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The irony of being a non-coffee drinker, surrounded by coffee connoisseurs, is never lost on me when I do one of these posts. Fortunately for me, I always manage to review the most awesome kitchen appliances for making coffee, that just happen to also create warm, delicious, non-coffee beverages, as well. Such is the Cafe Latte, by [...]
The irony of being a non-coffee drinker, surrounded by coffee connoisseurs, is never lost on me when I do one of these posts. Fortunately for me, I always manage to review the most awesome kitchen appliances for making coffee, that just happen to also create warm, delicious, non-coffee beverages, as well. Such is the Cafe Latte, by Mr. Coffee. This gorgeous little coffee maker has a small footprint on the counter-top and it will definitely bring out your creative “inner-barista”. You’ll be able to create custom cappuccinos, lattes, coffee, tea and hot chocolate drinks for all your holiday guests, but the long-term appeal will be the options for everyday deliciousness and excellent savings over purchasing the same beverages at your local coffee house.
A Caramel Vanilla Latte I made for our daughter and then drizzled with chocolate syrup. Check out the simple ingredients, below.
I’ve seen lots of “cappuccino machines” and “latte machines”, over the last few years, but most required several steps or were overly complicated, not to mention incredibly expensive for the best performers. The Cafe Latte is affordable enough to have in the average home and more than that, it is super simple to operate. I consider it a one-step, push-button wonder. :) Add your chosen ingredients to the pot and coffee maker. Press the ON button and wait for the Cafe Latte to do the work. It will produce hot, flavorful beverages with the fabulous, frothy foam tops you love in just minutes. You can use it to make single or double servings, though depending on the size of cups being used, we have gotten three servings from a double-serving brew session. The flavor combinations are only limited by your imagination and even in my small-town stores, I had no difficulty finding a multitude of tasty flavorings and ingredients to brew into my family’s favorite coffee varieties. And since the basic difference between lattes and cappuccinos is that lattes generally contain much more milk, simply adjusting the milk level can help you create your favorite hot beverages!
This is our new Latte "Brewing Station". I love how little space the Cafe Latte uses on my counter top!
Mr. Coffee has a fantastic recipe resource online, to get you started brewing some creative taste sensations, like: Crème Caramel Latte, Sweet Cinnamon Latte, Mexican Hot Chocolate or Chai Tea Latte. Yum!!! As usual, we had to play around with our own concoctions and have had a blast coming up with our own personal favorites. We hardly ever have espresso grounds around our house, but we always have two or three favorite coffees in the freezer. We did most of our experimenting with a mild caramel flavored coffee called Jamaican Me Crazy and my husband AND kids are in love. The beauty of the Cafe Latte is that you can adjust the coffee strength to fit the preferences of each individual. Brewing a typical strength beverage for my husband, a “barely-coffee” strength for our eleven-year-old “I think I am a coffee drinker” daughter and something extra strong for our son-in-law is a simple task, now that Mr. Coffee’s new brew station is sitting on my counter. All of you who love entertaining, will be as excited as I am, at the prospect of offering your guests a drink made to their custom tastes.
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Ingredients
- 1 - 6 Tablespoons Jamaican Me Crazy coffee, to taste
- 13 oz whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons Torani Classic Caramel Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 8 oz. water
Instructions
- Place a filter in the brew basket of your Cafe Latte machine and fill it with your preferred amount of coffee.
- Fill the water reservoir to the two serving line (8 oz) and make sure the water uptake arm is moved into position over the brew basket.
- Close the brew basket lid.
- Pour the sugar, syrup and vanilla into the latte pitcher. Then add milk up to the two serving line.
- Lock the pitcher lid into place and place the pitcher back in to the Cafe Latte base.
- Make sure the selector switch is pushed up to the Cafe Latte position.
- Depress the On/Off Switch. The power light will come on and you will notice a very faint whirring sound as the frother begins whipping the milk. The light will go off, when the cycle is complete.
- Lift the On/Off Switch to be able to remove the pitcher from the base and then pour steaming mugs of delicious latte.
- I drizzled a single line of chocolate syrup across the top of the foam and then used the tip of a knife to drag swirls into the froth and create a design. Caramel syrup would be delish, too!
