From the category archives:

Tea

Toddy Cold Brewing System: Coffee That’ll Make You Swoon

by Joi on August 25, 2010

“(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.

Chick-fil-A Sets a Tea-mendous Guinness Record

by Joi on August 10, 2010

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….

Make Starbucks Drinks at Home

by Joi on March 5, 2010

I’m a Starbucks fanatic and a green tea addict – so it’s only logical that I’d be a Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino fanaddict. When the weather’s cold, I almost always go with Chai Tea Lattes, Skinny Caramel or Mocha Lattes, or hot tea – but when the weather begins to warm up, they know what I’m there for.

My youngest daughter, Stephany, and I are completely hooked on the Green Tea Frappuccinos made with whipped topping on top and drizzled with raspberry syrup. Some people like the syrup mixed in with the green tea, itself – but it’s much prettier and much tastier if they just drizzle some on top. We both threw ourselves into one yesterday while out enjoying every single digit of the 49 degrees. That may not sound too warm, but it is when your weather’s been in the 20′s longer than my aunt was. She outsmarts the rest of us. She spends about 20 years in each decade.

While driving along slurpping, ooohing, and ahhhing, I thought how outstanding Starbucks Raspberry Syrup would be on smoothies, ice cream, pound cake, white cake with white icing, cool whip covering strawberries or hot green tea, my hand… This stuff is that good.

I jumped online and found that you can order some of your very own. In fact, you can order any of their remarkable syrups and get all kinds of remarkable in your kitchen. Think about the possibilities with each of these:

Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

Starbucks Caramel Syrup

Starbucks Hazelnut Syrup

Starbucks Vanilla Syrup

Click through any of the flavors listed for more information – there are also Sugar Free versions available. My mind just doesn’t spend much time with the words sugar free. Sometimes when I’m huffing and puffing on the treadmill I wish it did. But, there you have it.

I’d recommend each one of these perfect syrups for flavoring coffee and/or using in the seductive manners I described. Whatever you do, you MUST grab a bottle of the Starbucks Raspberry Syrup and a bottle of the Starbucks Caramel Syrup.

You can have a lot of success making Starbucks-like drinks at home, but having great coffee, great tea bags, and these flavored syrups are essential. And delicious!

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows Make Life Tastier: One Hot Chocolate at a Time

by Joi on December 16, 2009

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

Oh Joy! Oh Happiness! Oh Unspeakable pleasure! I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I’m either in the middle of a cup of coffee, a chocolate experience, a delicious cookie, or am currently going one on one with candy of some sort.

I’m actually sort of out-doing myself right now. I just finished my pot of coffee and am losing myself in the best cup of hot chocolate I’ve EVER had. Did you catch that? – - – - EVER!

As always, I made my favorite Hot Chocolate recipe (It’s the one on the back of Kroger’s Baking Cocoa – funny, huh? I’ve tried every hot chocolate recipe known to exist and the best one is on a container of baking cocoa…and a store brand at that! What!?) This recipe always, always, always makes an outstanding cup of hot cocoa. However, I was feeling pretty full of myself this morning, so I kicked it up a notch. Right before I laddled the hot chocolate into our eager holiday mugs (my oldest daughter Emily is always my partner in hot chocolate adventures), I stirred in a little Hershey’s chocolate syrup.

Then, I poured the chocolate, aromatic, liquid Heaven into our cups. I topped hers off with three Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows – the look on her face was all I needed to tell me that she was in Chocolate Heaven and didn’t want to ever return. I took a sip and I must say – it doesn’t get any chocolate-y-er than this. YUM!

I topped my hot cocoa off with 3 Caramel Swirl Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. Then, with my intentions clear, I sprinkled on a little Sea Salt. You got it! I was aiming for the effect of Starbuck’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. I honestly, humbly, and with chocolate and marshmallow goo on my face believe I outdid myself. This was a truly remarkable, ridiculously delicious cup of hot chocolate. I’ll just go ahead and say it – it’s even better than the drink Starbucks once made (then heartlessly yanked away!). The delicious caramel flavoring in these marshmallows isn’t just delicious – it’s slap your face delicious.

