When I first started learning about meditation, I would devote 20+ min, 2-3 times a day just to sit and be with my thoughts. Sometimes I'd do a guided meditation, sometimes incorporating yoga or walking. I really needed that at that time, as I was overcoming personal obstacles and emotional family challenges. But as time marched on, I wasn't always able to keep up with that practice.
Day-to-day life, work, kids sports, you name it - we all struggle to find balance in our routines. Even more so when you have other people, bosses or children that rely on your time. It can be difficult to prioritize self-care and our own mental and physical health.
Just like physical exercise, when I take days off of meditation, I definitely notice a difference in the way I feel. Might not be huge, and might not happen right away, but allowing too much time to go by without doing that “self check” can cause a chain of ill-effects.
I think of it like running an antivirus security check software program for a computer - but on myself. If I don’t run that system check, clear the cache, and remove unwanted spyware, those things will catch up later on down the road. How did that unwanted “pop-up” effect me this week? Am I running at my optimal performance level?
Insert your own metaphor in the comments - would love to see what you guys come up with!
It does become much easier to do it when there’s a routine, and a tool to help.
Incorporating a daily mindfulness/meditation practice into my coffee routine seemed like the perfect fit. I may forget to meditate, but I would never forget to make my morning coffee! Tying the two together insured a reasonable way to get my daily dose of meditation.
I started using affirmations as a way to set my intentions, one day at a time. Every time I brewed and enjoyed a cup of coffee, it would remind me to take a deep breath and take that personal inventory at the start of my day.
Last week, while brewing up a cup of our Lucky Buckeye Candy (a local favorite, but also so fun for this time of year with St. Patty’s Day coming up!) I noticed the sky was getting brighter, the sun was starting to rise a little earlier in morning, which ultimately means WINTER IS ALMOST OVER! After a quick happy dance, I poured myself a cup of coffee and began some deep breathing.
My house was still quiet, and almost immediately I heard the birds chirping outside. A small gesture really, but in that present moment, I realized I was not the only one who was doing a happy dance over this morning’s sunshine. The quieter I tried to become, the louder the chirping began to grow.
Recent bird paintings done by my daughter and myself.
“I am prepared for what comes into my life. I use my tools to create the life I want.”
I wrote this one down a few weeks ago when I was feeling overwhelmed with bookkeeping, calendar-keeping, and generally trying to wrap my head around the coming months. It’s been good reminder to create less work for myself in the future, so I can actually enjoy the moment.
By using my tools (i.e. my mobile planning apps, online bookkeeping/budgeting, meal planners, deep breathing, etc) I can create the life I desire.
<deep breathing>
My mind wandered to a time last spring when my daughter and I were sitting on the back patio. I was having my morning coffee and I had pointed out a robin in the yard that looked ready to lay her eggs. My daughter, who was just over 2 years old at the time, began talking about the sounds birds make, mimicking the “tweet tweet” and then starting “whoo hoo-ing”.
“That’s an owl. Owls say ‘whoo hoo’.” I corrected her.
“I hear the owl!” she proclaimed.
I was surprised to think that an owl would be anywhere near our small backyard, but as I closed my eyes to listen better, I hear the “WHOO HOO” coming from the large tree in the neighbor’s yard. Wow, she was right!
Ever since then, I have really looked forward to going on our back patio early enough in the morning to still hear the sounds of the night owl. But it will have to wait until it’s a little warmer, it’s still win…
“I am prepared for what comes into my life. I use my tools to create the life I want.”
By the time I said it in my head again, my oldest was zombie stomping into the kitchen, begging for breakfast and my youngest was announcing to everyone “I AM AWAKE” from her bed. Time was up for now, but it was enough of a reset to come out of it with a clear vision of something I wanted to manifest in the coming spring months.
My intentions were set, I would begin to prepare my backyard/patio space for the warmer mornings ahead. A space where I could meditate, read, create, play, anything I wanted!
Today, I can create the space in my life for everything I want.
That day, we made these easy bird feeders and hung them in the backyard. Ensuring our feathered friends would be back around and we could enjoy our mornings together in the coming months.Peace, love & coffee,
Dianna
Supplies:
Peanut Butter
Rice Cakes
String or Ribbon
Scissors
Bird Seed
Paper Plate
Use a chopstick, skewer or carefully use your scissors to poke a hole through the rice cakes. Attached your string or ribbon.
Spread peanut butter evenly over the rice cake, then dip in bird seed to coat.
We also created a stack-able version for the Woodpecker and Cardinal types…
Cut a hole through the plate, tie off your string (I used a piece of tape to secure), and begin stringing your rice cakes. Putting a little peanut butter between the layers, continue stacking. Coat around the cakes with peanut butter and press on your bird seed.
That’s it! Be sure to hang them next to branches they can sit on while they eat. My daughter insisted we also sing “Happy Birthday” to the birds while hanging them. That part is optional :) Within just a few minutes we had some birds coming over to snack!
Maybe you're like me and still shaking off the glitter from this past holiday season. Sometimes it can seem like the holidays and gift-giving occasions start getting closer and closer together. It can be a lot of pressure to prepare for, when we should be focusing on enjoying the moment.
