Coffee Aficionado

The Genuine Italian Astoria Dual Espresso Machine

"In this economy”(*ha ha ha he he he-I love saying that)…it makes sense if you can…to own and operate an espresso machine.

You can cut back on going to Starbuck’s (or like Dave Ramsey’s friend calls it, “fivebucks”) for the specialty coffee drinks by educating yourself on how to make them yourself or maybe you have worked for a short time at Starbuck’s (...and who hasn’t? There is one on every corner).

I recommend, like money manager genius-extraordinaire Dave Ramsey suggests, paying cash for an espresso machine. Go to Starbuck’s or Williams-Sonoma (a fine coffee store that sells machines for use at home) and ask them to demonstrate making an espresso, latte or cappuccino on their machines and pick one out that you like, or if you are feeling more adventuresome sign up for a coffee class.

Allegro http://www.allegrocoffee.com/has coffee classes that teach you the history of coffee as well as brewing an espresso and other specialty coffee drinks. Me thinks Starbuck’s offers these classes as well – check community center calendars around your city.

Across the board with the espresso machines I have tried and I am talking a home espresso brewing machine vs. commercial machine I have found they brew an exceptional shot or shots of espresso. More importantly I like the cup of coffee they brew.

About 6 months after we purchased our first espresso machine I thought I would get a measuring cup and see how much coffee our new espresso machine was making when I pressed the button for one cup of coffee. It was ½ cup. I thought, no way.


I had for so long been drinking diner swill and this espresso machine was brewing this perfect cup of coffee and I was finding that I was totally satisfied with this one ½ cup of delicious coffee. These espresso machines rock, totally. Having said that the beauty of the espresso machines and the delicious cup of coffee they kick out is that you save lots of money.

In the past I would brew a pot of coffee in our BUNN coffee maker which I really like, you know the BUNN coffee makers with the water reservoir that have hot water on demand and make coffee fast and delicious.

I prefer the BUNN coffee maker that has the stainless steel thermal carafe pictured here to the right so coffee doesn’t sit on burner plate burning and getting thick like tar by 4 pm.

When I brew a carafe of BUNN coffee I immediately pour it into a Peacock Airpot. I do not leave it on the BUNN burner plate as it continues cooking the coffee and burning it eventually.

The problem is I feel compelled to drink the entire pot and about 7:15 am I am hovering the area from caffeine overload. You know you’ve had too much caffeine when you sneeze with your eyes open and your life’s goal is to amount to a hill o’ beans.

In many ways as a result of buying a home espresso machine you drink less coffee because it is better coffee and more satisfying.

Here are a few espresso machines I am familiar with for use in the home.…



Starbuck’s Barista Stainless Steel Espresso Machine1.800.334.5553 Seattle, Washington
The cost was $300 bucks thereabout when I purchased it a few years back.

This particular machine I take with me/us on vacation. I use this machine exclusively for steaming and frothing milk for latte's and cappuccinos and pull shots of espresso from the Digital Barista or Jura Capresso. The only time I pull espresso shots from this machine is when I am on vacation. It works with Starbuck's Rapporto filter and you tamp the espresso ground coffee etc. as is explained in the video much like what you see in the coffee shops with Astoria, FA Express or
La Marzocco Commercial Espresso Machines.
http://www.expotv.com/videos/reviews/13/139/StarbucksBaristaHomeEspressoMachine-Bla/256820ine-Bla/256820

Starbuck’s Saeco Digital Espresso Machine
http://www.fixya.com/support/p403920-starbucks_saeco_italia_digital_barista
For my home use I steam milk using the Starbuck’s Barista $300 machine because it steams and froths milk exceptionally well. It is a work horse.

I pull espresso shots from either the $3,000 Jura Capresso purchased from Williams-Sonoma or the $1,500 Starbuck’s Saeco Digital Espresso Machine.

The steaming and frothing capabilities of the $3,000 Jura Capresso and the $1,500 Starbuck’s Saeco Digital Espresso Machine are not as good as the $300 Starbuck’s Barista Stainless Steel Espresso Machine. The Jura Capresso takes a long time to steam or froth milk and is LOUD.

Most espresso machines are louder than a coffee maker and you will want to take that into consideration when purchasing a machine. They systematically grind coffee beans and the frothing as well as steaming capabilities of the machine will be a change from your regular Mr. Coffee or BUNN coffee maker. You and the family will acclimate but initially it is noisier than what you are accustomed too. It will be much like the sounds you hear in your favorite specialty coffee shop.

The $1,500 Starbuck’s Saeco Digital Espresso Machine, the one pictured in this link and the one pictured above, one and the same http://www.fixya.com/support/p403920-starbucks_saeco_italia_digital_barista is the one I purchased a few years back and Saeco could very well have improved upon the steam wand since then.

Other than the steam wand I really like this machine and its performance with complete digital instructions for cleaning and reminders/prompts to add water, beans and when to decalcify.
It is an attractive machine in design and pivets. I liked the shots of espresso in aroma, flavor, color and temperature and the same of making a delicious cup of coffee, fast. You know you’ve had too much caffeine when instant coffee takes too long.

What I like about the $1,500 Starbuck’s Saeco Digital Espresso Machine and the $3,000 Williams-Sonoma Swiss Made Jura Capresso Impressa S9 AvantGarde is the excellent CUP of coffee they both make as well as they both make an exceptional espresso shot, with a dark reddish-brown foam, called crema or schiuma.

Your guests will be thrilled when you serve them a cup of coffee from either of these machines. Based on your choice of premium coffee beans either espresso machine serves up a delicious cup of coffee, five star with your favorite breakfast pastry or evening dessert.

Just a little side note here…always serve half n half with coffee. The only time you want non-dairy creamer is if you have been shot down in Iraq and are on army rations in Baghdad.
Half n Half/Soup Nazi...



It is almost inexcusable to serve five star coffees with a non-dairy creamer or even those flavored liquid creamer products.

My brother calls them individual foil top peel away plastic thing a muh jig “moo moo” thangs you get in the decorative hard plastic or ceramic pudding bowl(s) that aren’t even chilled at Church, IHOP, Denny’s or Village Inn...he calls em paint thinner-it’s like Velveeta cheese…something ain’t right with non-dairy creamer and Velveeta cheese. It’s one of those things you find in the back of a pick-up truck like 5 years past its expiration date and it looks the same as the day you bought it.

