The Health Benefits of Neem

Have you ever wondered if there was a pill that delivers an overall benefit to your health? You know, a pill you can take that will effect everything from the hair on the top of your head to the nails on your toes? There is, actually, and it's called Neem.

Neem is such a plant that holds a variety of benefits often overlooked in which the times we find ourselves. These days, it's easy to get a drug prescribed over the counter for one specific ailment, but no company has the audacity to say that they've developed the wonder-pill that can do everything but make you younger. While Neem won't make you younger, taking it does a provide a long list of other benefits for you. The benefits of Neem are so wide that it would be hard to classify what to use it for specifically.

A way to look at the Neem supplement would be the way an athlete looks at push ups and how it uses so many different muscle groups. In the same way that the push up is an all encompassing workout for the upper body, so is the Neem supplement for the body's health. With its numerous benefits for one's health, with a positive, well documented reputation, and with a lack of side effects, it makes you wonder why Neem isn't prescribed by most doctors as a supplemental basic.

Some of the benefits are:
~relieves dry skin,
~acts as an immune boosting agent,
~serves as a mosquito repellent,
~and much more!

Perhaps a daily dosage of Neem is a good place to start in healthy living. Like push ups, the benefits of Neem are most felt with consistency, so do your research, and if you have more questions but want answers from a resource more personal than your computer, ask someone at the Garden Herb Shop.

For study on the the subject of Neem, check out these links:
 http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-benefits.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/neem-uses-and-benefits-74423.html
http://www.neemfoundation.org/neem-articles/neem-in-health/neems-medicinal-uses.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75202-neem-benefits-skin/
http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/12/10/neem-oil-a-natural-acne-cure/

~The Harvest Crier~ 

Summer Wine Tasting Event (7-21-12)

Well, Saturday night, this blogger found himself working some later hours than usual. At 6pm, HM became a gathering place for quite a crowd of young, old, and in-between. Most dressed up a touch for the occasion, sporting a collared shirt, yet still wearing shorts (hey, it's July), while others just came in the usual tee and jeans. The place filled up from one end to the other with the chatter and laughter from people enjoying themselves as they sampled the variety. As the sun began to set and the cooler night-time air crept into town, the doors to the cafe were propped open, bringing a refreshing air to the gathering.

Prior to the masses filling up the cafe, the vendors of the wines, beers, and spirits we carry came and set up their displays on our high tops. Those represented were...


Brothers Drake
Rockmill Brewery
Middle West Spirits
Wine Trends


and they represented themselves very well. While I left at 10pm, word is that HM didn't close until midnight. It was a good time with lots of really positive feedback from those who came. To answer the question of whether or not we'll do it again... we most certainly will. :)

~The Harvest Crier~

Farmer's Market: Brian's Bakery Magic

Walking around the Farmer's Market this past Saturday, I approached a vendor in order to take a picture of the baked goods they had for sale. The lady behind the table told me that she was a reader of the blog and saw that I had posted an article on Beulah's Bake for U2. She told me that she enjoyed the blog and wanted to get Brian's Bakery Magic out there for the world to see as well. I received a cinnamon roll and a slice oof Mama's Pound Cake from her, sat down, and dug in it with my laptop open next to me. These are my thoughts...

Cherry Pecan Cinnamon Roll

I bit into a layer of very sweet icing first, then into the warmth of cinnamon laden baked dough. Inside the roll was what seemed to be a cherry jelly as well as bits of dried cherries and roasted pecans. The bread was stiff enough to hold the cinnamon roll's contents inside without being so hard as to break your teeth on it! The pecans seemed roasted and went well with the cherry flavoring. The icing on top, which may have also had a hint of cinnamon in it, also went well with the mix. While it kind of fell apart on me toward the end, that was okay, it was still mouth-watering and delicious. Perhaps it would be best to have it warmed up and eaten with a fork.