These days, the stress of having to make sure you have 25 perfectly packed, culturally-appropriate, vegan/peanut free, magic-filled treats for your kid's Valentines, AND also remembering to not only book a babysitter, but also MAKE the reservations for you and your love...oh and then of course you don’t want to leave out your bestie “Galentine”...all of it can make our minds busy, and pocket book sore.
Focus on creating mindful gifts, while being mindful of your spending. Being thrifty is a great practice that can benefit everyone (and the environment!) in a positive way. Usually, whenever I hear someone talk about starting to budget or how to plan for expenses, I hear the old advice “give up your coffee money”.
Ummm, what? I don’t think so.
But really, if you think about it, like literally think about it, being mindful of spending and thinking about your purchasing, that coffee money is not going to make a huge impact. It’s about practicing that mindful spending everyday.
Today, I’m making 4 quick, easy, budget-friendly, handmade gifts for your Galentines. Each are under $10 and packed with handmade-gift love!
“To plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn
I feel so fortunate to have an amazing sister, and tonight she's coming over to watch my kids so my husband and I can have a romantic dinner out for Valentine's Day. She LOVES cooking, so for this planter I chose to do Garlic and Chives. You can easily substitute with any flowers/herbs your best Gal loves!
This time of year especially, I like to start some easy plants from kitchen scraps. They start well in the house and then I can move them to outdoor planters in the spring. I didn't get to use all of this store-bought garlic in time, so instead of throwing it out, I placed the cloves in a cup of water in the window sill for just a couple of days. (If you don’t have a couple days to spare, grab a pack of seeds or bulbs from the store!)
Separate each clove of garlic. Carefully plant your bulbs, leaving enough space in between each plant. Give them enough water so the soil is damp, and set by window until you are ready to give to you Gal-Pal.
You can decorate the planter to your liking! Wrap with a bow, add a cute herb marker, or adorn with a chalkboard sticker - and add your favorite quote!
You don’t want no scrubs...except this one.
First step, you’ll want to gather your supplies. Also, put on a big pot of coffee if you haven’t been saving your coffee grounds. (You’ll need about 12-15 tablespoons of grounds per jar of scrub.)
I chose Crooks and Coffee’s Fearless French Toast, because that hint of maple still lingering in the used grounds gives that rich, delicious smell anyone would be happy to wake up to. Dreamy Chocolate Donut is another favorite flavor for scrubs.
All items were purchased from my local grocery store - 4ct pack of jars $5, Coconut Oil $6, raw cane sugar $4. If you’re making all 4 jars, you’ll use 1 whole 8oz bag of coffee, $10.
That’s about $6/each for a huge container of body scrub. I love to leave mine in the kitchen, next to the sink to remove unwanted kitchen odors from my hands after cooking. It's also amazing in the shower, to help get rid of that winter dry skin!
Combine about 3 tablespoons coconut oil and 12 tablespoons of grounds. My grounds were still warm, so they melted the oil just fine for mixing. If need be, pop the open glass jar in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften the coconut oil, and continue mixing until combined.
Mixture will resemble a wet, sloppy concrete-like consistency. The next step is to let your oil + coffee ground mixture come to room temp. If you’re impatient like me, you can place in the freezer for a few minutes. If you over-do it, just leave it out again until mixable.
You want to be sure your mixture is cool enough so that the sugar will not melt when it is added. Fill remaining room in the jar with the raw cane sugar, and mix together the ingredients. Adjust the consistency to you liking by adding more or less grounds/sugar to your scrub.
Put on the lid, add a little decoration if you’d like, and present this lavish scrub to your bestie!
You really can’t mess this up.
For this one, I grabbed up some heart-shaped doilies $1, a frame $1 and some Freezer Paper $4 (You can use whatever paper you would like, we use freezer paper for many painting/crafts in our house so it’s what I had on hand.) and created this fun watercolor masterpiece! To be honest, this started as a card, but they were out of the smaller doilies at the time I was at the store, so I decided to make it a BIG card/framed art piece.
Be careful to not use too much water around the area with the cut-outs, so it does not bleed under the doily stencil.
Continue around the piece until you have created the look you like, blending as you go, and remembering to “stamp” through the cut-outs.
If you do decide to frame it, I recommend using a hot iron (another reason I use Freezer Paper!) to smooth out some of the areas and corners that will wrinkle after drying. Place a light, clean towel or cheese cloth over the painting before applying the hot, dry iron.
A collection of her favorite places, or places you’ve been together.
The last gift is one that really speaks to the heart! Grab a few small frames (I got these from Ikea for $1/each) and a book with pictures or drawings of areas in your town. I purchased this book from an estate sale a while back, but your local library will have some for you as well. I like the idea of older photos of the town, maybe missing the modern-day elements but overflowing with historical charm.
I hope these ideas help you celebrate all the special Galentine’s in your life, while helping you stay mindfully thrifty, so you don’t have to “give up the coffee money”.
Do no harm, but take no shit.
Have you heard this one? Call it what you want, we all have to deal with a degree of "it" in life. To be honest, I struggle with this rule. From what I have learned (or previously conceived) about kindness and the basic “Golden Rule”: you treat others with kindness and respect - just the way you would want to be treated. But how do I “take no shit”?