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It’s Christmastime and Mr. Coffee has a gift for all of you! Every Busy-at-Home reader can SAVE $10 and receive FREE Shipping by entering coupon code MLAT10A when purchasing a Cafe Latte online, at Mr. Coffee. In addition to that great news, I’ve decided to join in the celebration! Because it’s Christmas and I love you all, Busy-at-Home will host a giveaway for one Mr. Coffee Cafe Latte Machine! Be sure to enter, below.
GIVEAWAY Mandatory Entry: Visit the Mr. Coffee website and browse all the different latte recipes. Pick the one you’d want to try first, if you win this awesome appliance; and leave a comment on this post, telling me which one you chose. After you comment, be sure to register your entry, using the Rafflecopter form, below. It’s that simple. You’re entered. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
One of my personal favorites! Warm, spicy Chai Latte, dusted with cinnamon and served with fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookies!
I received a Mr. Coffee Cafe Latte maker in order to test it in my own kitchen and collect data for this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the product.
The giveaway is being sponsored and administered by Busy-at-Home. Mr. Coffee is in no way affiliated with the giveaway. Busy-at-Home will purchase and ship a Mr. Coffee Cafe Latte maker to the giveaway winner.
Given the opportunity to try King Arthur Flour’s brand new private label Baking Cocoa and Pure Vanilla, I was in the mood to make something completely new, but as satisfying as an old tried and true recipe. It needed to be something really special, because if King Arthur is willing to put their own name [...]
Given the opportunity to try King Arthur Flour’s brand new private label Baking Cocoa and Pure Vanilla, I was in the mood to make something completely new, but as satisfying as an old tried and true recipe. It needed to be something really special, because if King Arthur is willing to put their own name on a product, there’s no question it is top of the line. I was hoping to make something where the high quality ingredients would be highlighted and used to their best potential. Hmmm… I wonder what would happen if I tried to make layer bars with my favorite brownie batter as the base? Deliciousness!!! That’s what!
Brownie Layer Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, halves or chopped
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 2 cups chocolate chips
For Brownie Batter
For Layers
Instructions
- Gather brownie batter ingredients.
- Gather topping layer ingredients. (I realize there are 2 cans of the sweetened condensed milk in the picture, but as the recipe came together, I decided to only use one.)
- Mix melted butter and cocoa.
- Add sugar.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla.
- Add flour and salt and mix until incorporated.
- Spread batter in greased 9×13 pan.
- Sprinkle shredded coconut over the brownie batter.
- For the next layer, add the pecans.
- Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the pecans.
- In the final layer, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the butterscotch.
- Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the whole pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The sweetened condensed milk will be browning and bubbly around the edges of the pan.
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As expected, the King Arthur Pure Vanilla and Baking Cocoa put this recipe over the top! Since my daughter’s wedding last April, when I did all the cakes, I have used only Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. Now that I can buy it with King Arthur’s own label, I know I’ll never be disappointed with the quality and the flavor it produces in my recipes. King Arthur’s Pure Vanilla is actually an amazingly fragrant and delicious blend of full-bodied Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans and fruity, floral Tahitian vanilla beans. It’s gluten-free and it’s more concentrated than ordinary vanilla extracts.
King Arthur Flour Unbleached All Purpose Flour, King Arthur Flour All Purpose Baking Cocoa, King Arthur Flour Pure Vanilla
King Arthur’s All Purpose Baking Cocoa is their own exclusive blend of natural cocoa; the rich body of Dutch-process cocoa; and the deep-dark color of black cocoa. It can be used interchangeably in recipes that call for natural cocoa and for those calling for Dutch-process. The depth of chocolate flavor I achieved using it was a real treat!
I received samples of King Arthur’s Pure Vanilla and All Purpose Baking cocoa in order to test them in my own kitchen and write this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. The views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience.
I can’t believe that the days of celebration are nearly over. You all have been a hoot, helping me celebrate and stretch my 50th birthday through the entire month of August! But before we bid the celebration a fond adieu, I have one more spectacular giveaway to share! It will come as no surprise that [...]
All this fabulousness could be yours! Be sure to enter the giveaway, below!
