Water

Water The Source of Life

Every living thing on this planet needs water to survive. 70% of the Earth itself is covered by water. On average our bodies are made up of 60% water. When you put that into perspective, I think we could all agree, the main thing we should be consuming in our diets is water.

PMGK’s “Tall glass of Water” at our favorite date night restaurant.

What kind of Water Should we Drink?

When you take a look at the options for buying water it can look very overwhelming. You may ask, why are there so many different kinds of water? The answer is simple. 97% of the Earths water is undrinkable. Every city has it’s process of filtering the water and making it ready for consumption. The fact that the water needs to be prepared for drinking makes for a really good selling market. So how do you choose what kind of water to drink? In my opinion it’s a matter of preference because the controversy of options is just too great. I personally recommend distilled or alkalized water above all others. I used to work for a nutrition company and I learned that all water is made up of dissolved solids. Distilled water has the least parts per million of those dissolved solids. Just to put that into a little perspective bottled water has about 25 parts per million and tap water has anywhere from 200-300. The benefits of having the water distilled is that the less dissolved solids it has the more of a negative charge it has. So when you drink it the positively charged minerals in your body get pulled out with the water. No other water does this. Add Alkalized water to the equation and you can balance your bodies pH levels. I could really go on about this forever. There is so much information to be learned but I hope this gives you an idea that not all water is made the same. You have to decide which kind is going to be best for you and your bodies needs.

Plastic Water Bottles vs. Glass

For a while there we used to buy plastic water bottles. If you buy them by the case they are pretty cheep and they are so convenient to just drink and toss. I’ve noticed that my family will drink more water if I have the fridge stocked with water bottles. I really do prefer them, however, my conscience gets to me. I know I’m being wasteful. If it wasn’t for my yoga teacher who noticed my wastefulness, I’d probably still be carrying my plastic bottles around. She surprised me one day and bought me a reusable glass water bottle.

Shopping for our water system and reusable jugs.

The Water We Drink

We are always looking for ways to save money here in the PMGK and we decided it was time to buy a water system. I’m sure some of you are questioning why not tap water? I went over that a little bit before but the real reason is taste. The tap water in our city is horrible and the taste is not something we are willing to tolerate. So we researched a few different water systems and we decided on one that was cost effective and convenient for us. We can refill the water bottles for a fraction of the cost that we were paying before. Now if you want to take my advice and alkalize your water there are a few different ways you can do it. You can buy pH drops which can be a little pricey or you can make your own concoction. Add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to 8 ounces of water. That simple and it’s alkalized. I think the important thing to remember here is that you get enough water in your diet. My simple rule is drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

White Russian

Easy White Russian Cocktails

I love a good White Russian and I can assure you that it has nothing to do with the presidential elections or Donald J. Trump, for that matter. In fact this drink isn’t even Russian at all and is only so named because of one of the main ingredients, vodka, which is Russian in nature. This beverage can be made several different ways and it’s just a simple cocktail with 3 cultivated Liquors: Vodka, Coffee Liqueur(Kahlua), and cream. There are a few different ways this drink can be made and a few substitutions that exist to put this recipe in my top 10.

White Russian Ingredients: Vodka, Kahlua, Cream and Milk.

My White Russian Secret

The traditional cocktail was originally made black, and with out cream. Add the cream and it now becomes a, yep, you guessed it, White Russian. The substitutions vary with the cream. You can lighten the drink by using milk or half and half instead. Personally, I like to mix the cream and the milk, which is pretty much half and half anyway but I just think it works better. If you want to try swapping out your booze you can substitute Brandy for the vodka or, believe it or not, even use Tequila instead. Technically, adding Brandy, the drink becomes a “Dirty Mother” and according to Kahlua it’s served without the cream. But, I say, there is no mother with out the milk so, definitely, add the cream.

Though I recommend shaking the White Russian ingredients together to make a frothy and velvety smooth cocktail, this drink can be layered. Try adding ice, Kahlua and Vodka, then with an upside down spoon held over the glass, add the cream. This layered process can be reversed by add the Kahlua first, the spoon trick with cream second and the vodka, with the spoon once again, last. Both versions of the beverage will ultimately end up in 3 layers.

White Russian Ingredients:

4 oz Ice
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1 1/2 oz Kahlua
1 1/2 oz Whipping Cream
1 1/2 oz Milk

I highly recommend shaking a White Russian instead of Stirring.

Happy National Drink Wine Day

How much does your Wine cost?

I believe that a good drink brings a meal full circle, however, wine can get pricey. So you may ask yourself does this really go hand in hand with The Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen? I’m here to tell you that it does. We pride ourselves in bringing you gourmet dishes on a budget and we can help you do that with your wine too.

Drinking my favorite Chillable Red Wine While Mr. PMGK Cooks.

Wine while you wait!

You will very often find me sitting at the counter with a glass of red wine while Mr. PMGK cooks us yet another amazing meal. Sometimes I act as his sidekick and get out the ingredients he needs, clearing away dishes and items that have already been added to the meal, anything and everything that I can do without having to do the actual cooking myself. Sometimes I’ll offer him a drink while he works but most the time he’s too busy to even take a sip until he’s done cooking. I’m the drinker in the family. It’s safe to say I drink way more than he does. I can do this comfortably and within our budget by purchasing boxed wine.

Boxed Wine

Now some of you connoisseurs may cringe at the thought of boxed wine. I know I did before I first decided to give it a try. However, when you’re on a budget you have to be open to new ideas while still realizing that you don’t have to sacrifice the things you love and enjoy. Trust me, once you try it you’ll wonder why you’ve been wasting so much money on bottled wine. Don’t get me wrong I’ll still pick up a nice bottle when the occasion calls for it but for dinners at home and winding down after work there’s no need to splurge.

Wine RECOMMENDATIONS

When I finally brought myself to give up the idea that wine is only good if it comes from a bottle, I ventured over to the boxed wine section at the liquor store. I wasn’t looking for a pairing just something to sip on after a long day. I very quickly fell in love with Frazia’s “Chillable Red”. 5L for less than $20! SOLD! It doesn’t get much better than that and very often it’s on sale for under $15.

Now if you’re not a red wine fan like I am, I have the perfect recommendations for you. If you’re looking for a white wine “Moscato” is a very sweet and it’s delicious! You also won’t be disappointed if you go for a “Sunset blush”. I think it might be one of my new favorites. Last but not least I cannot leave you without recommending PMGK’s Peach Sangria. It is amazing for any occasion and especially for National Drink Wine Day! Enough talk, it’s making me thirsty, lets pour ourselves a drink! May you all drink wine and eat well today, cheers!