Single cup coffee makes on the cheap

My first experience with the single cup coffee makers like Nespresso and Krueger was in an auto dealership. I was waiting for my car to be fixed and sitting in the waiting room. I saw this strange contraption in the corner and decided to investigate. To my surprise it was a coffee maker. For those of you who do not know I will explain how these machines work. You put in a little plastic capsule that looks kind of like one of those creamers they have on the tables in diners only bigger. The capsule has some kind of coffee in it and usually you can choose between a few different types. The machine makes you one cup of coffee then you pull out the spent capsule and toss it.

When I realized how this machine worked I immediately felt like it was way to wasteful. I mean, you are using all of this plastic up in a minute or so and then just tossing it right after. I couldn't in good conscience own one.

However, this morning I was poking around on the coffee blogs and came across a neat little video and I wanted to share it with you guys.

This technique not only eliminates most of the negative environmental impacts of using these machines, but I bet it saves you a lot of money as well. Also you can use any coffee you want and don't have to buy coffee just from companies that make the capsules... that means you could use Moka Joe Coffee.

Enjoy

Coffee Outdoors MMM

If you're like me then you love to camp. One problem I always run into is how to have fresh coffee while out in the woods. It is not always an easy question to answer. Most of the time I just settle for that instant stuff but hey, who am I kidding, that is probably the least flavorful way to prepare coffee. It is a solution of convenience. What I would really love is a way to brew real coffee fresh in the morning while out in the woods. So to solve my problem I did what any person now a days does to solve their problems, I turned to the internet and I found my answer after a short Google search.

Apparently there are several methods to get the fresh roasted coffee away from the kitchen, electricity, my trusty Mr. Coffee or any of those things in our homes we take for granted.

The first solution is one I should have thought of myself. Basically you can buy the part of the coffee maker that is essential without all the other stuff. I will show you what I am talking about...

This is a single cup coffee filter. Just put in the filter paper and coffee, put the cup underneath, pour hot water(just under boiling) through and Voila, you got yourself a fresh brewed cup of coffee that is much better than instant. 

But wait there's more...

You can also use and outdoor percolator. These are the old stand-by for making coffee while camping and they look like this

 Basically you put the coffee and the water in this guy and start heating it up. You have be careful not to boil you coffee because that is very easy to do with the percolator. Boiling also makes your coffee much less tasty. the basic measurements are 2 tbsp of coffee for every 6oz. of water. You also have the option of making the coffee very strong and then diluting it with hot water in order to serve more coffee to more people.

The final option is for those that love their espresso no matter where they are or what they are doing.

That's right its and outdoor espresso maker.

 first fill the base of the espresso maker to the level of the safety valve with cool water. Next, fill the filter funnel with fine ground coffee. Replace the filter and screw the spout section of the coffee maker onto the base. Place a cup beneath the spout and heat the espresso maker over low heat. Once the coffee has stopped flowing from the spout, the espresso is done brewing and the heat should be turned off. add milk (probably powdered) if you wish and Ta-Da you have espresso no matter where you are. Also I would just like to point out that if you are backpacking you had probably better use the classic blue cup with white speckles just to remain true to the backpacking tradition.

If you have anymore questions just Google outdoor coffee makers (or espresso makers) and you will have all the info you need

Enjoy!

Memorial Day Weekend

Hey the suns out! Wait not its not... IT'S Back!

This is what I will be saying all weekend I am sure of it. The forecast looks dreary in every sense of the word

the weather according to weather.com
(they outta know)

As you can see Bellingham will be at best partly cloudy. The forecast on Saturday breaks my heart as I wanted to enjoy sun while I walked around the Bellingham Farmers Market and sipped some delicious Moka Joe Coffee from Festival Espresso.

I suppose we will be experiencing the quintessential Washington coffee weather and I should probably be used to this by now but its suppose to be the first weekend of summer right. What the heck is going on.

I blame La Nina! its all her fault!

YEEEHHAAWWW Cowboy Brisket (with coffee of course)

This recipe comes courtesy of homecooking.about.com (which means some random poster) but if your like me you cannot resist anything recipe with the word cowboy in it.