The same is true of the Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. I know my chocolate, and these are premium, first class chocolate marshmallows. They earn the term Gourmet with every single bite.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

I’ve thrown the Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows on top of a dollop of homemade whipped topping in coffee and highly recommend it! Think about it: Coffee, chocolate, candy… all in one place. It makes a remarkable cup of coffee that tastes like it came from a coffeehouse.

I’ve also tried the Luscious Lemony Meringue Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. If the amazing smell of these gourmet marshmallows doesn’t knock you out, the flavor will. Heavenly! I toss them on top of hot tea – for those of you who (silly gooses!) who don’t care for green tea, these gourmet marshmallows will make the experience one to remember. You’ll drink every last drop.

The different flavors of gourmet marshmallows are outstanding on smores, too. I just build them and put them in the microwave. Everyone loves them. They’re perfect, beautiful, and delicious snacks for eating during ballgames, holiday specials, reruns of Andy Griffith, or your favorite Food Network show.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

I’ve also toasted them (on the stove) and used them as dips for chocolate and caramel sauces. Amazing… that’s the best word for the experience… amazing!

There are Peppi-Mint, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Bean varieties that I’ve yet to try. I’m especially eager to meet the Peppi-Mint and Vanilla Bean flavors. Oh the plans I have for them!!!

Do yourself (and the people you’d consent to share with) a wonderful favor and head over to Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows to read more and, best of all, to order your own gourmet marshmallows. These are NOT, NOT, NOT like traditional, store-bought marshmallows. It’s like the difference between an eagle and a housefly.

Drat. My mug’s empty. Time to make more!

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows on YouTube!

Eating Healthy: My Top 10 Tools of the Trade

by Joi on December 7, 2009

Vanilla Rice Dreams

In the quest to eat healthier and, even more importantly, to feed my family healthier foods and drinks, I have stumbled upon one blinding fact: If you don’t buy it, it won’t be eaten. This fact, of course has a twin: If you buy it, chances are good that it will be eaten.

Fancy that, potato chips left in Kroger stay in Kroger. Soft drinks unpurchased will be unopened.

Cool!

Naturally, some “healthy” foods and drinks fall flat and my husband and daughters let me know they have no desire to ever see it again. However, I’ve been delighted to find that 98 percent of the foods and drinks we’ve tried have become MUST HAVES in our house – and I never allow us to run out… or even low.

Below are my top 10 current healthy food/drink favorites. Some are new to me while I’ve been enjoying others for some time now.

Diet Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng. This is THE miracle worker drink – the drink that got me off of my diet soft drink obsession. I used to go through a 2 liter of Diet Dr. Pepper daily. I tried to switch to other drinks, but to no avail. I’d always go back to “the stuff.” Then I happened upon Diet Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and have that was that. I think it’s outstanding.
Vanilla Rice Dream Refrigerated Non-Dairy Beverage. How’s that for a mouthful? I just call it the one way I get my calcium. Not only am I a little lactose-intolerant, I’m honestly not too fond of the taste of milk. I always wanted to up my calcium intake but didn’t know quite how to go about it… not with a smile on my taste buds, anyway. Fortunately, Vanilla Rice Dreams doesn’t just make my taste buds smile, it makes them sing, dance, and break out in giggly fits of joy. I love it on cereal as well as straight from the glass. As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying every sip of a glass right now – as I do every evening. It seems to make my sleep even sweeter. Rice Dream is also available in Original, which is also fantastic. Look for them both in the health food section of your favorite grocery store. I just noticed on their website that they have non-dairy frozen desserts. I haven’t, yet, had the pleasure.

Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Bars

Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Bars. Perfectly delicious! I keep intending to try the other flavors, but this one is so remarkable that I can’t tear myself away.
Butterball Turkey Bacon. I’ll admit, my husband isn’t sold on this one, yet. However, my daughters (the two who aren’t vegetarians, that is) and I absolutely love Butterball’s turkey bacon. I’ve tried different brands and Butterball is definitely the best. Makes sense, right?
Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt. You can taste the quality and commitment to excellence in each bite. This stuff is creamy and dreamy.
Stonyfield Farms Cream Top. Use Stonyfield’s Cream Top in place of sour cream on bean burritos, potatoes, or anywhere else – no one will ever know the difference. Stonyfield products are often found in the health food section of your grocery store. Personally, I’ve never seen them grouped with the other yogurts.
Sargento’s Reduced Fat Cheeses. Each time I take a bite of one of Sargento’s reduced fat cheeses I think, “Nuh-huh. No way are you reduced.“ Then, I double-check the package, and return to my sandwich, panini, or folded cheese that creates its own little sandwich – sans bread. I’ve used the shredded reduced fat varieties in salads, scrambled eggs, on pasta, pizza, and so on. The slices? I’d challenge you to name one thing I haven’t slapped them on. The reduced fat Colby Jack is stupid good. They even offer string cheese that has been reduced in fat. (Although the taste will make you say, “Nuh-huh.“)
Quaker Oatmeal Squares. I’m huge on cereal – especially now that Rice Dreams has entered my life. For a great, eye-opening article on Choosing the Healthiest Breakfast Cereals, click the link. I had to smile when I saw some of my favorites on the list. Only problem is, where oh where are Coco Crispies?!
Truvia. Nature’s perfect sweetener, and as always – nature knows what it’s doing. If you’re wanting to pull yourself away from artificial sweeteners (and, come on, shouldn’t we all put as much distance between ourselves and artificial anything?) – give Truvia a try. I love it muchly.
Eggland’s Best Cage Free and Organic Eggs. As someone who loves making, serving, and eating breakfast food, I’m delighted with the taste and quality of these wonderful eggs. As someone who loves animals so much it makes her head spin, I’m overjoyed that they’re Cage-Free. From Eggland’s Best.com:Q. What does “cage free” mean?
A. The hens selected to lay Eggland’s Best Cage Free eggs are not kept in cages and are free to roam. The hens are provided with sunlight, shade, shelter, an exercise area, fresh air, and are protected from predators.

Q. What does Organic mean?
A. Eggland’s Best Organic brown eggs come from cage free hens that are fed a certified organic version of the patented, all-natural, all-vegetarian Eggland’s Best hen feed.

I hope you’ll start experimenting with healthier foods in your own home. I wholeheartedly recommend each of the above. I would like to give an extra little push for Cage-Free eggs. I promise you, once you start buying Eggland’s Best Organic and Cage-Free eggs, you won’t want any other eggs… ever.

Eggland's Best Organic Cage-Free Eggs

EDIT: I tried the Nutri-Grain Blueberry Cereal bar today. It’s every bit as delicious as the apple cinnamon variety! Truly, truly delicious. It tastes like a little blueberry pie without the scads of calories. Next up? Strawberry!

EDIT #2: The list has grown to a Favorite Top 11 Healthy Foods and Drinks List. Click the link to see the newest member!

Matcha Green Tea Powder: Green Tea on Hyper Drive

by Joi on July 14, 2009

matcha green tea powder

What is Matcha Powdered Green Tea?
Matcha is premium green tea powder from Japan used for drinking as tea or as an ingredient in recipes. While other green teas are grown throughout the world, matcha is unique to Japan. It is the heart of the Japanese way of tea and has been celebrated in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony for hundreds of years. - MatchaSource.com

I am, as I’m typing these words, enjoying an amazing Iced Green Tea Latte. No, I haven’t been to Starbucks (not today, anyway). I made this beautiful and delicious green drink at home using Matcha Green Tea powder from Matcha Source. It’s the first time I’ve used Matcha, but it most certainly won’t be the last.

In preparing for this review, I actually brewed two hot Matcha Green Tea Lattes – one for myself and one for my daughter Emily – she LOVES hot tea but is proving to be a hard one to win over to green tea (don’t know where I went wrong with this girl). I also made an Chilled Matcha Green Tea Latte because I’m addicted to Starbucks Green Tea fraps and have always wanted a way to capture the magic at home.

