Coffee

Latte Pops with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

August 12, 2017 By Joi Sigers

All cooks have their favorite, “go to” ingredients – many of us actually share a lot of the same faves:

butter
garlic
freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
cumin
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
vanilla extract
EVOO
etc.

Then there are those of us who have our own unique favorites that we wouldn’t dream of EVER running low on, let alone out of.

In addition to those above, a few of mine are:

cilantro
buttermilk
Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
honey
orange marmalade

Yes, sweetened condensed milk and yes, it must be Eagle Brand. It’s simply better, period.

I use sweetened condensed milk in so many different ways, a good 3 cans has to be in the pantry at all times. If it got under 2, I’m pretty sure a culinary nervous breakdown wouldn’t be far away.

Three of the ways I use Eagle Brand the most are…

I add a can to cake mix batter – it makes the cake more moist and (as you’d expect) richer. Gluten-free cakes tend to dry out sooner than other cakes and Eagle Brand keeps this from happening. Magic!
I also use Eagle Brand often… make that OFTEN… when making “Coffeehouse” type fraps and lattes. There isn’t any need to add sugar, obviously. Just combine the sweetened condensed milk and coffee (hot or iced) in a blender and you’re set.
Eagle Brand makes the best pies of all time, including my personal favorite Sweet Potato Pie recipe. Trust me, save this one for Autumn. You’ll want it for Thanksgiving as well as the days leading up to it!

This summer I came up with another favorite way to put this particular favorite ingredient to use – Frozen Latte Pops. Again, as is the case with anything you make with Eagle Brand, it couldn’t be simpler.

I pour iced coffee and Eagle Brand into frozen Popsicle molds and freeze them until solid. It doesn’t get any easier than that, right? Sometimes I add a splash of Vanilla Syrup along with the “magic” and coffee, but it isn’t necessary.

These pops taste Heavenly and I get a giddy kick out of the white stripe at the bottom. That white stripe is pure deliciousness.

If you don’t have Popsicle molds, fill an ice cube tray up with the combination and freeze. When solid, crush the yumminess up with a spoon and…. well, you know what to do at this point.

For wonderful Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipes, visit their website.

Review: Miss Ellie’s Coffee – More Than a Pretty Face

April 10, 2017 By Joi Sigers

Miss Ellie’s Coffee New Orleans Roast (Perfect)

I always love the sweet life of being a food blogger, but there are times I love it even more than others – such as the times I’m sent coffee in exchange for telling my readers about it. Oh, yeah, that’s when I love it almost as much as my next breath.

I was recently sent a great collection of Miss Ellie’s Coffee, as well as a beautiful coffee cake – which was above and beyond cool of them – and it’s my supreme pleasure to tell you all about this wonderful coffee.

First of all, a reminder about my coffee reviews. I keep the reviews simple and pretty much in everyday Jane and Joe language. I don’t get too heavily into the extra details of a coffee because my food blog audience (like me) are most concerned about…

… the taste of the coffee.
… the value of the coffee.
… the people on the other side of the label.
… if this is a coffee they have to order online, what makes it worth the effort?
… and perhaps most importantly, what sets this coffee apart from the rest?

If we’re being honest, the question, “What sets this coffee apart from the rest?” is always the first question I ask myself when trying a new coffee. If I can’t come up with an answer, then Houston, we have a problem!

Fortunately, it’s been my experience that if people are willing to send you their coffee in exchange for telling your readers about it, they are confident about what they’re bagging and this confidence is almost, without fail, very well placed.

That’s certainly the case with Miss Ellie’s Coffee. When I eagerly opened the box of coffee (think 5 year old on Christmas morning), one look at the coffee bags gave me my first glimpse into one of the things that sets this coffee apart from the rest… as in all the rest.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a bag of coffee carry the individual’s face.

And what a beautiful face, at that! I mean we’re talking Disney Princess level beautiful – but that’s beside the point. As the mother of three Disney Princess level beautiful daughters, I just happen to notice things like this.

Naturally, the loveliness of the face isn’t what truly matters. To me, it’s the bold confidence and warm friendliness.

