[1] The divine Tiramisù Mille Crêpes Cake, a cake version of tiramisu††. You can order it here (photos #1, #2, and #4 © Lady M).

[2] A slice. Bet you can’t eat just one!

[3] The cake’s namesake, tiramisù. Here’s a recipe (photo Linda Finn | Taste Of Home).

[4] Another Crêpes Cake choice for the Lunar New Year, Red Bean Mille Crêpes Cake, handmade crêpes ayered with silky, whipped red bean (azuki bean) pastry cream and topped with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar. Order it here.

[5] Dobos Torte, from Hungary. Here’s a recipe (photo © Aya Brackett | Epicurious).

[6] Prinzregententorte (Prince Regent Cake), which is a seven layered genoise with chocolate buttercream and a chocolate cover. Here’s a recipe (photo © The Cottage Loaf).

[7] Smith Island Cake (photo © CB Crabcakes).

[8] An all chocolate Smith Island Cake created by Strip House restaurant. You can order it online (photo © Strip House | Las Vegas).

[9] Here’s the recipe for this Smörgåstårta, a Swedish sandwich cake (photos #9 and #10 © Nordic Kitchen Stories).

[10] The Smörgåstårta, sliced.

[11] January 2nd is National Cream Puff Day. Here’s the recipe for these raspberry cream puffs (photo © Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission).

[12] September is National Cannoli Month. Here’s the recipe for these pumpkin cannolis made with pizzelles (photo © Colavita).

We’re putting it out there—this is what we want for Valentine’s Day instead of chocolate: Lady M’s limited edition Tiramisù Mille Crêpes Cake.

Yes, we love chocolate, but we love Lady M’s Mille Crêpes Cakes even more. With 20 crêpes filled with luxurious crème pâte à bombe††, and a center layer of espresso sponge cake, it’s topped with petals of whipped mascarpone and a dusting of premium cocoa powder.

The cake captures the true flavors of a classic tiramisu pudding†, and is a limited edition.

Lady M has both year-round flavors and seasonal flavors on offer. There’s the original, Signature, plus others from Chocolate, Coffee, Green Tea, Marron (Chestnut), and Strawberry Matcha. The limited edition and seasonal flavors, come and go quickly, so we always keep an eye out.

These are cakes for the connoisseur: delicate, elegant, special. They’re not inexpensive, because they’re incredibly labor intensive.

The Milles Crêpes Cake, invented by a Japanese pastry chef trained in classic French technique, is not baked. It’s composed of layers of crêpes made on the stovetop.

More than 20 cream-filled layers—not quite 1,000, which is mille in French—go into each cake. The layers are filled with pastry cream (chocolate, matcha, passionfruit, pistachio vanilla, etc.).

If you want to try your hand at layering flavored pastry creams between 20 evenly-made crêpes, here’s a recipe. You can find many more recipes online. But it’s much faster to…
 
 
ORDER YOUR LADY M MILLE CRÊPES CAKE

> Head to LadyM.com.
 
Below:

> The different types of multi-layer cakes.

> The year’s 55+ cake holidays.

> The year’s 6 donut holidays.

> The year’s 15 pastry holidays.
 
 
Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of Mille Crêpes Cake.

> The history of cake.

> The different types of cakes: a photo glossary.

> The history of tiramisù.

> National Tiramisù Day is March 21.

> National Crêpe Day is February 2.

> National Bavarian Crêpes Day is March 22.
 
 
TYPES OF MULTI-LAYERED CAKES

There are different types of many-layered cakes, including:

 
But none of these have layers as thin as Mille Crêpes Cake.

 
 
A YEAR OF 55+ CAKE HOLIDAYS

January

 
February

 
March

 
April

 
May

 
June

 
July

 
August

 
September

 
October

 
November

 
December

 
 
The Year’s 6 Donut Holidays

Yes, a donut is considered a pastry: a sweet, fried dough pastry of leavened dough that’s usually ring-shaped, either with a hole in the center or filled without the hole. The dough can be enriched with eggs or fat.

And yes, beyond breakfast and snacks, they can be eaten for dessert. Why not serve them à la mode, with a side of berries?

 
 
The Year’s 15 Pastry Holidays

 

[13] National Donut Day is November 1st (photo © Brooke Lark | Wesual | Unsplash).
 

