The Gourmet Coffee Club: Seen One Coffee Club Seen Them All - Not True

!±8± The Gourmet Coffee Club: Seen One Coffee Club Seen Them All - Not True

Membership in a coffee club is something that has been promoted for a long time and will continue to be a popular marketing offer. However, the notion that all coffee clubs are alike is certainly not true. As the old adage goes, there are coffee clubs and, again, there are gourmet coffee clubs! What does that mean exactly?

The gourmet coffee club features premium Arabica specialty coffees. Each customer's order is roasted to order and delivered fresh to the customer's door with the choice of ground or whole bean. Membership in a gourmet coffee club is open to anyone, but it appeals particularly to someone who loves a really good cup. The club's signature is freshness, variety, and value. The club offers more selections of specialty coffee varietals, blends, decaffeinated, espresso, and flavored coffees than found at point-of-sale coffee houses, grocery stores, or "coffee clubs & more" that offer more than coffee. Variety is fine, but it is not the issue. However, it makes a difference when you choose a gourmet coffee club whose sole focus is coffee and nothing else. Such a club specializes in one product and almost always offers better quality beans, pricing, and selections. This is similar to buying wine from a specialty wine store or vendor instead of a general merchandise store, or choosing to purchase produce at a farmer's market versus a supermarket because of its freshness. Going to the 'specialty' source does make a difference.

The specialty gourmet coffee club sells full one pound (16 ounce) size bags instead of the 12 ounce bags found at supermarkets, for example. This is actually a very important distinction that can be overlooked. Do the math: 4 ounces here and 4 ounces there, they soon add up and become a lot of ounces! In addition to paying about the same or more money per pound for less coffee (12 ounce bag) at the supermarket, you end with a product that has been sitting on the shelves for an unknown period of time.

Instead, the gourmet coffee club will ship you higher grade specialty coffee for about the same price per pound. Remember, the specialty club ships full one pound size coffee bags, not the smaller 12-ounce bags, so you start right away with a 4 ounce advantage. The coffee is freshly roasted to order for you, not roasted in advance for a "mass merchandising" audience. Literally, this is how it works. You place your order. The roast master gets the beans and roasts them per your order's selections. Once ready, your gourmet coffee is packed and shipped fresh without delay to your door. The gourmet coffee club features simplicity and flexibility. Members can make changes to their orders. They can send the gift of genuine gourmet specialty coffee to family, friends, and associates without added shipping charges. In other words, you save gasoline costs and time by ordering online in the convenience of your home or office.

Membership in the specialty gourmet coffee club is for monthly shipments or as often as desired. You are not locked into rigid agreements. The specialty gourmet club that features this much flexibility is one that has experience with the club membership and knows that once their coffee is tasted, the coffee lover remains a satisfied, loyal member. If you are new to a gourmet coffee club membership, starting with a club level that lets you select as little as one (1) full pound of the finest gourmet specialty coffee each month would be ideal. Some call this the "Solo" level. Or, try a coffee club membership featuring the "Duo" level or choices of two (2) one pound bags. If that is not enough, the "Quattro" level or four (4) one pound bags of coffee per month may be perfect for you. For the "Aficionado," the choice is no less than five (5) one pound bags of coffee each month.

Joining the specialty gourmet coffee club of your choice is easy and only takes a few clicks. Be sure to check out the selections, list of specialty coffees, levels of membership and flexible terms. In the meantime, go ahead; enjoy a cup of delicious genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain gourmet coffee or Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Blend!

The Gourmet Coffee Club: Seen One Coffee Club Seen Them All - Not True

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Weight Loss Spas - The Luxurious Option Women Love

!±8± Weight Loss Spas - The Luxurious Option Women Love

When people think about weight loss programs, or losing weight in general, the images that come to mind are of overweight people sweating it out in gyms, huffing and puffing around the track, and carefully counting calories in kitchens across America. But not everyone fights the battle of the bulge alone. Weight loss spas are quickly becoming the newest dieting trend since Weight Watchers!

For those who have the time and the money, weight loss spas offer a luxurious, calming alternative to traditional fat loss programs. Surrounded by magnificent natural settings and with a full-time staff of people to assist you, it means you can come back from a vacation thinner than when you left. Let's take a look at some of the more exciting weight loss spas available today.

If you're stuck in a cold climate and are dreaming of-and dreading at the same time-bikini weather, you can head down to sunny, warm Florida. Even in the depths of winter in the rest of the country, Florida is going strong all winter long with many kinds of weight loss spas to choose from.

Remember Pritikin? It wasn't just a diet fad way back when (over 100,000 people have benefited from its health and wellness program at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida). They have a full menu of spa services as well as stress management workshops, one-on-one counseling with physicians, and education classes lead by nationally acclaimed nutritionists, scientists, and lifestyle counselors.

If your darling husband is also looking for a getaway, why not choose the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida? Let him hit the links, while you treat yourself to a full spa makeover, including exercise programs that will jump-start your diet.