Bold Confidence: To put your face (lovely or not) on a bag of coffee, you have to be very confident about that coffee. You have to feel darn good about what you’re bagging to stand behind it… well, in front of it, if we’re being literal. Almost always.. almost without fail… those who are the most confident are this way for a reason.
Warm Friendliness: The smiling face on the coffee bags says, “Let’s have a cup of coffee together!” to me. In fact, everything about Miss Ellie’s online presence carries the same warm attitude and that totally and completely stands out to me.

Miss Ellie’s Coffee is Truly Exceptional Coffee

We buy a lot of different coffee in our household. It’s a great passion and we love to try as many different ones as possible. I’m also (blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed…) sent coffee regularly to review on my food blog and (blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed…) tea to review on my tea blog. So, if I say someone has carved out an identity for themselves that stands apart from the majority of the rest – please take my word for it.

Each coffee we’ve sampled from Miss Ellie’s has rocked our coffee world. EACH one. We opened the New Orleans first – what can I say, we liked the name. It’s as deep as that.

I may have mentioned this on the food blog before, I’m not sure – but my first cup of coffee each morning is “Bulletproof Coffee.” This is a delicious and healthy technique for fixing coffee which involves a little real butter and nutritious coconut oil. If you click the link I just dropped (after finishing this coffee review, of course!), you can learn how to make it from the master himself, Dave Asprey.

Miss Ellie’s New Orleans Makes an EXCELLENT Bulletproof Coffee

Fascinatingly, we have found that not all coffee makes wonderful bulletproof coffee. I guess it’s really common sense, but it always fascinates me nonetheless. Some coffee makes okay bulletproof coffee, some makes good bulletproof coffee, some makes great bulletproof coffee, and some makes exceptional bulletproof coffee.

Miss Ellie’s New Orleans Roast makes some of the most exceptional bulletproof coffee we’ve ever had. In fact, I’ve never had a coffee that made a better one than New Orleans.

After my bulletproof coffee each morning, I go on to have 2-4 cups of pour-over coffee, so I was really anxious to see if the New Orleans roast was as fantastic on its own….. in a more traditional cup of coffee.

Was it ever?! This is simply a beautiful, beautiful coffee and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

From Miss Ellie’s Coffee: This medium roast New Orleans coffee is a blend of selected beans from Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Colombia. We chose this Nawlin’s roast because of the history of the south. Miss Ellie’s medium beans are hand roasted to perfection.

Miss Ellie’s New Orleans in Bulletproof Coffee

Miss Ellie’s Colombian Roast

The next Miss Ellie’s Coffee we tried was the Colombian Blend. Naturally we tried it in a Bulletproof Coffee, first. We were anxious to see if it made as excellent a cup of Bulletproof Coffee as the New Orleans blend did. While it was absolutely delicious, I’d have to say that the New Orleans beans were EVEN better. This isn’t a knock, at all, against the Colombian.. it’s just a nod to the New Orleans.

The Colombian does, however, make every bit as wonderful a cup of pour-over coffee as the New Orleans. It’s rich, bold, and unmistakably Colombian. I love for a Colombian coffee to be proud of its heritage and this one is as proud as it gets!

Miss Ellie’s Colombian with Heavy Whipping Cream – Decadent and Delicious

When it comes to most coffee, if I’m not drinking it Bulletproof-Style, I drink it black. However, when it’s a Colombian blend, I love a little heavy whipping cream in my cup. It is simply HEAVENLY! Miss Ellie’s Colombian makes an absolutely perfect, ridiculously delicious cup of coffee – especially (in my opinion) with a little heavy whipping cream. Decadent and delicious.

As you can see in the picture above, I decided to celebrate the first day of baseball season (GO CARDINALS!!!) with the Colombian. For this baseball fanatic to choose a coffee as the one she celebrates the first day of baseball with is a compliment of the highest order.

The Colombian with whipping cream and the New Orleans in Bulletproof Coffee have become two of my newest and most treasured obsessions. They’re legendary, that’s all. Legendary.

Miss Ellie’s Coffee is, obviously, delicious (I hope I’ve thoroughly conveyed that fact!). It’s also very reasonably priced, so the value is definitely there. I love the way they go about their business – small-business values with a big-business approach. My dealings have been top-notch in every way.

