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Five coffee-related things no coffee lover should live without. {Also see my fave hack for bullet*proof coffee.}
It’s National Coffee Day!
Now, admittedly I’m not usually into “National Whatever Days” – there are about 10 any given day every day of the week so it kind of loses it’s flavor. But. but but.
Coffee & I are BFFs. Soo I thought I’d share some of my favorite coffee-related things with you.
Here goes:
Cold-brew coffee. {Cold-brew? Cold-brewed? I have an inner debate with myself every time I say it.} I was obsessed with cold-brew coffee before it was even a thing. Heck, now you can just buy it that way, you don’t even have to brew it, but that’s boring. For years, I used my own hodge-podge method that took awhile and made a little bit of a mess but was totally worth it. You can see how I used to make homemade cold-brew coffee here. Now I use this snazzy cold brew coffee maker from OXO Good Grips which makes a heck of a lot less mess.
Reusable K-cups. {It goes without saying here that a Keurig single cup brewer tops my “coffee favorites” list, mostly because the husband and I have seriously different coffee preferences and we were constantly switching out pots of coffee.} Anyways. These are actually my second favorite reusable K-cup, as they don’t seem to make my faves anymore. Womp womp. But these Brewooze reusable K-cups are great and come in fun colors, so I can pre-fill cups at night and have them color-coded to know what kind of coffee is inside in my morning haze.
Glass coffee cup. I love this Joco cup not only because it’s reusable, but it looks cool too. Plus it’s chemical free and dishwasher safe <—bonus over most stainless steel. I use it for hot and cold and have to fight my three year old for it, likely because of the fun color. {They even make reusable carrier trays, how cool is that?} And hey, saves you 10 cents at Starbucks.
Peet’s Coffee. As much as I love coffee, I’m not as much of a brand/roast snob as you might think. I just like it bold and dark. The only time this is an issue is when it comes to decaf. I know there’s a whole population of people out there that think decaf’s a joke, but what’s a caffeine-limited pregnant or breastfeeding coffee lover to do? Switch to decaf after that first glorious cup. And it’s probably those same people that assume if you’re enough of a wuss to drink decaf, you want it to be weak and lame too. Not me. I still want it as bold and dark as ever. Peet’s Decaf Major Dickason blend is the best bold-decaf I’ve found so far. If you have other favorites please do tell.
KIND Caramel Macchiato Bars. Ok these aren’t really coffee, but they have a coffee flavor and go really well with a cup of joe. Also, I get to keep them to myself because my three year old knows that “coffee is only for grown ups”. #ihatesharing
[Tweet “My top 5 coffee related things #nationalcoffeeday”]
What are your favorite coffee things?
Thoughts
Witty title, I know.
It’s no secret that two of my favorite beverages are coffee and wine. I am for real not exaggerating when I say some days those are the only liquids I drink. I am horrible about drinking fluids and staying hydrated. Unless of course it’s providing something more, like caffeine. {Although my addiction to decaf coffee is exactly the same.}
I’ve got the wine part of the discussion covered. It’s on the 90+Cellars blog today.
I share one of my first wine-tasting experiences where it’s obvious I know exactly nothing and then maybe-sort-of what I’ve learned since then and some of my recommendations for some not-so-traditional Easter recipes. Go check it out. Then come back.
Time to talk about my other love, coffee.
My switch to the Keurig was a slow one. Yes, a cup of coffee in under two minutes is a wonderful thing, but I was hesitant to commit to the switch. We drink a lot of coffee in this house. Plus we already had an instant single cup machine {there just weren’t many pods available} that we rarely used because who only needs one cup of coffee?
I was first swayed by the Keurig’s appeal when I won a mini-Keurig. It didn’t totally win me over, but then I worked with Keurig on a local campaign and I reluctantly fell in love. There’s just something about the magic of already hot water that produces a cup of hot, steaming coffee with a push of a button. I love that it’s always hot without having to sit on a burner for an hour or being reheated in the microwave.
But here’s the thing. I like a good, strong cup of coffee. Kind of how I like my wine. Full-bodied, bold. Dark roast. It’s hard to find in a K-cup. Now I’ve found my favorites for sure, but still. {Favorites by the way are Tully’s and Brooklyn Beans.} It’s hard to find a bold decaf. Those just don’t seem to be something that go together in coffee world. And it’s hard to find good bold, dark roasts in the more affordable options. Sure, between Amazon, Costco, and Aldi I find cups at pretty fair prices, but by the time you drink, oh, three cups a day per person, it adds up. You might as well hike on down to the coffee shop and get a real cup of fresh, bold roast coffee.
