Red and Blue State Election Day Mugs

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone voted just like you? Maybe not, but I know at least a few election-addicts who see the world in blue and red. These election day-themed mugs display the political geography of the US in democratic blue and republican red and they change colors when hot liquids are poured in. The neutral for both mugs is the same, but the red states become blue in the democratic “I have a dream” mug and vice versa in the “Make my day” mug. One of each would make a great set and would probably start up some interesting breakfast conversation!

If only changing minds (and votes) were as simple as pouring a cup of hot coffee into a waiting mug!

Dunkin Donuts opens “green” store

This week, Dunkin’ Donuts opened their first “green” store in St. Petersburg, Florida. The store is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and has: energy-efficient insulated concrete foam walls, energy-efficient lighting, and water-efficient plumbing fixtures. Even more interesting is the store’s “earthworm casting facility,” where earthworms will eat the waste produced by the store.

This may be a step in the right direction, but Dunkin’ has a long way to go considering that most of its stores use styrofoam cups and they seem to double-cup their drinks more often than some other coffee shops. To-go coffee cups and paper sleeves passed out by the hundreds at other coffee shops are not be completely eco-friendly, either, considering that not many make it back to the recycling bin. But in fairness, a lot of the paper goods used at coffee shops do start out with some percentage of post-consumer recycled paper, and that is a much bigger step towards being eco-friendly than changing the energy needs of one store.

Starbucks Toasted Marshmallow Mocha, reviewed

I spotted a new addition to the Starbucks syrup menu when I was visiting a licensed store at a local Barnes and Noble: Toasted Marshmallow. The syrup is included in drinks where it is the featured flavor on its own – i.e. Toasted Marshmallow Latte – and as an add-on to mocha drinks. I’m a sucker for s’mores and couldn’t want to taste it.

After trying both a hot Toasted Marshmallow Mocha and a Toasted Marshmallow Mocha Frappuccino, I’d say that the syrup is a bullseye for the flavor of real toasted marshmallows. It has a toffee flavor to it, and an aftertaste that is tastes like very caramelized sugar, verging on slightly burnt – just like a toasted marshmallow or a creme brulee. I think that this was more satisfying as a hot drink than as a cold one, but wasn’t bad either way. The syrup is not too sweet, thanks to the toasted finish, and I’d try adding a couple of pumps to a vanilla latte to try and come up with a creme brulee flavored drink next time.

Evil Latte

A little more ghoulish than your usual latte art, this Evil Latte wouldn’t be such a bad thing to find in your coffee on Halloween! It’s made by adding a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top of the milk foam and using a toothpick, or similarly slim and pointy object, to create the eye swirls and teeth.

BeanVac Coffee Bean Canister

Ideally, coffee bean will be roasted shortly before they are used to ensure optimal flavor and freshness. If you can’t buy your beans in freshly roasted batches regularly, then an airtight container is the best thing you can do in terms of bean storage. The BeanVac Coffee Bean Canister is even better. The canister has a built-in battery powered pump that sucks the air out of the container – meaning that your beans will remain fresher, longer. The pump automatically activates whenever there is a pressure change in the canister, so you can take beans out and the vacuum kicks into action when you shut the lid again.