I’m not sure if you order coffee online very often – I’d say we probably order more coffee online than we buy offline. Buying coffee (or anything for that matter) online is so quick, easy, and painless that it becomes your favorite way of shopping. Zero lines, you can order in your pajamas with your cat in your lap, the coffee is brought right to you… and did I mention you can order in your pajamas with your cat in your lap.

Absolutely my favorite way to shop.

I also received some sample-size packets of flavored coffees as well and will tell you all about them tomorrow. Not surprisingly, they’re each extraordinary – it seems Miss Ellie only Makes extraordinary coffee.

I guess that’s why she’s always smiling.

For more information, see Miss Ellie’s Coffee on Coffee.org.

Alkaline88 Water: You Can Taste the Difference (and That’s a Really Good Thing)

June 29, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Alkaline88: Naturally created PH balanced water with no chemicals or additives.

I drink a lot – so much that I’ve often say it’s a good thing I don’t drink alcohol. I’m pretty sure I’d drink Otis under the table. Fortunately, I stick to tea, coffee, and coconut water. I’ve also started drinking more water lately – it’s hard to ignore all the health benefits that are associated with water. My biggest problem has always been that it didn’t do anything for me, taste-wise.

A recent bottled water I was sent to review, Alkaline88, has not only opened my mind about water, itself, it has also changed the way I look at the water I use to make tea and coffee.

Very Refreshing After an Afternoon of Yardwork!

About Alkaline88:

What do Miranda Kerr, Elton John, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Kelly Ripa, Janet Jackson and Ray Kurzweil all have in common? They’ve all gone on the record to say that they drink alkaline water! Many athletes and celebrities including are attracted to the benefits of an alkaline diet as balanced body pH results in greater energy, more restful sleep, improved digestion and fewer colds according to some medical authorities.

Alkaline88 achieves its 8.8 pH level through a state-of-the-art, completely chemical-free scientific process. Some people turn to alkaline water after over-indulging in alcoholic drinks or food while others use it as a part of their healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Jamie Koufman, an internationally renowned expert on reflux, and researcher Dr. Nikki Johnston studied how alkaline water destroyed pepsin, a stomach enzyme that when activated by acid causes painful reflux symptoms that can lead to cancer. According to the findings published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, July 2012, natural artesian alkaline water with an 8.8 pH instantaneously inactivated human pepsin in laboratory studies. Ordinary tap and bottled waters had no such effect.

As someone who suffers from GERD and reflux, that last paragraph really got my attention.

Naturally, if the taste isn’t there, the health benefits don’t carry as much weight with us, do they? For better or worse, that’s how it is with us foodies…. it’s all about the taste!

Alkaline88 is outstanding. It’s uncommonly clean-tasting and refreshing – yes, more so than other bottled water.

Something else I love about Alkaline88 is the fact that it comes in a variety of sizes. If (like me) you make a lot – make that A LOT – of tea and coffee, you’ll want to buy larger containers as well as the individual bottles (what they refer to as “small bottles”).

Alkaline88 Makes Perfect Coffee and Tea

Alkaline88 is, like I said, refreshingly delicious and “clean” right out of the bottle, but It’s especially wonderful when used for….

coffee
tea
lemonade
hot chocolate

It’s also a perfect summer drink when poured over ice with a few sprigs of mint and/or cucumber slices. Fantastic!

While Alkaline88 is growing rapidly and quickly popping up in stores around the country, one sure-fire, convenient place to find it is on Amazon.

Review: White Tale Coffee AND The White Tale Coffee Subscription Program

June 23, 2016 By Joi Sigers

White Tale Coffee: Laderas

A small (but passionate) team of coffee lovers and coffee roasters from Columbia have started a coffee subscription service called White Tale Coffee and I’d love to tell you why this is some of the best news you’ll hear all year.

But first, I have a confession to make – I’ve been working on this one review for weeks. Why? Well, I’m struggling to figure out a way to sum up 4 separate, equally outstanding coffees while spotlighting a fun, exciting new coffee subscription service.

That’s a lot to ask from one coffee-chugging, baseball-addicted, crazy cat lady in Kentucky. But she’s sure going to give it a try.

White Tale Coffee is committed to more than just providing fellow coffee lovers with exceptional cups of coffee each and every morning. They’re committed to telling the story of the farmers who grew the coffee beans, the communities that are sustained, and the journey that beans make from coffee farm to coffee cup.

