There is an article that has been cruising around the past couple days. A man went into a coffee shop in Manhattan and stole money from the tip jar when the Barista wasn't looking. As a former Barista, this is a very upsetting matter. Tips that we make in that tip jar is basically half of our pay so we always rely on that. The Barista was there by himself at 8 o'clock at night, finishing his shift, and this stranger that ordered a cappuccino (which he could not pay for) went and stole all his hard working tips.
The coffee shop decided to not call the police and hold a food drive for the thief, according to the Huffington Post. They think that if this man has to resort to stealing from them, that this guy must be pretty down and out. I'm guessing they are doing this so that the man will come forward and they can actually catch this thief, but maybe they just actually want to help this guy out. If he does not come forward then they are going to donate all of the food to a local food drive. Every person has their own reasons for stealing and unfortunately it happens all the time. Sometimes it could be so that somebody can support their family, but I personally still do not think that is an excuse to break the law and put your family in potential danger. I want to know other peoples opinions on this subject. Do you think this man deserves all of this food that people are willing to give him or do you think he needs to be caught and arrested? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/coffee-shop-helps-thief_n_4392449.html http://nypost.com/2014/07/29/latte-cash-thief-rips-off-coffee-house-tip-jar/ Who would want to steal from us though? We always come up with the best tip jars :-)
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When steeping tea, there is always a difference in the way and how long you should steep based on what kind of tea you are using. Before I get into that, there are some basics about steeping that you should know: 1) Always use cold, fresh water to boil, do not ever re-boil old water. 2) Always pour the boiling water over the tea leaves or tea bag, do not add water first. 3) Once steeping is done, remove the leaves or tea bag immediately 4) If you are making iced tea, follow the same steeping instructions and then pour over ice ![]() Black Tea .5 teaspoons per cup Steep for 3 minutes at 205°F ![]() Green Tea 1 teaspoon per cup Steep for 3-4 minutes at 150-175°F ![]() Oolong Tea .5 teaspoons per cup Steep for 3-6 minutes at 195°F ![]() White Tea 1 teaspoon per cup Steep for 7-9 minutes at 175-185°F ![]() Red Tea .5 teaspoons per cup Steep for 3-7 minutes at 205°F ![]() Yellow Tea 1 teaspoon per cup Steep for 3 minutes at 195°F ![]() Rooibos Tea 1 teaspoon per cup Steep for 3-5 minutes at 205°F ![]() Honeybush Tea 1 teaspoon per cup Steep for 5-8 minutes at 205°F We all love latte art but have you ever seen Japanese latte art? There is an artist named Kazuki Yamamoto who works at Cafe 10g in Osaka, Japan. He is an incredible latte artist with over 100,000 Twitter fans, so I wanted to share some of his great pieces of latte art with you. I thought I would put together some yummy iced coffee recipes that looked so delicious that it made me want to go home and make some of them right now! ![]() Citrus Iced Coffee Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of coffee 10 whole cloves 2 slices orange peel 2 slices lemon peel 1/2 cup whipped cream Directions: Place spices and peel into a saucepan. Pour coffee over spices and simmer over low heat for roughly 5 minutes. Strain into cups and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon Via: Guest of a guest ![]() Coconut Cowboy Coffee Ingredients: 1 cup canned unsweetended coconut milk 1 cup of brewed iced coffee 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup Directions: Heat coconut milk in small saucepan until steamy. Mix the coffee, chocolate syrup and coconut milk. Via: Guest of a guest ![]() Creamy Maple Coffee Punch Ingredients: 8 cups hot water 1/2 cup instant coffee 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 2 cups maple syrup 2 cups heavy cream Directions: In a large pot, bring water to a boil; remove from heat and stir in coffee, vanilla and maple syrup Let cool slightly then refridgerate overnight Stir in heavy cream then serve with a lot of ice Via: Mrfood ![]() Frozen Banana Latte Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup strong black coffee 3/4 cup half and half or milk 2 frozen bananas cut in half 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup ice cubes Directions: In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until frothy Via: Mrfood ![]() Cappuccino-Chip Frappe Ingredients: 2 cups vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup iced coffee concentrate 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons chocolate chips Whipped cream, for serving Directions: Add ice cream, iced coffee, vanilla, and chocolate chips in a blender and process until mixture is smooth and chocolate chips are finely ground. (Freeze frappe mixture for a few minutes to thicken up, if desired.) Pour into chilled glasses and served with whipped cream. Via: Yummly ![]() Coffee,Banana,Hazelnut Morning Shake Ingredients: 1/2 cup chilled brewed coffee 1/4 cup hazelnuts (soaked in water at room temperature and chilled overnight) 1/4 cup nut milk or soy milk 1 banana (frozen and peeled) 1 tbsp agave nectar 5 ice cubes coconut flakes Directions: Add chilled coffee, hazelnuts, milk, banana, and agave nectar to blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add ice and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer to one or two glasses, sprinkle with coconut and serve immediately. Via: Yummly ![]() Frosty & Tasty Nutella Iced Coffee Ingredients: 8 ounces chilled coffee 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons nutella Whipped cream Ice cubes Directions: Wisk together nutella, coffee and milk until mostly dissolved. Pour the mixture over ice and serve with whipped cream Via: Babble I decided to make a list of questions for some of our employees to answer so all of our customers can get to know them a little better.![]() The first person I interviewed was Krista aka Boss Lady: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you want to work here? A: I went to High School and needed money Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I love my Freshwater Aquarium. I spend my spare time decorating and maintaining that. Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: There are good people in the town and a lot of stuff to do Q: What is your favorite drink here? A: Double shot of espresso with half and half and toasted marshmallow flavor Q: What is something you love about our customers? A: I love their company Q: What is your favorite thing about the coffee shop? A: Making hot lattes and practicing latte art Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: When people don't push in their chairs ![]() Carrie: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you want to work here? A: I worked at CVS for 5 years and was miserable and wanted a change in environment, plus everybody was really nice. Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I want to work in an industry that involves women and policy Q: What is your favorite drink here? A: Valhalla Java Q: What is your favorite thing about our customers? A: Talking to them about the pros and cons of the tip jars Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: Rude people Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: It has a feel of a city without being gross and over crowded ![]() Brenna: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you wanna work here? A: I worked at Mc'Donalds and wanted to work in a positive environment in Saratoga Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I have a twin brother Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: Full of people, the history and a lot of things to do Q: What is your favorite drink here? A: Smores iced latte Q: What do you love about our customers? A: They are willing to try new things, like new lattes if I suggest them Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: Ignorant people Q: What is your favorite thing about the coffee shop? A: Krista ![]() Felicia: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you wanna work here? A: Worked at Mc'Donalds as a manager and Xtramart. Scott asked if I wanted a job and this place is a whole lot better than the other places Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I am obsessed with Corgi's Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: There is usually always something to do and people watching is fun Q: What is your favorite drink? A: Hazelnut iced coffee with cinnamon Q: What do you love about our customers? A: I can have conversations with them and will cheer us up Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: People that chew with their mouths open Q: What do you love about the coffee shop? A: The people that work here ![]() Briana: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you wanna work here? A: Worked for an insurance company and wanted a change in environment Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I have a 4 year old daughter and another daughter on the way Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: Everybody is very friendly and it is a beautiful town to walk around in Q: What is your favorite drink? A: The Juliet: Coconut chai, 1/2 steamed milk, 1/2 water with honey Q: What do you love abut our customers? A: They have always been very loyal and kind Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: When people do not use their blinkers Q: What do you love about the coffee shop? A: Everybody that works here and the ability of being able to create new things all the time ![]() Uilliam: Q: What did you do before you worked here and why did you wanna work here? A: I was going to college, dropped out and have been coming here since I was 13 and loved the store Q: What is something we do not know about you? A: I was born in Georgia Q: Why do you love Saratoga? A: As far as small towns goes, it is a very small comfy small town with a lot of business and fun stuff going on Q: What is your favorite drink? A: Iced coffee Q: What is a pet peeve of yours? A: When you are reading a book and people come up and sit and talk to me Q: What do you love about the coffee shop? A: The co-workers and the atmosphere Q: What do you love about our customers? A: I have had some of the best conversations in the past year with our customers here ![]() If you live in Saratoga, you are already familiar with the 1 animal that makes it the busiest time of year for us all.... Horses. July 18th, exactly a week from tomorrow, track season begins! People from all over the place come together for the next couple of months to bet over what Horse will cross the finish line. It's an exciting time of year filled with big hats, loud voices and a lot of people. Saratoga is jam packed from July until September. I decided to give you a heads up and a schedule on what Saratoga will be like for 2 months. July 18th and 19th is Hats Off to Saratoga weekend. This means that there are supposed to be over 4,000 people in the streets of Saratoga. There will be a lot of live music and of course... big hats. Every Tuesday is "Dark Day" which is the only day of the week, each week, where track is closed and there are no races taking place. July 25th is College Day, a chance for college students to win prizes and maybe even win a free scholarship. Every Monday is "Family Monday", a day where families can join together in specific activities. Another famous day is Travers Day, which takes place on August 23rd. This is a famous race designed for only extraordinary 3 year old Horses. Of course, there is final