Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea

National Ice Cream Month

Well, I've missed the first 2 weeks of it, but July is National Ice Cream Month.  I love ice cream.  The only way to make this any better would be to make it National CHOCOLATE Ice Cream month.  But according to American Food Holidays site, Chocolate Ice Cream Day is in June.  What's that about? 

Anyway, I haven't been ignoring it.  In the few spare minutes I've had, I actually went in search of an ice cream maker.  I mean, a person really OUGHT to have an ice cream maker, especially they live in the hottest part of the universe.  What better way to keep cool with all your favorite flavors? And what better month to take the plunge into homemade frozen ... stuff?

My first venture was to my local Target.  Would you believe it - no ice cream makers.  Not one.  I searched around online and couldn't make a decision.  And then - yesterday while at the grocery store - I found one!  I'm not too sure of the quality.  I mean, it was in one of those "beat the heat" party displays, with other high-tech toys like the "make your own cotton candy" machine, and the fabulous home version of the hot dog rotator, so you too can have burnt hot dogs just like at the ball park.  Honestly, these devices look to be one step above the Easy Bake Oven.

I had my doubts about the quality of the ice cream maker too, but ... I had to try it, and it was cheap.  It came with a bucket (for freezing your "Amazing Homemade Gourmet Ice Cream", four packets of Quick and Easy Ice Cream mix, and 3 little bottles of flavoring. 

The inner container is in the freezer now, only hours away from my first attempt at making ice cream.  Hopefully I'll have something cold and brown and homemade to blog about for Chocolate Friday.  Heh, I guess even if it's a disaster, I'll have something to blog about.  Wish me luck!

Oh, and in case you're interested, the Bizarre Holidays site lists these special ice cream days in July as well:

• Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day--July 1
• National Strawberry Sundae Day--July 7
• National Peach Ice Cream Day--July 17
• National Ice Cream Day--July 18
• National Vanilla Ice Cream Day--July 23

No chocolate on that list anywhere.  What is that about????? Redemption can be found back on the American Holidays list, where July 25th is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, and July 26th is National Coffee Milkshake Day. I may just have to slide those two together.

Tea-Zer Tea Tumbler

This nifty little thermos from Pacific Cornetta is designed for maximum time save-age.  You don't have to wait for your tea to steep before you dash out the door.  Put the tea into the little metal infuser, pour water, secure lid and go. 

You do still have to boil the water, and as we all know, waiting for water to boil is a terrible long ordeal.

But there are a few points about this doo-dad that I have problems with. 

I haven't had the need to dash off to a meeting, so I can't say I've used it in the car for a real "road test", but I think it will come in handy for such an occasion.  The problems I've had are these:

• The holes in the infuser are too large for certain types of loose tea.  The rooibos I used the first time leaked all out of the holes and into the tea.  Larger tea leaves worked better.  I also got tea leaves in my mouth when I sipped.  Using tea bags instead would solve these problems, I know.  But I hate to be limited like that, and since it advertises as "The only loose-tea brewer that travels", this is a considerable issue.
• I tried to simulate a "road trip" experience, so I didn't remove the infuser.  If I drank the tea too slowly, the water level remained too high, and the tea continued to steep until finally it was undrinkable.  And if I drank the tea too soon, it was too darn hot.  And if I had been in the car, removing the infuser would have been unworkable, unless I had the presence of mind to carry around a little plastic baggie or some such thing, and doesn't that rather spoil the point of the "gadget of convenience"?
• It doesn't fit in the cup holder in my car.  If I ever do want to use it on the road, I would have to rig up some kind of holder or brace it, and that's WAY inconvenient. 

Other than these little problems, it does do the job.  It's a good size for one person: 10-fluid-ounce capacity.  And it kept the tea hot for a good long time, much longer than I expected, and I tested it without pre-warming the container. 

You can find it online from between $10 - $15.  I found it at my grocery store for $8.  Most of the sites I found sell this red version, which is pretty, but I like to see the color of my tea.

It's a Teapot Morning

I bought more stuff.  I couldn't help it, and it's not my fault, and ... other blame-diverting words. 

It all started here with a blogpost about this teapot, shaped like an espresso maker.  I think this so cool!  I want one!! It's all mixed up, just like me.  Then I just need to find a coffee maker shaped like a teapot.  Heh. 

So I went in search, but I couldn't find anything on it.  Nada.  Zippo.  And Colin of the CoffeeCrew doesn't say where he found it. 