White Tale takes this mission very seriously and seem to deem it an honor to be involved in the process.

I was sent a beautiful sampler set of delicious coffees in exchange for telling my readers all about the White Tale Coffee Subscription program. The program is as simple as it gets. You only have two steps:

Choose your roast
Pick your frequency

It’s that simple. I don’t know about you, but I like – I mean I really, really like simple. Of course, I don’t like simple as much as I love coffee – few things achieve that status.

A coffee subscription service isn’t of much use to anyone if the coffee isn’t good, of course. That’s why I am thrilled to tell you that each and every coffee that came in my sample box wasn’t just good…. they weren’t just great… each and every one was extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary – as in, “Dadgum, that’s some great coffee!”

As I’ve said in other coffee reviews on Get Cooking, we buy A LOT of different coffee in my family – different roasts, different roasters, different varieties. We’re passionate about coffee and feel that limiting ourselves to one or two favorites would be like limiting ourselves to one or two favorite vegetables.

Not going to happen.

The more roasters you experience, the more your enjoyment of coffee and love for coffee will grow. Coffee Subscription Services, such as White Tale’s, allow you to experience SO many different wonderful coffees from all over the world…. it’s a beautiful time to be a coffee lover, make no mistake about that.

{Review Continued Below….}

The White Tale Coffees Below Were in My Sample Pack:

Chiuta (Country: Congo) – There was a sweetness to this particular coffee with hints of berries. It was amazing with breakfast and I found it to be a necessity with desserts.

Laderas (Country: Colombia) – Bold and memorable. It’s the type of coffee you remember, you know? There was an obvious caramel flavor with a hint of tangerine. When trying a new coffee, I recommend different methods because each one often “uncovers” a different flavor. The Pour Over method uncovered the tangerine flavor that the AeroPress bypassed. There’ve been other times, of course, when the AeroPress brought out flavors missed by the pour over or immersion.

Lava Quetzal (Country: Guatemala) – A beautiful dark roast coffee that is easily associated with Guatemalan coffee. With notes of caramel, cedar, and raisin, the flavors are mind-blowing. Each of the coffees I tasted were outstanding, but this one kind of stands out to me. The complexity of the flavors fascinated me with each and every sip. Don’t get me wrong, I plan to order and re-order each one, but this one has a special place simply because it was quite unlike any coffee I’ve ever tasted.

Kivu (Country: Rwanda) – The coffee identifies itself as having notes of cocoa, sugar cane, and hibiscus and it is spot on. There is a distinct sweetness and a tiny hint of a floral flavor in the background. However, my tastebuds kept telling me the flavor was more of a marigold than hibiscus – but, either way, it is phenomenal and (like the Lava Quetzal) absolutely fascinating. This coffee also stands out to me and left a wonderful impression. I can’t wait to order another bag!

As you can see from the descriptions, I plan on ordering more White Tale coffee – many times over, if we’re being honest. That… as you’d imagine… is as good as it gets for a coffee review. Each coffee left me thinking the same thing, “That was some of the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

Basically, I don’t think you could possibly go wrong with any coffee you order from White Tale because their commitment to providing the best coffee possible is obvious with each cup.

{Review Continued Below….}

White Tale Coffee: Lava Quetzal

Whether you head over to White Tale Coffee to sign up for one of their coffee subscription services, order a sample pack, or choose a bag of one of their exceptional coffees – you will not be disappointed. I can’t say enough wonderful things about White Tale Coffee, so I will simply end on this note: White Tale Coffee isn’t just telling stories about coffee… they’re rewriting the book on great coffee.

Connect with White Tale Coffee:

Angels’ Cup Coffee Subscription Service Opens Up a Whole New World for Coffee Lovers

June 9, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Angels' Cup Black Box Coffee Subscription Service

Angels’ Cup Black BoxIf you love coffee, this is something that’s going to rock your world. Angels’ Cup is an Online Coffee Subscription Service that’s a raging success. I was recently sent four delicious coffees in an Angels’ Cup Box in exchange for telling you about their highly creative, fun, and downright delicious subscription program and app.

