Ingredients
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar (could substitute 1 tablespoon of honey)
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger brewed espresso

Directions
1.Brew your espresso. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the pumpkin, vanilla, sugar (or honey), pumpkin pie spice and milk. Warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until hot and frothy. Do not bring to a boil. Pour the espresso into a mug and pour the pumpkin spiced milk over it.

Enjoy,

That little something is some sort of alcoholic beverage of your choosing. Here without further ado is a recipe for a Cappuccino with a Shot (or two).

Cappuccino with a Shot ingredients – makes four 8 oz. cups
4 cups of espresso (or strong coffee)
2 cups of half and half
4 oz of Creme de Cacao
2 oz of rum
2 oz of Stock 84 Brandy

Start by heating water to almost a boil and pour the water into four – 8 oz. ceramic cups. If you have a microwave oven, you can skip this step and heat your cups right before serving in the microwave.

If you have an espresso maker with a steamer, starting with the half and half, put all of the ingredients in a steamer vessel and bring to approx. 130º F. You will probably not get a nice foam with the amount of alcohol in this recipe. So don’t go higher than 120 or 130º, since the object is to heat the mixture and not get a nice foam top.

If you don’t have an espresso maker, starting with the half and half, put all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Get the mixture really hot but not to a boil. You microwave folks can use the microwave to heat the mixture, which will be faster.

Take the hot espresso (or strong coffee) and pour it into the steaming vessel (or saucepan). Take a spoon and stir a few times to blend everything together.

Empty the water out of the cups and pour the coffee mix into the cups and serve with a napkin. Enjoy!

Drop me a line and let me know what your favorite Fall brew is. do you have a pumpkin brew recipe you care to share? Stay toasty! Java Guy

Thank you for all of your e-mails. And a big THANK YOU to Jim Fortune for keeping everything afloat while I get back to business. I won’t go into all of the gory details, it would only creep you out. But I should be able to start posting next week, September 28th, on a somewhat limited basis.

Jim Fortune will be joining me as an editor. Go easy on him. He’s in his fifties and is the Budget Travel Editor at Bellaonline.com. You can read his posts at Budget Travel . His feet are a lot bigger than mine and he should have no problem filling my shoes and maybe a couple of other people’s shoes at the same time. I think he told me that he wears a size 15 M. That a real shoe and a lot bigger than my ladies size 7.

Jim has been drinking coffee for a while and his views will bring a different view of java that you will enjoy. The Recent Jobs lising on the right hand side of our front page was his idea. If you would like to post a job feel free to click the link. It’s only $10 for a 30 day listing. Not a bad value for online advertising today. We’ll talk again the week of September 28th.  If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will answer you back. I hope you are enjoying a nice brew of coffee. Java Girl

If you want a good cup a coffee, you will need to add some oil. Coffee oil is very flavorful and improves the taste of coffee, but it is lost during the normal filtered brewing process. Coffee made with a French press doesn’t pass through a filter so you don’t lose those natural aromatic coffee oils. Most coffee lovers agree that a French Press Coffee Maker makes a superior cup of coffee. 

A French press (sometimes called a coffee press) is usually a glass cylinder with a plumber like device inside. You place your coffee grinds inside and pour hot water into it. The water should not be boiling or you will scald your grinds, which will affect the taste. 200 degree water is the optimum temperature for a fine cup of coffee. If you’re using a kettle to heat your water, remove it from the heat before if starts whistling. Either that or you can let the water boil but let it sit for a few minutes before pouring it into your coffee press. Remember to leave at least an inch of space when filling up the French press.

Coffee beans that are ground too finely will clog the filter. You will probably be okay with automatic drip coffee grind but the best way to enjoy French press coffee is to grind the beans yourself. Try to grind the beans to a size a little bigger than automatic drip coffee grinds. This may take some practice to get comfortable with your coffee grinder but it’s worth it. And remember that once you grind your coffee beans they should be used immediately or kept in an air tight container to keep them from getting stale.

