CONTINUOUS CUP MAKES EVERY DAY COFFEE-LICIOUS!

You know that sinking feeling ... You just went to the pantry only to discover that the box of your favorite k-cups is EMPTY! How could that be? Didn't you just buy a box at the supermarket? Well, you probably ran out because those supermarket boxes contain only 12 k-cups. Wow ... that's not very many!  On top of which, you're probably paying somewhere in the neighborhood of 67 cents a cup. Now you're frustrated, irritable and the day doesn't promise to get much better.

Smile ... you never have to experience that frustration again when you take advantage of our new Continuous Cup service and our 24-count boxes. Simply visit us at www.onecupconnection.com, choose your favorite flavors and brands, register them for your personal Continuous Cup delivery service AND save $1 off our already low low prices. Even better, you'll be bringing your per cup cost down to under 50 cents. That means if you consume a mere 3 cups of coffee a day, you'll be saving around $175 a year. Double that amount if you've got two k-cup lovers in the house! We think those savings can go a long way toward brightening up even the dreariest of days! Treat yourself good ... Treat yourself to Continuous Cup and enjoy a great cup of coffee whenever the urge hits.

SHOPPING SMART FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Getting your children ready to go back to school is exciting and just a touch scary, all at the same time. This month before school starts is traditionally a busy shopping time full of back-to-school clothes selections, haircuts and stocking up on school supplies!  We all want to make sure our children are starting the new school year on the right foot equipped with everything they'll need to make it through that nerve-racking first day/first week. 

How best to plan for this? First off, use the checklist provided by your child's school and keep a copy in your car or bag. That will make it easier for you to take advantage of back-to-school specials you may come across during the course of your day. Didn't get a list? Talk to  friends who have older children for suggestions on school supplies, but don't go overboard as your child is likely to come home the first day with his new teacher's list of necessities.

Check out your local dollar stores for good deals on basics, like note paper, pencils, rulers and glue sticks. But know when quality should beat out bargain prices. A good pen that doesn't leak is certainly worth the extra investment. Involve your children in the process, but be sure to separate their wants from their needs. Avoid supplies that feature distracting gimmicks. Pencil sharpeners that light up are fun, but not in the classroom. Make sure you and your child pack their bag the night before so there's no needless rushing around in the morning. Include small quantities of basic needs, like three sharpened No.2 pencils, not the whole dozen. Tuck a dollar or two into your child's backpack for emergencies (like forgotten or lost lunches). And once they're on the school bus, make sure you take the time to give yourself a little treat, too. A few quiet minutes with your favorite k-cup and bakery treat is certainly well deserved after the hectic back-to-school rushing around! Have any other good suggestions? Please take a minute to share them with all your One Cup friends.
 

DEALING WITH THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

The hottest and muggiest days of summer fall between early July and early September. They are called "Dog Days" after Sirius, the biggest star within Canis Major, a constellation the ancient astronomers thought resembled a dog. Sirius is also the  brightest star of the night sky and for a period of time each summer, it rises and sets with the sun.  The ancients believed that the earth received heat from the stars, as well as from the Sun, so that when Sirius rises and sets with the sun (a phenomena that occurs in late July), the extra heat it provides to the earth was responsible for the hot and muggy "dog days" of summer.  In actuality, the heat of summer is a direct result of the earth's tilt.

Some tips for surviving the Dog Days of Summer? Surprisingly, eating spicy foods can actually help you to feel cooler because they induce sweating, which is the body's mechanism for cooling off. Tempted to drink sports drinks?  While okay for athletes who sweat a lot in hot weather, the normal person doesn't need the special electrolytes and added sugars. Your best bet is chilled water. Know the early warning signs of heat stroke ... dizziness, exhaustion, confusion, lack of appetite, headache, and, of course, excessive thirst. Crave coffee? Try drinking an iced coffee by brewing your favorite k-cup over a big cup of ice. Add chocolate or caramel syrup for extra flavor and perhaps a dollop of your favorite ice cream. Absolutely yummy!

W*O*W DESSERTS FOR 4th OF JULY

Looking for different desserts that are extra-special to wow your friends at this week's 4th of July festivities? In our "web travels," we came across this eye-catching dessert idea that's sure to please kids of all ages. All credit must go to Brandi Bidot who posted this recipe on www.sheknows.com. 

Firecracker Cupcakes in a Jar Recipe   

(yields 10-12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 bottle red food coloring
1 bottle blue food coloring
2 containers of white/vanilla frosting
10 to 12 small jars with lids, washed and dried
Red, white and blue sprinkles
Cupcake pan
Cupcake liners

Directions:

• Prepare the cake batter per package directions. Once mixed, separate the batter into two separate bowls, trying to get equal amounts of the batter into each bowl.

• In one bowl, add the red food coloring. In the second bowl, add the blue. (You will probably have to experiment with the amount of food coloring needed to achieve the desired shades of red and blue.)

• One you've "colored" both batters, line the cupcake pan with the cupcake liners and fill with the two cake batters (make the colors solid - do not mix them together) and bake as per package directions. As a suggestion, try to make equal numbers of red and blue cupcakes.

