Espresso Drink Alternative

Holidays are here.
Time for peppermint mocha and eggnog latte, for cookies and fudge.
Normally this would make me as excited as my three year old, but events have occurred that make me sad.

Tennyson wrote, 'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

I cannot agree. 
The treats which help to define the holiday, that I have enjoyed and loved since I was a little girl, are not an option for me anymore.

With newly developed soy, dairy and wheat (which means I am now gluten free) allergies, The world of Christmas delectables is not longer at my disposal.

Then add a paper cut on top of that flesh wound.
Making my own espresso based drinks at home has been put on hold.

My grinder has ground it's last bean. I cannot justify roasting coffee if I cannot grind it to brew it. Nor do I feel I can go purchase a new one right now being as everyone who has asked for gift ideas knows my love of coffee and loss of this appliance.

Now, I know there are people in actual need. The soliders away from thier families while the serve overseas for example. But for me, despair during this festive season was selfishly immanent.

Then I found happiness in an unlikely place.

For anyone with allergies like me or is just on a tight budget but wanting to indulge,
I have found the answer.
Starbucks VIA.

It isn't just instant coffee.
Pumkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha are available.

After following the directions, I disregarded them.
By adding only milk, the coffee flavor was weak.

Holiday Cheer in a Cup
First, pour half a cup of strong coffee.
French press or automatic drip. 
Then, fill the rest of the cup with milk.
Almond milk is better than regular moo, coconut or soy.
Microwave until hot.
Normally I frown on microwaving coffee, but the VIA dissolves best in a hot beverage.
Pour the selected VIA into your cup and stir.

I hope this allergy friendly and budget conscious option helps others to regain the happiness this holiday season brings. I know it has for me!

Useful. Washable. Accessories.

Christmas is upon us!
Time for warming ourselves from the inside out with hot chocolate, tea and coffee. Oh My!

But, what if the cup is too hot to hold or it cools faster than you can drink it?

I am offering two solutions my friends and family love. Crochet patterns for a Coffee Cup Cabled Cozy and a Cabled Coffee Sleeve for your cups to keep your drinks warm and your hands unburnt.

Depending on the yarn used, the cozy and the sleeve are not only reusable, but machine washable.

Not only are they great for personal use, but placed on a new mug and paired with a pound of your favorite coffee, box of tea or tin of hot chocolate, these make excellent gifts for co-workers, friends and family.

Coffee Cup Cabled Cozy
Materials

Worsted weight yarn

G hook

Abbreviations
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
ss: slip stitch
sk: skip
fptr: front post treble crochet: yo twice, insert hoof from front to back around post of st indicated, yo and pull up a loop, (yo and draw through 2 loops on hook) 3 times. sk st behind fptr.

Base worked in continuous rounds – place marker at beginning of each round
R1: Ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook (6sc)
R2: 2 sc in each sc around (12sc)
R3: *2sc in next st, sc* 6 times around (18sc)
R4: *2sc in next st, 2sc* 6 times around (24sc)
R5: *2sc in next st, 3sc* 6 times around (30sc)
R6: *2sc in next st, 4sc* 6 times around (36sc)
R7: *2sc in next st, 5sc* 6 times around (42sc)

Sides worked in rows back and forth
R8: ch 1 (does not count as stitch), in back loop only hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc. ch 1, turn. (42hdc)
R9: Working in both loops, hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc. ch 1, turn. (42hdc)
R10: Repeat round 9.

R11: (hdc, sk next 2 st, work fptr around st one row below next 2 hdc, working in front of fptr just made work fptr around st one row below each skipped hdc, hdc) 7 times. Do not join to first stitch of this round. ch 1, turn.

R12: hdc in each st around. ch 1, turn.
R13: (hdc, work fptr around next 4 fptr, hdc) 7 times. ch 1, turn.

R14: Repeat round 12,

R15-18: Repeat round 11-14
R19: Repeat round 11.
R20: Repeat round 12. Do not ch 1 and turn. Instead, ch 30 and finish off (tie made).
Join with ss to first st of round 20. ch 30 and finish off (second tie made).
Weave in ends.

Cabled Coffee Sleeve

Materials

Worsted weight yarn

Button

G hook

Abbreviations: same as above.

