Iced Coffee

From: http://funwithcoffee.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/iced-coffee/

 

Recently, I took a trip to Boston.  One of the first things I noticed about Boston was that iced coffee could be found just about anywhere.  But what is the best way to make it?

First, you should never use coffee that has been heated.  When coffee is heated it brings out an assortment of acids.  These acids don’t taste good when the coffee is cooled.  Therefore, it is best to use a cold brewing method.  Contrary to popular belief you do not need an expensive set-up to brew cold coffee.

What do you need?

Fresh ground coffee, filter, 2 mason jars, and a Miletta (or something to hold the filter when you strain the coffee).

Directions:

1. Put fresh ground coffee in the jar and then add water at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part coffee.
2. Stir.
3. Put the coffee in the fridge overnight.
4. In the morning take the mason jar with coffee in it out of the fridge.
5. Set-up a Miletta with a coffee filter on top of the empty mason jar.
6. Slowly pour (to prevent overflowing) the coffee mixture into the filter.
7. Now you have a strong mixture of cold brewed coffee.

You can keep this mixture in the fridge and use it anytime you want iced coffee.  You can add the mixture to a cup with ice and milk.   You could also drink the coffee black over ice (although you might want to add some water). Enjoy!

Climate Change Could Wipe Out Wild Arabica by 2080, Study Shows

Climate change may have devastating impacts on the long-term health of wild arabica, to the point of near extinction by 2080. That’s the thrust of a spine-chilling new study released by the London-based plant research group Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

In collaboration with researchers in Ethiopia, Kew scientists used several climate change models to explore the damaging effects of climate change on various strains of arabica, with best case results showing 65 percent local deterioration by 2080 and worst-case results showing near extinction.

Here’s what some of the project’s researchers had to say about the frightening, first-of-its-kind study:
Aaron Davis, Head of Coffee Research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, says, “Coffee plays an important role in supporting livelihoods and generating income, and has become part of our modern society and culture. The extinction of Arabica coffee is a startling and worrying prospect. However, the objective of the study was not to provide scaremonger predictions for the demise of Arabica in the wild. The scale of the predictions is certainly cause for concern, but should be seen more as a baseline, from which we can more fully assess what actions are required.”

Tadesse Woldemariam Gole, from the Environment and Coffee Forest Forum in Ethiopia, says, “As part of a future-proofing exercise for the long-term sustainability of Arabica production it is essential that the reserves established in Ethiopia to conserve Arabica genetic resources are appropriately funded and carefully managed.”

Justin Moat, Head of Spatial Information Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, says, “The worst case scenario, as drawn from our analyses, is that wild Arabica could be extinct by 2080. This should alert decision makers to the fragility of the species. Our aim is to develop and apply these analyses to other important and threatened plants, on a routine basis. There is an immense amount of information held in museum collections around the world, such as Kew, and we have only just started to unlock their potential for assessing some of society’s most pressing issues.”

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2012/11/09/climate-change-could-wipe-out-wild-arabica-by-2080-study-shows/

Weird facts about coffee

 

The name cappuccino comes from: The drink's resemblance to the brown cowls worn by Capuchin monks

1. Espresso literally means: In Italian, the word espresso literally means "when something is forced out."
2. Coffee was the first food to be  freeze-dried.
3. 40% of the world’s coffee is produced by Columbia and Brazil
4. Kopi Luwak, the world’s most expensive coffee (up to $600 per pound) is Made from coffee beans eaten and then excreted by a Sumatran wild cat
5. Coffee beans grow on Coffee beans grow on a bush. 
6. Most coffees are a blend of: Arabica and robusta beans are the most common.
7. An ibrik is This Turkish pot makes quite the cup of joe.
8. Arabica varieties such as Java and Mocha are named after: These beans are named after their ports of origin.
9. Sixteenth-century Muslim rulers banned coffee because of: It was banned for its unusual stimulating effects.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/10-weird-facts-about-coffee/#slideshow=slide1

 

Coffee Meditation

Sit down somewhere quiet with your cup of coffee where you won’t have any distractions.

Take a deep breath in 1….2…..3…..and breath out 1…..2……3……

Now put your nose close to your cup of coffee and slowly smell the aroma.

Do you recognize a food in the smell of your coffee? ie. nuts, figs, oranges

Now, slurp your coffee with a loud noise. Let the coffee wash over your pallet?