"Back home we toss a horseshoe in the pot. Stands up straight, the coffee's ready"

Garlic, coffee, and apple cider vinegar flavor this slow-roasted beef brisket. Plan ahead to marinate overnight before cooking. The brisket may be made in advance and reheated.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds first cut brisket of beef
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced, divided use
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons bacon grease
• 1 cup strong black coffee, divided use
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Cut slits all over the brisket with a thin, sharp knife. Push the slivered garlic into the slits.

Place 1/4 of the slivered onions, crushed garlic, and vinegar in a large freezer ziptop bag. Squish to combine. Add the brisket to the bag, seal, and toss to evenly coat the meat. Unseal the bag, squeeze out all the air, reseal, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove brisket from the marinade, discarding marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat-high heat. When hot, add the bacon grease and swirl to coat the pan. Sear the brisket on both sides until browned, turning only once. Remove to a platter.

Add remaining onions to the same skillet. Saute until nicely browned, then add 1/2 of the coffee. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer onions and liquid to a shallow roasting casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom. Place brisket on top of the onions and season with salt and pepper. Add remaining coffee and water to the pan, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 250 F. and bake an additional 3 hours until very tender.

Slice thinly against the grain. Skim any fat from the liquid in the pan, then return brisket slices to the pan to coat. Serve hot.

The brisket may be made in advance and refrigerated in the pan juices. To reheat, cover with foil, and bake at 350 F. until warmed through.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

did you know tasting coffee was this involved?

First you have to smell it right after it is ground

Make sure you use a French press to get the full flavor

here is all the aspects you may taste

close up

another close up

Cafe Femenino

Here at Moka Joe Coffee we are proud of the coffee we offer. It is 100% fair-trade and organic and we believe these aspects make a difference not only in taste and quality but also in the way we take responsibility for the communities we interact with and purchase products from. It is for this reason that we offer Cafe Femenino coffee along with our other coffees.

But what is Cafe Femenino?

Well I will tell you. Cafe Femenino is a brand of whole sale Coffee which we buy and roast. The Coffee is produced exclusively by women farmers and the goal of the Cafe Femenino Group is to support these women by selling their coffee completely separately from other coffee producers. There are currently 464 farmers participating in the Cafe Femenino project. With the support of the group these women can afford to feed their families and send their children to school. This contributes to a better quality of life for farmers and their families.

Women in coffee producing countries are often disenfranchised by their cultural settings. In these coffee farming families there are usually minimal resources and because of this it is often the sons who are sent to school and educated while the daughters stay home performing household chores and tending the farm.

Cafe Femenino's website says this about their influence...

"Insufficient funds and a full spectrum of social problems have hindered attempts to intervene. But with the organic premiums paid and the Fair Trade premiums, we are now able to promote the organization of the female coffee farmers and their integration into social, political, and occupational organizations.

The hope is that by changing the roles of women we improve the quality of life in these communities and build a sustainable economic system." 

If you are interested in supporting the Cafe Femenino group you should look for their logo on the coffee you purchase. it looks like this

Of course it would probably be easier to just order it from us at www.shop.mokajoe.com either way you will be supporting coffee producing women that could really use the extra hand to improve their quality of life and the quality of life of their children. Also check out their website for more info at http://www.cafefemenino.com/

A trailer for what looks to be a Powerful Film

This looks to be a very eye opening and powerful film. and really shows why buying Fair-Trade products is so important for the farmers and producers.

Why Should You Drink Shade-Grown Coffee

If you're like me, you go to the grocery store without a specific idea about which products you want to buy. For example, I will know I want cereal but whether I will get corn flakes or Cheerios, I never know until I'm there. Or perhaps I know I want fruit but pears, apples, or oranges, it depends on which are of the best quality or which is on sale. When it comes to coffee I am the same way. I show up at the store and roam the aisles.

Eventually I make it to the coffee aisle and "Oh My God." there are so many choices. Sometimes I never know where to start. So how do you start making a selection. Well the first thing I do is decide what kind of coffee I want, French Roast or Breakfast Blend etc. Then I check for the organic and fair-trade coffee. Now, most people already know what organic and fair-trade mean and if they don't you can reason it out. However, the next classification that sometimes follows organic and fair-trade is shade grown. But what is the point of shade grown coffee?


