I liked the Kona better than the Mocha Java.  The beans were shinier, with more oil.  The coffee was smooth and rich and tasted like…Kona coffee.

With each of the coffees that we have tried we found that we had to use a little more than we normally do to get the depth of flavor we prefer.  If you get this coffee, and you like a stronger brew, it would be good to keep that in mind.

The Kona handled milk or half and half well but the heavy cream that I prefer over powered the coffee.  I am not totally sure why.  This is a good all purpose coffee, but I would not try to serve it with rich desserts.

We were also sent the Hazelnut ground coffee in the way cool can.  I was not impressed with this, but I would have to add that I don’t drink coffee that has been ground more than a few minutes because it just tastes stale to me.  The hazelnut that Silver Joe’s sent tasted weak and stale, without much hazelnut flavor.  I think that there are better flavored coffees that you can invest your money in.

Saying that, the company puts out a good product.  My favorite of what I was sent was the espresso roast, and I will review that…tomorrow.

Image:Silver Joe’s

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I got the coffee package from Terra Nova today, complete with the three coffees I had ordered and two for me to review.

I was impressed.  They said that they would roast and send out immediately and they were not kidding.

The box smelled wonderful!  Within five minutes the kitchen smelled wonderful and I felt forced to make a pot of coffee.  I know..usually I have Marc do it but I had dropped him off at work earlier so I had to do it myself.  The coffee could, technically speaking, be much better than I say because he is my personal  barista. remember..

I started with a blend called Southern Cross.

It is very aromatic both before brewing and after.  The coffee color is a medium caramel.

It has a bite of an astringent bite to it, very pleasant. Tart and sparkly on the tongue, not heavy.  There is a light almond aroma which made me expect a more delicate flavor in the coffee.  I was surprised that the flavor was anything but delicate.  Malty, with a lingering winey aftertaste that fades into a spicy memory. Afterwards my mouth was dry..which is one of the reasons I do not like lighter roasts! Keep the breath mints handy.

This coffee reminds me of autumn.  Leaves changing colors, acorns, pumpkins…It is a coffee to eat a piece of dutch apple pie with …a coffee shop coffee.  It handles milk and stevia with aplomb…settling down into a velvety smooth cup.

This is a good all purpose coffee.  I don’t think I would like it in the evening, or with a rich dessert..remember that I am partial to the espresso an very dark roasts..This is similar to Starbuck’s Pikes Peak Blend in some ways, but I like it better.

It is a fair trade organic coffee. Gotta love it.

Images:Marye Audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I told you a few weeks ago that I had discovered a small, artisan coffee roaster in North Carolina during one of my web surfing adventures. The website piqued my interest and I contacted them to see if I could get a sample to review.

You know, one thing that I am seeing in the craftsmen that I come in contact with is a generosity that I love. Not only is there a pride in craftsmanship, in creating an excellent product, but also a generous spirit. any of these small companies give back to the community, support their favorite eco-issues, and are kind enough to send small coffee blogs samples for review.

So, not only did the folks at Muddy Dog send me one sample, they sent me FOUR.

Marc made the Organic Breakfast Blend this morning. When the bag was opened the aroma was strong, cleanly coffee scented. The beans were a nice medium brow, plump and fresh.

The coffee is exceedingly smooth and very slightly acidic. There are flavors of dried fruit/raisin and spice which reminds me of nutmeg. Generally I like a very hot brew but the flavors of this blend actually improve and become more complex as it cools. This is a great way to wake up in the morning.

I recommend this one!

And check out their blog. The link to the blog is on my blog roll on the side bar. I enjoy reading it!

I just want to add that I looked on the site and can’t find the Breakfast Blend..so I contacted Jim and am waiting to hear back. I am not sure if it is new or it goes by another name..I will let you know!

*************UPDATE********************** 

I emailed with Jim and he says that the Breakfast Blend is in Beta testing but that they have gotten generally good feedback.  My guess is that if you would like it just request it and see what happens.

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I liked it!

This coffee is blended from beans from East Africa, Latin America and Indonesia.  In a word I would describe it as….

Yummy.

The company describes it as roasty sweet.  Now, when I think of roasty sweet I think of campfires and toasted marshmallows so I am not describing it that way, ‘k?

First of all it is smooth.  That is the first thing you notice about this coffee.   It is slightly sweet, low acid and, yay, no weird aftertaste.

Best of all it is organic and Fair Trade…AND it has a pretty package.  Really…can you do better than that? I think not.

Of all of the Starbucks coffee I have had I like this one the best.  It is mellow, strong, rich, and the aroma will pull you out of bed in the morning.

And continuing the house tour….

