|
Gourmet Coffee Gifts
Coffee and Weight Loss
You can find those on both sides of this issue. Is coffee a weight loss help, or a weight loss hindrance? On the one hand, coffee is a stimulant and it is addictive. There are those who even call coffee a drug. These are people who are firmly against the use of anything that could remotely be called addictive or a stimulant. They advocate abstinence from practically everything.
On the other side of this coffee and weight loss issue, you will find those who point out that there are no calories, no carbohydrates, and no fat in a cup of black coffee. Coffee has a satisfying taste that one can enjoy guilt free. These people agree that coffee is a stimulant, but they see that as a good thing. Coffee is recognized by many as a very natural appetite suppressant, which is an extremely desirable quality for those who are trying to lose some unwanted pounds.
Coffee as it comes from the pot is all natural, without any calories, carbohydrates, or fat at all. However, if you start adding "stuff" to it, like sugar, heavy cream, coffee-flavoring syrups, etc., these sterling diet qualities are lost. If you order a double latte at Starbucks, for example, you will blow your diet big time no matter whether you are counting calories, carbohydrates, or fat grams.
If you can drink coffee black or with an artificial no-calorie sweetener, then coffee can actually be a very good aid to your weight loss efforts. You will get a boast of energy and a natural appetite suppressant along with it. If, on the other hand, you insist on adding several spoons of sugar and a big gulp of heavy cream, you should probably scratch coffee off your allowed food and drink list.
See Also:
Top Sites for World Famous Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
|
Exotic Coffee Drinks
Coffee with a Twist
When I think of a cup of coffee (which is often), two pictures come to mind. The first is me pouring my first cup of coffee out of my automatic coffee maker first thing in the morning, and the other is a picture of the waitress at my favorite coffee shop handing me a cup of coffee over the counter. There isn't anything fancy about the coffee in either situation. It is coffee….good, hot coffee.
However, I have discovered that coffee doesn't have to always be just plain coffee. Plain coffee is terrific, but you can make coffee as fancy as you want to make it.
For example, hot coffee in cold weather is great, but hot coffee in hot weather isn't. Iced coffee in hot weather is better…much better. The trick to making good iced coffee is to brew the coffee well in advance. Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it in a very tightly sealed container until you are ready to serve it.
But wait…you can make it even better by using one of the many flavored syrups that are on the market that are specifically made for use in coffee (either hot coffee or iced coffee). These flavored syrups can be purchased in regular flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and the usual fruit and nut flavors, but they can also be purchased in some really exotic flavors as well. Flavored syrups like lavender, gingerbread, Granny Smith apple, eggnog, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake are available.
You can also add flavored whipped cream to coffee that really gives the coffee a festive air and a different taste. Flavored whipped cream recipes are available free all over the Internet, and flavored whipped cream can be purchased as well.
Coffee is great as just plain coffee, but coffee with a twist can be fun and interesting. |
|
More articles:
Top Sites for World Famous Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
Let's Twist Again: Chubby Checker
Coffee, Me And A Not So "Sweet" Splenda?
Your Michigan Connection: Sanders Coffee Klatch Forum
Important Features to Look For In a Coffee Maker
The Daily Coffee Grind
Flavored Coffee Syrup
To give your coffee some zing and more body, or just to add a surprise flavor to a cup of coffee, you might want to try some of the many choices of flavored coffee syrups that are on the market today. Coffee no longer has to be plain coffee. It can be flavored almost any way any body could possibly want.
There are flavored coffee syrups available in all of the flavors that you might expect; chocolate, vanilla, various fruits and nuts. But then there are flavored coffee syrups available in some flavors that you might never expect, like Granny Smith Apple, lavender, gingerbread, eggnog, cheesecake, or pumpkin spice, just to name a few.
Do you have to watch your diet? No problem, you can still enjoy many of the flavored coffee syrups on the market because they come in sugar-free and even low-carb varieties.
If you are very creative or really into the flavored coffee syrup thing, you can even make your own flavored coffee syrup. The syrups that you make can be used in coffee, of course, but they can also be used to make shakes, smoothies, or over ice cream as a dessert. You can find recipes for flavored coffee syrup all over the Internet. Here is one example of a flavored coffee syrup that you can make at home:
Stir together until fully blended:
1 ½ cups of sugar
1 cup of powdered cocoa
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Gradually add 1 cup of water to the mixture stirring constantly. Don't beat the mixture. Simply stir it until it is blended completely.
Then heat this mixture until it comes to a full boil and boil it for a full three minutes. You must stir constantly to prevent lumping. Now, remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool, then add two teaspoons of vanilla flavoring and store it in the refrigerator.
Related Topics: Types of Coffee Makers,
Gourmet Coffee Gifts, Coffee and Alzheimers
|
