Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea

Choco-Bloggers Around the World

My BlogRoll badly needs to be updated.  I suppose I could just use one of the bloglist services and have it update automatically, but I kind of like having my fingers right IN the linky-pie, so to speak.  I'm gonna get to it, really I am.  In the meantime, here are some of the chocolate and foodie blogs I've been enjoying recently:

Chocolate Obsession - I blogged about William's site a few weeks back (see post here), but it's worth mentioning again. 

Chocolate in Context - Emily Stone, a native New Yorker, now living in Australia, writes about chocolate and travel.

Chocolate & Zucchini - Clotilde Dusoulier, a Parisian woman who lives in Montmartre shares her passion for all things food-related.  Jump directly to the most important category: Chocolate.

Ice Cream Ireland - Kieran Murphy lives and blogs about chocolate (and other things) from Ireland. 

Brownie Points - She calls herself McAuliflower, from Eugene OR.  Is that her real moniker?  No matter, the posts are wonderful, recipes mouse-waddling.

Sweet Pleasure - or plaisir sucré belongs to Sam, of Toronto, Canada.  Another foodie blog that leaves me drooling.

And this, just discovered: Food Porn Watch- for food blogs, shows latest updates and such.

Swapping, Blog-Style

This is just such a cool concept. It's been done in a variety of ways on the net, via blogs and websites both.  Swaps are all over the place.  I've seen one where a journal was passed around, eventually traveling all the way around the world.  Pretty cool.  Bloggers are so inventive, and it still amazes me sometimes how small the internet has made the world.

This blog - Knitters Tea Swap 2  (and where, pray tell, is Knitters Tea Swap number ONE???)  lets folx sign up and send each other little packages of oh-so-wonderful stuff.  I had a great time reading the posts and looking at the pictures of what was in the packages.  It was a voyeuristic joy.  Sort of like vicarious Christmas.  Because it's not just tea - there's cups and biscuits and even chocolate! 

Of course, a mention must also go to TeaSwap, which has been around for a long time.  They're a little more organized, complete with yahoo group, database and all. 

Here's one for coffee lovers - the Knitter's Coffee Swap.  It looks like this one is just starting a swap, I couldn't find any posts or pics of packages.  What a great idea though. 

I wonder, when you ship yarn and coffee beans together, do you end up with a sweater that always smells like coffee?  I could live with that.

And joy oh joy, here's one for chocolate.  And there's pictures and posts and lots of vicarious enjoyment to be had at the Chocolate Swap blog.

I wish I had the oomph to be able to participate in something like this.  Of course, I don't knit anymore, but I think I would really enjoy the swapping process.  At least... heheh... I would enjoy the packages arriving.  I remember what a thrill it was when my tea package arrived from the tea fairy.  My problem is I'm allergic to the post office.  I break out in hives at the thought of going there.  If I have to drive by it, I go real fast, and if the light happens to turn red right there, I hold my breath and avert my eyes.

Pretty pathetic, huh?  I guess I'll just have to enjoy other people's gifts.  So keep blogging about your packages folx!  Somebody out here is enjoying them with you.

MORE Blogs to Visit

Before I forget (mind like a sieve, doncha know), here are a couple of blogs to add to your must-visit list:

NOTE: To folx who like to play linky, I really HATE it when you just post your links in the comments. It's so impersonal and one-sided and I feel so used.  I'll probably delete those kinds of comments from now on.  If you want me to look at your blog and play linky with you, email me!

• Tea Party Diva - "From Cupcakes & Chocolate to Tea Party Paraphenalia & Lifestyle".  I'm pretty sure the term Tea Party Diva corresponds to what I call my Tea Party Lady. 
• Kwaffee - the name comes from Nat's Aussie way of saying "coffee".  Hey Nat, record that, and put an mp3 of it on your blog!  (I love an aussie accent)
• Tea Room Appreciators - Gemmie and Tom serve up reviews and other assorted tea stuff
• Insani-tea - Fun new blog about tea.  For some reason this isn't coming up right in IE.  Use Firefox to view.
• Coffee & Tea gifts - it doesn't get better than a gift basket full of coffee or tea.  Or both.  Add a little chocolate, and I'm in heaven!
• Fresh Coffee Jones
• BaristaBlog - I can't remember if I blogged this before...

