A Nice Cuppa

Grande Non-Fat White Mocha: The Gift Card

Erin Nichols — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:00:22 +0000

Whomever said gift cards were impersonal presents obviously hasn’t heard about the brand new offer from Starbucks. This holiday season, you can create customized gift cards for your family and friends that will undoubtedly bring a huge smile to their face. The customization goes beyond your basic choice of adorable illustrations. You now have the opportunity to immortalize your signature drink spelled out on a Starbucks cup, or marked off in the “secret language” of Baristas via those little boxes.

You can also create a cartoon of your recipient and place them in various settings, or finally you have the opportunity to add a highly personalized message to your card. Perhaps you can thank them for being a great sister or remind them about the time they stole your Barbie and chopped off her hair. The possibilities are endless.

Best of all, it can be done from the comfort of your own home. So avoid the insane mall parking lots and surly shoppers and get the coffee lovers in your life something they’ll really use. There is a $4 fee added onto the dollar value you apply to the card. This covers processing, printing, and shipping, but since a lame greeting card costs that much anyway I think it’s a small price to pay for being a highly original gift giver.

Have a Caffeinated Christmas!

Erin Nichols — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:00:32 +0000

As my boyfriend pointed out to me the other day, it’s now officially the holiday season as Starbucks stores all over the world have broken out their signature red cups. For the next few months, we’ll all be able to brighten our mornings and drag ourselves into the office with steaming hot Egg Nog, Gingerbread, and Peppermint Mocha lattes.

In addition, we’ll all have the opportunity to purchase limited edition Christmas Blend coffee beans. People are apparently obsessed with this stuff. I’ve never had the pleasure of trying a cup so I may have to pick a pound up and see what all of the fuss is about. In the meantime, Starbucks has also released a limited edition Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mocha version of their bottled Frappuccino drink. I saw it advertised in the Target flyer on Sunday morning so I suspect it’s readily available for you to stock up on. After all, what if you get snowed in? Be prepared! No one wants to go through the horrors of Starbucks withdrawal!

The Latte Fairy

Erin Nichols — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:00:04 +0000

Once upon a time I received a Starbucks gift card and I used it diligently to purchase Grande White Chocolate Mochas and Venti Cinnamon Dolce lattes until the balance reached zero and I tossed it out. Unfortunately a few weeks later I received a note from Starbucks stating that they had added $5 to my gift card. Instead of being excited about the prospect of a free latte I was annoyed as that card was long gone.

Fast forward to a few days ago when this anecdote was pushed back into my memory after reading a post about money being added to registered Starbucks card via the Starbuck’s Gossip website. And I wondered… had I registered that card? I quickly logged into starbucks.com and happily discovered that I had and it even showed the infamous $5 balance still intact. After reading through the FAQ, I learned that I can call Starbucks customer service to receive a replacement card. How cool is that?! So the moral of the story is to hang onto those used gift cards and always register them. You never know when the latte fairy will strike again!

Sing a Song of Starbucks

Erin Nichols — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:00:44 +0000

I know that people have very strong feelings about brands like Apple and Starbucks, inevitably you either love them or hate them. Personally I’m a lover not a hater and I’m not entirely sure if I could survive my work day without frequent white mocha and passion fruit iced tea excursions.

Now Apple and Starbucks have partnered to offer you an even bigger incentive to stop by for a latte. Coming soon to a Starbucks near you, you’ll be able to receive free Wi-Fi access to the iTunes Store and the Starbucks “Now Playing” content via your iPod touch, an iPhone, or a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed on it. This means you can shop for music while you wait in line. In addition, if you happen to love the song currently playing in the store you’ll be able to access the title and artist info, as well as purchase it on the spot via a nifty Starbucks button that will appear on your particular device. This feature will also offer a detail of the last 10 songs played in the store and a special section dedicated to music from the Starbucks collections. I’ve got my iPhone poised and ready to download? How about you?!

This feature rolls out next month in the following cities and will be available in most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. by the end of 2008.

New York — October 2, 2007
Seattle — October 2, 2007
San Francisco Bay Area — November 7, 2007
Los Angeles — February 2008
Chicago — March 2008

Don’t worry, if you don’t own a wireless device you aren’t going to be left out of the fun. Starbucks and Apple will be offering numerous promotions to kick off their new wireless venture. Including, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw.com), 1.5 million “Song of the day” cards to be distributed across 10,000 locations. Each card will provide a free single from predetermined artists such as Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews for you to use on iTunes.

So I guess now you can get your coffee buzz and download it too.

Tealuxe is “Tea-riffic”

Erin Nichols — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:00:29 +0000

One of my favorite places to buy loose leaf tea and accompanying accessories is Tealuxe. My boyfriend discovered Tealuxe a few months prior to our move back to Boston. Since then I’ve purchased items from their online store, as well as in person at their Harvard Square location, and I’m totally smitten. We’re tea drinking fiends these days.

Currently on hand in our kitchen are the following tantalizing flavors: Moroccan Mint, Orange Echinacea, Royal Coconut, Raspberry Earl Grey, Apple Pie, White Blueberry, and the piece de resistance: Lady Londonderry (which is my new personal favorite and supposedly the favorite of the late Princess Diana as well). Lady Londonderry is a black tea with hints of lemon and strawberry. Are you drooling yet?

In addition to the location in Harvard Square, there are also Tealuxe stores on Newbury Street, as well as in Providence, Rhode Island. According to the website, new franchises will also be opening soon in Tampa Florida, Tempe Arizona, and also on Long Island.

If all of the amazing and varied choices at Tealuxe have left you feeling overwhelmed and confused, you can also utilize their helpful web resources to find a tea that’s right for you. These resources include a best selling tea list, a short quiz that offers tea recommendations after you answer a few succinct questions, and even a comprehensive detail of all available teas broken down by category (mint, herbal, relaxing, spicy etc.).

