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At the present time the people around us are obsessed with the caffeine intake, be it tea, coffee, soft drinks, kola nuts, etc. Out of the other caffeine containing edible substances, coffee has a large number of health and beauty benefits, which most of the people are unaware of. Nominal intake of coffee is not only safe, but it is beneficial too. A common man knows the use of coffee only as an anti sleep, and some people even consider coffee as dangerous to health. But the other benefits of having coffee on a daily basis are more important than some of its harmful effects. Coffee plays an important role in perking up your skin and keeping you look younger. Now a day almost all the cosmetic products contain some amount of caffeine, as an anti aging agent. The caffeine present in coffee offers a large number of advantages for your skin. It helps you in treating various skin problems like redness, dark-circles, inflammation, do away with the cellulites, etc. by adding some amount of coffee in your daily intake you can get smooth, silky skin naturally. The antioxidants present in coffee averts the untimely aging of skin.

Coffee can be given a place in your daily routine either by adding it in your daily intake, or by using the cosmetics like lotions and scrubs which contains coffee. In both the ways the coffee will reach your blood stream and show its miracle on your skin. Here we have listed some of the benefits of coffee for beautiful skin.

1). Inflammation- It helps in getting rid of Puffy eyes.

The anti-inflammatory characteristics of caffeine make coffee suitable for getting rid of bulbous eyes. The antioxidants present in the coffee counterbalance the free radicals present in the body, which are the main cause of inflammation, redness of skin. Dermatologists and physicians suggest having at least 1 cup of coffee on a daily basis to avoid inflammation. Eye creams containing coffee are also available at cosmetics and medical shops for treating inflammation.

2). Dark under-eye circles

There are numerous reasons for dark circles under the eye like hereditary, lack of sleep, dehydration or allergies. Though coffee cannot wipe away the dark circles completely, but applying coffee (caffeine) based creams under the eye can reduce dark circles to some extent. Also the caffeine content of coffee helps you build-up the proper blood flow under the eye erasing the dark shadows. Quite a few eye creams for treating dark circles are available in the market; these eye creams contain the required amount of caffeine. By using these creams and taking coffee, you can achieve a beautiful appearance.

3). Acne Prevention and Treatment

The acidic nature of coffee makes it suitable for acne treatment and preventing acne. Somewhat acidic pH of coffee tightens the skin pores, formulating a shielding layer and bestowing perfect supple and glowing skin. The anti-oxidants present in the coffee makes it perfect as a constituent of the beauty creams and beauty treatments. There are various beauty treatments based on using coffee, which are available in beauty salons and beauty treatment clinics. The facial polishing and exfoliation using coffee is also done for treating acne.

4). Helps in getting rid of Cellulite

Here is a simple solution for you to get rid of the cellulite fat. The caffeine containing products is very found very effective for reducing the cellulite growth. Development of cellulite fat and reduction in size of these fat cells can be reduced by around seventeen percent.  Therefore, for proper treatment of the cellulites, one should use the caffeine containing cosmetics or medical creams on a daily basis. The anti-cellulite gels and creams are available in the market, so you can select the creams and gels according to your choice of brands and get rid of cellulites easily. Another way of getting rid of the cellulite cells is to use a homemade scrub prepared by the grounded coffee on a regular basis.   While preparing and using the homemade scrub one should make sure that the coffee is ground finely, and it should be applied and rubbed slowly. Scrubbing hard on skin can cause skin irritation, swelling.

5). Exfoliates the dry skin, providing supple and shiny beautiful Skin

Coffee beans are hard and harsh, and hence we cannot apply them directly on the skin for exfoliation. You can use the homemade coffee scrub for the exfoliation purpose and get beautiful soft skin instantly. Another way of getting soft, supple skin is to use the market based manufactured scrub and creams which contain the coffee (caffeine), but these contain other chemicals along with the coffee. So for treating your skin without any side effects, you can select the home prepared coffee scrub. For preparing the scrub you have to make sure to ground the coffee beans finely, so that the powder doesn’t hurt the skin during scrubbing.

