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Monin Flavored Syrups with Pumps (So Many Delicious Options!)

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One of my daughters (brilliant girl that she is) had a Monin Peppermint Syrup (Amazon link) on her Amazon Wish List, along with a set of pumps to use with it.  Another daughter… her sister… saw the syrup and pump and (brilliant girl that she is) added the Monin Lavender Syrup (Amazon link) with pump to her own Amazon Wish List!

Their mother (that would be me) just informed their youngest sister… and, thereby, my youngest daughter…. that she has (at last count) found 7 different flavored syrups she wants!

Pretty clear where they got their brilliance from, am I right? Of course I’m right.

These fun, creative syrups make being your own barista insanely fun – PLUS it can save you trips (and money in the long run) to the coffeehouse.

I have my eye on the lavender (perfect with so many different teas, as well as great for flavoring whipped toppings), raspberry, coconut, toasted marshmallow (!!!), peach, blackberry, and strawberry.

After seeing the recipe for the Peppermint Shake, I’m also pretty interested in the Peppermint Syrup that began the whole obsession. At least that brings it to an even 8 that I have my heart set on. I do appreciate balance in life.

Click through any of the links to take a closer look at these wonderful syrups. These would make absolutely phenomenal gift ideas for the tea, coffee, smoothie (oh my gosh, this just opened up a whole new world to me), or milkshake lovers in your life.


Steeped Coffee Review: The Fastest, Easiest Hot (or Iced!) Coffee Imaginable

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Steeped Coffee

Two of my greatest passions are tea and coffee.  Suffice to say, I am always…. always, mind you… sufficiently caffeinated.

Truth be told, I love coffee and tea equally – like they’re my children. Whichever one I’m with is my favorite at that moment. Often, when it comes to making a fresh cup or glass of either, time comes into play and I choose tea. It’s just so easy – and, no I’m not a huge fan of most instant coffee.

When I was contacted by Steeped Coffee about telling my readers about their product, I read these words, “STEEPED COFFEE is the easiest way to make a great cup of coffee anytime, anywhere, in minutes. Take your moment—at home, work, or on the go. Steeped single-serve coffee bags are filled with 100% specialty coffee and are crafted for quality, freshness, and convenience. Every bag is nitro-sealed inside compostable packaging, making every cup guilt-free and eco-friendly,” I (literally) said out loud, “Ingenious!”

My cats thought I was talking to them, so they ignored me.

Steeped Coffee

Seriously, though. How has this not been thought of before – it is absolute genius. You simply make a hot cup of coffee exactly as you would a hot cup of tea (in fact, you don’t even have to steep it as long… unless, that is, you want your coffee to be so stout it flirts with you).

Many may argue, “Silly food blogger, Pods have been around for years!” but here’s why Steeped Coffee has totally changed the game:

There’s a bit of a controversy surrounding pods when it comes to the environment. You can click the link and read about it when you’re through here. I won’t dive into that right now, the link leads to an article that does it greater justice than I could. What I want to point out is the obvious – one is FAR more apt to have access to boiled water than they are a K-Cup machine. Whether it’s at the office or job place (microwave water if a stove isn’t available), your kitchen, or even a campsite – Steeped Coffee is simply more convenient than pods.

Simpler to carry, too.

Iced Steeped Coffee with Milk

Naturally, none of this means Jack if the coffee isn’t good. I’m delighted to tell you that it’s very good, indeed! Due to the fact that it’s summertime, I’ve enjoyed my Steeped Coffee iced more than hot, but it is wonderful both ways. If you make it iced, a little vanilla syrup and/or sweetener makes it taste like it’s from your favorite coffeehouse.

As you can see in the pictures within this review, I sometimes like my iced coffee with milk and other times without it. You can’t go wrong either way.

I wanted to be able to choose a personal favorite for the review, but I honestly can’t. They are all fantastic, even the decaf!

Steeped Coffee Bags

Learn more about Steeped Coffee on their website. You’ll find the subscription information, buying options, a blog, and even a GREAT looking diner mug!

Iced Steeped Coffee Review

Features of Steeped Coffee include:

  • 100% Specialty Coffee: quality coffee ethically sourced directly from farmers
  • Nitro Sealed: removes oxygen, stopping the clock on freshly ground beans
  • Ultrasonic Edges: no glue, staples, or wasted materials for max steeping
  • Full Immersion Filter: non-GMO filters that regulate ideal water-in and maximum flavor-out
  • Guilt-Free Packaging: made using plant-based renewable and compostable materials
  • Micro Batching: roasted locally in small batches
  • Precision Ground: consistent water-cooled grinding to the micron
  • Pre-Portioned: consistent SCA recommended water-to-coffee ratios
  • Just Add Water: single-serve convenience with no machines required
  • Barista Approved: tested by multiple independent specialty coffee Q-graders for freshness, quality, and taste

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya

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Kaldis Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya
When you drink as much coffee as I do, it honestly takes a very special coffee to stand out from the rest. It’s not as difficult for a Coffee Roaster to stand out from the rest (consistency, excellence, and above and beyond customer service will seal that deal – all traits I strongly associate with Kaldi’s Coffee). However, when your world is filled with different roasts, different blends, different origins, different names, different flavors, different tones, etc… the coffee has to be exceptional to break free from the pack.

