“(The Toddy) is the ultimate coffee maker.” -The Washington Post
If you’ve never used the Toddy T2N Cold Brew System for coffee, you have no idea what you’re missing. I’m not sure why this system makes incredible, outrageously flavorful coffee (I guess we’d need Alton Brown to explain it to us) but it does.
Truth be told, I don’t guess I care WHY Toddy’s so outstanding as much as I care how soon I can have my next cup. Then the next, then the next, then the next…
I insist on trying out every coffee bean and every coffee-brewing system that comes down the pike before I recommend them on Get Cooking – so I force myself to consume untold amounts of coffee, but that’s okay, really, I don’t mind. As in AT ALL.
It’s how I roll, I call it my caffeine roll.
After I took a few drinks of my first cup of brewed “Toddy” coffee, all I could think was, “This is a perfect cup of coffee.” And I’ve thought the same thing with each subsequent cup. Perfect, with a coffee house boldness – yet smooth as a baby’s….well, you know.
From the website:
As important as those fresh roasted beans are to your cup of coffee, it’s what you do with them that counts the most.
In 1964, as a chemical engineering graduate of Cornell, Todd Simpson developed and patented a cold brew system that, using regular coffee beans, creates a superior-tasting cup of steaming HOT coffee. And, with 67% LESS ACID than coffee made by conventional hot brew methods, it’s easier on sensitive stomachs.
The Toddy coffee maker extracts the coffee bean’s true delicious flavor and eliminates much of the acidity, producing a bold, super-smooth coffee that can be served one cup at a time.
Toddy Cold Brewing System Features:
Designed to brew coffee with 67-percent less acid than coffee made with hot brew methods
Patented cold brew system uses regular coffee beans to create super smooth hot coffee, but with no electricity required
The Toddy Cold Brew System also makes tea, served hot or cold
Set includes brewing container with handle, glass decanter with lid, 2 reusable filters, 1 rubber stopper, set of instructions, and recipe guide
Get more out of your coffee beans, since the coffee concentrate stays fresh for up to 3 weeks
You can use your favorite coffee beans with the Toddy System and, as you just read… it makes fantastic tea as well.
You’ll want to slide on over to Amazon and order your very own Toddy T2N Cold Brew System right away. While you’re at it, you might want to grab one for the biggest coffee fiend on your Christmas list.
This is a story that does nothing but make my pulse race and my mouth water. It’s not my fault, you see…
I was born and raised in the south.
I live in the south.
I’m a tea fanatic.
I have a head filled with sweet teeth.
So, there you have it. A story about sweet tea of these epic proportions knocks me off my feet. I do believe I’ll celebrate this accomplishment by having lunch at Chick-fil-A. LOVE their delicious sandwiches and – - – of course – - – their sweet tea.
On Wednesday, Aug. 4, Tulsa-area Chick-fil-A® restaurants set a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s largest sweet iced tea. A nine-foot tall cup held more than 1,140 gallons of freshly brewed sweet tea and ice. The record was set during an all-day celebration at Nienhuis Park in Broken Arrow, Okla.
Operators and team members from five Chick-fil-A restaurants worked with volunteers from schools, churches and community groups throughout the Tulsa area to create the record-setting drink. The process required 72 pounds of tea leaves, 1,150 pounds of sugar, one ton of ice and 912 gallons of water.
Official Guinness World Records® adjudicator Kimberly Partrick presided over the event and officially called the record. The achievement marks the second Guinness World Record for Tulsa Chick-fil-A Operator Arthur Greeno, who set the record for world’s largest soft drink when he created an 834-gallon cup of freshly-squeezed Chick-fil-A lemonade in 2008.
“In the midst of the heat wave we’ve been experiencing in Oklahoma, there was no shortage of people looking for a nice cold glass of sweet tea and we were glad to oblige,” said Greeno. “We couldn’t have made it happen without the help of our staff and neighbors throughout Tulsa gathering supplies, brewing the tea and coming out to cheer us on.”
The Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meal program is partnering with Guinness World Records to challenge children across the country to set their own records this summer. A series of five activity-filled Guinness World Records packs are available in Kid’s Meals until Aug. 28. Each pack features “Do Try This at Home” challenges, intended to promote fun parent-child interaction and active playtime with friends.
