It's National Coffee Day today, September 29th, 2016. National Coffee Day just happens to be one of my two most favorite "food related" days of the year (the other being World Chocolate Day).
For all the "coffee-holics" out there (like me), what a great excuse to go out and celebrate with an extra cup or two of coffee! And if you know some truly serious coffee lovers, why not send them a free e-card to celebrate National Coffee day?
Coffee Facts You Might Not Know:
- Over 400 BILLION cups of coffee are consumed annually worldwide! (Have you ever wondered... how do they count those cups? And does this question qualify as a "stupid" question, as yesterday was Ask A Stupid Question Day?)
- 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. Some 150 million Americans drink three cups of 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/freebies include:
- A free original glazed donut and a small coffee at participating Krispy Kremes. Here's a link to locating Krispy Kreme stores in the Charlotte area and just about everywhere else.
- A hot medium sized coffee for 66¢ at participating Dunkin' Donuts. (This is in honor of the company's 66 years in business.) Here's a link to locating Dunkin' Donuts stores in the Charlotte area and just about everywhere else.
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Starbucks will donate a coffee tree to a Latin American farmer for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee you buy on September 29th. And when you load $10 to your account in the Starbucks App and pay using Visa Checkout, you’ll receive a $10 e-gift card in return (this deal expires on September 30th). Here's a link to Starbuck's store locater for the Charlotte area and just about everywhere else.
- Maui Wowi Hawaiian: Use the promo code ALOHACOFFEE at checkout to get 50% off online orders on National Coffee Day.
Click here for a list of other National Coffee Day specials.
Brewing A Perfect Cup Of Coffee:
It seems to be a never-ending debate amongst coffee lovers... 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. 10 years ago when we built our 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
- healthy coffee recipes from EatingWell.com
Coffee Quotes:
Did you know there are a slew of quotes about coffee? Two of my favorite quotes, which totally define my personal relationship with coffee, are:
"Coffee is a language unto itself." ... Jackie Chan
"I can't imagine a day without coffee! I can't imagine!" ... 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 "coffee-holics" observe National Coffee Break Day.)
I Love Coffe Image courtesy of Iamnee at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Make it a great day. Mark
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