Recipe for preparing an uncomplicated coffee scrub:

Requirements:

One cup of warm and grounded coffee

Sea salt- About a half cup

Olive Oil- Two Tablespoon

Directions for Use:

1. Mix all the ingredients properly.
2. Apply the prepared scrub on dry skin.
3. Scour the skin properly, especially feet, elbows and other arid portions.
4. Leave the scrub on the body for around two to three minutes.
5. Scrub off the applied scrub as much as possible before taking shower.

Mayonnaise is the  velvety thick sauce used in almost all fast foods like sandwiches, burgers and also in salad dressings is loved by all.  This is one of the essential part of Italian cuisine. In all places, mayonnaise is understood as a highly processed kind of sauce and hence people think it cannot be prepared at home. But they are wrong, mayonnaise can be easily prepared at home, the basic ingredients required for preparing mayonnaise at home are egg yolk, vinegar or lemon juice, oil and some flavoring agents. The oil used in mayonnaise differ from place to place, it may be olive oil, mustard oil, etc. Egg free mayonnaise can also be prepared for the people who are affected by eggs or who do not like eggs. Rather the home produced mayonnaise is scrumptious, appealing and healthy. Mayonnaise differs in color, various colors of mayonnaise found are white, pale yellow, cream, etc. Once a person learns to prepare mayonnaise, then preparing mayonnaise on a daily basis is not a big deal.

Mayonnaise which is basically an emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar and oil. The emulsion is an assortment of two different fluids, which can’t be blended uniformly. The process of emulsification is preformed by gradually adding one constituent to the other and mixing the two simultaneously. In can of preparing mayonnaise, the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier. Liquidizers, mixers, blenders and food processors enable us to prepare mayonnaise at home easily. The only concern with homemade mayonnaise is, it is raw and hence will last four to five days only when kept in refrigerator. On the other hand the marketable mayonnaise can last up to five-six months when kept in refrigerator. This thick sauce is often used as a base for preparing other kinds of sauces like tartar sauce, salsa sauce and salad dressing sauces.

Preparing mayonnaise at home requires the basic ingredients and other equipments used for mixing, blending, forks. The process for preparation of mayonnaise at home is given here. So enjoy home made mayonnaise with your family.

Method 1: White Wine Vinegar Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

• Egg Yolk- 3
• White Vinegar (Wine Flavored)– Two Tablespoon
• Lemon Juice- Two Tablespoon
• Water- Two Tablespoon
• Vegetable Oil- One and a half Cup
• Salt- One Teaspoon

Directions:

1). Break the eggs, and take the egg yolk in a mixing bowl.

2). Add some water, vinegar and lemon juice to the egg yolk.

3). Heat the muddle for around 1 minute, this step is optional. When heated the mayonnaise can last little longer, but the raw mayonnaise can be stored for just four-five days.

4). After heating, switch off the oven and allow the blend to cool down to room temperature.

5).  Add some salt, pepper and mustard according the taste required.

6). Blend the constituents properly by using the whisk or electronic hand mixers or blenders.

7). Slowly but surely add the oil of your choice (you can go for peanut, mustard, olive, corn or grape seed oil), teaspoon by teaspoon initially. For the blending purpose you can use the whisk or electronic hand mixers. In both the cases you need to be careful while blending, because the mixture should be blended properly when oil and the remaining ingredients gets mixed.

8). Add the oil drop by drop until it attains the perfect gel like thickness. For proper blended mayonnaise preparation around one cup of oil is required for egg yolk obtained from one egg. After the blending process allow the mayonnaise to settle, and later after some time make sure that the mayonnaise has not broken.

9).  Store and use the prepared mayonnaise in the refrigerator for around four to five days.

Method 2: Tarragon Vinegar Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

• The recipe is for preparing around one and three by four cup of mayonnaise.
• Ingredients:
• Egg Yolk and room temperature- Three
• Salt According to Taste- About half teaspoon
• Pinch of Dry Mustard
• Tarragon Vinegar- About half teaspoon
• Olive Oil at Room Temperature- One and a half Cup

Directions:

1). Break the eggs and take the egg yolk in a mixing container or bowl.

2). Add required amount of salt and mustard and blend the mixture.

3). Put the olive oil slowly, bit by bit and stir the mixture continuously. While blending oil to the mixture, formulate that each drop of oil has been appropriately absorbed. After this add the next drops one by one.Once the mixture starts thickening, you can add the oil in a thin stream, but make sure that the stream of oil blends properly in the egg yolk.

