Every year Brazil produces about about one-third of the world’s coffee, around 22,000,000 bags per year.  Each of those bags weighs in at 152 Lbs!

How about a little coffee trivia, just for fun.

In which of these categories does coffee belong?         Bean      Seed      Root

I’ll get back to you with the answer tomorrow

For me, my first morning cup of coffee is a time for me to take a moment and reflect on life and the coming day.  I find the whole experience very meditative.  What’s your favorite thing about coffee?

As a coffee lover who is also a chocolate lover, it’s a pretty simple decision to pick my favorite coffeehouse drink.  The Mocha, a smooth decadent blend of coffee and chocolate that sings to my taste buds and puts a smile on my face.  To experience this rich, velvety goodness at home, just add a little Breve Dark Chocolate Cream to your favorite cup of coffee and enjoy.  It’s a simple route to chocolatey indulgence.

Barista tip:  For even more decadence; add a splash of Breve Hazelnut Cream as well.  I call it a “Nutty Brunette”.  And yes, I named it after myself.

Here’s an easy way to make a terrific tasting chai latte at home. For this recipe you will want to use extra strength coffee or black tea.  To brew extra strength coffee or tea, use the same amount of tea leaves or coffee that you usually do, but only use 1/2 the amount of water.  For example:  Two tea bags to 6 Oz. of water.  If you are brewing coffee in a coffee maker, simply use half the amount of water that you normally would. (Use unflavored coffee or black or green tea for best results.)

Pour 6 Oz. of extra strength coffee or black tea into a warm mug.

In a separate pan or cup, combine 3 Oz. of milk with 3 Oz. CoffeeHouse Inspirations Chai Latte. Heat for 45 seconds on high in your microwave or heat on the stove until steaming – do not let it boil.

Pour your milk/creamer blend over your coffee or tea and you are ready to sip and enjoy.

Barista tip:  My favorite tea for making Chai Lattes is Golden Tip Assam tea from India.

Everyone may have a usual place to sip their first cup of coffee, I usually end up on my sofa with sleepy cat curled up on my lap.  Where do you usually find yourself enjoying that first cup of the day?

Many of us our familiar with the chai lattes that can be found in just about any coffee shop these days. But what exactly is “chai”? Chai by definition is a spiced tea; the word “chai” means “tea” in Hindi. Originating in India, the stimulating combination of black tea, milk and spices is savored for its rich, warming flavors.  Spices vary from kitchen to kitchen throughout India, but most common are ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

See which spices you can find in new Chai Latte.  I really like it’s balance of creamy vanilla and sweet spice, and I’ve found that it’s great in coffee or, more traditionally, black tea.  Have you tried it yet?

We had a pretty big snow storm blow through Colorado last night.  It gave me a hankering for something warm to drink.  One of my favorite recipes is a modern International Delight twist on Mayan style hot chocolate; hot cocoa with a splash of vanilla (ID French Vanilla), a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of hot cayenne pepper for a kick. What’s your favorite hot drink to curl up with when the weather turns frigid?

Have you tried International Delight’s Almond Joy yet?  This new flavor brings back some pretty fun childhood memories for me.  I used to live in Cabo San Lucas, where coconut palms grew just about everywhere.  I even tried climbing a few of those trees, but never made it more than a foot or two off the ground.  So instead Iused to spend some of my allowance on Almond Joys and order virgin Pina Coladas any time I had the chance.   I think most people either love or hate coconut- well I am definitely a coconut lover.  Tonight I think I’m going to go add a few splashes of Almond Joy creamer to my hot chocolate and think about palm trees while it’s freezing outside.  How about you? Are you a coconut lover?