Caffeine boost not enough to get your heart pumping? Well maybe the thought of dollar signs will do the trick for you.

I’m not talking about giving away money out of my own pockets, nor will I give get-rich-quick formulas that do not really work. Instead, I’ll be giving you some tips on how to promote your own blog and hopefully make some money while you sitting in the comfort of your own home blogging away and sipping on a cup of coffee in the wee hours of the morning.

Most likely you are not new to the idea of blog monetization, but if you are it simple means making money from your blog. You can do this several ways including selling stuff on your blog, asking for donations, offering paid subscription, becoming an affiliate site, and of course, the ever present ads. No matter what monetization tactic you use the one common thing they share is the need for a good sized traffic on your blog for you to make a significant amount of money.

The problem with this is that people won’t come to your blog without any effort on your part. They need to learn of your blog one way or another if you want them to come. The good news is that there are easy ways to promote your blog.

One way you can promote your blog without breaking a sweat is by submitting your blog details on web directories like Blog Search Engine. Not all web directories work the same way, with most providing you nothing more than a listing on the directory. The thing I like about Blog Search Engine is that it provides a review for your blog aside from the link for their basic package which costs only $14.99. Signing up for package upgrades will earn you even more links from their blog network, make you’re the featured blog, and place a banner ad of your blog on their homepage.

While I recommend their services though, I urge you to use other blog promotion strategies to get more traffic in your site quickly.

If you have a child with ADHD, then you’ve no doubt run into a wide array of advice and treatment recommendations to help modify your child’s difficult behavior. One of the most recent trends setting ADHD online forums afire is the use of coffee to treat ADHD symptoms in children. Sure, we know coffee is a common part of the daily routine for most adults . . . but haven’t we always been told to keep it away from the children? So, how does this coffee ADHD treatment work? Can coffee help control ADHD in kids? Before you run to the supermarket and stock up on Folgers, read on for some answers.

Stimulants and ADHD. As you probably know, most common ADHD treatments are stimulants – usually in the form of amphetamine and methylphenidate. That is because stimulants actually have a calming effect on children with ADHD. Therefore, it seems to make sense that caffeine might be useful for treating the symptoms of ADHD. Also, it is probably safe to say that most parents would prefer to give their children caffeine over amphetamines.

Dosage. The general claim is that 100 mg of caffeine has the same effect as 5 mg of Ritalin – only with fewer side effects. That means the helpful caffeine benefits may be achieved with as little as two soda drinks.

Variety. You don’t necessarily have to feed your children coffee, either, or load them up with sugar-based beverages. Many parents are opting to give their ADHD children caffeine pills like Vivarin to help them maintain focus and behavioral discipline.

Warnings. Caffeine effects heart rate and blood pressure, and can elevate anxiety, tension, irritability, nervousness, insomnia and more. In children, all of these effects are compounded because of their small stature. Therefore, it is important that you express extreme caution when administering caffeine to children with ADHD, especially if they are already on a stimulant medication. Always consult your doctor before trying any sort of home remedy.

What the medical community has to say. Doctors are coming forward to stress to parents that, as of yet, significant studies have not been administered to prove the safety and efficacy of using caffeine as an alternative or supplementary ADHD treatment. Until there is more information and support from the medical community, it is a good idea to only proceed with such treatment under a doctor’s close supervision.

As a parent, it is understandable that you want to do everything within your power to treat your child’s ADHD. Even more, the thought of replacing a synthetic chemical like amphetamine with a naturally occurring substance like caffeine can be very tempting. Just make sure you do your research and consult your physician before testing the caffeine theory on your ADHD child.

Parker Crumbly loves coffee and is a huge advocate of alternative treatments for childhood conditions, including ADHD. He gladly gives his daughter a cup of coffee each morning and even her teacher can tell if she has not had one. When not researching ADHD, Parker can be found referring friends to groups like Adecco USA recruitment agency to help others find work.

If you are a coffee fan, then you know that coffee is not just a beverage or a morning wake up call. Coffee is so much more than that. It is a lifestyle. You are either a coffee person, or not – but never in between. The aroma of coffee can incite visions, memories and fantasies of coffee-centered moments . . . and, generally speaking, those who love coffee REALLY love coffee. For that reason, experiencing coffee encompasses more than that cup of piping hot joe; there is a world of delectable delights that feature coffee as their main star, and if you are a coffee lover, you absolutely must taste them. Here are five coffee flavored treats that you need to try.

Tiramisu. The next time you are out at your favorite Italian restaurant, you simply must try this classic coffee-laden desert. Featuring coffee soaked lady fingers, a sweet, creamy bed of mascarpone cheese, and chocolate shavings, this luxurious treat will change the way you see coffee forever . . . and may even haunt you in your dreams. Yes, it is that good.