Not serving cold fresh Half n Half with fresh brewed coffee...I think it’s one of the seven deadly sins. Cold Fresh Half n Half is an absolute must, mandatory when serving delicious coffee from a fine home espresso machine purchased from Williams-Sonoma or Starbuck’s, please.

I’m not suggesting you scream in horror, and shoot somebody in the face with a bazooka if they serve coffee with non-dairy creamer – I’m just saying don’t you do it.

If you attend some event and they serve non-dairy creamer heavens to bottom betsy go just leave an anonymous note somewhere and for the love of pete tell them it’s just plain WRONG and if they ever want to see your face again unclench their butt cheeks and pony up the dough for fresh Half n Half like a good Lutheran church basement potluck woman would do.

Williams-Sonoma and the $3,000 Swiss Made Jura Capresso Impressa S9 AvantGarde.

The Digital machine from Starbucks or Williams-Sonoma have push button features for making one shot of espresso or two, one cup of coffee or two.

Quoting my husband, “with enough patience and an adequate supply of bananas a monkey can operate the machine.”

I prefer double shots of espresso for my morning cappuccino and for my husband’s latté.

I typically push the one cup feature for coffee for me and my husband likes the two cup feature for him.

You can set the machine for the strength of coffee or espresso brewed. The machines have training manuals of course and CD’s that go over the operating system and cleaning which I highly recommend watching and reading.

For the Jura Capresso I have sent it in for repairs once after the warranty ran out and the cost of repair was around $200, worth every penny. They got the machine back to us in record time.

My sister is of the thought purchasing an espresso machine from Williams-Sonoma you might do better if you need to return it for any reason. She thinks Williams-Sonoma has a better return policy than Starbuck’s.

Starbuck’s Stainless Steel French Press or Cowboy Coffee
Preheat French Press (and plunger) with hot water from tap,
have hot boiling water ready from tea kettle. Pour water that you are preheating Stainless Steel French Press with, out. With Starbuck's Coffee Scoop (2 Tablespoons per scoop) add 4 or 5 lightly rounded scoops of coffee grounds in French Press and pour about 3/4 of the way full with boiling hot water...with long spoon stir coffee grounds and hot water...top off with more boiling water and put plunger top on but don't plunge yet. Set timer for 4 minutes. After coffee grounds and boiling hot water have steeped 4 minutes, plunge plunger and your good to go, serve with cold fresh half n half and sugar if you like. The stainless steel carafe will keep coffee piping hot for more than 30 minutes.

It's a good idea when making French Press Coffee that you use a more coarse grind of coffee...
I enjoy Allegro's http://www.allegrocoffee.com/main/do/The_Pacific Papua New Guinea, *****Sumatra, http://www.allegrocoffee.com/main/do/Allegro_Blends *****Mocha Java, Red Sea Blend, *****Vail blend, *****Italian Roast,
and if you like the bright citrus coffee experience try http://www.allegrocoffee.com/main/do/Africa_and_Arabia Ethiopian Yirgachaffe or Kenya Grand Cru.

This is an especially sweet way to serve coffee whilst on vacation...the relatives will line up at your cabin, campfire, motel/hotel room door asking, "coffee please?"

The Genuine Italian Astoria Dual Espresso Machine
http://www.hammacher.com/publish/10911.asp

1. Aesthetically pleasing to the eye. If I had a big house like Denver Mile High former Bronco’s Coach Mike Shanahan (the best coach "EVER" alongside the likes of Dan Reeves) I’d have this in my house for entertaining and hire a barista for the event.

Eric Israel with Abstract Coffee Catering had this machine (The Astoria as well as an FA Express machine) and served/catered specialty coffee at our daughters wedding. It was FABULOUS!!! God's people loved, loved, loved it. That was a blessed event. My family bought Abstract Coffee Catering and we went on to serve Coffee Events all over Colorado and today our little brother has Cool Beans Coffee in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado with drive thru {yah baby} featuring Allegro Coffee...Bel Canto Espresso using Franke Espresso Machine.


La Marzocco Commercial Espresso Machine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso
It is “Espresso” not "EX"presso-saying "ex"presso or X-press-oh for espresso is a major faux pas. I think it might even mean the same thing as in fast or something like that but (and everybody has a big "but") believe me it’s funny (cutsie tootsie) the first 300,000 times I heard it mispronounced as well as mispronouncing it myself and then coffee aficionados just get pissed.
More models of Saeco Espresso Machines
http://www.repairshack.com/saeco.aspx
Herman Melville's Moby Dick and "STARBUCK"
What's in a name?




Mr. Starbuck are you opposing me? If so I'll have you know as there is one GOD that is LORD over the earth...and one Captain over the Pequod...



Think about this the next time you forget to pick up coffee or think about not having a Starbuck's...it's not for the faint of heart...you know you've had too much caffeine when you don't sweat you percolate and your only source of nutrition comes from sweet n low...No coffee...blasphemy!!!




Cap'n AHAB says, "I do not sleep, I die."

and he says
"Starbuck...come about sir...
Why are you wearing that long face?
Are you not game?
Moneys not the measure man...
I'd strike the sun if it insulted me..."

This movie is great and the brainchild behind the name of Starbuck's.
Gregory Peck has a commanding performance as Cap'n Ahab.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick

Starbuck
Starbuck, the young first mate of the Pequod, is a thoughtful and intellectual Quaker from Nantucket.
Uncommonly conscientious for a seaman, and endued with a deep natural reverence, the wild watery loneliness of his life did therefore strongly incline him to superstition; but to that sort of superstition, which in some organization seems rather to spring, somehow, from intelligence than from ignorance... [H]is far-away domestic memories of his young Cape wife and child, tend[ed] to bend him ... from the original ruggedness of his nature, and open him still further to those latent influences which, in some honest-hearted men, restrain the gush of dare-devil daring, so often evinced by others in the more perilous vicissitudes of the fishery.


