I am simply amazed at the variety of coffee lovers’ gift baskets that are available today. One of my real coffee-loving friends had an upcoming birthday, and I had determined that I would send him a gift basket made up of coffee and coffee items. We had shared many cups of coffee over the years, and it seemed like an appropriate and thoughtful gift for my old friend.

The idea sounded simple enough, I thought. I would just go online, find a nice coffee gift basket and have it sent to him. Problem solved! That was before I discovered how many choices there were available. It was a mind-boggling array.

I had the option of choosing a gift basket that was already made up and consisted of a variety of gourmet coffees. I had the option of choosing a gift basket that I could determine which coffees would be included. I could give my friend a membership in one of many “coffee-of-the-month” clubs that would provide him with a different gourmet coffee each month of the year.

I could choose coffee gift baskets with coffee that was already ground, or I could choose a coffee gift basket that consisted of a variety of coffee beans and a coffee grinder so he could grind the coffee himself. There were even coffee gift baskets that included an espresso coffee maker and espresso coffee cups along with the coffee. What to choose, what to choose? I had thought this coffee gift basket idea was going to be easy! Well, ordering was easy, but deciding WHAT to order was anything but easy.

I finally made a choice. I chose a coffee gift basket that had a variety of gourmet coffees in single serving packages so that he would enjoy trying different coffees from around the world and now I have a long list of future gift ideas for my friend.

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You might have visions of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street when you think about coffee with chicory.  The coffee served in New Orleans and all of south Florida comes in two flavors; with and without chicory. The coffee is always strong, and only tourists add anything to the coffee. It is usually served in demitasse cups (4 ounces).

Some people mistakenly believe that the coffee with chicory is stronger and bitterer tasting than coffee without chicory, but that is a misconception. Chicory makes the coffee blacker, but it does not make it stronger or bitterer. Actually, the chicory makes the coffee a little less bitter and a tad sweeter.

Chicory leaves have long been used as a salad green all over the country. They have a distinctive and pleasant taste and add another dimension to green salads that many people find very enjoyable. Chicory root is the part of the plant that is used to make the chicory that is used in coffee. It is kiln-dried and ground. Chicory has no caffeine, and coffee that contains chicory actually has less caffeine than coffee without caffeine.

The people in south Louisiana didn’t discover chicory. Chicory has been around for more than 4,000 years. It is mentioned in writings dated to the days of Cleopatra and Napoleon. These ancient writings praise chicory and extol its medicinal properties. It is said to work wonders on the digestive tract and digestive tract problems. The governor of Massachusetts introduced chicory to the colonies back in 1785, and it quickly became a very common household item. It was used to make a drink that was hot, and it was also used as a vegetable that was served either hot or cold.

Chicory in coffee is most often associated with south Louisiana, but chicory has been used for many purposes and it still is being used today.

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Back in the dim and dusty past, women didn’t hold jobs outside the home. I know that is hard to believe, but it is true. One income was sufficient for a household to live on. Children were cared for by their mothers at home, while the father worked and earned the living to support the household. My, how times have changed!

Now, understand that running a household was a full time job in those days. The modern conveniences that we all take for granted didn’t exist. Washing machines weren’t automatic, clothes were dried on clothes lines, and the only canned goods that were available were those that the mother had canned and stored herself. Life wasn’t easy, and social occasions were few and far between. That is why women participated in old-fashioned coffee klatches.

Coffee klatches were most often regularly scheduled events. A group of women would gather at the home of one and enjoy coffee, sweets, and conversation for a short period of time once every week or so simply for social contact.

Today, we have our modern versions of the old-fashioned coffee klatch. Today, however, men as well as women participate in them and, of course, they aren’t called “coffee klatches” now. Still, coffee drinking is a social affair. It is one that is practiced all over the world in one form or another. People gather for social or business reasons, and you can be almost certain that coffee will be the beverage that is offered. There may be other beverages, but coffee is almost always included.

Perhaps the connection between social contact and coffee drinking stems from the old-fashioned coffee klatch. Our grandmothers and our grandmothers were on to something important…coffee drinking is social.

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First, coffee has long been known to improve mental alertness and relieve the boredom of repetitious tasks, but that is not even a scratch on the surface of the health benefits that coffee provides.

