coffee inked!

You love coffee?

These folks wear it. 

Tattoos are something special. It symbolizes something for you, reminds you of a time in your life, is empowering or a constant reminder of something you love or admire, or a time that you experience overcoming a great obstacle. Maybe some don't even have deep meaning but are playful. 

For me ... 

Coffee is a love. 

It's a favorite past time. 

A time of reflection, community, peace, conversation. 

Here are some Pinterest coffee tattoos that I thought were neat and wanted to share. 

Support what you love ... for these people, permanently. :)

camping with coffee.

It's the season for some serious camping! 

red river gorge 

Although the weather is getting warmer, coffee is still fitting for a morning 

WAKE UP 

in the woods.

I do a lot of camping all year round, I enjoy the great outdoors and couldn't enjoy these mornings when the sun comes up and my unbreakable french press is steeping my favorite coffee. 

Enjoy your morning ritual inside or outside! 

I want to share some of my favorite brewing mechanisms for camping ... convenient, easy, and non-breakable.  

 

Stove top espresso makers are really popular right now, and companies are coming out with new ideas for the same concept in a fashionable way. The best is the Primula brand, simple silver maker with the black plastic handle ... make sure you don't burn that off  :), creates quite a mess! Easy to pack and light, most of all made with aluminum and won't burn. No need to have a kettle!   

 Melitta is always great because of how easy it is! 

The plastic brewer and the slender box for filters is great for the outdoors. It is simple to clean ... literally dump the grinds and filter out and rinse the brewer. I usually take a kettle, which is the only bulky item I have to carry in my pack, but I also make sure that if I am packing a kettle my foods will require me heating water for more than my coffee. Fill your filter with coffee, I usually do 2 scoops per cup (but I like it a little stronger), saturate your grounds, let it drain through to your cup, repeat till you got a full cup of joe! Easy!

Percolators are old school coffeemakers. :)

My Grandmother has one that she uses on a daily basis, but they make great camping coffeemakers. Easy to function, and easy to clean, and easy to pack. It heats the water and makes coffee all in the same unit. Percolators are great when you have several people who want coffee in the morning, it makes more than one cup at a time. Watch the little knob in the lid ... because I have lost a few camping and it really is a pain to get a new one. You fill the mesh, infuser type basket with coffee and the carafe with water, sit it close to the campfire  (above) and let it steep. The boiling water will rise and steep the coffee and fill the carafe with fresh, hot coffee. 

A French press is another easy, delicious way to get your morning brew! 

Put the grinds in the bottom of the press and almost boiling water on top ... let is steep 5-6 minutes. Plunge the coffee and drink away! 

mugged!

Spring is here! 

Flowers are blooming, trees are growing leaves, and grass is getting green. 

This is the perfect time to plan your spring garden if you have space

&

add some plant life to your home. 

Planting small succulents and herbs in old mugs is a great way to reuse old mugs and get that spring feel in the home and plant life throughout. 

Keeping fresh herbs in the kitchen for easy snipping and adding to recipes is not only convenient but cute, accessible, and it brings a liveliness to the kitchen. Not to mention it's right at your finger tips to use when you are throwing together your favorite dish. 

And succulents don't need a lot of water ... which makes them perfect plants for mugs. A little water goes a long way for them and you don't need drainage holes because you only need the minimal water. I love this old porcelain mug with a small succulent in it ... so simple an adorable addition to the living space. Most succulents don't need a lot of sun light or intense heat. Great indoor plants for this kind of project would be the following:

Pincushion Cactus 

Jade 

Ponytail Palm 

Hens & Chicks 

Burro's Tail 

Christmas Cactus 

Crown of Thorns 

Aloe Vera 

Panda Plant 

Snake Plant 

  

Bring some life indoors this Spring ... add some really cool mugs and plants to your decor. 

 

classic coffee cake.

What better way to accompany a cup of coffee than with something sweet?

Nothing is better than a warm slice of coffee cake and even wash it down with a fresh cup of coffee. Double YUM! 

Now, my mom has a great coffee cake recipe, and so does Grandma ... but this recipe by the Pioneer Woman is absolutely fabulous. It's moist, soft, crumbly ... what more could you ask for? 

TRY IT! 

The Best Coffee Cake EVER! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter softened 
• 2 cups scant sugar
• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 4 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk 
• 3 whole egg whites, beaten until stiff 

Topping: 

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter softened 
• 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

To make: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
•  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. 
• Beat egg whites and set aside. 
• Cream butter and sugar, and add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. DO NOT OVER BEAT.
• Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. 
• Spread in a well greased pan, 9x13 ... (or larger!) baking pan. A cake pan with high sides would be best. 
• In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. 
• Sprinkle all over the top, Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. SERVE WARM :)!! 

Thanks to www.mychocolatetherapy,com for pictures and recipe!