My year in coffee- 3/04/15 Madcap Coffee Lake Effect Blend

I was awful about keeping up in February - the result is that I have several coffees with review notes but no reviews.  This isn't one of them.  :-)  I guess I technically got this one in February (the 28th), but I didn't drink any until March.

Madcap Coffee Company Lake Effect Blend  http://madcapcoffee.com/

This isn't my first cup of Lake Effect Blend  - it's just the one I'm going to review.  I chose a mug that reminded me of one my grandfather had. It was heavy and warm and just seemed like the right mug for the coffee.

I'll start with the packaging.  I'm a sucker for a good package and I define good in a lot of different ways.  I like decorative, but I also like simple.  The one goes towards simple and elegant, black bag with simple block coloring.  I like the fabric label on the front.  It came in a nice valved bag that I will reuse for my home roast when I have finished this tasty blend.  I actually don't see the coffee on the site anymore - it's a seasonal blend and if you didn't get any you may be out of luck.  Grab it next year.  I know I will.

I brewed it using a pour over like I do pretty much every morning of every day.  There was a nice aroma from the beans even before grinding and it was pretty intense in the freshly ground coffee.  I love the smell of fresh coffee steam as it comes off of the pour and this one didn't disappoint.  I'm sure I look a little silly smelling my coffee as it brews but the only one who sees me is Dennis the dog, and he doesn't care.  The smell was rich and warm full of promise of deep flavor.  Again, I wasn't disappointed. 

My first taste was brighter and more citrus than I expected.  It filled my mouth and I got a hint of spice and rich deep red fruits.  I don't know what fruits exactly, but I would say red.  Dark and rich and juicy with flavor.  Red might not be a flavor like purple, but maybe it should be.  There was a lively acidity to it that didn't overpower and didn't approach bitterness and harshness.  As the cup cooled a bit I got a warm hominess.  My husband came in late and got a slightly cool cup.  I asked him what he thought and he said.  "I don't know if this makes sense, but even though it's not super warm temperature wise I would still describe it as warm."  I knew what he meant.  It's a warm comforting drink.   Madcap describes it as being a great coffee to cozy up to next to the fire and I think that's spot on.  

I am down to half a bag and that won't last long with the coffee hounds in this house, but I'll enjoy it while I can.  I will order next years Lake Effect for sure and I'm already planning to try the Spring Fling blend.  

Daily Fare - Party Flair

I lucked into a bunch of old cookbooks at the thrift shop.  I love the ones put together by churches and women's groups - they often have the most usable and most interesting recipes.   Not to mention the most character.

I started with the oldest one.  Officially, oldest that is.  One of them has no cover or identifying information, but based on other things I think it was very put together in the very early 70s.  So unless I find out otherwise, Daily fare - Party Flair is the oldest one and that's where I will start.

It was compiled by The Kitchen Committee at the Church of The Good Shepard and only sold for $2.50 with a whopping 25cent mailing fee.  It was made in a time before the phone numbers switched to the 7 number format we are familiar with today.  That happened by the late 60s in most of the US.  The artist really made this book for me.  Some of the recipes are interesting and I'll try a few, but she really added a character that makes it one of a kind.  

There is a list of the Belles of Good Shepherd and a much smaller list of the Cavaliers.

The church is still around and you can find their website at

http://episcopalcogs.com/

I have a weakness for old church cookbooks.  Partially because the recipes were things people actually used and partially because of the creative names people used.  

I'm not sure why U.S> Senate Bean Soup is called that.  Maybe because of the pork.  :-)  However the naming came about - the senator giving the speech seems very serious about it.

This is one I am going to try if I can find some marrow beans.  I guess I could substitute, but I think I will at least look for them first.  

Here's another I am going to try - probably tomorrow.  I'll post a picture.  I love how the pineapple is just shaking in anticipation.

This one is apparently a collaborative effort.  I'm not sure who wrote the "Very Good".  Might have been the artist or the perhaps the compiler.  Her beautiful flowing penmanship appears in several places throughout the book with notes and comments on recipes.  Also interesting is that one of the authors is Mrs. Ruth Woody.  More often in cook books of this era the names would be written "Mrs. Husband's first and last name.  By the mid 70s that was no longer the norm with women using their own first name after Mrs.  By the 80s it seems more common for women to just write their name without the Miss or Mrs. salutation.

The potato is not so thrilled with being in a small portion of potato salad - but make enough for 25 and he's all into it!

this chicken is also pretty happy to get in that wine bath

The fact that this book is from a totally different era is highlighted by some of the drawings.  Racists drawings that were totally acceptable in the day and nobody would have batted an eye.   These are not things you would ever see in modern cookbooks and that's not such a bad thing.  As publicly accepted  racism starts to fade we can hope that the private but unspoken racism follows.

I'm just including this coffee grinder because I have one like it. The coffee was by a waffle recipe and not an ingredient in anything on the page.  I like to think that Eva just liked coffee.

Today is International Pancake Day so I was happy to stumble across this recipe for Liberal Pancakes.

Liberal, KS is home to the pancake race and the people in this illustration are indeed running with pancakes.  They still hold the race and people still run with pancakes.  

Check out http://www.pancakeday.net/  

I've driven through Liberal, KS on International Pancake Day while on Pancake Ave.  :-)  Of course I was on my way to CA and warmer temps so I didn't stop -but it was tempting.

I want to make this one just because of the cow.  

The chicken seems shocked at having to provide 2 eggs.  

And it seems that this spread is a huge hit.  Got a standing ovation on a chair!

