Peppermint Latte
Peppermint is a great flavor during winter. We often see candy canes, peppermint bark, and other holiday treats flavored with peppermint.
I love how peppermint is such a refreshing scent and it is so cooling, like a burst of fresh air. I’m sure there are seasonal home fragrances based on this smell.
What’s not to love about peppermint, and why not try mixing it in with more sweet treats this time of year? Continue reading
This weekend, October 25-26th, the Texas Book Festival was held on the capital grounds in Austin. The pink granite steps of this historic building led eager festival-goers to panels where authors discussed their works. There were also tents set up on the capital grounds for additional panels, book sales, book signings, food/cooking demonstrations, children’s entertainment/story time, food and live music.
There were panels running all day Saturday and Sunday. Often, there would be one panel in a category back to back with another panel in the same category. Often when a panel ends, the authors go straight to a signing four blocks from the panel.
Would you stay for the second related panel or rush over to the book signing for the panel you just heard? Planning is absolutely important if you want to make the most of the festival. Continue reading
Pumpkin Latte at Heroes Galaxy
It’s officially October and fall items are everywhere. One thing that you will probably see or hear people talking about is pumpkin spice lattes. So, what are pumpkin spice lattes?
Depending on where you get yours, the pumpkin spice latte is a flavor of the season usually involving pumpkin and vanilla flavoring and all the wonderful spices found in a pumpkin pie. It’s a rich drink that people enjoy to get in the mood of the season. Continue reading
“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.”
― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
If you love coffee as much as you love cats, why not combine the two at a cat cafe? Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku explains cat cafes. He shares whimsical photos from inside Temari no Ouchi, a cat cafe in Japan. Continue reading
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell is the Author of the book Landline. In her blog, she describes the book as a story about a marriage in trouble and how a landline phone might just heal the relationship.
The main character, Georgie, wants to reconnect with her husband, Neal. Rowell describes Georgie’s attempt to resolve her marital problems, “Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage”. Continue reading
Cat Latte by Yamamoto
If you love coffee, I bet that you’ve come across some of the amazing coffee art that’s been circulating the internet. This story on NPR by Maria Godoy is about a Japanese latte artist and his too cute designs.
Hello Espresso
Check out this espresso with a 3-D cat design by Kazuki Yamamoto. This latte artist is known for his espresso and foam art. Can you believe how real the cat looks? Continue reading
If you like to read fiction, chances are that when you want to buy a new book or two, you check out book reviews before making a purchase. There are so many book reviews online that it’s hard to know where to start. Continue reading
According to Julie Jargon of the Wall Street Journal, Starbucks raised prices on some of their beverages and coffee this week.
Coffee Prices Increase at Starbucks
Starbucks drinks will increase up to 20 cents, and packaged Starbucks coffee sold in grocery stores is set to increase by about $1 per bag by late July. If you are a K-cup coffee drinker, you shouldn’t see a price increase now. Continue reading
Beautiful Ruins
On NPR’s All Things Considered, Kevin Roose recommends the book Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. In his review of this book, he admits that it made him imagine a life in Los Angeles just so he could see the mess that is Hollywood up close.
The story line in this book spans an entire decade. Claire, a Hollywood assistant, works for an aging movie producer who was once a big deal. Claire has the disdainful job of listening to awful reality show pitches. Continue reading
French Press Technique
According to Melanie Pinola in the article she wrote for LifeHacker called How To Perfect Your French Press Coffee Technique, she explains the best technique for French press coffee.
French press coffee is thought to taste better that the coffee you typically brew in through a filter, but with this method you might end up with grinds in your coffee if you aren’t careful. Continue reading
Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel brought us the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, and the movie release date is August 1, 2014.
Whether you have read all the comics or your first introduction to Guardians of the Galaxy will be on the big screen, you will enjoy a fantastic combination of characters.
The main character left Earth as a kid, but with the help of a unique team, he will fight to save his home. The fun in this story is all about the unusual team. Continue reading
Coffee-Cured Pulled Pork
Linton Hopkins of Food & Wine contributed a recipe for Coffee-Cured Pulled Pork. He remarked “I want to create a TV show called The 36-Hour Meal. The best things take a little bit of time.” This might be the key to getting the most flavor into a marinated meat.
Hopkins provides a delicious recipe that uses 1/4 cup of ground coffee. You know Heroes Galaxy loves that! I wonder what type of coffee he used. I can imagine using a deep, rich coffee with chocolate flavors. Continue reading
Writing Excuses
This week on the podcast Writing Excuses, writers Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells talk about writing a sympathetic character, an unsympathetic character, and everything in between.
They discuss why you would want a character to be less sympathetic. Obviously, the villain will be predominantly unsympathetic. Also, the main character might need to be somewhat sympathetic to avoid seeming too perfect. This also leaves room for growth. Continue reading
American Elsewhere
Stefan Raets with book publisher TOR explains in his review Deliciously Weird: American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett how pacing, vivid scenery, and storytelling from multiple characters’ perspectives keep this novel interesting.
To summarize, this book is about a cop named Mona Bright who was married and expecting a baby. Then, when her life suddenly changed for the worse, she drifted around until she learned that her mother has given her a house. The house she inherited is in a small New Mexico town. Continue reading