Frosting, on the other hand, is generally thicker and fluffier than icing, a thick spreadable layer used to cover the entire surface of a cake. It can be any flavor.

**Pączki, pronounced POONCH-key (plural) or POWNCH-key (singular) rhymes with “lunch key.” > Pączki Day. These Polish doughnuts are deep-fried and filled with jam or cream. They’re often covered with powdered sugar or icing. The holiday originated in Poland in the Middle Ages as a way to use up rich ingredients before Lent. The donuts are commonly eaten on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Fasnacht Day is the German equivalent.

†Tiramisù is not a cake, although it is sometimes called one. It is more accurately a mascarpone pudding, layered with ladyfingers that are soaked in coffee or coffee liqueur. Unlike a cake, tiramisù is not baked.

††Pâte à bombe is a light and creamy egg foam used as a base in desserts such as mousses, tiramisù, and parfaits. Egg whites are whipped until light and frothy, then hot sugar syrup is slowly poured in. Pâte à bombe is similar to Italian meringue, but uses egg yolks instead of egg whites. The name literally translates to “bombe dough” or “bombe mixture,” referring to a frozen French dessert made of ice cream or sorbet in a spherical mold. The spherical shape resembles a cannonball—well, half a cannonball.

‡Unusual cake holidays include:

> Pizza Cake Day. Pizza cake was invented in 2014 by Boston Pizza, a Canadian-based pizza chain, as part of a promotion called Pizza Game Changers. It uses pizza ingredients in the form of a layer cake. Here’s more about it.

> Poet in a Cupcake Day celebrates the end of Take Your Poet to School Week, for students in grades K-12. The initiative was created to introduce students to different poets and their works, encouraging them to engage with poetry. Each day of the week has a designated theme and activities. Here’s more about it.

‡‡Cupcake confusion: You’ll come across two dates for National Lemon Cupcake Day: November 15 and December 15. December 15 is also National Cupcake Day. What’s up?

This type of inconsistency is common with unofficial (non-government-decreed) holidays, as there’s no central authority that officially designates these commemorative events. They were created by industry groups, public relations firms, social media influencers, or just plain enthusiasts. Any government leader (national, state, city, county) who oversees legislation can proclaim an “official” commemorative holiday (here’s more about it). In pre-Internet days, a book called Chase’s Calendar of Events was considered the most comprehensive and authoritative reference available on such special events.

Even then, there were holiday duplicates and triplicates. A hypothetical example: Congress could approve National Chocolate Cookie Day due to a petition by the leading brand of chocolate chips. But the State of Massachusetts could proclaim its own National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, to honor the Toll House Restaurant where it was invented. Likewise the City of Palo Alto, home of the first Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery, could choose to commemorate her chocolate chip cookies.

‡‡‡Of the two National Donut Days, the First Friday in June is the more official and well-documented of the two. This holiday was created by the Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to honor the “Donut Lassies” who served donuts to soldiers during World War I, and also to raise funds for those in need during the Great Depression.

Whether you’re embracing Dry January or simply in the mood for a zero-proof mocktail, these refreshing drinks are made with a base of sparkling water and infused simple syrup.

With flavored simple syrup and sparkling water, these recipes are proof (no pun intended) that mocktails can be just as fun and fancy as cocktails.

Thanks to Sonoma Syrups, producer of artisan simple syrups and other products for mixology, for the recipes.

> Head to SonomaSyrup.com to see all of the great simple syrup flavors, and wonderful recipes that use them, from drinks to desserts to sauces, glazes, and more.

> If you want to make your own simple syrup, here’s the recipe.

> If you want a low-calorie wine spritzer, head here.

> The history of the spritz/spritzer.

> More uses for simple syrup.

> The history of simple syrup is below.

> The history of sugar.

> The different types of sugar and syrup: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GRAPEFRUIT GINGER SPRITZER

For truly great flavor, squeeze your own grapefruit juice.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the first three ingredients. Pour over ice, top with sparkling water, and stir gently.

2. GARNISH and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #2: CUCUMBER LIME SPRITZER
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the cucumbers, mint leaves, and lime juice together in a highball glass.

2. TOP with sparkling water and stir gently. Pour over ice and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #3: COLD BREW COFFEE SPRITZER
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the cold brew with the orange juice and/or cream. Pour over ice.