4).  After adding around two third of the oil, the tarragon vinegar should be added bit by bit and blended properly. Another way of adding this tarragon vinegar is to mix it along with the remaining oil. Blend the vinegar properly with the mixture.

5). If the remaining is oil is not mixed along with the vinegar, then mix the remaining oil after blending the vinegar in the mixture prepared in step three. The oil should be added drop by drop and stirred continuously.

6). After completing the whole blending process, the prepared mixture (that is mayonnaise) should be poured in the appropriate container, covered and kept to refrigerate.

Chocolate always have been the most loved flavor in the world. Chocolate has got such a taste that no matter how old you are in numbers you cannot ignore the essence and joy of having it. Wherever may you live or wherever you currently at, you would definitely find a pinch of chocolate in some form or the other.

But have you ever given a thought that when and where did it come from? What is its origination? And who discovered such a delighting flavor? Is the flavor we savor today in its purest form? Well, it is that one tasteful thing which has an equally mesmerizing and spellbound journey as it tastes. Let’s discuss about the long about journey of Chocolate and how it evolved till today.

Like a fairy tale, chocolate also have a cherishing journey of its beginning and through. Not on calculators, but it is believed that ‘cacao’ (pronounced as ‘kah kow’) tree was discovered some 2500 years ago in the tropical rain forests of Americas. Botanically, a certain pouch like substance of this ‘cacao’ tree contains seeds that are used for the processing of chocolate. According to archaeologists, Mayans and Aztecs were the discoverers of this famed flavor. Mayans had divine relation with cacao tree, they used to worship this tree and Aztecs used to offer the processed cacao beans that is, chocolate, to the God. They used to call this special drink as “Xocalatl”, which means warm or bitter liquid. As per the ancient history of chocolate and its origination, chocolate was consumed as a drink of holy. Aztecs usually had it in a way, mixing up these cacao beans with maize and capsicum and thus getting themselves a spicy drink to sip down. It was a special drink which was used and consumed on high and elevated ceremonies of that age.
The cacao beans were of great value for Aztecs, they even valued it as currency against which trade can be done. Though the cacao beans were not produced there, still it was treated as of great importance.

A Spanish explorer, Don Hernan Cortes, was the soul behind who introduced ‘chocolate’ to Europe, in 16^th century. However, a few historians argue that chocolate actually came to Europe with Christopher Columbus, who carried a bag full of cacao on his trip back to Americas. Well, whosoever brought these beans in Europe had made a mark of his sequence, as it made the world view an exquisite flavor. Since, chocolate traveled all way long from Americas to Europe, the habit and manner of its consumption too changed among different people. The Spaniards had their own way of its consumption. They used to make a paste of the beans and then mix it up with vanilla and honey and finally brewing and serving it by pouring into cups from heights to make it frothy and even more amusing. It was their fashion of drinking it and experiencing its excellence.
Within a time span of less than a century, chocolate spread its aroma to all corners of the big continent. Historians unanimously give the credit of popularizing the drink, to Don Cortes. French, being one of the creative nation from its very commencement, have played a greater role in popularizing the drink across the world. It was French only, who came up with idea of coffee houses, which we see today also, to serve the magical taste of cacao beans.

In 17^th century, Sir Hans Sloane (England) added milk to the pure drink of cocoa, and thus making it taste a different and afresh. Initially this drink was rather used as a medicine for apothecaries. This recipe of drinking chocolate was then taken over by Cadbury’s presenting it in the form we consume today.

The year 1765 is considered a time of major term in the good history of chocolate. It was in this year when the world got to see the first Chocolate factory in its kind. The factory introduced chocolate in a solid form. Chocolate rolls and cakes and bars were introduced to the world, more like what we have today. It was served in the chocolate emporiums. During the harsh times of World War II, the US soldiers were sent these chocolate bars as it provided enough energy to stay upon. And soon Swiss Chocolate factory was established manufacturing the famous good Swiss chocolate.