• Once cupcakes are done and have cooled, remove them from the pan and then remove the cupcake liners. Slice each cupcake in half so you have a top and a bottom. Do this for all the cupcakes.

• Place one of the cupcake bottoms in a jar, cover with some frosting and then add the top of the cupcake. (You can make cupcakes all red and all blue or alternate a red bottom with a blue top, etc.) Top it off with more frosting and add red, white and blue sprinkles.  Repeat for all the cupcakes.

Have you got a unique 4th of July recipe?  Please share with us!

I've Lost My Sunglasses & I'm Out of K-Cups!

What could be worse than starting the day without your favorite K-cup and your favorite pair of sunglasses? Would hardly seem worth getting out of bed!

In the United States alone, someone loses, breaks or sits on their sunglasses every 14 seconds. According to a report by the Bureau of Accessory Statistics, each year the U.S. loses over 1.6 billion pairs of sunglasses, more than any other nation.  In second place, Italy has a lost-sunglasses rate of one pair per citizen per year, followed by Japan, Iceland, and Portugal with loss rates of .23, .19, and .16 respectively. Ever wonder where all the lost sunglasses go? Us, too! Singer Elton John is rumored to have over 1,000 pairs of sunglasses. The most expensive pair of sunglasses sold on eBay were worn by Elvis Presley and went for $250,000. Ray-Ban has been selling its best-known model, The Wayfarer, since 1953 and these are considered to be the most famous of all "shades."

Most of the characters in the movie The Matrix wore sunglasses, with the good guys wearing rounded lenses and the antagonists wearing rectangular-shaped lenses. Women reportedly wear sunglasses to look sexy or mysterious or simply to hide their eyes when they don't feel like putting their makeup on; men are said to wear sunglasses so women can't tell where they're looking! Mass-produced sunglasses were first introduced in America by Sam Foster when he began selling his Foster Grants in 1929 from a Woolworth located on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Another first for mighty little New Jersey!

Here's some interesting facts about sunglasses:  Higher cost does not guarantee better UV protection, nor does the darkness of the lens. Children's eyes are just as susceptible to sun overexposure and glare as adults eyes, and gazing at the sun even with sunglasses on is still a bad idea.

How many pairs of sunglasses do you own? And do you wear your sunglasses at night?

"DELICIOUS" SERVED UP KENTUCKY HOSPITALITY STYLE

The race is over and I'll Have Another goes down in history as the 138th winner in the Race for the Roses.  Yet not all things Kentucky Derby have to come to an end, especially not these delicious recipes for Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan Bars and the more traditional Kentucky Derby Chocolate Walnut pie. Both desserts taste great whatever the time of year and go well with a k-cup of Southern Pecan or any of the other roasts and blends available for your Keurig. We hope you enjoy these absolutely delicious confections! Please let us know if you whip up either, or both, of these recipes for friends and family and how they enjoyed this taste of Kentucky hospitality.

Special thanks to Kendrin Nordin, editor at Stir It Up! and staff writer for the CS Monitor for publishing these recipes that all of us can enjoy and share.

Kentucky Derby Bars

For the crust:
1 package graham crackers, crushed (2 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons of butter 

For the bars:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shelled pecans (or walnuts), chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pound the graham crackers inside their package into crumbs using a rolling pin. Empty into a large bowl, crush any remaining large pieces with the bottom of a jar or mug. Stir in 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Press crumbs into an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish.
In a large bowl mix sugar and flour. Stir in eggs, butter, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and vanilla. Add walnuts and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Spread mixture evenly over graham cracker crust.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until it has set, there should be a slight gloss to the crust. Remove and allow to cool completely. The bars will be soft and chewy but not runny.
Cut into squares and serve.

 Kentucky Derby Chocolate Walnut Pie
Serves 6-8
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shelled walnuts (or pecans), chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a large bowl mix sugar and flour. Stir in eggs, butter, and vanilla. Add walnuts and chocolate chips and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly in pastry shell.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set. The pie should be soft and chewy but not runny. Serve warm with whipped cream.

CUPID WINS THE DAY!

Please join us in congratulating Sara Siano, the winner of our Peace.Love.Coffee contest on One Cup Connection's Facebook page!  Back on January 24th, we invited all our friends and fans to put on their thinking caps, charge up their creativity, get out their cameras and take an original photo or video depicting their love of coffee. Entries were submitted under the Peace.Love.Coffee tab on our Facebook page. The contest ran through 11:59 pm on Valentine's Day. All entries were posted, and everyone was invited to vote for their favorite submission. It's certainly easy to see why Sara's entry garnered 49% of all votes cast, making her entry the clear winner. Thanks to her ingenuity and her adorable little "Cupid," Sara will now enjoy a free box of K-cups every month for a year, compliments of One Cup Connection. 

We want to thank everyone who participated in our contest! It was lots of fun, and we loved checking out each of the entries as they were submitted!  We think our Peace.Love.Coffee contest was a rousing success, and we are planning to do some more fun things over the coming months. Let us know if you have any ideas for friendly competitions and fun games we can all play.