Coffee in Your Pocket

Those slim packs of Starbuck's VIA Italian Roast and Colombia coffee are handy and tasty and it is pretty nice knowing you can make a good cup of  coffee right near your desk. Now there are four luscious new flavors: Caramel, Cinnamon Spice, Mocha, and Vanilla.

You don't have to give up smooth and serious coffee flavor just because you would like the added taste of caramel or Mocha. The arabica coffee is strong enough to blend with, but not be smothered by, the other natural flavors and a touch of added sweetness. Tasty enough to have as a dessert or pick-me-up instead of a pastry.

All of the Starbucks VIA Flavored Coffee flavors are available at all U.S. company-operated and licensed stores and online at StarbucksVIA.com, Amazon.com and Cooking.com.



. http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/via/flavored-coffee

Cookie Perfection

Cookie—one of the American English words with origins in Dutch. Cookie comes from the Dutch koekje, which means little cake.  (In British countries this little treat is usually called a biscuit. The precise meaning varies in different parts of the world. Biscuit is derived  from a Middle French word meaning "twice cooked.")

 Enough linguistics. Let’s talk about goodness and taste By any name these new cookies from Back to Nature Foods are just perfect—made with ingredients you would not be ashamed to put on your table  and in your mouth. They are just amazing.


Triple Ginger—just piquant enough and still sweet
Madagascar Vanilla—heavenly smooth
California Lemon—citrus snap and very refreshing

All taste like shortbread confections—rich, buttery and filling but they are actually vegan and not that caloric.

Back to Nature is a proud supporter of The Nature Conservancy and teams up with  the Whole Planet Foundation to make a difference in developing nations. 
http://www.backtonaturefoods.com

Beautiful Flowers, Beautiful Teas

Here are five new  HIBISCUS SUPERFLOWER TEAS, from The Republic of Tea. Each is an exotic, caffeine-free herbal bouquet of premium African hibiscus, a “Superflower” that brews a rich, full-bodied cup.

 Teas made from hibiscus flowers are a very common beverage in the tropical regions where they grow.  HIBISCUS SUPERFLOWER TEAS are made using premium African hibiscus, primarily from Nigeria.  A tropical marvel, ruby-red African hibiscus shines through in these evocatively fruity herbal teas, revealing layers of flavors comparable to cranberry/citrus and gentle hints of rhubarb and raspberry. 

The HIBISCUS SUPERFLOWER TEAS includes five herbal varieties: NATURAL HIBISCUS, unflavored pure hibiscus, HIBISCUS BLUEBERRY, lush, deep flavor of fragrant blueberries, HIBISCUS VANILLA APPLE, vanilla and apples reminiscent of apple pie, HIBISCUS KEY LIME, refreshing and crisp key lime flavor and HIBISCUS PINEAPPLE LYCHEE, luscious pineapple with creamy Chinese Lychee. Savor them freshly brewed and warm or iced in the warmer months

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 The teas are available in beautiful, colorful recyclable tins packed with 36 all natural, unbleached, round tea bags with no strings, tags and staples and has a suggested retail price of $9.50. 

  Available nationwide at natural and specialty food stores, cafes and through the www.republicoftea.com mail-order catalogue and by calling, 800.298.4TEA (832).

Delicious. And beautiful.

Dessert Teas Deserving of Attention

Yearning for dessert but want something as light as possible? Here are three cozy, comforting and at the same time, sweetly satisfying teas from The Republic of Tea. One, Coconut Cocoa Tea allows you the pleasure of a sweet drink with the rich, exotic taste of coconut and chocolate to produce a thick, naturally sweet, tropical cup. The delicious taste of both cocoa and carob is a beguiling, low-calorie cup of dessert. Coconut Cocoa Herb Tea has trace amounts of caffeine.

Have a craving for something very chocolate but want to feel guiltless the next morning? How about Double Dark Chocolate Maté tea? This warm wonder is antioxidant-rich, organic, roasted Yerba Maté blended with organic dark cocoa powder in a guilt-free, full-bodied dessert tea.

Another choice might be Dream by the Fire Tea—as wonderful as its name. This Cinnamon Vanilla Herb Tea blends sweet vanilla and warm cinnamon with caffeine-free rooibos. This is a delicious soulful blend perfect for an evening cup.

What is Rooibos (ROY-boss)? -- It's a Red tea indigenous to South Africa and is bursting with polyphenois and flavonoids, which may help protect the body from free-radicals that weaken natural defenses.

Visit The Republic of Tea's beautiful website for a wide and delightful array of teas and tea inspired gifts.

http://www.republicoftea.com/

Definitely Not Plain Vanilla

When mixing any ingredients you want to use the best so the result will be the best. Think of how often you use Pure Vanilla Extract. Now think of the purest, most fragrant and flavorful Vanilla. If you are thinking Nielsen- Massey Vanilla, you are on the right path.

Nielsen -Massey was founded in 1907 and quickly became Vanilla experts and trusted purveyors of the many forms of this at-once exotic and familiar aroma and taste. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, Rose Water, Orange Blossom Water, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract. Pure Almond Extract. Tahitian Gourmet Vanilla Beans. Pure Chocolate Extract. Pure Coffee Extract.

Think of the delights that can be conjured using these fragrant flavors! Just remember to add the flavors at the end of the cooking process or cream them with the butter to protect the delicate essence of the flavorings.

Worth a read is A Century of Flavor, Nielsen Massey Vanillas. This is a company history and cookbook you’ll want to have for the photos and text, as well as for the tantalizing recipes.

http://www.nielsenmassey.com/