What happens when you have been treated unjust or have to deal with someone’s bad behavior? Because, that’s part of life. We must learn tools to overcome conflict in a healthy way. Our serenity is at stake.
Of course, we can’t go around being personally offended by everyone’s actions. We must learn to not “sweat the small stuff”, but also challenge the unacceptable. To remain silent or avoid the bad behavior does not eliminate it, it only encourages it. Every time we have the courage to stand up for ourselves, it becomes easier.
We all have bad days or bad weeks even. Bad things that have happened to us in life, and everyday stress on our physical and mental health can make it difficult to be on our best behavior. We as human beings are most definitely NOT perfect, and have many triggers contributing to our actions and reactions. We also all know what it’s like when someone treats you unkind, or know the pain caused by toxic behavior.
Choosing to live a life of kindness and mindfulness.
We must first acknowledge the role we play in our own behaviors and actions… and also protect ourselves. Just as we behave with kindness to others, we can do to ourselves.
Practicing a mindful approach to conflict, takes just that - practice. Simply having an awareness and also setting healthy boundaries can help us keep our peace of mind. Using angry, abusive language or being passive-aggressive in response to conflict, creates more harm. By stating our needs/feelings/boundaries in a calm way, “we do no harm”. By standing for our boundaries, “we take no shit”.
It’s not always easy, especially if it’s something you have been dealing with for a length of time.
In my own mindful journey, I have found that if I was keeping a running tally (even subconsciously), allowing the “shit” to fester, by the time I had the awareness or courage to say something, it came out as projectile word vomit or anything but calm and kind. Speak out immediately, even just to say “let’s speak about this later”, because addressing it brings light to the issue, and it is easier to navigate those boundaries -- especially if you are setting new boundaries for a long-standing behavior.
You may feel a new sensation the first time you do this - a spark of confidence, or perhaps a growing pain because you just conquered the first step on a difficult journey. But again, every time we stand up for ourselves it gets easier, and you may just find you have more time for joyful experiences with your redirected energy.
I"ll leave you with this affirmation for your mindful coffee time ritual:
"I am kind to myself and others. I set healthy boundaries. I channel my energy in positive ways."
Peace, Love & Coffee -
Dianna
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And please remember that if you are struggling, feeling more than a little overwhelmed, reach out and ask for help from those around you.
Just in case Peppermint Mochas are your special treat, today I’m also bringing you a quick recipe for how you can make them yourself at home with Crooks and Coffee! This skinnier Peppermint Mocha can be made at home to save you at least a little more sugar than the coffee shop. Need to snag some more coffee to make this drink come true? The very LAST holiday/winter drop with holiday delivery will be happening on December 7th! Use code COFFEEBLOG to save at checkout so you can snag a few gifts while you’re at it!
Ingredients to gather:
- Crooks + Coffee Non-Flavored blend of your choice OR flavored Mocha Latte
- Peppermint Extract
- Cocoa powder or chocolate syrup
- Half & Half or milk of choice
- Peppermints or Candy Canes, crushed, optional
- Whipped Cream, optional
As always, you can tweak this recipe to your flavor preferences so use the amounts that feel right to you.
I truly hope that you can find a way to have a memorable, beautiful holiday season without letting the stress bring you down. You can always come back to your center, so don’t be afraid to just breathe in the coffee and take in the twinkling lights when you start to feel overwhelmed.
Peace, Love + Coffee,
Veronica
P.S. If you are struggling on gifting this year, I definitely recommend grabbing your favorite coffee from Crooks + Coffee, and putting together a fun gift basket that includes coffee, a spoon or clip scoop and this super fun knit Caffeinated hat! Use code COFFEEBLOG to save so you can grab extra for you too!
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Veronica is a Crooks + Coffee superfan, as well as the blogger, small shop consultant and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games, talk about small business and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
]]>Be sure to read to the bottom where I’ll be announcing a giveaway for this months taster box! Need to snag some new coffee flavors for fall? Save at checkout with code CAFFCREATE
I know that many people flock out to the coffee shops for pumpkin latte season, but what if you could stay in your PJs to fulfill your fall drink craving? I’m going to give you my quick process to making a latte at home! Be sure to hit up the bottom of the post for three fall drink recipes using Crooks and Coffee items too!
Now that you’ve got a few new tips to make your latte at home, let’s get to a few recipes to try! Any of these recipes can be made hot or cold!
Ingredients:
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Pumpkin Pie Dirty Chai Latte
Ingredients:
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Ingredients:
To celebrate a new month and fall taking over our lives, let's have a giveaway! Head on over to the VIP group to find out how you can win your very own taster box with three sample packs of three limited flavors! And don't forget to stock up on your fall favorites (new apparel added recently too!) and save with code CAFFCREATE.
Until next time,
Veronica
Veronica is a Crooks + Coffee superfan, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
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All you need to gather is:
- Your Favorite Mug (anything at least 10 oz should be plenty big)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 drops of vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk (separate yolk from egg white)
- Just under 1/4 c of flour
- 1 tbsp caramel bits
- 1 tbsp butterscotch chips
At this point, my five year old walked into the room all too excited to see what I was doing. Every time I turned around, I swear some of my butterscotch chips were missing. Hmm...she didn't know either, so I suppose it'll remain a mystery. Thankfully, this is so easy to put together, that she did the rest of the prep herself.
