Remember when I told you about Ed?
Well, he’s back, and he’s got the hand-crafted, home roasted beans to prove it. He’s been busy roasting Finca Mauritania beans lately, with the promise of a spring roast in the near future. To read about why he selected Finca Mauritania coffee, click here.
In today’s economy especially, I’m a big advocate of supporting [...]

 
Save On Crafts has a really cool DIY Christmas Ornament project involving–you guessed it–coffee beans!
The required materials are:
Styrofoam Ball–any size, as long as you’re prepared to cover it!
Acrylic paint in dark brown
Glossy acrylic sealer
Whole roasted coffee beans, enough to cover the ball
1-1/2″ ribbon, at least 1/2 yard in any color you’d like (red or green , perhaps?)
Tassel [...]

Besides the obvious (grinding and drinking), there are many other uses for coffee beans.

To freshen your breath, you can suck on a coffee bean for a while.
To remove odors from your hands, put some whole beans in your hands and rub them together, and when the odor is gone, wash your hands in warm, soapy water.
If your [...]

According to Natural Solutions magazine, one way to reap the benefits of caffeine, a natural skin firmer that stimulates fluid flow, simply fill your tub a couple of inches high with ground coffee, add warm water, put on some panty hose (to create a D-I-Y wrap) and soak away.
If that sounds like too much work [...]

If you were always told that nothing good is ever free, think again.
Check this out–complimentary (yep, FREE) holiday coffee tastings at your local Peet’s.
Saturday December 13, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Free tastings of three coffees featured in Peet’s Holiday Coffee Gifts: Holiday Blend, Major Dickason’s Blend® and Arabian Mocha Java.
Saturday December 20, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Free [...]

Chemical engineers at the University of Nevada say they’ve made a high quality biodiesel from coffee grounds. The researchers estimate their process could produce about 340 million gallons of biodiesel from coffee world wide, and they could make about $8 million in profits just from Starbuck’s coffee grounds.
Here’s the full story from the University of [...]

Adjustable bracelet with recycled blue glass beads and Kentucky coffee beans (pictured above).
Since I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, I am constantly amazed at what artists come up with. That’s why this new find has me beaming ear to ear.
Kentucky artists Josie Lamb Williams and Mark Williams of Mayapple Creations say they [...]

I have to admit I’m a bit intimidated by all the coffee drink possibilities. While I pretty much tend to stick to what I know, I do like to learn about all the other options available.
Here’s my Coffee Drink cheat sheet:
Americano: A single shot of espresso with about 7 ounces of hot water added to the mix.
Black coffee: A [...]

Those who know me know I spend a good amount of time at Trader Joe’s, where they have unique coffee and a chocolate selection that’s to die for.
It’s no surprise, then, that I have become addicted to Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. The dark, smooth chocolate is the perfect balance to the slightly bitter espresso bean hidden [...]

While coffee might be best enjoyed by the cup, there’s another way to appreciate the bean it all its glory–by cooking with it.
And what better way to start than with the veritable coffee cooking bible, Sandra Gluck’s The Best of Coffee: A Cookbook, which features over 40 recipes such as Mud Pie, Mocha Brownies, and [...]