I tried the Teapots, Teapots blog, but couldn't find it there either.  BUT, I did find a post about  interesting spot called TeaPot Island in Kent.  The photo shows a woman standing next to a ginormous teapot fountain.  Another must-visit place to add to my travelogue, for sure!  There's not much detail on the Teapot Island website, but they do have a VERY interesting photo gallery of unusual teapots. 

That was good for an hours' worth of diversion, but then I continued my search, and landed eventually at The English Tea Store, where they're having a closeout sale on some of their teapots!  So ... well, you know how it is.  I had to.  It was a moral imperative.  I bought two Amsterdam teapots, one large, one smallish.  Very cute, very cheap, even with shipping.  See, isn't it cute?

I am now putting the credit card away, in a box, high on a shelf, behind something really heavy and difficult to move.

Shopping Spree!

I celebrated the first day of Spring by spending all kinds of money.  I shopped, and I shopped well.  I'm a good little consumer, seeding the economy with my hard earned cash... errr ... credit.  Heh.  Dontcha just love credit cards?

First stop, the grocery store, where I bought some essentials not worth mentioning, but also found a Tea-zer Tumbler, which I blogged about previously and have been wanting to try.  I'll let you know how I like it after I try it out.

Home again, but not content, with my credit card burning a hole in my pocket, I went online in search of Jerry Garcia Teas, which my cuz suggested (betcha thought I forgot, huh?).  Strangely, Google didn't land me in the right place to purchase - and the only clues I had were these news articles here and here.  Finally I found The Republic of Tea, which is the company that makes the Jerry Garcia "Artisan Tea Collection".  I had to order the Magic Herb Tea just for a lark, tho Jerry would be disappointed to know there's no mary-magic in this tea, just "chamomile, hibiscus, orange peel and peppermint."  I also ordered some Jerry Cherry  just because it sounded good - "organic black tea blended with the essence of ripe Bing cherries and the sweet notes of vanilla".  And I was glad to read that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each tin is donated to DrawBridge, a non-profit organization providing arts programs for homeless children. 

Oh yeah, while I was there I also ordered a sample packet of their loose leaf Yunnan Gold, just to test and compare to the other Yunnans I've had.

From there, I moved on to Sweet Maria's to buy some green coffee beans.  They sell sampler packs of beans, so I bought an 8 pack to have an assortment to try roasting here at home.  I can't wait.  I've prepped the hubs for a smoke-filled afternoon, but I promised him some good coffee in return.

Amazon was my next stop, where I just HAD to buy a couple of coffee books, a new french press (the one I have is just too small), and a DVD. 

All without leaving my chair!  Ahhh, the beauty of shopping online.  I'll have plenty to report on when all this stuff arrives.  But now comes the hard part.  Waiting for my merchandise to arrive.  I've never been very good at waiting.  I'm a run-to-the-window, foot-tapping kind of gal.  Where's my stuff???  Where's my stuff?????

Keeping it Cool

Well, we had the USB CafePad to help keep things warm at your computer.  And now, with summer just around the bend (at least here in the southwest), I guess it's time to think about keeping things cool.  Give half a glance to the  CoolIT, another USB device for those who love gadgets and have to frequently run into meetings and leave their cold drinks behind. 

I dasn't ask why they don't  just take their pop cans with them.  I'm also wondering what happens when the condensation from a cold glass of iced tea drips down onto / into the CoolIt?  Do we hear sputters and fizzes, or will it just keep on cooling?

Found via GadgetMadness, where this gadget has been given a 2.45 rating (out of 5).

Roast Your Own Coffee Beans

I've decided I want to try roasting my own coffee here at home.  I want to be able to use terms like "first crack".  More importantly, I want to taste really truly fresh-roasted beans, and have the satisfaction of knowing I did it.

I've been reading on the net, and I found a couple of posts where regular folx like me have tried this (as opposed to the uber-knowledgeable barista-types with big budgets).   It sounds like something I could at least try at home on the cheap.  Then, if I like it, maybe I'll invest in some gadgetry. 

There's the oven method here and the skillet method here, and this one uses a special popcorn popper.  And here's something from Engadget on converting your popcorn popper into a coffee roaster.  I don't know if I'm up for all that.  I think I'll go with the oven method.  And I better do it soon while it's still cool enough here to open the windows, which all the destructions I've read say is extremely important.   I gather a lot of smoke is generated. 

The smoke issue led me to this gadget .... 

The Smoke-Free Home Roaster Kit from Zach & Dani's.  Smoke-free, it says.  That would be cool.  The kit comes with the roaster, 3 bags of beans, an instructional video, and optional grinder. 

