coffee Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

The Coffee Lover’s Ultimate Gift Guide

Paula — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:00:36 +0000

Are you barely functional without the morning java? Live for a latte? Incoherent before that second cup of Joe? I feel you. Me too. The good news is that if you have a friend like me, they are extremely easy to buy for any time of the year. Get them specialty coffees or coffee related gadgets and they will be happy as clams. My Ultimate Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers This gift guide is specifically for all of you who love your morning brew and can’t get by without it. You love the lattes and the Americanos and Espressos too. In fact some days you joke you’d get an IV coffee drip if you could. Oh, trust me I know you. But you need not be quite that dramatic. Just forward this post to your friends and drop all the hints this year. There’s a little bit of something here to fit every budget going. For Your Friends Under $25 Coffee Lover’s Gifts Rosa Vila Caffeine Molecule Necklace Coffee Joulies All Natural Coffee Scrub K Cup Carousel Reusable K Cup Filters Heat Sensitive Constellation Mug Coffee Bean Earrings Cup of Coffee Necklace Coffee Bean Plant Under $50 Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker French Press Coffee Maker Coffee Pour Over Kit Mini Portable Espresso Machine K Cup Variety Sampler 3D Latte Maker If you really want to wow someone with top level gift giving skills then opt for an amazing Breville coffee maker. I reviewed Breville Precision Coffee Makers months ago here. Under $100 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster Whisky Barrel Aged Coffee Sampler Keurig Classic Cold Brew Coffee Maker Bring Me My Coffee Please! Coffee can be the most powerful thing. It can be bold and rich and sweet and magical. Oh come on, you know what I mean. The smell of my morning coffee drifting up through the house and into the shower, well that’s one of my happiest moments of the day. Good Coffee is a gift and coffee lovers will thank you for these. Tea Lover? I’m actually a huge tea lover too. In fact I love all the herbal teas and light berry flavoured tisanes as well. If that’s more your speed then check out this post – Tea Lover’s Gifts. You might want to check out the Ayurvedic teas from Tetley while you are at it. How do you like your coffee? This post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. Any purchases made via these links mean a commission for me. Thanks for reading!

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Perfect Coffee at Home with Breville Precision Brewer

Paula — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 11:13:26 +0000

Waking up to perfect coffee that’s ready to drink is pretty much the best way to start any day. Now you need not be a barista to be able to make the perfect pot of coffee. Great coffee at home on demand is the name of the game with the Breville Precision Brewer Thermal. There are a few things I am constantly striving to perfect here in my home. One is meatloaf. My family likes meatloaf and it’s simple so I enjoy making it, but am always striving to get the perfect balance of flavours and spices. The other is the perfect cup of coffee. Perfect coffee just for me is the goal daily. Too strong and I’m not happy. Too watery and also not happy. To me life is too short to waste on a substandard coffee. Which is why I am enjoying my new Breville Precision Brewer Thermal. From hot black coffee that packs a punch in the morning, to an iced coffee later in the day, it’s all good with my new gorgeous new coffee machine from Breville Canada. If you have visited this site before then you know Breville Canada makes some of my favourite small appliances. We own several of their beautiful pieces. Up until this month we have been a one cup single serve coffee family. My husband has been wanting to get back to making the perfect pot of coffee again. Single serve can be costly and wasteful. So when the Breville Precision Brewer Thermal arrived we were both excited to try it out. Do you appreciate a good cup of coffee? Is your coffee maker dated, maybe even an eyesore? Well, here’s the thing. Your brewing skills are also limited to the brewer you use. Hey, I’m no barista over here. I’m just a busy mom who enjoys coffee. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about Breville’s Precision Brewer Thermal. This lovely small appliance allows you to make cafe-quality coffee at home. Perfect Coffee with Top of the Line Coffee Machine You can’t get the best coffee if you use any old brewer. Many machines just aren’t made to deliver that gourmet-quality experience. They’re made to get the water hot and soak ground coffee with it. That’s it. I mean, it’s good enough if you just want a kick of caffeine, but if you really love coffee for its flavor and aroma as well, then you need this precision coffee maker. The Breville Precision Brewer was created to deliver the best in cafe-quality coffee at home. Breville used years of experience to create a machine that does everything right for coffee lovers. The Precision Brewer boasts the world’s fastest 12-cup drip and is the very first coffee maker to offer precise, adjustable temperature control for brewing craft coffee at home. The Precision Brewer is able to make perfect coffee because it was designed with the four key principles of top cafes in mind. It delivers precise temperature control and the optimal water flow/contact time to ensure that every ounce of flavor is extracted from our coffee. Its Gold setting adheres to the Specialty Coffee Association’s high coffee quality standards for the perfect cup of coffee, ensuring that you get the best cup every time we brew. What’s more, this machine allows you to easily brew pour-over, cold, and other specialty brews with ease. What I like about this machine: Breville Canada makes extremely high quality attractive small appliances. Love having a 12 cup carafe. Great option for dinner parties and family gatherings. The carafe keeps the coffee warm much longer than I expected. I had a cup and then went out to do my group fitness class, ran a couple of errands and returned easily 2 hours later. (I had my second cup of coffee and it was still perfect temperature. Speed – this machine is quick. It’s a beautiful looking machine. The stainless steel finish is perfection. Breville Precision Brewer is fast and quiet and it makes a great cup of coffee. Set it and forget it if you wish. You can set the timer to deliver your carafe full of perfect coffee in the morning or for whenever you wish. Dual filter means you can use either cone filter or basket filter. Comes with some paper filters to get started and a reusable basket filter as well. It doesn’t let off a lot of steam. (This might seem inconsequential to some but I hate when cupboards get steamed up. I always worry steam does my cupboards damage. Not so here at all.) The 12 cup coffee maker will save money over the single serve brewers. Discs and K-cups are costly. Less waste, especially if you use the reusable basket filter and wash it out every time. Digital temperature control with display. One Tall Detail: The Breville Precision Brewer is a fair height and actually might be a bit too tall for some kitchens. Perfect Coffee at Home Still trying to figure out how to make the perfect pot of coffee? The answer is here. All you need is the Breville Precision Brewer. It’s the next best thing to having a live-in barista. Its advanced brewing technology ensures that every cup is the best cup of coffee and it allows you to get creative too. Learn more here – > Breville Canada Precision Brewer. One of my readers will win a Breville Canada Precision Brewer Thermal of their own. Follow instructions below for a chance to win. You must have a Canadian mailing address to be eligible. I received product for consideration here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. Entry-Form