What do you taste? Do you recognize a favorite foods? ie. almonds, cherries, popcorn.

Now set your coffee down. Take another deep breath in 1….2…..3….. and breath out 1…..2…..3……

Thank yourself for taking the time to slow down, meditate, and deeply enjoy your cup of coffee.

http://funwithcoffee.com/wordpress/2011/04/08/coffee-meditation/

People with Parkinson’s May Benefit from Coffee

In the latest medical discovery, a new study has found the significant role played by coffee in people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Based on the new research, regular intake of coffee benefited those who have the disease by way of helping control their movement. This is considered one of the first studies in humans suggesting that caffeine can help in the movement of people diagnosed with the illness.

The research findings were published in the online journal of Neurology published by theAmerican Academy ofNeurology. Lead author Dr. Ronald Postuma said they found that those who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.

A total of 61 people were involved in the study. They were all displaying symptomsof Parkinson’s disease such as sleepiness during the day. The researchers then divided them into two groups with one given only a placebo while the other group was given the pill containing 100 milligrams of caffeine which they took twice a day. After the first three weeks, their dosage was increased to 200 milligrams twice a day for another three weeks. The caffeine consumed was equivalent to about two to four cups of coffee per day.

Among those who were given caffeine, the researchers found a five -point average improvement in the severity of their condition. Additionally, they displayed a three-point improvement in their motor symptoms such as the speed of their movement and body stiffness compared to those who were only given the placebo.

In the area of daytime sleepiness, depression and quality of life, there was not much positive improvement owing to the short duration of the study.

The experts expressed enthusiasm on these findings considering the fact that coffee can become a cheap alternative to helping control body movement which is a major symptom of Parkinson’s disease. They suggested that caffeine can be explored as a treatment option and can even be used as a supplement to the regular medications.

http://www.brewed-coffee.com/health/people-with-parkinsons-may-benefit-from-coffee/#more-1413

Wanna Espresso con Panna?

Need a serious caffeine boost but craving for something sweet at the same time? I suggest you try an espresso con panna.

Espresso con panna, or espresso with cream, will give you the caffeine boost that only espresso can give in one small satisfying shot and at the same time tickle your taste buds with the hot and cold medley from the contrast between the cream on top and the coffee at the bottom.

If you plan on getting a good espressocon panna, like the one in the photo up there (which coffee-addict Noemi Ruthswore the me it definitely is), make sure you don’t go for watered-down versions that some coffee shops serve. Stay away from their espresso con panna if you see the barista taking out his canned whipped cream, which might be less fattening than old-fashioned hand-whipped heavy cream, but won’t give you the same satisfying creamy goodness of a properly whipped cold cream.

You can also make espresso con panna at home quite easily. All you need to do is to whip up some cold heavy cream and add your whipped cream on top of a freshly brewed single or double shot of espresso (a 3oz shot should be enough to start your day right). You can add a tablespoon of sugar or a drop of vanilla extract on the cold cream before you whip it up, depending on sweet you want your whipped cream to be. It’s also a good idea to make more than you need for a couple of espresso shots and just store the rest in your fridge for your next espresso con panna.


Photo via NoemiRuth

http://www.brewed-coffee.com/espresso/espresso-con-panna/

Could Coffee Protect Against Liver Disease in Alcohol Drinkers?

For guys who drink alcohol, heavy coffee consumption may protect against liver damage, according to a new study from Finland.

"Our findings suggest a possible protective effect for coffee intake in alcohol consumers," said study researcher Dr. Onni Niemelä, of Seinäjoki Central Hospital and the University of Tampere in Finland.

The researchers asked nearly 19,000 Finnish men and womenbetween ages 25 and 74 about their coffee and alcohol consumption. They also measured participants' blood levels of the liver enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).

Drinking alcohol raises levels of GGT in the blood. Over time, drinking can also lead to alcoholic liver disease. People with liver disease show higher levels of GGT in their blood. Men in the study who consumed more than 24 alcoholic drinks per week, or about 3.5 drinks daily, had the highest levels of the liver enzyme — about three times higher than men who did not drink alcohol.

But among the men who were heavy drinkers, those who also consumed five or more cups of coffee daily showed a 50 percent reduction in GGT compared with men who drank no coffee.
The researchers found no significant association between coffee consumption and GGT levels in female drinkers.

"The findings are thought-provoking, though it is impossible to derive meaning from them," said Dr. David Bernstein, chief of the division of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, who was not involved in the new study.