There are a few such coffees that have left (and for several, continue to leave) such an impression on me that I remember their names as well as I remember the names of my cats. Okay, well almost.

  • Kaldi’s Birds & Bees (as my husband can tell you, this is the one I measure all coffee to – it’s my coffee grail – as in “a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after.” I’m always looking for coffee that tickles my coffee fancy as much as their Birds and Bees does)
  • Kaldi’s Decaf Highlander Grogg (the best decaf coffee on earth, period)
  • Starbucks Kati Kati (whatever happened to Kati Kati – like, where’d it go go?!)
  • Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya (I call her Elcy for short)

Review Continued Below…

Kaldis Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya
Before we get to the last beauty (who just turned my “Top 3” into a “Top 4”), I have to ask, did you ever try Starbuck’s Kati Kati coffee beans? The first year they came out, I bought a bag in our local Starbucks. The bag was beautiful (all their bags are especially gorgeous – and I love that they’re “themed,” they match the region the beans came from), the beans smelled amazing, and the name was “love at first sight.” When we brewed it, it was obvious the flavor did the great name justice. PHENOMENAL. But here’s the thing, I waited all year for the “seasonal” coffee to come out again, but when it did, it was not the same. It was good, mind you, but it was no longer PHENOMENAL.

Then, the coffee kind of disappeared. I waited for the next “season” again and it pulled a no show. Then the next – same.

Yet, I have always remembered the amazing, naturally sweet flavor and the hint of orange in the background.

Okay, fast forward to this week. My husband’s most recent Kaldi’s Coffee order included a bag of coffee we’d never tried before: Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya. The first thing that caught me was (like Kati Kati) the name. Elcy. Beautiful name!

After I good-naturedly chided him for not adding a Birds & Bees and Decaf Highlander Grogg to the order, I anxiously tried Elcy. Guess what it reminded me of? Exactly! Kati Kati, the first year.

But it gets better.

Guess what it was even better than? Exactly! Kati Kati, the first year.

There is an unmistakable sweetness to this coffee along with an addictive citrus background. I have enjoyed Elcy in “Bulletproof” coffees (coffee with butter and coconut oil added, then blended) as well as on her own. It is excellent… let’s make that PHENOMENAL each and every way.  I actually saved one of my cups of coffee of Elcy this morning and put it over ice. I pretty much live from one iced coffee to the next in the summer months, so this was my “Spring Training.”

Please don’t tell Birds & Bees, but it won’t be the only coffee I’m putting on ice this summer.

Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya (Elcy) reminds me of enjoying a sweet, soft orange danish along with a cup of the best coffee in the world – but it’s even better. No calories and no sticky fingers!

PHENOMENAL.

If you love great coffee (and why would you be reading a coffee review if you didn’t?), you simply have to order a bag of Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya right away.


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

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Alkaline88 Water

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.

Alkaline88 Bottled Water

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”).

Coffee and Agatha Christie

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

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White Tale Coffee: Laderas

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:

  1. Choose your roast
  2. 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….}

White Tale Coffee Subscription Service: Sample Pack
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

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:

Coffee Review: Decaf Highlander Grogg from Kaldi’s Coffee

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Kaldi's Coffee Decaf Highlander Grogg

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…}

Kaldi's Coffee Decaf Highlander Grogg

 

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:

Kaldi's Coffee Decaf Highlander Grogg

World Vision Handcrafted Gifts

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

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.

World Vision Handcrafted Gift Set

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.

World Vision's Handcrafted Gift Set

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.

World Vision's Handcrafted Gift Set and Cafe Campesino Coffee

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.

Precious Face

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.

World Vision Gift Catalog Gifts

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.

World Vision's Handcrafted Gift Set and Cafe Campesino Coffee

Useful Links:

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

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Kaldi’s Coffee Ethiopia Buufata Konga

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…}

Kaldi’s Coffee Ethiopia Buufata Konga

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 glamorous.

Cup of Autumn Coffee

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 Ethiopia Buufata Konga Coffee

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

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Birds & Bees (One of the Best Coffees Ever)

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Kaldi's Coffee Mug

Kaldi’s Coffee Birds & Bees 

Let me tell you about the Birds and the Bees….

Most coffee drinkers consider it to be walking on dangerous grounds when you claim a particular coffee as your favorite.  They warn, “What if you change your mind?! What then?”