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Avoid Migraines by Avoiding Foods that May Trigger Them

Paula — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:36:42 +0000

Avoid migraines by avoiding triggers. Because prevention really is worth a pound of cure when it comes to these debilitating headaches. Many people get migraines, but some might not know diet can play a role in these excruciatingly painful headaches – the kind of headaches that leave you locked in a dark quiet room, praying that the headache will go away. While the diet and migraine link is not a precise science, there is a lot of discussion and study around the fact that certain foods can worsen a pending migraine. I’ve found that one of the best ways to avoid migraines is to avoid foods that can trigger them. Avoid Migraines by Staying Away From These Top Offenders Migraines can severely interfere with your daily life. While the food and migraine link is not precise, many people like myself, who suffer with migraines, often feel them beginning. Some people get signs clearly before the migraine flares. I often feel severe sinus pressure before a full blown migraine. And for me weather is sometimes a strong predictor of a potential migraine ahead. My mother also suffered migraines. Together we both recognized certain foods as triggers and would strive to avoid those foods periodically to manage the migraines a bit better and lessen the number of migraines we both had. This is a list of common foods associated with migraines. If there are foods here that you know don’t trigger your migraines, by all means continue to enjoy them. Here are a few triggers that can leave you incapacitated in your bed sometimes for days on end. First, let’s take a look at the trigger foods, and then we’ll get a little more in-depth with the main offenders. Most Common Trigger Foods Dark Chocolate Aged Cheese Citrus Fruit Alcohol – Most Commonly Wine Less Common Trigger Foods Cured Processed Meats (Ham, Hot Dogs, Etc.) MSG (Chinese Food, Soy Sauce, Packaged Foods) Aspartame Asian Foods (Because of MSG) Snack Foods (Because of MSG) Fatty Foods Ice Cream and Other Frozen Treats Food Dyes Coffee, Tea, Pop (Because of Caffeine) Some Dairy Products Whew. Yes I know, it is quite a list. That’s one reason I cautioned that not all of these will trigger everyone’s migraines. However, knowledge is power if you want to avoid migraines. Now let’s take a look at why the most common offenders are connected to migraines. Why Avoiding These Foods Helps Avoid Migraines Why do these foods have potential to worsen migraines? Let’s take a look. Chocolate Chocolate has several ingredients that scientists believe may contribute to migraines. Phenylethylamine is thought to alter blood flow in the brain and/or cause the release of other chemicals that can trigger a migraine. Here’s the part to remember. The darker the chocolate, the more cocoa. The more cocoa, the more phenylethylamine. That equals to darker chocolate being more likely to trigger a migraine. In addition, chocolate also contains caffeine, a known migraine trigger. Caffeine If you want to avoid migraines, consider cutting out caffeine – but slowly. It’s been known for years that caffeine’s stimulant action effects the central nervous system and causes blood vessel constriction. In people with chronic migraines, that constriction can lead to the onset of a migraine. Even worse, cutting out caffeine can cause one as well due to caffeine withdrawal. If you drink lots of caffeinated products, slowly cut back until you’ve cut them out completely. You may recall that I dramatically altered my caffeine intake a few years ago due to high blood pressure. As a result I have experienced fewer migraines. That’s been a positive for me. Now I only ever have a maximum of two coffees a day. MSG MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a common ingredient in a lot of restaurants AND in many packaged foods like frozen foods, soups, processed meats, snacks, tomato and barbecue sauce, and even salad dressing. In animal studies, MSG caused blood vessel constriction, and as we just talked about with caffeine, blood vessel constriction can lead to migraines. Cured Meats Cured meats are also a common trigger for migraines. And since migraines are such an obnoxious ailment, it probably comes as no surprise that the reason cured meats trigger them is the polar opposite of caffeine and MSG. Cured meats contain nitrites for the preservation of color and flavor and to prevent botulism. These nitrites cause a release of nitric oxide which widens the blood vessels. So you can