rosieee asked:


I just got a new espresso machine for Christmas, and I’m basically a beginner when it comes to making lattes. I have been trying to make a good latte but steaming the milk is difficult for me. It always turns out bubbly and not like the ideal latte milk froth. And it always bubbles over. Any tips on how to work with soy milk (or is it just the quality of the machine?)?

Heidi

Confused_Girl asked:


If anyone can tell me please the exact right steps in making Starbucks iced latte.
Does cold milk goes first, then ice, then espresso shots? OR
Shots first, then cold milk, then ice?

Russell

Suzanne Bradley asked:


Being able to brew your own coffee at home is a great way to get the pick-me-up that you want with the convenience that you need, but if you do not drink a lot of coffee then you could end up making too much with a traditional coffee maker. Single-cup coffee makers are available, but many people shy away from them because they worry that they simply may not work as well as larger coffee makers or that they cost more than they are worth. There are affordable single-cup solutions to help you make the coffee that you want at home, without sacrificing the quality of your coffee or having to settle for a second-rate coffee maker; you simply have to know where to look and what to look for.

Brookstone’s Stainless Steel Single-Cup Coffee Maker

Combining functionality with style, Brookstone offers a single-cup coffee maker that should not break the bank. For under $40 you get a stylish coffee maker that goes well with almost any décor, packed full of features that can help you to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee with very little effort on your part. The Brookstone stainless steel single-cup coffee maker comes with a travel cup, a permanent mesh filter. This eliminates the need for a disposable filter. It also features a coffee scoop that is the perfect size so that you can fix exactly one cup of coffee. The double-walled stainless steel construction ensures that your coffee stays hot while also making sure that your Brookstone coffee maker is not going to break.

Hamilton Beach JavaOne Pod Brewer

Pod brewing is a popular option for single-cup coffee makers, but many pod-brewing coffee makers are prohibitively expensive. The Java One pod brewer from Hamilton Beach offers the convenience of pod brewing without the cost, as it can be purchased for $30 or less. You should not have to worry about keeping up with filters, since the coffee pods that the JavaOne uses contain all of the coffee grounds within a sealed filter pod so that you can brew your coffee and then throw the pod away. Your coffee brews quickly, and you can clean up your JavaOne coffee maker just as quickly once you are finished. Though you are limited to the coffee blends that are available in Java One pods, everything from Columbian decaf to French Roast and even Earl Gray tea are available in pods.

Keurig Mini Brewing System

Weighing in at the higher end of the “affordable” spectrum, the Keurig Mini Brewing System costs just under $80 (though this price includes 10 of the Keurig K-Cup coffee portions as well.) Using the Keurig Mini Brewing System, you can heat eight ounces of water in around three minutes, letting you brew a single cup of coffee in very little time. The Mini Brewing System uses Keurig’s patented K-Cup portion system, eliminating the need for filters; you simply place one of the K-Cups (which are about the size and shape of a coffee creamer package) into the coffee maker and start your brew cycle. The coffee maker penetrates the K-Cup’s lid and begins brewing the coffee inside of it, and you can simply throw away the used K-Cup once your cup of coffee has finished brewing. Cleanup is easy, and the Mini Brewing System is compact enough that you can take it with you when travelling or store it easily at home.

Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time Coffee Maker

If you are looking for an economy single-cup coffee maker, the Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker is the way to go. Available for under $20, the Cup-at-a-Time may not have all of the advanced features of some of the other single-cup coffee makers on the market but it can still brew a good cup of coffee. The permanent mesh filter can be used by itself or in conjunction with disposable cone filters, holding enough coffee grounds for making a single cup of coffee. The Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker requires you to supply your own cup, but it accepts any cup with an 8-ounce to 12-ounce capacity. The coffee maker can also be used to brew hot water for tea, hot cocoa, and other items such as instant noodles and single-serve soups.

 

Many people enjoy brewing coffee, but traditional coffee makers sometimes brew more than you want. This is the main advantage of choosing a one-cup coffee-brewing product. The one-cup system allows you to brew just enough coffee for your morning pick-me-up. There are many products to choose from which all have their own set of features. When choosing a one-cup coffee brewer, you should take into consideration the price and which features you are looking. Although it is expensive, the Keurig Mini Brewing System is feature rich and it can create the perfect cup of coffee that you would expect.

 

Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about style and living, often offering suggestions about certain brands of products to try such as Keurig.

 



Florence

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


Nature is not moving any faster than she ever was. The universe has its own galactic and omniversal clock. But we humans, oh how we are simply running out of control and faster than we should. Who’s not siad, “There simply wasn’t enough hours in the day”. To do what? Isn’t there still 168 hours in every week and that’s not changed in my life time. But here’s the crux of the problem.

I grew up using a typewriters that put black ink on white paper rather than this electronic pad and mother board that I am producing electronic messasge on. And that wasn’t all that long ago.It’s strange to see a 10-15 year old movie where people are putting these brick-like devices to their ears to make call.

The cell phone invention has not been around all that long and yet every year (every quarter?) several new deices and formats come out. On the heels of the cell phone was the phone with a camera. We all ahd to have one of those! Now I we can email, surf the internet, know where we are on the planet (as long as the Sun doesn’t kill those GPS’s).

Nature isn’t chaging that fast. Birds still fly at the same speeds and there’s no way to bring a child into this world in a couple months or weeks- it’s still a nine month process.

