Guess who’s back, back again!

Erin and I have a weekend morning tradition of starting off nice and slow with some sort of breakfast and a freshly pressed cup of coffee. As much as we’d like to take credit for starting this trend in our home, it really was something I “borrowed” from elsewhere.

I have a lot of family in Connecticut, and one of the places I love to visit while there is Uncle Bob and Aunt Leslie’s house near the shore. Occasionally I would stay over, and in the mornings, they would have a big pot of French press coffee off to the side in their kitchen all ready to go. I was always impressed by the flavor of the coffee, and this was just about the time that I became more interested in coffee and coffee drinks, thanks to the Starbucks near my work. It wouldn’t be long before I decided to start brewing my own.

When it came time to start really making coffee at home for Erin and myself, there was really no other choice but to get a French press.

The Press

In deciding to go the French press route, I was already partial to Bodum’s Chambord line, specifically the Chambord 8-Cup model. The 8-Cup model is 32 ounces, and makes 4 US Cups, or 2 CK and Erin “Weekend” Cups of coffee. While I haven’t tried too many other French Press variants, I am a huge fan of the glass models, as opposed to something like the all-metal variety, which I feel cools the coffee down too quickly for my tastes.

The Coffee

Once you’ve decided on a press, the next logical portion of the coffee brewing experience is, of course, the beans. Rule number one when it comes to coffee is to make sure your coffee is fresh. This can mean as little as buying freshly ground coffee beans from a shop like Starbucks or Peet’s to as much as roasting and grinding your own beans. I like to take the middle ground and buy freshly roasted beans from Peet’s (we’re currently enjoying their Anniversary Blend) and grind them up right before brewing.

The Grinder

I’ll admit I haven’t spent as much time in picking out a grinder as I probably should have - This will undoubtedly change once I start inevitably dabbling in espresso and espresso drinks. For now I am content with the Braun KSM2 grinder, which definitely gets the job done, and was even capable of doing a fine grind of espresso beans for Erin’s infamous Flourless Chocolate Cake.

The Process

After many rounds of trial and error, my basic process for making coffee in the 8-cup press is as follows:

1. Bring a kettle of cold water to a whistle, and then let it sit while preparing the rest.
2. Put 5 Bodum Scoops of coffee beans (translates roughly to 8 Tablespoons) into the grinder.
3. Grind for approximately 8 seconds, or a medium-coarse ground.
4. Take the grounds out and pour them into the press.
5. Pour the hot water from the kettle over the grounds, filling to the top (in the Chambord, you can pour to the metal ring near the top), Then stir in the grounds so they mix with the water.
6. Let sit for 4 minutes (I usually last about 2, so 2-4 minutes will definitely suffice).
7. Plunge the top in and pour into mugs.

Let us know what you think of the recipe and be sure to share your own coffee secrets!

Whomever said gift cards were impersonal presents obviously hasn’t heard about the brand new offer from Starbucks. This holiday season you can create customized gift cards for your family and friends that will undoubtedly bring a huge smile to their faces. The customization goes beyond your basic choice of adorable illustrations. You now have the opportunity to immortalize your signature drink spelled out on a Starbucks cup, or marked off in the “secret language” of Baristas via those little boxes.  You can also create a cartoon of your recipient and place them in various settings, or finally you have the opportunity to add a highly personalized message to your card. Perhaps you can thank them for being a great sister or remind them about the time they stole your Barbie and chopped off her hair. The possibilities are endless.

Best of all it can be done from the comfort of your own home. So avoid the insane mall parking lots and surly shoppers and get the coffee lovers in your life something they’ll really use. There is a $4 fee added onto the dollar value you apply to the card. This covers processing, printing, and shipping but since a lame greeting card costs that much anyway I think it’s a small price to pay for being a highly original gift giver.