Emily didn’t know what I was brewing (literally) in the kitchen, so she didn’t know what to expect when I walked up behind her and handed her a hot mug with a little cool whip on top. I’m forever making different types of hot chocolate, lattes, and teas in the kitchen – so her hopes were high. When she saw the green color, though, her smile sort of straightened out and she said, “Oh, Lord.” She knew her green tea loving mom was at it again. My family just never knows what sort of herbal or green teas I’m going to come at them with next!

She took a drink and said, “Wow! That’s actually delicious.” She then finished the entire cup before I could make it back into the kitchen to get back to mine! I sat down at the table, trying to decide if I liked the iced or hot best and she brought me her cup to show off – she pointed out that she’d even “cleaned” the bottom where a few specks had remained. And I hadn’t even sweetened the drinks at all!

One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content.

I believe I might like the chilled Matcha Green Tea Latte a little better than the hot, but it’s almost too close to call. Maybe it’s because it’s summer and ice cold drinks just seem so right. I do know that I intend to keep Matcha Green Tea powder on hand from now on.

Matcha Green Tea Health Benefits:

Rich in Antioxidants: Antioxidants slow down the aging process and help the body to fend off diseases. Matcha tea is actually higher in antioxidants than blueberries and spinach. Somebody had better tell Popeye! A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. According to research done by Tufts University, the ORAC capacity of matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.The ORAC rating of matcha is 1300 units/g, compared to 105 units/g for pomegranates and 91 units/g for wild blueberries. If that’s not worth a WOW! – nothing is.
Contains Catechins Only Found in Green Tea: Catechins are a class of antioxidants that are found only in green tea. What’s more, this class may be the most powerful of all antioxidants. And of the catechins, EGCg (epicgallocatechin gallate) is the catechin with broadest and most potent cancer-fighting properties. Sixty percent of the catechin content of matcha tea is EGCg. One gram of matcha contains 105 mg of total catechin content, or roughly 61% EGCg.
Naturally Mood Enhancing: I’m not sure what the properties or explanations are, but Green Tea simply makes you feel good, and since Matcha Green Tea is green tea on hyper drive, it makes you feel all kinds of good.
Zero on the Glycemic Index: Will not raise insulin levels
Cleanses the Body of Toxins: Chlorophyll, the pigment which gives leaves their green color, helps to remove heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body. Because matcha powdered tea is fully ingested when consumed, unlike tea leaves which are infused then discarded, and because matcha is shade grown, a process which increases the chlorophyll content in the leaves, matcha tea is a chlorophyll rich food.
Sugar-free and High in Fiber: It also gives you more energy – which leads to more activity. Green Tea is a dieter’s best friend!
Helps you relax: Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind.

I can promise you this: The Matcha Green Tea Latte and Chilled Matcha Green Tea Latte are fantastic. I can’t wait to try the Matcha Smoothie (below).

Matcha Green Tea Smoothie

1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp honey or sugar
1 tsp ingredient grade matcha
1/2 cup ice cubes

Blend ingredients together in electric blender. Pour into a tall glass. Experiment with adding berries, bananas and fruit juice.

For more recipes and to place an order for your own Matcha Green Tea Powder, visit their website. Below are a few links that’ll serve you well!

Matcha Source – Green Tea Powder from Japan

New to Matcha Green Tea?

Recipe for Matcha Green Tea Latte

New Tastes in Green Tea (book)

Recipe for Matcha Ginger Green Tea (Yum!)

More recipes featuring Matcha Green Tea Powder, the surprise ingredient of the summer! These recipes include Matcha Green Tea Ice cream, Matcha Buttercream Frosting (yes, please), Truffles, poached eggs, cookies and more. My family is in for so much green goodness they might just develop a Kermit-like complexion.

Be sure to visit MatchaSource’s shop for Matcha utensils, bowls, teas, etc.