Coffee has been proven to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Those who are regular coffee drinkers are diagnosed far less often and later in life for both. There are good scientific studies that back up this claim.

Coffee also is loaded with antioxidants. There are scientific studies to back up this claim as well. Regular coffee consumption has been proven to prevent type-2 diabetes in older people. It has also been proven to prevent colorectal cancer. There is also research that suggests that coffee is helpful in fighting Parkinson’s disease, cirrhosis, gall stones, and depression.

Coffee drinking can be a wonderful aid in helping reduce body weight. Yes, coffee is a natural appetite suppressant and it provides stimulant that helps people exercise more. Coffee is also a natural pain reducer, so it helps to relieve physical pain caused by exercise.

Coffee actually has so many health benefits that maybe it should be called a “health elixir.” We can drink our coffee and know that we are not only not doing any harm to our bodies but actually providing health benefits for it.

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Every morning sunrise in America means that coffee is being brewed in almost every kitchen across this great country. Coffee is the traditional morning drink for the greatest majority of American citizens. The coffee that is brewed each morning is just coffee. There isn’t anything exotic about it.

The coffee is usually made from coffee that has been purchased at the local supermarket. It is most often made in automatic drip coffee makers, but there are still a few of us who use percolators. We don’t want anybody to do anything exotic to that first cup of morning coffee, but as the day progresses, we get more adventuresome and we like to try “stuff” that will make coffee more interesting.

Syrups are available in some really exotic flavors that can be added to a plain cup of coffee to give some added body, zest, and interest. You can purchase syrups in such exotic flavors as pumpkin pie, lavender, Granny Smith apple, and a whole host of other flavors, some of which are exotic and some are not. You can get vanilla and chocolate, too.

The makers of powdered coffee creamers are jumping onto the exotic coffee drinking band wagon as well. You can now purchase flavored powdered coffee creamers in a variety of flavors that will add zest and imagination to that plain cup of coffee.

Even the instant coffee makers want to get in on the act. You can purchase instant coffee in a variety of very exotic flavors, and these instant coffees can be found on the shelves of most grocery stores, so you don’t have to visit a specialty coffee shop to find them.

It isn’t wise to fool around with that first cup of morning coffee, but after that, all bets are off. You can now make a plain cup of coffee as exotic as your taste buds will allow.

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While it IS true that drinking a cup of coffee temporarily and very briefly raises blood pressure by a tiny bit, the caffeine does not cause the blood pressure to remain elevated for any length of time, and now almost all medical research suggests that there is no correlation between coffee drinking and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, there is very good research that has determined that coffee drinking is actually helpful in preventing colorectal cancer and delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Actually, it would be nice if simply giving up caffeine were the complete answer and an easy fix to the problem of high blood pressure. That isn’t the answer, though. You can keep your coffee mug in action, but you do need to lose weight and start exercising….see, I told you it would be easier to just give up coffee, but that won’t do the trick.

Blood pressure that is constantly too high can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Those are not good things. You want to avoid those if at all possible. It is even becoming widely accepted that coffee drinking (including caffeine) can help lower your blood pressure. Drinking coffee can give you that added burst of energy that will help you do the exercise that will help to lower your blood pressure.

Coffee is a natural appetite suppressant, so it can help you lose those extra pounds and that will help to lower your blood pressure as well.

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Caffeine is a natural substance that is found in coffee. Caffeine is also found in tea, soft drinks, and chocolate. Caffeine is what helps to wake us up in the morning as we sip that first cup of coffee. It is what gives us that little added boost in the afternoon when our energy is flagging.

There is research that “proves” that caffeine is bad for us and good for us. It has been determined that caffeine is a stimulant, and some researchers see that as a good thing; while others see it as a bad thing. It is true that caffeine is somewhat addictive and there are those who are deeply opposed to anything and everything that might possibly be addictive in any way.

My point is that the caffeine might be called the “active ingredient” in coffee. So, of course, it can be removed. When the caffeine is removed from coffee, though, most of the taste goes with it. Coffee that has had its caffeine removed is called “decaffeinated,” or “decaf.”