"I will have no man in my boat," said Starbuck, "who is not afraid of a whale." By this, he seemed to mean, not only that the most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.— Moby-Dick, Ch. 26

Little is said about Starbuck's early life, except that he is married with a son. Unlike Ahab's wife, who remains nameless, Starbuck gives his wife's name as Mary. Such is his desire to return to them, that when nearly reaching the last leg of their quest for Moby Dick, he considers arresting or even killing Ahab with a loaded musket, one of several which is kept by Ahab (in a previous chapter Ahab threatens Starbuck with one when Starbuck disobeys him, despite Starbuck's being in the right) and turning the ship back, straight for home.

Starbuck is alone among the crew in objecting to Ahab's quest, declaring it madness to want revenge on an animal, which lacks reason. Starbuck advocates continuing the more mundane pursuit of whales for their oil. But he lacks the support of the crew in his opposition to Ahab, and is unable to persuade them to turn back. Despite his misgivings, he feels himself bound by his obligations to obey the captain.

Starbuck was an important Quaker family name on Nantucket Island, and there were several actual whalemen of this period named "Starbuck," as evidenced by the name of Starbuck Island in the South Pacific whaling grounds.

The multinational coffee chain Starbucks was named after Starbuck, not for any affinity for coffee but after the name Pequod was rejected by one of the co-founders.

R.C.Sproul recommends reading Moby Dick boasting its richness in Christian symbolism. I totally agree. Keep your dictionary handy because Herman Melville has superfluous command of the English language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._C._Sproul

It’s hard to say with any degree of accuracy why I experience such great joy drinking the beverage we have all come to appreciate, COFFEE but me thinks I’ll set about articulating the thought comprehensively best I can.

Growing up in the mining community of Victor, Colorado at 10.000 plus feet above sea level may have had a great impact because of the cold, cold weather and a steaming hot cup of coffee seems the perfect solution taking the edge off the bitter cold winter mornings and even the chilly summer mornings.

My sister Sherri and I broke out in Gregorian Chant singing praises when Starbucks opened a coffee shop some ten years ago in Cripple Creek which is 6 miles west of Victor.

I remember tearing up and weeping because if anywhere on God’s green earth a good coffee shop has reason to exist it is in thriving metropolis of Victor and Cripple Creek, Colorado and for that matter...any mountain community over 8,500 feet in elevation benefits greatly from a serious coffee shop presence.

Victor is nestled on the WEST side of Pikes Peak about a 1 hour and 15 minute drive West and South from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our family is fourth generation from Victor, Colorado with children and grandchildren living in the state of Colorado and now that being 6 generations of family in this marvelous state, “Colorful Colorado.”

Let’s see I remember my Dad enjoying his morning cup of coffee. He had this thick gray mug that held maybe ¾ of a cup of coffee. With what I have learned about coffee today I understand Dad’s appreciation for this particular coffee cup or mug.

The thickness of the cup kept the cup of coffee hot on the cold winter mornings in Victor, Colorado. Allegro has a coffee mug the style of my Dad’s except it is a crème color with Allegro words written across the front. It is perfect for a single small breakfast cappuccino. It is a favorite of mine.

Christian Norwegian hospitality was exemplified by my dear Grandma Selma as she would brew fresh coffee and serve it lovingly with a morsel which included but was not limited to fresh baked breads, pies, cookies, breakfast pastries and many a Norwegian traditional home baked goods for relatives, family and friends visiting her home throughout her life.

That same gift was passed on to her four lovely daughters. She had a lovely Victorian home in Custer, SD. Family reunions were hosted at Grandma Selma and Grandpa Paul’s home growing up and Grandma would brew fresh coffee in the morning or our Uncle Bud.
He was the “meal supervising coordinating” Uncle and he and Aunt Margit
would work together preparing breakfast for families attending which included fresh coffee.

This particular coffee mug is the exact mug my Grandma Selma ("my gal Sal" is how her name read flagged on her favorite recipes in my Mom's family cook book) served coffee in for me and my Grandpa Paul.
His cup or mug was grey.

Grandma and Grandpa’s house had these grand bedrooms on the 2nd floor that housed boarders many years ago during “struggling economic hard times.” At break of dawn with the sweetness of the early morning songbirds and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee would waft its way up the stairs and through those old fashioned heating iron grids on the floor...it was intoxicating, dreamy.

Grandma Selma would brew fresh coffee for breakfast, forenoon coffee, afternoon coffee and coffee with dessert at dinner. My loving Grandma Selma, my dear beloved Mother Evelyn and her sisters were especially sweet about birthdays which included birthday cake and coffee.

I have fond memories of Mother and her sisters preparing picnics or these afternoon drives in the Black Hills of South Dakota or in the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They would pull off at a lovely spot and set out a blanket…bring out a feast of a picnic basket and then dessert (sometimes birthday cake) with coffee in a thermos.


Many times this was in celebration of a family member’s birthday. It was special and coffee was always a big part of that momentous occasion filled with stories, laughter and the outdoor beauty of nature and creation.

Mom would pack a lunch for us with coffee of course when we were young making the journey from Colorado to South Dakota for family reunions and we would stop along the way at our favorite rest stops, refresh ourselves and she would bring coffee.

It tasted so good and was a big part of our anticipation of seeing family on our adventurous road travels.

Coffee fellowship with church was a given growing up. We would listen to the worship and message whilst coffee would be brewing in the church kitchen filling the sanctuary many times with its pleasing aroma.

Coffee after church was a wonderful memory of Christian hospitality that weaved its way through my Mother’s entire family. It was a time of stimulating conversation and getting caught up on the unfolding of events in family and friends lives so near and dear to us.

Mother had this word…she called it shin-prookuh-vahtten (I’m not sure there is even a correct spelling for it-it could be Norwegian) and it meant water poured out of a boot and that is what mother labeled sucky weak and warm coffee. Mother, she didn’t fancy it. “That just don’t go around here in these parts & we don’t like your kind” was the general response for bad coffee etiquette, a Norwegian American complete faux pas of sorts.

Mrs. Olson, my Mom, her Mother and Mother’s sisters were particular about their coffee and serving a delicious cup of coffee, my Dad too. My sisters Sherri, Susan and I…we are like that as well. We’re all about preparing and enjoying premium coffee and we have a deep appreciation and respect for the lengths one goes to at times accomplishing that goal.

