Perkdup

Easter Season is a special time.  Whether you're celebrating the beginning of Spring, the end of Passover, or like me,  the resurrection of the Lord, you probably have some traditions that have been carried out since childhood. For me, Easter Season is also a time of reflection.  I think about my childhood, how much I miss my parents, grandparents and all those people who in some way marked this day either by coloring eggs, wearing a new outfit or making a special dinner. My grandmother used to bake a jelly roll cake on holidays.  I was never fond of jelly roll cake, but I wish I had been.   When we were kids, my mom would dye the Easter lilies from our yard.   I tried to make traditions with my daughter but somehow I was always scrambling to pull her Easter basket together at the last minute.   This morning, as I sit here with my cup in hand, I wish you happiness, health, family, good friends, joy and great coffee!

My uncle used to say to us when we were kids, “ Remember, don’t take no wooden nickels because you can’t spend them !”   It was his trademark “goodbye.”    Starbucks is offering a “limited edition” birch wood collectible gift card.   This card is harvested from sustainably managed forests.   I actually bought two.   One for myself and one for a gift.   Not sure how sturdy the cards actually are or how good they are for ‘swiping,’ so I only loaded five bucks on each.   I bought them for the keepsake value more than anything else. I can truthfully say while it’s not a nickel, it’s actually wood that I can spend!

So, Spring has sprung and it's raining outside. Oh, well.  The bright side is that the grass will be green and the flowers will start to bloom.  I thought with the start of the new season, I would switch up my coffee game.  Instead of ordering a tall drip this afternoon, I thought I'd shake it up and order a cappucino.  Except that what I got was more like a latte.  But it's really technically a cappucino. Turns out that for a lady who talks about coffee all the time, I don't know my drinks.  What I should have ordered is a "bone dry cappucino."  Because what I wanted was a shot of espresso and a lot of foam. The cappucino is delicious but it's got more milk than this oft-dairy-challenged-especially late in the afternoon gal can handle. 

This review is somewhat "lukewarm."  (Pun intended) You may recall from the movie,"Bambi," when Bambi is presented to the forest, Thumper makes a comment that Bambi is "kinda wobbly."  It was then that Thumper's mother made the statement, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." I had to actually turn to wikipedia to recall who said what because for years I thought it was Bambi's mother who made that famous quote.  The moral (according to wikipedia) is now known as "Thumper's Law." I said all that to say that I've grown to know Blue Bottle as one of the premiere coffees of the Bay Area, if not the country. I only buy it occasionally because I never want it to become ordinary.  So, the other night, while eating at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, I noticed a bag of "Retrofit" beans.  I remembered "Retrofit" was a darker roast, or actually an espresso roa

Green Mountain's "Double Black Diamond" has a new look.  Happy to say it hasn't affected the flavor.  It's just as good, if not better, than I remembered it when I tried it the first time. As you know, I prefer a dark roast coffee, but I'm really making an effort to appreciate the medium, and even light - yes, I said, light, roast coffees. However, it's kind of hard when the K-Cups(TM) keep getting darker and better. Honestly, if given a blind taste test, I don't think I would have noticed the difference between this K-Cup(TM) and a pot of freshly brewed coffee.   While I don't use the Keurig the majority of the time, I love the fact that it's there when I need it.  It's quick, convenient, no mess and the only thing I have to clean is my mug.   Green Mountain is excellent coffee.  No doubt about that.  And they have really perfected the K-Cup(TM).  In my opinion, it's far superior to the original K-Cups(TM) when they c

This is the perfect gift for the coffee  connoisseur . If you thought "wine of the month" of was cool, just wait until you check out "Misto Box." Because for every glass of wine you had the night before, you're probably going to need a good hot cup of coffee for the morning after. That's where Misto Box comes in. With your "Misto Box" subscription , you get each month: FOUR - 1.7 - 2 ounce samplings of premium single origin coffee from four different artisan roasters! It's like traveling the globe for coffee without ever leaving home. Monthly subscriptions start at $15.00 per month and the subscription price includes shipping .  Save money by ordering six months or a year at a time. My March Misto Box contained: Panther Coffee Barefoot Coffee  (Palo Blanco Select) Cartel Coffee  (San Luis) Passion House Coffee Each bag brews 2 to 6 cups of coffee depending on your preference and method of br

This will not be one of those reviews full of information about origin and complexity and soil and climate. This is a review of the coffee.  Plain and simple. Last night on my way home, I stopped into Peet's for a pack of coffee filters.  I used the last one yesterday morning.  I usually use my automatic coffee maker during the week because it's just easier.  And I'm always rushing.  I know.  I know.   Anyway, I noticed a display with a few bags of what was labeled "New Java."  I'm thinking "New Java, as opposed to Old Java?"   To be perfectly honest, I've had Mocha Java many times, but I didn't even know there was such a thing as 100% pure java.  See, I'm learning all the time.  It's a process. Anyway, I picked up a quarter pound of beans.  That's one thing I absolutely love about Peet's. The people there never make you feel bad about ordering a quarter pound.  I mean, it's 17.95 a pound and payday isn

Some people don't like to drink alone.  But, as much as I enjoy company with a cup of my favorite coffee, I also can appreciate "me" time.   Meet my new "buddy."  It's from Priumula and it's the new "Coffee Brew Buddy." I must admit, this thing sat on my desk waiting to be reviewed for a couple of months.   Confession:  It looked rather odd and unlike the other 'pour over' apparati, so I was skeptical. But this afternoon, after a bunch of weekend chores, I knew I needed to 'recharge' before I got into my Sunday night ritual.  You guessed it - a new episode of "The Good Wife." Anyway, I pulled it out of the package and brewed up a cup of one of my favorite Guatemalan coffees. This "brew buddy" is so neat!   Easy to measure and "brews" up the best cup for one. I can really taste the flavor of the blend and it's dishwasher safe, which makes clean-up a breeze. Great f