I can’t believe that the days of celebration are nearly over. You all have been a hoot, helping me celebrate and stretch my 50th birthday through the entire month of August! But before we bid the celebration a fond adieu, I have one more spectacular giveaway to share! It will come as no surprise that it’s from one of my all-time favorite sponsors, King Arthur Flour. When have they not generously participated in the events I share with you? Plus, they’re not just a company with fabulous products, they’re a company owned and operated by extraordinary people! I know, I’ve been there. I’ve met them. And they stole my baking heart!
So, as the pièce de résistance, finishing off my 50th Birthday Bash, King Arthur Flour is sponsoring a giveaway worth more than $80!!! A very happy, Busy-at-Home reader is going to be thrilled to heat up their kitchen and try out the high quality products included in King Arthur Flour’s Secret Ingredient Collection! Plus, as a special treat for my birthday, they are also including a special request from me, a King Arthur bench knife! When I visited their headquarters in Vermont, this past June, I fell in love with the bench knives during classes. We used them so often, and I would have purchased and brought one home with me (along with about 937 other items I would love to have), except I didn’t want to have to try and get it on the plane. So, tada! A King Arthur bench knife will also be included in this fabulous giveaway!
The Secret Ingredient Collection includes:
- an 8×8 USA square baking pan – made in America, lifetime warranty, heavy-duty, crafted from steel and aluminum for strength and superior heat conductivity, coated with Americoat, a clear, non-stick, non-toxic, environmentally friendly coating that is specially formulated for superior baking and corrugated surface provides better browning.
- 16 oz. Double Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder – an exclusive King Arthur blend of extra-dark black cocoa with Dutch process cocoa. Rich, pure chocolate flavor for your favorite baked treats!
- 3 oz. Espresso Powder – a touch of espresso powder enhances and deepens chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste. Ground, brewed, then dried from specially selected coffee beans, powder readily dissolves for easy mixing.
- Fiori di Sicilia – all-natural combination of citrus and vanilla with a pleasingly floral aroma. The wonderful people in the King Arthur Test Kitchen say, “ You know that wonderful marriage of flavors you taste when you combine vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet in the same bowl? That’s what Fiori di Sicilia tastes like. We find that using it in just about anything mild and sweet–anything where competing flavors, like chocolate, don’t interfere–adds a wonderfully mysterious taste. Your friends will be guessing just what you’ve done to your sugar cookies or yellow cake or sweet bread to make them taste SO good!”
- 3 oz. Vietnamese Cinnamon- You cannot buy this at Wal-Mart or your local market. It’s like no other cinnamon you have ever tasted! I’ve been hooked on this delicious spice for more than a year, now. It has a higher oil content than the Indonesian cinnamon we can find at the grocery store, meaning it will disperse more fully through your baked goods. Considered by many to be the world’s finest cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon (a.k.a. Saigon cinnamon) is ground from dried, cultivated bark of cinnamon cassia grown in Vietnam. It’s sweeter, more aromatic, and more powerful than the Indonesian cinnamon commonly sold in supermarkets. A side-by-side taste test will leave you a lifelong convert!
- 4 oz Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla – Nielsen-Massey is the first extract company and ingredient supplier in America to be certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). I discovered Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla when doing our daughter’s wedding cake, last April. It is not an exaggeration to say the flavor is superior and has more depth than any vanilla I have ever used. Again, it’s one of those products where going back to old brands, just doesn’t work. It’s a rich, creamy, and sweet vanilla, mildly assertive, with old-fashioned vanilla flavor. You will notice the flavor in your baked goods and miss it when it is not there. Extraordinary product!
- King Arthur Bench Knife – This kitchen tool was used in every possible dough application, I can think of, during the classes I took at the King Arthur Baking and Education Center, this summer. It’s perfect for dividing and portioning doughs, cutting brownies and bars, lifting and folding dough, bench or counter cleanup. The handle is made from beautiful rosewood and the 3×6 inch blade is stainless steel. Once you’ve used one, I would venture to say it will become one of your favorite and most-used kitchen tools!