And then of course there is the overall persecution for wanting a “good” cup of coffee.

An example…I traveled to Disney World. It wasn’t pretty, the coffee situation. My husband and I are hitting coffee kiosk after coffee kiosk and they were all the same. CRAP-SWILL.

I believe it was Nescafe instant. And when I say Nescafe Instant I mean using Nescafe Instant to make a cappuccino and or latte of which there was no difference between the two when you received your order.

What kind of a Mickey Mouse operation is this? A dry or wet cappuccino and latte, hold the foam were all the same…basically instant coffee stirred in warm powdered milk or Yak/goats milk costing $6.75 for 8 ounces.

We endured something like ten days of that. I was praying for the sweet release death would bring at day 1.5.I did get one French Press of pretty good coffee at an on site Disney World hotel in one of the more pricey restaurants...It seemed strong but that could have been because of the weak crap I had been drinking for so long.


I got that (French Press) pot of coffee with dinner so I slept with my eyes open because apparently it was coffee and I sucked the entire thing down in a “desperado” state of mind.Ok, so about three years later or less we make the journey again to, yes, Disney World. This time I take my espresso machine to a packaging store and have them pack it up for me. I don’t tell the family because I don’t want to hear from them what a big huge pain in the pahtoot this is going to be taking the espresso machine.

I just show up at the airport with it. I’m getting the skunk eye but I don’t care. I am not going through the nightmare of being deserted like the Professor and Maryanne on Gilligan’s Isle…the espresso machine goes with me or somebody’s gonna get hurt including airport security.
No problem!!!
So guess who is singing my praises when early morning comes and I am kicking out one specialty coffee drink after another? Yah baby…I can’t even get showered because of the “barista on demand coffee vacation breakfast hour.” Oh it was sweet.

No more complaints these days when I pack up the Espresso Machine or French Press for our extended travels. It worked like a charm.
Growing up you could be excommunicated from the family if you didn’t “put on” (that’s Norwegian for “brewing”) a fresh pot of coffee when someone stopped by (relative or friend), you might even get your tires slashed-for sure…NO Christmas letter.

Over the years, through visiting many coffee specialty shops and taking the Allegro Coffee classes about the history of coffee and brewing an espresso classes, I have come to appreciate delicious coffee more and more.

I can’t bring myself to drink diner coffee (swill) anymore or church coffee made in the vats/urns, if you will, that has that tinny aluminum taste and then burned like it’s been cooking for hours (or been on the burner since the Last Supper), or coffee from 7-Eleven that’s so hot that it would burn the tiles off the space shuttle.

No can do.

If the coffee grounds smell like dirt that’s not a good sign. You might want to rethink that purchase.

So maybe “in this economy” when you’re hard pressed to take that Blue Train European or African/South African Safari Vacation you can buy an espresso machine instead and polish up your barista skills or do like I did help my little brother open his Cool Beans Coffee in Buena Vista, Colorado with drive thru or both. You’ll be glad you did.

Preparing and drinking delicious properly prepared coffee and having a cup with a tiny morsel is one of life's sweet pleasures. It was for me especially when it was enjoyed in the pleasant company of my beloved and precious Mother.

Really are there any sweeter words than, "hey can you meet for a cup of coffee" or "come on over, I'll tho on a pot of coffee and lets visit and get caught up on what's been goin on in your life." That's what my Mom was all about with gracious Christian hospitality and good conversation around a freshley brewed cup of coffee.

I close my eyes and see Mother's beautiful smile, her soft blue eyes...taking a deep cleansing breath and sitting down at the table for a cup of coffee and a morsel. She loved it and it was joy to spend time with her over coffee.
Mom was sweet about working hard and then taking a break from a project, having a cup of coffee and a simple sandwich, some fruit and chips -refreshing ourselves and going over the unfolding of the days events, our project at hand and then getting back to the task at hand.
She was mindful of taking a break between the sacred mundane chores of doing dishes, laundry, meal planning and house cleaning.

Why Allegro Coffee?...They don't spray their coffee with perfume and I like coffee flavored coffee.

Earlier I mentioned going to Williams-Sonoma or Starbuck's and having them demonstrate how to use an espresso machine (brewing an espresso) or better yet sign up for a class with Allegro or Starbuck's. I have done all three.

The pristine white BAR MOP for cleaning espresso machine Steam/Frothing Wand.

And the story goes like this…I stop in at Starbuck’s and see the DeLonghi Espresso Machine and I am very much interested in this machine being demo’d because I saw it at Williams-Sonoma as well and they seem to be very popular.

So I ask the young sales clerk and he promptly runs to the machine to show me all the bells and whistles. He is enthusiastic, I’ll give em that.

I did not buy the machine but will tell you that they have come a long way with the steam and frothing wand. It performed much better in the demo than either the $1,300 Starbuck’s Digital Barista or the Williams-Sonoma Jura Capresso Impressa S9 Swiss Made AvantGarde.

The DeLonghi espresso machine steam/froth wand performed like the Franke Commercial Machine which is “SUPER fast” and produces excellent frothed and steam milk with an auto shut off when proper temperature is reached.

My little brother uses the Franke (pronounced like HONKEY except with FR) Digital Espresso Commercial machine in his coffee shop and it is SWEET. Whole Foods in Cherry Creek (the uppity part of Denver kinda like saying “casserole” instead of “hot dish” at a church supper-uppity like the Episcopalians if you know what I mean, winkie-winkie) uses a Franke.

It’s especially nice for these young whipper snappers…in that they can’t screw it up.

Back to the DeLonghi espresso machine demo…let me preface this by sharing with you another cute story about my niece. She was little in age and size. At the top of the stairs she stops at the hallway…looking down the hallway and looks up at my sister with her big eyes, holding my sisters hand and says to her, “Mommy, this is the part I don’t like.” The long dark hallway. It was so sweet because she was so tiny and so little and the long dark hallway was all too spooky for the little tyke.

Soooooooooooooooooo, this is the part I don’t like. This young man is sailing along in the demo and knocks some milk over on the table, floor, chair etc. and he runs like his heads on fire behind the counter to the work station and brings out what appeared to be a bar mop from the mechanics shop off Andy Griffith, yah Goobers…{the Goob} and picks up with the demo at wiping the steam wand.