Don't drink?  There are glamorous special drinks just for you.

The last section isn't just food.  There are a few craft ideas and some cleaning recipes.  

There is even a helpful note that you will pay $4 for Orange Pomanders at the gift shop.  That was a pretty price item in 1965 $$

I was familiar with the paste, though to be honest I have not thought about it in years.  

I have no idea what the thing next to NO FIRE! is.  A pig in a hat on fire?  I can't tell.

So that's book 1.  I'll post pictures of anything I make from it.  It was a blast to go through and had the most personality of any of the cookbooks I acquired yesterday.  

Frosty Vitamin C

A quick yummy treat

In a blender combine

1 nectarine

3 clementines/mandarins

1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water

1 cup ice

1 1/2 cup water

Blend until the ice is crushed and you have a nice frosty drink.  Add more ice if needed.

Orange blossom water is available at mediteranian stores.  You can order it online but it's much more expensive that way.  I saw it for 4oz/$10 online and I paid 4oz/$3 at the store.  

This treat is low on calories and high on vitamin A and especially high on vitamin C  A little iron, calcium and fiber too.

My year in Coffee - Elida Estate Natural Process from PT's Coffee Roasting

Didn't post this when I first go it.  It's been crazy around here.  Went to PT's with the youngest daughter and oldest son.  I have a lot of kids, these were numbers 2 & 4.

The youngest got a smoothie since she's not one for strong coffee and the rest of us got flat whites.  I like those quite a bit.  

We also got a very nice chocolate bar from Christopher Elbow to split. It had Ethiopian coffee.  The girl is allergic to chocolate so she missed out, but she had a pretty tasty smooth to sooth her.  :-)

The next day I brewed up some of the beans for my breakfast.

Kind of sweet and chocolaty and it went very well with my fruit and oatmeal.  I'm going to try it as a SO espresso this afternoon.  It seems likes one that would be great for that.

I love PT's and can say it's one of my favorite coffee houses in the city.  

Citrus Kitchen Scrub

Another use for those orange peels I refuse to throw away.

Cleaning Scrub - for the kitchen and bathroom - NOT your skin

a couple of handfuls of dried citrus peels.

These are a mix of orange, blood orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit

1 cup borax

In a food processor grind the peels.  I did it about 1/4 at a time.  when they are a good even consistency and don't seem to be getting any smaller it's time to add the borax.  Grind some more.  The peels tend to grind a bit finer after the borax is added.

Then just store it in a jar or bag.  To use sprinkle some on the surface or on a sponge and scrub away.  Rinse off or wipe down with a damp towel afterward to remove residue.    I love the way it makes the kitchen smell when I use it.  When I'm doing the sink I usually leave the strainer in so that I can catch large chunks before they go down the drain.  Sometimes I forget and it never seems to harm anything but better safe than sorry.  

My year in Coffee - Valentine's Day

We went to Second Best Coffee for a Valentine's Day cappuccino.  I picked up some beans there as well.

http://www.secondbestcoffee.com/

It was crowded, so we didn't stay and got it to go.  I also picked up some Rwanda Kivu Kibuye beans.  As always I asked the barista for a recommendation and as it normally does, it paid off.  

Having a heart in my cup was a nice touch for Valentine's Day.

The young man behind the counter was very nice and friendly.  I can see why the shop was so busy, it's a nice place to be.  It's also not far from my daughter's house.  I'll have to get her to go there with us sometime.  

The beans were very good.  The first time I brewed it I was fighting a cold so I didn't really get the full aroma.  My husband said it smelled kind of like a box of coco puffs that had just been opened.  Eventually I had a cup that I could fully experience.  Dan wasn't far off.  I got some cocoa and sweetness with kind of a honeyish taste.  Maybe a bit of a dark spice taste.  It was very nice and I'm really enjoying it.  Not looking forward to when this bag is gone.  Of course then it will be on to the next bag of coffee.  :-)

My year in coffee - Feb 5 Onyx Coffee Labs - Yirg Kochore

Got another bag of beans in from Onyx Coffee Labs out of Springdale, AR.  I first found them when I was looking for a coffee roaster in Arkansas.  I'm from the southern part of the state and I met my husband at the University.  We had our first kid there in Fayetteville and my best friend still lives in Rogers plus a lot of my family lives in or around Hot Springs.  Arkansas is home and I thought it would be nice to get some coffee roasted there.  

So glad I did.  I am in love with the roasters at Onyx.  They do such a good job of getting the best out of the beans.  Coffee roasting is an art and two roasters with the same machines, same beans and same atmospheric conditions will end up with two different roasts.  It's a matter of knowing and that's why some coffees are a treat and some are just a drink.

This one is a treat.  Rich and decadent like fruit covered in dark chocolate.  When I opened the bag I got the aroma of blueberry and fruity sweetness.  This held true through the grinding.  Brewing it I could taste the sweetness - not as sweet as the last one I got from Onyx, but then this is a different bean.  I loved the strong dark chocolate finish.  It reminded me of the cocoa nibs I nibble on sometimes or the way baker's chocolate smells when you are grinding it up for a recipe.  This coffee would go great with a rich cheesecake at desert.  I'm going to try it as a SO espresso later today.  I think it would pair great with some heavy cream for a nice afternoon treat.

And as always the bag is a treat.  I love the details they put into things.  Coffee can be utilitarian or an experience.  Onyx seems to understand that it's better to treat it like an experience.  

It's been awhile since I've done a puzzle, so I made one for today.  Just click on the image or title below to give it a shot!  

110 Onyx Coffee