We need to get into harmonic balance with the universe.

We’re running faster than Mother nature and that’s not a good thing. Our rate of change and destruction is way beyond NEED. We don’t need a new car evey other year or every year though General Motors would disgree. We don’t need a new house every five years, new furniture every year or so, new clothes every month, and so on.

We need to slow down, smell the Starbucks,and listen to the cosmic music!

We’re destroying our ecosystem, depleting our unrenewable resources, and over-populating the planet at such exponential rates that water is beoming more expensive than oil- and so forth. We need to abck off, slow down, and get IN SYNC with the universe: adjusting or rate of material change to what’s NEEDFUL and not what our ego thinks is NECESSARY!

Global warming is just on of the symptoms.

If we don’t adjust soon, these FAST TIMES will cause us to careen out of control with unintended events beyond our scope of fixing or repair.



Amber

confuzzled asked:


I was just wondering what protocol Starbucks uses… Also, if the answer to this question is yes, then can you get it in the standard paper cup instead?

Erin

Nickropolis asked:


Baristas have tried to assure me that they are exactly the same, but I’ve tried both, and they taste different. The hot chocolate with a shot of espresso tastes a little smoother and not as chalky as the mocha….can any Buck lovers help me with this quandry?

Bobby

IndiaParenting asked:


Choose the right colour

With so many lipstick shades available at every departmental and cosmetic store, it can be hard to decide which one to pick up. Just because you like a particular shade, does not mean it will suit you. So how do you find out which colours are best for you?

As a rough guide, remember:

* Fair skin tones are flattered by blue-undertone reds, light pinks, honey, mocha and beige with pink undertones.

* Medium skin tones look good in rich reds, brownish pinks and medium browns from mocha to caramel.

* Darker skins like brownish reds and plums, sheer pinks, pink-glossed beige and virtually any shade of brown.

Once you’ve found the colour that’s bang-on target, you’re almost done - but not quite! The trick lies in the application.

Read on, and get ready to knock ‘em dead!

Too Thick?

Play them down!

Lips can never be too fat. Well. almost never. So if you feel you’ve got more than your share of lip, here’s what you can do:

* Define your lips with a lip pencil by lining them just inside the natural lip line.

* Fill in with the same colour lipstick as your lip pencil. It is always advisable to use a lip brush.

* Use a dark, matte lipstick as these make lips appear thinner. Glossy lipsticks give an illusion of fullness, so stay away from them.

* Dab your lips with a little bit of powder, to tone them down. Et voila! You’re all set for a night on the town!

Too Thin?

Play them up!

So who said too much *** appeal is injurious to health? If you’re looking to get hot, in-your-face lips that really stand out, here’s what to do:

* Apply lip liner just outside your lip line or at the outermost edge. Whatever you do, don’t try to make lips look thicker by drawing on an artificial outline that’s outside your natural lip line.

* Follow with lipstick. The shade could be lighter than the lip pencil. This gives the illusion of depth.

* Use frosted shades, and load on the gloss. Stay away from matte lipsticks, or follow with a touch of gloss.



Amber

Sean Masterson asked:


Credit card abuse isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s put more than a few families into financial ruin. The scary thing is, many people don’t even realize they’re abusing their cards until it’s too late. If you think you may be one of them, here are a few things to consider…

What’s Your Balance Doing?

What exactly is your credit card balance doing each month? If it’s going up, you’re most likely guilty of credit card abuse. If, on the other hand, it’s going down (or better yet, you don’t have a balance at all) then you can be reasonably sure that you’re handling your credit cards in a responsible manner.

What Are You Buying?

Another thing you have to ask yourself is, what do you use your credit cards for? If you use them only for emergency purposes, the chances of credit card abuse are slim to none. If, however, you’re charging up lattes like there’s no tomorrow and you can’t pay your balance at the end of the month, you are indeed guilty of abusing your credit cards.

Think paying interest on a $3 latte is no big deal? If you’re running a balance on your credit cards, that $3 latte can cost you a lot more in the long run — especially when you’re buying one a day. Over a few short years, your debt can go up by a couple thousand dollars on lattes alone. No matter how good that latte is, don’t ever buy it if you can’t afford to pay cash.

How Are Your Payments Going?

When your credit card bill comes in, how much do you pay each month? If you’re only paying the minimum and you’re at your wits end trying to make your budget accommodate your debt, you’re probably guilty of credit card abuse.

You should never pay only the minimum monthly payment when it comes to credit cards. If you do, you’ll likely be paying them off well into retirement. Instead, pay off as much as you possibly can. Try to keep a goal of having all debt paid off within one year. If that’s not possible, credit counseling may be in order.

Remember, the economy isn’t at its best. Right now we need to make sure we’re as financially secure as possible. Credit card abuse is going to be the one thing that prevents you from doing that, so make sure you’re using your credit cards responsibly and that abuse isn’t a deciding factor in the outcome of your financial future.



Albert

brooklyn61201 asked:


I’m getting married in october and i am haing a hard time deciding on what flowers will coordinate well with my bridesmaid dresses. They are mocha brown with a crimson red sash, and i am using gold damask tablecloths with red accents at the reception. i want to use the fall colors but the cheesy fall theme.

Holly

PunkyPat asked:


I’ve calculated the ROI and found that starbucks has about 12% in 2007 and 2006. I was just wondering if that is good for potential investors planning to invest in starbucks.

Sharon