Storms in coffee and tea cups

By Julia Watson
United Press International

WASHINGTON, March 17 (UPI) -- Coffee and tea are stirring up storms in their cups again. Coffee consumption, sharply reduced in the household of British Prime Minister Tony Blair by his wife Cherie following his racing heart health scare last year, is now said to be good for that capricious but resolute organ.

Dietician Chiara Trombetti of the Humanitas Gavazzeni institute in the northern Italian town of Bergamo says that far from giving you palpitations, coffee helps improve the circulation within the heart. It's the tannin and antioxidants that do it. And if that's not recommendation enough, she says it can also help prevent cirrhosis of the liver, stave off gallstones and relieve headaches. What's more, asthma attacks could be reduced by coffee's caffeine content.

Women in 15th century Egypt and Turkey would not be surprised at any of this. They had the right to a divorce if their husband denied them their daily quota of coffee. It was the nomadic Galla tribe of Ethiopia that realized sometime before 1000 A.D. that their daily helping of a particular local berry, which they ground up and molded with animal fat into a ball, was giving them an energy charge. That bean, of course, was coffee. Arab traders brought it home and turned it into a boiled drink they called "qahwa" -- "sleep preventer." By the 15th century, it was drunk daily across the Middle East.

More...

Connecting a cup of coffee to a tree

Okay, fellow maple-loving, coffee-swilling, green-thinking Canadians, here's a worthy way to drink tomorrow.

For every maple syrup latté or maple crème drink you buy at any Second Cup branch, $1 will be donated to the Tree Canada Foundation.

Why is this idea — officially called Project Maple Day — cool? Because the national charitable foundation rejuvenates Canada's urban and rural forests by encouraging people to plant and care for trees.

More...

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee Recipe

1 cup (8-ounces) heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 cups strong, hot black coffee
3/4 cup Irish whiskey
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Combine remaining sugar, coffee and whiskey.
Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.

Coffee Corps™ Volunteer Program Established With Funding From USAID Global Development Alliance

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, D.C./LONG BEACH, CA - The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are establishing a volunteer program to help improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers. This program – known as the Coffee Corps™ – is an example of how the private and public sectors can work together to address the serious problems being faced by coffee farmers around the world. USAID will provide initial funding for establishment of the Coffee Corps and travel costs for volunteers. CQI will use its unique position within the coffee industry to leverage highly skilled professionals willing to donate their time and expertise to assist coffee producers overseas.

“I believe that making coffee experts available to work directly with groups at origin is another important step in the efforts being made to address the coffee crisis,” said Gerald Baldwin, Chairman of the CQI Board of Trustees and former chairman of Peet’s Coffee & Tea. “The Coffee Corps™ represents a new part of CQI’s mission which is to focus not only on coffee science and sustainability, but also service.”

More...

Starbucks Engages Stakeholders on its Coffee Purchasing Guidelines

Feedback Session Includes Non-Profits, Governmental Organizations, Coffee Farmers and Suppliers

(CSRwire) SEATTLE, WA - Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) hosted more than 20 organizations on February 27 to solicit constructive feedback from stakeholders on its revised Coffee Sourcing Guidelines and Preferred Supplier Program. The Guidelines and Program are an innovative approach by Starbucks to promote the sustainability of quality green coffee and the social, economic and environmental sustainability of coffee farmers.

"Starbucks gathered feedback from a variety of sources, including some who have been critical of our business practices in the past," said Dub Hay, senior vice president, Coffee, Starbucks Coffee Company. "We consider our Coffee Sourcing Guidelines a work in progress and this input will help Starbucks continue to strengthen the program in a way that is relevant to coffee producers and suppliers."

More...

RABBI PLISKIN'S DAILY LIFT

Daily Lift #476 Courage is a Choice

No situation is exactly like any other situation. Every situation is new. Therefore, even if you haven't acted with courage in the past, you presently have the capacity to make new choices when new situations arise.

We each change all the time, either slightly or considerably. The new situations that arise are always more advanced than at any time in the past when you were faced with a similar situation. Let this thought strengthen you in your ability to have more courage than you ever did before.


(From Rabbi Pliskin's book, "Courage")
Aish.com