I did not scream bloody murder out loud but I did in my head. Bells, red flags and alarms were going off like the shower scene is Psycho. What in the sam hill…?

Allegro is all about cleanliness and purging the steam wand. I’m not talking purging like you’re anorexic and trying to get down to your birth weight.

I am talking about purging the steam wand after every use of steaming milk. And when doing so use a white bar mop or dish cloth that is used for nothing else.

It starts out white and about after the 4th wipe down of the steam wand you retire it to the next level which would be wiping counter tops and never and when I say never, NEVER does that bar mop hit the floor.

The steam wand white bar mop or dish cloth is to be used exclusively for the steam wand with no dish soap residual in it. Hot (not scalding) clear water only from the tap.

The demo was from the steam wand to the counter top and I was eyeballin him like that army drill sergeant guy in Officer and a Gentleman (don’t you eyeball me boy) thinking if he goes to the floor with that bar mop my head is going to spin like the girl (Linda Blair?) in the movie the Exorcist even though I’ve never seen the movie it sounds awful.

This is a code red warning: Danger, danger, beep-beep back it up…if you (man or woman) think using a cloth to clean the bathroom or the floor or the walls and a cloth to clean the steam wand are one and the same and look questioningly saying, “Dude, like totally, what’s the big deal?” Don’t serve espresso or coffee, sac up and walk away.

Just walk away from the food industry, you will be a happier individual.

He didn’t go to the floor but the bar mop looked like he did just before I arrived at the coffee shop and asked him to demo the machine.

He was a nice young man but its an image burned in my minds eye and I encourage business level barista’s as well as home maker barista’s to be mindful of using a clean white bar mop or kitchen dish cloth, no soap when purging steam wand and wiping milk off the steam wand.

It’s important to purge the steam wand for the life of your machine. Purging the steam wand after steaming or frothing a pitcher of milk until such time clear water streams out is important for the function and life of the steam wand that it doesn’t get clogged up with milk.

It’s like the sour dish cloth and the smell that violates the nasal passages 1/2 hour before you reach the kitchen sink that lingers on your hands like tree sap after you have wrung out a sour dish cloth, something liken unto cleaning a fish or seeing "The Sponge" on the kitchen sink counter where you waste no time calling Denver toxic waste in hazmat suits to decontaminate the thing or summons Captain James T. Kirrrrrrrrrrrrrrk from the Enterprise to delegate the Deep Space Nine crew to take “the sour dish cloth/sponge” with surgical tongs and drop it off in some Universal Black Whole for the Klingons to deal with.


The steam wand is hot. It’s a good idea to use the bar mop to manipulate the steam wand as needed or a clean stainless steel spoon.

Using a bar mop like a hot pan mat works well when manipulating the steam wand in and out of a frothing/steam pitcher to save your fingers.

If you are in espresso machine sales go to Costco or Williams-Sonoma and buy white bar mops or I use the white small kitchen dish cloths from Williams-Sonoma.

They are made in either India or Russia and they are perfect for care of the steam wand. The bar mops from Costco work well. They are larger.

The Costco cloths…it’s a good idea for them to have a solid color stripe like one stripe so you can differentiate the bar mop for the steam wand and those cloths for other uses in the coffee shop. Flag them somehow so they are not mixed up with the “cleaning rag.” Let me wrap up this BAR MOP section by saying I have been to a lot of Starbuck’s and consistently they are clean and this was an “isolated” incident and I write it off to a young man enthusiastically doing his job and it hasn’t slowed me down one bit in my frequenting the fine Starbuck’s place of business across this country and the world…just a helpful story to make the point about basic cleaning guidelines.

I don’t mind a primitive coffee shop setting with dirt floors in coffee of origins countries…grand and remote places around the world or take for instance the Rocky Mountain National Park with a generator providing electricity for an espresso machine whilst camping in the great outdoors with Uncle Buck. I am a creationist and understand and appreciate environmental issues of stewardship regarding the planet and the world on a grand scale.

I just prefer some elementary connection with the civilized world to the degree of being mindful of the operating system including purging and wiping down of the steam wand for steaming and frothing milk with a clean pristine white dish cloth for myself but more importantly for my guest whom I am serving specialty coffee products or presentation selling an espresso machine.

COFFEE in the WORK PLACE
Powdered creamer vs. fresh cold half n half & styrofoam vs. triple insulated Insulair paper cups.
At minute…5:49-6:18 it’s a short clip in the video.

Crap Swill Coffee in a stryofoam (commonly referred to by recyclers as “ghostpoop”) cup in the work place for unhappy employee Joe Banks with his boss Mr. Waturi on the phone.

Coffee in the work place like this is wrong on so many levels.

A ringing specialty coffee endorsement...
The Cliff House at Pikes Peak Bed and Breakfast Restaurant in Manitou Springs, CO at the foot of the majestic Rocky Mountain fourteener Pikes Peak just West of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Color me dazzled. They serve your cappuccino in a clear parfait style mug so you see the beautiful layers of espresso steamed milk and frothed milk served with a crystallized sugar swizzle stick on a saucer with crisp white doily and a delicious piece of biscotti ***** five star, decadent. The temperature of the cappuccino is PERFECT!!!

http://www.thecliffhouse.com/
http://www.railtravelcenter.com/Colorado_2009.htm

After breakfast at the Cliff House take the cog railroad to the top of Pikes Peak for coffee and their funny doughnuts made on top o' the 14'r.

The donuts remind me of the old Beetle Bailey cartoon. They are tiny, dense and yummy. I'd bring my own brewed coffee in a thermos. Some Mocha Java from Allegro made back at your hotel room at the Cliff House using your travel French Press or hotel coffee made available in your room.

Dress appropriately...it can be 80 F or 27 C in Manitou Springs and 30 F or 1 C on the Peak. Drink lots of water to avoid high altitude sickness. The Pikes Peak Cog Railroad is the best way to see the PEAK.

Warming the cup…
This pertains to folks living in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado and any mountain town in this state.

It is a good idea to warm a ceramic cup prior to pouring your espresso shots in it or steamed milk for your hot drinks, latte’s, cappuccino’s, and coffee.

