food

Making a better cup of coffee with the Francois et Mimi 50oz Glass French Press!

Abby H.

Zut Alors! I wrote a few weeks back about how you can save money by ditching the ‘Bux habit, but I wanted to share a few quick, easy coffee recipes with you using freshly brewed coffee. We ditched our Mr. Coffee a few years back and opted to embrace the French Press.

The great people over at L&Z and Tomoson recently gave me the opportunity to try out the the Francois et Mimi 50oz Glass French Press. For those unfamiliar with a French press, it looks like this:

IMG_2739It’s a glass pot held by a metal “cage” with a heat proof handle. The lid contains a plunger with a fine mesh to contain all of the grounds in the bottom of the pot (and not in your cup) once the plunger has been depressed all the way.

Making Coffee in A French Press is a cinch:

  1. Place 3 scoops of coffee grounds in the bottom of the glass pot.
  2. Heat water in a pot or tea kettle until it is VERY HOT, but not boiling (about 30 second from boil- if you are using a tea kettle to heat your water, you’ll get familiar with the “I’m almost boiling” gurgle. If you are heating water on the stove in a pot, you want the water to have tiny bubbles that have yet to “pop”).
  3. Pour hot water over grounds and put the lid on the pot, but do not depress the plunger.
  4. After about 4 minutes, depress the plunger and the coffee is ready to drink.

The Francois et Mimi French Press is awesome because it’s 50 ounces, while most French Presses are 12-20 ounces. 50 ounces is comparable to a standard drip coffee pot. That means the Mr. and I can actually share a pot of coffee without one of us sneaking back into the kitchen after the first cup and finishing the pot (Our former French Press was only 24 ounces, which makes about 2 1/2 coffee cups of coffee).

So now you know how to make coffee in the French press here are a few ways to fancy up your cuppa Joe.

Quick & Easy Misto (aka a Cafe au Lait)

Ingredients:

  • 20 ounces Hot Coffee (prepared however you like)
  • 1 cup milk (whatever kind you like, I prefer whole or 2%).
  • Sweetener, if desired
  • Ground Nutmeg or Cinnamon, if desired

Directions:

  1. In a heat proof cup, heat milk for approx. 30 seconds in the microwave.
  2. Froth milk in a Magic bullet, blender, or using an Milk Frother. This takes about 30 seconds. The more fat the milk contains, the foamer the milk gets. Fat free milk (either dairy or non-dairy) does not get too frothy.
  3. Pour Hot Coffee into your serving cup. Add your sweetener and stir. This is a great time to try a new sweetened syrup!
  4. Using a spoon, Push frothed milk to the side and pour milk over the coffee.
  5. Top with Foam if desired.
  6. Get extra fancy and sprinkle the top of the foam with nutmeg or cinnamon!
IMG_2740
Hot, frothy milk!
IMG_2741
The finished product, time for breakfast!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick & Easy Mocha: If you love a Cafe Mocha to start your day, simply add 2 T. of your favorite Chocolate milk mix to the milk before your heat and froth it. Follow the same directions as above.

If you like your coffee a little stronger, add an extra scoop of grounds into the French Press during the brewing process.

Because the French Press does not have a heat mechanism to keep the coffee hot throughout the day, you may want to pour the coffee into an insulated carafe.  Because there is no heating mechanism, if you make an iced coffee using the remaining coffee (if there is any!) later in the day, the coffee will not be thick, bitter, or tar like (think about the coffee in your work place break room about 3pm- EEK!).

Cooled/leftover French Press coffee makes GREAT iced coffee. Simply pour over ice, add any milk and sweetener/syrup you’d like and serve. YUM!

For an Iced Mocha, mix 2 T. of your favorite Chocolate milk mix to the milk before adding it to your ice and coffee.

I love the Torani Sugar Free syrups, they come in over 40 flavors and most of them are great in coffee. We like the following flavors:

  • Irish Coffee (it’s non-alcoholic)
  • Caramel
  • Hazelnut
  • French Vanilla
  • Brown Sugar Cinnamon (Takes just like a cinnamon Dulce Latte from Starbucks)
  • Almond
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Coconut (it’s good in a mocha)

 

I want to thank the great people over at L&Z and Tomoson for the chance to review this rad French Press. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a 50 ounce French Press free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.

I’d love to hear about your favorite coffee recipes. Leave a comment and share how you dress up your Cuppa Joe!

Driscoll’s Advisory Panel- Save money on fruit!

Abby H.4 Comments

Original File Name: 20_waterfall_ 42433.tifWe eat a lot of berries, especially when they are on sale. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered the Driscoll Advisory Panel!

It’s quick and easy to join. Sign up here, and after you enjoy a package of Driscoll berries, just visit the website and enter the traceability code or scan the QR code at the bottom on the carton to take the survey.

Screen Shot 2015-02-27 at 5.13.58 PMYou’ll earn coupon with each survey you take! Sign up and you’ll automatically score a .50/1 coupon!