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Those are the high-quality products you have a chance to win in the giveaway! But, you know that no King Arthur Flour post is complete without a recipe, so before you start submitting your entries, check out this yummy Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe! It’s one of many recipes I will make and share with you as we explore King Arthur Flour, bread baking, pizza making, pie crust creating and more in my KAF Blog and Bake series, this fall!
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Moist, cinnamony, cream cheese goodness! What's not to love?
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I pinned (remember pinning?) this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake, from the Cookin’ Up North blog, almost a week ago and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it. I woke up on Monday and I just wanted some, which seemed like a compelling enough reason to give it a go! – lol – Plus, a dear friend was having a birthday, so I could share half with her. Woohoo! Birthdays are GOOD! The original recipe is made in a 9×13 pan. I used two 8×8′s. The only other thing I changed up was that I made cream cheese icing for the top, instead of a powdered sugar drizzle. Yum! Also, this was good when it came out of the oven, but I wasn’t over-the-top thrilled about it. When the kids pulled icy cold pieces out of the fridge, later that afternoon, and started raving and exclaiming over how good it was, I was amazed. Cold, this moist, delicious cake had been completely permeated with the cinnamon flavor and the cream cheese icing was creamy, flavor heaven! The flavors were magnified and intensified by the cold. I definitely recommend chilling this marvelous treat before serving. Oh, and as a matter of personal preference, I will double the cinnamon, next time I make this. That’s just the way I roll. 
These are the ingredients you will need to gather to make the Cinnamon Roll Cake batter and filling.
(adapted slightly from Cookin' Up North blog) I doubled the cinnamon and made cream cheese icing, instead of a powdered sugar drizzle. My family loved this moist, yummy cake best, after it had been refrigerated for at least a couple of hours.
Ingredients
- 3 cups KAF Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon.salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
- 1/2 c. butter, melted
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons KAF Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon KAF Vietnamese cinnamon
- 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup milk
Cake:
Streusel Filling:
Cream Cheese Icing:
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
- Add slightly beaten eggs, milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Add melted butter and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour cake batter into a greased 9x13 or two 8x8 pans.
- Mix all ingredients until completely combined. My butter ended up being more melted, than soft, so rather than a crumbly mixture, mine was more paste-like. That actually worked out okay for me, since I think it makes it easier to swirl it through the batter.
- Spoon filling evenly over the top of your prepared cake batter.
- Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling through the batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes.
- Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with your mixer.
- Add enough milk to achieve the consistency, your family likes best (I used about 1/4 cup). Blend until smooth.
- Spread icing over cooled cake. Cut and enjoy. (The flavor of this cake is greatly enhanced by cooling and refrigerating for a few hours.)
To Make the Cake Batter:
To Make the Streusel Filling
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
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This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. Mandatory Entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight, (CST), Sunday, September 18, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
In a comment below, tell me your favorite “secret ingredient” in the kitchen.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook. Leave a comment below with your Facebook Name to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow King Arthur Flour on Twitter. Leave a comment below with your Twitter handle to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. (click the JOIN button in the right-hand sidebar.) Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Let them Eat Cinnamon Roll Cake! & Win a Secret Ingredients Collection & Bench Knife from @KingArthurFlour & @busyathome http://ow.ly/6hgUQ Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Let them Eat Cinnamon Roll Cake! & Win a Secret Ingredients Collection & Bench Knife from @KingArthurFlour & @busyathome http://ow.ly/6hgUQ Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
I received the products listed above, in order to test them in my kitchen and complete this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
Our Keurig Special Edition brewer got a new baby brother, today! And he is the most gorgeous shade of shiny red! Keurig’s MINI Plus brewer is the perfect size for campers, dorm rooms, hotel rooms, tiny apartments and your office desk. Now you can have your favorite coffee, tea and beverage flavors wherever you are, [...]
Our Keurig Special Edition brewer got a new baby brother, today! And he is the most gorgeous shade of shiny red! Keurig’s MINI Plus brewer is the perfect size for campers, dorm rooms, hotel rooms, tiny apartments and your office desk. Now you can have your favorite coffee, tea and beverage flavors wherever you are, even if space is at a premium.
The new Keurig MINI Plus and K-Cups we were sent to test and review. Isn't that a gorgeous red!