Shade grown coffee is just what it sounds like, coffee grown under the forest canopy. Now you are probably saying to yourself..."Duh, obviously that is what shade grown means but what is the point or the advantage of it?" Well, shade grown coffee does not devastate the forests where it is farmed. it does not contribute to deforestation. Here is a picture and what Wikipedia has to say on the subject...

A Shade-Grown Coffee Plantation

"A canopy of assorted types of shade trees is created to cultivate shade-grown coffee. The traditional shade-grown coffee farm resembles a forest because it consists of several layers of trees, such as fruit and hardwood trees, epiphytes, and other assorted bushes and plants. As a result, up to 40 species of trees can be found on these farms, and contribute to the maintenance of soil quality and habitats for numerous species of animals and plants. One of the main arguments in support of shade-grown coffee is that it houses many species of birds. More specifically, shade-grown trees house two-thirds of the bird species found in natural forests in the same geographic areas.

Sun-grown coffee requires numerous chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to be added to promote growth. This also contributes to toxic water runoff and lack of habitat for many species. In contrast to the previous information regarding birds, sun-grown coffee provides shelter for less than one-tenth of bird species."

You can see that there are many advantages to making sure your coffee is shade grown. especially if you care about your environmental impact.
 

A Traditional Coffee Plantation

Because coffee trees that are planted in the sun can be much more productive than shade grown trees large scale farms and agribusiness choose to plant trees out in the open. This creates more coffee in a shorter period of time. However, this coffee is not only less environmentally friendly but the sun effects the taste of the coffee. Non-shade grown coffee has more of an acidic taste. For these reasons it is preferable to spend a little extra coin for the "good stuff"

So the next time you are perusing the coffee aisle remember to look for shade grown coffee. Moka Joe Coffee is not only 100% organic and fair-trade, it is also shade grown and bird friendly. After all, who doesn't wanna be bird friendly.You can get some for yourself at our website www.shop.mokajoe.com

Check out this antique coffee paraphernalia

Old hand cranked coffee grinder. I am happy that mine has a plug.

Supposedly this was the original espresso machine at the original Starbucks... Talk about history.

Very old-school coffee pot. Ill stick with my trusty Mr. Coffee thanks! (how does this even work?)

More antique grinders.

 I thought it would be cool to feature a little coffee history, aren't you glad its not so hard to make a latte anymore. These would be fun pieces to use as decoration though.(but it bet they are expensive)

French Press To Go?

This is definitely a cool and novel idea and it will probably make this company a bit of money but it seems so wasteful. Do we really need another type of disposable coffee cup (on with more parts that is more complicated.) I mean if you want a cup of french press coffee to go... order a cup of french press coffee to go. The barista will make a regular pot of french press coffee then pour it into a to go cup for you. easy-peasy.

I think the real cool idea here is a French Press Cup... lets make a reusable one! that I would buy and it seems like it could be made just as easily as this, just make a ceramic version. It would also be infinitely more useful than just a new type of lid. Come on guys!

===============================================================
Edit

Okay so right after posting that I went searching (it didn't take me long) and I found this... There are a huge amount of french press travel mugs available at pretty much any store that sells regular travel mugs. This makes the above invention a little useless. Maybe they should make a reusable french press lid for those disposable coffee mugs but you can still just get french press coffee made and poured into a disposable cup or travel mug. I don't know what do you guys think?

Cherry Nut Coffee Cake Recipe

Here is a tasty sounded coffee cake from allrecipes.com. I bet it would go great with a hot cup of Moka Joe Sumatra.

Enjoy

Ingredients

• Topping:
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds or other chopped nuts
• Cake:
• 3/4 cup Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 medium eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• Glaze:
• Milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with CRISCO® No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. For topping, combine sugar and flour in small bowl. Mix in Butter Flavor CRISCO® Shortening until crumbly.
3. For cake, cream Butter Flavor CRISCO® Shortening, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
4. Spread half the batter in greased pan. Cover with half the cherry pie filling, spreading as evenly as possible. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with nuts and topping mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until top is brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool until slightly warm or to room temperature.
6. For glaze, add enough milk (about 1 tablespoon) to confectioners' sugar to make desired consistency. Stir in almond extract. Drizzle over cake.