Hence we see that, the chocolate has been through various transformations. From a bitter sweet drink of the Emperors to cool and solidified bars and cakes. Chocolate is that one flavor which have been loved and admired at every heart and place. From being through old and even older times, chocolate still has its founding and a popular dear for all ages. In the good old and interesting coming of chocolate in existence, chocolate always makes the mouth happy. Today chocolate is not just a drink or solid bar to consume as, it has found place in every industry of modern world. Be it a perfume spray, an icy affair or fountain decoration, all is chocolaty and thus luring and enticing.

Friend 1, “Hey! Have you tried that new Veg. Burger at XYZ?”
Friend 2, “yes! I have. It is so awesome! In love with it! A new addition to my favorite’s list.”
Friend 3, “How come I haven’t heard of it?”
Friend 2, “Come on! We’ll take you there. You won’t tire talking of it. It’s that good.”
Friend 3, “Oh! Let’s go then. I can’t wait anymore.”

Such conversations among friends are very common to hear. Friendship has always been a sweet relationship, a sweet duty, a sweet responsibility to take care of. Friends have all time to discuss about their tit-bits, and major events happening in their lives. Food is one such a topic on which friends talk a lot. You’d usually hear a group discussing about a new restaurant opened nearby, or they discussing about a new recipe which they tried at home, and many more endless things related to food. There could be thousands of moments where ‘friends & food’ come together. As it is said, “Friends, who buy you food, are your real friends”. Any outing with friends is incomplete without sharing a bite together. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say, if you have friends you with you out, you won’t return home with an empty stomach.
A college going group of friends planning to try out the new Chinese platter introduced in one of their favorite café after lectures. Twenty of classmates planning a short trip to an amusement park and then thinking where to have their stomachs full. Two colony friends meekly moving out at night and tasting the joy of having something at 24×7 outlets. Friends on a scooty ride, having an ice-cream and eating it up on the way to their homes. The idea of having to go out and try new food items at different places is itself so amusing that the actual experience of it would automatically be of great fun. And the pleasure of having the meal always doubles when you have friends with whom you share similar thinking and taste.

There are various communities also formed, thanks to internet and social media, which give the food updates to their following members and even arrange food trips to various destinations, in their respective cities, to some of the famous outlets and serving their most popular dish on menu. Just with one click you can easily join certain communities and become a member, and thus communicating with people of same interest. This not only provides you with food updates, they even bring you an opportunity to exchange a few words with unknown people with whom you share a common trait, i.e. food love! This all might even get you some really good friends because the fact that, “similarities create friendship” holds true.

We all have that memory of hanging out with friends and eating the street food all day long. Sharing each moment of joy with laughter and gratification and an inevitable object, Food! Be it bad or good, we love going out with those caring souls and enjoying the taste of an enriching, may or may not be healthy, meal. When out with friends ‘health’ is that one matter which comes the last. What matters the most at those times is Fun and Food. The friendly and favorable dines at restaurants can be done in the most wild ways with no one around whom you have to act formal, and starting and ending your meal obediently following the table manners learned at school and home. You can be ‘you’ without being hesitant of the thought that what people will think. Friends are super cool creatures who make you learn that ‘you are actually one of a kind and definitely in its best version’.
Food can actually do wonders when it is about friends. A slight gesture of offering your lunch at school can create a darling feeling for you in the heart of the receiver. Giving a birthday treat to your fast friends at one of their suggested places might bring you a lot of memories that you will cherish all your life. An upset friend can be made cool by getting him/her his/her favorite pasta or may be a sandwich prepared by you, and it is even more happening when your friend is aware of the fact that how bad you are in the kitchen. So many hands on that one pizza slice which nobody took notice of at first, breaking a piece of chocolate into two halves when the shopkeeper is out of stock of that particular brand or buying just one pack of lays of a new flavor, all such remembrances will always earn you a tear of joy when recalling them on a future date.
On such calls, it can be made that ‘friends and food’ together is an evident base of life. One would definitely have those silly but yet worthy to remember moments of ‘food joy’ with the unmatchable and adorable intimate associates. Friendship is a relation which demands your attention and at the same time prospects you nothing but a feeling of oneness. The way we have meal together with our families, in friendship also, we, at few portions of time spend such happy hours. Very thoughtfully said, “Friends are the family whom we choose ourselves.” 