Coffee and kids don’t mix; at least that’s what they tell us. Common sense also tells us that this is true, especially with countless sources telling us of the bad effects of caffeine on your body.

Lately though, with the popularity of huge coffee chains like Starbucks, the sight of teenagers, even kids, drinking coffee is something that is becoming more common. Are parents wrong to let their kids drink coffee?

I believe that coffee drinking, as with most things, is not bad unless you take it to the extreme (Attention caffeine addicts!  ^_^). Coffee may contain caffeine, which has been proven to be addictive, but more and more studies are also showing that coffee may have more health benefits than we realize; in fact it may actually be beneficial to people suffering from Type II diabetes, hepatitis C, and skin cancer. The question now is whether the positive effects outweigh the negative ones.

With conflicting studies on the benefits and harm that coffee and caffeine bring, I think that it is impossible to draw a conclusion at this point. So instead of overly worrying about the issue, I would just let my kid drink coffee IN MODERATION and let him enjoy the treat, just like he gets his sweets every now and then. I do not say that he should get a full cup of coffee every single morning, but he sure can take a sip from my cup whenever he wants to (except late in the afternoon and at night because that’s asking for trouble come bedtime). Of course it goes without saying that they should never drink enough for it to replace their regular nutritional drink (read: milk). And as for teenagers who need an energy boost now and then to help them stay awake during exam week, I’d rather see them sipping on a cup of coffee rather than downing bottle after bottle of energy drinks!

What do you think? Is letting your kid drink coffee a sign of bad parenting?

Image credit: David White Design

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There is, perhaps, no finer marriage in the world than a fantastic dessert and brewed coffee. It’s an interplay of flavors and textures. But not many people realize that (like wine and food) certain kinds of coffee work especially beautifully with certain kinds of dessert. It depends on the flavor personality of the coffee.

There are essentially three kinds of coffee flavors: nutty, fruity and floral. These depend on where the beans originated. An Ethiopian and a Costa Rican coffee are very different.  You can become more sensitive to the nuances of saltiness, bitterness, sourness (or acidity) and sweetness. For example, brewed coffee from roasted nuts tend to be sweet, while others tend to be bitter.

Temperature plays a large role: colder coffee tends to highlight the flavors, while hot coffee tends to have a more “blended” taste.  Iced coffees also tend to be diluted with water or mixed with syrups which can hide the taste of the coffee—so if you’re serious about understanding coffee, take your cup hot, brewed and plain!

To detect the flavor of the coffee, take a sip and let it sit on your tongue awhile before swallowing. Try to make out whether it is sweet, sour, bitter or salty. Then take a sip of water to wash the palate and taste your dessert. Again, pinpoint the different flavors and textures. Now take some coffee and some dessert and see how they play off against each other. What a wonderful way to end your  food adventure!

So remember that the next time you go to a restaurant! After all, most of us dine out in order to enjoy a full flavor experience; in fact, there are gastronomic delights like seven course meals that promise a full range of tastes and textures. Many of them even offer discount vouchers!

Enjoy the play of these flavors on your tongue—from the appetizer down to the dessert and the brewed coffee. In fact, the more you dine out the more you can educate your palate. This is a great way to learn more not just about brewed coffee but about flavors.  That’s a real bargain!

Many fine dining restaurants know this and offer a complete coffee menu. Others will have a house brew, meant to cleanse the palate and settle the stomach. In fact, they consider coffee such a big part of the dining experience that their discount vouchers will include complimentary brewed coffee.

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If you’re a coffee lover, then you know how very much just the smell of a fresh brew can add to the already comfy, cozy feel of the holidays. But did you know that you can make the most of your love for the roast by choosing seasonally-themed flavors? Get the scoop on what’s hot this year (as well as what’s time-tested) with this list of five awesome coffee blends for the holiday season:

Royal Kona Pumpkin Spice

Warm a cold Halloween night or provide a stimulating after Thanksgiving-dinner aperitif with this light to medium roast, pumpkin-flavored blend. While many holiday-themed coffees tend to cater to the winter holidays, this blend is special in that it’s more specific to the fall season.

Sisters Coffee Company Toasted Chestnut Flavored Coffee

If you prefer a rich, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness, this is the blend for you. All you need is an open fire and a warm blanket to complete the experience. This holiday coffee also comes in a metallic green package, adorned with holly berries, so it’s also perfect for gift-giving.

Lion Coffee Jingle Bell Caramel

This fine, Hawaiian coffee is a medium roast with a smooth, caramel flavor. To compliment the caramel, a bit of buttercream flavor is added to the mix, creating a truly tempting dessert coffee. This blend was previously called Caramel Christmas Crème, and comes in a delightful Christmas-themed bag featuring a Santa costume-clad lion in a rocking chair.

Royal Kona Cinnamon Gingerbread

The holidays just wouldn’t be complete without mention of the traditional cinnamon and gingerbread flavors that have come to be synonymous with the Christmas season. This medium roast blend is just the right mix of sweet and spicy, and comes in a blue “Starry Palm” bag, just for the holidays.

San Francisco Tea & Coffee Egg Nog Coffee Beans

This blend brilliantly combines two holiday classics, coffee and egg nog, to create a warm and fuzzy feast for the senses.

The holiday coffee tradition is one that dates back to – well, to the beginning of coffee. For that reason, coffee growers and retailers alike go to great lengths to provide us with coffee experiences that can add to our holiday cheer. There is sure to be something for everyone on this list of awesome coffee blends for the holiday season, so why not try all of them, and give your holiday guests warm tummies, stimulating scents, and tickled taste buds.

About the Author: Deborah Grames can’t start her day without a hot cup of java. When she’s not thinking about picking a new blend, she can be fond tracking the UFX Markets trading and studying day trading strategies.

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Not everyone who loves his cup of joe has a sweet tooth as well, but just in case you are, you are in for an awesome treat today: a sweet infographic detailing all that you want to know about the history of Halloween candy!

Oh, that wonderful time of the year when everything tries to spook everyone else. From witches to ghouls to zombies – people finally have the chance to look horrible and be proud of it! And of course, there is the candy! Even those who are too old to go trick or treating still somehow get some candy in their hands!

If you are well into your Halloween preparations (or even if you’re not), all this candy goodness will excite you even more!

The History of Halloween Candy by Recipe Finder

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Starbucks has been making headlines recently for various reasons, from their logo change to lawsuits, and now for their efforts against climate change.

The Guardian reported yesterday that Starbuck’s Sustainability Director, Jim Hanna, expressed their concern over the effects of climate change, as well as their seriousness in finding ways to tackle the problem. Being a business though, Starbucks concern for climate change is obviously not just for the welfare of the environment, but its possible effects on the global coffee supply chain, which will obviously hurt their bottomline. As Jim Hanna said, “If conditions continue as they are – is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean…If we sit by and wait until the impacts of climate change are so severe that is impacting our supply chain then that puts us at a greater risk. From a business perspective we really need to address this now, and to look five, 10, and 20 years down the road.”

Starbucks is definitely not taking this problem sitting down; in fact they have been implementing their “climate change strategy from 2004, focusing on renewable energy, energy conservation, and collaboration and advocacy.”

Early this month, Starbucks also renewed their partnership with Conservation International, which involves a $3 million, 2-year renewed commitment that will “expanding pilot programs in coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and Sumatra, Indonesia, which are designed to support and reward coffee farmers and coffee-growing communities for efforts taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

So who says that profitability and environmental responsibility can’t go hand-in-hand? Not Starbucks.

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