In a stroke of genius, Angels’ Cup has incorporated humanity’s passion for apps and socialization WITH its passion for coffee.

Kind of makes you wonder how no one else has thought of this, doesn’t it?

How Angels’ Cup Works:

1. Join the hunt. Try up to 208 different single-origin coffees this year. Plans starting at only $9.99/month. Every coffee is excellent, one might be your new favorite!

2. Blind taste test. Sample coffee without bias and decide for yourself what you like. A number on the bag will help you identify the coffee after you’ve tried it.

3. Learn from pros. Our app lets you record tasting notes and compare answers with the roastmaster to develop a superhuman sense of taste. Will your tasting notes match? – From Angels’ Cup

Why You’re Going to Love Angels’ Cup:

Coffee Subscription Services pretty much make Christmas come once a week or once a month. Each week or month you receive exciting new coffees to sample. Each coffee is a wonderful surprise – just like opening a present on Christmas morning. You don’t know exactly what it’ll be, but you know you’re going to love it. Opening an Angels’ Cup box, for a coffee lover, creates a level of excitement that’s on par with a ten year old sitting under the Christmas tree.
It’s FUN. They say you shouldn’t “play” with your food… but what do they know? Recording your tasting notes and comparing them with “experts” is unspeakably cool. Sometimes mine match, sometimes not so much. But that’s okay, experts can’t be perfect, right? I mean, it couldn’t possibly be me? In a world filled with news that seldom falls under the heading “okay” let alone “good,” and with bills, work, stress, responsibilities, and let’s not even get into politics… a little fun isn’t just a welcomed escape, it might just be a sanity-preserver.
You Call the Shots. You choose the size of box and samples you want as well as how often you want them. You can also choose whole bean, coarse grind, or fine grind. Click here for the different choices.
It’s All About the Coffee. When all’s said and done, the stars of the show are the coffee beans that come each week/month. Experiencing different coffee is a beautiful thing. When I hear someone say they always buy a certain type of coffee, I always want to point out that that’d be the same as buying the same thing for dinner every single night. I never point this out because I guess part of me is afraid they do just that!

The third one above is my personal favorite thing about Angels’ Cup. In our home, we take our coffee seriously. While we have a select number of favorite coffees and favorite coffee roasters, we absolutely LOVE to try new coffees as well as new coffee roasters. It’s one of our greatest joys in life – right up there with fried catfish and baseball. Our Angels’ Cup box included two different samples from one of our favorite roasters, Kaldi’s Coffee, a sample from Peixoto Coffee, and a sample from Tinker Coffee.

Not only were we reminded just how wonderful the two from Kaldi’s are, we’ve now been introduced to two other outstanding coffee roasters and are in the process of choosing what we want to order from each.

The four samples included in this box were each extraordinary. I’ll be writing coffee reviews for each one in the coming weeks.

Angels’ Cup is the perfect way to open up a whole wide world of coffees and roasters. I absolutely loved re-experiencing old favorites and making new favorites along the way.

Angels’ Cup is an exciting coffee subscription service and I hope you’ll give them a chance to rock your world. I promise, they’ll do just that.

Delicious Cup of Coffee from Peixoto Coffee.

Also See:

Angels’ Cup’s Roasters (a Who’s Who of coffee)
Angels’ Cup on Facebook
Angels’ Cup on Twitter
Angels’ Cup on Instagram

Angels’ Cup App (Free in the App Store)

Community Coffee’s Military Match Program: I LOVE This Even More than Coffee

May 17, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Add Community Coffee to the list of great names in coffee who now offer K-Cup Pods. I was recently sent the Golden Caramel and Breakfast Blend K-Cup Pods to try and I loved them both. I honestly expected to prefer the Golden Caramel, because I have a bit of a sweet tooth (and when I say “a bit of a..” I actually mean a mouthful). However, I can honestly say that I’m just as wild about the Breakfast Blend.

The Breakfast Blend is very well named, because it goes perfectly with eggs, bacon, and – YUM! – pancakes and syrup. It gives you a delicious, rich wake up call without any bitterness. It’s just a beautiful cup of coffee.