get a migraine from both the contraction AND expansion of your blood vessels. My migraines started when I was about 32. The exact same time my Mom’s started. She was also about 32. She struggled with them for years. Mine have, in the past, been very bad and I have learned to avoid several foods as a result. A few years ago I trimmed my caffeine intake dramatically. At that time I also trimmed sodium intake and began limiting prepackaged foods too. For a time I also removed gluten and MSG and found a huge reduction in frequency and severity as well. Oh I know gluten is not on here technically but I am advising you what I found helped. Reducing gluten or removing it entirely, cutting caffeine intake and eliminating pop as well made a huge impact for me. Now I rarely get them. Sometimes they still hit me, but much less seriously than before. Avoid Trigger Foods to Avoid Migraines Migraines are painful, debilitating, and generally wreck your day (or days). And while we can’t completely rid ourselves of them, we can help avoid migraines more often by cutting out the common foods that can trigger migraines. If you have issues with migraines, consider trying a food trial, slowly cutting out the foods that are known to trigger them one by one. When you find a food that triggers migraines for you, remember it and try to stay away! One of the easiest ways to avoid migraines might just be by changing your diet.

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Enjoy Coffee Time Without Worrying #ChurchandDwight

Paula — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 08:15:15 +0000

Coffee time is simply essential. At least, it is for me. I love coffee. I cannot start my day without it. I need that jolt of pure go juice induced energy to get me started on my day. I used to be one of those people who had a pot of coffee ready to go pretty much all day. When my blood pressure started to be too high for my comfort though I trimmed right back. Note – trimmed back. I didn’t quit entirely because I love coffee time too much and I need it to power through busy days. That’s why September 29th, National Coffee Day, is one of my favorite days of the year. Coffee Time and Me In the morning, coffee is my liquid best friend. It wakes me up in the morning. Coffee keeps me going through the morning. It’s delicious. It makes me happy and helps me function. I’ll drink it in many forms. Black, latte, flavored, espresso, iced – if it’s coffee, I’m all about it. Not only does it keep me focused, but recent studies have shown that it’s excellent for memory and it fights the common cold. So, when you think about it, I sort of HAVE to drink coffee. At least a little bit. Coffee Time and Everything Else While I may love coffee with a passion, there are other things in my life that do not love coffee. My teeth, for one. Coffee may be delicious, but it also stains your teeth over time. In fact, to combat what my love of coffee does to my teeth, everything I use for oral care has whitening agents. Otherwise I would have coffee colored teeth! Here’s my coffee stain fighting morning and evening regime using ARM & HAMMER products. ARM & HAMMER™ Truly Radiant™ Spinbrush – This powered toothbrush removes 100% more plaque in hard to reach areas, and it helps me get off surface coffee residue. ARM & HAMMER™ Truly Radiant™ Whitening & Enamel Strengthening Toothpaste – This stuff is awesome. It helps remove all that staining from my coffee time, and it remineralizes my enamel to help keep it shiny and strong. Another unfortunate side effect of my coffee time is coffee stains on clothes. Let’s face it there are many opportunities to spill when you have kids. To combat my chronic spillage and staining, I use OxiClean™ Colour Shield Liquid Laundry Stain Remover. This stuff is hardcore. Using the power of OxiClean™, this stuff gets deep down into fabrics and quickly break up and remove stains. And it goes easy on the fabric. Coffee Time Without Worry Time Since I found these products, I’ve been able to enjoy my coffee time with far less worry. I know I can keep my teeth nice and white and keep my clothes looking their best in spite of my caffeinated ways. If coffee time is your favorite time, take a look at these ARM & HAMMER™ and OxiClean™ products. They’re both excellent ways to combat the mess that can come with coffee time. [tweetthis]What is your favourite way to enjoy your morning coffee? Is coffee time your favourite time?[/tweetthis] I am a Church and Dwight Ambassador and as such I am compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Breakfast Mini Coffee Cakes #GayleaMom #Giveaways