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)

As my boyfriend pointed out to me the other day, it’s now officially the holiday season as Starbucks stores all over the world have broken out their signature red cups. For the next few months we’ll all be able to brighten our mornings and drag ourselves into the office with steaming hot Egg Nog, Gingerbread, and Peppermint Mocha lattes. In addition we’ll all have the opportunity to purchase limited edition Christmas Blend coffee beans. People are apparently obsessed with this stuff. I’ve never had the pleasure of trying a cup so I may have to pick a pound up and see what all of the fuss is about. In the meantime, Starbucks has also released a limited edition Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mocha version of their bottled Frappuccino drink. I saw it advertised in the Target flyer on Sunday morning so I suspect it’s readily available for you to stock up on. After all, what if you get snowed in? Be prepared! No one wants to go through the horrors of Starbucks withdrawal!

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)

Once upon a time I received a Starbucks gift card and I used it diligently to purchase Grande White Chocolate Mochas and Venti Cinnamon Dolce lattes until the balance reached zero and I tossed it out. Unfortunately a few weeks later I received a note from Starbucks stating that they had added $5 to my gift card. Instead of being excited about the prospect of a free latte I was annoyed as that card was long gone.

Fast forward to a few days ago when this anecdote was pushed back into my memory after reading a post about money being added to registered Starbucks card via the Starbuck’s Gossip website. And I wondered…had I registered that card? I quickly logged into starbucks.com and happily discovered that I had and it even showed the infamous $5 balance still intact After reading through the FAQ I learned that I can call Starbucks customer service to receive a replacement card. How cool is that?! So the moral of the story is to hang onto those used gift cards and always register them. You never know when the latte fairy will strike again!

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)

I know that people have very strong feelings about brands like Apple and Starbucks, inevitably you either love them or hate them. Personally I’m a lover not a hater and I’m not entirely sure if I could survive my work day without frequent white mocha and passion fruit iced tea excursions.

Now Apple and Starbucks have partnered to offer you an even bigger incentive to stop by for a latte. Coming soon to a Starbucks near you, you’ll be able to receive free Wi-Fi access to the iTunes Store and the Starbucks “Now Playing” content via your iPod touch, an iPhone, or a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed on it. This means you can shop for music while you wait in line. In addition, if you happen to love the song currently playing in the store you’ll be able to access the title and artist info, as well as purchase it on the spot via a nifty Starbucks button that will appear on your particular device. This feature will also offer a detail of the last 10 songs played in the store and a special section dedicated to music from the Starbucks collections. I’ve got my iPhone poised and ready to download? How about you?!

This feature rolls out in the following cities and will be available in most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. by the end of 2008.

New York — October 2, 2007
Seattle — October 2, 2007
San Francisco Bay Area — November 7, 2007
Los Angeles — February 2008
Chicago — March 2008

Don’t worry, if you don’t own a wireless device you aren’t going to be left out of the fun. Starbucks and Apple will be offering numerous promotions to kick off their new wireless venture. Including, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw.com), 1.5 million “Song of the day” cards to be distributed across 10,000 locations. Each card will provide a free single from predetermined artists such as Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews for you to use on iTunes.

So I guess now you can get your coffee buzz and download it too.

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)

The always irreverent online store Threadless is having a $10 T-Shirt sale until September 3rd including this swanky Earl Grey shirt. Admit it, it’s totally calling to you! Plus you’ll be the envy of all your tea sipping friends. Make your decision quickly though. They’re almost sold out.

In case you missed it, Starbucks has pumpkin spice items back on the menu for Fall. I totally broke down and splurged on a frappuccino this afternoon and as soon as the weather turns cold I’m sure I’ll find myself ordering pumpkin spice lattes on a daily basis. Who can resist all of that lovely cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove infused espresso. I get giddy just thinking about it.

If you’re in the market for a cute new cup for your morning Chamomile indulgence at the office than Wrapables has just the thing. Check out these brightly colored mugs with darling tea inspired words and definitions. Each mug is inscribed as follows: Creativitea: n. having more creative ability while drinking tea. Tranquilitea: n. a state of peace while drinking tea. Simplicitea: n. the appreciation of life’s little moments while drinking tea. Sinceritea: n. the quality of being open and truthful while drinking tea. Serenitea: n. the absence of stress while drinking tea. Prosperitea: n. the condition of having good fortune while drinking tea. They also come adorably packaged and would definitely make a great gift.

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)