For those of you further out west, the Eden Valley Institute Lifestyle Center in lovely Loveland, Colorado has everything you could want in a weight loss spa, from cooking classes to vegan diet counseling to more spa-like features like massage and weight management. They even have smoking-cessation programs.

Want to combine your fat loss spa trip with some real traveling, as well as kick the luxury up a notch? Stobo Castle in Scotland is a 19th century beauty that combines beauty treatments with weight loss management in a stunning setting that will make you want to stay forever.

The Caribbean has gotten into the act as well, with the CuisinArt Report and Spa in Anguilla, British West Indies. It's very exclusive, with only 20 guests at any one session. Your meals come from the resort's hydroponic farm, and exercise classes include long walks on the pristine beaches.

For a trip south of the border, those in the southwest might enjoy a "health vacation" in Melaque, Mexico, which features aerobics classes held in the sea, yoga, massages, and healthy juices made fresh to order.

Up north in Alberta, Canada is the home of the Abundant Life Wellness Centre. They host a 10 to 14 day advanced "whole body detox" and cleansing retreat, which features a six-day juice fast to get you started right.

If you look online, you're sure to find a weight loss spa that fits your lifestyle, your budget and your location. If you need a jump-start getting that weight off or if you just need a vacation that helps as well as relaxes you, then weight loss spas are your answer.

Weight Loss Spas - The Luxurious Option Women Love

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Kona Coffee Farming - Escape Or Reality?

!±8± Kona Coffee Farming - Escape Or Reality?

What actually makes a Kona coffee farmer, who are they, why are they doing it, or just for the mental exercise: Could I too become a filthy rich, days-in-the-sun, surfing, shooting-the-breeze Hawaiian coffee farmer? This is a highly subjective, behind the scenes explanation of the most pressing question folks seems to have on their minds when they meet one of us coffee dudes. So for the sake of it, let's categorize:

Cherry farms

are often held by the same family over three or four generations. These farms originated to provide additional income to the day jobs working the sugar cane fields in the 19th century. The high number of children and grandparents enabled the owners to do the unpaid hard coffee field work in the mornings, evenings and Sunday's. Most Kona coffee is grown in the vicinity of family farmer's residences; planted between rocks in irregular patterns, ranging from 100 to 1,000 trees per acre, often interspersed with other crops and some shade trees. Nearly all is sold as freshly picked coffee cherries to large processors, who also throw in a few bags of free fertilizer. The parcels range between 1 to 5 acres and are often leased in 40 year terms. This is and always has been the backbone of the Kona coffee industry. None of the farmers has to worry too much about government inspections regarding pesticide or herbicide usage, or coffee quality standards. The cheap lease of the land, which requires some agricultural practices to be obtained, justifies the small profit. Living and housing in Hawaii is expensive and the rural lifestyle eases the financial burden a bit. Most cherry farmers have a Japanese, Philippine or Hawaiian background and reside in the South Kona district. Age group: 50 - 90, 2 to 3 family generations under one roof. Many are members of the Kona Pacific Farmers Coop and not linked to any farmers organization. No web presence or farm tours offered.

Coffee Plantations 

in Kona are increasing in size, but there are only a few names in this category. All are owned by corporations or individuals with financial backing from the mainland. Their sizes range from 20 to 60 acres, and often contain other outlying parcels. In this production system recommended seedlings are used, the rocky land is being bulldozed, row planting, proper cover crops, mulching, manuring, weeding, and pruning methods are practiced. Nearly all use chemical fertilizers and herbicides as they are purely profit driven. Their coffees are always inspected and certified by the State. Yet most of their harvested coffees end up as highly profitable "10% Kona Blends" to duped tourists, who believe this coffee being pure Kona beans. The rest is sold to green coffee brokers in Japan and the US mainland. In addition to their own production they buy from smaller farms freshly picked coffee cherries at a fluctuating per pound price. They also process and grade coffee for farmers lacking the required big equipment. When buying from them always look for their expensive private labels, otherwise you'll get the coffee pooled from many farms. Traditionally these large plantations in Hawaii went bust in recessions because of their high overheads. Cherry farmers may not get paid by them on time, but can i.e. hibernate through the current recession by simply neglecting their orchard for a season or two. Owners and managers are nearly all long time Caucasian residents of Hawaii, who are experienced with the local political culture. They organize in the Hawaii Coffee Association and Hawaii Coffee Grower's Association to maintain the faulty legal status of the Kona Blend laws. Age group: 35 to 65; 'good old boys' networkers; SCAA members and exhibitors; all offer guided farm tours, farm stores, and professional websites. Their Kona coffees and Kona Blends have a strong presence in US mainland and Hawaiian stores.

