Local Love: Icebox Coffee

Any other coffee lovers out there? I could pretty much drink coffee any time, but in the summer I am all about a good iced coffee. Enter Icebox Coffee, a local company that cold brews their blends right here in Birmingham. The first time I came across the company was downtown at Pepper Place Market, where you can pick up a cup while you're wandering through the vendors on Saturday morning. Their coffee concentrate comes in the niftiest bottle, where you can easily measure the about you're using to create whatever coffee concoction you're craving.
The bottle I received was New Orleans Blend, and first I mixed 1.5oz of concentrate with 4-5oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a half packet of sweetener, and some ice. Also, I got out my handy little milk frother and foamed a little milk to add to the top. Their recipes call for using 1 oz. of concentrate for every 4 oz. of milk or water, but I like strong coffee so I used a little more. Yum. It was a refreshing, light pick-me-up that I definitely needed.
I decided to try something a little different, so I mixed up two servings of cold coffee according to their directions and poured it into popsicle molds. To each mold I added about 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon of hazelnut cream. They didn't come out as creamy as I had hoped, so next time I think I'll use milk instead of water when I mix up coffee pops. They still tasted great!

I've found that the rest of my Icebox coffee has been perfect for mornings when I forget to make a pot of coffee or am running late--I just pour a little in a to-go cup, add almond milk and splenda and head out the door. Sunday morning I whipped up a little 2point Weight Watchers Iced Mocha with it. From what I hear you can find Icebox Coffee at Whole Foods (here's a list of other places to buy), and I'm definitely going to have to pick up another bottle. They just released their Madagascar Vanilla and I'm dying to give it a try! Have you had Icebox Coffee? If you want to try before you buy a whole bottle, stop by their booth at Pepper Place on any given Saturday morning during market season!

Icebox Coffee provided me with a sample of their coffee in hopes that I might review it. I am not being compensated for this post. Any product that I recommend is solely because it is something I enjoy.

Egg Bowl Tailgate Giveaway

Like any good Mississippi State Alumni, I had a favorite hangout when I was at State. It just so happened that I also worked there for a while. A good bit of my free time was spent at a local coffee shop called Strange Brew, where you will find Mississippi roasted and locally brewed coffee. Their menu includes a few coffee shop standbys along with a ton of delicious, original creations from espresso drinks to frozen treats. The crew there is always thinking up new recipes, so they're sure to have something you haven't tried (or heard of) before. If you're headed through Starkville, stop by The Brew and try the Albino Squirrel or the Captain Crunch Latte if you're in need of a pick-me-up. They've also got the best Hot Chocolate around, topped off with homemade whipped cream. In anticipation of the 2013 Egg Bowl, I've teamed up with Mr. & Mrs. Brew from Strange Brew for a special giveaway. We're giving away an Egg Bowl Tailgating Package, which includes two Joe to Go's (8-10 cups of coffee each) and a platter of fresh baked Scones. Choose from their Strange Brew Blend, Hazelnut Cream, Jamaican Me Crazy, The Great Pumpkin Spice, Southern Pecan, their famous Blueberry Cobbler, and more. Then, mix & match your scones, choosing from White Chocolate Raspberry, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. (Personally, I'm partial to their Blueberry Cobbler Coffee and a warm Brown Sugar Cinnamon Scone.) Enter below for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Entries are accepted until November 26, and the winner will be announced on November 27!

Need to place an order for your tailgate or event? Find contact information for Strange Brew Coffeehouse here.

Strange Brew is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Weekend Away: Bulldog Bash

This weekend was Bulldog Bash in Starkville, so of course we spent our weekend there. We drove over late Friday night and watched a little bit of The Black Crowes concert in the Cotton District and got to see a couple of people, but it was too hot to spend much time in the crowds. We really kicked off the weekend on Saturday morning with a hearty Southern breakfast, a few good friends, and lots of coffee at Starkville Cafe before walking around downtown.



Then we spent the afternoon tailgating in the Junction, visiting with family and some of our friends from college. We went out to the game—-our dear ol' State was playing LSU this weekend. Though it wasn't a pretty ending, it was a great night for a football game and the stadium was full of fans proudly wearing the maroon and white.



This morning we met up with MrLanke, as usual, for Sunday brunch before heading back to get ready for the work week. Today we went to Restaurant Tyler, filling up on mimosas and thoroughly unhealthy breakfast foods. Fried Green Tomato Benedict for me, Sausage Biscuit Benedict for the mister, and a French Toast Sandwich for Lanke.



On our way out of town, we stopped to get a big cup of Blueberry Cobbler coffee from Strange Brew to get us through the long drive home. I walked away for one minute and the mister had picked up a bag of The Great Pumpkin Spice for each of us. Then we drove home through the rain that's supposed to bring us some fall weather.

Rainy Days and Mondays.

I don't know what the weather is like for the rest of you, but here it's cold, gray, and rainy. And not just a little rain—I'm talking it's been raining since yesterday afternoon and pretty much hasn't stopped since. Naturally this caused me to go on a search for a hot cup of coffee on my lunch break today. A good cup of coffee will brighten a dreary day...even just a little, don't you think? 

This weather is perfect for curling up on the couch with a good book, though. I've got a long list I'm planning to read, but right now I'm working on Ford County by John Grisham. So far, it's a good one. 

The Little Things

On the way home from work, I decided to try out another little coffee shop for a Friday night treat. I stopped at Bennu coffee and tried the Pride & Prejudice mocha. So good. 
(I also spotted a funny little mural across the street from Bennu)

But the best part of this lovely Friday evening was coming home to find a package from my sweet mama in my mailbox. She sent me two issues of the Mississippi arts and entertainment review (one with good ol' Elvis on the front) and the newspaper from my hometown. 

It's the little things, y'all. 

Records and Espresso.

Today was a day for relaxing. My first plan was to spend my Saturday laying by the pool, but the cloudy skies had other plans and it just wasn't the kind of day for that. Once I realized that, I spent the greater part of my morning reading while Zoe sat in her favorite window, then decided to go out and explore some more of Austin.

I read about a coffee shop called Epoch Coffee, so that was where I decided to head for the afternoon. I found it, and ordered and Espresso Freeze (I think that's what they called it) and y'all, it was probably the best frozen espresso I've ever tasted. Plus it looked pretty.

Since you all know just how much I love my coffee, you should also know that I'm a sucker for a good record store. So when I noticed that what is possibly my new favorite coffee shop is right by a sweet little record shop called Breakaway Records. So I decided to treat myself to one or two, including this sweet copy of The Beach Boys' Endless Summer. Obviously, it was a great day.

Coffee.

“I'd rather take coffee than compliments just now.”

-from Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott