It's National Coffee Day today, September 29th, 2015. For all of us "coffee-holics" out there, what a great excuse to go out and celebrate with an extra cup or two of coffee! And if you know some serious coffee lovers, why not send them a free e-card to celebrate National Coffee day?
Coffee Facts I Bet You Didn't Know:
- Over 400 BILLION cups of coffee are consumed annually worldwide! (Have you ever wondered... how do they count those cups?)
- Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia around 800 AD.
- As a commodity, coffee is second only to oil!
- 83% of Americans drink coffee regularly according to The National Coffee Association. 54% drink coffee every day.
- 40% of the world's coffee is produced in Brazil.
- Coffee beans are not actually beans, but fruit pits.
Coffee "Freebies" On National Coffee Day:
In recognition of National Coffee Day, there are lots of "freebies" related to coffee today. Some of the National Coffee Day deals include:
- A free small McCafé at participating McDonald's.
- A free original glazed donut and a small coffee at participating Krispy Kremes.
- A free medium hot or iced dark roast coffee at participating Dunkin' Donuts.
Maui Wowi Hawaiian: Use the promo code ALOHACOFFEE at checkout to get 50% off online orders on National Coffee Day.
Starbucks' One Tree For Every Bag Commitment
Meanwhile, Starbucks is doing something totally unique in recognition of National Coffee Day. Instead of giving away free coffee to customers, Starbucks is kicking off its "Starbucks One Tree for Every Bag Commitment," which will be a year-long campaign giving customers the opportunity to help the farmers and families behind your morning cup of coffee. In the coming year, each time someone buys a bag of coffee in a Starbucks store, a tree will be planted in a community that needs one, on their behalf. To get things started, Starbucks is also planting 1 million coffee trees in farming communities that need help.
Brewing That Perfect Cup Of Coffee:
Coffee lovers will debate about how to best brew a cup of coffee. I grew up drinking coffee that was percolated on a stove top (and of course still think that's the tastiest coffee I ever drank). Unfortunately my mother's percolating skills did not pass down to me. Over the years I've tried all the methods--percolating, automatic drip machines, manual drip, coffee presses. Almost nine years ago when we built a new home, I installed a built-in Miele coffeemaker and have never looked back. There's just nothing like a freshly brewed cup each and every time. The major drawback to this machine (besides how expensive it is) is that you can't use flavored beans in it. So when the mood strikes me for a flavored cup of coffee, I go back to my automatic drip machine. In any case, here's information from three reliable sources on how to brew that perfect cup of java:
- video from FoodNetwork on how to make the perfect cup of coffee
- from Epicurious.com a series of videos on coffee brewing techniques
- EatingWell.com provides the 9 rules to making a great cup of coffee
Cooking With Coffee:
Being the "coffee-holic" that I am, I love absolutely anything coffee-flavored. So if you're like me, here are some resources for great recipes using coffee:
- 14 top-rated coffee recipes from Epicurious.com
- 7 ways with coffee from MyRecipes.com
- easy coffee recipes from EatingWell.com
Coffee Quotes:
Did you know there are a slew of quotes about coffee? Two of my favorites are, as they totally define my personal relationship with coffee:
- "Coffee is a language unto itself." by Jackie Chan
- "I can't imagine a day without coffee! I can't imagine!" by Howard Schultz
Click here for a link to more coffee quotes.
It's National Coffee Day today... so whether you're a "coffee-holic" or not, why not go out and celebrate the day with a great cup of coffee! (And by the way, if you miss celebrating National Coffee Day today, you can make up for it on January 20th when we observe National Coffee Break Day.)
Image courtesy of Iamnee at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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