The art of the coffee stain

While poking around on the web this afternoon I ran across a very interesting trend. A lot of sites have been posting coffee stain art. Some of these submissions are stains made with coffee cup rings, some are paintings with coffee and brush. Either way, I found some cool pieces. I continue to be amazed at people's creativity and originality on the web and off.

enjoy!

http://www.3roadsmedia.com/blog/101-incredible-and-useful-photoshop-brush-sets/?replytocom=52

http://canteen.tumblr.com/post/1516689901/design-challenge-2-coffee-stain-art

http://canteen.tumblr.com/post/1516689901/design-challenge-2-coffee-stain-art

http://acavill.com/2006/11/15/the-coffee-solution/

http://canteen.tumblr.com/post/1516689901/design-challenge-2-coffee-stain-art

Honestly that last one is my favorite.

Some tips and tricks to make your coffee be all it can be!

This article comes from Phil Lempert of supermarketguru.com and is chocked full of good advice.

Coffee Tips as Prices Rise

Baristas and coffee aficionados worldwide bring style, ceremony, and coffee-making theories to each cup they make, but all agree on one thing: the freshest bean makes the best grind which begets the freshest-tasting coffee. Sounds easy enough, but what are the guidelines for the freshest cup, especially at a time when coffee prices are at the highest they have been in years? Here’s the SupermarketGuru’s Freshness 101, making each cup really worth it.

Buy Small and Buy Often
In an ideal world, you might roast the beans at home for the ultimate in freshness but that’s a difficult and often time-consuming process. The easier route is to buy coffee in small quantities and use promptly. Even though the flavor of coffee begins to fade after roasting, beans will certainly stay fresh for several weeks, especially if kept in a can or canister with a tight-fitting lid, away from heat, light, and dampness.

Grind the Beans Yourself
Grinding beans only when you need them avoids staleness, contributes to a more flavorful cup, and of course, offers you the indelible fragrance that whets the appetite of even the most blasé coffee drinker.
Use the Right Grinder for the Brew
Use a burr grinder, which is better for grinding the beans evenly in size and texture. This is a key to releasing the volatile flavor oils into the cup. Blade grinders are best for coffees that can benefit from their “smashing” technique, namely Turkish coffees or some Chemex pots.

Choose the Brewer that YOU Like Best
It’s your palate, your satisfaction, and your enjoyment that count (and by the way your money!), so if you like that ‘50s percolator taste, go for it. If it’s a French press, automatic drip pot, or the battered metal moka you’ve had since college, stick by it. Nobody knows what type of coffee brew tastes best to you more than you!

Use the Right Filter
Using filters? Buy the best if you like paper ones to avoid clogging, or opt out of paper (and its waste) and go for the gold, a Swiss gold filter that has very fine holes that do not clog, rinse easily, and can be used for years.

Use Good Water
The choices for water are wide and wonderful these days: purifiers that fit on your kitchen sink faucet, bottled spring water delivered right to your door, and “gourmet” spring waters available at your local grocer. Waters to avoid are soft waters, regular tap water in most communities, and distilled waters. Remember, the freshest-tasting cup relies on the water as well as the bean.

Temperature Matters
Boiling-hot coffee burns the tongue and the fingers holding a cup, so imagine what it does to the bean. Forget about boiling (212°F) water, which cooks the grinds. Instead, use slightly cooler water from (195 to 200°F). If the water boils, take it off the heat, let it cool down about five minutes to the recommended temperatures, then brew as usual.

Timing Is Essential
The one criterion important to all brewing methods is to make only the amount that you will drink now, and re-brew as desired. Believe us, the extra effort to brew more often is worth it and respectful to the bean! Keeping that pot on the burner for more than 18 minutes only means one thing: instead of warming the brew it burns it. In fact, most coffee tastes freshest when consumed within 10 minutes of its brewing.

Use Enough Coffee!
Although this isn't technically about freshness, using the right amount of coffee gives you the best, deepest, most flavorful cup. Don't be stingy. You're worth the best. Two level tablespoons to a six-ounce cup or four level tablespoons to a twelve-ounce mug will be perfect for most palates. Adjust to your taste.

Keep Your Tools Clean
Nothing can contaminate all your best efforts better than a dirty pot or cup. Residue from the oils and the grinds builds up in mugs, filters, and brewers, so take the time to clean your tools regularly. Your coffee will definitely taste better, richer and fresher!

and remember for the best coffee you should probably get it from Moka Joe Coffee. Hey you can even order from our website at shop.mokajoe.com

until next time

cheers and enjoy

Should coffee shops turn off the WiFi?

