% more caffeine

Words matter. If something is 200 percent MORE caffeinated, it’s actually three times as caffeinated. If it’s 200 percent AS caffeinated, it contains twice the caffeine. I’m not sure how to interpret “close to 200% more caffeine.” Maybe this is nitpicking, but when it comes to caffeine, three cups of coffee deliver far more punch than two cups. And Death Wish’s pitch is all about the caffeine.

So I asked the owner, Mike Brown, to clarify:

Q: I’ve seen media stories saying Death Wish Coffee is 200 percent more caffeinated than regular coffee. Is this an accurate statement?

A: Yes, if brewed correctly.

Q: Your website also says: “200 percent more caffeine” which seems confusing. Do you mean 200 percent as caffeinated, not 200 percent more caffeinated [than regular coffee]?

A: Double the amount of regular coffee. When brewed to our specs.

Okay. So I got my answer, but not without a slight disconnect. It’s twice as caffeinated, not three times as caffeinated – when brewed “correctly” (the company recommends a generous 2-1/2 tablespoons ground coffee per 6-ounce cup).

Death Wish has a lot going for it as a product. I think “double-the-caffeine” is a terrific marketing angle. But when the word “more” is inserted after 200 percent, the claim ripples with Stephen Colbert-style truthiness – people believe it’s three times as caffeinated, even if it’s not. From Good Morning America to NPR, media outlets have blindly repeated this claim.

But does this language-thingy matter? Not to extreme caffeine-junkies. Death Wish has plenty of Facebook followers and 17,800 Likes. Clearly, if you’re into caffeine from coffee (as opposed to energy drinks), this is the brew for you.

A Blast-o-Caff

So what makes Death Wish Coffee more caffeine-rich than other coffees? “Different types of beans and brew methods have different levels of caffeine. Most can be found with a little research,” says Brown; he’s a barista who’s been tinkering with caffeine levels for the past five years.

Coffee experts would agree. For instance, dark roasting destroys more caffeine than lighter roasting. Fine grinds and longer steeping put more caffeine in the cup. Most importantly, caffeine varies according to plant species. Coffea robusta is more caffeinated than her sister bean, Coffea arabica. Robusta also leans toward strong and bitter in flavor, and is typically valued in espresso blends. Arabica is the choice of premium coffee roasters, who find it smoother, more refined. Robusta is hardier to grow, less expensive, and often mixed with arabica to help control costs.

So what beans does Death Wish contain? A passage on their website clearly and accurately details the nuances of robusta, arabica, and roasting levels. I read it several times before realizing: it never specifies what types of beans Death Wish actually uses.

So I asked the owner:

Q. Are you using robusta or arabicas? Your media kit/website is unclear on which bean you’re actually using.

A. We can tell you that our coffee comes from the regions of Central America, Ethiopia and Indonesia. That is all we can say for now. We like to keep the type of beans a secret within the Death Wish staff. 🙂

Brown’s position is understandable; trade secrets are a brand’s lifeblood. So consumers will have to be satisfied with his statement that ” …we went on a mission to find a coffee that is not only dark, rich, bold and flavorful but also has high caffeine content. All while being grown organically, fairly traded, and shade grown (saves the land). To boot we found one that is also bird friendly.” Brown adds that his coffee is not genetically modified, contains no artificial ingredients, and is organic (though not Certified Organic) – all good stuff.

If Rambo Drank Coffee…

Now, to my testing. Brown shipped me a bag of ground Death Wish Coffee. How does Death Wish Coffee taste? Powerful, but not in a bad way. What a relief! I was afraid it would be so bitter I’d prefer waterboarding, but it was fine. Death Wish didn’t send me to heaven, but it sure wasn’t battery acid from hell either. My Jura-Capresso poured out a stout brew with a thick and lovely layer of crema.

One taster in my office said it reminded him of what you’d drink at a business hotel – for executives on the go, go, go. Another taster who leans to milder coffee even enjoyed the robust aroma and taste, but wouldn’t make a habit out of it – adding it was not much different from popular coffees served today. Fans on the Death Wish website praise the flavor, and I can see how it would appeal to many. Taste is in the buds of the beholder.

Here’s what I would add: Try it in cooking. Most recipes calling for coffee use too little to inject a noticeable caffeine jolt; but when I added Death Wish to tiramisu and brownies, they seemed to buzz a little bit brighter. You could say they were addictive.

Tech Guy and Chief TWiT Leo Laporte once podcasted his love for Black Blood of the Earth, a hyper-caffeinated coffee concentrate. I asked Brown if he’d heard of it and what he thought. “Yes, it’s a great product…made with our beans.”

Cost: $19.99 per 1-pound bag (ground or whole beans); $80 per 5-pound bag. At DeathWishCoffee.com and on Amazon.com

Make Your Own Chocolate Kit for Kids

March 18, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Exactly how is chocolate made? The raw ingredient from the cacao tree undergoes several steps before becoming the luscious product sold as kisses, bonbons, and bars. Now, kids and adults can experience part of the process with this Make Your Own Chocolate Kit. It contains simple instructions and packets for making eight ounces of dark chocolate on the stovetop or in the microwave. The kit skips the fundamental steps of harvesting and fermenting raw cacao beans, but you’ll get a good feel for what a chocolatier does.

Created by the makers of Glee Gum, this DIY chocolate kit contains Fair Trade and organic cocoa butter, cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar, starter crystals, a temperature indicator, paper candy liners, an educational story about the history of chocolate, plus a few cacao beans to nibble on. Melt the cocoa butter, stir in the cocoa powder and sugar, let cool to the right temperature, and temper the chocolate with the starter crystals. Voila! Homemade chocolate. The Make Your Own Chocolate Kit retails for $13.95; it’s sold at gift stores and online at GleeGum.com.

By the way, if you’re keen on serious chocolate making, dive into Navitas Naturals selection of cacao products. They sell organic premium cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cacao beans (whole), and nibs (more details in a future post, but for now, explore Cacao under the Products menu at NavitasNaturals.com).