Matcha Buttercream Frosting

Fidalgo Bay Coffee – You Can Taste the Class

by Joi on February 9, 2009

Fidalgo Bay Coffee

There are certain things in this world that I consider myself to be an expert on: Raising daughters, cooking, Dean Koontz books, herbs, chocolate, polar bears, and coffee. Definitely coffee. The girl knows her coffee.

Whenever my husband (Michael) is near Murray, Kentucky, he stops for a cup of coffee at the Fidalgo Bay Coffee Shop. One morning, however, the cup proved too flimsy for the lid (or his “golf grip hand” was too strong) and coffee went all over him and his ipod. Not a completely happpy ending.

He mentioned it on his business blog. I believe it was more of a “Watch out for this type of thing before it happens to you” type of thing than a gripe fest.

Months later, he had actually forgotten about it. We had been back to the coffee shop quite a few times and always enjoyed their delicious coffee and friendly baristas.

A few weeks ago, however, Michael got an e-mail from someone with Fidalgo Bay. She told him that they had seen his post, were very sorry, and would like to send him something to make amends. She asked for his address, but he was thinking that everything was cool and that she didn’t need to send anything. THEN, the man that I love so dearly realized that she would probably be sending coffee and he coughed up our address.

I didn’t even have to hit him on the back.

I’m here to tell you that when Fidalgo Bay makes amends, they make amends. In addition to two gorgeous travel mugs featuring their beautiful logo, they sent:

12 oz. bag of Organic French Roast Whole Beans
12 oz. bag of Daybreak Blend Whole Beans (What I’m drinking at the moment!)
12 oz. bag of Organic Cafe’ Selvanica Whole Beans
12 oz. bag of Sunset French Whole Beans
Box of Numi Breakfast Blend Organic Full Leaf Tea Bags
Box of Numi Gunpowder Green Organic Green Tea Bags

It was Christmas in January!

My oldest daughter and I are huge fans of the Fidalgo Bay Breakfast Blend tea (a black tea with a personality so strong he can substitute for a cup of coffee at a moment’s notice). The caffeine is higher in this tea, so when we do grab a cup of Breakfast Blend instead of coffee, our body doesn’t seem to realize the switch. It’s brilliantly convenient when we simply don’t want to make a whole pot of coffee.

I’m equally thrilled with the Numi Gunpowder Green Tea. I’m already a huge fan of green tea, but I’ve had trouble getting my husband to drink it. Whenever I offer some to him, he just crinkles his nose and makes a face like I just offered him pickled squid. But get this: He tried the Gunpowder Green tea and now even requests a cup of this green tea! It does have a extra special taste and can win anyone over to team Green.

Speaking of green, I LOVE that these teas, as well as many of Fidalgo Bay’s coffees are organic. Just what does that mean, you may ask? I’ll let the words on the bag of Organic French Roast explain:

Beans are allowed to ripen slowly under a canopy of shade trees, which provide a natural habitat for animals and migratory birds. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used. Each harvest is hand-picked and sundried in the open air to preserve the natural character and earthy flavors of these special coffees. Even the pulp residue reproduced during the drying and milling process is composted and recycled into organic fertilizer for future plantings.

This is a costly process. That’s why we pay a premium to farmers who are dedicated to preserving these high quality, socially responsible farming traditions. It’s a commitment you’ll savor with every cup of our Nature’s Crest organic coffees.

Fidalgo Bay Daybreak Blend Coffee Everyone’s a winner – the farmer’s, the farmer’s families, the coffee drinkers, and Fidalgo Bay, of course, who secures some AMAZING coffee and a stellar reputation.

Fidalgo Bay coffees are very, very special. They have a spirited personality, an intoxicating aroma, and a remarkably delicious flavor. I just ground the last of the Daybreak Blend this morning. Fidalgo Bay Daybreak Blend has a fresh, rich, nutty flavor. It’s easily one of my favorite coffees I’ve ever enjoyed.

