Monthly Archives: December 2007

We will be staying home tonight, perhaps playing a game or watching a movie (White Christmas? Holiday Inn?) but definitely drinking coffee. If you want something a little more special that “just coffee” check out some of these- (more…)

I got Marc some of these beans for Christmas. As a linguist there are just not that many words I have problems saying, so from moment I tried to wrap my tongue around the name I was intrigued.

Like it. Like it alot.

The color was rich and dark and the aroma was good. When I am tasting a coffee to actually review it I drink it black..when I just want to be really, really nice to myself I drink it with stevia and heavy cream. So..the first sip tasted like coffee…really good coffee..o.k…then my mouth was filled with a smoky fig taste. FIGS? (more…)

This person will need to be patient because I am still in the process of collecting my favorite things…and I really don’t want to tell what they are ..It would ruin the surprise. I trust that this person will love the items I send.

So, other than what I all ready mentioned the Favorite Things will have to be revealed by…………………………………oh man I am so mean…………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. (more…)

You can get two free tea samples from Design a Tea. Fair Trade, ORGANIC tea.

Your choice of a base of black, green, oolong, or rooibos. Then you can have them add flavors like Irish Cream or you can come up with a flavor combo like Maple Pecan! Yummy! They also do custom labeling for free.

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Today is the last day of the Grand Opening Give Away. This is the best week yet, I am totally blowing my budget doing a “My Favorite Things Give Away”

Besides the pound of my custom roast coffee the winner will recieve: (more…)

While it is admittedly hard to find really cool modern coffee sets you can find some beautiful ones at the antique stores, locally and online. I want to start doing a monthly roundup of neat vintage tea, chocolate, and coffee sets I find so thought today was an excellent day to begin.

I am not advertising any of these, nor am I getting revenue from the sellers, these are just cool sets that I came across  while looking around this morning. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

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Is there anything more decadent and luxurious than relaxing by the fire with a favorite book and a cup of chai latte? A soft afghan thrown over you and a quiet house all around? Maybe….but I don’t know what it is.

Try this when you are in that kind of mood…

Chai Latte Recipe

2 cups water

4 heaping teaspoons of loose leaf black tea

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp grated orange peel

8 whole cloves

4 black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups half and half

Bring the water, sugar, and spices to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into a tea kettle with an infuser (or be prepared to strain later). Add tea to the infuser and submerge in the water. Allow to steep for 3 -5 minutes. Add vanilla extract.
Meanwhile heat the half and half (or milk) just to a simmer. Pour carefully in blender and blend until frothy.
Strain tea into heated mugs that have been filled halfway with frothed milk. Serves 4.

I spent the entire day yesterday, with the exception of putting dinner on the table, sitting next the fire, coffee in hand and my Christmas present, Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon, in my lap. I have two chapters to go as of this morning and when I get done here I plan to wave to my family and head back to the fire and the chair. Christmas, to me, is best with a new book and a cup of hot coffee…My husband, being the insightful man of God that he is, also saw fit to make sure I had sustenance by including several packages of chocolates in my Christmas stocking.He was happy. I gave him gifts sure to please him- a pound of fair trade Ethiopian coffee that we had not tried before…a Department 56 building to add to his growing collection. This one was the New England Patriots Souvenir Shop…a game, called Finish Lines that he will certainly beat us all at regularly…and an online membership to a historic reenactment board because he is going to be becoming a Frontier Gunsmith this year. We have simple. although eclectic, tastes at my house.

I struggled greatly the last couple of days before Christmas with missing my parents, and my childhood…reliving too many Christmas’s past. I remembered so many things about Christmas at my childhood home with mixed fondness and regret. Always the picture of my dad sprawled out on the floor playing with my toys with me, and my mom sitting with her coffee cup…

And I realized with a laugh that coffee cups are part of so many of my own Christmas memories, and definitely part of my children’s Christmas memories. Even this Christmas the smell of coffee enticed me out of my warm bed and down the long stairs…

My granddaughter wanted to make sure that we left cookies and milk for Santa. I tried to tell her Santa preferred hot coffee but she would not be dissuaded. It must be cookies and milk. My youngest daughter, whom we fondly refer to as Chef Kyrie or Little Chef, was all for leaving some thing more substantial..she thought Santa might tire of cookies and lukewarm milk…but cookies and milk it was..and Santa did not complain, although I suspect he washed the cookies and milk down with a large mug of Bourbon Pecan Coffee.

I hope that your Christmas was full of fond memories, past and present and hope for the future. And I hope that it was infused with gallons of really good coffee.

I know I said I was going to do this awhile ago..but I needed to test taste some more!! That and I forgot.If you want some thing really sweet this is it. It is definitely a dessert drink and for me, anyway, a venti is too much.Ghiridelli has white chocolate syrup in a big pump bottle, and sometimes you can get it online but if you don’t want to commit to that then just use a good quality white chocolate.Brew some good, strong coffee.

Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Add sugar to taste and 1/2 tsp vanilla. If you are going to use (shudder) Readi-whip get the french vanilla flavored kind.

Take 1/2 c heavy cream(unwhipped) , bring it to a simmer but do not boil. Remove from heat and melt 1/3 c white chocolate in it.

Add 1/2 c whole milk (or half and half-I like half and half)

Use hot water to rinse your cup. Pour white chocolate mixture to fill halfway, finish filling with coffee. Dollop cream on top. Read through Baking Delights while sipping.

If you like the peppermint mocha that is accomplished with adding a little peppermint flavoring….OR if you are so inclined try an ounce of Peppermint Schnapps added between the milk layer and the coffee layer… Crumble peppermint candy on top.

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Teapots are an art form. I think they always have been to one extent or another but with a renewed interest in tea and tea things I think they are better than ever. Here are some of my favorites from around the web…

From The Krinkle Collection

All Teapots 

Christmas Lodge by Fitz and Floyd

 Table At Home

Candy Cane Tea Pot

The English Tea Store 

Merry Christmas Teapot by Sandy Clough

Amazon 

O.k..Chef Kyrie and i had to stay home from church because she has..can you believe it? POISON IVY, so we are going to catch up on our Christmas baking.