Plus, the last little thing {which should be higher on my list of concerns but truthfully isn’t} what about the hot water streaming through the disposable plastic material over and over and over?
All these things add up to using reusable filters, but here’s where I don’t get it. None of the ones I’ve tried have worked. Some don’t have holes on the bottom and you’d literally have to slam the lid down to puncture through the plastic. Or they don’t hold the right amount of your own coffee to make a cup taste any good, even if you use the smallest setting. Or maybe I’m just doing it all wrong.
So tell me. How do you make a good cup of coffee in a Keurig with a resusable cup? What cup do you use and what’s the secret? Is the only non-plastic cup I’ve seen on the market worth it? Seriously, I know this is lame, but coffee is important stuff. Spill the beans! Or I’m going to have to re-buy an old-fashioned coffee pot. 
PS I finally did a two year old update for the kynado. It’s on tiny sneakers today.
Roundups
Finally! It’s here!
The cool weather. 🙂
It’s 60 degrees and sunny and the Kynado and I just got back from a long, barefoot walk around the neighborhood, steaming mug of coffee in hand.{For me, not him.}
KB just finished his first full week of school {they only go 2 hours the 1st week} and while I’ve nowhere near caught up, I can see an end to this madness in sight.
Maybe one day I’ll even get around to posting an actual recipe here again…
For now, here are some of my favorite pieces from Babble from the last 2 weeks:
– Homemade versions of 8 of your favorite after school snacks.
– 11 disgusting things you’ll find in fast food
– 7 health benefits of eating dirt. yup, dirt.
– 15 things no one told me about weaning
– Take the 30 day challenge: 30 days to a better, stronger you!
In other news, there’s just a few days left to enter the giveaway for the programmable special edition K65 Keurig single cup brewer. I’m obsessed. {Hence the steaming mug of coffee in hand earlier.}
Happy weekend. 🙂
Beverage
See below for a Keurig Single Cup Brewer giveaway!
I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with coffee. I don’t know where that gene came from since I don’t come from a family of coffee drinkers and never woke up to the smell of coffee brewing, but boy do I love it.
Now that I’ve added the title “mom” to my resume I love it even more. It’s not even the caffeine, although there are days where I truly thrive on that, but the ritual of sipping a mug in the early hours of the morning; the perfect start to the day.
While brewing a pot of coffee doesn’t take forever, there are definitely mornings when I’m standing over the slowly dripping pot like a fiend, waiting for the moment when there’s enough coffee to fill my waiting mug.
This little guy makes it much easier. Turn it on, put in the K cup, brew. Drink. Love. No mess, no fuss, and only takes 1 min. I’m a convert.
Breakfast dishes, scattered toys and unmade beds. There’s already enough to clean up this morning. Why add coffee filters, beans and leftover brew to the mix? Keurig let’s you de-stress with less mess –a plus in anyone’s book.
Win a Keurig
Want a Keurig of your own? Enter to win a special edition programmable K65 single cup brewer with a water filter system and sample K-cup packs by leaving a comment saying “If I had a Keurig I would _______” or “I want a Keurig because _______”.
There are over 250 varieties of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to choose from, including blends you can brew over ice for instant iced coffee- my favorite- or iced tea, or you can use a re-fillable filter so you can use your own favorite brand of coffee. This version is programmable too, so you can prep it the night before when you’re already busy packing lunches and picking out clothes, then have it almost silently fill your cup in the a.m. Once less step to a hot steamy mug of Joe!
Not feeling lucky? Take your old, used drip brewer to one of these Triad locations and trade it up for the K65. Yup, you read that right.
Trade Up the Triad Events:
- Wednesday, Sept. 4, 10 a.m. – TBD at College event at the University of North Carolina Greensboro
- Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. – TBD at Greensboro Coliseum
- Sunday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m. – TBD at Country Park in Greensboro
- Tuesday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. – TBD at College event at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Thursday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. – TBD at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro
- Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – TBD at Greensboro Coliseum
- Sunday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m. – TBD at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro
- Tuesday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. – TBD at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro
- Sunday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. – TBD at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro
- Wednesday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. – TBD at Greensboro Coliseum
For a tasting, visit these events:
- Friday, Aug. 23, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro
- Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro
- Sunday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro
- Wednesday, Aug. 28, 6 – 10 p.m. at Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game at NewBridge Bank Park
- Thursday, Aug. 29, 6 – 10 p.m. at Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game at
- NewBridge Bank Park
So what are you waiting for? Ready, set, enter to brew what you love!
