Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea

Chocolate Media

First off, I want to lodge a complaint about the use of chocolate porn in advertising non-edible products - specifically non-CHOCOLATE products.

Funny that I don't object to the use of sex in advertising.  But I DO object to the use of chocolate.  That's a visual that goes right to the core of my brain stem.  Especially the visual of melted chocolate, rippling, and pouring and dripping.  Gawd.

Anybody see the mouthwatering ad for the Verizon chocolate cell phone / mp3 player?  The first ad I saw has apparently been replaced by more tech-slanted ads, so I have to wonder of somebody besides me complained.  Or maybe they weren't getting the right kind of sales.  PMSing women with glazed eyes wandering into the shops, instead of the young and hip?  Didn't they check their demographics BEFORE making the ad?  That original ad sure made me salivate, although I was pretty pissed off when I realized it was an ad for a PHONE! I felt so cheated!!

Anyway, I was hoping somebody might have posted the ad on YouTube but I couldn't find it there.  Found lots of other stuff though:

• Now THIS is excellent use of visuals
• Check this ad for chocolate flavored condoms.  Only slightly naughty, and with a twisted bit at the very end.
• I'm still laughing at this Japanese chocolate ad from the 90's.
• Somebody put together this Hershey Chocolate Factory Tour complete with music. 

There's lots more, just search for chocolate, or chocolate commercials.  Plan to spend some time though, there's something addictive about YouTube, even aside from the chocolate draw.

The Iced Tea Maker!

I finally got around to testing out my new Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker.  It's been sitting in the back of my car all this time.  It's not that I'm a procrastinator - although I am - it's that I've been so busy I can barely stop to pee.  Now THAT's busy.

This afternoon the weather is hot but muggy, and instead of being feverishly hurrying through lines of code, I'm hurrying up and waiting for phone calls to be returned.  The beauty of the hurry-up-and-wait is that the ball is now in their court, so I have a minute to pee and do other things - like make iced tea!

I wish now that I'd rescued this little doo-dad from the car sooner.  It's wonderful.  My new favorite thing.  I can now have tea in the afternoons again.  It says on the destructions that it makes great iced coffee too, so I may have to try that.  It was easy to use and quick - it took about 10 minutes for the water to heat and steep through.  I used a combination of Adagio Ti Kuan Yin tea and a lemon spice concoction.  And the result is cool and delicious. 

The downside (there's always something, isn't there?) -- the parts are not dishwasher safe.  What the???  That is a MAJOR downer.  And of course the hubs isn't happy about having yet another appliance on the counter.  I told him we need to remodel the kitchen so we have more storage space.  Heh.  I guess that does seem like an overkill solution.

Iced Mocha Frappa-Cherry

This has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever drank drunken  drunk  pffff! ... had.

It comes from it being so hot, you see.  Needing something - anything - cool enough and big enough to fill this really big cup.  Quenching thirst, yes, in large quantity, but cooling as well.  (I still haven't got around to trying out the iced tea maker...)

Now, this cup normally could hold two of those Starbuck's coffee things that come in bottles, or two cans of coke.  I would have been happy with either, but I only had one of each - one Mocha Frappuccino, and one Cherry Coke.  And a sparse amount of ice.  So.  Combo-drink. 

I know, it sounds really really weird.  But it's really good!

I had a friend who used to drink milk and pepsi, and another from somewhere in the south who swore by hot Dr. Pepper, neither of which sounded good to me.  I guess I'm getting weirder as I get older.  Warning though, this drink packs quite a caffeine punch.  (Not to mention sugar.)  Quick, give me something to clean while I'm on high -rev!

In the News Tids & Bits

Or is that "In the Snooze"?

* Experts conflicted over health effects of coffee, tea - The debate goes on.

* Short-Term Supply Squeeze Is Call Writing Opportunity in Coffee

* Tea prices will be hit if clash escalates to ME - No, not me.  Middle East.  Silly.

* Orlando Bloom's Bad Back 'Tea' - There's something not right about this newsblip.  Orlando Bloom had to quit drinking green tea because it made his back hurt.  What? 

* And from the Groaner File: Im-peach-mint Tea:  described as "a zesty blend of high-quality black teas, infused with the aromas of ripening peaches and cool, dewy mint leaves.  Brewing instructions: If the Bush Administration is bringing you to a boil, add one teaspoon and visualize impeachment. That's it; mission accomplished! I'm not making a political statement here, so don't yell at me.  I just thought it was funny. In a groaning sort of way. Found via growabrain

Diamonds & Chocolate

For Chocolate Friday this week -- diamonds and chocolate! 

No, I'm not starting a wish list.  Although that's not a bad idea.  Heheh.  Hunny, c'mere, have a look at this!  Or maybe I could just whisper it in his ear while he sleeps, a la subliminal brainwashing. 

Diamonds and chocolate, what a great combo!!

