Finding The Best Coffee Maker To Help Me Enjoy My Morning Coffee Journey and A Giveaway!!

Like so many coffee lovers, my day starts out with that first cup of freshly brewed coffee. For me, brewing coffee is a special beginning to my day. So I am beyond excited to have just gotten this gorgeous new drip coffee maker from Mr. Coffee®, and it's ability to make my morning coffee taste delicious.

Since I live in the Seattle area, there really is coffee to be found everywhere, and I do my share of buying coffee when I am in the city.

But for me, waking up to a quiet, early morning cup, really is the best way to start my day.

I got my new Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™ coffee maker at Walmart, and while I was there, I decided to pick up a bag of coffee to celebrate. Yes, celebrate because I haven't had a new coffee maker in years, and I know this new beauty will be making me great coffee for years to come. For coffee lovers, a new coffee maker is a big deal for sure!!

When you have just bought a fantastic coffee maker, you have to buy some fantastic coffee to go with it.
Millstone® coffee is one of my favorites, and I always love opening a bag, and inhaling that delicious aroma. Especially if it's one of the flavored coffees they offer, like this Hazelnut Cream. It makes a rich and aromatic cup of coffee every time.

Millstone® coffee is available in light roast, medium, medium roast, and dark. Their flavored coffees are lightly roasted to allow the gourmet aromas and flavors to shine.

Love the flavored coffees!

Even though I spend a lot of time on the computer, my day starts with my datebook and that first cup of coffee.

It really is my special alone time, time to think about what I want, what I need to do that day, and catch up on mail, or read a new magazine.

I've been a mom for many, many years, and now I am a grandmother. I finally have time to drink my coffee at a leisurely pace, and it really is enjoyable. The special moments I enjoy with my coffee in the early mornings at my desk, are treasured.

Talking about how much I love coffee wouldn't be complete without talking about my father.

My dad was a Marine, and a gruff man who was busy earning a living for his family. He worked very long hours every day, but on the weekends, he made us pancakes. And every Saturday morning, he let me finish the last half cup of his coffee.

It was sweet with cream and sugar, and the aroma of that half cup is one that I can still recall to this day, some five decades later. That morning coffee was his love, shown to me in a way that he didn't have the words to express.

I also enjoy sharing coffee with my own grown-up kids. Plenty of heartfelt, happy and sad moments have been played out over cups of coffee for us.

The coffee maker aisle at Walmart was loaded with so many different kinds. Since I hadn't shopped for a coffee maker in years, I was surprised to see so many choices.

But I have trusted the Mr. Coffee® brand for decades, and it was actually the brand of my very first coffee maker. So when I saw this new Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™, I knew that was the one for me.

It brews 10 cups of coffee, and has a stainless steel vacuum-insulated carafe that keeps your coffee fresh and hot for hours. It also comes with a Brewing Pause 'n Serve feature, Water Filtration, Removable Water Reservoir, Auto Shut-Off, and a Removable Filter Basket.

Of course, it also lets you pre-set it so that you can wake up to freshly brewed coffee whenever you choose.

And see how great it looks!! I have a fondness for stainless steel appliances, so this is one I am proud to display on the counter.

Good looking and hard working are what I look for in kitchen products, and my new Mr. Coffee ®  has both features.

I picked up my bag of Millstone® coffee along with my coffee maker, and couldn't wait to get home to try them out.

Pairing Millstone® coffee with the Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™ coffee maker results in a great tasting, rich, aromatic cup of coffee, every single time.

Coffee is such an important part of my life, that I am quite picky about the coffee I use and it's brewing methods.

And I couldn't be more pleased with the results of using these two wonderful products together, for a great coffee experience.
#CollectiveBias

My daily #coffeejourneys are something that are very special to me. I love talking about coffee.

Guess what else I love? I love giveaways!!

So I am super excited to tell you that I am giving away one Mr. Coffee® Optimal Brew™ coffee maker and a bag of Millstone® coffee!!!


Enter in the Rafflecopter below, and one lucky winner will be able to enjoy their own delicious coffee drinking experience.

**Giveaway Has Ended the Winner is:
Entry #307 Cathy K. following on Pinterest


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Disclosure: *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 22, 2014 and ends on May 2, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. This giveaway will be fulfilled by Frugal Family Tree. This is a sponsored giveaway.

edible SEATTLE Magazine and A Recipe For Kale Soup

You don't have to live in Seattle to enjoy this beautiful and useful magazine, edible Seattle.

If you have a passion for eating and cooking delicious food, using what foods are in season, and sharing it with family and friends, I know you would love reading a copy.

Delicious and unusual recipes like Spiced Parsnip Cake with Bourbon Brown Butter Frosting are just a sampling of what can be found in edible Seattle.

The January/February issue has a fantastic article all about kale. I have really come to love and appreciate this healthy vegetable, and now use it in soups, salads, smoothies, and as a pizza topping.

Last month I made this hearty and delicious Italian Sausage, Noodle, and Kale soup that I shared here. The weather is still chilly in many places, including right here in Seattle, so I thought I would share it again.

If you are a foodie, do yourself a favorite and read edible Seattle magazine. You are sure to love it.