Paula — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 04:09:29 +0000

So you are the happy hostess again this year for Christmas! You’ve got the turkey and the trimmings and the big dinner meal all mapped out. You’ve got dessert ingredients ready to go and lunches are in the bag because everyone will want turkey sandwiches after the big day itself. But what about breakfast? And the breaks in between, like the one you want to take when you get home from Boxing Day shopping. What’s a busy host or hostess to do? Well, I have an idea you can prep right now and have ready to go – Mini Coffee Cakes made with a hint of Gay Lea sour cream makes a perfect breakfast you can serve with the morning Java or Tea. Nothing says break, or maybe even breakfast like coffee cake. Banana bread comes close I suppose but that’s so 2014 already. Enough with the banana bread, bring on Mini Coffee Cakes. We often host family here over the holidays and this year is no exception. I am sure we will have some happy visitors and we look forward to that time with family members. It is precious and centred around meals shared together, presents opened and hugs freely exchanged. Add on the pictures, maybe a Christmas movie or two, and a stroll after dinner to burn off that massive scrumptious meal, and the holidays are close to perfect. I confess I struggle with breakfast the day after Christmas. Occasionally I resort to bacon and eggs and toast with coffee. There may be time for that this year too. Then there’s the kids. When there are extra people in the house, and extra little folk it’s good to have a game plan for meals. My niece and nephews are pretty good about eating a variety of foods and many times we just let them have their pick of cereals, with a little milk and some fruit or yogurt. But for the grownups this year I have my Mini Coffee Cakes on hand as a special treat. By the way, these are made with Gay Lea Gold Premium sour cream and Gay Lea butter too. Scrumptious Mini Coffee Cakes make holiday breakfast or snack time memorable Some facts you might not know about Gay Lea sour cream: Gay Lea’s Gold Premium Sour Cream is Gay Lea’s thickest, richest sour cream made with 3 simple ingredients. – Gay Lea’s Gold Premium Sour Cream is decadent and delicious, making it perfect for dips, dressings, and baking!o Nut-free and certified Kosher o Available only in 425ml size o Available in Ontario only Don’t forget to follow Gay Lea on Twitter. This month I have two giveaways to tell you about. The first is a giant giveaway courtesy of Gay Lea and I am so incredibly jealous of you all for being able to enter this!! Good luck! I totally need one of these. KitchenAID Stand Mixer!! What!!?? Worth $399. Good Luck! This one is going on across several blogs. Enter on any one of our blogs. Don;t forget to leave me a comment and also stick around while I tell you about the second giveaway!! (A year’s worth of Gay Lea products for your family) So your 2015 could be a Gay Lea year!! You may enter across all of the blogs for this one year worth of Gay Lea products, but you may only win on one of the blogs. Everyone deserves a chance to win! You must be a resident of Canada to win. You may only win from one blog. You may not win multiple prizes across the blog ambassador’s blogs. Unfortunately residents of Quebec are not eligible to win. Winners should expect their prizes in 4 to 6 weeks. Entry After you enter that one for a chance at a KitchenAid stand mixer don’t forget this one! Entry-Form Disclosure: I am part of the Gay Lea Mom ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I received special perks as a result of my affiliation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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