Great Cuppas

I'm on a bit of a coffee kick since I have been starting my day with Cafe Creme thanks to my Ikea Foamer. I have been looking for freshly roasted coffee and I have found a local gem. Alux Organic Gourmet Coffee and Chocolate is a Coquitlam, family-run business that roasts your coffee and delivers it to your home ( in the Coquitlam area) the same day. Many of their coffees are organic and they have a detailed rating for their coffees.

In Mayan mythology, an alux [Mayan: ä lōōsh’] is a tiny spirit that travel through the land. Aluxob are small, only about knee-high, and resemble miniature Mayans in traditional clothing. Aluxob are generally invisible, but can assume physical form for purposes of communicating with and frightening humans as well congregating together. They are generally associated with natural features such as forests, caves, stones, and fields, but can be enticed to move somewhere through offerings. They could be considered a Mayan version of leprechaun, as the tricks they play are similar.

It's wonderful fate to have a coffee spirit traveling through Coquitlam, providing excellent coffee and Mexican chocolate. I offered a good coffee grind, a french press and micro foam, and it was enticed.

Last week I was in Kits to pick up a yoga video at Banyan Books and I discovered Aphrodite Cafe and Pie Shop.

I had a tasty Wild Mushroom Quiche and salad for a spontaneous lunch. As this post is about coffee, I was very impressed with their house coffee, a blend specially developed for the cafe by Origins Organic Coffee on Granville Island. I will definitely return to have more coffee and a piece of organic pie. It's too bad I can't bring a pound of those beans home with me.

Ikea Foamer

If you love milk foam on your coffee and don't have a fancy coffee machine, this little gadget is a god-send!
Ikea sells them for $4.99. They need two batteries, I use rechargables, and this little whipper-snapper is still going strong after 4 months of daily use - without recharging.
I fill a coffee mug 1/4 full with milk, heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave and then whip away (about 25 seconds)and pour in the hot coffee on top. A beautiful French style cafe creme; almost solid foam floats 1-2 inches deep with rich dark coffee underneath. Foam lasts for 2 to 3 cups, saving many calories.
Soy Milk whips even better than milk, and I often add a dash of one of my home-made syrups (ginger and lavender work well) to the hot milk and incorporate.

It also whips whipping cream in small amounts, so no whisks or machines needed for that last piece of pumpkin pie.