I don't cross many a cinnamon rolls in my day, but I could tell that this one was unique in flavor due to the cherry and pecan. It was pretty sweet, so definitely don't have it for breakfast or in place of a substantial meal! Instead, it is suitable for a well-portioned dessert.


Mama's Pound Cake


Nor do I have much experience with pound cake, so this was kind of new to me as well. It had a strong vanilla taste and, while the cake slice was dense, it was very soft and sweet. I'd recommend it with a cup of coffee or perhaps some milk from The Garden Herb Shop.


In conclusion, quality is still found just around the corner... You simply need to know where to look. :)

~The Harvest Crier~

Brian's Bakery Magic
7336 Old Creek Lane
Canal Winchester, OH
43110
(614) 829-6114

Foodview: Almond Joy Frescante

During the bustle of what I would call an unusually crowded Monday lunch hour, I saw that they were making a frescante behind the counter. I waded my way through the hullabaloo of the crowd and snapped this pic for you to see.

I was able to taste and assess a Almond Joy Frescante for myself soon after. As with all the other food reviews I've done, I would taste a little, type a little, taste a little more, type a little more. Here's what I thought as I tasted and typed:


Coffee, evident in every sip, was accompanied by a few other flavors which made up the Almond Joy experience. Contrary to what I thought, the coconut was not the prominent taste of the treat, it was chocolate mixed with something else. At first I thought it was vanilla in the thickened, cold, drink, but it was actually almond, hence the Almond Joy. Almond mixed with a light hint of coconut and a delicious dosage of decadent chocolate made for a new and interesting taste which I would rate up there with the Buckeye Frescante.


It was a whole new flavor which I encourage you to try if you haven't already. While I've never tried chocolate almond milk, I imagine that the Almond Joy Frescante is somewhat of a similitude. It's really difficult to compare something to it because it's pretty different. Almond, chocolate, coconut, coffee, whipped cream... it was awesome!

~The Harvest Crier~

The Grab'n Go Market at Harvest Moon

If you're like me, your day is pretty busy most of the time. Sometimes all you want for lunch is something small and quick, nothing elaborate or big. You don't have to come to Harvest Moon and wait for a Summer Salmon Sandwich, only to be able to take a bite or two before rushing off to your next meeting. Instead, you are now able to enjoy some quick fixes designed for the not-so-still folk who have places to go and people to see. If you have somewhere to be but you're absolutely starving, The kitchen crew has prepared some options just for you. :)

Next time you come in, look for the deli-case close to the register and you'll find an assortment of quick snacks that you'll be able to take with you, such as veggies and dips, some fruits and cheese, or a perfect parfait in a easy to-go form. There's also some juices available such as pineapple-coconut or your good old fashion orange (organic orange juice, that is!)

So take a look for these options next time your in. You may be in and out in a flash, but we would still like to serve you what we can to fuel your busy lives. Be sure to also take a look at the snacks The Garden Herb Shop has as well. Just ask the staff and they'll be able to point out a plethora of choices to you.

I've learned recently that just because a meal has to be quick, doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. Some healthy choices for a quick mid-day meal are...

~nuts,

~trail mix,

~a bag of veggies,

~non-sugary granola,

~ dried fruit.

But think twice before you take a bite. Because our bodies are 75% water, feeling hungry may be indicative of actually being dehydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself going.

~The Harvest Crier~

Foodview: Chai Frescante

A new frescante came out to help keep you cool this summer. For those of you who love chai tea, you'll have even more of a reason to come to the Moon.

Chai tea is okay for me, meaning that I don't absolutely need chai tea to live (I'm more of a green tea kind of guy). In fact, I don't think that chai tea ever struck a good cord in me. I tried it once, maybe twice, but that's about it. In college it seemed like the popular drink to have, but that band wagon totally missed me by a couple million miles.

However, when someone presented me their Chai Frescante with whipped cream practically spilling out of the top, offering it for me to try, everything about chai in my mind was totally redeemed in one sip.