Can you imagine if you drank that much tea???…. Ooooh, Never mind….
Combine the first three ingredients. Add the ice creams and whipping cream. Stir gently. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Yield: 9 Cups
After a trip to Starbucks today for iced coffee (how do I love thee, let me count the ways…), I remembered this punch recipe from an old cookbook. I looked it up and thought I’d share – I recall it being out of this world. Those of us who love… truly, truly love… coffee will take it any way we can get it. Warm, hot, cold, frozen, tepid….
7 cups Ocean Spray® Blueberry Juice Cocktail
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, washed
1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Combine 1/2 cup of the blueberry juice cocktail with the mint leaves in large (at least 2-quart) nonmetal pitcher or container. Crush the mint leaves against the side and bottom of the container with a wooden spoon. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in remaining juice cocktail and the lemonade concentrate. Pour into glasses over ice. Garnish with extra mint leaves, if desired.
What can I say, we coffee lovers prefer to surround ourselves with our passion – in our cups, on the table, on our walls…. This art print is especially delicious. I think I’ll lift my coffee cup and toast to its beauty.
Actress Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy) shared her Key Lime Pie and Chai Drink recipes recently with In Style Magazine. Apparently she’s more than just a beautiful and talented actress – she knows her way around the kitchen.
I can’t wait to try her Key Lime Pie and I’ll be trying her Chai drink immediately – is tonight soon enough? I’ve had a Chai Tea Latte addiction since I could first utter the words, “Starbucks,” so this sounds like something I’ll lose myself in. Plus, I’m in love with the Almond drink she uses in the recipe.
It’s all good!
Key Lime Pie Recipe
Serves 8
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp, divided
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 egg yolks
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice or regular lime juice
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
Sliced limes for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar and butter. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake crust in middle of oven for 10 minutes; let cool.
Whisk together egg yolks, condensed milk and lime juice. Pour mixture into crust. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until center is set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
In medium bowl beat cream until frothy. Add 2 tbsp sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over pie and garnish with lime slices.
Chai Drink Recipe
Serves 8
“Sometimes I like to put extra nutmeg in, but you can really play around with the ingredients until it suits your taste,” says Ramirez.
8 cups cold almond non-dairy beverage (found in your grocer’s natural food or dairy section, or next to soy milk)
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp Splenda (or 8 packets)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Working in batches, fill blender with ice cubes. Add almond beverage and blend on high speed. Divide chai drink among 8 glasses. Garnish with cinnamon stick, if desired.
For Self Help Daily, Out of Bounds, and Get Cooking, I do A LOT of research about healthy living, healthy eating, disease prevention, and nutrition. I’m amazed – again and again and again – at the number of times I read the words EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Whether an individual wants to prevent cancer, lose weight, look and feel their best, age well, improve their heart’s health, improve their memory… or a countless other positive pursuit… the experts, without fail, point to the importance of a healthy diet – one in which many fruits and vegetables are consumed regularly.
It’s pretty easy for those of us who love fruits and vegetables. We delight in our fruit and vegetables at supper and try to squeeze them into lunch and breakfast as often as possible. Trouble is, it’s not always as easy to do as it is to say. And if we think we have our hands full, just think how tough it is for those people who aren’t that crazy about fruit or vegetables – or those who, like a few members of my family, just want the same vegetables and fruits over and over again?!
Ocean Spray has served up a couple of delicious solutions. I was fortunate enough to receive a few of their new outstanding juices. I’ve tried the 100% Juice Fruit & Veggie Cranberry Strawberry Banana Flavored Blend of 8 Juices and the 100% Juice Fruit & Veggie Tropical Citrus flavored blend of 7 juices.
About the Ocean Spray Juices
When you think of Ocean Spray, you probably think of Cranberry Juice. With the hilarious commercials (I love those guys!) and the popularity of the Cranberry juice, itself, their brand identity is as strong as any. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that Ocean Spray is cock of the walk when it comes to other juices and products as well. You can taste the quality and the goodness in each drink. If you’re like most of us, you’re looking for healthier drinks for your family to enjoy and would love to steer them away from soft drinks as much as possible.