Coffee bean candy. Pick up a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans at any coffee shop and snack on these tiny treats on the go. There’s nothing quite like that coffee bean crunch nestled in a firm-but-soft layer of white, milk or dark chocolate. What’s more, coffee bean candy can make a great ice cream or brownie topping, or cookie filler, if you really want to indulge.

Coffee flavored ice cream. This simple classic is a great way to cool those summer days and still get your coffee fix. Try any of the variety of store bought coffee flavored varieties for an easy and delicious coffee experience.

Coffee Liqueur. Chances are you’ve heard of Kahlua, the most well-known of the coffee liqueurs, but are you aware of the great variety of yummy coffee-flavored beverages you can make with a coffee liqueur? Look it up online. You’ll be amazed at what you can create . . . and you’ll have a whole new arsenal of party drinks to serve at your next coffee lovers gathering.

Coffee cheesecake. What do you get when you cross a favorite classic desert with a favorite beverage? Heaven, of course.

As you can see, there is no shortage of coffee flavored treats to entice the taste buds. If you are a coffee lover (and how could you not be?), then you owe it to yourself to experience each of these delicious indulgences at least once (or twice . . . or much, much more).

Patria Bigger loves coffee and cooking and loves combining the two even more. She’s a finance writer who specializes in bankruptcy processes, the things that happen 30 days after a filing, and issues concerning the final discharge.

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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Starbucks is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, coffee establishment on earth. And as with any extremely popular establishment, it will attract different kinds of legal action against it. Some are unfounded while some may have basis in truth. Starbucks recently got rid of one lawsuit through settlement.

The suit, a discrimination charge against the company, was filed by Elsa Sallard, who was born with dwarfism. Sallard claimed that she was discriminated because of her height. During an orientation for possible Starbucks employees, Sallard suggested that she can use a stool so that she can perform other tasks that are part of the job. But on the same day of the orientation, she was fired allegedly because she will likely put her co-employees and customers in danger.

Sallard’s suit was filed through the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, and charged Starbucks of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The settlement amounts to $75,000 which Starbucks will pay to Sallard. The company will also give ADA training to all of Starbucks’ managers and supervisory employees.

I understand Sallard’s grievance and equality should be something that all companies and people should strive for. But I do understand where Starbucks is coming from. Handling extremely hot beverages is a work hazard and there really is an increased likelihood of a mishap or accident if a person, even if she is extremely capable, goes up and down a stool. There’s political correctness but then there’s also common sense.

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Recipe Finder Logo

How do you like your coffee? I normally take it with a little sugar – either brewed using the drip machine or the espresso machine. While I would never complain about this kind of brew even if I had to drink it every single day of my life, there is something to be said about playing around with coffee and trying out various ways of preparing it.

If you are adventurous, and you have a creative mind, good for you! But even then, wouldn’t you like to have something handy to refer to for recipes and coffee ideas? That’s what I am going to share with you – a cool find that just might give you a stronger buzz than your regular cup of coffee!

Recipe Finder it is called, and it is a new recipe search engine. Recipe web sites are a penny a pound these days, don’t you think? They can be found everywhere, and if you want to look for a recipe, you have to check out all those recipe sites to make sure you’ve covered your bases. That is where Recipe Finder comes into the picture. It puts together the recipes of hundreds of the most trusted recipe web sites you can find today, and presents them in a format that is easy to search, easy to read, and easy to follow.

One look at the Recipe Finder home page, and you get the feeling that it’s all meant to make the life of the user easier.

Recipe Finder Home Page

Just like with most any search engine, that un-missable search bar can easily become your lifeline. But it gets better with Recipe Finder’s Advanced Search options, which allow you to narrow down your search results. Let’s do a quick test.

Recipe Finder Advanced Search – Coffee

I decided to look for coffee recipes for 1 to 2 people; with calories from 100 to 200 (yeah, pretentious!); and that take anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes to prepare. These are the first of the results.

Advanced Search Results – Coffee

Pretty nifty, huh? Now imagine doing a similar search for more complicated recipes. You can easily imagine how this recipe search engine can spare you a lot of headache!

Now we all know that coffee is the best drink in the world, but how much do you know about using coffee in your cooking? As in for appetizers, main dishes, and dessert? Believe you me, Recipe Finder is full of interesting ideas for using coffee in the kitchen. Here’s a little teaser.

Coffee-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

I dare you to tell me that that doesn’t make your mouth water! Oh, and take a look at the right side – the related recipes will open up even more doors.

Whether it’s coffee you are needing or something else, I am pretty sure that you will find Recipe Finder a handy companion in the kitchen. With around 1.7 million recipes in the collection, I don’t think you’ll ever run out of ideas in your lifetime.

The guys at The Blog Herald also featured Recipe Finder on their launch day, complete with screen shots and other tips and tricks. I suggest giving it a look-see for more info. Either that or jump right in and discover something new you can make for dinner!

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