The Golden Caramel is, as you’d expect, decadent! This is my “go to” when I need a little pick me up around 2:00. For whatever reasons, it’s like clockwork in my home office – 2:00 brings what I call the “draggies.” My computer typing slows down, my brain all but shuts off, and I find myself gazing out the window more and looking at my computer less. It’s right around this time that my brain begins fantasizing about how great a nap on the couch would feel.

The draggies.

The draggies always bring an ultimatum, too – nap, shower, or coffee. As you’d imagine, the third choice always wins. K-Cups were custom made for the draggies!

Some coffee snobs look down their noses at K-Cups – they reason that if their coffee experience doesn’t begin and end with beans in a grinder, it isn’t a coffee experience at all. God love them, I appreciate their earnestness and passion for coffee but, if they used good quality K-Cup pods, like Community Coffee, they’d soften their stance.

They’d also enjoy the heck out of the cups of coffee these K-Cups provide.

Community Coffee’s Military Match Program

Community Coffee has been giving back to our military troops for over a decade with their Military Match Program. Like you, I respect the brave men and women in our military with all that’s within me and I don’t just applaud companies like Community Coffee that give back, I STAND and applaud loudly!

Community Coffee Company’s Military Match program has helped Americans across the country send more than 4.2 million cups of coffee to active-duty personnel worldwide.

When customers purchase 4 bags or boxes of Community® coffee online, the company doubles each order, donates a Signature Military Mug and sends them to any APO/FPO address provided!

How it Works:

STEP 1:
BUY 4 – Buy your favorite Military Match Set of four 12 oz., 16 oz., or Single-Serve 18 ct. coffees.

STEP 2:
GET 4 FREE – We’ll match your purchase with an additional four items, and send all eight items to the APO/FPO or military base address you provide.

STEP 3:
A FREE MUG! – We’ll even include our Signature Military Mug with your shipment.

Please read more about Community Coffee’ s Military Match Program and jump right in, with coffee cup in hand!

Community Coffee’s Golden Caramel with a Little Creamer… HEAVENLY!

Coffee Review: Decaf Highlander Grogg from Kaldi’s Coffee

January 11, 2016 By Joi Sigers

The Best Decaf Coffee You Buy Online (or Off!)

I suppose in a lot of “normal” households, coffee is something that’s enjoyed in the morning, then not even thought about until the following morning. But normal isn’t a frequent guest in our home (he showed up once, looked dazed, then left – we haven’t heard from him since). We pretty much celebrate the beauty of coffee from the start of our day right up until the end. However, since the end involves something else we celebrate – sleep – we always have great decaf coffee on hand.

While I’d have a tough time naming my absolute #1 favorite coffee with caffeine, I can easily tell you the best decaf coffee you can find online or off: Decaf Highlander Grogg from Kaldi’s Coffee.

If you’ve read any of my coffee reviews on the food blog, the name Kaldi’s won’t be new to you. It’s truly some of the best coffee you can buy. When I DO attempt to name my favorite overall coffee, in fact, a few of Kaldi’s coffees are the first ones out of my mouth: Birds & Bees has, for years, been the first coffee to roll off my tongue and it’s usually followed by other Kaldi’s coffees such as Cafe Kaldi, Highlander Grogg, and a new obsession: Ethiopia Buufata Konga.

{Review Continued Below…}

Whatever history you have with decaf coffee, Kaldi’s Decaf Highlander Grogg will change everything you ever thought you knew about decaf coffee.

Decaf Highlander Grogg tastes just like a great coffee with caffeine. In fact, the first time my husband brewed some for our youngest daughter and me, I thought he’d made a mistake. Don’t tell him, but I even checked the bag. The subtle maple-spice flavor in the background is the secret behind its magic. It’s simply fantastic.

We normally enjoy Decaf Highlander Grogg made with a pour over, but it’s just as perfect made with an Aeorbie Aeropress or even in a coffee machine. The flavor always shows up and, trust me, it’s out of this world.

The next time you want to order coffee online, you really have to try Kaldi’s Coffee. If you’re looking for the best decaf coffee you can buy online, Kaldi’s Decaf Highlander Grogg is your guy.

More Kaldi’s Coffee Reviews on Get Cooking:

World Vision Handcrafted Gifts

November 18, 2015 By Joi Sigers

World Vision’s Gift Catalog , Handcrafted Gifts, and Cafe Campesino Coffee

In many ways, we’re all becoming more socially conscious and compassionate. In fact, socially responsible giving is growing in popularity and statistics tell us that 95.4 percent of households now give to charity. Faith in humanity, restored!