Directions:
1. Melt your butter and put it into your mug.
2. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to the mug. Stir to combine.
3. Add your yolk and stir thoroughly.
4. Add flour and stir. See below for an image for how much flour to use. I used a 1/4 cup, but did not fill it.
5. Add chips and stir gently. Microwave for 40 - 60 seconds. Start checking for doneness at 40 seconds.
6. Serve warm with a cup of Highlander Grogg, of course! If you don't have any on hand, be sure to grab more and use code COFFEEBLOG to save!
After she devoured most of the cookie, I finally got my kiddo to share a bite and let me assure you that you need to make this! It takes only a few minutes and then you have a dessert that you can enjoy during your afternoon cup of coffee!
Now that I've tackled the flavors of the beloved Highlander Grogg, I'm pretty sure now I need to keep seeing what other Crooks and Coffee flavors need to be mug desserts! Which coffee flavor is your favorite? Drop it in the comments and maybe we will try to create something delicious from that next! Enjoy!
Until next time,
Veronica
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Veronica is a Crooks + Coffee superfan, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
]]>I’ve been actively trying, every few months, to evaluate my eco-conscious behaviors. We taught our daughter to recycle, but unfortunately, we just don’t have a means or space for composting right now. So, I’ve been trying to find unique ways to recycle organic matter and the like until our city (hopefully) adds compost bins to our trash pick up. I wanted to jump on the blog today to bring you a list of ways you can use your used coffee grounds every day too! I haven’t tried all of these, but there’s definitely something for everyone!
That, by no means, is a list of the only ways you can recycle your coffee grounds, but I hope it’s got you thinking of how to start recycling your Crooks and Coffee grounds in the future! Let me know in the comments if you recycle your grounds right now and what you do with them and if you don’t, we’d love to hear what ways you are excited to try next!
Until next time, enjoy your coffee!
Veronica
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
]]>Why do I think that's important? Because I have two strong beliefs related to my coffee break:
So, if those two things feel a little close to home, I hope this post helps you discover a new self-care routine that will add to your life and not feel like another chore! First up on the agenda: journaling. Yep, we are going full junior high mentality over here and getting a journal again.
First, you are probably wondering why I believe journaling can be so impactful. One of the highest indicators of stress is living in your head. If you struggle to get out of your head, feeling centered and calm and living in the moment, journaling can help with releasing some of that tension that is sitting in your mind.You can unleash some of the thoughts, or even just doodle while you try to release some of your worries for a few minutes.
Today I want to explore four quick tips for starting to journaling during your coffee break every day that won't make you feel like you're just adding to your to-do list.
1. Your journal is not your planner. If you're like me and have a planner attached to your hip at all times, this is going to be an entirely different notebook. I highly suggest you find something that you love. For me, that usually means I want it pretty. Something about pretty office supplies brings me so much joy, please tell me I'm not alone! I suggest checking out Target, a local hobby/craft store or even a search online to find something you like. Currently, I am using this Erin Condren lined pages notebook. You can go with lined pages, blank pages or even guided journals from bookstores. Take it another step and find writing utensils you love. Is there anything better than writing with your favorite pen?
2. Pick a similar time of day to sit down with your journal every single day. I highly suggest utilizing your coffee break. At different parts of the last year, I have done some journaling first thing in the morning with coffee before I check email or during an afternoon break when I am trying to decompress and energize. I suggest figuring out when you most feel like you need to unload a bit and get more centered. Do you wake up tense knowing what you need to get done that day or do you feel that afternoon crash and lose motivation? You might also need to download your day before bed so you can sleep clearer. Being consistent with your time will help you settle into your journaling mindset faster because it'll feel like a routine and you can establish that "this is the time when I journal" so it doesn't get left behind.
3. Prepare yourself before you sit down to write. I highly recommend trying the mindful routine that Dianna, owner of Crooks and Coffee, talked about in her Meet the Maker segment here. Find your breath as you brew your coffee, then once it's done, you can sit down and start to journal.
4. Don't overthink it. Some days I journal about gratitude, sometimes I jot down everything I'm feeling stressed out about and occasionally I will work from a prompt. A few times, I have used the affirmations on the back of the Crooks and Coffee bags to prompt that day's journaling. Nothing has to make sense to anyone except you. If you need to doodle, do it. Just don't stress about it. The whole goal is to use this time to find your center, unleash some of what's weighing on you at that moment and just let it out.
I hope that your mind is reeling a bit in ways you can utilize journaling for your coffee breaks and self-care routine, but be sure to head over to the Facebook page to see what else Dianna talked about this week regarding mindfulness and how important it is to her. It was a really great conversation and there's even a giveaway in video #2!
Meet the Maker/Behind the Brand with Dianna Chandler
Part 1
Part 2
Until next week, have a coffee on me!
Veronica
P.S. Did you know you can save with a special blog reader code on the site? Use code COFFEEBLOG now to save at checkout!