In addition to drinking alcohol, smoking, older age and being overweight can also raise GGT levels. While there were no differences in these variables among heavy drinkers, moderate drinkers, former drinkers and nondrinkers in the study, the researchers cannot say for sure whether some interaction between alcohol and one of these factors affected the results. And participants may not have estimated accurately the amount of coffee and alcohol they drink.

The researchers found that the way that coffee was prepared — whether it was filtered, boiled or served as espresso, for example — did not seem to make a difference in the findings.

Previous studies have suggested that drinking coffee may decrease GGT levels, and that caffeine may play a role in this.

It remains unclear whether elevated levels of the liver enzyme correlate with symptoms of liver disease. "If I go out and have a six-pack tonight, my levels will be up, but it doesn't mean I have liver disease," Bernstein said.

People should not think that drinking more coffee will cancel out the effects of heavy drinking, he said. "We know nothing about whether decreasing levels of the liver enzyme leads to improvements in overall health, or a decreased risk of liver disease," Bernstein said.

The study was published online March 14 in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/3653-coffee-alcohol-liver-damage.html

NIH Study: Coffee Really Does Make You Live Longer, After All

Caffeine addicts, rejoice: all the coffee you're downing over the course of a day could be lengthening your lifespan. For real.

According to research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, people who drank four or five cups of coffee a day tended to live longer than those who drank only a cup or less. The benefit was more pronounced for women, but men also stand to gain somewhat from pounding joe.
Coffee-drinking men cut their risk for death by 12 percent after four to five cups of java, according to the study, which was led by the National Institutes of Health's Neal Freedman. Women who drank the same amount had their the risk of death reduced by 16 percent.

Freedman and his team drew data from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, a 13-year assessment. They found that coffee drinkers progressively cut their risk of death the more they drank. The sweet spot appears to be between four and five cups of coffee a day -- any more than that, and the effect wears off somewhat.

There is a catch: people who drink coffee tend to die sooner than non-coffee drinkers. That's because coffee consumption is often linked with other unhealthy behaviors like smoking. So, to add the most years to your life, the next time you're down at the diner, double down on the coffee, but leave the cigarettes out of it.
Update: Although the study may offer coffee drinkers some peace of mind when it comes to their habit, it's important to remember that this is an observational study only, not a clinical trial. As Freedman told Bloomberg News, "we don't know for certain coffee is having a cause and effect," and that coffee has more than 1,000 compounds that ought to be tested.

Coffee Stories

There is a Turkish saying that “coffee needs to be black like hell, strong like death and as sweet as love”.

Throughout the centuries coffee made its way through five continents, wandered around the world, laying physical and cultural roots wherever it went. What has not been said yet about coffee that has not already been expressed by philosophers, authors, poets and screenwriters in the East and the West?

What is it about a little cup of coffee that awakens such excitement in all of us?

Come and read what cultural personalities from around the world have to say about coffee and how it actually all got started:

Honorè de Balzac
“Coffee slides down into the stomach and ideas come marching in like an army, galloping memories, imaginary horsemen with their fancy riding, legions of artillerists scramble by, figures take shape, the paper becomes filled with ink, the system starts and stops in waves of the black beverage, like the battle determined with black dust.”

Herman Friele
“Sleep is just another symptom of a lack of caffeine.”

Sheikh Adb-al-Kadi in 1587
“Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold it brings to everyman the feeling of luxury and nobility.”

Mahmoud Darwish
“You must pour a cup of coffee gently and lovingly into a white cup. Coffee cannot express itself properly in a dark cup.”

Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander) Coffee Cantata Composed by Bach
Mm! how sweet the coffee tastes,
more delicious than a thousand kisses,
mellower than muscatel wine.
Coffee, coffee I must have,
and if someone wishes to give me a treat,
ah, then pour me out some coffee!

Israeli Comedy From 1976, Chelfon Mountain Not Answering
Victor Chason shouts at an Egyptian soldier who is boiling water (a hint about torture in Egyptian captivity) with an electric spoon:  What is this? Have you become Ashkenazim? That’s how to make coffee?!
_____________________________________________________________________
There are several legendary accounts of the origin of the drink itself. One account involves the Yemenite Sufi mystic Shaikh ash-Shadhili. When traveling in Ethiopia, the legend goes, he observed goats of unusual vitality, and, upon trying the berries that the goats had been eating, experienced the same vitality. A similar myth attributes the discovery of coffee to an Ethiopian goatherder named Kaldi.

