by Joi on February 18, 2010
Wow, I didn’t see this one coming. As you know, I am the epitome of a coffee expert. My husband and our oldest daughter (Emily) are the same way. What can I say, we know our java. We always have a fresh pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and we certainly know the spots around town with the best coffee when we need a quick fix away from home.
Emily and I are completely wild about Burger King’s coffee. For some reason, it is just always tastes outstanding. Apparently it’s about to get even more outstanding, if that’s possible. Starting this summer, new coffee will be served at Burger King’s nationwide.
Burger King will roll-out Starbucks Corp.’s Seattle’s Best Coffee to more than 7,000 of its restaurants in the United States. Burger King’s brand, BK Joe will be forced into retirement. Emily and I will miss it something fierce.
John Schaufelberger, senior vice president of Burger King’s global product marketing and innovation, told The Associated Press that coffee switcheroo is part of a continued effort to improve its breakfast business. He called Burger King’s morning menu one of their “top strategic priorities.”
Seattle Best Brand, which I love by the way, is one of coffee giants Starbuck’s babies. Starbuck’s acquired the Seattle’s Best brand in 2003. Seattle’s Best Brand is already served at 9,000 Subway franchises.
One of the most popular posts I’ve ever had on this blog involved Starbuck’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. I still get e-mails about it, people wondering how to make it at home and if I have any idea if they’ll bring it back or not. My fingers are crossed that they’ll bring it back next fall or winter. Fingers crossed.
However, with a little creativity, you could actually have one now. I was in one of my local Starbucks recently (inside the Owensboro, Kentucky Target), talking to a super friendly barista. As she was fixing my Earl Grey Latte, I told her how much I missed the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. She said that a lot of customers said the same thing. She said that customers could still have them made except for the sea salt that goes on top.
Here’s the kicker – the mixture that they top the drink off with is a combination of sea salt and raw sugar. She pointed to the counter where they have cinnamon, sugar, etc. setting out and said that if I ever had a little sea salt – all I’d have to do is throw a little bit of it on top with a little raw sugar and bada bing, Heaven in a cup.
If you want to attempt the deliciousness at home, it’s entirely possible thanks to Starbucks Gourmet Hot Cocoa
. Seriously, load up on the stuff.
When you’ve made your own cup of hot cocoa, put some whipped topping on top, drizzle on thick caramel, and finish off with a dash of sea salt and raw sugar on top of that.
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
by Joi on December 31, 2008
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!
by Joi on October 3, 2008
Your orders for the day: Find the Starbucks nearest you and get thyself to it Godspeed. Walk in like you own the place (that’s my M.O. anyway) and order a Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate. Don’t let the word “salted” trip you up. It’s just a little perfectly Heavenly salt ground on top. It compliments the whole shebang in a way that ought to be illegal in 49 states. We’ll let Texas get away with it, they’re bigger than we are.
Starbucks regular Hot Chocolate is completely delicious, itself. In the fall and winter, I go back and forth between Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider (delicious!) and one of my greatest addictions – Chai Tea. But since I tried the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, I’ve kind of been stuck. Funny, but I seldom actually get coffee at Starbucks. I guess it’s because I always have coffee made at home (and often with Starbucks coffee beans), so getting it out doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Of course, my husband would say I don’t order coffee at Starbucks because it’s cheaper than the other drinks, and that goes against something I stand for.
*Sniff* I love how he knows me so well.
By the way (or “Buy the way”), the link below will take you to a site called Coffee For Less. I’ve used the link that’ll hook you up with one of my favorite coffee beans: Starbucks Caffee Verona. It’s bold, aromatic, and makes you happy to be alive.
Try the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate! – It’ll blow the roof off your mind.
As if we NEED another reason, using our Starbucks Card today makes a lot of “cents.” In celebration of Earth Day, Starbucks will donate 5 cents to Conservation International each time a card holder makes a purchase.
If you don’t have a Starbucks card or if, like me, yours stays maxed out – you can make a woderfully appreciated donation by clicking the link below. The Conservation International website points out that for each $10 raised, 10 trees are planted in Chiapas, Mexico.
The earth loves that!
http://www.conservation.org/campaigns/starbucks/Pages/default.aspx
From a CI Press Release:
“Since 1998, Starbucks and CI have collaborated to demonstrate that coffee can be grown in ways that support communities and preserve the environment,” said Ben Packard, Starbucks vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. “Through this next phase of our relationship, we hope to extend our leadership in coffee sustainability and to invite our customers to join us in promoting the protection of forests as a solution to climate change.”
CI and Starbucks recently announced a five-year global commitment to support farming communities, encourage the protection of their land, water and forests, including a three year multi-million dollar financial commitment. By taking conservation beyond coffee farms and into surrounding landscapes, CI and Starbucks are addressing the most pressing environmental issue of our day—climate change. Beginning in Mexico and Indonesia, Starbucks and CI will pilot projects that create climate solutions through the protection of standing forests and restoration of degraded landscapes.
“The issue of climate change is everyone’s issue, and by engaging Starbucks customers in one of the solutions to climate change is very encouraging,” said Glenn Prickett, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, Conservation International. “Buying a cup of coffee may seem like too small an action to make a difference, but simple changes can be multiplied to reach a scale never before realized – and we are saving thousands of acres of tropical forests in the process.”
Almost 20 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions result from the burning and clearing of forests, nearly double the emissions from all of the world’s cars, trucks, and trains combined. Starbucks investment in and support for local coffee growers and the communities that help keep forests intact will help ensure that every cup of coffee brewed produces tangible benefits for both local and global communities.
Coffee, Tea, or a pastry? I’ll have all three. (I’ll need to get another Starbucks card first, though.)
Click HERE to learn how easy it is to live green!
