Frosty Vitamin C

A quick yummy treat

In a blender combine

1 nectarine

3 clementines/mandarins

1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water

1 cup ice

1 1/2 cup water

Blend until the ice is crushed and you have a nice frosty drink.  Add more ice if needed.

Orange blossom water is available at mediteranian stores.  You can order it online but it's much more expensive that way.  I saw it for 4oz/$10 online and I paid 4oz/$3 at the store.  

This treat is low on calories and high on vitamin A and especially high on vitamin C  A little iron, calcium and fiber too.

My year in Coffee - Elida Estate Natural Process from PT's Coffee Roasting

Didn't post this when I first go it.  It's been crazy around here.  Went to PT's with the youngest daughter and oldest son.  I have a lot of kids, these were numbers 2 & 4.

The youngest got a smoothie since she's not one for strong coffee and the rest of us got flat whites.  I like those quite a bit.  

We also got a very nice chocolate bar from Christopher Elbow to split. It had Ethiopian coffee.  The girl is allergic to chocolate so she missed out, but she had a pretty tasty smooth to sooth her.  :-)

The next day I brewed up some of the beans for my breakfast.

Kind of sweet and chocolaty and it went very well with my fruit and oatmeal.  I'm going to try it as a SO espresso this afternoon.  It seems likes one that would be great for that.

I love PT's and can say it's one of my favorite coffee houses in the city.  

Citrus Kitchen Scrub

Another use for those orange peels I refuse to throw away.

Cleaning Scrub - for the kitchen and bathroom - NOT your skin

a couple of handfuls of dried citrus peels.

These are a mix of orange, blood orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit

1 cup borax

In a food processor grind the peels.  I did it about 1/4 at a time.  when they are a good even consistency and don't seem to be getting any smaller it's time to add the borax.  Grind some more.  The peels tend to grind a bit finer after the borax is added.

Then just store it in a jar or bag.  To use sprinkle some on the surface or on a sponge and scrub away.  Rinse off or wipe down with a damp towel afterward to remove residue.    I love the way it makes the kitchen smell when I use it.  When I'm doing the sink I usually leave the strainer in so that I can catch large chunks before they go down the drain.  Sometimes I forget and it never seems to harm anything but better safe than sorry.  

My year in Coffee - Valentine's Day

We went to Second Best Coffee for a Valentine's Day cappuccino.  I picked up some beans there as well.

http://www.secondbestcoffee.com/

It was crowded, so we didn't stay and got it to go.  I also picked up some Rwanda Kivu Kibuye beans.  As always I asked the barista for a recommendation and as it normally does, it paid off.  

Having a heart in my cup was a nice touch for Valentine's Day.

The young man behind the counter was very nice and friendly.  I can see why the shop was so busy, it's a nice place to be.  It's also not far from my daughter's house.  I'll have to get her to go there with us sometime.  

The beans were very good.  The first time I brewed it I was fighting a cold so I didn't really get the full aroma.  My husband said it smelled kind of like a box of coco puffs that had just been opened.  Eventually I had a cup that I could fully experience.  Dan wasn't far off.  I got some cocoa and sweetness with kind of a honeyish taste.  Maybe a bit of a dark spice taste.  It was very nice and I'm really enjoying it.  Not looking forward to when this bag is gone.  Of course then it will be on to the next bag of coffee.  :-)

My year in coffee - Feb 5 Onyx Coffee Labs - Yirg Kochore

Got another bag of beans in from Onyx Coffee Labs out of Springdale, AR.  I first found them when I was looking for a coffee roaster in Arkansas.  I'm from the southern part of the state and I met my husband at the University.  We had our first kid there in Fayetteville and my best friend still lives in Rogers plus a lot of my family lives in or around Hot Springs.  Arkansas is home and I thought it would be nice to get some coffee roasted there.  

So glad I did.  I am in love with the roasters at Onyx.  They do such a good job of getting the best out of the beans.  Coffee roasting is an art and two roasters with the same machines, same beans and same atmospheric conditions will end up with two different roasts.  It's a matter of knowing and that's why some coffees are a treat and some are just a drink.

This one is a treat.  Rich and decadent like fruit covered in dark chocolate.  When I opened the bag I got the aroma of blueberry and fruity sweetness.  This held true through the grinding.  Brewing it I could taste the sweetness - not as sweet as the last one I got from Onyx, but then this is a different bean.  I loved the strong dark chocolate finish.  It reminded me of the cocoa nibs I nibble on sometimes or the way baker's chocolate smells when you are grinding it up for a recipe.  This coffee would go great with a rich cheesecake at desert.  I'm going to try it as a SO espresso later today.  I think it would pair great with some heavy cream for a nice afternoon treat.

And as always the bag is a treat.  I love the details they put into things.  Coffee can be utilitarian or an experience.  Onyx seems to understand that it's better to treat it like an experience.  

It's been awhile since I've done a puzzle, so I made one for today.  Just click on the image or title below to give it a shot!  

110 Onyx Coffee