I also love the Fidalgo bay Sunset French Coffee. It’s a bold, rich, coffee with a strong sense of itself. Before I brewed a pot of this beautiful coffee, I read on the bag that it had a “Smokey Finish.” A million question marks marched around my head – A smokey finish..what??? After I tasted my first sip, though, the question marks turned into exclamation marks and they stopped marching and started dancing. There is a delightfully delicious smokey finish and it’s one you and your own dancing exclamation marks would have to experience for yourself.

Actually, you’ll want to experience all of Fidalgo Bay’s coffees because, I can honestly tell you they don’t seem capable of making a disappointing or even average coffee. I only wish they were available in grocery stores! However, they do have a website, which means you can buy online – and we all know how easy that is.

Visit Fidalgo Bay Coffee today and order a couple of bags of their rich, delicious coffee. Then watch for your delivery and prepare to be blown away. You don’t drink Fidalgo Bay Coffee, you experience it.

Coffee Beans

Gorgeous Starbucks Global Mugs Would Make a Great Collection

by Joi on January 18, 2009

Nobody loves Starbucks like I love Starbucks – I’m totally comfortable with that claim. Not only do I frequent each of the three Starbucks in Owensboro (I like to spread the love), my kitchen echoes my sentiments. You can always find several bags of Starbucks coffee beans on the counter, Starbucks mugs in the cabinets, tumblers, and (of course) the full or half full coffee, tea, or latte that I’ve recently snagged.

I just found these gorgeous mugs online, at the Starbucks website – yes, I even stalk them online. It occurs to me that they’d make a great collection, so.. um, yeah… I’m going with that idea. Click through to see the rest of the gorgeous mugs they have. Starbucks is the reason, you know, that drinking coffee is so vogue, classy, and even sexy.

Starbucks Coffees 12-oz. NY Global Series Mug

Starbucks Coffees 12-oz. Chicago Global Series Mug

Starbucks Coffees 12-oz. San Francisco Global Series Mug

Starbucks Coffees 12-oz. Hawaii Global Series Mug

Starbucks Coffees 12-oz. Seattle Global Series Mug

Starbucks London Fog Latte and Apple Chai Tea are Darn Good

by Joi on January 2, 2009

Back to back Starbucks posts? A new personal best.

The husband and I went to Owensboro’s main Starbucks tonight to see if they had the new teas yet. They did – they’re just marvelous like that. I tried the London Fog because if they’re clever enough to come up with such a great name, I’m game. The London Fog is a Latte that uses Earl Grey tea as the main ingredient. It’s like a Chai Tea Latte, but at the last minute Earl Grey substitutes for the Chai. I love Earl Grey tea dearly, so I loved the London Fog dearly. It’s really, really good.

My husband got the Apple Chai tea and it was fantastic, too. It tasted like a cross between Starbucks’ Apple Cider (which is Heavenly) and Chai Tea (also Heavenly). Both drinks were as good as I’d hoped they’d be.

Starbucks Turns Over a Couple of New Tea Leafs

by Joi on December 31, 2008

Starbucks Logo Starbucks is doing their part to help all of us keep those healthy New Year’s Resolutions. Tuesday, they announced that they’ll offer three new tea-based lattes and two nondairy tea drinks on Saturday as part of a campaign for giving customers healthier choices.

All but one of the new drinks is less than 200 calories for a “tall” drink (12 oz). The new varieties include the Black Tea Latte, the Vanilla Rooibos Latte and the London Fog latte. These will join the Chai Tea Latte, which I enjoy several times a week – including last night!

Starbucks will also launch new Tazo Tea Infusions – nondairy drinks made with Tazo black chai tea and fruit juice. One will be a Berry Chai Infusion, made with berry and black currant juices, and the other will be an Apple Chai Infusion, made with apple juice.

“The same way we transformed American coffee culture, we want to deliver an exceptional tea experience for customers with our new Tazo Tea Lattes and Tea Infusions,” said Michelle Gass, executive vice president of marketing and category, said in a statement.

Thisi is another delicious effort that Starbucks is making to give its customers healthier options. They’ve already introduced more whole-grain, low fat breakfast offerings, including an instant oatmeal that has been hugely popular…. and Heavenly!

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