Tell 'em Christine sent you!

Sunday Morning Snippets

A bigfat g'morning to all.  I'm slurping my first cuppa, so I'm not entirely coherent yet, but I have a few newsy snippets to share before I go out to play in the yard with my flollies.  I'm treating myself to the last of the fresh roasted beans this morning.  Color me sneaky and selfish - I'm NOT offering to share, and anyway, the hubs is still sleeping, so there.  The early bird gets the good coffee.

Speaking of the hubs, the other day he asked me to make him some of the "good coffee".  I was busy, so I told him to make it himself.  He said he didn't know how, and couldn't use the grinder, whine whine moan moan.  Then he went and stood in the kitchen, staring forlornly at the coffee grinder.  He stood there for a minute before I realized what he was doing.  Just like the dogs when they want to be fed, but having no fingers or thumbs, can't operate the can opener, sit and stare, and wait for somebody to notice that they're hungry.  He made me laugh so hard with this image that I took pity on him and did the deed.  I'm so easy.

ANYway, news, news -

The April Fool's edition of the Carnival of the Recipes is up at Blog o' Ram.  I know, we all thought it was gonna be at Caterwaling.  Heh, April Fool's!  Top o' the list for me to try:

• Mensa Barbie's World's Finest Lemonade.  It's almost hot enough for this now, and it sounds soooo good.
• D, of Third World County's Egg-Potato-Sausage Whatchacallit.  Sounds like another one of those great "feed the hordes" kinds of recipes, good to have on hand when the in-laws show up.
• In the Headlights' Eggstraordinary Eggplant Parmesan - oh my god this sounds good.  For dinner tonight maybe.
• And for dessert, April Fool's Dirt Cake from World Famous Recipes

April Fool's Day
Since I was unable to post yesterday ... ummmm ... trapped under some heavy furniture, yeah that's it, a big chair fell on me and I couldn't get to the computer... I totally missed reminding everybody how April Fool's Day started. Way back in olden days, when I was young, the French used to celebrate the New Year on March 25. The celebration lasts through April 1st, with dinner parties and family gatherings and present exchanges.

People began sending fake gifts on April first which culminated in the grand New Year feast. These gifts were only as a joke on those who previously had received their étrennes or New Year's gifts, on March 25.

Poisson d'avril or April fish is the name the French apply to one who is fooled or mocked on April first. Confectioners' windows display chocolate fish on this day and many friends anonymously send each other humorous postcards imprinted with pictures of fish.

The French adopted the reformed calendar in 1582 which changed the beginning of the New Year from March 25 to January first.

I recommend we all follow the French tradition and send each other chocolate fish!

Feed of the Day
In other news, I somehow made it to Feed of the Day at Feedster!  Isn't that just the coolest?  Well, I think it is.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

One year old, I'm one year old! 

Happy Blogiversary to Meeeeee!

Bloggity Bloggity Blog

Well folx, the BoB voting goes on, and on ... and on.  Apparently until the end of the month!  Not only that, but apparently you can vote more than once.  I don't really understand a system that lets people vote more than once, but ... whatever.  So, if you haven't voted, git over there and vote for your favorite blogs, and for me, of course.  And if you already voted, git over there and vote again!  The hinky thing is, apparently (uhoh, 3 "apparently's"... must get a thesaurus...) not everybody CAN vote again - there's a fart in the system that they're trying to fix - so some people may be benefitting from multiple voters and some people ... umm ... well ... aren't. 

None of this should matter, of course, being in the finalists really should be enough, and I refuse to lower myself ... I refuse to be a bigfat blogwhore and beg for votes ... I absolutely will not ...

Oh what the hell.  Please go vote for me, please please, pretty please.

There.  Enough.  No more.

I've got a few blogs & websites I've been meaning to add to my sidebar.  I'm so far behind in updating my links, it's ridiculous.

• Coffee Crew - cafe reviews, equipment reviews, and lots more
• All Coffee Recipes - as the title says, coffee recipes, plus other coffee tiddybitties
• Portsmouth Tea Blog - nicely done tea blog
• Tattlers' Teas - tea website w/ a good selection
• Boca Java - This small Florida coffee/tea company has been giving coffee to American troops serving overseas.

That's all for today.  Now go vote!

BoB Voting

The Best of Blogs voting booth is open.  Go have a look-see at all the amazing blogs, and vote for your favorites here.

Note to self: must learn how to pimp self gracefully

Stoked & Jazzed

I'm stoked.  I'm jazzed.  Some kind soul nominated this blog for the Best of Blog awards, in the recipe category! 

I've never been nominated for anything in my life, let alone make it to the finalists. 

Let me say that again... I made it to the finalists!!!!!  I'm so stoked.  I think if I won I'd probably blow up like a balloon and explode, but that's not likely, given the heady (foody) company I'm in there.  I don't care, I'm just so stoked to be in the finalists. 

Christmas in the Blogosphere

Whew, now that my frenzied rush to get the house ready for company has subsided, I can take a minute to look around me and see what's the holiday haps in the blogosphere.

I've been enjoying Kat's Christmas music postings. She promises just Christmas music from now until Christmas Day.  I'll bet there's something there you've never heard in this eclectic collection.  Go have a listen.

Speaking of music... here's a bump to the Coffee Hymn, recorded by my aunt and myself, written/arranged by D, of Third World County.  It has nothing to do with the season, just a cute worshipful tune for those of us who love the holy bean.

Cindy of Cup of Tea & a Blog is still lost, traveling in parts unknown.  We miss you Cindy!  Come home safe!

Fortune of BCCY is traveling too, doing the Tassie circuit.  I can't say I'd like to be traveling in Tasmania at Christmas-time, but ... each to their own. 

Chuck of Cafe Metaphoric must be as busy as I've been these last few weeks.  But I see he likes my Christmas Coffee recipe.  Thanks Chuck!  And he's got a good list of Coffee Lover Gift ideas for those of you who still need last minute gifts.

Vancouver Coffee is in the spirit with a recipe for Mulled Cider, and more Christmas flavorings with the peppermint post.

Here's another one from Tea Posur, who is now 24 (oh, to be 24 again!) - Earl Grey Cocoa.  Sounds interesting.  I'll have to try it.

Over at Bloggle you'll find the Best of 2005 Coffee Brewers (wonderful way to wrap up the year), and Cadmus' own Holiday Blend.  Hey Doug, put me on your Christmas list, I want some!

Audrey of Coffee Sage is back and posting, with her recipe for Swiss (chocolate) Coffee (YUM!), and a Visit from the Coffee Santa.

Steph's Cup of Tea has some great holiday posts.  Start here: Holiday Tea Table.  I just love a beautifully set table!

Well, that's all the blogsurfing I can do this morning.  I'm going to make Christmas cookies today.  Every year my mom and I used get together and spend an entire day cooking and baking.  We'd have coffee and make batches of CCCCCC for gifts (and eating) and sugar cookies for the gift baskets (and eating).  I'm hoping her spirit will join me this morning as I bake.  I've modified our sugar cookie recipe a bit, I hope she won't mind.  The big question, the really big question, is ... shall I have cookies for breakfast?

Teapot Blogging!

Teapots, teapots, teapots is a blog all about that friendliest of vessels, the teapot! 

This is a fun blog!  Lots of variety, from elegant and beautiful to whimsical, cute and collectible.  Not to mention strange and unusual.

Check out this oddity, the "Box too small" teapot.  Would you believe it sold for $4000?  Amazing.  I'm in the wrong business.

via Wonders of Tea

Coffee & Tea Blogs

I do love blogsurfing.  This morning, cup firmly in hand, I slurped and surfed, followed some links that led to some other links, and found some new blogs to add to my blogroll - some about coffee, some about tea:

Coffee Spills - a blog about coffee shops

Good Cup of Coffee - coffee and a good cause.  I don't usually like frenetic causers.  They make me uncomfortable, and make my conscience itch.  But I found it interesting to read the posts.