In Ethiopia it was customary in the past to eat the coffee beans, and to not make a drink out of them. Ethiopian monks used to chew the beans in order to stay awake. The coffee wandered along with the Ethiopian traders that brought it to their country and began growing it. It is possible that an Arabic doctor El Razy mentioned coffee in one of his letters in the 9th century, but the first time any reference was made to making a drink out of roasted beans is dated several centuries later.

The most important of the early writers on coffee was Abd al-Qadir al-Jaziri, who in 1587 compiled a work tracing the history and legal controversies of coffee entitled Umdat al safwa fi hill al-qahwa. He reported that one Sheikh, Jamal-al-Din al-Dhabhani, mufti of Aden, was the first to adopt the use of coffee (circa 1454). Coffee's usefulness in driving away sleep made it popular among Sufis. A translation traces the spread of coffee from Arabia Felix (the present day Yemen) northward to Mecca and Medina, and then to the larger cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul.

In 1511, it was forbidden to drink coffee in Mecca. In Cairo, Egypt, a similar ban was instituted in 1532, but due to the beverage’s tremendous popularity the ban was lifted quickly. In 1554 the first coffee shop was opened in Istanbul by two Syrian traders. It is told that these traders were so successful that one of them managed to save the sum of 5,000 gold coins in three years. In 1633, Ottoman sultan Murad IV bans coffee and tobacco and even threatens the death penalty to coffee drinkers, but in 1634 the great mufti of the Ottoman Empire in the Fatwa allowed smoking and coffee drinking out of the principle that anything that is not explicitly forbidden in Islamic tradition – is allowed.

Coffee Plantations in West Indies Islands
The vigilant trading between Venice and North American countries, and the and the import of a variety of African merchandise brought about the penetration of coffee in Venice, the first place to drink coffee in Europe. As early at the 16th century the British Eastern India company and the Holland Eastern India company brought coffee to England, and the first coffee shop was opened in 1650 in Oxford by a Jewish Turk called Jacob or Jacobs. The beverage’s popularity rose rapidly and by 1675 England already had some 3,000 coffee shops. Coffee arrived in France in 1669, as a result of a visit by the Turkish ambassador who brought a great quantity of coffee powder with him and some coffee beans to the royal courtyard, and this is how the drinking of coffee became established n Paris. Coffee came to Venice as part of the booty for beating the Turks in the War Over Venice (1683), and by this time they were adding sugar and milk.

Coffee reached the new world as a result of French colonization, to Martinique at first and the Western Indie Islands, where the French set up coffee plantations. In 1787, Lieutenant-Colonel Francesko De Melo Plata smuggled coffee beans from the French Guinea to Brazil, forever changing the history of coffee. The wide use of slavery in the coffee plantations of Brazil brought about a significant increase in the world’s coffee production throughout the 19th century, transforming coffee from a beverage for nobility to a beverage for all. Throughout most of the 19th and 20th centuries Brazil was the main producer of coffee in the world and had a monopoly that required maintaining high prices, which brought additional producers into the market, among them Columbia, Guatemala and Indonesia.

http://www.strauss-group.com/en/-1/Other-Pages/General-content-pages/Coffee-Stories/

The Coffee Song by Frank Sinatra

Way down among Brazilians
Coffee beans grow by the billions
So they've got to find those extra cups to fill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

 

You can't get cherry soda
'cause they've got to fill that quota
And the way things are I'll bet they never will
They've got a zillion tons of coffee in Brazil

 

No tea or tomato juice
You'll see no potato juice
'cause the planters down in Santos all say "No, no, no"

 

The politician's daughter
Was accused of drinkin' water
And was fined a great big fifty dollar bill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

 

[instrumental break]

 

You date a girl and find out later
She smells just like a percolator
Her perfume was made right on the grill
Why, they could percolate the ocean in Brazil

 

And when their ham and eggs need savor
Coffee ketchup gives 'em flavor
Coffee pickles way outsell the dill
Why, they put coffee in the coffee in Brazil

 

No tea, no tomato juice
You'll see no potato juice
The planters down in Santos all say "No, no, no"<<<

 

So you'll add to the local color
Serving coffee with a cruller
Dunkin' doesn't take a lot of skill
They've got an awful lot of coffee
An awful lot of coffee
Man, they got a gang of coffee in Brazil!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3MqmV47Lq8

God’s Coffee – Are you enjoying Life

Are you enjoying your Coffee….. a small story with a lesson..