Apparently other folx think so too.  Check out this ginormous chocolate thingee shaped like Africa worth $5 million dollarettes! The bottom is decked with more than 2,000 diamonds.  The chocolate is edible, but who would dare to eat such a thing?  What a terrible waste of good chocolate.  Oh yeah, and diamonds too.  But it's a great creative idea, apparently made in commemoration of the jeweler's ties to South Africa, although one article I read said it was more in competition with another jeweler who created a fruitcake covered with diamonds.  Chocolate beats fruitcake for value in my book any day.   

Now these diamonds are not edible.  You've got yer white diamonds, of course.  And you've got yer blue and pink diamonds.  And here you have yer chocolate diamonds.  I gather that they're not as expensive as the white diamonds, which I don't get, because it also appears that colored diamonds are more rare than the white ones.  But according to this article - "you can get a larger champagne or chocolate colored stone than you would get for the same price if you were buying a white diamond".  Weird huh?  If I were a jewelry kind of gal, I would go for the chocolate and champagne diamond combo. 

On a fashion side-note, the same article states ""As chocolate has taken over as the new black in fashion apparel, we are seeing the same trend follow in jewelry".  Really?  I'm so happy! I can wear chocolate and be in style this year.  Oh, they meant the color of chocolate.  Heh.

Ok, moving on to the truly edible.  Here are a few samples of diamond-shaped chocolates you can buy and eat:

Burie Chocolatier offers diamond shaped Belgian chocolates that look pretty scrumptious. 

And Choco.net has chocolate diamonds in a bag that would make great little gifties for weddings or some such thing.

And here's a place you can buy diamond-shaped candy molds if you want to try making your own chocolate diamonds.

I was going to try to make at least one of these recipes but I didn't have time, so I'll just post the links here and hopefully get a chance to make them later:

• Chocolate Diamonds Cake  - found at foodgeeks.com.  I think this is a picture of what it should look like, but ... heh... I'm not entirely sure.  The photo is killer food porn anyway, so go have a look.
• Patty Ann's Chocolate Diamond Cookies - diamond-shaped.  These would make good Christmas cookies.

Enjoy!

More Tea & Coffee Blogs

I've been gathering this little list of sites and blogs to visit and I finally am getting around to posting the links and comments.  Check these out, and tell them Christine sent you!

• Tea Uncomplicated - Blog of The Simple Leaf, talking about tea and other stuff.  While you're there be sure to check out Roy, the cutest little pupper, and the post on Making Cold Infused Iced Tea
• Centralitea - tea reviews and comments.  Nice pictures.  Nice commentary.  But there are google ads between every post!  Gak.
• Green Tea Blog by O-cha - news about tea, with links.
• Beginner's Guide to Coffee Blog - Articles, links and blurbs about coffee.  They've got a website too, and that includes stuff about tea as well.
• Blue Frog Goods - Their coffee themed stuff is great.  I tried to get them to send me a free sample of the chocolate bonbon coffee cups, but apparently bribery isn't in their game. Heh.
• CoffeeBreakUSA Blog - brandy new blog of the CoffeeBreakUSA.com website where you can buy gourmet coffee and gift baskets.  Check out their first blogpost: Fun Coffee Facts
• Bullen Tea - a resource for buying tea online.  They've got a link for a newsletter, but it doesn't seem to work.
• Pick Your Perk - a resource for buying coffee and tea online.  They have a swiss chocolate flavored coffee. I might have to try a sampler pack.

On another note, still in the bloggish vein, I made it to the Blogs of Summer list!  And I'm in the first cluster, although not in the top five, but hey, it's cool to be considered at all. 

There are some more on my list, but I've run out of time for today.  Enjoy!

Choco Coffee

Long Time No Blog!  I've been busy.  And sick.  And busily sick and sickly busy.  I hope to find an end of both soon.  I have a backlog of stuff to post about!  Coming soon - my new iced tea maker, dud or delight?  And I have several blogs and websites to play linky with (after I find half a minute to go look at them).

This morning I just want to mention the coffee I'm drinking.  I'm trying a variety of Christopher Bean coffees.  Their house blend is ... pretty darn good.  I like it.  I got this from a local shop, but I'm thinking of ordering online and see if I can't get a slightly fresher bean.  These weren't bad though, quite acceptable.

I do NOT recommend their Fudge Nut Brownie coffee.  Bleach!  I was suckered in by the name.   The past few years I've fallen away from flavored coffees, but this one just sounded so good... right up my alley.  Fudge ... nuts ... brownie ... what's not to like?  I neglected to read the fine print.  It warns ya, right on the bag -- "Rich Chocolate & Cinnamon Glazed Pecans".  The chocolate flavor was good, the pecan flavor was alright ... the cinnamon flavor ruined it all, sent my tastebuds spiraling down to a unified YUCK!

I don't expect flavored coffees will be my regular cup, but now I think I'd like to find some GOOD chocolate-flavored coffee for special occasions.  In the meantime, there's always "cocoa in yer cup".