Yemen Mocha Sanan’i

Sana’a Old City, originally uploaded by traveljunkyuk.

Above is a photo of the old Yemeni city of Sana’a. Why is this important? Well this is where our new single origin is from.

We cupped Mocha Sanan’i last week and it is truely an amazing coffee. It has an amazing aroma and front taste of strawberry. Sweet but not sugary. It is medium in body but balanced with it’s acidity. Sanan’i has a finish of pomodoro tomato, chocolate and then black tea! This is a great coffee that should be brewed by french press, and Josh and I will be brewing some of it for you to try this Friday and Saturday.

It is a rare coffee and carries a little higher price of $13.75 but is definately worth it. If you come in and it is gone, email me and I will order you some.

Clever Advertizing

CoffeeCup2 (2), originally uploaded by bhenrymartin.

Thanks Joe for sending this to me. I thought it was a clever way to advertize, I just wish I knew what was being advertized.

Toys!

Indy Toy, originally uploaded by bhenrymartin.

Something happened to me today that hasn’t happend in a long time. I was in the cereal isle and I was compelled to buy cereal based not on the nutritional information but on the toy inside!

Being a sucker for Indiana Jones, and very excited to see the new movie, I couldn’t help but notice the cool toy inside the box! Then I started looking at the other boxes and was really surprised to see that my cereal box with “toy included” was an incredibly rare thing today. Almost every other cereal box had cool toys too, but the catch was you had to send away for them.

I remember looking at every box in the isle as a kid and choosing my breakfast for the next 5-8 days based on the molded plastic inside. I also remebered having to fight by brother for the right to spend some quality time with said plastic toy. All I ever wanted was to have MY toy to MY self.

Tonight was my chance so I bought the cereal and proud it home. I tore into the box with the same enthusiasm as when I was a kid. I am now the proud owner of a genuine Indiana Jones cereal spoon that lights up green! I guess if you are Indiana Jones, you may need to eat your cereal in the dark at some point between fighting nazis and running from cannibals. Now that I think about it, the cannabals probably need some light up spoons too; just a thought.

What I forgot was that the toys always break and really, without the conflict of fighting with my brother, it really wasn’t that much fun.

Tornado!

As some of you know, this past week my parents came to visit me, Kelley and Keiran from Colorado. They still live in the house I grew up in. I go back every few years and each time I do, I think of how different my live would have been had I not decided to pack up my car and move to Seattle some 16 plus years ago.

In that 16 almost 17 years here in Seattle I have discovered just how blessed one person can be. I am surrounded by so many people that care about me and some of them even love me. It isn’t everyday that you really think about how lucky and blessed you are in your life though it should be the first thing you think about when you get out of bed and the last thing you ponder before you sleep.

It is a crazy world we live in and given all the bad news we hear everyday we are reminded that things are pretty good around here. Earthquakes and Typhoons in Asia, unstable governments and power vacuums in other regions of the world make our lives, by comparison very simple.

Yesterday, a very large tornado (F3) ripped a very large scar across an area of Northern Colorado that I used to call home. Not 24 hours after my parents arrived back home, a different tornado touched down about 2-3 miles north of their house. Fortunately my folks did not suffer damage to any of their property. The worst thing to affect my parents was they had to find a telephone that wasn’t a cordless; they lost power all day long. It does make you think about how fragile our lives are and that no matter how in ‘control’ we think we are, we are only ‘managing’ our lives. Natural disasters have a way of wreaking havoc and humility upon us.

I watched today as people saw the damage the storms caused to their homes, what was left of their homes in some cases. I get to go to bed in comfort and style. Certainly there are a lot of people around the world who suffer far greater than us, but it does take something like this to bring it home.

Have a beautiful holiday weekend! Don’t forget to hug someone you love.

Red Cross

Chocolate!

We have new chocolates in the store now and they are as exotic and delicious as they ever have been. Thanks to Ivy Chan at Coco Chai who has again created some amazing and beautiful pieces for you to eat.

From Left to Right: Liquid Gold (Caramel), Calamansi (Philipino Lime), Merlot, Chai, and Muse Coffee Espresso.

Don’t forget the Giant “filled cupcake” looking chocolate cake. Chocolate can definately be your Muse!

Not new, just cool.

This is a cool product. Reusable porcelain mug with silicone lid looks just like a paper cup. Simple, yet brilliant.

They are… So Excited!

Every Monday when you come into the shop for your brilliantly crafted beverage, chances are I am going to ask you “How was your weekend?” or “What did you do this weekend?”

Now you get to hear about MY weekend. It was GREAT! I was the guest at a black tie gala and danced all night to the Pointer Sisters. The thing is, they are still full of energy and can’t be beat. It was so fun to dance with my best girl all night to songs you know every word to. Then the next thing I know, I am at a VIP reception getting my photo taken.

Because to end the night there would be such a let down, it was off to SAM to take in the Romans exibit at 1am. If only we had worn a toga instead of formal wear, we would have been able to see the exhibit for free.

Cuppa

I know the name of my company is Muse COFFEE Co, but that is not all that we are. Muse is what you need sometimes to get inspired, motivated, get the creative juices flowing. For some that is coffee, for others that is tea.

I love tea and I think the tea we carry is among the best bagged tea on the market. Two Leaves and A Bud is whole, loose leaf tea, in a bag. Find out more information about them here: Two Leaves
One fact about tea is that Black tea and Green tea are derived from the same plant; Camellia Sinensis. How they are processed and where they are grown is what contributes to their distinct flavors and aromas.

Lastly, here is what happens when you take your passion for tea to the next level.

Bless you!

I found something that I totally relate to. If you have been suffering from allergies lately, you will appreciate this too.

Great outfit, bad shoes…

File this under “great outfit, bad shoes”.

This was brought to me and I had to share it on the blog. (thanks Scout!)

Designer Hye-Yeon Choi brings you the ultimate in design and function but just falls short with terrible coffee. One utensil contains instant coffee, sugar, and creamer then becomes the spoon to stir with.

Marvel at it’s simplicity and functionality. Admire it’s beauty and charm. Choke on the instant coffee and creamer.