Perkdup

I have no idea where this came from but it found itself in my "inbox." I take no credit for it, haven't tried it, but hey it's Halloween, right? 1 tbs canned pumpkin 2 tbs vanilla extract 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground 1 cup milk 1/2 cup strong coffee, or 1/4 cup espresso In a saucepan, heat milk and pumpkin until steaming. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Put mixture in a blender, and blend for 15-20 seconds until thick and foamy. Pour into tall glass, then add coffee (or espresso). Top with a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice or ground nutmeg. Serves 1 Happy Halloween!

This is too cool for words, but I'll try to explain. Tully's is offering "The Ultimate Rewards Card." Here's how it works: 1. Go to your favorite Tully's and grab a Tully's card. They have them in all different designs - very cool designs. Ask your barista to "activate" the card for you. The card is FREE. 2. Each time you buy a drink or anything else (ground coffee, mug, coffeemaker or bathrobe (just kidding they don't sell bathrobes - at least, I don't think they do) and you earn one point for every dollar you spend . 3. Once you have enough points for your favorite drink, tell your barista you'd like to redeem your points. 10 points = Free Drink Add (extra shot, add flavor) 20 points = Free Drip Coffee (Any Size) 30 points = Free Latte or Mocha (Any Size) 100 points = Free Pound of Tully's Coffee For more details, go to: www.tullyscoffeeshops.com

From Wikipedia: A king cake: (sometimes rendered as kingcake, kings' cake, king's cake, or three kings cake) is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival. It is popular in Christmas season in France, Belgium and Switzerland (galette/gâteau des Rois), Portugal (Bolo Rei), Spain (Roscón de Reyes and in Catalonia called tortell), Greece and Cyprus (vasilopita) and Bulgaria (banitsa). In the United States, which celebrates Carnival ranging from Pensacola, Florida to East Texas, centered on New Orleans it is associated instead with Mardi Gras season traditions. I was lucky enough to score a bag of Private Reserve Carnivale Cake Community Coffee (TM). This blend won't be available for order until December, but be sure to mark your calendars, set your blackberries and get ready to tweet about it. I made a pot for the office this morning, and here are just a few of the ...

I had to drop my daughter off at the CYO Retreat Center in Occidental, California this weekend. So, after driving her up on Saturday and depositing her safely, the camp leader said to me, 'On your trip back, you must stop at the Wild Flour. They have the best sticky buns." Well, since everything has been sticking to my "buns" lately, I thought, "Sure don't need one of those!" However, it was going to be a two hour trip back and my husband's mug was empty. We pulled into the parking lot and I shouted with glee, "Wow, they have a brick oven! Those make the best bread." And when they say they're "baking bread," they're baking bread. Up to 900 loaves made daily on the premises of this fabulous bread heaven, located appropriately on the "Bohemian Highway." Well, the sticky buns were more like sticky beasts! They are huge and the one we got was still warm from the oven. The staff is very friendly and even invi...

I just received an email about Peet's "Green Peony" tea. Available for a limited time only. Here's what Peet's says about it: One of the world’s most unusual teas, Green Peony is completely hand-made. Plucking only the finest spring growth, the leaves are skillfully hand-tied into a beautiful flower shape, and then pan-fired by hand. This rare tea comes from a pair of s mall villages in southern Anhui Province, China, on a remote mountain where virtually every family grows tea. Most of the farms are less than 1/3 acre, and we have acquired the finest production from dozens of individual farmers. The result is an exquisite little work of handcrafted art... but the real magic happens when the artwork meets water. As the tea infuses, the compact rosette unfurls to become a spectacular water-borne blossom - with a breathtaking resemblance to the gorgeous peony flower. It's a tea that's especially fun to serve guests - and likely to produce big smiles and gas...