Unless you have them on top of your espresso machine and it is warmed up. Colorado because of the high altitude is cold. Ceramics are cold and it will cool your drink down unless you pre-heat it.

I purchased the Capresso Tea Pot (glass carafe-there is a stainless steel one as well) from Peet’s Coffee in Cherry Creek. This electric tea pot heats and boils water FAST.

Even in the summer in the morning I will warm a coffee mug with hot water when making my morning cappuccino or morning latte for my husband.

And especially in the winter, it’s mandatory. The drink will stay hotter, longer this way.

Also when making a mocha latte or mocha cappuccino the thick syrup will cool the steamed milk and espresso shots down so be sure and warm the mug ahead of time if you are serving the specialty drink in a ceramic mug that includes syrup flavorings.

I served as Administrative Assistant Extraordinaire for the WELS Evangelical Lutheran Church with a very dedicated, hardworking and kind Pastor, Mark Birkholz, and they had this cute Gary Larson Far Side cartoon on the church coffee maker where everyone gathered Sunday morning for coffee and donut fellowship between Sunday School and the worship service.

It was these two guys with flames licking all around them standing at the coffee machine with devil like costumes on (horns and tails) and the caption reads “Coffee in hell” the one guy says to the other, “the coffees cold, they’ve thought of everything.” LMBO.

The poster in my office was of this huge gargantuan ornate coffee urn and read
“Free Coffee, Everlasting Life, Membership has its privileges.”
You know you're Lutheran when
1. Folger's has you on their Christmas list.
2. The church is on fire, and you rush in to save the coffee pot.
3. The Communion Cabinet is open but the coffee is locked up tight.
4. The official church budget contains line item for donuts...just like coffee.

Coffee Aficionado

7-7-09 Tuesday

This mornings coffee blend is from Seattle’s Best Coffee Smooth-Roasted since 1970 “Henry’s Blend” boasting “Balanced, nutty aroma with rich complex flavor.”

and next an iced latte with one espresso shot of Caribou Decaf Blend, boasting “Our signature blend begins with a delightful heaviness on your palate and finishes with a relaxing balance of savory bittersweet chocolate earthy and fruity flavors.”

With a Roast Degree Indicator in the very middle, not light, not dark with one toyknee
(that’s tiny with a Irish or Scottish brrrrrrrogue) maple sugar cube from Syracuse NY that my daughter brought back as a gift for me from her most recent vacation there with her dear friends.

And more specifically on the maple sugar cube…
G & L Rohrmoser
20 Hadley Rd.
Sandy Creek, NY 13145

Yummy! Lightly sweet. Refreshing

Top Ten Signs you've had too much caffeine

You know you’ve had too much caffeine when
10. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee

9. Instant coffee takes too long

8. Your only source of nutrition comes from Sweet n Low

7. You haven’t slept since the Nixon administration

6. Your life’s goal is to “amount to a hill o' beans.”

5. You don’t sweat, you percolate

4. Instead of Tic Tacs, you suck on No Doz

3. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze

2. You put a co-worker in a headlock for switching your regular
coffee with Folger’s Coffee Crystal’s.

1. Juan Valdez names his donkey after you


One of my favorite ceramic coffee cups for enjoying a latte and or creamy dreamy cappuccino in/from is Arthur Court…it is a white ceramic cup with grape and grape leaf pewter design around the base of the cup. The holiday design cup pictured here is the style except I have the white ceramic cup.

I bought these from Homefest in south Denver off Holly.
Arthur Court simple but elegant design is beautiful.

I like the clear glass mugs like the Cliff House serves cappuccinos in, a parfait because of seeing the individual layers of steamed milk, rich espresso shots and froth being aesthetically pleasing to the eye and then the thick ceramic mug from Allegro Coffee in Thornton, CO (north and east of Denver), crème color.

Anything white from Williams-Sonoma, demitasse to large cappuccino/latte bowl.

Paper cups…Insulair Dixie Encarta Triple Insulated ECO style paper cups.

When I first ordered these they had the Encarta design, an Old World Map with rich earth tone colors, my all time favorite and then they discontinued the design.

I see them now and again at Safeway. They were the best design, EVER. The triple insulated are pricey but worth every penny. You don’t need the sleeve with these cups. Top of the line in paper cups.

Styrofoam, NO.
Non-Dairy Creamer, NO
Velveeta Cheese, NO
Like the guy on Seinfeld at the Soup Kitchen, “No Soup forrrrrrrrrrrrr You!!!”

Styrofoam cups, non-dairy creamer including but not limited to “Royal Danish” and Velveeta cheese are Android foods and cups for mannequins at Montaldo’s. They are not meant for human consumption or cups to serve drinks in.

And then of course like every good attorney we have the fine print or a clause…a codicil perhaps that will drone on and on like the deposition for a whiplash injury with Norton-Frickey and Associates…We have the deliberately ambiguous “Coffee-Mate” and “Cremora” powdered products and Coffee Mate liquid non-dairy creamers, original and then flavored with hazelnut, caramel, French vanilla and the list goes on and on with every conceivable flavor known to McCormick’s in Hunt Valley, MO.

Liquid Coffee Mate and especially flavored liquid Jug o'Coffee Mate…when church coffee fellowship had these set out the children would systematically drink them in their entirety.

They fill the small Dixie bathroom cups set out for water with flavored Coffee Mate (French Vanilla or Hazelnut, sometimes just the Original Coffee Mate) or fill an 1/8th of a styro-foam coffee cup with coffee and top it off with Coffee Mate the refrigerated liquid kind. They slammed it like Jimmy Buffet sucked down shots of Tequila.

The kidz liked the powder coffee creamer too but for different reasons. It was fun to plop 6-8 spoons in 1/8th of a cup of coffee, tea or Hawaiian punch and watch it bob up n down playfully playing peek a boo.

Powdered Creamer (see Joe vs. the Volcano video clip at the “attractive” office coffee station scene) is like powdered milk. It leaves a peculiar aftertaste.

I would be hard pressed to use it in a premium blend of coffee. It’s just not right – although I am not ruling it out completely because if you were a prisoner of war or held hostage somewhere and all they had was powdered non-dairy creamer like Coffee Mate or Cremora I might use it myself.