A Thought Over Coffee - a blog about  "the dreaming and planning of Cafe.Evoke, an art and coffee establishment, to construction and opening day"

Cha Dao - A blog that focuses on tea tasting reviews and notes, from many contributors (one of my favorite tea people - Cindy of Cuppa Tea - is a contributor).  Wonderful blog.  Check out the latest post on Kali Cha: Darjeeling or Oolong?   A new a tea I'll have to try!

Tea Arts - A blog about the Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony and "the many facets of Tea Culture".  Lots of cool photos.

Tamaryo - Unfortunately my high school french is long forgotten, so I'll have to find a translation tool.  In the meantime, I LOVE the photos on this tea blog.

Teasire - Lots of different tea stuff, a guy after my own heart.  In today's post, Mathew explains the origins of the blogname.

Tea Blogs Salut

Just wanted to give a tip of the cup and a cheery wave to some folx talking about tea in the blogosphere.  Some of these I have been on my blogroll for a while, some are brandy new. 

* Steph's Cup of Tea
* Tea Posur
* Wonders of Tea
* Tea Swap

Tell 'em Christine sent you. :)

Sweet Yixing Teapot

If you've ever thought about buying a Yixing tea pot, you'll want to read this post from Tea Masters.  Stephanie describes some things to look for, and also shares photos of this beautiful zi sha tea pot (that's what it's made of -- ground zi sha stone).

Stephanie's blog is a favorite of mine (although I can't read some of it; this girl GUY is MULTI lingual) partly because of her his beautiful artful photographs, and partly because her  his gentle personality and love of tea shine through in each post. 

This is one of my favorites photos - http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2005/05/cup-with-long-jin-tea-and-floating-1.html.  Such a peaceful image.  Even if you're not a tea lover, this blog is worth a look-see.

The Perfect Bribe

I don't much like having a holiday that falls on a Monday.  It just shifts Monday into Tuesday.  I know, that should be a good thing, but it's not.  It's a mental thing.  Mondays are rough and Tuesday you get to recover from Monday. 

And today I had ANOTHER Monday -- busy and hectic and abnormally demanding.  I don't think it's fair to have Monday off, only to have to pay for it by two additional Mondays.

There is a coffee story coming, I promise. 

I had to drive a goodly distance to a meeting this morning, which pretty much skewered any possibility that this would be a good day.  Even though 9 am is still relatively cool (for around here) it's still much too hot for any sane person to be out and about. 

I gave myself just enough time to get there, but then ... Murphy's Law ... there was a wreck on the freeway.  I was sitting in the lane that led to the onramp, 3 blocks down, and traffic was completely stopped.  When I called to ask them to reschedule, I must have sounded grumpy and disgruntled, because they offered me the perfect bribe.

Coffee!

I'll stop at Starbucks, she says, and get us all something.  What would you like?

Oooh, cappuccino, says I, thank you very much I'll be right there!  I bagged the freeway, yipped a fluey and headed for the back road and was there before the coffee had cooled.

What a wonderful client.  I wish they were all like that.

Aside from busy-business, I've been working on another blog.  I decided I needed a place to post pictures and photos of things I love that aren't related to coffee or tea.  I've been trying to drag my own creativity out of the closet lately, and have been greatly admiring of those who are already "out".  Those who can call themselves writers, those who can call themselves artists, and not cringe or look around to see who might be sniggering.   I'll post more on that topic later ... over here.  I'm still tweaking and fluffing the pillows, but please feel free to come and visit.

The Write Mug

Writer Nancy over at Soliloquy notes how important it is to have her favorite mug to enjoy both her coffee and her writing. 

Amen! 

I've gone through many-a-mug, and I can tell you, the shape of the handle, the width of the rim, the feel of it against my mouth, and the look/color/texture of course, all make a huge difference in my slurping experience.  The cup is hugely important!  This is not an eccentricity.  This is not an idiosyncrasy.  It's a fundamental necessity of life!