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
]]>Have you ever seen green coffee beans? The kids and I really enjoyed seeing the stock of beans that were still fresh and waiting to be roasted. Here you can see Dianna, the owner of Crooks and Coffee, showing us the batches that were to be roasted soon.
All of the beans that Crooks and Coffee uses are 100% Colombian beans which are freshly roasted and flavored. This is largely unheard of in the coffee industry and really sets them apart in their product line. I'm always amazed at the range of flavors we see each month in the monthly taster boxes. Which ones have been your favorites? Highlander Grogg might continue to be a household favorite around here, but it's even more special when you can see and meet the people behind the scenes. I also love that you can get the Colombian beans unflavored now, again, freshly roasted right in the warehouse.
This prized roaster is where all the magic happens and I also got to talk to Ben, the man who roasts all of the beans for Crooks and Coffee. Not only was Ben friendly and knowledgeable, but his passion for his work was completely apparent. He showed us the computer system behind the roaster that displays the process. They can set up the cycle the roaster needs to go on and continue to do other work while it gets to work roasting. Everyone in the warehouse seemed to be working like a well-oiled machine.
Here's Ben showing the kids more about the roaster and the beans. I was really happy they let us bring in the girls because I feel it's important that they also care about where things are made and who makes them.
As any of us in the internet world know, running a business isn't just about the physical product. With that in mind, here's Dianna recording and taking photos for Crooks and Coffee social media pages. I always love seeing a modern business owner at work. It's never quite a complete job. There's always something that we are opening up in our lives as a small business online, especially when running our own social media. In the matter of 45 minutes there, we were exploring the space, learning about the process and also managed to complete a handful of Instagram story posts, prepare this blog post, announce a new collaboration on another business's group and do an impromptu mini interview/behind the scenes on the VIP group page. I also must mention that we also had three kids with us inside the warehouse while getting to work. If you hadn't noticed, women-run businesses are pretty full circle with less hard separation than you might expect. But, it works, there's a flow and I'm always excited to show that behind the scenes too.
I hope you've enjoyed this quick peek behind the scenes of Crooks and Coffee today! I have been so blessed to be a small part of the team these last couple months and I am so excited to continue working on growing this amazing business. With that, I'm very pumped to announce that on Monday, June 25th, Dianna and I will be going LIVE on the Crooks and Coffee Facebook page at 8:30pm EST. I'm going to be asking her about how the business came about, how she decided to make mindful living such an important piece of the puzzle and more. I want to ask her YOUR questions too! Be sure to drop those questions here in the comments, or on a feed that will be posted on the Facebook page this week. We can't wait to chat with you all next week, but until then, I think it's time for a cup of coffee! (And Remember, you can save right now with code COFFEEBLOG at checkout!)
Thanks for stopping by!
Veronica
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
Do you ever make a cup of iced coffee, add ice and by the time you get halfway down the cup, it's basically murky water and cream? It's never fun to take the time to make delicious cold brew and have it ruined by melting ice cubes. However, I also really love ice and have a tendency to load any glass I have with ice. So, I decided to try to make some coffee ice cubes and well, something tells me I'll be doing that alllll summer long!
]]>Do you ever make a cup of iced coffee, add ice and by the time you get halfway down the cup, it's basically murky water and cream? It's never fun to take the time to make delicious cold brew and have it ruined by melting ice cubes. However, I also really love ice and have a tendency to load any glass I have with ice. So, I decided to try to make some coffee ice cubes and well, something tells me I'll be doing that alllll summer long!
Here's all you need to do:
1. Get an ice cube tray (or popsicle mold or candy mold or anything that will hold liquid and can freeze)
2. Stir up some strong cold brew with any additive you want.
3. Freeze for 4-5 hours.
4. Add to cup and then top with cold brew.
Yes, that ridiculously simple list is IT. I can assure that cold brew will freeze, as you can see here, and then as they start to melt, they'll just be injecting more coffee and flavor instead of watering it down!
Here are two different flavors of cubes I made today that I highly recommend!
- Carmel Nut Fudge: Use cold brew made from Crooks and Coffee Carmel Nut Fudge grounds + caramel sauce + chocolate sauce
- Vietnamese Style: Use cold brew made from Crooks and Coffee Columbian + sweetened condensed milk
Need more ideas, here are a few more I want to try:
- Almond Joy: Use cold brew made from Crooks and Coffee Brazilian Sunset grounds + coconut extract + chocolate sauce
- Highlander Grogg: Use cold brew made from Crooks and Coffee Highlander Grogg + vanilla extract + caramel sauce
- Birthday Cake: Use cold brew made from Crooks and Coffee Birthday Cake + sprinkles! + heavy cream
I hope you enjoy this simple trick to not having watered down iced coffee! I can't wait to hear which one is your favorite. Be sure to snag a few new flavors to play with and use code COFFEEBLOG to save at checkout!
