DIY coffee scrub

Hello all! Today I tried something new and wanted to use the coffee grounds from a previous post, in a new way. I was inspired to try making a home-made coffee hand scrub and it turned out great! The ingredients might be stuff you have around the house right now!

All you need is:
1/4 cup of canola oil (or olive oil)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs. coffee grounds (dry or used) and
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then store in an air tight container. (how easy is that?!)
To use, apply liberally to damp hands and scrub in, then rinse off.

My top cafes in Topeka

There are many different places to get coffee here in Topeka (or wherever you are!) but my top three I mapped out for you.

1. The always popular Starbucks. I enjoy their refreshing iced coffee and changing holiday drinks (go try the Chestnut Praline! YUM.)

2. Blackbird Espresso Bar & Bistro. This is a cozy little cafe that serves delicious soups and coffee drinks. A personal favorite here is a cinnamon cafe ole.

3. World Cup Espresso. This is a college favorite. The atmosphere in here is unique and interesting. Their signature drink is the Snowball, white chocolate and caramel (and now you can add peanut butter to that as well.) espresso drink.




Let me know if you go out and try these places or what is your favorite cafe? What's your favorite drink there that I should go try?

Coffee Grounds

In the spirit of environmentalism, did you know that there are awesome ways to use left over coffee grounds? After you've had your lovely cup of coffee, save those grounds for a new way to use them! Or if there is a type of coffee that's expired or you didn't like it, you can grind it up and use the dry grounds as well. Here are a few different ways to use them:

Credit: http://www.coffeexperts.eu/wp-content/uploads
/2012/08/Coffee-grounds.jpg

Used coffee grounds:

• As a composer. Add used coffee grounds to you compost pile because there are minerals in the coffee that speed up the decomposing process.
• As fertilizer. Add some used coffee grounds to your outdoor garden or indoor plants because they contain potassium and nitrogen which helps perks up plants!
• Household scrub. Mix with cleaner or on their own and because grounds are an abrasive, they can help clean pans or stove-tops.

New coffee grounds:

• Deodorizer. Set a bowl of clean grounds in the back of the refrigerator or freezer and it will help take care of gross smells. You can also wrap some grounds in cheesecloth and hang in a closet to help with smells as well.
• Exfoliater. Add a few grounds to lotion or body wash and it helps slough off dead and/or dry skin.
• Natural bug repellent. Sprinkle some in your gardens or around your social areas outside to ward off bugs that don't like strong smells.

I have used coffee grounds as a deodorizer and exfoliater before and they work amazingly! At work we used the espresso grounds to wash our hands before throwing it away, it help makes our skin softer and since coffee can be absorbed through the skin, it also gives a little perk up.

Eating coffee

I hope by this point in the blog, I have convinced you to drink more (or even just try!) coffee and find a new appreciation for the bean. With the holidays coming up, why not try to incorporate coffee into your Thanksgiving after meal, or Christmas treats? The most popular and well known coffee dessert is tiramisu, but it's not the only one!

I'll post an easy recipe first for decedent coffee fudge. Yum!

Ingredients:
1-14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1-12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat the condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the instant coffee to the warm condensed milk.
3. Add the chocolate chips and stir until completely melted, but not too long else the mixture will scorch.
4. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

(credit to: http://www.cooktj.com/node/2494 for the recipe)

This is a perfect recipe that is quick and simple and would be excellent to show off to your family for the holidays.

Let me know how your fudge turns out!

Caffeine and the body

Now that you how caffeine effects your brain, what about your body? There's the obvious effects such as increased heart rate, easier breathing, shakiness, and increased energy and alertness.

Credit: http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/HumanBodyScience-Images/
Effects-of-caffeine-on-the-body_400w.png

There is also the non-obvious effects: the health pros and cons.

PROS:

• Lower the risk for diabetes
• Lower the risk for heart disease
• Increase your metabolism rate

CONS:

• Can cause anxiety 
• Raises blood pressure
• It can make you dehydrated
• It blocks the absorption of vitamins

Want more information? Visit this FDA site for information.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/UCM200805.pdf

Glorious Caffeine

Coffee has a lot of caffeine. That's why most people are addicted, and why some refuse to drink it.

My personal stance is bring on the caffeine! I am very pro-caffeine and consume about 250+ mg per day. I have drank so much coffee for so long, that I can drink it before bed and still pass out.

Caffeine is wonderful because it keeps you awake, increases adrenaline, and makes you feel happy. I found a cute video to explain this further.

Ignore the ad for books at the end, unless you need school books.

Tea time

Coffee's older cousin is tea. It's been brewed for centuries. There are hundreds of different types and flavors, but they all fall under six regular categories: Green, White, Oolong, Black, Herbal, and Rooibos.

From left: Black, rooibos, herbal, green, white teas.
Credit: http://www.teasentials.com/images/IMG_05572.jpg

Green tea: One of the oldest teas in the world, it was discovered in China, it is the most popular tea choice in the world. The tea has a low caffeine level. It is great iced or hot. Also wonderful mixed with flavors such as lemon, mint, or peach.

White tea: White tea is not fermented at all, which makes it look so light in the cup. It has virtually no caffeine. It can be mixed with lavender, violet, or fruit pieces to make a wonderful cup of tea.

Oolong tea: Oolong was also discovered in China, but the flavor profile is different because the tea is bruised after picking and the leaves are fermented. The caffeine in oolong is very low. It also is great mixed with a chai blend.

Herbal tea: Herbal tea is made from dried flowers, fruits, and herbs. They are mixed together so when they're steeped the flavors mix. Herbal tea blends have no caffeine in them which makes for a great cup right before bed. The most popular herbal blend is a chamomile tea.

Rooibos tea: Rooibos tea is made from the African red bush. The leaves are picked and fermented. Rooibos (pronounced Roo-e-bous) is a great tea to be mixed with herbal teas such as flowery or fruit based. It is caffeine free.

Black tea: The most popular tea in the US. It is a fully fermented tea. It does have quiet a bit of caffeine in it. It is great hot or iced and mixed with just about any flavor. The typical sweet tea is made from the base of black tea.

Have you ever tried tea? What was your favorite?
I'm partial to herbal teas because I love the flowery taste.

If you'd like to learn more about tea, you can visit one of the largest tea re-sellers - Teavana: http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/types-of-tea