So I am sitting in Panera drinking coffee, sitting in a comfy chair by the fire, eating ice (yeah I know) – and licking some wounds that were unintentionally administered. If I was home I would be having a harder time getting past it but sitting here, listening to jazz and sipping that coffee I have more perspective.

I know I wrote a list of the stuff coffee can’t do….but something coffee and tea both seem to do well is to soothe the pained soul with warmth and comfort. I mean…if you are having a meltdown emotionally you usually don’t reach for a coke, right?  In those heavy emotional scenes in the movies people are always drinking coffee or tea (or booze but we aren’t goin’ there, folks).

The truth is that you can’t discuss raw emotions over a milkshake. You can’t grieve something properly if you are sipping on a glass of chocolate milk. And nobody confides their deepest secrets over Kool-Aid unless there is something else in it.

Coffee (and tea) allow you to contemplate your angst while you stare off into space. You can sip unconsciously while your mind is a thousand miles away. No need to worry about burping, bubbles in the nose or anything happy- coffee is like a favorite pair of sweats, a dog, and a worn blanket when you need it to be.

I guess that is why I like it. I even like bad coffee at times like this. It gives me something to do while I am processing.

image:sxc

As I said in a previous post I was sent some samples to create adult hot chocolates for National Cocoa Day. The samples got here a little too late to post for that day but I think you will find that they are as good any day of the year. These are drinks to sip while you are contemplating the fire, or watching it snow, or cuddling and watching your favorite Christmas movie.

There are just times that coffee is not quite right, tea is not deep and intense enough and you  just need a little more. Here it is. Your …read more

One of my favorite movies is the Grinch (the cartoon version). I  heart these cups! check it out:

Are those not the cutest ever? Youc an find the Grinch Mugs on Amazon
image via Amazon

The Bittersweet from Bittersweet Cafe is a rich,, deep chocolate hot cocoa. It contains no dairy so you can make it with water for a pure chocolate experience or you can mix it with hot milk or half and half. This mix is intense with a slight citrus flavor with nutty overtones. There is the classic bittersweet flavor at the finish.
The cocoa is a good base for flavorings. It is strong enough to handle almost anything you want to try putting in it. I will be sharing a recipe I used with it that was sent to me for National …read more

Bittersweet Origins Faultline Blend is a combination of Sumatran and Guatemalan coffee beans in a city roast. This whole bean coffee was sent to me by Bittersweet Cafe to try. I looked on their site for the coffee and they didn’t have it so all I can say is that if you are interested in trying it you should contact them directly.

Bittersweet micro-roasts their coffee beans to maintain more control over the finished product. The coffee beans are small and plump and very fragrant with a classic cocoa mocha aroma. Once brewed the aroma takes on a floral perfume, light …read more

Seems like the closer you get to Christmas the less money you have and the more people you realize that you forgot. If you are looking for a quick gift that does not look like an afterthought you just can’t go wrong with truffles. One way to make them different is to infuse them with tea.
Here is the basic recipe and then a list of suggested teas to infuse with. Have fun!
Tea Infused Truffles

1-1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/4 cup loose tea leaves,
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1  cocoa powder for rolling the truffles in (or use cocoa with some …read more

Seriously. Can you believe that there have been slow enough news days that the LA Times published an article about how Coffee Won’t Make You Sober?
Could I have a show of hands? Did anyone really think it would? Because I want to know.  Coffee, like great food, should not even be imbibed when tipsy because it is a total taste waste! If you are smashed you should drink water. City, tap water. Lukewarm. It doesn’t matter.
In light of that I decided to list 10 things coffee won’t do. Ready?

Yeah..so it is Sunday not Saturday. Some of us are finding themselves very very unorganized lately!
This is a Scandanavian design cup that I found on Amazon. I love the color and the way the design is placed.

image: amazon

Bigelow Blueberry Acai tea is a light and fruity way to get your antioxidants.  With lots of vitamins A and C this is a great way to boost your immune system during cold and flu season.

This fragrant brew tastes more like a juice than a tea; because of that those of you that just aren’t that into tea may find this a pleasant accompaniment to your breakfast…sort of like a hot juice.  The blueberry flavor is very apparent with a tangy finish. It smells heavenly when it is steeping, wafting over the entire kitchen. It smells like a warm summer …read more

How much do you hate spam mail?

A New York woman hates it enough to sue Burger King for 5 million dollars. Yep.  5 million.  Why? Apparently the company sent text messages to her phone encouraging her to try the newest coffee drink offerings at her local BK. Although the five million seems sorta hefty the woman, Elizabeth Espinal, says that they continued to send her text messages even though she repeatedly asked them to stop. She says that BK actually caused her harm with the texts, that they were aggravating AND that she had to pay for them. An example …read more