Until next time,
Veronica
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
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We all have that coffee-obsessed friend. Or perhaps you are reading this and realize, “I am that coffee-obsessed friend.” The good news is, it’s easy to spot your highly-caffeinated tribe, which is known to frequent coffee shops, coffee drive-throughs, coffee stores, the coffee aisle at the grocery store, coffee websites and coffee social media pages and are always up for a coffee hang. Another bit of good news is that these friends are easy to buy for on pretty much any gift-giving occasion. With pool and graduation party and wedding season in full swing, plus the usual birthdays, anniversaries, Father’s Day and then of course year round dinner parties, it’s time to stock your gift closet full of fun and fabulous coffee gifts. Even your friends and family who aren’t as — let’s say, enthusiastic — about the bean will likely still appreciate a switch up in their home java game.
There are several ways to gift coffee. First and foremost, simply purchase a bag of your favorite beans or ground coffee (perhaps the Crooks & Coffee Breakfast Blend or a decadent pick from the flavored collection, such as the Buckeye Candy), put it in a gift box or bag or tie it with a little twine and a gift tag and voilà! It’s the perfect, easy hostess gift for the next dinner party you attend or when you are invited to stay at your bestie’s beach house. Add “The Perfect Scoop” coffee scoop bag clip or, for that beach house stay, the exceedingly charming Mermaid Coffee Cup-Hanging Spoons, and you are sure to get invited back again and again.
For Dad, ties, socks and watches are always a no-brainer, but if he’s a bean fiend, get him a "Might Be Coffee" White Travel Mug and a monthly flavor box. If he’s a connoisseur, he may already have all of the accoutrements, but if he’s still cultivating his coffee couture collection, take your gift to the next level by filling a basket with the coffee and travel mug, a Coffee And Kindness 11 oz. White Mug, plus a French Press or a Chemex (for pour-overs) and filters, plus the aforementioned coffee scoop bag clip.
Brides, if you are looking for bridesmaid swag bag ideas, toss some Highlander Grogg, as well as those mermaid spoons, a “Might Be Coffee” 11 oz. White Mug and airplane-sized bottles of Baileys Irish Cream, rum and bourbon into a monogrammed tote bag, along with those adorable “Squad” tanks you bought for entire crew on Etsy (we see you girl) and watch their eyes light up when they open it and start pulling out the goods.
The best part is that all of these ideas are interchangeable for any occasion with just a few tweaks. Package it with bags, bows, baskets, ribbon, twine and other embellishments for maximum impact, then mix, match and personalize to your heart’s content. You will never run out of inspiration, but if you do hit a creative rut, the cure is easy — coffee.
Big Thank You to Melanie for guest blogging with us this week! Don't forget to grab coffee for that next gift or have some extra coffee cups on hand for surprise gifts as they come up through the year! You can save with code COFFEEBLOG at checkout!
-Veronica
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This year, we decided to go all out and make a summer bucket list. We usually have a few things we have talked about "we should do that this year" when summer hits. But this year, we decided to make something a little more formal so we wouldn’t as easily brush things off that we wanted to do. Now, we have a list that we can check off and add to as the summer goes on. So I wanted to bring ya’ll a few tips and ideas to get your own minds reeling for summer!
4 Ways to Maximize Your Summer Bucket List:
Here’s a list of ideas to get your mind reeling:
I hope this got your mind rolling on some ideas you can boost your summer and don’t forget, everything is better with a little Crooks and Coffee Cold Brew to take along (try this recipe for an iced latte or check out the Mocha popsicles that Dianna posted in VIP group)!
Until next time!
Veronica
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
]]>Lately, that's meant experimentation with different recipes. So, I decided to try to make our own popsicles! I still had one packet of Pink Lemonade left from the Crooks + Coffee Lemonade and Tea Taster Pack, so I decided to see what I could come up with using that. This simple recipe resulted in a creamy yogurt popsicle that both I and the two five-year-olds who were in my house enjoyed thoroughly after lunch. My daughter talked about them the rest of the day and to quote her, "DELICIOUS, so yogurt-y!" If you want to try this kid-friendly recipe for your own popsicles, see below for the base we used. You can definitely adjust and tweak to your different flavors too!
All you need to gather is:
We decided to use the Pink Lemonade mix, strawberries, and blueberries to mix into ours. You could easily do other fruits like: peaches, kiwi, raspberries and more. We got our popsicle mold in the red dollar spot at Target for only $3!
1. Mix up your lemonade mix with water. We like to mix a full package of lemonade into about 1 qt of water, but this varies on your own tastes. These packets are made for about 20 oz of water typically. Do yourself a favor and don't spill as much as I did in this photo (whoops!).
2. In a bowl or measuring cup, measure about 1/3 c. of lemonade and 1/2 c of greek yogurt. Whisk until combined well. Add honey to taste.
This is her, "hurry up so I can eat" face. Soon you'll have fresh fruit lemonade popsicles ready for a nice summer treat! Be sure to snag your Lemonade and Tea Mix Pack on the site and save 20% with code COFFEEBLOG so you can treat yourself to some coffee too!
Until Next Time,
Veronica
Items seen in this post:
Crooks and Coffee Pink Lemonade
I Can Make That mug from Caffeinate then Create
Glass, Carafe + Popsicle Mold from Target
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Veronica is the blog manager for Crooks + Coffee, as well as the blogger and creator of Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Randy, and their 5 yr old self-proclaimed pirate princess, Gabby. She loves to write, play board games and has a deep seeded love of Star Wars and coffee.