While clicking through the various other Seattle area coffee blogs, searching for inspiration this morning, I came across an interesting debate. That was, should there be WiFi in coffee shops? The first thing I thought was "Yeah of course there should be!" I mean if people couldn't access the internet in coffee shops how would they get any work done there, but then it occurred to me (mostly because I read more of the blog posts and understood the argument better). Maybe people shouldn't be going to coffee shops to "get work done". A coffee shop should be a place of COMMUNITY interaction.(that is, local community not web community)

When WiFi first became available to the public, coffee shops were naturally one of the original public WiFi spaces. I mean who doesn't want to sip their coffee and cruise the web,  read blogs and check out whats happening around town. However, these days free WiFi is everywhere. You can get it in McDonald's with your BigMac for Pete's sake. (who is pete anyway)

So now some of our local coffee shops are championing a return to the simpler, WiFi-less times. Some of these crazy places think that people in their shops should be meeting each other, talking and sharing stories FACE TO FACE. An outrageous idea I know, but it is one that might catch on.

One of the problems with this is that a lot of customers do not want to go to coffee shops without free WiFi. So when these shops ax the internet they are also axing a good chunk of their customer base.

It's hard to say if a coffee shop would be better with or without internet access. In my opinion people would be better if they could just turn off the computer every once and awhile and talk to their neighbor face to face. In my experience, however, this might just be wishful thinking to the point of foolishness.

Anyway here is a video which sums up pretty much everything I just said.

Enjoy

Home Roasting

Should you roast your own coffee beans at home? If you are like me you never even considered doing it. It seems like it would be complicated or require a bunch of equipment. This is not true however.

There are several advantages to roasting your coffee beans at home. The first advantage (and the one that makes the most difference) is the freshness and taste of home roasted beans. Usually when you buy coffee beans at the grocery store you have no idea how fresh they are or how far they traveled to get to your local coffee isle (this is not only unsustainable it doesn't taste as good either). Once coffee is roasted it starts to lose its freshness after just 24 hours, while green unroasted beans can last anywhere from 2-6 months. The difference between a freshly roasted cup of coffee and a cup made with less fresh beans is astounding. You truly have not tasted coffee until you have had it freshly roasted. Another good reason to roast at home is the money you will save. green beans are cheaper than roasted beans and you don't need any special equipment to roast coffee at home. You can use a converted popcorn popper or a bread maker or you can just use a good old fashioned frying pan. here is a video showing how simple it is to home roast your coffee beans.

Just remember that if you don't have time to roast your own coffee, Moka Joe Coffee is the next best thing.

Cheers

Fair trade makes a difference

watch this video from the fair trade foundation's youtube channel. It shows the real difference fair trade makes to small farmers and producers and gives personal accounts from farmers in low income farming communities.

Very interesting

Why You Should Buy a French Press

Do you love coffee? you probably do if you're reading this blog. Well every coffee lover should try french press coffee at least once. Even the coffee curious can benefit from the advantages a french press offers. First thing is first however. What is a french press? If you don't know I will explain. A french press is a certain type of coffee maker and it looks like this...

You mix your ground coffee beans with hot water inside the french press, let it brew for about 5 minutes then you press (hence the name) the plunger down to separate the grounds from the now brewed coffee and Ta-Da, french press coffee.

So what are the advantages of brewing coffee in this way? well there are several. First, and most obvious, you don't have to bother with that old Mr. Coffee that has been on your counter for years. I don't know about you but I just hate having to pour water down the back of these things, I seem to always make a mess somehow.

Second, no more coffee filters. Not only do coffee filters cost money and degrade the environment they also make your coffee not as tasty. Not only are coffee filters somewhat annoying (at least for me) but they actually take away from your coffee's flavor. Coffee filters soak up some of the essential oils from the beans that should be adding to the taste of your morning joe.

Third, you no longer have to brew up and entire pot of coffee even if you only want one or two cups. With a french press you only brew the amount of coffee you want because you can ad as much or as little water as you want.