When it comes to gift-giving, many people find themselves wondering which products actually help others or where they can find these gifts. In my opinion, World Vision is one of the first places to look if you’re looking to make a difference in the world. If you want to reach out and directly impact the lives of other people, look to World Vision.

Gifts With a Cause

It’s the holiday season and that means one thing: It’s time for the wonderful World Vision Gift Catalog! I was blessed to have a History’s First Blend Gift Set sent to me to review on Get Cooking and it’s more than my honor to do just that.

This particular World Vision gift set is the perfect gift for coffee lovers. It includes an absolutely beautiful hand-carved olivewood scoop and a colorful, beautiful bag made from African fabric hand-sewn by local women.

Although I’m someone who’s serious about as often as an elf on Santa’s staff… and tend to treat each day as a holiday… I want to get 110 percent serious for a minute. Maybe even two. As I’ve said before when talking about these remarkable gifts, each time I hold them, I’m overcome with emotion. The fact that these beautiful gifts were crafted by hands on another continent and can now be held in my own hands leaves me speechless.

No small task.

Hand-Sewn Bag from Africa and Handcrafted Wooden Scoop

The hands that crafted my treasured bag and wooden spoon lead a different life than our hands. The struggles they have make the perceived struggles we have want to run and hide. We feel discouraged when we think we can’t get our children as many gifts as we’d like, yet there are people around the world who are struggling to give their children food, water, shelter, shoes… things we take for granted.

When you stop and let this sink in, don’t you want (with every fiber of your being) to do something to help? Thank God for organizations like World Vision who make it possible to do just that. We don’t have to worry about our money going where it’s needed – they see to it!

The truly remarkable thing is that this beautiful program allows men and women to use their talents to help themselves and their communities. What’s more, by buying their remarkable crafts, we not only help them… we have items to treasure.

And I do mean treasure – I wouldn’t take anything for my wooden scoop or fabric bag. I have them proudly displayed on in the “coffee station” in our kitchen. The wooden scoop could easily be used to scoop beans and/or grounds and the bag would love to be a “sleeping bag” for opened bags of beans… and yet… in our home, “treasures” don’t multitask.

They simply sit out and remind us of our beautiful brothers and sisters who live halfway around the world. They remind us that we’re all in this together – some of us simply have easier lives than others.

History’s First Coffee Blend Gift Set

Cafe Campesino Coffee

This year’s Handcrafted gift set for coffee lovers includes a bag of Cafe Campesino coffee along with the GORGEOUS hand-sewn bag and equally GORGEOUS handcrafted wooden scoop. Although we’re a coffee loving family to the point of fanaticism, we’d never heard of Cafe Campesino.

By gosh we’ve heard of them now!

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sumatra Permata Gayo create the first known mix of coffee. When it comes to describing the flavor, think citrus with a hint of chocolate. The flavor is fantastic – smooth and downright exotic.

We tend to order a great deal of coffee online and are fascinated with trying different blends and different brands. The fact that this particular coffee was so good and the fact that they partnered with World Vision for something so extraordinary means that this is a brand we’ll be ordering regularly. In other words, look for plenty of Cafe Camesino reviews in the future.

They also have coffee merchandise and.. be still my Crazy Tea Chick heart… tea.

Looks like I’m going to keep the postal service and UPS busy in the coming year.

World Vision's Handcrafted Gifts: Hand Sewn Bag from Kenya

Gorgeous Hand-Sewn Bag from Kenya

I hope you’ll click through any of the links and read more about World Vision and the AMAZING Hand Crafted Gifts. Any of these beauties would make the most amazing gifts! They aren’t just gifts people will enjoy for a day, a week, or even a month. These are gifts they’ll treasure a lifetime.

Is This a Beautiful Smile or What?!

When you click through and browse through the online World Vision Gift Catalog, be sure you see each of the four pages. These handcrafted gifts are simply gorgeous – you can see a few in the image above. Each comes with its own guaranteed moments of emotion each time you look at them.