2. TOP with sparkling water and stir once gently. Garnish and serve.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SIMPLE SYRUP

Simple syrup is a fundamental ingredient in making sweet cold drinks. The recipe is simply sugar dissolved in hot water, with optional flavorings. It has likely been around since sugar cane juice was first crystallized.

Originally, people chewed on the raw sugar cane stalks to enjoy the sweetness from the sap. Refined sugar appears around 500 B.C.E. when residents of what is now India began to make sugar syrup from cane juice.

They boiled the sap, then cooled it to make crystals that were easier to store and transport. These crystals were called khanda—the source of the word candy.

> Here’s more history of sugar, plus the history of sugar cane.
 
 
Punch Leads To Cold Cocktails

The early history of punch is not well documented, but the earliest mention, in 1632, is from an employee of the East India Company, trading in India. It was a hot drink made from alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices.

The recipe arrived in Britain along with granulated sugar, and enabled the sweet punch recipes we know today. While hot punch was favored in cold weather (think of a hot toddy), cold punch evolved along with iced drinks. Ice became affordable to most Europeans and Americans in the 19th century.

Widespread use of simple syrup emerged alongside the rise of mixed chilled drinks and cocktails in the 18th and 19th centuries. Bartenders and home mixologists needed a way to efficiently sweeten drinks without stirring furiously to get granulated sugar to dissolve (the history of cocktails).

During the 1800s, simple syrup became a crucial component in early cocktails like the Sazerac, Old Fashioned, among others. Its standardized 1:1 ratio of sugar to water made it easy for bartenders to consistently sweeten drinks.

The term “simple syrup” itself likely came from the simplicity of its preparation compared to more complex syrups used in confectionery and cooking.

By the late 19th century, with the rise of soda fountains across America, simple syrup became essential for creating carbonated beverages and flavored sodas. Soda jerks would combine simple syrup with various flavor extracts to create popular drinks.
 
 
Simple Sugar Today

Flavored simple syrup exploded with the massive growth of coffee culture in the 1990s, it’s now commonly used in flavored coffee and tea drinks as well. That Pumpkin Spice Latte: simple syrup. That Hazelnut Frappuccino: simple syrup.

The basic recipe has remained largely unchanged over the centuries, although variations like rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water ratio instead of the classic 1:1) and flavored versions have become popular even for home use.

Some bartenders and mixologists now develop simple syrup using different types of sugar (coconut, demarara, muscovado, turbinado, e.g.) or add herbs and spices during preparation to create more complex flavor profiles.

Beyond drinks. If you have a bottle of flavored simple syrup, it comes in handy for baking and dessert including baked or marinated fruit, marinades and glazes, Fruit—baked apples, marinate fruit that isn’t sweet enough.

You can combine it with sparkling water to make your own, all-natural, sodas, and flavor ice cream drinks: malts, shakes, and sodas.

[1] Grapefruit and ginger combine for citrussy sizzle in this mocktail (all photos © Sonoma Syrup).

[2] Cucumber fans will enjoy this combination of savory cucumber with tangy lime.

[3] Even cold brew coffee gets a spritzer.

[4] You can make your own all-natural soda, just by adding simple syrup to sparkling water. Here, ginger ale.

[5] You can use Mint Infused Simple Syrup in mint lemonade (shown) and numerous other drinks.

[6] We love combining lime-infused syrup with raspberry syrup for a drink we first had in our college days. Or, combine lime and lemon for your own all—natural version of 7-UP.

[7] Vanilla Bean-infused syrup also adds sweetness to iced coffee, dissolving instantly.

[8] For your favorite PSL fan, how about a gift of Pumpkin Pie Latte syrup?

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[1] You can fill a jar of mixed nuts with honey or agave to create an instant dessert topping (photo © Elena Schweitzer | Panther Media).

[2] Well Market jar goes here (photo © CVS).

[3] Rainbow trout with sliced almonds. Sautéed fish amandine—spelled almondine in English—is a classic French preparation (photo © Bar Boulud | NYC).

[4] Nutty pasta, here, rigatoni with hazelnuts. Nuts in Italian dishes vary by local supply. You can more easily match the nuts to the other flavors in your dish. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hazelnut Growers Of Oregon).

