Peppermint
22 May 2009 Leave a Comment
in random, Uncategorized Tags: chocoholics, mints, peppermint, tea
A totally random post, about peppermint and tea, and peppermint chocs, and facts.
Peppermint was first described by Carolus Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England; he treated it as a species, but it is now universally agreed to be a hybrid.
It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing to 30–90 cm (12–35 in) tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide-spreading, fleshy, and bare fibrous roots. The leaves are from 4–9 cm (1.6–3.5 in) long and 1.5–4 cm (0.59–1.6 in) cm broad, dark green with reddish veins, and with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. The leaves and stems are usually slightly hairy. The flowers are purple, 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long, with a four-lobed corolla about 5 mm (0.20 in) diameter; they are produced in whorls (verticillasters) around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Flowering is from mid to late summer. The chromosome number is variable, with 2n counts of 66, 72, 84, and 120 recorded.
Source: wikipedia.
Peppermint tea leaves are really lovely, and they give a kick, esp in the evening.
Maybe that’s why peppermint chocs are so minty and refreshing.
ProPeds
27 Jan 2009 Leave a Comment
in random, Uncategorized Tags: bees, honey, mints, peppermint, stockings, tea, toothpaste
ProPeds and the sudden obsession with pedicures, and keeping my feet baby soft. Hmph i wonder why.
Gotten myself a ProPeds package of stockings, sudden urge to try them. Mum says it’s good, but not convinced, anyhow, i’ll try them. 
Also, i got a peppermint salt footbath from THE BODY SHOP,which is really refreshing.
Some info about peppermint from wikipedia:
Peppermint is sometimes regarded as ‘the world’s oldest medicine’, with archaeological evidence placing its use at least as far back as ten thousand years ago.
Peppermint has a high menthol content, and is often used as a flavouring in tea, ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum, and toothpaste. The oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate. It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured confectionery. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos and soaps, which give the hair a minty scent and produce a cooling sensation on the skin.
In 2007, Italian investigators reported that 75% of the patients in their study who took peppermint oil capsules for four weeks had a major reduction in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, compared with just 38% of those who took a placebo.
Similarly, some poorly designed earlier trials found that peppermint oil has the ability to reduce colicky abdominal pain but the oil is an irritant to the stomach in the quantity required and therefore needs wrapping for delayed release in the intestine. Peppermint relaxes the gastro-esophageal sphincter, thus promoting belching. Restaurants usually take advantage of this effect by taking advantage of its use as a confectionery ingredient, which they then call “after-dinner mints.”
Peppermint flowers are large nectar producers and honey bees as well as other nectar harvesting organisms forage them heavily. A mild, pleasant varietal honey can be produced if there is a sufficient area of plants.
Peppermint oil is used by commercial pesticide applicators as a natural insecticide.
GROW MORE PEPPERMINT!!!! GET THE BEES WORKING AGAIN!!! WE NEED THE BEES.
![I keep holding on [Explored]](http://static.flickr.com/7097/7309045590_eb4be7eaca_t.jpg "I keep holding on [Explored]")