stretch weekend followed by Closing Day which takes place on September 1st. I hope everybody enjoys Track Season and I will keep everybody updated on any other events taking place during the next couple of months! ![]() When we tell customers that our coffee is "Fair Trade, Organic" most of them do not know what Fair Trade is. Fair Trade is a non-profit organization that helps out the farmers. They provide farmers tools to help them become international business people. They use a market-based approach that gives farmers fair prices, workers safe conditions, and entire communities resources for fair and healthy lives. Many people associate Organic with Fair Trade. Even though half of their products are organic, fair trade are products that have been made in workers who are guaranteed labor protection. A portion of the price of fair trade products goes toward community development where workers come from. For the people that do know about fair trade, they usually associate it with just coffee, but there are over 12,000 fair trade products including chocolate, fresh fruit, vegetables and some clothing. If you go on their website you can take a look at everything they have to offer. By choosing Fair Trade coffee for our coffee shop,we are not only accessing high quality products, we are making a difference in the lives of the people who grow the food you eat and the goods. That is what is important to us. Overall, Fair Trade is an amazing organization that helps farmers and workers have fair wages and a better life. I will post a couple resources at the bottom for you to check out what they do, why it makes a difference and the importance that it has in the world. http://www.bournville.ac.uk/2011/03/the-importance-of-fairtrade-and-how-its-making-a-difference/ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235435 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade BUY FAIR TRADE! ![]() I'm sure everybody has been at that point in their life where you are going on your first date and the first question that comes into your head is... Where do we go? The most popular answer to that question is usually the movies, dinner, or even better... a coffee date. Why is this? It's Cheap! If you think about it, if you go to dinner you will be spending at least $40. Whereas a coffee date you will be spending $10-20 bucks at most. You feel more comfortable. If you are going on a late coffee date or even a early morning date there is always something romantic and comfortable about it. The lighting, the sounds, the people watching and the intimate conversation. You can start off small with your coffee and order a macchiato. If the date ends up going well and you don't have to rush out the door after 1 cup, you can always offer another cup, and maybe some dessert to share. You can sit there for hours, talk about anything and you don't have anybody rushing you out the door. It is a great way to test the waters. When you go on a date it is all about getting to know the other person. Coffee dates can make that pretty simple, without all the expectations of a dinner date. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they order their coffee. You can see the way they talk to a server, if they tip and of course their manners. Not everybody agrees that this is the way to go but I have been on coffee dates before and have always felt much more comfortable talking to the other person in this type of setting. What do you think about a coffee shop as a first or second date? I would love some opinions! ![]() Coffee and Chocolate Granola Ingredients: 3 cups (270 g) rolled oats 1/3 cup (~50 g) almonds, coarsely chopped 2 Tbsp ground coffee 1/3 cup (80ml) strong espresso 1/3 cup (70 g) dark Muscovado sugar (you can use granulated white sugar as well, but ir will not give that nice caramel-molasses flavor as Muscovado does) 2 Tbsp grape-seed oil 1 oz (30 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) temperature. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and ground coffee. In a small saucepan, slightly heat the espresso, Muscovado sugar, and oil, just until the sugar is melted. Mix the liquid with oats, and transfer this whole mixture on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once in while and making sure oats are not burning. When granola is nicely crispy, take it out from the oven and, as long as it is still warm, mix in the chocolate. It will melt and beautifully cover the oats. Let it granola cool fully, and then transfer into an air-tight container. Via: My Kitchen Affair ![]() 2 1/2cups rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill) Directions:
Via: Food 52 ![]() Smoky Black Bean Soup Ingredients:
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Via: Eating Well ![]() Dark-Roast Coffee Gelée Ingredients: For gelée
Directions: Make gelée: Brew ground coffee in a filter-style coffeemaker (not electric) or a sieve lined with a paper filter using 2 cups boiling-hot water. Meanwhile, bring granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup hot water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat. Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water and let soften 1 minute. Stir together hot coffee, sugar syrup, and vanilla in a metal bowl, then add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved. Chill, covered, until softly set, at least 8 hours. Make topping: Force brown sugar through a sieve into a bowl, then add cream and curry powder and beat with an electric mixer or a whisk until it just holds soft peaks. Divide gelée among 10 (2- to 4-ounce) cups (such as espresso cups) and top with dollops of whipped cream. Via: epicurious ![]() Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze Ingredients:
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Via: Food and Wine ![]() Bananas in Coffee Bean Syrup Ingredients:
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Via: Food and Wine |