The Keurig MINI Plus Brewer is gorgeous, with three choices for color – black, red and platinum. It’s more square and boxy than my special Edition Brewer and the footprint on my counter is a little smaller. Used as intended, in smaller spaces, where an individual needs a quick refreshment, the MINI Brewer is the perfect way to enjoy the same delicious hot beverages you can get from larger models. This is not the brewer you want on your kitchen counter if you have a large family, making many multiple beverages a day from it. That’s not what it was intended for. This sweet little brewer is the perfect fit in your home office/den, a vacation home or cabin, a business trip hotel room, in your camper or wherever your quiet getaway place might be. It’s intended to brew a single cup at a time. It provides the convenience of a fresh, piping hot cup, right at your fingertips, without needing to make a whole pot. And it only takes around two minutes, which includes heating the water and brewing your perfect beverage!
Filling the brewer is easy. The three gray discs on the left, show you the exact water level for whichever size cup you are brewing. Simply fill to the top of the desired disc. This is the only part I thought was a little "touchy" about the MINI Plus. You definitely want to pay attention and not overfill the brewer or the excess will run first into the drip tray underneath and then onto your counter, if it's so full the tray can't contain it. That's why I recommend keeping a close eye if children are using the machine.
I see the same Keurig quality, I have come to know and expect, in this little machine. If you follow the included instructions, using bottled or filtered water, like with all other models, you can enjoy years of variety and deliciousness from your liquid refreshments. Our Special Edition is still going strong and gets a lot of wear and tear from this big family. The MINI Plus is super simple to operate, too; and has many of the same features we have come to love in our bigger model. For instance, I can choose from three different cup sizes. It has a removable drip tray, which makes it easy to clean and helps to accommodate taller mugs or even short drinking glasses. I can brew hot or cold beverages with it and any K-Cup flavor works in it.
This handy drip tray catches any spills you make or overflow if the reservoir is too full AND it is removable so taller mugs can be used. Great feature!
When you buy a Keurig brewer, it’s important to pick the size and style that fits YOUR specific needs and believe me, they have something for everyone! There are three things, specific to it’s design and it’s intended use, that make the Keurig MINI Plus not as good an option for our beverage guzzling family, and more appropriate for a small space used by only one or two people.
- One thing I did notice is that you really need to be aware of what you’re doing when you fill the machine. Overfilling the water reservoir can result in a big mess on your counter, so I would definitely say, the MINI Plus is not as child-friendly as our Special Edition brewer. It is definitely important to be paying attention to the process.
- Also, because it’s made for small spaces, it can’t accommodate my big iced tea glasses. It is definitely designed with the hot beverage drinker in mind, although it IS possible for you to put ice in a mug and brew cold beverages.
- And you can only add enough water to make one cup at a time. This means the water isn’t heated until you start the brewing process. It’s around two minutes from start to finish, which isn’t a big deal for one person. But if all the kids and grandbabies want hot chocolate and hubby wants his coffee and I need a glass of iced tea, the Special Edition is our perfect solution. The MINI Plus is ideal for a college student or in your workshop, but our family loves the option of the large, always ready reservoir of our Special Edition Brewer.
Once the reservoir has your desired amount of water, turn the power on to your MINI Plus.
Load your favorite K-Cup flavor and then close the holder. When the lid goes down, you will hear the water stream from the reservoir into the machine to be heated. (Note: Using my large, over-sized mug means removing the drip tray for this brewing. I love having that option!)
Once the lid is closed, the brew button will flash blue. Press it and it will continue to flash, only in red, as the water is heated and your beverage is brewed.
It only takes around two minutes from the time the water begins heating until your cup is being filled! Mmmm...Apple Cider!
Our MINI Plus arrived with 12 K-Cup samples in the box and we are enjoying testing each one, as well as brewing old favorites. With fall peeking around the corner, promising to be here soon, I’m longing for cool, crisp evenings on the deck with a cup of hot apple cider and good friends to visit with. Mmmm! Plus, it’s almost time to make Apple Cider Doughnut Holes! What a great snack for fall! With my Keurig brewers, I don’t have to run to the store to buy a gallon jug of cider before I can whip up a batch. With the handy K-Cups already on hand, I can fresh brew the Hot Apple Cider, in just the amount I need and have a fabulous autumn snack in no time at all. (Be watching for the recipe in an upcoming post! You’re going to LOVE them!)
