Homemade Peppermint Mocha Creamer

I wanted to share one of  my favorite creamers this season. It turns any cup of coffee into a holiday cup of cheer. I don't  know about you guys but buying a peppermint mocha at Starbucks everyday would make me go broke. So here is a simple, fast alternative that will brighten up your spirits. It has a rich flavor and is made with a few ingredients that are probably already in your cupboard.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened  condensed milk 

1 and 1/2 cups of half and half 

1 teaspoon of peppermint extract

3 to 5 tablespoons of chocolate  syrup

1 mason jar with a lid

Steps:

1. Stir the half and half with the sweetened condensed

2. Stir the peppermint extract and chocolate syrup  in the mixture. *I put 4 tablespoons of syrup in my mixture, you can put less or more depending on how rich you want it.

3. Seal the lid on the mixture and shake it up! *you might want to play Taylor Swift Shake it Off during this step.

4. As always enjoy your homemade creamer with any coffee! 

"For to us a child is born to us  a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Have a Merry Christmas.

The Pour Over

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Since the holidays are upon us, I have not done a blog in two weeks! This is my first blog so I do not know the correct protocol on blogging. Do I post once a week? every other? I think I will just go with the busyness of my life and when I can fit writing the blog in.
  So today we are going to go over the method of the Pour Over Coffee Method, which is the most popular hot brew method.  This method is a simple form of brewing coffee and it focuses on brewing one cup at a time. The pour over method is the fastest method on making a cup of Joe. At Starbucks we would use this method if we did not have a certain roast brewing at the time we would just ground the customers specialty roast and pour hot water over the grounds and filter and Voila! a hot cup of Joe in minutes.  If you are in a rush most mornings to get to work, church this is the best way to make at home coffee.
  Materials needed: Grinder, Coffee beans ( I used the Christmas Blend from Starbucks), Brew Cone, Filter ,Cup, Hot water, Timer and  Tablespoon. I found my brew cone and cup at Starbucks, You can order one on amazon or even get one at Walmart, Target.

 Steps:
1.Grind about 1/4 of cup of whole beans into a medium fine. ( The best is to grind the coffee right before it leaves the oils in the coffee) pre-ground coffee has the oils disperse and it will not be as rich of a flavor.

2. Measure about a tablespoon of grounds per 4 ounces of hot water.

3. Boil water in tea kettle, microwave etc.

4. Place the cone filter ( this is a small paper filter) in the cone and then place grounds in the filter.

5. Pour the hot water slowly over the grounds it takes about two minutes. Focus on pouring the correct amount of water to give you a nice rounded taste. I measured out my water in a glass cup before I poured it.

* A good tip is to stir the grounds and water while it is dripping to make sure it is even.

The Pour Over set I own goes straight into the mug and then I can add my cream and fixens. I was in the Christmas mood and added Eggnog as my creamer! This mixed with a little bit of half and half makes a great holiday creamer. 

That's how the pour over is done! Fast and simple! Oh and one more thing I just wanted to show off my cute Christmas dish towels that were half off at Hobby Lobby! Sorry if the picture is a little crooked. :)

The French Press: Going Back to the Basics

Bon Jour, Coffee Lovers and Friends! My first post is going to be about my main love, the french press. I can't believe it took me so long to discover this simple elegant coffee maker. It was not until I was 21 working at Starbucks my junior year of college till I knew and respected the quality of a French Press. 
At Starbucks as a Barista I had to participate in coffee tastings and we had to check off and taste all the coffees Starbucks offers so we could make suggestions to customers. 
When I tell people about the French Press, people get scared at first. "Oh, well that is fancy." or "That looks complicated." Well do not fear my friends it is simpler than the drip coffee maker. I am also here to walk you step by step through the process and with pictures to help guide you. 
First a brief history lesson on the French Press. No body knows exactly when the french press was invented or if it even is French! In the 1850's people use to boil water with coffee grinds in it and then strain the coffee. Either the French or the Italians thought of an ingenious idea of putting a cheese cloth that you could press down on the pot of boiling coffee water and Voila! the French Press. The first patented French Press was by an Italian Attillo Calimani in 1929. The French Press was then additionally patented by Faliero Bondanini, this version is the one we use today. The device was further popularized across Europe by a British company by the name of Household Articles Ltd., and most notably, the Danish tableware and kitchenware company, Bodum.
Some places you can find a French Press is Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Publix, Amazon etc. If you are in the market make sure you get an 8 cup, 32 ounce. 
Ok enough of this 7th Grade Middle School History Class, Let's Make Some Coffee!
Step 1: Grind or get Pre-Ground Coffee! It is fresher when it is whole beans. I have Santa's White Christmas from Barnie's, which is perfect for the Holidays. It has a nice medium flavor with hints of Coconut, Vanilla and Caramel. It is a Holiday Classic. 

Step 2: Heat up 32 ounces (4 cups) or 16 ounces (2 cups)of water. 

Step 3: Measure out 2 Tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water. So if you are brewing two cups put 4 tablespoons in the bottom of your French Press. 

Step 4: Add hot water to your coffee grounds in your French Press. 
Step 5: Wait 5 minutes to let your coffee soak in the water. 

Step 6: Plunge! Make sure the plunger has reached the bottom so you do not have any coffee grounds in your Cup O' Joe. 

Step 7: Pour it into a mug of your choice. Use Cream, Whip Cream, Syrups, Sugar to top off your Coffee. Enjoy your nice French Press Cup of Coffee and curl up to a nice book or person you love. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this first Coffee Seminar! Next week we will go over the Pour Over and hopefully in the next few weeks I will be interviewing the Owner of Hattie's Coffee and Beanery of of Dale Mabry Highway for some in sight into his unique roasting method!

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 

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