My Dad liked powdered Coffee Mate, the original not anything flavored. We lived in Victor, Colorado as I mentioned and Coffee Mate was fun in that when I first opened it because of the altitude change from Colorado Springs, Colorado where the Coffee Mate was purchased at Safeway to our home in Victor, Colorado upon opening it-it would explode and blow powdered Coffee Mate powder all over the place…on your clothes, ceiling fan, eye lashes, floor, windows and the table.

That part was fun bordering party trick in hilarious uproarious knee slapping laughter for on lookers/siblings.

I understand my Dad using powdered creamer. He lived through the depression and was a Pearl Harbor Survivor.

Fine coffee/espresso alone is delicious and then next it would be appropriate to serve with half n half or like a Macchiato, latte, and cappuccino.

If I was serving coffee to an elderly person and they asked me if I had some Coffee Mate or Cremora I would smile and lovingly, respectfully find some for them.

I would have it as back up and use on an as needed or per their request but not in my right mind or sound mind would I purposefully set it out for human consumption.
Coffee Mate and Cremora, powdered or refrigerated liquid, original or flavored I would only serve under duress.

On Friday, July 24, 2009 I had to punch Facebook Mobwars “coco coffeebean” in the face for attacking me.

Friday, September 5th, 2009 7:34 am...enjoying Allegro’s Swiss Water Process Decaf SUMATRA BLUE BATAK coffee this morning. A medium blend…herbal, woodsy and lusciously full-bodied. Grown by the indigenous Batak people around Lake Toba in the renowned Lintong region.

Today, Tuesday the 15th of September in the year of our LORD 2009, I baked The Polenta Muffins with Fresh Herbs from Williams-Sonoma Muffins Cookbook. Tomorrow I will be baking the Muffins Florentine, LORD willing and the creek don't rise, from the same cookbook as well. http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/Muffins/0743253965/

I have made many, many recipes from this cookbook for coffee fellowship at church.

OUTSTANDING. Excellent recipes for muffins, coffee cake and quick loaf breads with the best recipe instructions EVER!!!

The Williams-Sonoma Muffin Cookbook is a must have for every person interested in serving a fine muffin, coffee cake or specialty loaf of bread to go with an exceptionally fine cup of coffee.
Jes?

Coffee trivia. http://www.delish.com/food-fun/quizzes/coffee-shop-lingo-quiz?GT1=47001

September 15, 2009

What is a RED EYE?
Brewed coffee with a shot of espresso

This is the ultimate concoction for the sleep-deprived: a cup of coffee spiked with a shot of espresso, delivering an impressive jolt of caffeine. This drink is also referred to as Shot in the Dark and Speedball.

What is it when you order a latte with decaf espresso and non-fat milk?
Correct answer: “No fun.” Also referred to as “harmless.”
I chose "little lady" and that was incorrect.



What two flavors is a Café Mocha Valencia likely to contain?
Chocolate and orange. I got that correct.

What type of espresso shot is a ristretto? A slightly smaller less potent shot.
I got this correct. Woo Hoo, yah baby.
A normal espresso shot brews in about 20 seconds. To make a ristretto, the barista stops the brewing process after about 15 seconds, producing a smaller, less potent shot.

I got 9 out of 10 correct. And that makes me "Dr. Coffee Talk."

Monday, October 26, 2009
http://www.foodchannel.com/recipes/1372-pumpkin-patch-cakes-

For a delicious pumpkin muffin this recipe is excellent. A winner with coffee.


Allegro's Mocha Java
http://www.allegrocoffee.com/main/do/get_page/pageID/156

Carrot Cake or Carrot Cake Muffins - Morning Glory Muffin and coffee a crowd pleaser for sure.

Read through the recipe completely 3-5 times…I am Norwegian so it helps you as the baker. Either the Colorado Cache or Grandma McGirk’s recipe makes a large cake.

Recipe number 1, uno…
Orange Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting from Grandma McGirk. Mrs. June Avinel McGirk made this cake at the rehearsal dinner when my beloved and I were to be married.

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon (synonym ha ha ha)

1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts(walnuts or pecans-I prefer pecans)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 ½ cups cooking oil
2 teaspoons vanilla



1 teaspoon orange zest
1-11 ounce can mandarin oranges (include liquid)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl blend all ingredients and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Pour into greased cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened or buy the whipped cream cheese if you like.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts (same as what you used in the cake…pecans or walnuts, I prefer pecans or no nuts at all),

In medium bowl blend cream cheese, butter or margarine, vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Frost cake…optional-sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.


Recipe number 2, dos.
From Colorado Cache page 319 under Picnics and Camping
Cover Mountain Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From Williams-Sonoma Muffin cookbook
Page 42 Recipe #3, tres
Carrot Nut Muffins
(in the mile high city 5280, Denver, Colorado I check at 18 minutes and they are usually done).

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is from the Pumpkin Patch Cake Recipe and I am including it because it looks to me they have tweaked this such that it serves well for “decorative” frosting. I like this recipe. It’s ultra rich for sure.



Pumpkin Patch Cake Decorative Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Yes, there’s more…Optional
When I make this recipe I read over these three recipes and tweak the recipe to my liking…If I am leaning toward Morning Glory muffins…I add apples, coconut, bran, raisins. I like the recipe using the greater amount of carrots, so I just use the greater amount of carrots even if it’s from another recipe.

I use the greater amount of all the ingredients…spices, carrots, flour, sugar, etc.
It makes a large cake. Sometimes I have enough batter to make 2 cake rounds and 12 muffins..I just make sure that if I am using the mandarin oranges that I am using 3 cups of flour as is suggested in Grandma McGirk’s recipe because of the extra liquid in the mandarin oranges.

…..- or I substitute bran for some of the flour

Add chopped apples and crushed pineapple for a “morning glory” twist




If I have the bundt muffin pan and little pumpkin muffin tins I make half the recipe with raisins and half without or half with nuts and half without.

Once I have mapped out my recipe I will substitute applesauce for part of the sugar…example if recipe de jour calls for 2 cups sugar I use 1 ½ cups sugar and a ½ cup applesauce or honey or brown sugar. I keep the sugar measurement the same but will substitute a preferred sweetener for the day that sounds suitable for what my finished product is. Sugar, carrots, flour and spices I use generously.