Apple Cider Doughnut Holes! We'll make some together, soon.
And for those of you, like us, who are still enjoying those hot days of Summer, Southern Sweet Tea from Celestial Seasonings, is one of many iced tea varieties that your family can enjoy to cool off and feel refreshed. Our family enjoys several of them. Believe it or not, I and my youngest LOVE to brew the English Breakfast Black Tea K-Cups from Celestial Seasonings over ice. It’s the perfect unsweetened flavor for our thirsty tastebuds! My husband thinks everything is better with sugar, though, so he loves the Half & Half K-Cups, (half lemonade, half tea). No matter what your taste, there is a K-Cup that will fit it, your mood and the season perfectly!
These are the flavors that came in the K-Cup Sampler with the MINI Plus we reviewed.
My husband is the resident coffee connoisseur in our home and that’s where Keurig has become my best friend. Rather than buying large cans or bags of coffee and beans, that can be so expensive and often sit in the cupboard until they are stale and unappealing, I can have a large variety of K-cups available for him, so he can “mix-it up” and enjoy something different every day if he chooses. He has his tried and true favorites like Nantucket Blend, but he loves to experiment and try new flavors, too. Right now he is loving Van Houtte Cafe’s French Vanilla and Barista Prima Coffeehouse’s French Roast.
And for those cool nights on the way, the kids and I always look forward to steamy, sweet and spicy mugs of Cafe Express Chai Latte (My girls call it Thanksgiving in a cup. ) and Cafe Express Dark Hot Chocolate or Milk Hot Chocolate. Perfect treats for warming you right down to your toes on a crisp, fall evening!
- At Keurig, there is a variety, a flavor and a brewer that is the perfect fit for every household. Which one fits you?
So, what kind of household are you? Big or small? Hot or iced? Coffee, tea, or cocoa? At Keurig, there’s a brewer and a flavor that is PERFECT for you! And generous, as always, Keurig is sponsoring a giveaway to help you test that out! One Busy-at-Home reader will win a Keurig MINI Plus and assortment of K-Cups as part of my 50th Birthday Bash! Here’s how to enter.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. The mandatory entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) Sunday, September 4, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
What’s your best fit? Visit the Keurig online store and find the brewer that is perfect for your home or workspace. Leave a comment below that tells me which one you chose and where you would use it.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Keurig on Facebook and leave them a little note letting them know how much you appreciate this fantastic giveaway at Busy-at-Home. Leave a comment below letting me know you did. Be sure to include your Facebook name, so I can find you in their fans list.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. Use the “Join” button in the right-hand sidebar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter (in the right-hand sidebar). You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. I’m entered to win a fabulous Keurig MINI Plus Brewer and K-Cups sampler from Keurig & Busy-at-Home! http://busy-at-home.com/blog/win-a-keurig-mini-plus-brewer-in-our-review-and-giveaway-birthday-bash-surprise-2/ Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
- Tweet this giveaway (1x daily) : I’m entered to win a fabulous Keurig MINI Plus Brewer and K-Cups sampler from Keurig & Busy-at-Home! http://busy-at-home.com/blog/win-a-keurig-mini-plus-brewer-in-our-review-and-giveaway-birthday-bash-surprise-2/ #giveaway Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
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I received a Keurig MINI Plus Brewer and sample K-Cups in order to test them and conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and as always, at Busy-at-Home, views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
This Giveaway Ended at Midnight (CST), Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010. Congratulations to the winner, Lauren Boticelli, #656! We have added a “little brother” to our Keurig Special Edition Brewer family. It’s no secret to any of you that we love our Keurig Special Edition brewer. When we first reviewed this wonderful machine, we were [...]
This Giveaway Ended at Midnight (CST), Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010.
Congratulations to the winner, Lauren Boticelli, #656!