My answer? Well… you simply start naming another as your favorite and thank the previous guy for the warm and wonderful memories.

Personally, I’ve had three coffees that I’ve given the coveted title of “Joi’s Personal Favorite” to.  Given the fact that I’ve been a coffee drinker since before I could even spell coffee (as a child, I was given coffee to combat severe asthma), that’s saying something.

My first “favorite” was Millstone Coffee’s Kona Blend. Then came another Millstone coffee, Foglifter. To this day I’m not entirely sure which I was more in love with, the name or the coffee.

Although the relationships lasted too many years to count, Kona and Foglifter have been “coffees that I used to know” for some time now. My absolute favorite coffee these days is Kaldi’s Birds & Bees. I have no idea how long Birds & Bees has been my go to coffee. I do know that it’s been so long that I can’t remember a time when I said anything but “Kaldi’s Birds & Bees” when asked what my favorite coffee was.

What is a go to coffee?  It’s like a favorite pair of Levi’s or a favorite comfort food… a favorite seat for watching Sunday Night Baseball or that feeling you get when you hold that “special someone’s” hand.  It’s something that’s so RIGHT that it makes all the WRONGS in the world completely fade away.

A go to coffee… your favorite coffee… is an experience as much as it is a beverage.

Kaldi’s Birds & Bees Bio:

A South and Central American blend of hard-bean coffees, roasted hot and long until most of their essential oils rise to the surface. A classic roast perennially favored in Continental Europe.

ORIGIN: Central America

What I Love Most About Kaldi’s Birds & Bees

This may sound a little corny, but one of the things I love most about Kaldi’s Birds & Bees has to do with what it’s NOT as much as what it IS.

It’s NOT trying to be anything except what it is – extraordinary coffee.  No hints of this, undercurrents of that, or aroma of the other. What you taste is extraordinary coffee. What you smell is extraordinary coffee. What you still taste is extraordinary coffee.

I’m old school when it comes to baseball and I’m old school when it comes to coffee. Sabermetrics and coffee that wears a Carmen Miranda hat? Not a fan of either.

For my non-baseball readers, sabermetrics is the “over thinking” side of baseball.  Come on. Take the bat. Swing hard. Run.

For my super young readers, Carmen Miranda was the lady with lots of fruit on her hat.

I love the fact that Kaldi’s Birds & Bees is outrageously delicious coffee, each and every time… which brings me to another thing I love about this coffee. I can trust Birds & Bees from bag to bag.

Have you ever bought a bag of beans only to find that they didn’t taste like they “once” tasted? It has happened to me several times. Ironically, one of my exes (Foglifter) doesn’t taste remotely like it once did. Same can be said of Starbucks Kati Kati. When it first came out, it rocked my world. The very next year… it didn’t even rock my kitchen chair.

Kaldi’s Birds & Bees is the same perfection bag after bag after bag and cup after cup after cup.

All Kaldi’s Coffee is actually extremely reliable and completely off the charts. They consistently rock my chair, kitchen, and world. Heck I might even print up a t-shrit that says, “Kaldi’s Coffee Rocks My Mug” – see what I did there? Yeah, I’m rolling today.

[Coffee Review Continued Beneath the Loveliness…]

Kaldi's Birds and Bees Coffee

Kaldi’s Birds & Bees Plays Beautifully with Others

Michael (aka husband and chief coffee brewer in our home) and I love to play with our coffee throughout the day. The morning cups are pretty straight-forward. After all, they have a job to do… turn us into humans. Later in the day, he’ll often make us flat whites, espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffee, and so on. Some coffees are excellent in the morning, but you can’t count on them past 9:00 am.

Then there are the night owl coffees – they’ll do fine if you give them enough cream and sugar, but on their own they’re just meh.

Not only is Kaldi’s Birds & Bees the best morning cup of coffee you could possibly hope for, it is exceptional in every other form as well.

If Kaldi’s ever gives one of their coffees the “Franchise” tag, it should be Birds & Bees… the MVP in the coffee world. Most Valuable Perk.

If you love coffee, and I’m guessing that the fact you’re reading one of my coffee reviews means you do, I hope you’ll give Kaldi’s Birds & Bees a chance to rock your world. It’s coffee the way coffee was meant to be enjoyed.

THIS is the kind of coffee that has made coffee a legend.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for coffee with extra flavors, undercurrents, and aromas. They’re fun and, more times than not, they’re downright delicious.  They simply aren’t my personal favorite coffee.

That would be Kaldi’s Birds & Bees.

Kaldi's Coffee Birds and Bees

 Kaldi’s Coffee: Birds & Bees…. Perfect in Every Way.

More Kaldi’s Coffee Reviews:

Kaldi’s Coffee New World Mocha Java Blend

Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga