Author: David Northcutt

I love Easter.

It’s a celebration of Jesus Christ fulfilling His Father’s promise of eternal life and a relationship with Him by becoming an unconditional sacrifice for us all. It’s also a time for families to come together and carry out traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.

In our family, we not only hunted for Easter eggs on the lawn, we also searched high and low for Jelly Beans around the house. Some we didn’t find for months (much to mom’s amusement)! And Easter baskets filled with goodies weren’t simply handed to us, but were eagerly sought after with one limerick clue at a time.

Traditions not only bring us closer together, but even the mere memory can invoke the same emotions felt at that exact moment. As you might imagine, some of my favorite family traditions revolve around a piping cup of freshly roasted coffee.

From a young age, I’d wake up early in the morning and scramble down the stairs into the living room. I’d be greeted by the smell of just-brewed coffee and the sight of my parents enjoying a cup (or two or three) together. Still in my pajamas, I’d cozy up next to mom on the couch, while dad got up from his oversized chair and filled my very own tiny mug. For the next hour, we would sip our coffee and share stories until it was time to start the day. For most families, life is shared around the dinner table. But for an ever-on-the-go family packaging coffee until the evening, we shared life around morning coffee. And it’s a tradition I carry with me.

So as Easter springs around the corner, be grateful for your family (blood or chosen), hold tight to your traditions, and maybe make a few news ones!

From my family to yours,

Happy Easter!

-Rachael Krikorian

With the Holidays right around the corner, my mind is already racing with gift ideas! Of course, there are the endless hours of clicking online shopping carts and dodging other frazzled gift-seekers at the mall, but even a fuzzy scarf wrapped in Macy’s tissue can hardly compare with a handmade gift.

And the only thing better than a handmade gift is a handmade gift made out of COFFEE!

So, if you’re looking for a way to wow those on your Christmas list this year, consider a few of these ideas… or maybe all of them!

Double Chocolate Soap Bars

So delicious smelling, you’ll want to eat them! But don’t. (Although, you may get a sudden desire to say a few unsavory words so you can wash your mouth out.

Ingredients:

• Rebatch Soap Base
• Milk
• Fragrance Oil
• Optional Spices (Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice, etc.)
• Coffee Grounds (The great thing is you can use any flavored coffee you like! I’ll be using Double Chocolate, but there are many other delicious flavors to choose from; Cinnamon Swirl, Mariposa Honey, and Holiday Spice, just to name a few. Go wild! )

Step 1. Melt your base down using a double broiler or crock pot. You’ll want to stir every few minutes or so, and you can add a little milk to speed up the process. Keep in mind that the more milk you add, the longer it will take your soap to set and the softer it will be. Melt the base down until it’s thick and creamy, being careful to not let it sit too long without stirring since it can burn.

Step 2. Here’s the fun part! You can start adding your extras: fragrance oils, spices, and coffee grounds. Have fun and get creative! Just don’t go too crazy. A few dollops of oil go a long way! If you’d like a “swirl” effect in your soap, don’t mix your ingredients completely.

Step 3. Once you’re done stirring, pour your soap mixture into your mold. Plastic or silicone loaf molds work great, as you can cut them down into individual bars later. Tap the mold against your counter to “settle” the mixture and eliminate any air bubbles.

Step 4. This is the easy part—let the mold sit in your fridge over-night. Yep, that’s it. Just be careful you don’t accidentally eat it later as a midnight snack!

Step 5. Sneak into your kitchen at the crack of dawn because you’re just so excited to check on your soap! Okay, maybe that’s just me. Remove your soap from the mold and cut it into individual bars.

Step 6. Now for the hardest part—wait at least two days before using your soap! I mean, before giving it away. I forgot we’re not keeping them. Okay, I guess we can keep a few.  Either way, you’ll need a few days to let them dry out and properly harden first before use.

Step 7. Your soap is finished! You can pat yourself on the back for giving a gift even Martha Stewart would be proud of!

~Rachael C

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. There’s just something about the crisp air and vibrant colors. And I can finally bust out my collection of scarves! Plus, my coffee craving increases simultaneously with the rise in rainy days. If you also find yourself filling your coffee cup more frequently with the cooler weather, here are a few tips to spice things up for fall:

1.) The most obvious tip is to try out some of our fall flavored specialty coffees. Pumpkin Spice is a personal favorite and we only carry it during the fall months, so grab a bag while you can! Cinnamon Swirl, Butter Rum and Toasted Almond are also delicious choices.

2.) Substitute your spoonful or sugar or other sweetener with maple syrup. Something about maple syrup evokes feelings of fall. I’ve never been tapping for syrup, but when I picture myself participating in this festive tradition (because who doesn’t picture themselves doing this?), I always imagine fall foliage and plenty of flannel.

3.) You don’t have to spice up your coffee only after it’s brewed– you can add fun flavors directly into the grounds! Ground cinnamon is my favorite, but nutmeg is equally yummy. Of course, just as coffee is best freshly ground, so are your spices. But not all of us are as dedicated to our coffee brewing routine to freshly grind our coffee every morning, let alone grind a nutmeg seed! So I won’t judge if you let McCormick do the hard work for you. In fact, you could even buy the premixed Pumpkin Spice blend. Just sprinkle a small amount over your coffee grinds in the brew basket (or paper filter), brew and enjoy!

4.) Cool fall weather doesn’t just amp up coffee drinkers– hot chocolate makes its comeback as well! But why enjoy both of these fall favorites solo when you can combine them for an even better beverage?! Drop a tablespoon (or two) of cocoa into your mug of hot coffee, swirl, and savor! You can even snag a bag of Mariposa Cocoa when you pick up (or order) your coffee. Or for an extra dose of fall, add a little hazelnut flavor by melting some Nutella and drizzling it into your coffee with a little milk or cream.

5.) Fall season can also be the start of cold season, so this last tip is purely medicinal, of course. 😉 For those of you who crave a little extra spice AND kick to your coffee for fall, try a shot of brandy. It’ll warm you right up! Just make sure you’re adding it to your mug at home and not that travel mug.

If you have any other fun ways to spice up coffee for fall, let us know on our Facebook page!

As we’re nearing a quarter of a century in business, we have finally decided to take the long-awaited trek into Cyber Space. I know… it’s about time!

n addition to our convenient online store, we have added a blog spot so you can stay connected to what’s going on in Coffee Country.

So… what would we like to say in our very first blog post?

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to all of our customers who have taken the time to order by phone and email all of these years. Your patience with our lack of “newfangled” technology and continued support have kept us going and we can’t begin to express our gratitude.

While our goal with this website is to improve your shopping experience, we hope you will still stop by on your next visit to Yosemite and share a cup of coffee with us.

From all of us here at the Mariposa Coffee Company