Rewards Club members enjoy:
-Special offers & a birthday gift
-Get access to sweepstakes & contests
-New & exclusive recipes, health & wellness tips, and more
-A monthly e-newsletter

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-27 at 5.19.19 PM

With all of the berry sales coming up, you’ll find tons of chances to buy Driscoll Berries! You’ll be taking surveys and earning coupons in no time!

This week, Ralphs has Strawberries for $1.88- after the .50/1 coupon you can print after you sign up that’s only $1.38 per pound- that’s a good deal. And if you are an ORGANIC eater- Rejoice! These codes are on Driscoll’s Organic berries too! I’ll be posting a recipe featuring berries this weekend!

Delectable Tuesday: Quinoa tri-color pepper salad

Abby H.

This is a super yummy salad that is easy to prepare and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. I used green red and orange peppers but feel free to use whatever color bell peppers you can find in your local supermarket.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa ( I used red quinoa)
  • 2 cups water or broth, your choice
  • 3 bell peppers, cleaned and diced
  • 1/4 cup oil, your choice (I used corn oil)
  • 1/4 cup vinegar, you choice (I used pomegranate, but balsamic would be good too)
  • 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
  • Pepper and salt to taste
  • (optional 1/4 c. feta or goat cheese crumbled)

Directions:

  1. Cook quinoa in water or broth as indicated on package directions.
  2. Once quinoa is cooked refrigerate until cool.
  3. In a large bowl mix cooked chilled quinoa and bell peppers set aside.
  4. In a small bowl mix oil, vinegar, and mustard until combined.
  5. Pour over quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Taste and salt and pepper as needed.
  6. Store in refrigerator for at least four hours prior to serving.

Delicious as a side dish or top a green salad with this mixture to make a large entree salad.

Because of this salad is a vegan (sans cheese, of course), vegetarian, and gluten free it is a great option for a potluck with friends or family.

This recipe makes six side dish servings or three main dish servings

Free stuff!

Abby H.

One of the ways that I stretch our grocery budget is by keeping my eyes out for items that are free after coupons and store sales.

Some companies make it a little easier by offering a weekly freebie. Now sometimes the freebie is something you’re family will eat, and sometimes… Well, sometimes it’s not. Like this week.

Ralphs (or Kroger, depending on where you live) offers a free item each Friday. You simply go to Ralphs.com, log onto your ralphs account, load the coupon to your ralphs card and redeem the coupon within 2 weeks.  This week it’s:

Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 8.44.57 AMBlergh. If you need Easter Basket filler, or have a crazy sweet tooth, this might be perfect for you. I however, will pass.

The other weekly freebie is from Savingstar. It’s a Smartphone app that gives you cash back for buying specific items. You can use coupons with Savingstar to double dip (or in laymen’s terms save TWICE). Check the app, add the items you want, shop at one of the stores Savingstar works with (there is a list on their website), then come home and upload a photo of your items UPC and receipt. When you reach $10.00 in savings in your account you can opt for a paypal payout or buy gift cards (like Subway, iTunes, or Starbucks to name just a few). Savingstar doesn’t have a lot of food we eat, but it’s nice to earn a little extra cash back whenever we can.

Each week, also on Friday, Savingstar has a 100% cashback offer (which means it’s free after rebate!). This week, it’s:

Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 8.50.17 AM1.61 oz. Almond Joy® Milk Chocolate Coconut & Almonds OR 1.75 oz. Mounds® Coconut Filled Dark Chocolate candy bar.

 

For either weekly freebie, it’s usually something with a value of $2.00 or less. It’s a marketing technique to get you into the store to buy other stuff. BUT- you don’t have to. Be strong!

If you are looking for other free stuff, I like the following sites: Freestufftimes.com and  MySavings. There are a lot of sites that offer free samples, so keep your eyes out! I like to order free samples of new products because most of the time they come with high value coupons. Sample sized toiletries are also great for traveling, camping, or making blessing bags (which I will post about later).

Backyard Fruit: Helping Others!

Abby H.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADriving around much of Southern California, there is one constant: Backyard fruit trees DRIPPING with unpicked fruit, and even more trees with piles of dropped and rotting fruit under the trees. That really makes me upset. WHY?

There are 16 million hungry kids in the US. I heard a statistic on the radio the other day that 1 in 4 kids in the US don’t have access to fresh fruits and veggies! If you have backyard fruit trees or gardens that are out of control with more produce that you and your family can eat, here are a few ways you can help others in need:

  • Contact your local church and see if they offer a food pantry. If so, take a box of produce from your trees/garden over to share with those in need.
  • Contact your local food bank and see if they accept home grown fruit. Some do, some do not.
  • There are several organizations across the US that will come to you, pick your fruit and donate it. Food Forward, Village Harvest are just two.
  • There are websites where you can register your trees and share your produce with others. Falling Fruit is just one.
  • Post on your local freecycle or buy nothing project group. I know around here there are many neighbors who would love to help you pick and eat your fruit.  Recently there was an older lady who had fruit trees and she couldn’t keep up with the harvesting, so she was looking for someone who could help her pick fruit. They were welcome to take as much as they could eat, as long as they picked 2 lbs of fruit for her. That sounds like a great deal to me!
  • Here is a crazy idea- Offer some to your friends and neighbors!