[5] Here, the nuts are mixed with the vegetables. The recipe (photos #5, #6, #9, #10 © American Pecan Council).

[6] A breakfast bowl of fried egg atop quinoa, roasted cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs, with za’atar-spieced pecans for extra protein, flavor, and crunch. Here’s the recipe.

[7] We could sprinkle pistachios on just about everything. This cucumber salad adds them along with feta, dill, and pickled onions. Here’s the recipe (photos #7 and #11 © Colavita Recipes).

[8] Garnish just about any breakfast food starting with pancakes, waffles, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Nuts add a hit of protein and fiber (photo © Mae Mu | Unsplash).

[9] Pecans on a roasted butternut and kale side dish. Here’s the recipe.

[10] A breakfast bowl with fried egg on quinoa with za’atar-spiced pecans Here’s the recipe.

[11] The pistachio garnish on this sugar pea and ricotta pizza is pure inspiration. Here’s the recipe.

[12] You can nuts to any grain dish. Here’s the recipe for this Cashew Rice Pilaf (photo © Taste Of Home).

The Nibble’s focus is primarily on artisan foods, as opposed to mass-produced grocery store brands. Artisan products are typically made with better ingredients, less added salt and sugar, fewer or no additives, and in smaller batches, which leads to better-tasting foods.

But the line of Well Market Nuts, from CVS Pharmacy’s* private label snack line, surprised us with their fresh taste. We liked their Unsalted Mixed Nuts so much, that we ordered six large jars as soon as we had snacked our way through the first jar.

The flavors are fresh and clean—no salt required. They tasted like they were just roasted.

We’re delighted to have a great mixed nut brand without the added salt.

There are numerous other varieties than the unsalted mix. We’ve listed them below. Take a look. But first…
 
 
WHY NUTS ARE A VERY HEALTHY SNACK

In addition to snacks, whether whole or chopped, you can nuts for:

 
> These are the 7 most heart-healthy nuts.

> Check out the year of 35 nut holidays, below.

> The history of cashew nuts.

> The history of hazelnuts.

> The history of peanuts.

> The history of pecans.

> The history of pistachio nuts.

> The history of walnuts.

> Surprise: Most of the nuts you eat are not true nuts. The scoop is below.
 
 
WELL MARKET NUTS: THE WHOLE LINE

Cashews

 
Macadamias

 
 
Mixed Nuts

 
There are also flavored varieties; for example:

 
There are so many choices, it’s tough to know where to begin. Might we suggest the Unsalted Mixed Nuts?
 
 
GET YOUR WELL MARKET NUTS

The retail stores we visited CVS is likely to carry only a few of the most popular varieties. We went online to order ours.

> Head to CVS.com.

As of this writing, the Mixed Nuts were buy one, get one 1/2 off.
 
 
ARE NUTS THE FRUIT OF TREES?

Not all nuts are the fruit of trees. The confusion often comes from the culinary definition of nuts, which is much broader than the botanical definition.

That’s because in culinary parlance, “nuts” are defined by how we use them as food. Thus, unless you’re a botanist, you’d define a nut as any hard-shelled, edible kernel that can be used as a snack or food ingredient.

This mixed-up group called nuts share similar nutritional profiles and culinary uses. It’s one of those cases where the scientific classification differs significantly from everyday usage.

While most botanical nuts do come from trees (acorns, chestnuts, hazelnuts/filberts), being a tree fruit isn’t what makes something a true nut. What defines a true nut concerns the fruit wall and seed structure. Almonds, peanuts, and pine nuts, for example, are botanically legumes or seeds.

In fact, most of the nuts we eat are not true nuts. To be a true nut:

 
Thus:

 
 
NUTS THAT AREN’T REALLY NUTS

Legumes

 
Seeds That Grow Within Drupes

 
Drupes (Stone Fruits)

 
This is why people with peanut allergies might not be allergic to tree nuts, e.g.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 38 NUT HOLIDAYS

________________

*CVS Trivia: CVS stands for Consumer Value Stores, the name of the first store in the CVS pharmacy chain. The name was chosen to reflect the company’s goal of providing the best value to its customers. CVS has grown to become a major healthcare company and drugstore chain.

The first CVS store opened in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1963. The store sold health and beauty products. The name was changed to CVS the following year.

