Everyone that knows me knows that I am big on DIY projects.  Gayla even said that I was a cross between McGyver and Martha Stewart…She knows me so well…

But this is the coolest DIY project I have seen in a long time!

Perfect for the coffee lover, and an awesome recycling project…you have to love these coffee cup computer speakers!  I found them on Gizmodo but there is another link to the actual pages.

The possibilites are awesome…Starbucks coffee cups for my computer…Whataburger kids meal cups for the kids computer…

What do you think..cool or no?

Image:Morguefile

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I don’t often drink cokes anymore.

Now, when I say that you have to understand that cokes is a generic word for sweet, fizzy drinks.  Here in Texas you go to the Whataburger, and they will ask what kind of coke you want.  Dr Pepper? Root Beer? Cola? Sprite?

So, I have the occasional Italian Soda but nothing more than that..usually.  I am addicted to ice water. I drink gallons of it a day.  I seriously carry around a quart mason jar and keep it filled with ice water at all times.  I have a 5-6 lb a day ice habit.

Yes..I am anemic. Yes I know that chewing ice is a sign of anemia. Yes, I know it is bad for my teeth.

All righty then.

Cokes seem very sweet to me.  However, I saw the Java Pop and I was curious.  It is organic, Fair Trace and the coffee used is Green Mountain. I thought..Hmm..why not? I grabbed the mocha flavor (there are several flavors) and chilled it to perfection.

Ewww. I would not drink it on a train, I would not drink it in the rain.  I would not drink it on a boat, I would not, could not with a goat.

I did not like it.  The chocolate part of the mocha had a weird chemically taste, like it wasn’t real chocolate.  It was sweet. not overly sweet but the aftertaste was not great either.

SO, if you want something cold and fizzy…have a coke.  Whatever kind you prefer.

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I think that is my favorite image this week.    If only that table looked like that all the time!

How was your week? Mine has been super busy.  I feel like I have neglected the blog!  I have not visited much, not because I don’t wish to visit but because I have been so overwhelmed with my to-do list.  I hope to be visiting again soon.

I have a backlog of posts that I have notes for but we just spent so much time at the VA this week I couldn’t post them.   W will be camping out there a bit next week, too. Neurosurgury consult, pain clinic, labs, new CAT scan…sigh…Marc’s pain level had gotten quite intense and we are trying to find the correct amount of pain killers balancing between making him comfortable and knocking him completely out.  If you pray, please do. This has been a difficult time.

On to fun things.  Grab your tea or coffee…choose something from the tea table to nibble on and  let’s go.

First stop for me this morning was Christie at Charm & Grace.  She wrote about an interesting tea that she attended with her mother at her local library.  The images she took were beautiful and who could resist a bring your own cup, Jane Austen tea?

Swaps are fun.  Here is a loose leaf tea swap.   You will need to email the hostess if you don’t have enough feedback points and get special permission, bit for this? Probably SO worth it.  If you do it please post about it and let us know what you got!

Modern Princess knows how to make real southern sweet tea!

Jane Goodall and Green Mountain Roasters unveiled a new coffee this week, Tanzanian Gombe Reserve Coffee. The coffee is grown in an area where the farmers are very poor.  As they have cleared land a group of chimps has become isolated and unable to move off the small wild area they inhabit.  This coffee is designed to bring attention to the problem.

O.k..I am late on this..BUT if you hurry you can still get it.  In honor of Fair Trade Day (today)  True Blue Coffee Roasters is offering 15% off coffees through TODAY.  Check it out…The coupon code is   fairtradeday

They have an Ethiopian Sidamo for 9.99 and shipping seems to be just 4.99 for your order.  You better get there before I do because I plan on checking out alot of these!

Check it out…7 uses for leftover coffee grounds!

More Fair Trade Day celebrations!  Green Mountain is offering 20% off purchases of 10 ounce bags of Sumatran Lake Tawar, Kenyan Highland Cooperatives, Colombian Fair Trade Select, and Mexican Decaf Huatusco Cooperative .  Website/phone orders only.Promocode is:

7200-2242

Larry’s Beans has a coffee break Kit for Fair Trade day…

15% off Bundle of Love from Peace Coffee with this code: WFTD08  Coffee and chocolate, what’s not to love?