Let the coffee steep in the water for about 4 minutes. Now it’s time for the press part of the French press. Place the French press on a no slip surface and slowly and smoothly press the plunger down. Press too hard or too quickly and in a worst case scenario, you could have boiling hot water shoot out all over you. This step is how the coffee grinds are forced to the bottom of the container and you’re left with delicious fresh brewed coffee in the top chamber. You are now ready to pour and serve.

The French press has undergone a makeover in recent years. Manufacturers have added French presses to travel mugs and thermoses. As long as you have hot water you can make a fresh brewed cup of coffee anywhere. And most of these travel mugs and thermoses are insulated so that your coffee will stay warm longer.

With coffee becoming such an important part of most people’s days, isn’t it time that we pampered ourselves with a better tasting brew. The French press is an easy and flavorful way to make a cup of coffee. So if you’re tired of the brown water that comes out of coffee vending machines in your office, then the French press is perfect for you.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will answer you back. I hope you are enjoying a nice brew of coffee. Java Girl

When it comes to specialty coffee and camping or backpacking, there are, shall I say, two camps. There are those who like a more refined and perhaps more expensive method of making coffee in the rough. And then there are those of us who like coffee a little bit cheaper, but have it taste just as good.

While thumbing through a recent issue of Backpacker Magazine, I noticed an ad for a Brunton Coffeemaker. 
Brunton makes a maker called, BrewFire Dual-Fuel Coffee Maker. It is not for the weak of heart nor for the slight of pocketbook. This coffee maker will set you back $100.00+ US dollars. Yes girls, $100.00+. But remember it is dual fired. You can use propane or butanne and it can be taken anywhere. Dump in your coffee, turn a knob, flip a switch and you are brewing 8 cups of coffee in no time. It comes with a stainless steel carafe, butane attachment, durable ABS plastic, and has a foot print of 10″x14″x10″ with the carafe. It weighs 6.5 pounds.

To give you an idea of the weight, my backpacking, 2 person, 3 season tent weighs 6.8 lbs and includes the vestibule. So getting just a coffee maker that weighs 6.5 pounds, is something to consider, if you are backpacking your gear into the interior.

As I mentioned, there are two camps. The folks in the Brunton camp are probably not backpackers but are probably car campers or RV campers. I wouldn’t call RVers campers, campers, but that is probably another article for another day. So there is the other camp.

The other camp is probably the camp where you’ll find me. I have a little MSR MugMate Coffee/Tea Filter that costs $16.95. I also have a One-Cup Coffee Maker from REI that goes for $5.50. I read about the MSR MugMate Coffee/Tea Filter in Backpacker magazine. I think it was the annual “gear of the year” issue that came out a few years ago, but don’t quote me on that, because I am not sure if it was or not. I do know from searching Backpacker.com that it got the Backpacker Magazine Editors’ Choice 2009 Gold Award. You probably want to know how much it weighs, right? Try one ounce on for size.

The weather is warm here through the weekend. We’ve had rain all last weekend so I am ready for some dry weather. 20% chance of rain on Saturday, though. Early mornings will be good for coffee drinking. Make up a fresh cup and get out on the deck first thing before the sun gets too hot. If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will answer you back. I hope you are enjoying a nice brew of coffee.  Java Girl

It doesn’t matter what it’s called where you are. The result is the same. But you may be asking, what’s all the fuss about? This is a bold coffee. It doesn’t come to the United States every year, only when the crop is large enough. It’s for people who like a good strong brew and know how to make a cup of bold cup of coffee and enjoy it. If you’re just getting started in coffee tasting, pass on this one.

The Arabian Sanani is grown in the Sana’a region of Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. As I understand it, the coffee is not gown on one or two plantations, but on many small farms in the region. The Sanani crop varies from year to year due to rainfall and other factors.In some years there is a bountiful crop and lots of coffee to export and in other years, the crop is very small and there is not enough to get here in the United States.

This coffee grows on scratch dirt farmland on low bushes that develop under very dry conditions. There is a lot of desert in this part of the world and water is at a premium. When the majority of coffee cherries are ripe, the farmers pick all the cherries at once and spread them out to dry. The dried cherries are passed through millstones to remove the hulls and to release the two coffee beans that reside inside.