This is where I often have my first cup of coffee. Marc brings it to me every morning, or he used to before…

Anyway.  I love my room. I have alot to do yet, we are changing out the wood trim.  You can’t see the fireplace to the right of the cradle.  My dad made that cradle for my first child and all of our kids have slept in it.  The antique hatbox at the bottom of the bed was my mothers and is full of hats from the 40s, and 50s…including a leopard skin looking pillbox with a matching clutch handbag.

The quilt hanging over the end of the cradle is called Crown of Thorns, I made it for my dad as a Christmas gift years ago.

I have added a large ocmfy chair by the window that has fabric that matches the border and bedpread, the theme of this room is roses.

I sponge painted the walls in two colors of a buttery creamy yellow, one about 2 shades darker than the other…you can’t tell in the picture but it looks like parchment.

The window to the left of the bed used to be a door out to an upper porch. We are trying to decide whether or not to go to the expense of restoring that porch.  It is just the den roof now. :/

So..where do you have your first cup of coffee in the morning?

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Image: Marye Audet Apron Strings & Simmering Things

Content: (c) Marye Audet for Kettle & Cup

A few weeks ago during a blog surf I came across a reference to Honor Grounds Coffee. I did a little research, was interested and emailed the company to get some more information..and maybe a sample to tell you about.

First of all, I was totally blown away by how really NICE these people are. On a weekend no less, my email was responded to within an hour. That led to several emails back and forth with Dan Boudreau.

Motto: “We Support Military Members, Veterans and Their Families, One Cup at a Time”.

I must say that I am impressed with this company. I hope you will be, too.

The mission statement: To raise support dollars for veterans and military members who have served this great nation, and their loved ones so often left behind.

Honor Grounds gives a portion, a generous portion actually, of each package of coffee sold to Military Assistance funds, on a state by state basis. Did you read that? State by state! This means that when I buy their coffee from a store in Texas, the percentage of my purchase goes to funds for Texas troops and veterans programs. It supports the local vet, not some guy two thousand miles away. It supports programs to help Marc with his disability, programs to help our family cope with it. Awesome. I can get behind that. Here is a direct quote:

…These dollars are donated to the local citizen soldiers through selected military support organizations. The total contribution amount will vary from state to state depending on the success of the program within that state. The contribution dollars are disbursed on a quarterly basis through our “Patriot Fund” to your “local” Military Family Assistance Programs. Tee- It-Up-For-The-Troops, a non-profit 503c organization has been chosen to manage the funds. In addition to the support dollars, service members and veterans will be recognized for their service through the Hometown Hero stories post on the Honor Grounds website and on the back of retail grocery bags of Honor Grounds coffee. This is how we intend to give back to those who sacrifice to protect our nation.

For an extra measure of accountability all donations will be posted on the website.

Currently the Patriot Fund supports the following organizations:

• Veterans Services
• American Legion
• Military Family Outreach
• Joint National Guard Family Assistance Programs

The coffee is still in the process of being introduced to stores all over the country. I know it is not available here in Texas yet. I imagine that by showing an interest in the coffee, asking for it at your local store, and giving your store manager the website address to talk to Dan about it, we could get this coffee in stores sooner. It is being introduced in the following Midwest and Northeast stores:

• Cub Foods: Minnesota (70 stores)
• Nash Finch: Minnesota (70 corporate stores and 500 affiliated stores)
• Hannaford Brothers: 5 states in New England (150 stores)
• Fareway stores: Iowa (90 stores)
• Big Y: Massachusetts (50 stores)

You can currently order the coffee at Honor Grounds Online Store if it is not available in your area.

It is $20.95 for 3/10 oz. bags.

The roasts are:

D-Day Decaf-Perfectly blended coffees without all the caffeine (And the only decaf I have ever liked in my life)

Reveille Dark- A medium dark roasted coffee with a distinctive and delicious taste.

Five Star Joe – Rich, smooth blend of 100% Arabicas

But is it good?

Oh my goodness. I love it. It comes in only ground coffee at this point. I have a couple of emails into Dan Boudreau to answer questions and that is one of them, I will update this as soon as I hear from him.

I will be doing a couple of reviews over the next week..but to give you a hint..I tried the decaf last night..and you know I despise decaf…

I loved it. I drank 3 large cups with one of the Berger Cookies I made…and then I slept. Ahhh. Good Times.

Hey, if you order coffee from them, let them know you read about it here. Maybe they will send me more.

UPDATED :

Heard from Dan.  They only carry ground coffee at this time but are open to whole bean in the future.  They do not deal in Fair Trade coffees now, because they are trying to keep the coffee affordable for everyone.

This is what I would like to do.  If you pray, I want you to pray like crazy that they find a source for Fair Trade Organics that would allow them to maintain their prices.  Perfect solution, right? I thought so.

Post from: Kettle and Cup