The British supermarket chain Morrisons is showing how sales of latte and cappuccino have risen by 40% and 18% respectively.
This is probably part of the upheaval and uncertainty of the financial markets. And that's not just across the pond. For many of us it means we're not stopping at the local coffee shop on our way to the office.
Smart shoppers are finding ways to still have their coffee every day and keep their budgets in trim as well.
I'm having a great time playing with the recipes over at Gourmet Sleuth. Jillian loved her Carmel Macchiato.
I just wanted to share another with you. For a gathering of friends try iced coffee Constantine. It's a perfect drink for those autumn days. The cardamon and cinnamon just fit the crisp mornings and warm afternoons. I'm planning on serving it this weekend. Have some friends coming over for an evening of cards. Enjoy!
Starbucks Iced Constantine Coffee
These are copycat recipes and not the actual propriety recipe that is property of Starbucks.
I N G R E D I E N T S
2/3 cup ground dark roast coffee
4 cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into small pieces
6 cups water
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2/3 cup honey
Ice cubes
Half-and-half or milk
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mix together the coffee and cinnamon sticks. Using the coffee-cinnamon mixture and the water, brew coffee by your customary brewing method. Add the cardamom and honey to the hot coffee and stir until the honey dissolves. Cover and chill.
To serve, fill tall glasses with ice cubes. Pour about 2/3 cup chilled coffee into each glass. Pass the half-and-half or milk.
Serves 8.
A tip of the mug to The Press Association for the heads up and dj eyewater for the use of the photo
And to the folks at Gourmet Sleuth many thanks.
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One of my friends has decided Starbucks Carmel Macchiato is her drink of choice. But with the economy acting so strange with its roller coaster up and downs she's been cutting back on her Starbucks stops. Being the good friend I came up with a solution.
I found this website called Gourmet Sleuth. The person must be a chemist as he or she breaks down recipes so a person can recreate all the drinks and recipes at home.
And the recipes are right on-at least the coffee ones. So I got Jillian the ingredients for her favorite coffee drink including Starbucks Vanilla Syrup and Carmel Sauce, added some illy my favorite Italian espresso and took it over to her house. I also added the recipe in the package.
Jillian was thrilled and so am I. I'm not cooking dinner tonight, Jillian is.
Here's the recipe from Gourmet Sleuth.
Starbucks Caramel Macchiato
Serves: 1
I N G R E D I E N T S
2 tablespoons Starbucks' Vanilla Syrup
1/2 cup fresh brewed espresso
8 ounces steamed milk
3 to 4 tablespoons Starbucks' Caramel Sauce
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Add vanilla syrup to 16oz glass. Add steamed milk and caramel sauce and stir well.
Not the usual grind,
Tip of the mug to the Gourmet Sleuth
Filed under Save money making coffee at home, coffee, recipes for coffee drinks by
I admit I'm a trivia fan when it comes to coffee that tastes as good as it smells.
But this week the news wire brought new meaning to coffee taste. It seems a woman in Iowa had a bat flying in her house but wasn't overly concerned. I don't know about you but a bat inside my house is one too many for me.
The woman went to sleep and next morning made her morning coffee and headed out to work. That night when she returned home she cleaned out the coffee maker. Seems the bat had settled down for a nap in the preset filter. I suppose coffee grounds can make a comfy bed. The bat was cooked, she ended up having rabies shots. Tip: If you see a bat in your house show them the door.
But according to Michael Pollick bats and coffee have a connection. Bats like to live in caves near the coffee fields. The bats eat the insects which normally eat the coffee berries so the bats help out and limit the amount of pesticides needed. The bat poop enriches the soil and fertilizes the plants. A win-win for all.
So in this month of October with Halloween and the autumn season, keep an eye out for bats in your coffee.
Not the usual grind,
A tip of the mug to Cindy Hadish, Lynne Lancaster for the bat graphic and Michael Pollick for the heads up on bats.
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