Finally, a french press coffee maker doesn't have to just make coffee. That's right. A french press can also be used to brew tea. Just replace the coffee grounds with loose leaf tea and you'll be enjoying your hot beverage in no time.

All in all the french press is a wonderful thing to have in your kitchen. Oh and by the way, it makes coffee when the power is out, see if your Mr. Coffee can do that.

There are so many uses for coffee.

Here is a wonderful way to use that little bit of extra Moka Joe Coffee you have lying around. This recipe comes form the website ilovecoffee.com which has has all sorts of coffee related content. from how to actually grow your own coffee plants to light-hearted coffee comic strips and pretty much everything in between. 

Now, when I go looking around the web for a new and interesting ways to use your Moka Joe Coffee, I usually only find dessert recipes. You know, tiramisu or espresso brownies, that sort of thing. So when I came across this coffee beef stew recipe I was pleasantly surprised not only to have found a non-dessert recipe but also a recipe that looked extraordinarily tasty and I decided it needed to be shared. So here you are, Coffee Beef Stew by J.B. Bulharowski. Enjoy!

Coffee Beef Stew Recipe

by J.B. Bulharowski

Summary: Recipe to make a beef stew with a coffee inspired broth.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs. Beef Chuck, Cut Into 1 1/2″ Cubes
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Peppercorns (Whole)
• 2 Tablespoons Fat (or Mix Of Fat & Butter), Heated Almost To Smoking
• 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika Dash Allspice Or Cloves 2 Cups Boiling Water, Or 1/2 water & strong leftover coffee or stock
• 1/2 Lb. Carrots, Cut In 1/2″ pieces
• 2 Potatoes, Cut In 1/2″ pieces
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (Optional)
• 1 Each Turnip, Parsnip, Rutabaga, Cut In 1/2″ pieces
• 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Celery Stalks, Cut In 1/2″ pieces
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Sprig Thyme, Fresh If Possible
• 1 Clove Garlic, Sliced
• 1 Handful Fresh Parsley
• 1 Medium Onion, Sliced In Half Moons
• Dumplings: (Optional)
• 1-2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Cups Biscuit Mix
• 1 Tablespoon Salt, Seasoned Type
• 2/3 Cups Milk

Instructions

1. To season and flour the meat, put the beef and a little seasoned flour in a paper sack or plastic bag; shake until coated in batches, and the job is done! Continue with the recipe. There is one suggestion here, if you opt to cook this in a crockpot, rather than on the stovetop, take the time to brown the meat carefully for the reason cited in the next sentence. Brown meat on all sides in hot fat, turning often, letting a nice fond develop. Fond is the brown bits accumulated on the bottom of a crockpot during the browning process. Liquid is then added to "deglaze" the pan and form a concentrated flavoring. This step enhances formulation of a great complex, flavorful final product.
2. Add water (liquid of your choice, coffee water, stock, to measure 4 cups), lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, sliced onion, bay leaves and seasonings. Cover, and simmer, do not boil, for two (2) hours stirring occasionally to keep the mix from sticking. Remove bay leaves, peppercorns and any other whole seasonings you’ve included. Add carrots and onions. If carrots are large, halve or quarter. Cubed potatoes may also be added. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender. Remove meat and veggies, thicken liquid for gravy, if desired. Garnish with some chopped parsley.
3. Gravy: Skim most of fat from stew liquid. For 3 cups liquid, put ½ cup water in a shaker or mason jar with a top, add ¼ cup A.P. flour, shaking until smooth. Add the flour mixture slowly to the meat stock, stirring constantly until gravy bubbles all over. Cook about 5 minutes more, stirring often. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Cooking time (duration): 150 min

Diet (other): High protein

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

Moka Joe is Roasting for you!

Check out this coffee all packed up and ready to ship out!
Yum
Look for Moka Joe in your local grocery store or Seattle area QFC

Earth Day 2011, Love your mother!

That's right today, April 22, is Earth Day 2011.

Earth Day was started in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and since has spread from the United States across the world. In 1990 Earth Day was recognized and celebrated in countries across the world and in this spirit of cooperation, mountain climbers from China, The Soviet Union and the United States climbed Mt. Everest (this was the first expedition to the summit with climbers from all 3 nations). The Mountaineers cleaned up trash from previous expeditions all the way to the top, and moved it down off the Mountain.