Sometimes I soak the raisins in the beaten eggs for 30 minutes to plump up the raisins if I am using raisins in the recipe.

I ask ahead does the person I am making the cake for like raisins. If not, I omit them from the recipe. Same thing with the nuts. Carrot cake is versatile. You have a broad range to work with. Carrot cake makes a scrumptious muffin for church or the work place with coffee. If I am leaning towards a morning glory muffin I would incorporate nuts, apples, bran, raisins and pineapple with mandarin orange and coconut.



Say the recipe asks for 3 cups flour…I use 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup bran, and 1 cup Pillsbury softasilk enriched cake flour, bleached. You may want to substitute wheat flour or flour suitable for baking that will enhance your recipe…maybe a flour, bran or even oats that adds additional fiber.



I especially like the way Williams-Sonoma explains the recipe. They are to cooking and baking what R.C. Sproul is to the Reformed Faith…Williams-Sonoma and RC Sproul explain things in terms that even I can understand. It is explained in such a way that if it was your first time baking muffins or a cake or if you are a seasoned professional you get it. I love how they TEACH and teach WELL.

Another tip…I dice nuts small…you may like a coarsely chopped nut. I like the nut flavor in the cake or muffin. These are all tips and suggestions to consider when making carrot cake or carrot muffins.



One point that Williams-Sonoma makes in its muffin cookbook over and over again like the deposition for a whiplash injury with Schlitz, Shank and Associates is do not “OVER MIX.” It makes the muffins tough. I agree. When folding in nuts and carrots do not stir or fold in more than 20 strokes. It makes a difference. Follow the directions but as soon as wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ingredients, STOP, add raisins, nuts, carrots etc…fold in with a large spatula the suggested 20 strokes at the most and STOP stirring. They are ready for the muffin pan. You may stir a little more or beat longer for the Carrot Cake recipe but for muffins reduce the urge to stir or beat for long periods of time.



I find it helps to read through a recipe 3-5 times before I begin…make my notes that I am tweaking…set all my ingredients out ahead of making the recipe making sure I have all the ingredients…put each one away after you have measured the proper amount for the recipe or put ingredients on another counter after they have been measured out…I do this so I know I have added that ingredient and don’t risk pooping my pull-up with, “O crap, did I add that already or not?” Focus or as Grace Mae says, “Pocus people, Pocus” when making a recipe. Turn the cell phone and TV off…you might do ok listening to an instrumental music CD. I’m not sure I would endorse playing Led Zepplin, Iron Butterfly or Inagottadavida…probably not, sorry.



Food network cooking shows actually pre-measures each of the ingredients out into separate measuring cups, plates or bowls like the Pampered Chef ones my daughter Mallory has for the baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, eggs etc and larger bowls for flour, sugar, oil etc. That’s a great idea. Even on our best day we can have an interruption and that SUCKS if you get lost on measurements and you’re half way into the recipe. Then it will be time for Wild Turkey and Prozac.

All these tips help for making your cake and muffins the best they can be.

Enjoy. Bon Appetit!!!



This is a delicious cake for coffee fellowship that you might enjoy.
Loren Thomas Robb (my Grandfather, My Dad’s Father) lived in Victor, Colorado. He was a gold miner and worked tirelessly. He worked on the Portland II Gold Mine.



He was married to my Grandmother of course Alice and Alice’s Father or my Great Grandfather Francis Wayland Ryder was the first preacher of the 1st Baptist Church in Victor, CO.
This was his (Loren Thomas Robb) favorite cake and my beloved Mother made it for his birthday on the 4th of July many times.

In the Gold Camp Cookbook and in the Paulson Reunion Cookbook
Red Mahogany (Velvet) 4th of July Birthday Cake

From the Kitchen of mama (Evelyn D. Paulson-ROBB).
This recipe is a traditional cake in that Mother made this for the 4th of July and is a favorite today with either her caramel frosting or suggested maple frosting. This cake was the requested cake of Grandfather Loren Thomas ROBB on his birthday the 4th of July.

2 ½ cups flour (you may use a combination of white flour and softasilk cake flour if you like).
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup sweet milk, not quite full
1 cube/stick butter or 1/2 cup
2 cups sugar
2 eggs

1 ½ oz red food coloring
½ cup cocoa (make a paste of red food coloring and cocoa)
1 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla


Measure flour, soda and salt into sifter. Combine vinegar and milk, set aside. Cream butter until soft, add sugar gradually. Add eggs and blend in cocoa w/red food coloring paste. Sift flour, soda and salt into mixture along with milk and vinegar. Mix Well. Add hot water and vanilla. Batter will be thin.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Bake in 9 X 13 glass baking dish, 3 layer round tins or large loaf pan.

Caramel Frosting
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
1 ¾ - 2 cups powdered sugar.

Melt butter in saucepan; add brown sugar. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Add milk. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool. Pour into small mixing bowl. Start your (engines-just kidding) beaters; add powdered sugar gradually to desired consistency for frosting your cake.

Maple Frosting
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup evaporated (canned) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar

Boil the brown sugar, evaporated milk and vanilla a few minutes. Cool and mix in powdered sugar to desired consistency.

Might I also suggest the Perfect White Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (page 345) from the Colorado Cache Cookbook isbn 0 9603946 5 6 put out by the Junior League of Denver. It’s ***** five star and biblical worldview coffee fellowship worthy. Ten years ago or so I paid $12.57 for this cookbook, purchased it at Safeway, suggested retail $17.95 and worth every penny. The Colorado Cache Cookbook with Aspen trees on the front has many wonderful recipes.

The Perfect White Cake with cream cheese frosting is my all time favorite and I request it every year for my birthday. It reminds me of Whole Foods’ Berry Chantilly Cake. It is Scrumptious, to die for.

Bon appetit


Sally ROBB McGirk




*This coffee blog is pretty much going to drone on and on like a deposition for a whiplash injury with Norton Frickey, Shlitz, Shank and Associates as time permits. :-).

It is going to be layer upon layer, brick upon brick of uproariously knee slappin riotously funny, entertaining and thought provoking material…telling/sharing every possible and conceivable story I can think of or remember about coffee and much, much more.