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COFFEE: Beyond the Cup -
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Coffee
is the beverage of choice for millions of Americans. Hot,
iced, or garnished with steamed milk and frothy foam, we love to
drink our coffee. Coffee loyalists make it
a regular part of their morning routine and often make it the star
of a social outing with friends. The more adventurous coffee
lovers will use it to bake a cake or marinate a steak. Still
others have found wild and wonderful new uses for this most beloved
beverage.
From
art to soap…from eye cream to fireplace logs…coffee-infused
products offer consumers great innovation as well as environmentally
friendly options.
Java-Log
The Worlds Only Eco-Friendly Coffee Firelog!
Java-Logs
are made from recycled coffee grounds and 100 percent renewable
non-petroleum wax. The product produces 80 percent less carbon
monoxide and particulate matters (air emissions) compared with
wood. "Today’s consumers want quality products that
are convenient, efficient and environmentally-friendly," said
Karen Bennett, Java-Log Marketing Brand Manager. "Java-Log meets
those demands with superior firelogs that burn brighter and cleaner
than other firelogs on the market. This new formula allows us to
offer our environmentally conscious consumers a new option they will
feel even better about using in their home fireplace."
Named
one of the Coolest Inventions of 2003 by Time Magazine, Java-Logs
ignite more quickly and produce larger, more attractive flames
than other fire logs. Java-Logs have a faint sweet scent arising
from the mixture of molasses and coffee. Most people don't smell
anything while others smell a faint sweet coffee aroma, not a chemical
scent. They
crackle just like wood, they are easy to light, and they burn for
2-3 hours (the same amount of time as other 5 lb firelogs). The
logs can be purchased at Whole Foods, Kings, Sam’s Clubs, Wegmans,
Walgreens, and other national and regional retail stores. Check
the company’s website and store locator search to find out
where java logs are sold in your area. www.java-log.com
Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
100% Natural, 100% Vegetarian
Anti-inflammatory, caffeine rich green tea and coffee de-puff and
reduce swelling while increasing circulation
to alleviate and brighten dark circles. Concentrated with potent
anti-aging vitamins, antioxidants, and nourishing blackcurrant oil.
Truly, 100% pure. Ingredients include: Organic Green and White
Tea, Blackcurrant Oil, Organic Green Coffee, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol),
Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Chamomile and Lavender wax, Pure
Vanilla Absolute, extracts of Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Grapefruit
Seed and Golden Seal. For more information or to purchase a
1 oz. bottle ($19) visit www.100percentpure.com/facial10.html.
Coffee Art
Karen Eland
For
self-taught artist Karen Eland, coffee is a way to express
her creative imagination—she paints with it. Eland
uses a slow and sophisticated process of building layers
upon layers of espresso to capture the depth of the classic
works she showcases. She
puts a modern and caffeinated spin on classic paintings by famous
painters like Vermeer, DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Picasso, the
most popular being Mona Latte. www.coffee-art.com.
Coffee Break Mud Wrap
Shizuka New York Day Spa
The invigorating aroma of ground Arabica coffee is at the heart of
the Coffee Break Mud Wrap at the Shizuka New York Day Spa. This
therapeutic treatment simultaneously sloughs away dead skin cells
while drawing impurities and cellulite-inducing water from the skin. Wrapping
the body under infrared heat lamps helps the body to release toxins. After
a refreshing shower, you will have had your caffeine fix while toning,
detoxifying, and refining your skin (50 minutes/$160). The
Shizuka New York Day Spa is located at 7 W. 51st Street, 6th Floor,
New York City. 212-644-7400. Visit their website www.shizukany.com and
explore their other spa services.
Coffee Soap
A Treat for the Senses and the Body
Stimulate
your senses with the wonderful blend of essential oils—spearmint,
peppermint, clove bud, lavender and wintergreen—and ground
organic coffee, cinnamon powder, vitamin E and sweet almond oil.
This hearty, all natural soap suits the kitchen or any washroom.
