Cool Beans

Ten Ways to Recycle Coffee Grounds

I'm always amazed at the information I find online. Today I discovered numerous ways to recycle coffee grounds, along with some rather unusual ideas as well. Enjoy!

1. Mix the grounds with water to provide your houseplants with an "energized" drink. Plants need the nutrients found in coffee grounds, including nitrogen and potassium, both common ingredients in store-bought fertilizer. Using organic grounds will provide a healthier and happier plant environment!
2. Sprinkle used grounds on your outdoor plants.
3. Sprinkle a ring of used grounds around a tree or plantings to deter ants.
4. Use slightly damp grounds on icy steps and sidewalks. The grounds stick to the ice, creating a safer walking surface.
5. Pour a few grounds down your drains to gently scrape the sides of the pipes. Do not use if pipes are already slow draining or clogged.
6. Use to scrub gunk off surfaces such as grills and greasy pans. Use wet or dry grounds.
7. Keep a container of dried coffee grounds in a shaker near the kitchen sink. Use to scrub strong odors such as fish, garlic and onion, from your hands.
8. Wet your face and scrub with one tablespoon coffee grounds. This is a gentle exfoliating wash for your face.
9. Use steeped grounds and a cotton swab to touch up furniture scratches.
10. Coffee grounds are a great addition to any compost pile. Just throw them into your compost bin, filter and all.

Be sure to check out the JavaLog ~ Voted "One of the Coolest Inventions" by TIME Magazine. Rumor has it you can make these yourself by mixing coffee grounds with candle wax and forming it into a log. If you attempt it, let us know how it works out!

Feel free to add your tips on Recycling Coffee Grounds in the Comments section.

For the best organic grounds on the planet, shop at Organic Planet Coffee and Tea.

Child Slavery and Poverty on Cocoa Farms

Everybody has an excuse. From the politicians to the world's largest candy makers, everyone seems to be busy pointing fingers or worse yet, ignoring the problem altogether. The problem is over 284,000 children work in hazardous conditions on West African cocoa farms. Young children, many under the age of 14, are using machetes and applying dangerous pesticides with no protective gear. Nearly 70% of these children don't attend school and face a very grim future. Extreme poverty is the cause of this, with the average cocoa farming family earning between $30 and $110 per household member per year. Think about that for a moment...

The solution is Fair Trade. Fair Trade provides the means for small farmers to make enough money to support themselves while using the premiums to improve their standard of living. Fair Trade is not a charity or handout; it is simply a process of giving a fair exchange.

When you purchase Fair Trade chocolate such as Organic Planet Coffee, Tea and Chocolate, you'll be helping Fair Trade cocoa farmers afford to send their children to school. While the chocolate industry has taken limited steps towards addressing public concern about child slavery, none of their programs guarantee the minimum price producers need. Fair Trade is the only program that guarantees these farmers the wages they deserve and provides consumers with the chocolate they desire.

Click here to read "What the Cocoa Industry Says" about child slavery and proverty on cocoa farms.

Make a difference today by switching your purchasing power to Organic Planet Coffee, Tea and Chocolate!

More Articles on Health Benefits of Green Tea

I think you will be absolutely amazed at the amount of health articles posted at NewsTarget.com, regarding the many benefits associated with consuming green tea.

Green teas offered by Organic Planet Coffee and Tea, feature the taste and tradition of China and Japan. Freshly picked tea leaves are steamed or pan-fried to stop fermentation. This process preserves the delicate green color and flavor.

Studies show that the health benefits of green tea range from strengthening the immune system, to inhibiting cholesterol absorption and is also known to have antioxidant qualities.

Organic Planet teas allow you to experience tea to its fullest with loose leaf. You simply pour pure boiled water over one teaspoon of loose leaves, steep for 5-7 minutes, then filter into your cup. It's truly a soulful experience.