We have added a “little brother” to our Keurig Special Edition Brewer family. It’s no secret to any of you that we love our Keurig Special Edition brewer. When we first reviewed this wonderful machine, we were captivated by the simplicity, convenience and variety it added to serving hot or iced beverages, whether we are just relaxing at home or have a house full of people we are entertaining. You can read my full review of the Special Edition brewer, here, but today, I am excited to tell you all about Keurig’s Cafe One-Touch Milk Frother, the perfect accessory for the brewer, and how both machines can fit into your Homemade Holiday!
The Keurig Milk Frother has allowed us to take our favorite Keurig beverages to the “gourmet coffee shop” level and create yummy, gourmet coffee, chocolate and tea drinks without the high coffee shop prices. The frother is simple to use, easy to clean and turns our own skim milk into a creamy, frothy accompaniment to our favorite drinks. Just when I think I couldn’t be more excited about or pleased with Keurig as a company, I try a new product and my excitement over them and their products is reignited.
The milk frother truly is one-touch. Using skim milk, fill the frother to the fill line inside the pot. Insert the frother into the pot by snapping the lid into place. (Another great feature! – See that round wire spring-looking thingy? That’s what whips your skim milk into a fluffy frenzy, BUT it’s also easy to slide off the post and then you can just heat milk without frothing it. They thought of everything!)
Putting the lid on the frother.
One push of the button conveniently located on the front of the frother and the machine heats and foams your skim milk in a matter of seconds.
A green light glows on the button when the machine is heating and frothing.
When the light stops glowing, push the button on the frother handle to release the lid . Look at that delicious whipped milk ready to dress up your favorite beverage!
Can you believe that was skim milk!!??!!
Once the milk has been added to your drink, just set the frother back on the base.
Frother base.
You can visit the Keurig website and click on the recipe books on the counter, at the center-left edge of the picture, to get some delicious recipe ideas from the coffee experts. But in the meantime, I wanted to share some of our family favorites.
I’m pretty sure that I have expressed, in a previous post, that one of my many personal favorite K-Cups is the Cafe Escapes Chai Latte. It is one of the most spicy, delicious treats just as a stand-alone beverage, but the addition of warm milk and/or froth takes it to a heavenly creaminess level, that will find you fighting the urge to make multiple mugsful (Did I invent another new word?) in one evening! I wanted to show you a beautiful cup of it, piled high with foam and dusted with nutmeg, but I am forced to admit I had the last one, yesterday, and will need to make a run to the store to be stocked up before the holidays. But no worries! I have several other creations to share. These are all “dressed up” versions of K-Cups we use on their own every single day. These dressed up versions are definitely holiday party worthy and will have your guests clambering for more.
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Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
- Cafe Express Milk Chocolate Cocoa K-Cup
- Chocolate Syrup
- skim milk
- cocoa powder (small amount to dust as decoration)
Pour skim milk into the Keurig Cafe One-Touch Milk Frother.
Brew the Milk Chocolate Cocoa with 6 or 8 oz of water while your milk is frothing.
In a separate mug, add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of chocolate syrup.
Top the chocolate syrup layer with a thick layer of milk foam from your frother.
Add a layer of frothed milk to the top of the chocolate syrup layer.
Slowly drizzle your brewed hot chocolate, in a thin stream, over the center of the milk foam and watch the magic happen! Your layers will switch as the chocolate takes on creaminess from the milk and the froth rises to the top. It’s beautiful!
See the beautiful layers that dress up this wonderful cool weather treat and make it something truly festive? Just wait until you taste it with the chocolate and creamy frothed milk stirred in! Yum!
Dust the top of the foam with a little cocoa powder and serve to impressed guests and grateful family!
Double Chocolate Cocoa dressed for your holiday party!
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French Vanilla Caramel Latte
- French Vanilla Coffee K-Cup
- Caramel Syrup
- sugar
- vanilla
- skim milk
- whipped cream, optional
Fill frother to fill line and heat and froth the milk.
While the milk is frothing, brew the French Vanilla Coffee K-Cup.
French Vanilla Coffee K-Cup loaded in the Special Edition brewer, ready to be brewed.