Since 1990 the Earth Day tradition has gained even more global support but there are ways that any individual can participate without having to climb Mt. Everest. For example,

Start a compost pile in your back yard. This is and easy way to help the environment in several ways. Composting is not only good for the planet but it is good for your garden as well. You don't need to buy expensive potting soil when you have a compost pile. Just take all you kitchen scraps and yard waste, put them in your compost pile and in several weeks you will have compost that is chocked full of nutrients plants love.

Take the bus or carpool to work. this will save you gas money (and lets be honest, with gas prices hovering around 4 dollars this is a good idea even when its not Earth Day). Carpooling/bus riding also cuts down on harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.

You can even do something as easy as replacing all the light bulbs in your house with energy efficient bulbs. This just takes a quick trip to your local hardware store and will save you money on your energy bill all year round.

Whatever you do to celebrate earth day this year just remember to love your mother!

What exactly does Fair Trade mean?

Check out this quick little video in which and author talks about the benefits of purchasing fair trade coffee and why people should spend a little extra effort to make sure the products they buy are fair trade.
Very informative and remember you can always find fair trade coffee at our Website
-Cheers

Moka Joe is all over town

Inside our roasting location on James St.

Downtown Bellingham, off Railroad Ave. between Holly and Magnolia

At the Coffee Junction Cafe inside Fairhaven Station

At the Lightcatcher Cafe inside the Whatcom Museum.

Our picture is everywhere around Bellingham. This just goes to show this community is a big part of us and we are a part of this community. Look for the Moka Joe label around town, typically it is in place that are serving amazing Fair Trade and 100% organic coffee and espresso. (or on the sides of random buildings!)

Coffee can help you garden.

That's right, not only does Moka Joe Coffee taste amazing, it can now help your garden flourish. I know what you're thinking, "Does caffeine act like miracle grow and energize my plants?" Well the truth is no. the caffeine is not what I am talking about.

Coffee will actually repeal garden pests. just mix some coffee grounds in with the soil around your plants and it will repeal ants, snails, slugs and even stray cats. Just take your used grounds from the morning pot of coffee and sprinkle them around the plants that need protecting. This is a great natural way to keep your plants healthy without using harmful chemicals.

Coffee can also be used as a fertilizer for most garden plants. Coffee grounds are full of nutrients that plants need to grow healthy and strong. There are several ways that you can use coffee to fertilize. The first way is to mix your used coffee grounds in with the soil before you water. the water helps break down the coffee grounds and makes it easy for plants to suck up that nutrients with the water. Another way is to dilute the remainder of your morning pot of coffee and use it to water your house plants. Either way you will be feeding you plants valuable nutrients, not spending any extra money and not using harmful or toxic chemicals. Sounds like a good idea to me

And remember, you can always get Moka Joe Coffee from you local North West QFC store. Moka Joe is always 100 % organic and fair trade.

When you buy Moka Joe Coffee you make a difference to women in our community

Moka Joe Coffee is committed to making a difference in the lives of women near and far. We sell Cafe Femenino coffee which is grown exclusively by women in coffee farming communities. these women receive a premium for the coffee which contributes to an increasing standard of living and helps these women meet their basic needs and the needs of their children.

In addition to this support given to women in the coffee growing communities Moka Joe Coffee also strives to make a difference closer to home. We do this by donating 2% of our quarterly sales of the Cafe Femenino coffee to Dorothy's Place in Bellingham. Dorothy's Place is local shelter for single women and women with children. The shelter has 21 apartments where survivors of domestic violence can stay. In addition Dorothy's place also provides phone and internet access to homeless women and children.

You can help us support these fine organizations by purchasing our Cafe Femenino brand coffee at the Bellingham Food Coop or on our website at shop.mokajoe.com

WFC Rangers fund raiser

The Whatcom Football Club Rangers are putting on a fund raiser right now to raise money for the soccer season but these athletes are not selling cookies like the girl scouts. Instead the Rangers are selling Moka Joe Coffee. I think this is a great idea, not only is Moka Joe Coffee 100% organic and fair trade certified, it tastes amazing too.

Moka Joe Coffee is providing the beans to the rangers at a steep discount so that the team can turn around and make a good amount of money during the fundraiser. This is another example of how Moka Joe Coffee is dedicated to supporting the community and the people in it.

