Have a Brewlicious Friday! Life is a lively effort. Have some coffee and get to it!
With love and xox, Boots the Badass Coffee Babe
And while you’re jubilating, check out these awesome Old Gringo Leopardito Western Boots & Texas Longhorn 16-pt Jingle Bob Spurs & some darling belts to accessorize for a kick-up-your-heels yee-haw Friday!
Boots here. Looking at the best in camp coffee cups and picking out inventory for the Cabin Door Store. I guess I have become one of those gear junkies that likes to have the best when I head out on the trail. Long gone are the days when I used to wear wool knickers for alpine skiing on my humble, waxed, wooden cross country skis. I used to be a purist. Wool gloves, wool hat, wool socks, wool sweater. I carried wooden matches, a nice piece of pitch, and a Buck knife that was razor sharp. My cook box had Granite-ware plates, bowls, and cups. Allllll natural. Now? As much as I enjoy seeing those Janoy skis hanging up in the wood shed, I now have good gear that keeps me dry, warm, and safe and gets me places in the back country.
And as for my blue granite camp cup that kept me company around all of those fires? I still bring it along, but I now use it for my morning Bircher muesli. Some old favorites I’m just not ready to quite give up yet. And speaking of Bircher muesli, I am thinking that I will share my favorite recipe with you tomorrow. It is perfect for the trail, for camping, for glamping, and for home. You can make it the night before and have it ready to go in the morning if you are running late.
I digress! Get me started on camp gear and one thing leads to another! Have fun checking out these most-excellent options for keeping your coffee hot. Oh, and don’t think that you have to be sitting around a smokey campfire to enjoy these fantastic options. I can think of a time or two in recent history when I was running for a city bus in Seattle and my fancy die-hard camp cup was the perfect commuter cup as well. Nothing says coffee like a great cup! And in these colors? Lime, plum, teal, burgundy, red, orange, stainless . . . these colors put the fun in functional out on the trail and on the city bus.
Click on the links or the images below and peruse these cups that are some of the best in camp gear. It really is the littlest things that make for the best experiences. Enjoy this fun stuff!
Signing off. xox Boots xox
Today . . . have some coffee and outdream yourself!
What a great way to start a Friday morning — enjoying a cuppa Joe and listening to the fire crackling in the cookstove while the coffee boiler sweetens the air with caffeine molecules. My kind of morning.
There is nothing like a rainy morning with a fire in the stove and a pot of coffee steaming its richness into the toasty cabin air. The only thing that could make it more idyllic is a few loaves of bread baking in the oven. These unassuming, humble pleasures. They truly are what make for a full present moment.
I love the sound of rain on a tin roof. The smell of wet wool sweaters. Heck, I even like the smell of wet dog. There is something just so comforting about being tucked inside on an unseasonably-cool, late spring morning. The kind of morning that gives me the inspiration to pause and to appreciate life at its simplest.
After this crazy-wet week of wind, rain, and bluster, I made hay and created my own sunshine. I painted and read and wrote and washed windows on the inside of the cabin. I made a really good dinner that required more than one pot, and I folded some laundry. I mucked out the barn, and I replaced the salt lick with a brand-spankin’ new one. Yes, some days, it just feels good to attend to the quiet things.
If it is raining where you are today — or if you feel a little dreary on the inside — create your own sunshine. Do something out of the ordinary. Take one step closer to completing that project you have been dreaming about. Turn off your computer and call a friend. Pour yourself another cup of coffee and curl up with your journal. Go for a walk with a giant umbrella. Rescue a few stranded worms. Stomp happily and deliberately through a puddle. When was the last time you intentionally got your pretty boots dirty? What’s stopping you?
What’s stopping you? The question that sounds so innocent and easy and, actually, involves a lot more than a one-word answer. Today, I am pulling on my favorite pair of Wellys and I am going to go hunt some puddles. Nothing stopping me today!
I couldn’t resist adding these fun and fanciful Wellys for your Friday (below). Be it raining or shining, these boots are just the ones to have at the ready for some puddle-stomping fun. And if you do encounter a puddle, do some serious damage! What’s stopping you?
And are you missing the sound of the rain? Do you now live in the desert and hearing raindrops? Click on the video below. Listen to the rain and relax. Even better . . . go boot shopping while you listen. [Yes, I am aiding and abetting.] Rain boot shopping! There are so many great styles that combine cuteness with function. I finally broke down and bought a pair (the pink polka dot pair below) for going into town. I feel pretty darned fancy and fun when I wear them, too!
Click on the images or the links below and do some daydreaming about what it would feel like to just let loose and have some spontaneous fun. I am thinking that these boots are the perfect inspiration. So cute!
http://amzn.to/1WVMZGJ
http://amzn.to/1sI6XrV
Oh, and attention all Seattle-ites!
Check out these nifty rain-boot socks! I never cease to be amazed at how clever people are when it comes to thinking things up!
Fashion, function, and FUN!