This old and primitive method of getting the beans separated from the hull goes back centuries and is what creates the classic flavor that this coffee produces. I like the fact that it is grown organically. I don’t think it’s done on purpose. It’s just the way that the farmers do it in that part of the world. Once the coffee is dried and put into burlap or shipping bags, the dried coffee must be carried out of the steep valleys by donkeys.

I’ve only tasted Arabian Sanani a couple of times and both times I thought I tasted berries. No kidding. I read a review recently and they said they tasted wine berries and some floral. I’m not sure I’d go that far.

What about the mocha? It has a hint of chocolate. It is not the chocolate like you would get with a mocha espresso. It is not a chocolate syrup taste. It’s more like a Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate bar. You notice it, but it is not thick and gooey. Don’t buy this one thinking you are going to get chocolate coffee. You’ll be disappointed.

If there were a really good crop some year and the beans were plentiful and I had a good relationship with a company that was a coffee roaster, this would be a coffee I could blend with some other beans to come up with a really special blend. But, . . .   Maybe next year.

This is one of the strongest, most powerful coffees I have tasted in a while. When I heard that it was out, I heard from a friend that there was plenty in supply. I bought three pounds online and sent it to close friends for presents. Then when I tried to order more, I found out that my supply at $10 a pound had dried up.

When I called around, I found that the only store that still had some near me was Starbucks. Not that Starbucks is bad, but I try to give my business to the smaller shops if I can.

Call around where you live to see if you can get it locally without paying the shipping. Try Peet’s or Starbucks – they might have it. Some local beaneries might also have it for sale. Expect to pay about $17 a pound or so. I got my early stash at $10 a pound but have seen prices on the web ranging from $14 to $24. Prices where you are will vary. Try a pound. I think you will like it. Get the whole beans and grind a few each time you want a good strong cup of coffee so they are fresh for each cup you make.

The weather is warm here through tomorrow. They are talking about rain for a couple of days and maybe over the weekend. Good coffee drinking weather. If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will answer you back. I hope you are enjoying a nice brew of coffee. Java Girl

Ever been to a Seattle’s Best Coffee® cafe? There is one in Colorado Springs that I stumbled on to recently. It was inside of Borders Books in the south part of Colorado Springs. Overstuffed chairs, small tables with straight backed chair, two or three of each at each table. People sipping a specialty espresso coffee, while reading a book in one of those over stuffed chairs, or flipping through a magazine, or sitting with friends at a small table. It was a come and stay for a while kind of place.

Right across the way is Starbucks. It was a totally different kind of place and the experience was different too. Starbucks had small tables and chairs like the Seattle’s Best Coffee® place but it wasn’t as warm and cozy as Seattle’s Best Coffee®. Starbucks was more of a come and go kind of place. I think there would have been more people sitting around but the chairs were scarce and there was not a lot of room to sit and enjoy a cup of specialty espresso or just a cup of joe.

Then there are places where you do not even sit down. Come in, call your coffee order, pick it up at the other end of the counter and leave. Presumably to go back to wherever you were before you came in the door and drink your coffee someplace else.

There are also places where you drive up and get your coffee or espresso coffee brew and drive off. They are becomming more and more common. I saw one at 1801 North Union, again in Colorado Springs. It was a small shack sitting in the middle of the parking lot of the shopping center there. The building, which I am guessing was the anchor store at one time, was empty and the coffee shack looked kind of funny sitting out there in the middle of the empty parking lot all by itself. I would say that the structure was about 4′ by 8′, if it was that big. Clearly there was no bathroom facilities, for the employee, and I wondered about how the water was supplied to the structure, to make the coffee.

All of these places are different; offer different experiences and attract different people for different reasons. But this phenomenom is not limited to coffee. It occurs in every industry around the globe. So why mention it? Because as a coffee drinker, the first place you go to might not be “your place”. Check out what your town has to offer. Your place might be the shack in the middle of the parking of that old, empty building, on the edge of town. Check them all out and see what appeals to you.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will answer you back. I hope you are enjoying a nice brew of coffee. Java Girl