And remember, you can always get yourself some tasty Moka Joe Coffee, freshly roasted at our 2118 James St. location in Bellingham WA. or order some online right here. Moka Joe Coffee

Coffee, It's not just for drinking anymore

Did you know that apart from tasting amazing, coffee can also help keep odors under control? That's right, You can use coffee beans to take down trashcan, laundry room, bathroom and even shoe odors. Just take an old sock or nylon and fill it with coffee beans (of course you will use Moka Joe beans because they are 100% organic and Fair Trade) then just hang the deodorizer anywhere in the house that is getting a little funky and ta-da, not only will the room smell like coffee for a week or so but after that the beans will continue to absorb dank and musty smells for even longer. You can also use this trick for the kitchen trashcan, just stash some beans in the bottom and say goodbye to your smelly garbage for good or leave some beans in your shoes overnight to have them smelling fresh by morning.

Don't every spend money on one of those flowery deodorizing spray cans again. After all, Coffee smells much better.

Moka Joe gets a great review

A review blog http://www.krameymartinreviews.blogspot.com/ gave the Moka Joe Coffee Decaf blend a great review, take a look...

"Krameymartin asked me to try Moka Joe's Decaf coffee last week. The few times I've had decaf did not produce good memories, but I took the challenge. I was surprised from the moment I ground the first beans. The aroma was pleasant, comparable to those 'big name' brands. But the taste was even better. A smooth, even flavor from the initial sip to the the last drop with a subtle chocolately, nutty flavor. I'm now a convert and continue to start my day 'sans caffeine.' I recommend you take a taste and see for yourself." 

-Guy, resident Krameymartin coffee expert

And remember you can always get your hands on some of this delicious coffee by ordering from our website http://www.mokajoe.com/ or check out the info tab on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/Moka-Joe-Coffee/174869720422) to find a list of grocery stores and markets that sell our wonderful product

-Cheers

every Friday at 1pm

 

Swing by any friday at 1pm and experience on of Moka Joe's cuppings.

Try some of our delicious coffee and if you like go ahead and purchase

as much as you want

Always 100% organic

Always fair trade

Fair Trade products are gaining support!

According to this article on www.Businessnewsdaily.com The number of Fair Trade products available in your grocery store has been steadily increasing over the last few years and is projected to continue to rise.

read the article here...
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/fair-trade-mainstream-groceries-1071/

Here at Moka Joe Coffee we are committed to continue offering our customers great tasting 100% organic and free trade coffee roasted locally right here in Bellingham, WA. We want to thank all of you for continuing to support us in our efforts to roast and sell great coffee responsibly. We are committed to providing you with the best coffee you have ever tasted in an ethical and socially responsible way.


Please continue to support companies selling fair trade certified products and look for Moka Joe Coffee in your local grocery store or order a bag from our website www.Mokajoe.com.

And be sure to look for us very soon in your local QFC store!

Coffee Drinkers Rejoice

According to a study published in Stroke: The Journal of the American Heart Association, drinking coffee actually provides health benefits. This is wonderful. now not only do you get to enjoy your morning cup of coffee but you can rest easy knowing that the coffee is also reducing your risk of stroke.

Read the article yourself here...
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/15/studies-show-coffee-drinkers-get-health-perks/

The study followed 35,000 women ages 49 to 85 for 10 years and found that drinking one or more cups of coffee a day effectively lowers the risk of stroke by about 25%

Other recent studies have found that not only does drinking coffee lower the risk of stroke, coffee also reduces your chance of gallstones, liver disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even some types of cancer.

This is great news for anyone who loves coffee. So drink up and enjoy. Just remember that you can get quality 100% organic fair trade coffee from Moka Joe and not only will you love the full bodied taste and aroma but your will also be doing you body a favor

Coffee Drinkers Rejoice!

Some of our wonderful staff roasting coffee for you to enjoy!

Our First Post

Hello, we are Moka Joe. Our passion is to produce 100% organic free trade coffee. We are committed to providing tasty coffee that not only enriches the lives of our customers and brings them joy but also creates a sustainable source of income for the farmers we purchase from. We are located in Bellingham, Wa and sell our coffee to local retailers and grocery stores. Look for us in your neighborhood grocer. Thanks all