Happy muddy, puddle-stompin’ trails! xox
Boots the Badass Coffee Babe
Boots the Badass Coffee Babe here! And I’m back to talk more about Toddy! In the last post, I talked about equipment and the chemistry behind why Toddy tastes so darned good.
This post is going to be all about how to make good Toddy. Getting set up, directions, dos and don’ts, how to store your finished Toddy . . . all of this fun stuff to learn!
First of all, here is a demonstration video — brought to you from the Toddy gurus — that walks you through all of the steps necessary to start brewing.
And here are a few tips from me that urge you to be mindful as you go about brewing your Toddy. Some of these are a repeat of what the expert in the video advises, but I am not afraid to go overboard when it comes to helping someone else avoid a kitchen disaster. None of the points below can be overstated!
While your Toddy is brewing, put it somewhere SAFE. The definition of SAFE in Toddy lingo is a place where . . .
There is a theme here: Use good water and don’t tip the dang Toddy over!
Okay! You now have 12-24 hours to wait until you can pull the plug and drain your Toddy into the glass decanter.
Boots here until next time then when we pull the plug and taste some Toddy!
Click on the image or the link to view the Toddy brewing system!
And while you are dream-shopping, here is a really good water filtering pitcher. This pitcher delivers great-tasting water!
Click on the images or the links below.
Or how about this kicky purple pitcher?
Okay, coffee lovers! Time to get out your pom-poms (or pompons for you grammarists) and pay homage! This post is about the origins and discovery of our beloved coffee bean!
I absolutely love recounting this epic tale, as it is a testimony to fact being stranger than fiction and to the powers of observation and to sharing fun stuff with others.
Enjoy this bit of coffee lore. And share it with your friends the next time you are driving by a field of frisky goats! You are sure to impress them with this little-known fact about the most popular beverage on the planet!
xox
Boots the Badass Coffee Babe
And a quick PS for you introverted, infatuated-with-your-favorite-barista folk: Have you been wanting to strike up a conversation with that really cute barista? Dazzle him/her with your trivia knowledge? Maybe get his/her number? This cup would be the perfect way to get that convo started! At the very least, you are going to have to demonstrate to him/ her how your unique cup stands upright while they are making your bar beverage. Am I right?
On to the history lesson . . . Do you want to guess who gets credit for discovering coffee? Some Spanish explorer? No. Some Ethiopian King’s personal chef? No. Some extra-smart herbalist roaming the planet? No.
It was GOATS. Yes, goats who discovered the power of the coffee bean! Of course, it took the observing eye of the good goatherd Kaldi to do the subsequent and necessary Hear ye! Hear ye! about his goats’ discovery of the benefits of the coffee bean. After all, the grazing capra aegagrus hircus needed a voice to spread the word.
According to the National Coffee Association , there once were some amazing and ancient coffee forests — yes, forests! — on the Ethiopian plateau. It was here where our good buddy Kaldi was not only grazing his herd but paying attention as well.
Kaldi’s goats were gadding about like goats do and were eating berries from a particular tree — a coffee tree. After eating the berries, Kaldi couldn’t help but notice that the goats had become so energetic, they refused to go to bed at bedtime. All they wanted to do was romp and play throughout the night.
Imagine poor Kaldi. All tuckered out from herding goats all day . . . and then having to factor in a marathon caffeine buzz to all of that jumping and hopping around that goats are so good at doing. Kind of like giving a bunch of pre-schoolers a few bags of Oreos and some chocolate milk right before you expect them to go down for naptime. Impossible. And you have to remember that Kaldi was probably doing his own un-caffeinated thing at that time — probably some herbal concoction that had a zero caffeine boost. Poor guy.
Aberrant behavior and frisky goats aside, Kaldi managed to make it through that frivolous first night, and he reported his observations to the abbot of a local monastery. The abbot make a concoction with the berries . . .(I can just see him in some Curie-esque, Ethiopian, monastic laboratory with beakers bubbling over with the new brew.) . . . and, lo and behold, the good abbot found that the New Brew kept him remarkably alert through the long and rigorous hours of evening prayer.
The abbot, being a good sort of chap, shared Kaldi’s discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and the word spread more quickly than a wildfire during lightning season in a drought year. Word then moved east to the Arabian peninsula and so the Coffee Movement was born.
Pretty darned cool, huh?
In honor of Kaldi and his rambunctious goats, I found this very fun cup for all of your coffee commuting needs. Think of it as a hands-free commuter’s tribute to the Gang of Goats that surely must have suffered some post-caffeinated let down when they likely weren’t able to put 2 and 2 together in order to keep the Coffee High going. I like to think that they did return to said-coffee-tree ,and they continued to munch away to their insomniac-state of delight. Perhaps they ultimately passed their caffeine-spirited genes down to their boisterous prodigy. You have to admit . . . goats sure can jump!