Mother’s Day is tomorrow. If you can, spend some time with your mom.

Oh, and as a last lingering little bit of eye-candy, check out Storybook Woods’ baking pantry…sigh…

Have a blessed Sunday!

Image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Jennifer and Peggy at Treehugging Family are focusing on Earth Day at b5 all month.

Some of the big environmental issues facing consumers today is greenhouse gas, carbon footprints the size of the Jolly Green Giant, and socio-ethical issues concerning working conditions and Fair Trade for farmers and workers. It can be overwhelming to try to juggle everyone’s needs when you just want a cup of something hot and relaxing!

So, did you ever think about growing your own herbal tea blends? Herbs grow prolifically almost anywhere, do well on windowsills, and in containers, and are easy to transform from fragrant green leaves and colored flowers to a steaming cup of yum.

Basically, you need to choose your herbs, follow planting directions and remember to water them once in awhile. Pick the leaves and blend them, then steep as you would any loose leaf tea. Sweeten with some honey…add dried fruit…it is up to you where you go with this.

Dry herbs by hanging upside down, or in a dehydrator. Store in airtight glass jars, in a cool, dark place.

Not only will you be keeping your carbon footprint more on the line of a Japanese Princess, but you will be beautifying your own environment, and doing something to move toward your own self sufficiency. That is always a good feeling.

Basically to make herbal tea from fresh herbs-use two or three springs of the herb in a teapot. Pour boiling water over and steep a few minutes.

For dried herbs, use a teaspoon of dried herbs per cup. Steep about two minutes.

Of course, you will want to use the trial and error method here and adjust to fit your own taste and herbal needs.

Here are some great combinations for you to try:

• Lavender flowers, lemon balm, chamomile
• Mint, lemon balm, chamomile
• Lemon verbena, dried orange, mint
• Lemon balm, crystallized ginger
• Chamomile, dried apple,dried cranberry, cloves
• Chamomile, lemongrass, peppermint, dried orange
• Lavender, dried strawberry, raspberry leaf
• Grow and add stevia to any tea for natural sweetness. Add very sparingly!

There are many others, such as fennel, anise, and sage…the various flavored basils..that will make good teas. Just check out some of the heirloom seed catalogs for ideas. My personal favorite for heirloom seeds, especially for unusual types of herbs and vegetables is Heirloom Seeds. This company is dedicated to maintaining the old varieties of vegetables,herbs, and flowers.

Whether you get really serious about this, or make a few teas for fun now and then, growing herbs for tea can be a great family project.

Image: Morguefile.com

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Ultrapasteurized milk is subjected to very high heat to kill bacteria and other microbes.

That’s good, right?

Well, no. Not really. You see it also means that the milk has a really long shelf life. Like your nuked milk that is in your lovely organic coffee right now? Probably months from the cow. You can’t even make cheese with ultra-pasteurized milk.

And it doesn’t taste like milk. It tastes like…

yeah.

In the battle for healthy, pure, and just really good food please know what you are drinking.

I wrote an article called,Ultrapasteurized:What Does It Mean? I don’t usually push my other articles here, but this one is near and dear to my heart. Please read it. Please research on your own. Here is an exerpt that I want you to read even if you don;t read the rest of the article:

If drinking tasteless milk is acceptable to you maybe the health information won’t be. You see, milk has both friendly and unfriendly bacteria in it. For the most part milk produced in clean environments, with careful farming practices does not have an over abundance of unhealthy bacteria, and in the small amounts actually help our body build up a resistance to illness, while the good bacteria keeps our bodies healthy and working properly.

Pasteurization also cuts the nutrient content of the milk. Pasteurized milk has up to a 66 percent loss of vitamins A, D and E. 50% of the Vitamin C is lost. High heat affects water soluble vitamins and less effective. How much less? Anywhere for 35-80%. Vitamins B6 and B12 are completely destroyed during pasteurization. Pasteurization also kills numerous beneficial enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Pasteurization destroys lipase (an enzyme that breaks down fat), which impairs fat metabolism and the ability to properly absorb fat soluble vitamins A and D. This is why the milk is fortified with vitamin D. It is also why Americans in the 20th century experienced high cholesterol like never before. Milk is a wonderful source of calcium, but pasteurization makes calcium and other minerals harder to absorb. One method of testing to see if milk has been adequately pasteurized is to test to make sure that phosphates have been completely removed. Phosphates are essential for the absorption of calcium. Uh oh.