It wasn't a pungently spicy drink like one of my chai experiences, rather it was cool and sweet with plenty of flavor, so flavorful that I could drink the entire thing! But I didn't, I gave it back :)

~The Harvest Crier~

Farmer's Market: Bake 4 U2

Despite the pummeling the downtown was getting from Mr. Sun last weekend, a pretty good crowd showed up at the door of not only Harvest Moon, but also The Farmer's Market which took place just down the street from the cafe. For a couple weeks now, I've been scoping out the market with lens in hand, taking pictures of all the delicious produce available there. One of the stands closer to High Street was labeled Bake 4 U2 and was set up by a very pleasant lady named Beulah M. Robinson. She greeted me with a smile and I returned the favor, motioning to the small brick cafe behind me.  I explained to her what it was I was doing walking around with my camera and how Harvest Moon wants to help the other local businesses.
   
She loved the idea, and gave me a complementary lemon cake for photographing her stand. I thanked her then, but not nearly as much as I would have if I knew at that time how delicious that lemon cake was. So, Beulah, I hope you get to read this food review because it's all about the treat you gave me. :)

The lemon cake was perfectly moist and spongy, not hard and yet not crumbly. It had a soft lemon taste to it, making me think of it as an excellent cake to have with a cup of hot tea or a glass of cold milk. The lemon flavor and the moderate sweetness were well balanced. It's moistness retained by the cake texture made it stick to your fingers a little bit like any good soft-pastry should. I mean, you could eat it with a fork if you wanted to, but eh...

It was more tart with lemon than sweet with sugar, which made it a cake with character. As I said, I recommend it with tea, or a nice tall glass of cold almond milk. Adjectives to describe this cake are as follows:
~tart,
~sweet,
~soft,
~moist,
~and homey; yes, homey. It was like something fresh out of grandma's kitchen. Beulah, you've definitely made a grandson out of me. :)

She's also famous for her mini-pies, so perhaps I'll have to give those a shot next. A licensed baker, and a real sweetheart, I'd encourage you to visit Beulah at Bake 4 U2 next time you're in the area for The Farmer's Market.

~The Harvest Crier~

Foodview: Chocolate Covered Cherry Frescante

In case you haven't noticed - it's pretty hot outside! Now, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't really like drinking anything but water, however, on very rare occasions, I'll get a fiercely fierce hankering for something other than H2O. I decided to be creative and ask the crew for a Chocolate Covered Cherry Frescante in honor of the heat stroke I feel I'm going to get every time I step outside. While the Chocolate Covered Cherry Frescante isn't technically on the menu, I figured they could make my special request out of the kindness of their big, super-duper hearts :)
And they did.

It was heaped with a mound of whipped cream on top and lines of chocolate syrup on the inside of the glass. The foam and cream nearly spilling over the edge of the chocolaty chalice made for a very formidable looking drink. The tall glass full of the milkshake-like consistency proved thick-yet-drinkable as I stabbed my straw down to the bottom. The drink was cool to the touch and chilling to the taste. It was perfect for when the weather makes it feel like Mordor outside.

The name probably gave this away, but it tasted like a chocolate covered cherry (duh, right?) with a hint of coffee to it (if you don't like coffee, you can ask them to make it without). The taste of chocolate covered cherries reminds one of a certain day in February - Valentine's Day. Perhaps this will be a good drink to have then with your significant other.


So I barely finished this toppling tower of fit-for-king frescante set before me, and when I finished it, the first inclination I had was to get to some place warm. Appearently it did the trick, because stepping outside sounded like a pretty good idea in light of my goose bumps. "But I can't do that," I thought to myself. "I have a blog post to write!" And so here I am enduring this cold while all the lucky people get to enjoy the +90 degree weather outside. Too bad for me. :(

~The Harvest Crier~

(Foodview on the Buckeye Frescante)