And no matter how cool you are..you just gotta stay cool. Here is a great way to do it. This iced coffee recipe is worth buying old fashioned soda fountain glasses for. Seriously good. It was a big hit at the tea room.  It calls for 4 oz of espresso. Here is a GREAT place to use that JazzyBird that is still in the freezer.

Mocha Chiller

• 4 oz espresso, chilled
• 3/4 cup  coffee  ice cream
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped cream

1. Blend the espresso, ice, ice cream, and sugar in a blender until smooth.
2. Squirt chocolate syrup around the inside of a tall, frosted glass
3. Pour in the espresso mixture
4. Top with whipped cream and a garnish of grated chocolate or chocolate syrup.

Makes one and I bet you won’t share.

Image:rafragoso, sxc

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Dunkin Donuts is promoting Iced Coffee Day. On Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Dunkin Donuts will be selling iced coffees for 50 cents and every sale of those coffees means the Dunkin Donuts will contribute to Homes for Our Troops.  They will be giving 10 percent and a miniumum of 100,000.00

Homes for Our Troops is an amazing organization.  They remodel homes for troops that have been severely injured and adapt the homes for wheelchairs or other special needs, at no cost to the soldier, airman, marine, or sailor…how cool is that?

This is something that is near and dear to my heart.  Marc and I are both veterans, the children of veterans, and our son is currently somewhere.  Last we heard, in January he was in Bagdhad.  It is an eerie feeling to know that your kid is somewhere and not know where, or how he is.  How people who have kids in the military and do not know the Lord do this I can’t imagine.

Anyway… the other reason it is near and dear to me is that Marc is a disabled vet, and a friend of ours has MS and is in a motorized chair.  I have seen first hand how difficult simple things can be and how expensive adaptation is.

All you have to do is show up at your local Dunkin Donuts on 4/21 and order an iced coffee.  Fifty cents.  You can pour it out if you don’t like it, or hand it to the homeless guy outside.  But you will be giving something to some pretty important people.  And it is a great way to wish me a happy birthday.

image:Dunkin Donuts

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Pomegranate iced coffee. Yep.

The health benefits of pomegranate juice are making the news more and more it seems.  POM contacted me to ask me to review it for Baking Delights and I got interested in it.  Anyway, to make a long story short I have recently seen that POM has created a pomegranate iced coffee.

I am a little skeptical about that.  You know how I feel about *The Man* trying to pimp my coffee with healthy stuff.  But I am willing to try it.  Just for you.

So, I am contacting them and I will see if they will send me a sample and I will let you know.  In the meantime this is what I read about it:

• It has all of the antioxidents of 8 oz of pomegranate juice….so you can get your buzz on and protect your body at the same time.  I see that as a positive…but at the same time my inner child is visualizing sneaking liver into brownies.
• The coffee beans they use are shade grown.  The are also certified by the Rain Forest Alliance. Kudos to them! I like that.
• Hormone free milk.  More kudos.
• Organic cane sugar gets them a thumbs up on this.  No corn syrup..no HFCS.  I would have liked to see something like agave to sweeten but I can live with cane sugar.

Flavors?

• Chai
• Chocolate- the only moment of sadness I had here was noting that while they have been very careful to use organics and Fair Trade items in many ingredients, chocolate wasn’t one of them.  I am taking one Kudo back.
• Caramel
• Cafe au Lait

You should also be aware that they use erythritol to help sweeten.  Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol that doesn’t effect blood sugar or calories but it can do weird things to your digestive system if you are sensitive to it.

Anyway..now if it tastes good this is an interesting product, indeed.

Here is one of the commercials.  It is just a little edgy for some of us old, conservative people.  At the same time, I have to say it is excellent an ad campaign..and it made me laugh.

image:(c) marye audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

It is getting hot here. Once in awhile it is nice to drink something cold and yummy…

I think this caramel frappuccino is better than the original. Let me know what you think.

The caramel is homemade.  Watch the heavy cream as I have noticed it is harder and harder to find real cream rather than cream with skim milk and lots of additives. Always read labels, even on organics!

Caramel Frappuccino Recipe
2 c. ice
1 c very strong coffee or espresso, chilled

2/3 c. organic half and half

¼ c. caramel topping (recipe below)

1-4 tbs sugar

Whipped cream

Blend all ingredients except whipped cream until smooth. Top with dollop of whipped cream and a swirl of the caramel syrup.

Caramel Syrup

8 ounces unsalted butter
8 ounces brown sugar
1 cup organic heavy cream (make sure it does not contain skim milk and additives, organic or NOT!)
1 tbs vanilla OR 1/2 c kahlua or irish cream

1. Melt butter. Do not let it brown.
2. Mix in brown sugar,and butter. Stir until smooth and sugar loses its graininess.
3. Continue to cook stirring until mixture bubbles. Cook about 30 more seconds but do not allow to scorch!
4. Remove from heat.
5. Slowly add cream and vanilla or liqueur.Stir.

Store covered in fridge. Makes an awesome gift.

Makes about a pint.

image:morguefile

Post from: Kettle and Cup