Now, go find milk that  is not ultra pasteurized. Here’s to your health.

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I was reading through some things on the Internet and came across an intriguing article, entitled,Buying Green Masks Reality. I read the article with great interest, and finally, with more agreement than I had at first thought I would.

You see, just buying green is not going to fix problems. It is not going to change the excessive spending habits that are crushing American families. It is not going to change the fact that on rainy days many of us drive to our mailboxes at the end of our driveways so we don’t get wet. It isn’t going to change the fact that we want to be academically superior, electronically amused at all times, and in perfect health 365 days a year.

If you are wondering how, or why, I am writing this on a coffee and tea blog, then keep reading.

Last month I did a poll. The question was, Is buying Fair Trade Coffee important to you? Most of you who answered said, “Yes, but I can’t afford it”.

does that mean that we truly can’t afford the 12.95 a pound Fair Trade Coffee, or does it mean that we can’t afford to drink the five cups a day of fair trade, that we can drink of the less expensive stuff?

At some point, the price of something has to be balanced against the cost of something. The price of the Fair Trade coffees and teas is admittedly, often a few dollars more than the other kinds, however the cost of the coffee that is not fair trade is the deforestation of practically an entire continent, men and women who are working for fractions of pennies to put food in their children…Fair trade coffee means habitat conservation for many species of animals and birds. Ethically traded means that families get a fair price for their work.

My husband was in the Marine Corps. His knees are in terrible shape and he is in a wheel chair for the pain much of the time. He is on hydrocodone, a opiate patch, and several other medicines for pain, all at the same time. He lost his job because of his wheelchair. The Veteran’s Administration has him at a 10% disability rating. 117.00 a month. He is not getting paid what he is worth. He is not getting paid in accordance with what he has given. We are in no way asking for welfare, or special consideration. We are asking for fair trade.

In the same way, I am coming to understand that these farmers are not asking for special consideration. They are not asking to be carried, or given something for nothing. They are working hard to produce an excellent product, and are asking for a fair recompense for their labor.

Maybe that means that instead of drinking five pots of coffee a day, I can only afford to drink one. Is that going to be such a bad thing? Maybe it means my life will be a bit more inconvenient. Harder to find the coffee…I will be forced to drink more water.

We have become a nation that values convenience and comfort over our souls. We will shop to get the cheapest price no matter that the cost of our tennis shoes was kept low by using eight year olds to manufacture them.

We buy organic from large companies that are raising animals as unethically as the nonorganic companies. We will pay 30% more just to say we are buying organic and feel good over it…but we will drive past the local farmstand to buy tasteless tomatoes for 20 cents less a pound at Walmart. Who needs my support more, the farmer or Wal-mart? More importantly, who do I prefer to support?

Soapbox? You bet. We are fat, lazy, and more concerned that we have the newest technology than we are about the quality of food we eat. If a manufacturer could figure out a way to make dog poop taste like a pop tart they would make billions.

As much as I can, I hope that the reviews, and the products that I write about here will increasingly be eco friendly, fair trade, and supportive to society.

Easter is about a new beginning. The chance to wipe away old sins and begin new habits. Even if you do not believe in the Resurrection of Christ, then you will at least agree that Spring has traditionally been a time of beginnings.

The challenge then, from me, to you and to myself, is to begin to be more aware of shopping habits. More aware of what we spend and more aware of what we buy. More aware of who exactly we are supporting with purchases.

This weekend think about what I have said. I know I will be.  If you have a chance check out  the Organic Consumers Association for some eye-opening information about organics.

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I have been using gold filters in my coffee and tea things for years. I like them alot because, well, I am cheap. They last for a really long time, and I hate paying money for coffee filters all the time. Plus, with as much coffee as we drink we probably would cause the deforestation of the entire pine forest in East Texas. In a week.

