Coffee |

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Homemade Body Scrubs

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Kaitlin

So this is kind of a random blog post for me, but I have been experimenting with homemade body scrubs as a Mother’s Day present for my mom and I thought I’d share them so that others can make them at home too! They are super simple, plus they are made mostly from ingredients you can find in your pantry! To snazz them up for gift giving, use some ribbons or tissue paper. Be sure to add labels so that the recipient knows what’s inside! I’d suggest using organic ingredients when you can, just to keep mind of potential adverse reactions. I found organic sugar, olive oil, and coconut oil at Essene in Queen Village (Philadelphia) but I’m sure Whole Foods has a selection as well. These body scrubs are completely customizable. You just need an ingredient that works as an exfoliant (sugar, salt, coffee grounds, oatmeal, etc.) and then an oil to moisturize (olive, almond, coconut, walnut, etc. — these are sometimes referred to as “carrier oils”) To make them smell amazing, add a little bit of essential oils, which can be found at specialty shops or online. A favorite local store of mine is Herbiary. You can even add … Continue reading →

Tiramisu Brownies

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Kaitlin

I am a huge fan of coffee and coffee-related foods, so tiramisu is obviously a favorite of mine. When the concept of a Tiramisu Brownie was mentioned, I was immediately excited. What a fantastic combination of desserts! Barista Prima Coffeehouse® K-Cup® packs are four dark, rich coffee blends that really deliver an intense flavor that are more bold and robust than other K-Cup offerings. The four flavors offered are: Colombia, House Blend, Italian Roast, and French Roast. I’ve had a Keurig for years now (I just had to retire my original Keurig and buy a replacement, sniffle) and am always really pleased with the coffee choices that can be found in K-Cup form. I tend to use coffee grounds in a bunch of recipes, especially ones that use chocolate, to really up the flavor. Barista Prima was nice enough to send me a box of their House Blend K-Cups so I naturally wanted to make a dish that used these delicious grounds as well as a dessert that would be perfect paired with a cup of House Blend coffee. Many thanks to Barista Prima for also sending me this mouthwatering recipe! Ingredients: 12 oz. chocolate chips 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup … Continue reading →

Black Cauldron – An Adult Root Beer Float

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Kaitlin

Do you remember the first time you had a root beer float? I remember thinking “soda and ice cream, why hadn’t someone mentioned this deliciousness to me before this very moment?!” Mind you, I was a kid and probably didn’t need any more sugar or desserts in my life. But root beer floats always have such a wonderful feeling of nostalgia. I was at Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia recently. I saw that they sell root beer floats, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them since. So when this month’s Cooking Light arrived with what I can only call an “Adult Root Beer Float” I was so excited to try it out. The drink, referred to as a Black Cauldron (it’s the October issue), is just as simple as a traditional root beer float, but it uses a stout instead of root beer. To add a little bit more flavor, the drink also has a touch of vodka and brewed espresso. How can you not like this drink? Ingredients: (makes 4) 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1/4 cup vanilla vodka 1/4 cup brewed espresso (or coffee) 24 ounces stout beer (oatmeal, chocolate, whatever your favorite is) Brew your … Continue reading →

Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse (JC100)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Kaitlin

Most of the time when I explain my blog to someone, they bring up Julie and Julia. I have yet to watch the movie, and I am only a few chapters into the book, so I’m not exactly sure how many similarities I have to Julie. However, it goes without saying that Julia Child is an inspiration to most, if not all, food bloggers, cooks, and home cooks. August 15, 2012 is Julia Child’s 100th birthday. To celebrate, JC100 was launched. It is a national campaign involving restaurants, chefs, bookstores, and bloggers. The goal is to “raise one million voices in tribute to Julia”. When I was asked to participate, I jumped at the chance. The campaign started 100 days before Julia’s birthday on May 7. The first recipe was a classic Omelette Roulee, a Rolled Omelette which Julia described as “dinner in half a minute.” Well, I found one thing I have in common with Julie (not Julia): I am not a big egg fan. The idea of eating an omelette at all, let alone for dinner, didn’t make me happy. So I passed over the recipe so that the first recipe I posted could be something I truly … Continue reading →