For $150, it sounds like a pretty good deal, especially if it really IS smoke-free.  Then I'd be able to use it here even in the summer months. 

But I can't find any testimonials or posts about this roaster.  Has anybody used it?  Any words of wisdom?  Tips in general on roasting your own?

Bodum Assam Tea Press

I know this isn't a new item, but I just got one, on sale at my local grocery store.  I really want one of the double-walled thermal tea presses, but ... that'll come later.

The Assam Tea Press from Bodum. 

It's cute.  A cute round little teapot.  Not pretty or elegant, but definitely cute. 

I really like a glass pot.  I like being able to see the color of the tea as it steeps.

This is my first experience with a tea press of this kind, and I like how it works. 

The holes in the tea container only go down about halfway, so that when the tea is the strength you want, you simply press down and the tea is pushed down to the bottom and steeping stops.

Well, not quite.  I did find that there was a tiny bit of leakage.  I could have removed the holder after steeping, but I frankly wanted to see if it really did stop steeping or if the tea would just keep getting stronger and stronger.  It wasn't a lot, but I did notice the second cup was stronger than the first. 

The tea did manage to stay fairly warm for the 2nd cup, even sans double-wall or tea cozy.  But it's not really practical for me alone.  I usually don't drink more than one cup here by myself.  I'll continue to use my one-cupper IngenuiTea for my solitary afternoon tea, but this little tea press will come in handy for when I have guests.

If I was going to rate such things, I'd give it 4-cup salute (out of 5).  Me likes.

Oh yeah, you can buy them online here, or here.

Tuesday Tidbits

Think those coffee pots with timers are new and inventive?  Check this article, showing there truly is nothing new under the sun.

To the woman who thinks my Jingle Ball humor is sophomoric: Sophomoric vs. The Giggle Monster, or How I Found My Christmas Spirit.

Hadta laugh, speaking of sophomoric humor, when I stumbled across this blog: Darjeeling in the Teapot.  Is it just me or does that image look like a diaphragm?  I was hoping for more teastuff here but couldn't find any.

This and That

Coupla items I want to mention before I get abducted by aliens again... or maybe those little creatures were really Santa's elves eh?  Hmmmm.

ANYway, firstly, the Carnival of the Recipes #69 is up at Dubious Wonder.  Great holiday themage here, go check out all the great recipes!

Next, two posts from the highly diva-ish Divas at La Dolce Diva about tea:

Holiday Tea Break - You don't need to sell me on the benefits of tea time.  Scroll down for the creme of this post, a truly delish sounding recipe for EGGNOG SPICE POUND CAKE! Oh yeah, now that's a good addition to any tea break.

Gifts for the Tea Lover -  Hmmm, not a bad list here.  A bit scant, but there are some items I might add to my Xmas list.  Like the Tea for One teaset here, now isn't that pretty?  Just right for an old broad like me sipping tea alone on a wintry afternoon.

And now, something for the coffee lover, another interesting way to make coffee while you travel: The Press-Bot, a coffee press that fits inside of the standard bottle everyone carries with them when they travel, camp, etc.

I don't know about the "standard" part, from the looks of it, I might have a bottle that would fit. I'd like to try one out to see.  Actually, this looks really familiar.  Have I blogged on this before?  Did the elves mess with my memory?  Heh.  I'd rather blame it on elves than early Alzheimer's. 

Bodum Thermal French Press

Bodum makes the coolest stuff! This is a purely wonderful idea, definitely going on MY Christmas wish list. I really must stop adding to my own list, I'm supposed to be shopping for other people. Oh well.

I have a little french press that makes good coffee, but I've often wanted to make more than 2 cups at a time, either for guests, or just to save me from having to get my butt out of my chair.  The problem is keeping it hot.  I could make a bunch of cups in my french press, I guess, and pour them into the drip coffee carafe, or a thermos, but what a pain!  This cool item from Bodum solves the problem.  It does double-duty as both a french press, and a thermal pot.  It claims to keep the coffee hot for 2 hours, which is more than enough time for me to decimate the contents. 

This would be the perfect gift for me anybody who works in an office and wants to have good quality coffee at their desk.  In fact, I found this via Cubicle Coffee, a cute little website dedicated to better office coffee.

And it comes in different sizes, 3-cup, 8-cup and 12-cup.  The 8-cup size would be perfect for me any small gathering, or me just making it through a morning's work without having to get up to refill.