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The taster pack comes with three flavors: lemonade, pink lemonade and peach tea. Yes, you heard me, a perfect trio for relaxing in the sun!
My daughter, Gabby, was very excited to open this package and immediately claimed them all. I was able to convince her to share by telling her that she could help make the drinks. These taster packs come sized perfectly for a 20oz drink. Simply add cool water, mix and go! We decided to use a 1-liter glass carafe that we picked up at Target recently. We usually prefer a less sweet taste, so this ended up being a really good size for us with just one packet mixed in!
After we made up the lemonade packet, we wanted to see what other ways we could make our lemonade. So, today we are bringing you Lemonade 3 Ways using the Crooks & Coffee summer drink box!
1. Add fruit!
Okay, so this one isn't exactly rocket science, but Gabby was very excited. Something tells me this just became a regular staple in my house. All we did was take lemon slices and a frozen berry mix to add to the lemonade and bam! More flavor and more fruit!
I also decided to do this with the peach tea mix. Again, we mixed up the peach tea mix and filtered water in a glass carafe, poured into a glass and this time added cut up pears!
Both were absolutely delicious, simple and you can easily use any fruit you have around the house or that is about to go bad so it doesn't go to waste. The fruit will add some flavor to the drink and you can also eat it as a little snack with your drink.
2. Sparkling Lemonade
Next, we decided to make lemonade in a glass, add some sparkling water and lemon slices to make a crisp, refreshing sparkling lemonade. I happened to have this watermelon flavored sparkling water, but you could use any flavor or plain sparkling water too. Every drink is better with lemon slices, so of course, those came out again! You can definitely do this with the peach tea for a little fizz in that too.
3. Lemonade Peach Iced Tea
Yep. You read that right. We took the prepared lemonade and the prepared peach tea and mixed them, equal parts in a glass. Add ice and a few of those trusty lemon slices and you'll be in full relaxation mode in the backyard. This was, hands down, my favorite version we did. The sweetness mixes together and it's absolutely refreshing, easy and tasty.
We hope you enjoy the new summer drink mixes as much as we do! Don't hesitate to get your order in and use code COFFEEBLOG to save!
Until next time, you can find us in the sun,
Veronica + Gabby
Honestly, I think her friend just kind of said, “Okay!” and then they were back to their imaginative games or running outside to swing. In that moment though, I beamed. Sometimes when they don’t realize you’re looking, they show you that they really do watch and listen as a parent. And this was proof that the tactics I’ve tried to take for last few years to teach her to think positively and confidently were working. I honestly couldn’t be more proud. (T-shirt, in case you're wondering, is from one of my favorite positivity and social change shops, Wire and Honey)
Is this a post just to talk about how proud I am of my kid? I mean, maybe a little? Don’t get me wrong, she has her moments. She is five after all. But, I truly believe the power of positive thinking that I’ve harnessed in her has paid off and hopefully, this confident little girl will be as equipped as possible to handle the trials of elementary school transitions. So, after talking a bit about my own morning routine recently, I decided this might be a good time to also visit the morning routine that I’ve been trying with my daughter and how we incorporate affirmations and positivity to jumpstart our day.
If you haven't yet, be sure to drop by the Crooks + Coffee Facebook page to check out the Mindfulness Monday post that Dianna posted this week. She talked about planting the seed of mindfulness into your daily routines. There's no reason this needs to be hard to add to your life and it's a big part of the changes we've made to my household's routines too. I've put together a small list of some of the impactful changes we've made to our mornings that include my daughter, just in case you're struggling to add mindfulness to your day too.
I will be the first one to say that this list includes things that happen on “perfect mornings”. We don’t often have perfect mornings, so sometimes just a couple of these things come together with any ease. Sometimes we are still fighting to get out the door. But, in moments when she thinks I’m not listening, I can tell that taking time to talk about positive thinking is truly making an impact on her day and her confidence. I’m calling that a win, even if we still had trivial arguments today like why rolling the window up and down repeatedly was not okay. Kids, am I right?
Do you have struggling mornings with the kids? By commenting below, you'll also be entered to win a BRAND NEW mug from the shop to celebrate mindful mornings! One winner will win an 11oz mug (or you can snag this brand new one first here and save with code COFFEEBLOG). To enter, comment on this post with how you plan to or already do add mindfulness to your day. Then you can head over to the Crooks + Coffee VIP group to learn how to gain extra entries!
Winner of mug will be announced next Tuesday, May 15, 2018!
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One of the very first drinks I needed to reproduce at home, was a simple cold brew. I'm often asked about how I make my cold brew and I've discovered that many people are overthinking the process! I use my cold brew as a base for several other iced coffee drinks I like to make or I also drink it black, because when you use a high quality bean, the flavor shines through.
For starters, you need a high-quality coffee. Most of the time, I use my Crooks and Coffee Columbian Whole Bean Coffee. I like using whole bean because I can prep the beans to a coarse grind. The Columbian is a great base because the rich, smooth flavor is strong and enjoyable by itself or easily mixes with many flavors for add ins. Important to note: I do also use the flavored coffees that come in grounds for my cold brew. The grind that they arrive in will also work well in my cold brew press.