Individual Tiramisu

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Kaitlin

I love tiramisu. Honestly, what’s not to like? I’ve never tried to make a traditional tiramisu, but it might be a terrible idea. I’d probably eat the entire thing in one sitting. So to save me from that embarrassing end, I decided to try a recipe from the Walkers Shortbread website. The recipe makes two servings of tiramisu so that I can’t be a complete piggy. I came across it while trying to find a recipe to photograph (I made their raspberry creme brulee instead) and knew I’d have to make it. Luckily, I still had some Walkers Shortbread leftover! 1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur 1 tablespoon hazelnut flavored liqueur 2 ounces boiled water 1 heaping teaspoon espresso granules 8 shortbread cookies (I used Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread) 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 container (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese 1 tablespoon mini semi sweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder So before I go into the recipe, I just wanted to talk about one of the small businesses near me, Wedge + Fig in Philadelphia. They are an amazing cheese shop, brunch location, and also serve some of the best and most creative paninis … Continue reading →

Irish Coffee Cupcakes & Giveaway!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Kaitlin

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Kaitlin

There are some people who are in your life that just make your days a little bit better. I’m talking about the people you see for maybe just one minute a day: a person at a coffee shop, someone you pass in the hall, or in my case, one of the guys who works at my SEPTA station. I always look forward to a smile and a wave from him. So I was pretty bummed when he told me he was moving to another station. Sigh. I wanted to find a way to thank him for making my day a little bit better, and I honestly don’t know any other way to thank someone besides with food (this is something I may need to work on…) So I decided to make him cupcakes! And who doesn’t like chocolate peanut butter cupcakes? I found this recipe on Food Network and thought it was perfect. It even incorporated coffee into the recipe (one of my favorite tricks) to heighten the chocolately flavor. I decided to try to make my own peanut butter icing though, to make it more my own. Ingredients: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 … Continue reading →

Venison Chili with Jalapeno-Cheddar Corn Muffins

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Kaitlin

I spent most of Saturday in the car driving to/from North Jersey in a freak Nor’easter snowfall that really made the ride quite an experience. After yesterday, it is clear that winter is (sadly) not too far away, so I better get started on some of my favorite cold weather foods. First up, chili. I just joined a new farm club called Arganica, that just started delivering to Philadelphia. I actually joined it because my CSA share is ending and I still wanted to receive different vegetables during the winter months. However, as I was looking over their offerings, their meat and fish section is what really caught my eye. I decided to take a chance on a new type of meat I’ve never cooked with before: venison. When I mentioned I was planning on making venison chili to my boyfriend, his eyes lit up. Here’s hoping my chili can live up to whatever high expectation he has for this meal! To go along with the chili, I also made pepper Jack corn bread muffins. For those a bit wary about venison, the meat is actually quite lean; venison is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than beef, pork, … Continue reading →

Godiva Coffee – Pumpkin Spice & Caramel Pecan Bark

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Kaitlin

I am in love with fall, it is by far my favorite time of year. It is the only time of year I can give into my love of all things pumpkins and not get funny looks. Sadly, I feel like the autumn season seems to be getting shorter and shorter, so I need to get as much “fall” food and drinks as I can. As a member of Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program, I was lucky enough to receive two different limited edition fall coffees from Godiva: Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark. The coffees are based off of Godiva’s Pumpkin Spice Truffles and their signature Caramel Pecan Bark. The Pumpkin Spice coffee has a wonderful pumpkin pie taste, with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. The Caramel Pecan Bark has notes of toasted pecan and caramel. I couldn’t wait to try them! I decided to make two different recipes for each coffee to really test out their flavor. The weather in Philadelphia has continued to be pretty darn humid, so I made a few chilled coffee drinks. I also decided to use some of the coffee grounds to make my own Caramel Pecan Bark. First to make the Caramel Pecan Bark. … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Kaitlin

I am so excited that pumpkin season is back! I eat/drink pumpkin flavored things all year, but September through December are when I can truly indulge in my pumpkin obsession. To kick off the season in style, I decided to make pumpkin cupcakes. The cupcake recipe is adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes and the icing is an adaptation of a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from Kraft. Ingredients for the cupcakes: 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt 2 Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice K-Cups (about 3 tablespoons?) 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree 1 cup sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup canola oil 4 large eggs Ingredients for Icing: 1 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used a baking emulsion instead) 1 16 oz package of powdered sugar Ground cinnamon, to taste Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with liners. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt & coffee grounds. … Continue reading →