Perkdup

This is the time of year that I develop a greater appreciation for tea. This morning, instead of starting my day with coffee, I thought, "Why not do something different?" So, I did. Instead of jumping out of bed and racing to the coffee maker, I got up early and meandered over to the stove and turned on my Chantal kettle. I love it because it has that loud whistle that won't let me forget that I'm boiling water. I mean, without my coffee in the morning, who knows what could happen? But today was different. I made myself a cup of Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice and watched the local news. The news was all bad. But the tea was all good. And I felt relaxed. Well, enough of that relaxing. Work calls. It's time to go brew up a big pot and get my day going. I will admit though, I enjoyed the tea. Make it a great day! (And do yourself a favor and check out all the different Celestial Seasonings teas. They're a nice change)

I feel like I'm in a coffee rut. There have a been a couple of coffees lately that have really caught my palate, but now that the weather has turned cooler which means I'm going to turn up the coffee volume, I'm looking for something that will really blow my skirt up. Figuratively speaking. No one wants to see my skirt blow up these days. Anyhow, I'm starting to feel like there's nothing that turns me on lately. I mean really turns me on. So, if you have a coffee that I don't know about, drop me an email. I'd love to hear from you. I'm all mugs. We made it through Monday - which means, we're 1/5th of the way there. Have a great day! Dottie

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Case in point. This morning, I'm headed to the white canister to brew up a pot of the week's selection. But before I open the lid, I open the cabinet to decide which mug I'd like to drink from - there's a method to how I select my mug for each day - but that's another blog. Anyway, luckily for me, I'm wearing my glasses because I spy a Ziplock bag with just about enough coffee for a pot of - drumroll - Blue Marmelade coffee from Haiti! I thought I'd used it all. Then I remembered that I'd tucked some away for a rainy day. Well,it's not raining but it is cold. And my cup is hot. Have a great day. We're almost there! Peace, Dottie

If I'm remembered in life for anything other than my love of coffee, it will be my fierce loyalty. I was looking for a different coffee today. I wanted something special to end my week with a big bang. Problem is, I couldn't think of any coffee that would send me into orbit that I didn't have to order online or hadn't already tried. I mean, I could have always picked up something in the grocery store, but where's the fun in that? I mean that's not ending the week in style. I passed several coffee shops on my way home from work, including the usual suspects, but then I remembered that it's Starbucks Anniversary Blend time and I hadn't brewed any at home this year. So, I turned to my old friend "The Siren." The 2011 Blend isn't anything different from what Starbucks has offered in past years. And maybe that's what makes it so good. It's tried and true. So, while I may not be ending the week with anything that's new, at

I love this time of year. It's when you get the best apples! I can't wait to enjoy this beautiful apple/blackberry tart I picked up on the way home from work. It's a nice way to end the day. I think I'll pair this with a nice French Roast. Life is short - eat dessert first.

Win Bigelow Tea for a year plus receive a personalized tea chest! Enter your original recipe that features brewed Bigelow Tea; submit your recipe on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/bigelowtea ) in the Recipe Contest form under our profile picture or submit via our Recipe Contest landing page ( http://www.bigelowteablog.com/recipe-contest ). There will be one grand prize winner. (Contest Ends October 30, 2011)

When I bought my Apple logo mug, many years ago, I was already a Mac (TM) convert. That was even before the iPod or iTunes. So, I thought it only appropriate to dedicate today's post to Steve Jobs. It's funny how you can be so sad when someone passes that you never even met. I don't know if Steve Jobs drank coffee. But, I've had many a cup while typing on my Mac(TM) and blabbering about how much I love coffee. He changed the way we live and work. Here's to you, Mr. Jobs. Thanks for everything! Do something nice for someone today. Tomorrow is not promised. Peace, Dottie .

When the folks at Coffee AM contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their coffees, my first thought was, "I've never heard of Coffee AM. It must not be very good." Well. Lesson learned. There are whole lot of coffee roasters out there and obviously I haven't heard about them all. Dottie - you're not in Seattle anymore. Coffee AM is located in Canton, Georgia. They roast their coffee in small batches. Just for you. I guess you could call it "custom made." To be honest, I refused to try it during the week because my work-week is rough enough and there's nothing that makes me madder than brewing a pot of bad coffee. So, I waited until the weekend to give it a try. Okay, Coffee A.M. - you got me - I'm HOOKED! Yesterday, I sampled the "Jamaica Blue Mountain Reserve" which is a blend - not 100 percent Blue Mountain. It is 100 percent delicious! This morning I brewed their "Kenya AA" coffee. Anothe