Gifts from the World Vision Gift Catalog

The 2015 World Vision Gift Catalog contains more than 250 poverty-fighting gifts, ranging in price from $16 to $39,000 that improve the quality of life for struggling children and families in the U.S. and around the world.

Useful Links:

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

November 9, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

Before getting to the coffee review, allow me to say that this is not a sponsored review or solicited in any way. I’m simply a lover of great coffee and get excited when I see coffee done right. When this happens, I want to tell other coffee lovers so they can share in the excitement.

Coffee takes a lot of steps before it ever reaches your morning cup. From harvesting to bagging there are more steps than we ever think about while sipping the final product.

With so many steps, there are a lot of things that could go wrong. I’m sure, like me, you’ve tasted coffee before and wondered, “Did they get any of the steps right??”

With Kaldi’s Coffee, I’ve learned that, when they’re involved, there are no missteps. From the beans to their people, they don’t just get it, they get it right. Recently while savoring a cup of my personal favorite coffee, Kaldi’s Birds & Bees, I asked my cat (try not to judge me), “Are we sure Kaldi’s didn’t invent coffee?”

There are always bags of Kaldi’s Coffee in our kitchen and it’s a safe assumption that if you see that they’ve released a new coffee, you can just go ahead and ask us how it is.

We’ll know.

{Review Continued Below…}

Perfect Coffee for Thanksgiving: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

One of the new coffees that blew us completely away is Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga. You can read its bio here: Ethiopia Buufata Konga. More importantly, you can order some for yourself – but first let me tell you why you’ll want to do just that.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you know that part of the fun is detecting certain flavors or hints of flavors in coffee. Ethiopia Buufata Konga has had several of these flavors associated with it:

mango
cinnamon
strawberry
chocolate
blueberry

I do detect a bit of strawberry (especially in a fresh black cup) but I get completely different flavor associations than most people.

I get…

nutmeg
autumn

{Review Continued Below…}

Kaldi's Ethiopia Buufata Konga - Perfect Autumn Coffee

If Autumn Were Coffee: Ethiopia Buufata Konga

Each time I lose myself in a cup of this wonderful coffee, I’m struck by how deliciously “autumn” it tastes. I don’t mean autumn in the sense of pumpkin – I’m talking more about the “spirit” of autumn. Crisp, fresh, distinctive, and fragrant with just the right amount of spice.

Make no mistake about it, the flavor would be glorious any time of year – in whatever season you happen to find yourself. However, Autumn and Ethiopia Buufata Konga are a match made in coffee heaven.

Ethiopia Buufata Konga: Perfect for Thanksgiving

If you’re like me, you go to great lengths to plan perfect holidays. Everything. Must. Be. Perfect. I’ll let you in on a secret, I had my Thanksgiving menu planned by the second week of August. What would you expect from someone who has conversations with her cat?

I’ve gone back and edited the menu. Right beside “Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pies with Homemade Whipped Topping,” I wrote in all caps KALDI’S ETHIOPIA BUUFATA KONGA.

While I love this coffee all by itself and with everything from oatmeal to pancakes, I’m pretty sure it was born to pair with slices of sweet potato and pumpkin pie.

It’d also add a whole different dynamic to the Thanksgiving meal, itself, and could even make leftovers downright sexy.

Cup of Autumn Coffee

A reminder about my coffee reviews: I usually leave the details about a coffee’s origin (what I call its bio) and roasting (its history) to the coffee dealers and other coffee reviewers. I’m a food blogger, after all, so flavors and food-pairings matter most to me and (I suspect) to my readers/foodie friends. I will stand outside in the cold for an hour looking for just the right “reflection” in a cup of coffee… nailed it, below!… but I am simply a coffee lover who wants to share her love of coffee – pure and simple.

I will always let you know, in my own words, why you’ll love a particular coffee. I love few things more than talking about great coffee.

Just ask my cat.

Kaldi’s Coffee and Autumn: Two of My Favorite Things

More Kaldi’s Coffee Reviews:

Kaldi’s Coffee New World Mocha Java Blend

Kaldi’s Coffee: Birds & Bees

Infographic “Brewing Success”

April 13, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Brewing Success: Coffee Makes the Workplace Go Round

Click to see a larger image.

See Coffee Reviews on Get Cooking!

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