There are at present two basic ways in which caffeine is removed from coffee. The two processes for decaffeination are known as (1) European Process; and (2) Swiss Water Process.

The European Process uses methylene chloride to wash the coffee beans. The chemicals absorb the caffeine. The beans are then washed to remove the chemical, roasted, and ground. The European Process actually leaves more flavor in the coffee beans, but there are those (surprise) who object to the use of chemicals.

The Swiss Water Process for removing caffeine from coffee beans is a multi-step process that only uses water and steam. The Swiss Water Process, however, removes more than just the caffeine from coffee beans. Many of the oils are also lost in the process, and the coffee made from beans that have been decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Process is pretty much tasteless.

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No matter what “brand” or “grind” of coffee makes the best cup of coffee in your opinion (and your opinion is the only one that counts), or whether you prefer drip coffee or perked coffee, there are a few simple things that will make your cup of coffee just taste better.

The number one “secret” of all good coffee is to begin the brewing process with a clean coffee maker. It doesn’t matter whether the coffee maker is an automatic drip coffee maker, a percolator, a fancy espresso machine, or a plain pot that will be heated over a campfire to make river coffee. The cleanliness of the coffee maker has a great deal to do with the quality of the coffee that is made. Coffee makers can be cleaned with baking soda, cream of tarter, of any of the commercially sold coffee maker cleaners that are available on the market today.

The second factor for making a good cup of coffee is the water that is used at the beginning of the coffee-brewing process. Most all of the water that is delivered through a tap has been treated with several chemicals. These chemicals affect the taste of brewed coffee. Use bottled water to make your next pot of coffee. You will be amazed at the improved taste.

The third factor for making a good cup of coffee is the ratio of coffee grounds to water. Remember that the more grounds that you use per cup of water, the stronger the coffee will be. Strength of coffee is a personal choice, so a little experimentation might be in order.

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How many different kinds of coffee do you suppose are available around the world today? I don’t know, either, but there isn’t much doubt that hundreds of thousands would be a guess that was not far off the mark.

Just go look on the shelves of your local supermarket. My goodness! There are dozens of brands and several choices of roasts for each brand. There are coffees that are made especially for drip coffee makers. There are coffees that are prepackaged and ready to be put into coffee makers. There are single servings. It’s mind-boggling, and you haven’t even scratched the surface yet — the coffees on the shelves of your local supermarket aren’t even the gourmet coffees.

To find the gourmet coffees, you will need to visit a coffee specialty shop or go surfing on the web. Now the choices are REALLY mind boggling. Unless you already know which gourmet coffee you are looking for, you will need to have some good information before you buy. It might even be a good idea to buy a “variety” package that includes several different gourmet coffees and give yourself the opportunity to try before you buy.

Some gourmet coffees have very high acidity. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Only your taste buds can decide. Some people prefer high acidity coffee, while others do not. Is the acidity a good thing or a bad thing? Well, some say that acidity causes stomach problems, and others say that the acidity is what makes the coffee a cancer fighter of the first order and what gives it the unique taste.

Some gourmet coffees, particularly those from the islands, have an earthy taste that isn’t present in coffees from other regions. Some coffees, particularly those from Jamaica, are so smooth they make you want to cry. It all depends on your own individual likes and dislikes.

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In many of the large American cities, locally famous coffee shops offer wi-fi Internet service, sometimes even for free. In those small, out-of-the-way towns, there is rarely a wi-fi connection offered, but you can find out who is getting married, divorced, having a baby, or the going price of cows and hogs.

There is one thing that coffee shops all over America have in common, though. They all smell the same. There is a particular smell of an American coffee shop that you will find in no other place on earth. It is impossible to describe this unique smell accurately. There is, of course, the smell of coffee, and maybe that is the predominate smell; but it certainly isn’t the only one. Underlying the smell of the coffee is the smell that cannot be described, but that you recognize immediately when you walk into an American coffee shop. The smell is clean, warm, and welcoming and like no other.

The local coffee shop is where life happens, whether the “local” is in a big city or in a small town. People arrange to meet at the local coffee shop…lovers, business associates, friends, etc. Everybody knows where the local coffee shop is, and that it is “neutral” territory and a natural gathering and meeting place.

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