Gentlemen farms

or "Snowbird farms" grow coffee on their properties as a hobby, as a tax incentive or because a vacation property is zoned as 'agricultural'. One can completely relinquish the actual work to one of the larger plantations, who then in turn provide some roasted coffee upon request just in case the owner wants to sell a few bags under his/her own label. These types of farms are not really meant to be profitable but this doesn't indicate if their coffees are good, bad or excellent. Some are organically cultivated. Some even sell their well-cared for coffee below costs. The owners have other sources of income and only reside part time in Kona. Under US tax law a property qualifies as a 'farm' when generating more than ,000 in sales p.a. Gentlemen farmers are mostly Caucasians who strife for living a calm, easy Hawaiian life and have a story to tell when asked for what they are doing all day long. Geographically in the North Kona district centered around Holualoa. The 55 to 80 year old group consists of retired, married couples, single women. They have no professional affiliation or only nominally memberships at the Kona Coffee Council and the Kona Coffee Farmers Association. Some have websites and generally no farm tours are offered by them.

Boutique farms 

are yet another category but constitute the fastest growing segment. The vertical integration of the growing, processing and direct marketing to the customer and owning all means of production is essential. A small profit margin is indeed possible but it needs a multidisciplinary approach by the owners to keep any outsourcing to a bare minimum. About a quarter of them practice organic farming and they are environmentally concerned. Yet the combination of advancing age, hard physical labor and lack of computer literacy are challenging for many. But also big egos nurtured in prior high flying professions stand in their way: farming makes you humble but not instantaneously. A number of these farms default during the current recession, because their owners overlooked that equipment needs to amortize and public awareness of Kona coffee was always low. Building a solid customer base for a farm takes approximately 5 years. Learning the ins and outs of coffee farming about 3 years+. This group of farmers sees the faulty Kona Blend law as the largest stumbling block to a higher price for Kona coffee. Yet they oppose quality control and state inspections of their product, which doesn't fly with the government. Owners are mostly mainland Caucasian and are sometimes married into Hawaiian families with various ethnic backgrounds. One can meet a colorful assortment of the human species in this group: The aging hippie, the retired colonel, the liberal professor, the activist lawyer, the Silicon Valley mini tycoon. They organize occasionally and challenge the legal status quo of the legislature. Age group: 40 to 75, couples, gay couples, single women, single guys. Affiliation: Kona Coffee Farmers Association or none. Mostly homemade web stores, shop presence in a few Hawaiian stores, farm tours offered upon requests.

There you have it. None of this background info indicates that a particular Kona coffee tastes better than the other! As long as it's not a 'blend' or fake of course. The border lines between the categories are also not so well defined as one farm can be a 'boutique' but also offers processing. Or it could appear like a large plantation with managers and all, but is held afloat by the partnership income of a big time law office in L.A. Or a fourth generation Japanese cherry farm made it successfully into the cyberage with a dazzling website.

Kona coffee beans grow regardless and despite of the local politicking on their behalf. A coffee tree doesn't judge its farmer by skin color, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or prior profession. Just if it gets its leaves properly tickled from time to time...

Kona Coffee Farming - Escape Or Reality?

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The Advantages of Using Cast Iron Griddles

!±8± The Advantages of Using Cast Iron Griddles

The Many Uses of Cast Iron:

Cast iron griddles are a great addition for someone who has just gotten their own place or they cannot afford to have the gas on just yet. You may be moving to your first apartment or going off to college. If you need some kitchen supplies to really get you going until you're all set up then you'll definitely want to consider cast iron cookware.

If your current collection of pots and pans are getting worn out you know how exasperated you get with them. They make too much noise when you use them, or they just make too much of a mess to make them worth your time. The high quality of cast iron griddles gives you an excellent option to todays other tinny and lightweight cooking utensils.

Food tastes better:

Have you ever noticed that your food doesn't always taste the way you want it to when you use regular pots and pans? You'll be surprised at how much better your food will taste when you use these griddles. It will be very good and crisp; you won't taste anything that shouldn't be there.

To get the best flavor from your griddle it should be seasoned as recommended by the manufacturer before your first use. This is not a benefit you enjoy when you use regular pots and pans. The main reason being depending on their quality the flavor can be absorbed long before you place the food on it to be cooked.

Using this cookware may be good for you if you suffer from low iron levels:

This benefit may not appeal to everyone, but if you use cast iron griddles you can make up for iron deficiency. When you cook with old fashioned iron cookware you gain trace amounts of iron that comes from the pan. This is particularly beneficial to anyone who worries about having enough iron intake. You just need to be sure that you don't have a condition where you suffer from too much iron otherwise it may cause you unwanted problems.

I'm still having a hard time understanding the benefits; could you give me one more to push me over the edge?

A well seasoned and cared for griddle acts just like modern no stick cookware and you'll be amazed at how well it works without any exotic coatings. A lot of these pots and pans contain material like Teflon and various other non stick materials that can be harmful if not monitored the right way.

It is nearly impossible to scratch or damage cast iron cookware and you'll realize this when you compare it to your current collection of pots and pans. Or the ones that have eroded over time, you can be sure that this material was consumed and it came off in your food. You won't have to worry about this when you use cast iron. So put away the old pots and pans and try cast iron griddles out for yourself.

The Advantages of Using Cast Iron Griddles

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