Once your coffee is brewed, stir in about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, some warmed milk (there will be a small amount in the bottom of the frother, underneath all the foam) and sugar, to taste. David likes two teaspoons. Add 2 – 3 Tablespoons of caramel syrup, which will settle to the bottom of the mug for just a second. Then you will note a yummy caramel ring, rising and forming around the top of your mug.
See the caramel ring?
Stir in the caramel. Spoon in a thick layer of milk froth and if desired, add a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle a little extra caramel syrup over the top and you’ll rival any coffee shop brew!
A yummy French Vanilla Caramel Latte with frothed milk and a dollop of whipped cream.
With the addition of frothed milk and some holiday flavors, any hot chocolate, tea or coffee beverages can become something special and a delicious treat! Who could resist Gingerbread Hot Chocolate? It’s topped with warm and frothy skimmed milk, gingerbread marshmallows and a cinnamon stick garnish? Yum! And nothing could be simpler than topping hot chocolate with some frothy skim milk, crushed peppermint candy and a candy cane garnish.
What grandchild wouldn't be wide eyed with delight at the sight of Gingerbread Hot Chocolate or Peppermint Hot Chocolate?
I know some of you don’t drink coffee or sometimes you want something lighter and not so creamy. Keurig has lots of options for you. One of the most wonderful seasonal specialty beverages that has been released for our cool weather enjoyment is Hot Apple Cider K-Cups. We brew it with 8 oz of water and it is a wonderful, appley sweet treat that warms you through on a nippy winter evening or afternoon!
Keurig's delicious, new Hot Apple Cider!
To dress it up for a holiday party you could add sliced citrus and cinnamon sticks for a pretty presentation.
An orange slice and cinnamon stick to spice up a delicious beverage for your holiday party.
All the coffees and teas you can make in the Keurig Special Edition Brewer, can also be brewed over ice. If you love iced coffee this is a perfect solution to save money over expensive coffee shop drinks. I’m an iced tea fan, any time of the year. I love Earl Gray tea, served hot, but my favorite K-Cup for Iced Tea is Celestial Seasoning’s English Breakfast Tea. It is the perfect brewed flavor, without being too weak or too strong. Another benefit is that I actually get two glasses of iced tea from an English Breakfast Tea K-Cup.
Two iced teas brewed with 8 oz of water each, from a single K-Cup.
Spruced up iced tea with a slice of lemon and a little fresh mint.
Iced tea, worthy of a special guest.
I love that I can provide a variety of beverages that fit a wide range of tastes when serving guests. You’ll never have to settle for reheated leftover coffee, again, when you can brew it fresh for each individual cup! I could continue to sing the praises of Keurig’s Special Edition Brewer, but this post has already gotten lengthy and I have some AMAZING news for you! You can add to the list of things that I love about Keurig, that they are incredibly generous. One lucky Busy-at-Home reader is going to benefit tremendously from that generosity. Keurig is providing a Special Edition Brewer AND a box of limited edition Apple Cider K-Cups for a Busy-at-Home giveaway!
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. The mandatory entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) Sunday, December 19, 2010.
Mandatory Entry:
Visit the Keurig online store and look at the hundreds of flavors of coffee, tea and beverages available. Leave a comment below that tells me the flavor you think you would most love to try and what you would like the best about owning a Keurig Special Edition brewer.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Keurig on Facebook. Leave a comment below letting me know you did. Be sure to include your Facebook name, so I can find you in their fans list.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. Use the “Join” button in the right-hand sidebar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link (or in the right-hand sidebar). You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. I’m entered to win a fabulous Keurig Special Edition brewer and Apple Cider K-Cups from Keurig and Busy-at-Home! http://busy-at-home.com/blog/keurig-milk-frother-review-another-special-edition-brewer-giveaway/
Leave a comment below with a link to your post. - Tweet this giveaway (1x daily) : I’m entered to win a spectacular Keurig Special Edition Brewer and Hot Apple Cider K-Cups @busyathome http://ow.ly/3mVdx #giveaway Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
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I received a Keurig Cafe One-Touch Milk Frother and a box of Apple Cider K-Cups in order to conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. Additionally, Keurig will provide a Special Edition Brewer and box of Hot Apple Cider K-Cups to the giveaway winner. As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
