Coffee Milk

The weather is changing to that lovely autumn weather here, and that just begs for a hot drink. Both of my kids love all sorts of hot drinks, even coffee, so we improvise a bit to make things more kid friendly (for them).

Not being big caffeine drinkers anyway, we keep decaf in the house (we drink ½ caff., but there is always 100% decaf available). The kids love the taste of coffee, but we’re not too keen on them having coffee as a drink. Thanks to many shopping visits to Trader Joe’s, the kids have become fond of “coffee milk”.

Coffee milk really is nothing more than a tiny bit of coffee (with whatever sweetener you desire) to a disproportionate amount of milk. At Trader Joe’s, I tend to do something like a 1:4 ratio of coffee to milk. Enough for the flavour, but also always a drinkable temperature for them.

At home, we use a Keurig with a refillable k-cup. I make a single cup of decaf coffee, split it between two mugs, and add milk. Since this is 100% decaf, I’ll do a 1:1 ratio. We also add stevia powder at home since they really don’t need a bunch of sugar. On the rare occasions they get sugar, we just stir that in before adding the milk so it dissolves better.

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff is responsible for the content of this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.

Three Avocados: Coffee for you, water for them

I've never been a huge coffee drinker. Not just because caffeine doesn't affect me, but mostly due to embarrassment that I enjoyed it with sugar and cream and not black. I love the taste of coffee, but I like it sweetened. Why does this matter? Honestly, I have no clue... but this isn't about me. It's about them.

Three Avocados is a non-profit company that started from a mission trip to Uganda in 2010. While there, an act of an old widow inspired them to choose their name. Their goal is to provide clean water in Uganda, and education in Nicaragua.

100% of the profits go to these causes. That can range from between $0.50 a bag and $3.00 a bag depending on where the coffee is purchased, but purchasing directly through their website will give the most per bag since it cuts out the middle-man.

I actually contacted Three Avocados asking if I could help them promote their company in any way. When I found out about them, I fell in love with the idea and wanted to help. Though not requested, Three Avocados offered me the chance to sample their coffee, as well. I received their Uganda Bugisu coffee, described as having a "clean, bold taste with hints of bittersweet chocolate". Their other coffee, the Nicaraguan, is described as "sweet, with low acidity and fruity tones" and "milder"  than the Uganda Bugisu.

I'm not going to pretend to be a coffee guru. I'm not. I know very little in the differences between coffee tastes. I do know that I tried a kona blend once and hated it because it was a fruity flavoured sweet. My favourite (general) coffees are Italian roast, French Roast and a local roasting company's Reserve Blend (which claims to be dark with a chocolate hint, though unflavoured). If that helps you get an idea of my taste at all, I enjoyed the Uganda Bugisu, though it wasn't as dark rich bold as I expected it to be, but the flavour was delicious. (See? Totally not a coffee connoisseur. Maybe, someday?)

By the way, it is seemingly impossible it is to photograph ordinary coffee (nothing fancy), and there is no way to share with you the delightful aroma in the air when I brew a cup. You'll just have to take my word for it....

...or, if you love coffee, why not give them a try? Not only will your purchase provide the coffee you desire, but it will help better the life of another. The purchase of 4 bags can give someone clean water for life.

Have a family member that loves coffee? Three Avocados coffee is a great gift, and it gives twice!

Want to see what Three Avocados has accomplished? Check out all the good they've done HERE.

Want to learn more? Check out their shop and purchase coffee, mugs, shirts, and more!

They also have coffee subscriptions where you can save $1 per bag when you sign up for a monthly autoship (and shipping is included).

Not a coffee drinker? No problem! You can donate to their cause, or help get the word out about them. Together, we can all make a difference!

While Three Avocados does offer an affiliate program, I am choosing not to participate because that would take away from the money going to help others. Instead, any links for Three Avocados that you see in this post and on the blog are straight links to the page and will give the most to their cause.

You can follow Three Avocados on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff is responsible for the content of this post. Three Avocados did provide a sample of coffee, though this did not change my opinion in any way.

Thursday Tips: Used Tea & Coffee

Do you garden? Maybe you even compost? Put those used coffee grounds and tea leaves to work!

Coffee grounds are great in the soil, in compost, and in worm bins. In fact, you can even mound up some coffee grounds around a plant that slugs love and it will help keep them away since the coffee grounds are acidic and abrasive. ( Read here for more info on coffee in your garden. )

Don't forget, you can break open those k-cups and use those grounds, too!

Tea is much the same. You can use the moist tea leaves in your compost bin to speed up decomposition, or mix with soil/sprinkle on soil of acid loving plants like tomatoes. ( Read here for more info on tea leaves with different types of soil. )

We break open our tea bags, but you can also compost the tea bag depending on what it's made of.