Let’s call this product the Kaldi Kommuter Kup for purposes of alliteration and to pay homage to Kaldi & the Goat Gang. Nothing like being prepared and cool at the same time! And . . . anyone who unwittingly comments on you sporting this rather absurd-but-super-cool-looking commuter cup will be sure to get an earful regarding the backstory of Kaldi & the Gang. You can dazzle them with this little story that you now have tucked away in your Trivia Arsenal.
“GOAT Mug is a one-of-a-kind coffee mug that was inspired by the first coffee discovery. Its horn shape is a dedication to goats that discovered this elixir of life and it also lets you drink the very last sip. It comes with a set of 2 straps that allow you to carry your coffee, but at the same time reply to a couple of e-mails and carry around your newspaper.”
Click on the image below:
Sporting your horn-shaped Kaldi Kommuter Kup will give you the same euphoric feeling as when you change from jeans to pajama bottoms. Guaranteed!
Check out Carmella below!
like changing from jeans to pajama bottoms
Greetings, Good Woodsy Folk. Before we begin to explore a new and flavorful Outdoor Brewing Method later this week (I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with body), check out this incredibly clever, high-tech, ultra-convenient way to brew Joe on the go.
Normally, I prefer the simple route when it comes to gear out on the trail — the take-your-time, ain’t-life-great, tried-and-true brewing methods — but I can think of more than a few times when I was hiking through remote places at the height of fire season, and I would have appreciated the convenience of this battery-powered, self-brewing gizmo!
Yes, sometimes practical convenience and deprivation-driven misery wins out over backwoods aesthetics. And perhaps this gizmo doesn’t deliver the same robust quality of coffee as a cup of campfire Joe, but I am thinking it would be a great back-up option in desperate times.
Like the time I dutifully agreed to go whitewater rafting with a group of people who were bizarrely extreme . . . not extreme in the ways of defying the mighty rapids but in the demands regarding what time we wake up each morning. According to the dictatorial mandates of Fearless Rafting Leader, the day was already wasted if the group got a start on the river any later than 6:30 am. It was a rough trip for me, one that was defined by sleep deprivation and negative-vibrational fallout from all of the other bitchy, caffeine-deprived rafters.
I am telling you . . I would have loved — and I mean loved! — to have had this ingenious cup for that trip. I could have been blithely floating through the canyon with my delightful cup of coffee — just a push of the button — all the while thumbing my nose gaily and happily at Fearless Leader who actually enjoyed the drama of watching the unwashed and the un-caffeinated fight for their turn with the camp stove each morning.
Life-scarring rafting memories aside, this GoJoe would be ideal for when you are out in extreme conditions: climbing, skiing, boating, river rafting, fire-lookouting, and hiking out in the wilderness where water is scarce, a fire isn’t an option, fuel is scarce, and time is being dictated by a Fearless Leader. Nothing like kickstarting your morning and wilderness experience by simply pushing a button for a cup of Joe!
Check it out! Watch the video and tell me what you think!
Happy Trails, Good People!
xox
Boots the Badass Coffee Babe
Click on the Hey Joe Coffee GoJoe 2.0 image below:
About the Product
And remember . . .
Nothing like a little Monday morning inspiration! Let Coffee save the day!
Cowboy Coffee. This post is all about Cowboy Coffee, dutch ovens, and grub box gear. Click on the images and you will find some great pots and paraphernalia for your next camping adventure. Have fun daydreaming about the campfire as you peruse the pots and gear. So many fun things to consider adding to your grub box! Life is good!
Happy trails, you outdoorsy souls! xox Boots
Thank you for opening the Cabin Door and putting on your Big Boots. Let this adventure into the world of coffee begin.
And thank you for posting your comments, re-telling your stories, and sharing your own photos and quotes about coffee, boots, life, love, adventure . . .
And how do coffee and boots relate to one another? I’m not exactly sure how to explain it but, like peanut butter and jelly, the combination has proven itself to be a good match in my life. Maybe the world being a large and varied arena, it asks that we be ready to rock and roll — properly caffeinated and wearing the right boots.
And like coffee, one good adventure deserves another. Some adventures are as homely and primitive as a cup of chewy cowboy coffee while others are as refined as the foam art on an award-winning latte. No matter the presentation, caffeine is the workhorse that gets the job done. Window dressing, or its lack therein, be damned. Just give me my cup of Joe. And let the adventure begin.
Coffee imitates life. Or does life imitate coffee? Drink it one sip at a time. Savor it. Add some honey when it tastes a little bitter. Zap it when it gets a little cold. Share it with others. Avoid the grounds that are certain to be lurking at the bottom of certain cups. Stir it up if it is too hot to drink. If its not robust, simply start over. Don’t chase bad coffee with good coffee. Offer it as a gesture of hospitality. Sit down to drink it – who drinks coffee standing up? Make time for that second cup. Life is short, so drink it up.
Coffee is a little shot of love in a cup. It is a social link that brings us together. It is the Third Place in our social, professional, and academic worlds. Its ritual defines the way we start our day. The easiest way to say it? Coffee just feels so darn good. Stop and smell and savor the coffee. One good cup deserves another.
Cabin Door Coffee 