I've been enjoying Nancy's blog for a while now, but never leave comments because you have to be a Blogger member!  I like the looks of your mug, Nancy.  And you've got one of those little warming plates!!!  I'm jealous.

I've Been Tagged!

My first ... thanks fo David: My Music is Like Totally ...

It's fitting since I'm sitting here listening to an old tune and sipping a cuppa.  Music is as big a part of my day as coffee or tea!  So here's the list:

Total volume of music files on my computer?
   1040 files, 4.1 gig, I don't know how many hours of music that is.  A lot.

The last CD I bought was...
     Can I name 2?  I bought them at the same time:
        Evanescence, Fallen
        Joni Mitchell, Blue

Song playing right now
   We'll Meet Again, by Vera Lynn (thanks to Kat)

Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order)
   Only Time, by Enya
   Hemorrhage, by Fuel
   Bring Me to Life, by Evanescence
   And So It Goes, by Billy Joel
   Since You Asked, Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg

Which 5 people are you passing this baton to, and why?
  Kat, of Keep the Coffee Coming, because she's so eclectic.
   I'll add more as I find them.  If anybody wants to volunteer to jump on the wagon here, let me know and I'll add you here.

Lovely Tea Blog

I stumbled across this wonderful tea blog - Cup of tea and a Blog, and I sort of fell in and got lost for a while. I felt right at home.  Dorothy Parker & Tea sent me on a wonderful journey of poetry and short stories.  I know I should be working, but this was a much better way to spend a Friday afternoon.

I've evolved!!

Hey!! I'm no longer an Insignificant Microbe in the TTLB Blogosphere Ecosystem!  I've evolved into a Crawly Amphibian.  But it looks like you don't make the front page list until you've at least become a Playful Primate, so I've got a loooooong way to go.  What a hoot!

Why Blog?

This guy (writing about MSN's new blog thing) wrote a list of reasons why he blogs.  Some of these items I can seriously relate to.  And some sound like just the kind of delicious justification I need to keep and pull out when I feel guilty or self-indulgent about blogging.  To wit (who talks like that??):

* Thinking is writing and writing is thinking.  Blogs are a way to organize thoughts.

* Blogs give the illusion of an audience, like getting published in a book or a journal.  So, blog entries are more thoughtful and complete than simply writing for oneself.

* A blog is a souvenir of life, like photographs.  If I live for 50 more years, then I have some record of my last year in law school.  Indeed, this could be the last year that I have enough free time to blog.

* A blog is a virtual notebook that can be searched electronically and accessed from anywhere.  Plus, writing notes in a blog helps memory recall.

He also says blogging is like a coffee break.  Which is sort of true.  For me, it's more like blogging gives me something to do while I drink my coffee. 

It's a question of which is the primary activity, and I definitely have MY priorities straight.

And I would add one more

• this blog, which is about something (as opposed to a strictly journal-style blog) gives me an excuse to research (which I love to do) something I love (coffee and tea) and learn, which is always a good thing

Coffee Blogs Salut

Thanks to Coffee Tea or Blog and Coffee Blog for the nods.  Here's a nod back-atcha.  And a nod to a few more coffee blogs that I like to meander through:

The Blog of a Coffee Addict

bread coffee chocolate yoga

CoffeeGeek

Badgett's Coffee Journal

Salut!

Have caffeine, will blog

This, my first ever post on my first ever blog, will not be memorable.  It's a little daunting, like sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper, knowing the deadline for that report is looming large.  The pressure mounts.  Can you find something to say?  Anything? 

This blog is fueled by coffee.  Or tea.  And sometimes both.  Therefore, it will be mostly about coffee and tea.  Mostly.

I'm a caffeine addict, and I make no apology about it.  It's a fact.  Coffee inspires.  Tea soothes and comforts.  I don't know why that is, it just is.  I've done some research about tea and coffee and the effects of caffeine, and that may become a topic for another post down the road.  For now it's enough to just say I love hot coffee in the mornings.  And I love my steaming cup of tea in the afternoon.

So I'll use this space to post interesting stuff about my favorite obsession, and from time to time, other topics as the caffeine inspires me.