Next, you will want to have a french press or similar container to use. I recently picked up a Bodum Cold Brew Maker (see in above photo) and recommend that press, if you make cold brew often. I have really liked the ease of it and since I regularly have cold brew in the refrigerator, it's nice to have a dedicated pot.
Depending on your preferences, you'll want to grind or add grounds to the bottom of your press. I prefer to use about 9-11 tbsp of beans, ground to a coarse grind, or the equivalent of ground coffee. Fill your container with water and stir the grounds around the water a bit and close the lid. Then you'll simply put the whole thing in the refrigerator for at least 12-24 hours. I usually like to make a batch up in the early afternoon and then I can have it the next day. If you have a Bodum, like I do, thankfully it comes with a nice press lid. You simply flip out the basic lid for the press lid, press down and the grounds will be kept at the bottom of the press. If you use a different container, you'll want to filter out the grounds before you start drinking.
I hope that helps you realize how easily you could have cold brew at the ready all summer long without heading into the coffee shop!
Okay, so the cold brew is ready, but what else can we do to punch it up? So I told you about my coffee shop habit I had to work to break, but one of the hardest parts was trying to find ways to make some of my favorite drinks at home. Since it's getting warmer out, I usually start to get completely invested in iced coffees, iced lattes and anything else chilled. One of my go-to drinks (with just the longest names ever) was the Iced Hazelnut Mocha Coconut Milk Macchiato. Not only did I dislike ordering the longest drink name ever, but one I realized the Grande size alone has 25g of sugar, I knew I should try to make it myself at home.
This is the closest I've been able to get and have really enjoyed tweaking it as my taste varies when I choose to make it. Here's the ingredients you'll want to gather up:
I was able to pick up the syrup and the chocolate sauce at Home Goods. If you have a Home Goods, definitely check out their small grocery section. I often can find items like this and high-quality teas at very discounted prices. I believe I picked up this syrup for only $3.99!
All you'll do next is put ice in your favorite glass and put as much chocolate as you'd like along the rim and sides of the glass. Keep in mind that the chocolate sauce has the highest sugar content of anything you will be using, so if you're looking to limit your sugar intake, here is where you'll want to do that.
This 21oz #Motherhood glass from BGD has been perfect lately for iced coffees!
Next, in order to get the hazelnut flavor where I want it, I like to pour cold brew into a separate cup and mix in approximately 2 tsp of Hazelnut syrup. You can adjust this to your own tastes also. Add to your iced glass.
Last, fill the rest of your glass with the coconut milk and stir! Don't be afraid to adjust to your own taste, but if made with the same ratios as seen here, you will cut your sugar from 25g with the Starbucks version to approximately 8g, depending on how much milk and chocolate you add.
I'm so thankful for this weather lately so I can make this drink and head outside on the patio to get some work done while the kids play. It's helped me feel like I can still grab that coffeehouse relaxation vibe right from home. What kind of things do you like to do on your coffee break?
Do you struggle with coffee shop habits you want to break? Let us know in the comments what other drinks you'd like to see us make on the blog!
Until next time, enjoy your coffee!
Veronica
Veronica Armstrong is the blog manager at Crooks and Coffee and a blogger/small shop owner at Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her nerdy husband and outgoing five year old daughter. She loves board games, witty coffee mugs and sewing. You can find her on Instagram or Facebook posting everyday Mom life and way too many photos of her coffee.
]]>We've all been there. Your alarm goes off, you hit snooze and doze right back to sleep. Next thing you know, the alarm is buzzing again and you glance at the clock to realize you have exactly three minutes to get the kids out of bed, fully dressed and in the car for school. Nevermind the fact that you also need to look like an alive human in those three minutes so you can also scurry out the door and hope you can avoid getting out of the car while in the drop-off line. Replace "drop-off line" with work, meeting, whatever else. We've all been there, right? Please tell me you know this feeling because it was basically my life during the first half of this school year. And honestly, I hit a wall a little over a month ago. I was done. We were all miserable and I knew that our mornings needed a complete overhaul.
One thing that I realized is that I get to make the choice about how I start my day. For most of this school year, school days began with a lot of hitting the snooze button, rushing, yelling and racing to school. Then, I’d come home so frazzled that all I could do was start the coffee and waste an hour in my office piddling around to finish waking up. My productivity suffered, my daughter was miserable in the mornings and it even made me mad at my husband who snoozed through it most days. Something had to change! I started by making five changes to my morning that have completely transformed the vibes in my house each morning. So let’s get down to it and see if any of these things will help your house rolling too!
Hope you enjoyed the first Coffee Talk Tuesday with me, I can't wait to bring you new posts every week from myself and other coffee enthusiasts right here in the Crooks and Coffee website.
Until next time,
Veronica
Veronica Armstrong is the blog manager at Crooks and Coffee and a blogger/small shop owner at Caffeinate then Create. She lives in Iowa with her nerdy husband and outgoing five year old daughter. She loves board games, witty coffee mugs and sewing. You can find her on Instagram or Facebook posting everyday Mom life and way too many photos of her coffee.
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