Worked in rows back and forth
Begin with a slip knot, but leave a long tail.
Ch. 11
R1-3: Working in both loops, hdc in each st across (10 hdc). ch 1, turn.
R4: hdc in next 2 hdc, sk next 3 st, work fptr around st one row below next 3 hdc, working in front of fptr just made work fptr around st one row below each skipped hdc, hdc in last 2 hdc. ch 1, turn.
R5: hdc in each st around. ch 1, turn. (10 hdc)
R6: hdc in next 2 hdc, work fptr around next 4 fptr, hdc in last 2 hdc. ch 1, turn.
R7: hdc in each st around. ch 1, turn. (10 hdc)
R8-11: repeat rows 4-7
R12-15: repeat rows 8-11
R16-19: repeat rows 12-15
R20-23: repeat rows 16-19
R24-27: repeat rows 20-23
R28-31: repeat rows 24-27
R32-35: repeat rows28-31
R36-37: hdc across (10 hdc). ch 1, turn
R38: sc in next 4 hdc, ch 2, sk 2 hdc, sc in last 4 hdc. ch 1 turn.
R39: sc across. (10 sc).
Bind off. Weave in tail.
Weave the long tail from the beginning into the center of the end without the button hole. Use it to sew on a button. Secure with a knot and weave the rest of the end in.

If there are any questions concerning the patterns, feel free to ask in the comments box or email me (sarahjorichards@gmail.com) and I will try to clarify.

With a cup of coffee in hand, these mug accessories are a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit!

Coffee Roast Guide

Whether you're a roaster or a consumer of coffee, the options on what to drink are staggering.

At first, walking down the coffee aisle at the grocery store made me giddy with the possibilities.
Then realization of my ignorance made a decision nearly impossible.

After an hour or so, I started to recognize similarities to some of the labels. Going home empty handed, I pulled out a few books and cruised the internet.

Finding a simple, easy to understand guide to roast selection was unobtainable. So instead, I have created a roast selection guide.

Characteristics to note in the roasts:

• The lighter the roast, the higher the acidity with less body or mouth feel. Some people describe the lighter roasts as being almost tea like in their qualities.
• The darker the roast, the lower the acidity. The payoff for less acidity is a full bodied cup of coffee.

Save it, print it and take it with you for reference the next time you need to roast or buy coffee.
 
Feel free to share this roast guide, but please don't sell it for profit.

Let me know what you think of the guide by using the comments box or emailing me directly at sarahjorichards@gmail.com.

Happy Roasting and Brewing!

Improve Work Efficency.

 Work and coffee go together like...

Peanut Butter and Jelly
Cake and Ice Cream
Beer and Football

The problem with combining coffee and work is the inevitable spills.

Reports are highlighted brown.
Computers are shorting out.
Replacement shirt and tie are pulled out of the file cabinet.

The solution is to print out a designated sheet to contain the
coffee stains. Click for a PDF to print.


This design can be shared and used, but please don't plagiarize or sell for profit.

Espresso. Milk. Foam.

The cost of lattes, cappuccinos and macchiatos for an artistic coffee addict isn't really compatible with the budget. Even when I got my first espresso machine, I still found myself going walking down the street to a cafe in order the get the drink I tried to make for myself. Not really the money saver I thought it would be.

The proportions were perfect when a barista made it for me. What is their secret?

Basic Guide: make classic espresso based drinks at home.

Espresso, milk and foam are the basic ingredients. No amount of sweeteners and flavors can make it taste proper if the ratios aren't correct.

My mission was to find a printable reference to place next to my espresso machine so I could create the classic drinks myself. A reference with the guidelines to creating a cappuccino, latte and macchiato.
Finding one with only the options I wanted was difficult. Many included espresso con panna, flat white, cafe breve, and americano among others. So, I made one myself.

Feel free to print and share my basic guide to creating classic espresso based drinks at home, but please don't sell it for profit.

If you would like a high resolution PDF contact me directly at sarahjorichards@gmail.com and I will email it to you.

Or you can let me know what you think of the guide by using the comments box.

Happy Roasting and Brewing!

Mexican Chiapas & Bolivian Colonial Caranavi Blend

I like to think we’ve all had a Frankenstein (it's pronounced "Fronkensteen") moment. It makes me feel more socially acceptable with my mad scientist thoughts. 

Chilean volcano erupting, photographer unknown

On the front porch, I held the roaster cord in my right hand and the extension cord in my left. The scorching sun was extinguished by billowing dark clouds. Lightning crick crackled across the sky. Wind blew my hair into a violent frenzy. As the pieces were joined a barbaric yelp was expelled from my lungs. 

 “It’s alive!”

Reality is less interesting. A neighbor was across the street watering his dormant lawn in a valiant effort to raise it back to life as though it was Lazarus. My husband and son were watching Dinosaur Train in the living room. I could see them through the floor to ceiling windows from the porch. 

When I flicked the switch and the roaster fan commanded the beans to dance, I swallowed my tongue and promptly sat on my hands. Making a fool of myself, while irresistible at times, is an act I save for the privacy of my house. Curtains closed. Doors and window locked. Cameras confiscated. 