The 4.5 oz. bar sells for $5 at www.preciousprovisions.com.
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While
other children warmed up from the snow with hot cocoa, the Forlano
brothers requested a steaming cup of tea with honey from mom. This
passion stayed with John and Justin as they morphed through the
teen years and entered adulthood. While they chased different careers,
one in the medical field and one in finance, it was their love
for tea that really excited them. In
2005 they launched SoFo Tea and entered into the competitive e-tailing
arena.
It wasn’t
an easy or quick decision to make. At first John and Justin thought
about opening a retail store but quickly realized that they didn’t
have enough money for a start up storefront business. With
consumer confidence in online purchasing on the rise, they decided
that the time was right to start their new venture and picked the
internet to serve as their storefront.
Justin’s
training in Oriental medicine naturally made him the partner that
would concentrate on the teas, and John’s
background in finance would complete the partnership. “It
works out really well. John’s the numbers guy and I’m
the product guy,” said Justin. “Launching any business,
it’s important to clearly define the roles at the beginning,
it’s especially important when you are working with family,” he
added.
Today
their passion translates into sales as the two brothers from Long
Island have turned SoFo Tea into a profitable online tea business.
They proudly offer a variety of loose tea, catering to both the
purist and the curious selling quality loose teas imported from
around the globe and packaged in their Long Island facility.
SoFo
Tea offers a wonderful variety of teas drawing from Green, White,
Oolong, Black, Flavored, Rooibos and Herbal varieties—some
pictured here. They offer four different package sizes so that
you can try something new without committing to a big quantity, then
come back for more once you find one you like. They also offer
a selection of tea accessories including flavored honey sticks, which
are a great complement to the tea.
Visit
their website for more information and a look at the wonderful
teas they offer. www.sofotea.com.
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Used Tea Bags Lift Women -
from Poverty
The
artists from Original T-Bag Designs live in an informal settlement
located in Mandela Park, South Africa, just outside of Cape Town.
Their homes are nothing more than bits of tin and wood nailed together
and they have had no formal schooling. But what they do have
is grit, imagination, talent, and a desire to make a better life
for their families. Leading them on their self-improvement
journey is Jill Heyes.
After
suffering a brain aneurysm at the age of 35, Jill Heyes, an art
teacher was just lucky to be alive. Not long after Jill’s
struggle and recuperation, her husband’s job transferred him
from England to South Africa. So, with her two small children
in tow, the family was now on their way to a new life in a new country.
Driving
through town on the way to her beautiful new home, Jill was shocked
by the poverty she witnessed and was determined to do something
to help. Thelma, a neighbor's maid, saw an opportunity
for additional work when Jill and her family moved into the neighborhood. Jill
wanted to help Thelma, not by hiring her to clean, but by teaching
her a craft to market and sell. Thelma gathered five women
and started meeting weekly with Jill at the community center. The
group started working with paper mache, moving on to potato printing,
and finally, after three years, to creating crafts with used tea
bags. Original T-Bag Designs was created!
Used tea bags come from individuals and groups from all around the
world—most come from South Africa where drinking a cup of tea
is a ritual that takes place about five times every day. The
bags are then dried in the African sun, emptied of their leaves and
carefully ironed. Finally, each tea bag is painstakingly hand-painted
with warm shades of bronze, gold, silver, and black—colors
that celebrate African culture.
Finally, the group gathers together to assemble the finished products
to create greeting cards, notepads, journals, ornaments, candles,
coasters, trinket boxes, and tea light holders. They'll make special
designs by request, but ordinarily they just paint "what is
in our heads".
One
of the artisans, Nomsa, recently earned enough money from painting
tea bags to move from an inadequate shack to a solid new house. Nomsa
said, “The most wonderful thing in the world is hearing the
rain on the roof and knowing that my children are warm and dry.”
“Everyone
earns a very good daily wage,” says Heyes. “We
can see the difference in many of their lives as they begin to gain
confidence and have pride in themselves.”