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:
“If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.
They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.”
God brews the coffee, not the cups………. Enjoy your coffee!

MORAL
“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything.”
Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to GOD

http://rishikajain.com/2012/06/08/inspirational-stories-pictures-quotes-gods-coffee-are-you-enjoying-life/

The Salty Coffee : An inspirational relationship story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home…”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home… Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything… Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet."

http://thebeststatusmessages.com/famous-short-stories/inspirational-stories-famous-short-stories/the-salty-coffee-an-inspirational-relationship-story/

The Salty Coffee : An inspirational relationship story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home…”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home… Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything… Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet."

http://thebeststatusmessages.com/famous-short-stories/inspirational-stories-famous-short-stories/the-salty-coffee-an-inspirational-relationship-story/

The Salty Coffee : An inspirational relationship story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home…”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home… Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything… Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet."

http://thebeststatusmessages.com/famous-short-stories/inspirational-stories-famous-short-stories/the-salty-coffee-an-inspirational-relationship-story/

The Salty Coffee : An inspirational relationship story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home…”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home… Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything… Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet."

http://thebeststatusmessages.com/famous-short-stories/inspirational-stories-famous-short-stories/the-salty-coffee-an-inspirational-relationship-story/

The Salty Coffee : An inspirational relationship story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home…”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home… Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything… Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet."

http://thebeststatusmessages.com/famous-short-stories/inspirational-stories-famous-short-stories/the-salty-coffee-an-inspirational-relationship-story/

The Feasibility of Studying in Coffee Shops

You’d think that people go to coffee shops to get coffee, but the truth is that quite a good number of people go to coffee shops for a completely different reason. There are those who are need if of an electric socket, hence the great debate over covering such sockets and/or charging customers for plugging in. There are those that just need to get out of the heat. And there are those that use the coffee shops as their offices, board rooms, and libraries.

Back in college, I too occasionally stopped by a coffee shop to rush a paper while having a quick snack. However, I never really spent hours on end occupying a table with books and papers scattered all around me. With that said, I’m not saying that I preferred libraries for studying. If anything, I spent less time actually studying in the library than I did at coffee shops. I guess I just prefer studying in my own room.

My problem with studying in coffee shops is that the place provides too much distraction. I usually end up people watching more than studying when I’m in a public place. As for the coffee advantage, I can always just brew a cup of coffee right at my own place. Besides, I hate having such limited table spacefor my clutter.

However, I do agree that in some instances coffee shops are one of the best places to “study”. One perfect example is on-the-job training for baristas, which I know doesn’t count since it’s their job already! Another “subject” where coffee shops would serve as a perfect place for studying is language.

If you want to learn a second language, the perfect place to do it is not in some classroom repeating each word the teacher tells you, but practicing your new found knowledge conversing with locals. This means heading out to a public place such as a coffee shop in the country where the language is spoken as a primary language. In short, if you want to learn Thai in Bangkok, learn it from teachers there, but practice in coffee shops where you’ll be forced to converse with locals.

Aside from that, I can’t think of “subject” where coffee shops are that appropriate as a venue for learning. How about you, do you study in coffee shops?

http://www.brewed-coffee.com/cafe/the-feasibility-of-studying-in-coffee-shops/

Coffee + Aspirin: Perfect Hangover Cure

It's weekend and I’m pretty sure that the next day will see many suffering from too much partying; and by extension, looking for the perfect hangover cure.

There are so many hangover cures that have been debunked by science over the years, but coffee remains to be one of the most widely accepted hangover cures. Sure there has been studies explaining why coffee doesn’t really help anyone with a hangover. Some even say that it can make a hangover worse. Two of the main reasons cited for this is that it can make a person more tired after the caffeine boost wears off, and can make a person even more dehydrated since it is a diuretic.

Well the ever fickle science community (or at least researchers of this particular study) finally agree to what we coffee lovers have known all along, the combination of coffee and aspirin is really perfect as a hangover cure…at least if you are a rat. According to Professor Michael Oshinsky, of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, rats who were given doses of caffeine and anti-inflammatories responded well to the treatment and were relieved of the headaches. The headaches, which were induced by making the rats drink ethanol (a pure form of alcohol), is similar to the migraines we experience after having a drink too many.