The problem was that most juices just don’t motivate kids (or anyone for that matter) to put down the Coke and pick up the juice. Ocean Spray is exactly what parents need – delicious motivation! Their juices are also available in “On the Go” sizes that are perfect for grabbing on the way out the door whether you’re going for a walk, to the beach, to the park, to a ballgame or just to sit in the front yard and watch the commotion around your bird feeder.
I’ve noticed something with my family – if I have juice in individual serving containers, they’re a lot more apt to grab them instead of something else. Same holds true with water. Most young people just don’t want to slow down long enough to get a glass, fill it with ice, get the container, and pour the juice in the glass. After all… Heaven forbid… they’d then have to clean up after themselves.
Horrors!
From Ocean Spray.com:
When most people think of Ocean Spray, they think that we’re the Cranberry Juice folks. And if you’re reading this, then it’s likely you’re already a fan. The question is, which juice is your favorite? Check out all our varieties of cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and our juice blends.
My new favorites are the Fruit and Vegetable blends. I think it’s partly because of all the research I do about nutrition and healthy living. I KNOW the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables in every possible way. Now, having said that, if these juices weren’t exceptional, I probably wouldn’t bother! Fortunately, they are outstandingly delicious and I’d just as soon grab one of them for lunch or breakfast (or for a walk) as anything else.
To know that I’m drinking something that’s so good for me while serving up my taste buds a little party makes it all the better.
The next time you’re at the store, you’ll definitely want to try these juices for yourself. They’ll flat blow you away.
For more information, recipes, and a super cool website experience, visit Ocean Spray’s website.
You know what a Starbucks fanatic I am. I expect, any day now, that one of my local Starbucks will provide me with my own parking space.
Of course, I can’t always get to one of my Starbucks. Sometimes they have to come to me. (I just thought of something, how outrageously wonderful would it be if Starbucks delivered?! Just as well, I’d keep the driver so busy he or she would soon come to despise me and my caffeine addiction).
I’m hooked on the delicious little bottles of Starbucks Frappuccinos. I don’t go to the store without buying a little case of them – Heaven forbid I ever run out, things would get ugly fast.
I recently had the chance to try the “Light” varieties and I was completely impressed. They are as delicious as the others, they simply have fewer calories. Get this: Each bottle of the Light Fraps have only 100 calories – a perfect number for a snack.
I strongly recommend these smooth, refreshing, and delicious drinks. If you’ve never tried them, head off to the store immediately and grab a case. Most stores also have beverage coolers near the checkout area and many of these have individual bottles of Starbucks Fraps, so you can try a few different varieties. You’ll absolutely love each one, I guarantee it.
My daughters love to grab bottles as they head out the door for school or work. The caffeine and the sheer experience, alone, help them ease into the day.
I’ll be honest, I love them at any time of the day or night. When I’m sitting, working at my computer, I love to have one nearby. My favorite is the Mocha because as an addict of coffee AND chocolate, this allows me to feed two addictions with one spoon. Or bottle, as it were.
However, I also love the other flavors, Vanilla and Coffee. They’re all exceptional, fun, and delicious beyond reason.
For more information, and a fun experience, visit Starbucks Frappucino.com
Coca-Cola, more than just about any logo or brand you can think of, symbolizes true Americana. That’s why (along with the upbeat attitude and great taste) so many people are drawn to Coca-Cola collector’s items. My mom collected Coca-Cola metal trays, bottles, and a whole host of other products and when she suddenly and unexpectedly decided to move on to Heaven, I gave all of her beloved Coca-Cola products a place to call home.
I’ve fallen in love with the logo and collector’s items, myself, and now consider myself a collector of all things Coca-Cola. I think it’s a great image, a great logo, and a big, beautiful slice of American history.
Click through any of the links for LOTS more. You’ll find vintage metal signs, tumblers, towels, and things you never even thought of. The website also features Sprite, Diet Coke (a personal favorite!) and Fanta.
By the way, speaking of Coca-Cola, have you ever tried Coke Zero? In my opinion, it tastes just like regular Coca-Cola… fantastic! For some reason (probably has a lot to do with baseball games and picnics), Coke tastes like summer to me. A hot dog and an ice cold Coca-Cola… it’s always the right time for that combination.