Recipe for Italian Sausage, Noodle, and Kale Soup

Ingredients:


 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground Italian Sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
 1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups egg noodles
1 medium bunch of kale, roughly chopped
 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes in juice
fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Directions:

 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy pan. Break up and cook sausage through.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil, heat, and add onions and carrots. Cook until onions are soft, 4-5 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning and garlic, cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is just tender,
8-10 minutes.
Stir in the cooked sausage, kale, and tomatoes, cooking until completely heated through. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, and serve with sprinkled parsley on top.

Serves 4 dinner size portions.

Grammy's Peach-Custard Pie

I'm not the Grammy in the name of this recipe, but I wouldn't mind being her. She has created quite a delicious recipe here, and one that takes advantage of the lovely peaches in the market right now.

But this is also quite fabulous if you used canned peaches like I did, and much faster. Either way, this is a pie that everyone will love.

My grandson Jayden had a piece and declared it was delicious, so maybe I should start calling it 'Nana's Peach-Custard Pie'.









Recipe for Grammy's Peach-Custard Pie

I used an easy Martha Stewart pie crust recipe. This recipe is for a top and bottom crust, but you only need a bottom crust for this peach pie. You can freeze the extra crust if you don't want to use it for another pie right away.

Filling Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (about 5 peaches) or
3 (15-oz.) cans sliced peaches in juice or light syrup, drained and rinsed
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs

Directions:

Prepare crust. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, toss peaches with 3 tablespoons sugar; let stand 5 minutes.
In a blender, place butter, flour, eggs, and remaining 1 cup sugar. Blend until smooth.
Stir egg mixture into peach mixture;, then pour into pie crust.
Bake 45-50 minutes, or until filling has set, and top is golden.
Completely cool on wire rack. Chill about 4 hours before serving.

Serves 6-8, depending on serving size.

Enjoy!!


I originally published this on my Popcorn and Pearls blog, and it was so yummy I wanted to share here as well.

Slow Cooker Chicken and White Bean Soup

 

I love the ease and convenience of using my slow cooker, and this chicken and white bean soup was the perfect recipe to use it for.

The weather is getting warmer, but soup is still on the menu for me. Pairing it with a green salad, and warm French bread makes a delicious meal that is simple and easy to prepare.

I'm a big fan of freezing leftover soup in individual serving-size freezer bags. This way I can pull a bag out and use it for lunch whenever I want.

This soup is super good, and the jalapeno pepper doesn't make the soup terribly spicy, it really just gives it a nice kick.

Recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken and White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 cups chicken broth, divided
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
cheddar cheese and sour cream to put on top if desired

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken, onion, jalapeno, oregano and cumin in oil for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked, and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute longer.

Transfer to a 3-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of beans; add 1/2 cup broth and stir until blended. Add to the slow cooker with remaining beans and broth. Add frozen corn. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

Stir soup well before serving. Top with cheese or sour cream if desired.
(I actually sprinkled red pepper flakes on mine for some added heat.)


Makes 6 servings.



Enjoy!!

 

Easter Book Review: Lollipop Seeds That Sprout for Kind Deeds and Giveaway #sponsored

We have many traditions in my home when it comes to holidays throughout the year. We are very loyal to our traditions but do allow for new traditions to be added to make the holiday even more special. This year we learned about a book that tells a cute little story about how the Easter Bunny learns of a tradition long forgotten where the Easter Bunny brings special lollipop seeds that sprout when your child does kind deeds.

The book is colorfully illustrated and a fun way to teach children about doing good for others. My son enjoyed the story. He loved that the Easter Bunny had brothers, sisters and a Grandma in this story. I thought it was cute that they live on the East Pole where it is always Spring.

The last page of the book has room to write the year and the kind deed that was done by your family.

According to legend, the tradition of Lollipop Seeds goes back hundreds of years.  But, it was only recently re-discovered by the Easter Bunny when he asked his Grandma about the meaning behind other Easter traditions like eggs and candy.

Once the Easter Bunny learned of the Lollipop Seeds tradition, he couldn’t wait to hop on it and start delivering them to kids everywhere.

The magic of the seeds lies in the heart of the child who plants them.  They sprout into lollipops on Easter morning, not by water or sun, but by kindness instead.

After reading the book I talked to my 4 year old about what we could do as a kind deed to make our lollipop seeds grow. He had a few ideas, mainly ones about animals but he did say we could grow strawberries and share with Grammy ( his grandma that lives in CA). I thought that counted as a kind deed, to grow a plant with fruit to help feed someone he loves. We made a wish of happy thoughts and tossed our lollipop seeds into the dirt in the yard. The seeds are not for eating, they will grown into flowers, my son and I bought a strawberry plant to plant for the kind deed.

We had fun reading the book, planning a kind deed and sprinkling our lollipop seeds. I know next year we will do the same. I love to encourage my son to do kind deeds for others and this book is a great tool to start the conversation of helping others.

The book includes two Lollipop Seed packs and plant markers.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate Easter and to encourage others to do kind deeds we will be hosting a giveaway for a copy of the book Lollipop Seeds That Sprout for Kind Deeds by Cherri Prince and illustrated by Marco Bester.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 10, 2014 and ends on April 17, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.