Choose from 6 varieties including:

• Genmaicha - Japanese green tea accented with toasted brown rice. Perfect for afternoon renewal!
• Lemon Ginger - Cooling lemon grass and warming ginger root balance nicely on a base of Japanese green tea. Great pick-me-up!
• Gunpowder - Coiled balls of Chinese green tea unfurl to full size in your cup - fun!
• Green Jasmine - A bit on the naughty side - very exotic and seductive.
• Sencha - Spring-harvested green tea leaves of Japan. Brews a light, grassy-flavored cup.
• Green Vigor - Has your get up and go, gone up and went? If so, you might like this blend. A tasty tonic!

So go now and buy yourself some healthy green tea. I mean after reading all those articles above, how can you not want to bring this delicious brew into your daily life?

By the way, did you know that Organic Planet Coffee and Tea has an affiliate program? You can earn commission just by sharing the products with people you know who enjoy a good cup of brew or award-winning chocolate. Trust me, they'll actually LOVE you for telling them about this and you'll put some extra cash in your pocket. To learn more visit Organic Planet and click on "Affiliate Program" at the bottom.

Springtime Gift Basket

I don't know about you, but I am doing the "Happy Dance" now that spring has arrived. I love it that the sun is now rising when I do! One of my favorite things to do when warm weather arrives, is head out to the park for a picnic. I ran across this adorable Springtime Gift Basket filled with yummy cookies and thought, "I wish someone would send me one of those!" So, instead of waiting, I went over and ordered one for myself. It will go great with my Organic Planet Coffee!

Springtime Gift Basket Spring has sprung and what better way to brighten a person's day than with fresh baked cookies packed in this adorable hand painted gift basket. Cookies are baked and shipped the same day to ensure freshness! Each basket is cello wrapped and tied with a springtime ribbon and includes a personal greeting card from you.

Saving Chocolate, Saving Monkeys

Brazil’s chocolate-producing cabruca forests provide protection for endangered golden-headed lion tamarins.

In a small region of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest along the coast of Southern Bahia, it’s easy to spot cocoa trees (Theobroma cacao), many of which are nestled under the canopy of relatively intact rainforest. Cacao provides the principle ingredient in chocolate, cocoa beans. The system of planting cacao under the shade of natural forest is known locally as cabruca, and is prevalent in Southern Bahia.

Today, Southern Bahia’s cocoa growing region is a mosaic of cabruca forests, mono-crop agriculture, pasture for cattle ranching, and a few remaining fragments of lowland Atlantic Forest. These remaining forests, along with cabruca and some second growth, are home to the endangered golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), a small arboreal primate endemic to Southern Bahia’s lowland forests.

These beautiful gold-and-black monkeys are declining because of continued habitat loss and severe habitat fragmentation. Populations living in small isolated forest islands are vulnerable to extinction and are apt to lose their genetic variability. Genetic variability is the key to resisting disease and surviving environmental catastrophes, and populations with low genetic diversity become more susceptible to local extinction.

To promote the conservation of this rapidly dwindling environment, researchers at the Smithsonian have begun to collaborate with a local NGO in Southern Bahia, the Institute for the Social and Environmental Studies of Southern Bahia (IESB). IESB is actively involved in helping to create sustainable communities, providing environmental education, and assisting landowners with the creation and management of private reserves. Fortunately for the lion tamarins, as well as many other endangered and endemic species to the coastal forests of Southern Bahia, the cocoa crisis may be slowing its pace. Cocoa prices are again beginning to rise, and newer, disease-resistant varieties are now available. Learn more about these fascinating lion tamarins and the work that is being done to protect them at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park website.

Don't Forget Our Troops

"OP-eration Caffeinated Troops" is still in full swing and we will not stop sending coffee until all of our soldiers have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Cash donations are accepted in increments of $5.00. When you donate $15.00 or more, you'll also receive a sample of Organic Planet Coffee and Tea, as a token of our appreciation. AND, we'll be happy to include a personal note to the troops and let them know you are thinking of them.

For details visit: www.Coffee4Troops.Opportunity.com.

P.S. You can learn more about "OP-eration Caffeinated Troops" in the "Pay It Forward" section of this blog.

Organic Center Report Indicates Organic Foods Have Elevated Levels of Antioxidants

According to an article posted at Citizens.org website, certain organic farming and food processing techniques can increase antioxidant levels.

FOSTER, R.I. (January 26, 2005) - The Organic Center's second State of Science Review (SSR) concludes that organic farming methods have the potential to elevate average antioxidant levels, especially in fresh produce. Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., compiled and analyzed existing scientific information for his report, Elevating Antioxidant Levels Through Organic Farming and Food Processing. The report reveals that on average, antioxidant levels were about 30 percent higher in organic food compared to conventional food grown under the same conditions. An executive summary and the entire report can be found at: http://www.organic-center.org/science.htm?articleid=54.

There's alot of good information presented at Citizens.org and Organic-Center.org. I recommend you visit both websites. You'll be glad you did!

Now's the time to switch to Organic Planet Coffee and Tea!

Cocoa Curbs Coughs

Rarely a day goes by that I don't discover more scientific research that proves the health benefits of coffee, tea and chocolate. According to Better Health for Better Living, scientists have found that chocolate may be better at suppressing coughs than standard medications -- and without the side effects! Read the full article here: http://www.bhforbl.com/eliving/el200502/el20050202.html.

I recently subscribed to Better Health for Better Living and I encourage you to do the same. Not only will you receive up-to-date health information, they are also giving aways some great freebies, including a booklet called "Doctors' Famous Kitchen Cures". By the way, I have no affiliation with BHFBL, I just support what they are doing.

Got a cough?? Try some Dagoba Chocolate
from Organic Planet Coffee and Tea!

XOCOLATL - A Spiritual Experience!

I love hot cocoa, don't you? I mean there's nothing better than a steamy mug of liquid chocolate, especially if it has a big dollup of whipped cream on top and sprinkles of grated chocolate. Talk about heaven in a cup!

I received my Organic Planet order today (only 2 days from California to Indiana!) and as soon as it arrived, I popped open the can of Dagoba XOCOLATL Hot Cocoa Mix with chilies and cinnamon. The instructions read:

"We recommend slow heating one cup of milk or milk alternative on the stovetop till hot, stirring in a continuous clockwise circle eleven times, then eleven clockwise stirs."

At first, I wasn't sure about the stirring procedure, but I figured, what the heck, I'm game. What I discovered was being focused on stirring eleven times clockwise and counterclockwise, allowed me to be "in the now". As I stirred, I wasn't thinking about my "To Do" list, or what I would prepare for dinner, or the errands I need to run. Nothing else mattered but the preparation of my hot cocoa.

As I whisked in the XOCOLATL mix, the scents began to fill the air and I was mesmerized by the froth and the spicy aroma. I slowly poured my concoction into my special "Mommy" mug and sipped. WOW! The explosion of flavor hit the back of my throat and I knew in an instant, I would never be able to allow any other hot cocoa mix to pass my lips again.

Now, I don't know about you, but I would have never thought that adding chilies and cinnamon to cocoa would produce such a tantalizing flavor. It has just a hint of spice and a dash of cinnamon and it is absolutely delightful!

All I can say is this... If you love hot cocoa, you're going to be passionate about XOCOLATL. Go get some now before they are gone for the season! You've GOT to try this stuff and have your own spiritual experience!

P.S. You might want to pick up some Dagoba chocolate bars or chocolate covered espresso beans. They are a perfect fit with the cocoa!

Coffee May Help Prevent Liver Cancer

A recent study of more than 90,000 Japanese found that people who drank coffee daily or nearly every day had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank coffee. The protective effect occurred in people who drank one to two cups a day and increased at three to four cups. Click here to read the full story.