Monthly Archives: November 2007

I ask you, if you can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, why wouldn’t you buy him a coffee plant so he could drink coffee for a lifetime?

image: Gurney’s  Seed & Nursery

I think this is cool, being the green-eco-freak-sustainable-living-homesteader-coffee-addict-Donna-Reed-wanna-be that I am I am trying to figure out if I could grow enough of these in a greenhouse to keep Marc and I in coffee all year…

Now, apparently there is a sweet pulp that surrounds the coffee bean and I am wondering if you can do something off the wall like make a pie or jam with the fruit and then roast the beans for coffee? Wouldn’t that be absolutely the coolest thing?

“Yes,  have a slice of this wonderful arabica pie I made this morning, oh and let me fill your cup with this amazing coffee that I made from the seeds of the arabica as I was making the pie. Martha Stewart? No I don’ believe I know of her….”

Image: Courtesy Stash Tea, Christmas Eve

There are so many amazing holiday teas out there, and so many special-TEAS this time of year that it is impossible for me to try everything I would like. Here are just some suggestions to choose from for unusual and/or holiday themed tea. Each of them has a distinct flavor and will go well with the rich holiday foods that we enjoy so much this time of year.

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It is easy to plan a themed menu for the Red Hat Christmas Tea. If you have vintage tiered trays use them because they really look beautiful but use what you have if you don’t. You can place plates on top of an overturned stemmed glass if you want to add height variations to your table. Be careful though, they are not very sturdy!

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Image: 20th Century Fox

I had the absolute fun of creating a Red Hat tea in my tearoom a few years ago.  These ladies are always such a fun bunch!

Anyway, since Red Hatters span the globe but really good tea rooms are not always available I thought I would share some ideas on hosting a special Red Hat Christmas Tea.

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Yeah yeah, I know, egg nog is not coffee OR tea.

But it IS yummy, you have to admit. We are lucky in that we have chickens and so we have eggs. Lots of eggs. HUGE amounts of organic, free range eggs. For free. Not that I am rubbing it in or gloating..but…I love those chickens. Especially this time of year… (more…)

I was not real sure what to expect with this tea. I just happened to see it at the grocers and snagged it because it sounded sort of romantic and victorian. I like Numi teas because they are Fair Trade and Organic,  and I have always been pleased with them.  Standing right there in the aisle I imagined myself in a lacy robe, snuggled by the fire in our reception parlor (yeah, I really have one of those) on the chaise, reading Anne of Green Gables or Emma and sipping this from a vintage cup. It was a fabulous moment until a very muscular woman in a Longhorns sweatshirt and no makeup invaded my space to reach around me for the Taster’s Choice freeze dried.

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Thanksgiving Coffee Company  is distributing alot of coffees of note, in my opinion. One that I am the most amazed at is Mirembe Kawomera. In Ugandan this means, a delicious peace.

This coffee is raised by a cooperative of Jews, Muslims, and Christain coffee farmers. No worries about slave labor or child labor here, the coffee is fair trade and certified organic. It is grown on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, a dormant volcano in Uganda, where there are 558 farmers involved in this cooperative.

A Happy Farmer

Image: Thanksgiving Coffee Company

The coffee comes in several roasts. Here are the descriptions from the website:
Light Roast- Sweet, and lively, with hints of pecan and notes of nutmeg.
Dark Roast-Hints of pecan sweetness and a malty finish.
Espresso Roast-Full-bodied, robust, with the sweetness of a light roast and the strength of a dark roast.
Decaf Roast-A satisfying decaf blend with great flavor, sweetness, and body. (Mirembe Kawomera Decaf is made from 100% Fair Trade Organic coffee from the CEPCO Cooperative in Oaxaca, Mexico.)

$1 from the sale of each bag is donated to the cooperative to fund community projects.

Bat Magic is another coffee that is available here.  The dark roast is described as a full bodied and toasty coffee with hints of cinnamon and chocolate.

A portion of the sales support the bat conservation efforts of Wildlife Trust

There are, in all, 11 coffees that give a portion of the profits to ecological and ethical causes. Although I don’t necessarily support all the causes on the site, I like the idea that the money I spend on coffee anyway can be supporting a cause I believe in.

Green Breeze, organic green tea powder is a certified organic instant green tea drink.  If you go to the link and scroll down to where it says, “New to Green Tea?” you will find a link to a page where you can get a free sample.

I am always skeptical of instant tea or coffee of any type, and I haven’t tried this so this is a huge experiment for all of us. :)  I do know that green tea is very healthy and I have been reading that adding citrus actually increases the health benefits.   I imagine, though, it would be very handy to take on hikes and when you were traveling, just pour it into your water bottle.

Anyway. It’s free and that is always good.

I love the pumpkin spice lattes. I honestly liked the maple macchiatos better but Starbucks discontinued it, at least in our area, and I turned my attention to the pumpkin spice lattes.

I get them with extra whipped cream. Yep. Extra. I only have one a week and I want it to be over -the-top…and it is.

You can make a pumpkin spice latte easily at home as long as you have a good blender. Try this and see if it isn’t as good as…you know. Theirs.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 Tbs pumpkin

1/2 c half and half

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated, please)

1/8 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp vanilla or 1 tbs vanilla coffee syrup

1 c strong coffee

3 Tbs heavy cream

1 Tbs sugar

whipped cream for topping

nutmeg to dust whipped cream

Brew coffee.

In a blender puree the 1/2 and 1/2, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the 1/2 and 1/2  is warm and begins to froth slightly, 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 3  tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 1 Tbs of sugar. Cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.

1 serving

cLatte, please. McSkinny, to McGo.

Well, they Mcdid it. McDonalds is planning on taking on Starbucks.

I’d like to say it was like David and Goliath but I am afraid it is more like the local catering truck trying for a Michelin star. McDonalds has announced that they will be adding a full coffee bar to their menu. Restaurants will offer lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and espressos with a choice of different flavorings and milk.

Say it with me now, “WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?”

McDonalds is the home of the Big Mac Attack, golden arches, and greasy fries. If you will recall they have not had much luck with coffee in the past, getting sued for the heat of it as I remember. Now they have to have a caveat on the cups. “Warning , Coffee May Be Hot”

Well, yeah.
What ever in the world, besides..you know..money, is contributing to their decision is beyond me. Stick with greasy burgers, guys. Even the franchise owners are not happy about it..it will cost them something like $100,000.00 to upgrade their stores.
Lattes are meant to be drunk in leisure, as you chat with friends and listen to Bob Dylan on the house speakers. Lattes are meant to be sipped in an adult atmosphere, with a minimum of small children, not in the midst of someone’s 4th birthday party with children who have obviously not been taught about personal space and boundaries.. And yes, I do have children, EIGHT of them. And the only ones that go to Starbucks are old enough to go without me.

I am imagining the advertising. Hello?

Ronald McDonald sipping a latte while discussing global warming with the Hamburgler? Maybe over a rousing game of chess?

Seriously now. I don’t think women should be found in men’s locker rooms. I don’t think men should be found in places where bikini waxes and brazillians are administered…and I don’t think that merging a lovely adult environment with a lovely child environment is a good thing.

I suppose it is inevitable that Starbucks will start offering Happy Meals with a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans and a Janis Joplin action figure inside.