†What are drupes? Almonds, coffee beans, coconuts, and all the stone fruits (apricots, cherries, olives, peaches, plums, and others) are all classic drupes: fruits that have an inner flesh and seed surrounded by a hard shell.

‡How are drupaceous nuts different? Pecans, walnuts and some other tree nuts are called drupaceous nuts because they are difficult to categorize—neither true drupes nor true botanical nuts.
 
 
 

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January is National Tea Month. If you appreciate the flavors in a good cup of tea, there are ways you can get the best possible out of your leaves—be they loose or in tea bags.

Brewing the perfect cup of tea is all about finding the sweet spot between time and temperature, says Arthur Gautier of Nio Teas.

“Each type of tea needs to be brewed using its own distinct method to bring out its best flavors,” he says.

To help you understand how to brew each tea just right and make your tea time perfect, Arthur has provided the correct brewing temperature and steeping time for each type of tea from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.

Depending on the processing of the leaf, this plant produces black, green, oolong, white, and yellow teas. But it does not produce herbal tea*.

> Check out all the tea holidays: There are more than 20!
 
 
FIRST QUALITY, THEN BREWING

To get a great output you need a great input: quality tea. And then, there’s brewing.

Arthur Gautier of Nio Teas commented, “Tea doesn’t just taste great; it can have amazing health benefits when brewed right. Each type brings something unique to the table.

“Take black tea, for instance—it’s rich in antioxidants that support heart health, and its natural high caffeine gives you a nice, steady lift without the jitters you might get from coffee.

“Green tea is also famous for its antioxidant punch, especially EGCG, which has been linked to everything from boosting metabolism to promoting healthy skin.

“Then there’s white tea—it’s super gentle, but don’t let that fool you. It’s loaded with polyphenols, which can help protect your cells from damage.”

Here are his expert tips on how to brew tea in each of these categories.
 
 
BLACK TEA: BOLD & CLASSIC

Black tea is the most oxidized of all the teas, which gives it its distinctive dark color and strong flavor. The oxidation process deepens the tea’s color and enhances its bold, brisk taste.

Originating in China, black tea cultivation has since spread to regions like India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, with each country offering its own unique varieties—for example, Assam and Darjeeling from India, and Ceylon from Sri Lanka.

Like all agricultural products, the flavor and other qualities of a tea are a result of its terroir†. Depending on where it’s grown, black tea can range in taste from malty and earthy to fruity and floral.

It also has the highest amount of caffeine among the traditional teas, making it a popular choice for mornings.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Black Tea

 
 
GREEN TEA: FRESH & GRASSY

Green tea is beloved for its fresh, clean flavors, which come from minimal oxidation. The leaves are typically steamed or pan-fired right after harvest to stop the oxidation process, preserving the vibrant green color and delicate taste.

The flavor can range from sweet and floral to slightly grassy or even nutty, with Chinese and Japanese varieties each offering distinct profiles. Dragonwell, Genmaicha, and Sencha are some popular green tea types, with Matcha uniquely produced as a powdered version of the whole leaf.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Green Tea

 
 
WHITE TEA: DELICATE & FLORAL

White tea is the least processed of all teas. It is made from the youngest tea leaves and buds that are only dried without rolling or oxidation—no heat. This minimal processing results in a light, delicate, and naturally sweet tea, often with a floral or honey-like aroma.

Originating from China, particularly the Fujian province, white tea is known for its subtlety and elegance. Silver Needle and White Peony are popular varieties, with flavors varying from fresh and crisp to slightly fruity or woody.

White tea also contains the least amount of caffeine, making it perfect for drinking all day.
 
How To Brew The Perfect White Tea

 
 
OOLONG TEA: A BALANCE OF LIGHT & DARK

Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea, falling somewhere between green and black tea in terms of how it’s processed. Its oxidation level can vary widely, leading to an very wide range of flavors from light and floral to dark and roasted.

Traditionally grown in China and Taiwan, oolong teas are meticulously crafted through a process that includes withering, shaking, and partial oxidation, followed by rolling and drying. This creates complex flavor profiles that can include floral, fruity, or nutty notes.

Oolong is a bit of a multi-tasker, helping with digestion, weight management, and stress relief. It’s often described as the most “complex” tea. Popular varieties include Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) and Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe).
 
How To Brew The Perfect White Tea

 
 
YELLOW TEA: A BALANCE OF LIGHT & DARK

Yellow tea is a rare and highly prized tea, produced mainly in China. It’s similar to green tea in that it undergoes minimal oxidation, but what sets it apart is the slow “yellowing” process.

After the leaves are lightly fired, they are wrapped and allowed to oxidize slightly, which mellows out the grassy notes found in green tea and adds a smooth, sweet flavor.

“Yellow tea is incredibly smooth, with fruity or floral undertones that are subtle and refined,” says Arthur. “Because of its rarity and the labor-intensive process needed to make it, yellow tea is often considered a special treat for tea aficionados”—more expensive than green tea.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Yellow Tea

 
 
ABOUT NIO TEAS

Nio Teas is a premium brand specializing in high-quality Japanese green teas, including matcha, sencha, and gyokuro. They source directly from organic tea farms in Japan, ensuring pesticide-free products.

Nio Teas prides itself on cultivating strong relationships with farmers and hand-selecting teas for their unique flavor profiles. Their offerings include ceremonial matcha, loose-leaf teas, and curated tea samplers. Nio Teas also emphasizes sustainability and the health benefits of Japanese green tea, providing educational resources for tea enthusiasts worldwide.

[1] Whether you’re brewing from a tea bag or loose leaves, use the appropriate water temperature and steeping time (photo © Mark Wendell Tea | Facebook).

[2] Darjeeling is a black tea from India that ranges in color from light gold to a darker bronze. The color of all tea depends on the flush, or harvest, of the tea leaves (photo © Newby Tea).

[3] Steeping loose green tea (photo © Steven Smith Teamaker).

[4] As with all types of tea, the color, intensity, and flavors vary based on terroir† (photo © Japanese Tea Online).

[5] White tea can have barely any color, or it can be a pale green that can overlap in hue with the palest green teas (photo © Elena Kloppenburg | Unsplash).

[6] You can also brew tea in a French Press (photo © Charlotte May | Pexels).

[7] Kenyan black teas often brew to a bright reddish-orange color. Ceylon black teas (from Sri Lanka) can also have a distinctive copper-orange hue (photo © Tea Forte).

[8] Pu-erh, a fermented black tea that originated in the Yunnan province of China, has the darkest liquor (i.e., the brewed liquid) of any tea. It is not a black tea, but is in its own category (photos #8 and #9 © Artful Tea).

[9] The Fujian and Guangdong provinces of China are known for their oolong teas. The tea was originally developed in the Wu Yi Mountains during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912). Oolong is also a local specialty in Taiwan, with famous varieties such as Baozhong and Dong Ding.

[10] Pouring Huo Shan Huang Ya, a rare yellow tea (photo © In Pursuit Of Tea).

*Herbal teas are not considered “real” tea because they’re not made from Camellia sinensis. Instead, they are made from various botanicals: barks, flowers, herbs, leaves, fruits, roots, or spices. They can be infused fresh or dried.

These brewed herbal beverages are properly called infusions or tisanes. Tisane originally referred to a medicinal drink or infusion made with barley. The word comes from Middle English via Anglo-French, from Latin ptisana, from Greek ptisanē. It literally means crushed barley, from the verb ptissein, to crush. Isn’t etymology interesting?

All herbal teas are caffeine-free and have been used in homeopathic medicine for millennia. Each has a specific benefit. Perhaps the best-known in this capacity is the bark of the willow tree. It’s been used for more than 4,000 years to relieve pain and reduce fever‡. Both the bark and the leaves have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.

Other herbal tea benefits: Examples include chamomile tea for stress and sleep, ginger tea for indigestion and morning sickness, peppermint tea for headaches and motion sickness.

†Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affect a crop’s qualities. It includes climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics give a fruit, vegetable, cheese, olive oil, tea, coffee, etc., its unique character.

‡In 1826, Italian researchers extracted salicin, a natural compound found in willow and poplar bark and leaves—from willow bark. In 1898, a chemist for the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, synthesized acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, from salicin. Aspirin was an improvement over salicin because it was easier on the stomach and didn’t taste as bad.
 
 

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[1] In this photo (recipe below) the snowman is wearing raspberry earmuffs. They’re connected with a piece of red apple (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] For this recipe, make sure the bananas are ripe enough to easily mash (photo © Jonathan Cooper | Unsplash).

[3] You can make a bacon scarf and cut a top hat from a banana or apple slice and coat it with cocoa mix. Do it on another plate, then transfer it to the snowman. Here’s the recipe (photo by Maya Vismyei © Today’s Parent).

[4] You can use whipped cream for buttons and mini chocolate chips fore the face. Here’s the recipe (photo © Eating On A Dime) .

[5] For the holiday season, make Santa’s hat from a strawberry. Here’s the recipe (photo © Food Network).

If you’re in a neck of the woods that’s brrr-cold, here’s a cheerful breakfast that will ease the pain of leaving the house.

It’s such fun food that it just might be in demand for lunch and dinner, too.

And with fruit purée instead of maple syrup, it works for dessert.

The recipe below is for banana pancakes (mashed bananas in the batter). But if you’d prefer a plain pancake, check out these snowman pancakes.

> More pancake recipes.

> The history of pancakes.

> The history of bananas.

> The history of snowmen is below.

> Our favorite artisan pancake mix brands.
 
 
RECIPE: BANANA SNOWMEN PANCAKES

Thanks to Phyllis Schmalz of Kansas City, Kansas, and Taste Of Home for bringing us this recipe.

Total time to prepare and cook is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 4 Snowmen

 
Preparation
 
1. STIR the pancake mix, water and banana in a small bowl until just moistened.

2. POUR a scant 1/2 cup batter onto a greased hot griddle, making 3 circles to form a snowman. Turn when bubbles form on top and cook until the second side is golden brown.

3. TRANSFER to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. SPRINKLE the plates with confectioners’ sugar (snow). It’s easy to do by shaking it in a sieve. Add the snowmen and decorate with pretzels arms chocolate chips, cranberries.

Use a bit of orange segment for the nose. Use pretzel sticks for the arms. Cut a slice of apple or banana for hats. On a separate plate, dust the hats with cocoa powder and then carefully transfer to the heads of the snowmen.

5. SERVE with extra banana slices to increase the fruit intake. And while the confectioners’ sugar “snow” provides sweetness, you can serve maple syrup if desired.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SNOWMEN

According to our colleague Claude.ai, the history of building snowmen is centuries old.

The Middle Ages: The earliest documented snowman was found in an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours, from from 1380.

This confirms that the practice was already well-established at the tail end of medieval Europe (also known as the Middle Ages, ca. 5th century to the late 15th century).

During this period, snowmen were often seen as public art forms, with entire cities participating in creating elaborate snow sculptures during particularly harsh winters.

 
The Renaissance (ca. the 14th century to the 17th century*) brought more sophisticated snow sculpture techniques, with artists like Michelangelo reportedly commissioned to create snow sculptures. The practice spread through European courts as a wintertime entertainment, and wealthy patrons would host snow sculpture competitions.

By the Victorian era (1837-1901), building snowmen had become associated with childhood recreation and family activities.

While medieval snowmen were often decorated with twigs and leaves, the iconic design we know today—three stacked snowballs with coal eyes and a carrot nose—became standard during this period.

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*The Renaissance significantly overlapped with the end of the Middle Ages, with the Renaissance generally considered to have begun in the 14th century, while the Middle Ages are typically dated to end around the 15th century. Essentially, the Renaissance emerged from the later stages of the Middle Ages. There is no clear dividing line where one era definitively ended and the other began.

The late Middle Ages saw a gradual shift towards the intellectual and artistic ideas that would later define the Renaissance. The early stages of the Renaissance, often called the Proto-Renaissance, are considered to have occurred during the late Middle Ages, particularly in Italy. Historians concur that the Renaissance ended in the early 17th century.

The Age of Enlightenment emerged from the intellectual and scientific advancements sparked during the Renaissance period. It was characterized by a strong emphasis on reason, logic, and scientific inquiry, with philosophers like Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire contributing significantly to its ideas.

Romanticism emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by a focus on emotion and imagination: an interest in nature, the supernatural, personal experiences, and artistic freedom. Many historians view the turbulent events of the French Revolution as a turning point marking the end of the Enlightenment and the rise of Romanticism, which gradually gave way to…

Realism, which emphasized depicting the world as it actually is, with a focus on everyday life and social issues.
 
 

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