This Fall, Tealuxe will offer a Tea 101 Class at the Newbury Street location. For $25, you’ll receive education on the history of tea, a tea tasting, information on the health benefits of tea, a question and answer session, and tea samples to take home and enjoy on your own. For more information, including dates and times, you can email the Tea Academy or call the Newbury Street location at 617.927.0400. Sounds like a “tea-riffic” time to me!

Tea and Coffee Trinkets

Erin Nichols — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:26:14 +0000

The always irreverent online store Threadless is having a $10 T-Shirt sale until September 3rd including this swanky Earl Grey shirt. Admit it, it’s totally calling to you! Plus you’ll be the envy of all your tea sipping friends.

If you’re in the market for a cute new cup for your morning Chamomile indulgence at the office than Wrapables has just the thing. Check out these brightly colored mugs with darling tea inspired words and definitions. They also come adorably packaged and would definitely make a great gift. Each mug is inscribed as follows: Creativitea: n. having more creative ability while drinking tea. Tranquilitea: n. a state of peace while drinking tea. Simplicitea: n. the appreciation of life’s little moments while drinking tea. Sinceritea: n. the quality of being open and truthful while drinking tea. Serenitea: n. the absence of stress while drinking tea. Prosperitea: n. the condition of having good fortune while drinking tea.

In case you missed it, Starbucks has pumpkin spice items back on the menu for Fall. I totally broke down and splurged on a frappuccino this afternoon and as soon as the weather turns cold I’m sure I’ll find myself ordering pumpkin spice lattes on a daily basis. Who can resist all of that lovely cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove infused espresso. I get giddy just thinking about it.

Get Your Gardening Gloves Ready

Erin Nichols — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 06:00:54 +0000

I may have found a new hobby. While thumbing through my copy of You Grow Girl the other day I came across Gayla Trail’s section that details the steps involved in making your very own Tea Garden. Since my mini herb gardens have managed to stay alive this summer I think I might possibly be up to this new horticultural challenge, especially as tea herbs are notoriously hearty. This is very reassuring to me as I was born with the distinct lack of a “green thumb.”

The chapter on Tea Gardening outlines a brief introduction on the “hot factor” surrounding tea these days as well as a breakdown of the various herbs you should grow for a variety of personal tea needs. This includes lavender, catnip, and lemon balm for sleep and relaxation. Stevia, mint, and lemon verbena if you’re craving a cup of “sweet and tasty” tea or perhaps nettle and rose hips if something a little more healing is in order. Apparently even dill has properties that can sooth an upset stomach and stimulate appetite. For crafty folks there’s a mini pattern and directions detailing how to sew your own tea bags from muslin. I think a supply trip to Target for seeds and cute pots is definitely in order for the weekend. If you don’t currently own the amazing You Grow Girl guide there are plenty of online resources that will a ssist you in your tea gardening efforts. Happy growing!

The Tea Experience

Erin Nichols — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 06:00:40 +0000

The Tea Experience, the latest publication from TeaTime magazine, offers a smashing array of recipes and images from tea rooms across the country that would make even the Queen herself drool (if Queens actually did such things). It’s a bit heavy on the Southern tea establishments (13 reviews to 5 actually) as the majority of the travelogues do seem to reside in the lower 48 states, but they did include a lovely write-up on the Martin House Inn in Nantucket. We’re big on tea in New England too, you know! It might have something to do with that whole fancy “Tea Party” that happened in Boston Harbor a few hundred years ago…

This elegant book is the perfect gift for your favorite tea aficionado or maybe even your foodie office mate. Each tart, scone, and savory quiche recipe turned my thoughts to envy as it occurred to me that I’ll never be able to pull off such a decadent display even if Martha Stewart held me at spatula point.

When I was a kid, tea parties were totally my thing. I’d line up dolls and stuffed animals around the coffee table and serve each toy liberally from my Fisher Price tea set. Through the wonders of google I can assure you that the image to your left is exactly what “little Erin” used to force feed tap water and Ritz crackers to a wide array of stuffed cats and Cabbage Patch kids. Obviously Ritz crackers just aren’t going to cut it in the Hors D’oeuvres and Canapés department anymore so I decided to give the White Chocolate Raspberry bars, as featured in the section detailing The Ladies of Lucerne Tea Room, a go.

Tea is a leisurely activity, and honestly this is a leisurely (read time consuming) recipe. Thankfully these sinful bars taste so amazing (how can you possibly go wrong when your main ingredients are a stick of butter and almost a pound of white chocolate slathered in Raspberry jam) that you forget all about slaving over a hot stove the moment you take a bite. I paired mine with a piping hot cup of Raspberry Early Grey and promptly died and went to heaven. Now that’s what I call a “tea experience!”

White Chocolate Raspberry Bars
Makes 12 Bars

1/2 cup butter
1 (12 ounce package vanilla milk morsels or 2 (6-ounce) packages white baking bars, chopped and divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur or almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Garnish: fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch square pan.
2. In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add 1 cup vanilla milk morsels. Let stand; do not stir.
3. In large bowl and using electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until lemon-colored. Stir in butter mixture. Add flour, salt, and amaretto; mix at low speed until just combined. Spread half of batter (about 1 cup) in pan. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. In small saucepan over low heat, melt jam. Spread evenly over warm, partially baked crust.
5. Stir 1 cup vanilla milk morsels into remaining batter. Gently spoon teaspoonfuls of remaining batter over jam. (Some jam may show through batter). Sprinkle with almonds.
6. Return to oven; bake additional 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Garnish serving plate or individual bars with fresh raspberries, if desired.