The other thing is, and I can’t prove this, the coffee tastes better. I can’t explain it but it does.
You can usually find the filters locally in several sizes, but it you can’t Amazon has a good selection.

I figured that I saved about$60.00 last year by using a gold filter.
Anyone else use these?

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I like flavored coffees.  Marc can take them or leave them, but to me, sitting in front of the fire with a mug of pumpkin spice coffee, generously colored with rich cream and sweetened with my favorite stevia is almost a spiritual experience.

I have described the coffees to the best of my ability, and suggested some desserts that I feel would be a compliment to them.

All images that follow are from Green Mountain Coffee. 

Fair Trade Holiday Blend: A blend of light and dark roasted coffee, with a spicy aroma. It finishes with a lingering bittersweet chocolate taste. Perfect with your Christmas Eve Buche de Noel and other rich desserts.

Fair Trade Spicy Egg Nog: Cinnamon and nutmeg, with a creaminess that is difficult to describe.  This coffee is perfect with the spice cakes, gingerbread, cookies, and apple pies of the season.

 Fair Trade Pumpkin Spice: Light body, spicy with a vanilla -nut aftertaste.  Definite pumpkin pie flavor comes through in both the aroma and then taste.  Would be great on it’s own, or with  bittersweet chocolate truffles on the side.

Fair Trade Gingerbread: Warm ginger-spicy flavor brings the holiday kitchen of your  childhood to mind with this coffee. Top it with some whipped cream dusted with freshly grated nutmeg and sit by the fire watching it snow. Or, like me, pretending that the dust blowing around outside is very tiny snowflakes.   Would be awesome with panna cotta, creme brulee, or vanilla  pots de creme.

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Besides leaving it out over the weekend and having an irritating layer of green fuzz growing on it, I mean.

There are lots of small things we do everyday without thinking about them. Over a period of years we develop habits, things we do over and over with very little thought. Not necessarily because they are better, smarter, or easier but just because that is the way we have always done them.

Even our coffee habits. Since so often it is the little things we do that make big differences, here are some ways to green up your coffee.

1. Use your own travel mug at your local coffee shop. Starbucks usually will even give you a percentage discount if you bring your own mug. This means that all of those millions of throw away cups don’t end up in landfills or that nasty little continent of floating garbage in the Pacific.

2. Use permanent coffee filters. They are made, usually, from gold or gold plated stainless steel, and are made to last a long time. The flavor is enhanced by the use of the filter. Paper filters absorb some of the coffee flavor as they filter and cause the coffee to taste dull and lose some of it’s complexity.

3. Use loose leaf tea in a tea infuser or use a tea strainer rather than the tea bags.

4. Unplug your coffee maker as soon as it is done brewing. The clock and other aspects of the coffee maker make it use little bits of electricity all the time and that adds up. Use a thermal carafe to keep your coffee warm.

5. Use Fair trade and shade grown products when possible.

6. There is a small group of farmers from Uganda that have banded together to create a cooperative called Mirembe Kawomera, Delicious Peace. A delicious peace it is because the unique thing about these farmers is that they are Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. This is being distributed in the United States by Thanksgiving Coffee Company. As a Christian, who has been involved quite a bit with both the Muslim and Jewish cultures and beliefs I find this amazing and encouraging. It just shows you that coffee really IS a panacea for everything.

7. Buy local if you can. If you buy straight from the roaster your are often getting better, fresher coffee at a lower price and it is only being shipped once or twice as opposed to numerous times.  I would not trade our coffee for anything!  See the shininess of the beans in the picture? Those are fresh from my roaster, and contain all the oils needed for a awesome cup of coffee.

8. Clean you coffee pot or tea kettle with white vinegar instead of harsh chemicals

9. Give green. Get your peeps hooked on fair trade, organic and shade grown coffees and teas (they really do taste better) by giving them as gifts.

10. Educate yourself.  I have talked to so many people about issues I am concerned about only to have them stop me and say they just don’t want to think about it. As we make consumer choices based on documented facts  we are at least controlling our consumerism. I do not always buy fair trade stuff because sometimes I just don’t have the money. But knowing WHY I should helps me to make those choices when I can.

Post from: Kettle and Cup