The
original group of five artists now numbers 23 and supports 125
people. They still make the coasters and greeting cards but continue
to expand their offerings. They recently finished a private
commission for Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy. They
hope to open an on-site teashop where tourists can visit while they
paint; eventually, they plan for other craft groups to work at the
location.
To
learn more or to place an order, visit www.originaltbagdesigns.com.
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92nd Street Y Hosts -
Coffee Class & Tea Tours
If
you are looking for something fun to do in NYC this fall, look
no further than the 92nd Street Y and their great Fall lineup.
Check out the exceptional programming designed just for coffee
and tea lovers.
Francine
Segan's World of Tasting:
Coffee—Tasting & History
Join exalted food historian and expert Francine Segan and discover
coffee's origins and checkered history. Learn why it was eaten
and not drunk in ancient Africa, why it was first considered a
wine and how it traveled to Java and beyond. Learn to make a perfect
cup of brewed coffee and even how to cook with it. See raw and
roasted coffee beans, taste several types of coffee and sample
various roasting methods.
Francine
Segan is a food historian, lecturer and the author of The Philosopher's
Kitchen, Shakespeare's Table and Movie Menus. Her most recent book
is The Opera Lover's Cookbook. She has appeared on numerous radio
and television programs.
Date & Time:
Tue, Oct 16, 2007, 7-9 pm
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Code: T-LP3FW21-01
Price: $35
Click
here for more info
Waldorf-Astoria
Tour and High Tea
Get a behind-the-scenes view of one of the world’s most luxurious
hotels, home to the city’s most ornate banquet halls and guest
suites. Explore the hotel that world leaders and the president of
the United States have long called their home away from home in New
York. Afterward, enjoy a lush tea service on the hotel’s fabled
Cocktail Terrace.
Date & Time:
Fri, Oct 19, 2007, 12 pm
Location: 301 Park Avenue
Code: T-LP3CW12-01
Price: $55.00
Click here for more info
Gracie
Mansion Tea Tour
Spend an afternoon exploring New York's most celebrated residence!
Called home by mayors and merchants for more than 200 years, Gracie
Mansion is among the oldest structures in Manhattan. Enjoy a private
tour followed by tea service in the grand ballroom. Afterward,
relax in Carl Schurz Park or take in the magnificent views along
the East River promenade.
Date & Time:
Tue, Nov 20, 2007, 1-3pm (additional dates available)
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Code: T-LP3CW14-01
Price: $35
Click
here for more info
Interested
in taking one of the tea tours or the coffee class? Don’t
wait too long—these programs require advance registration
and sell out fast, so book early to guarantee a spot! (www.92Y.org)
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Recipe for Healthy Skin-
COFFEE BODY SCRUB
2 cups of coarsely ground coffee
1/2 cup raw sugar or sea salt
2-3 T massage oil
Mix
all ingredients together. Take a hot shower to moisten your skin
and open your pores. Using wide, circular motions, rub the coffee
exfoliant onto your skin with strong, even pressure. Shower off,
pat skin dry, and apply a thin layer of your favorite body lotion.
Recipe courtesy of SpaIndex.com:
Guide to Day Spas and Stay Spas. The web's most comprehensive
resource for Spa Enthusiasts. www.spaindex.com
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LocalWineEvents.com -
The World’s Largest Food & Drink Calendar
Looking
for a cabernet class in Connecticut? A beer bash in Boulder? A
food fest in Fresno? Look no further than LocalWineEvents.com.
They offer a complete calendar of events taking place around the
world with an easy to navigate search function that permits the user
to sort by date, city, category or event.
Great
to use when planning a trip or simply looking for something to
do, you’ll find listings for wine tastings,
wine dinners, cooking classes, beer festivals, homebrew competitions,
coffee festivals, single malt scotch tastings, and so much more.
For a comprehensive calendar of wine, food, spirits and festivals around
the world visit www.localwineevents.com.
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