So while the scientists get stuck debating on whether they coffee will cure a hangover or not, I will just have my coffee maker and a bottle of aspirin on hand day after New Year.

http://www.brewed-coffee.com/tips/coffee-aspirin-perfect-hangover-cure/

 

There is always room for coffee

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

http://intpforum.com/showthread.php?t=2844
http://www.wow4u.com/theprofessor/

Carrots, Eggs, And Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft and mushy. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardened egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled as she tasted its deep flavour and inhaled its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What's the point, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin, outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong? But with pain and adversity, do I wilt and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a fluid spirit but, after death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water - the very circumstance that brings the adversity, the pain, the hardship – into something quite wonderful. When the water gets hot, it releases it's fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better, and change the situation around you for the better.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?

ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

(Somehow, wake up and smell the coffee takes on a whole new meaning)

-Author Unknown

http://www.heavensinspirations.com/carrots-eggs-coffee.html

Most Remembered Coffee Scenes in Movies

If we are to look back at some of the movies we’ve watched, we will most probably remember several memorable scenes that involved coffee. It may not have been the main point in the scene but we cannot imagine such without the coffee.  So here goes a list of memorable coffee scenes from movies.

1. The Bucket List

 The coffee-loving billionaire played by Jack Nicholson gets the shock of his life when his adventure companion played by  Morgan Freeman reveals the not-so-desirable nature of producing the rare Sumatran coffee beans of which he is very fond of.  According to Freeman’s character, cat’s dung plays a role in flavoring the beans.  Nicholson’s character ends up accepting such revelation good naturedly, in the best way a dying man would.

2.  Green Hornet

The art of coffee-making gets featured in the scene showing a cup of coffee with a distinctive leaf pattern.  It is supposed to be some form of latte art called the Rosetta.  Though not specifically explained in the scene, it presented another side to Kato’s character especially since crime fighting and artful coffee-making does not exactly mix.

3. Amelie

Scenes involving coffee in this charming French movie cannot be avoided since the main character plays the role of a shy waitress in a small cafe.  She has resolved to find ways to make other people happy after one successfulattempt.  In one scene, she purposely spills coffee on a customer in one her matchmaking attempts which ended with positive results.



4. The Usual Suspects

Dropping coffee three times in a movie does not happen very often.  When Chazz Palminteri’s character finally figured out the truth, he had to emphasize it with the shattering of cups of coffee.  It must be the coffee that awakened him to the truth.







5. Pulp Fiction

The movie that started a new generation of crime movies features a humorous scene when the characters of John Travolta and Samuel Jackson took the time of discussing the quality of coffee in spite of the more pressing concern about a dead body.


http://www.brewed-coffee.com/entertainment/most-remembered-coffee-scenes-in-movies/#more-1430

What Goes Best with Coffee?

Many people who drink coffee often prefer to have it with cookies or pastries and even fruits. It’s been a long tradition.

But did you know that there are specific food that go best with certain coffee flavors? Coffee and cake is a classic pair, for example. You need to find out more here so that the next time you go out with friends and family, you would know what to order together with your coffee regardless whether it’s the hot or cold type you want.

Chocolate cake is best paired with roast coffees, medium or dark. The chocolate mousse cake goes well with most Arabica coffees. Carrot cake, on the other hand, matches well with Columbian coffee. Then there’s coffee cake that can be eaten along with light- or medium-roast Hawaiian and Nicaraguan coffees.

Brownies can be paired with coffee from Indonesia or Guatemala.

Biscotti is perfect for coffee if you’d like to go Italian. The full flavored type can be paired with espresso. Biscotti comes in a variety of flavors including almond, cherry and chocolate.

Cinnamon buns go well with Guatemalan and Colombian coffees. The unique taste of cinnamon is always a nice mix with coffee, don’t you think?

Doughnuts, whether the plain or sweetened type, are also often paired with coffee. They’re best eaten with sweet Costa Rican coffee.

Muffins never go out style when served with any coffee. Some people, however, prefer them with Costa Rican and Mexican coffee.

Breads are a perfect match as well. The short bread is ideally paired with Costa Rican or Brazilian coffee, the banana nut bread with Costa Rican, Kenyan and Kona coffee and the pumpkin bread with Colombian or Costa Rican coffee.

http://www.brewed-coffee.com/coffee/what-goes-best-with-coffee/#more-1421