The summer of 2012 has been hotter than and almost as dry as the Dust Bowl. Thankfully, we have something they didn’t have, air conditioning. The temperatures finally dropped to upper 80s this week. I never thought I would think of that as “cooling off”. With the heat index out of the hundreds, I seized the opportunity to roast coffee. This time I roasted with the intent to make a blend. I wanted to use a light roast and a dark roast in harmony.

Mexican Chiapas

Four ounces were roasted with a high fan on low heat for 2 minutes. Then the heat was set to medium for another six minutes. Until the first crack, which started three minutes into medium heat roasting, had stopped. A light roast was created.

Bolivian Colonial Caranavi

Four ounces were roasted with a high fan over low heat for two minutes. Then the heat was turned up to high and the fan down to medium for ten minutes. The first crack occurred with eight and a half minutes remaining. The second began with four minutes remaining. A dark French roast was achieved.

Both roasts were mixed into the same bag and brewed this morning from the drip machine. The first description of the blend came from my husband, “it’s a complex cup”. He went to work, my son got up and after an hour, I was finally able to make my assessment. It was the same. After texting about the flavors as he sipped from his travel mug and I from my cup we determined the best representation of flavors, dark chocolate covered roasted spiced nuts. 

Then we both craved a thick slice of pumpkin bread. Try a slice and a cup. Let me know what you think.

Click for  FREE Sample!

In House Coffee Shortage

from The Weather Channel

With a heat index near 110 degrees, it is too hot to home roast. Which left me questioning, “Is it too hot for coffee?”

No. Definitely not.

The day I do not have coffee in the house is a sure sign of the apocalypse. When I scraped the bottom of the coffee canister I first checked the counter for a brown lunch bag of coffee that might have gotten pushed behind the speakers. Nothing. I checked the cupboard where we keep the less desirable, but in case of extreme emergency stash. All I found was a chocolate chip and an almond. Finally, I checked the calendar, 2012. Was this the end? 

No. I am always a bit dramatic before I have been properly caffeinated. What to do? Yes, I know roasting in the house is a simple answer, but that last time I tried that was with less than safe results. (A Cautionary Tale) Instead I took a field trip to whole foods; to air conditioning and coffee I hadn’t sampled before.

While the heat persists, I intend to conduct extensive research on how retailers roast their beans. And since it is too hot to go outside, what else is one to do but eat. So I will share recipes or meals that pair well with the roast/blend. 

Mexican Grapos brew notes:

It is advertised by Allegro coffee as being a light roast having flavors of dark chocolate and sweet spices with a hint of orange zest. I was intrigued by this combination. I coarsely ground about 2.5 ounces and brewed them in a French press.

While my husband and I both got a definitive taste of dark chocolate flavors, neither of us detected any orange zest. Either that can only be tasted by a more sophisticated pallet, or it was added by a marketing team to sell the beans. 

The chocolate flavors were accented and enhanced by a spice quality. As my tongue tingled with the spicy after taste (not in the crushed red pepper sense, but more like cinnamon), I was knew I was addicted to this roast. 

Mexican Grapos has made my short list of roasts I need to home roast. This might be my new favorite bean to drink. 

As I said before, no orange zest was detected in the brew. However, this cup was complimented to perfection by an orange chocolate chip cookie. I suggest you whip up a batch, and brew this roast.

Click for  FREE Sample!

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Too hot out for coffee? No. It's never too hot outside for coffee. The pleasures of coffee are not to be denied during the summer months.

My husband has been gone for the past two weeks. Two weeks that have managed heat indexes over one hundred. I still maintained my diet of a pot of coffee a day, black with no milk or sugar. Once at the doctor’s office I was asked ‘how many cups of coffee do you drink a day’. My response that coffee cups vary in size was not received well. My next answer was scrutinized. I maintain that it takes a pot to keep up with a husky (high energy dog) and a three year old.

A day early, my guy phoned to say he was flying a regional jet home. Airplane space is small on a commercial flight. It is microscopic in a regional jet. At five and a half feet tall, I barely fit. For my husband who is just under a foot taller, it is like trying to cram an elephant into the clown car. The air vents are like a soft fart being blown in your face for two hours as the air circulates a potpourri of body odors from all the passengers. After a flight like that and working so hard to give his family a nice life, I prepared him a treat. One I was sure he had forgotten about, and he had.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

• Mug of strong black coffee
  (I’ve used a French press and an espresso machine with excellent results)
• 2-4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• Ice (make ice cubes from brewed coffee to prevent your drink from getting watered down, or use a freezer cup)

 Sadly this is not dairy free, but I remember how delicious it is on a hot summer day.