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Hey everyone, it has been awhile since we've "chatted" last. We just want to thank all of you for supporting us at all the summer events we've been at. It's been a very successful season that's coming to a close. We have just two more Saturdays at the Maple Valley Farmers Market (https://www.maplevalleyfarmersmarket.com/). And just in case you haven't heard, the Maple Valley Market was voted the top Farmers Market in Washington State, and is in the top 50 markets in the country!! Come visit us and all the other great vendors on either October 21 or the 28th. We have some events coming up starting in November. We'll be at the Seattle Children's Hospital fundraiser on November 7th and 8th. And looking ahead, we're going to be venturing into our first BIG show, which is the Victorian Country Christmas at the Puyallup Fair Grounds from November 30th to December 3rd. We'll be adding that to our event calendar, and those of you who are subscribed to our site will get a reminder later. Here's a link for more info.... https://avictoriancountrychristmas.com/ And speaking of Christmas, coffee makes a great stocking stuffer or gift, so start planning ahead. Please get your Christmas orders in by the 11th of December so we have time to roast and get the coffee shipped (if necessary). If you're shipping in Washington State, Oregon, or Idaho, we might be able to push the ship date out some, but we are at the mercy of the USPS, so just keep that in mind. Remember, too, that we have flat rate shipping, so one price does it all... Keep your eyes open for more events. We're constantly looking for more to be part of.... Thanks again for you support. It's appreciated more than you know!! Jeff & Diane

Happy May to all of you! I’ve often made scones in May for our annual ladies’ tea at church, sometimes multiplying this recipe by twelve! So it was natural for me to think of sharing this recipe with you this month. And I thought a tasty pairing would be our own… Z Street Coffee Reserve Espresso Blend Several years ago, Jeff and I went to a coffee trade show; one of the workshops we attended was taught by a nuclear physicist – “Dr John”. He gave lots of good advice – AND scientific formulas – for developing an espresso blend. With that in hand, Jeff went to work formulating our very own unique blend. And it’s a winner! Our Z Street Coffee Reserve Espresso Blend incorporates three beans, all from India, which each serve a purpose in the final product. Sometimes blends can mask undesirable qualities in inferior beans, but each of these beans can stand on their own just fine – Monsooned Malabar, Mysore, and Kaapi Royale. Our espresso blend isn’t sour or bitter. One of our customers came to us and said that it was the first coffee he’d ever had that he didn’t feel needed any sugar! Though it’s formulated to pull a perfect shot of espresso, it’s wonderful no matter the brewing method. We have customers who use it for drip, French press, and pour-over. As always, you get to pick the roast. Our personal preference is medium-dark. Today’s Featured Recipe - Basic Scones 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 to ½ cup sugar (based on preference) 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt Whisk together until blended. 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives, until the largest pieces are about the size of small peas. At this point, you can add extras if you like; for instance: ½ cup currants or raisins ½ cup miniature chocolate chips 1 tablespoon grated lemon or orange peel In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together: 1 large egg ½ cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla Add these wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a spoon or rubber scraper until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the side of the bowl 5-10 times until it comes together, picking up any loose pieces as you go. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges, and place on an ungreased baking sheet at least ½ inch apart. (Alternatively, cut out scones with a round cookie cutter, pressing together the remaining dough to cut out more until all the dough is used.) Brush tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven until light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on a rack or serve warm. I made this batch with the miniature chocolate chips, but I’m thinking that some orange zest added to that would’ve been a delicious combination. Enjoy!

Greetings! Happy April to you! And since we’re running headlong into spring, we have a couple things to share with you that we think fit the theme. This month's featured bean is... Organic Colombia Sierra Nevada This is the first time we’ve carried a bean from Columbia , and it’s pretty tasty. At a light roast it’s lemony, which is why it seemed appropriate to go with this month’s recipe. At a medium light roast it was nutty but still bright, with a bit of a citrusy finish. It is shade grown on a bird-friendly estate, and naturally fertilized with compost originating from coffee pulp and other natural elements. This bean at a light roast will pair well with any of your favorite lemon goodies, bringing out the wonderful citrus in your treat without overpowering it. Today’s featured recipe – Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies These are super easy, super tasty, and you won’t believe they’re gluten free! Try these for Easter or your next baby or bridal shower. Or just make them because it’s Monday! Ingredients: ¾ cup sugar Zest of 2 lemons 5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 t vanilla extract 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 cups gluten flour blend (without xanthan gum) ½ t xanthan gum (omit if your blend already includes this) 1 t baking powder ¼ t salt ½ c sugar (for coating the cookies before baking) ¾ c powdered sugar (for coating the cookies before baking) Instructions for making the dough: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl, and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps release more essential oils from the zest. Add the melted butter and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk well. Add the lemon juice and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt), and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until you get a smooth, batter-like cookie dough. Tip: At this stage, the cookie dough will really be more like a batter – very soft and sticky, bordering on runny. That’s how it should be. Resist the urge to add more flour! Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight before proceeding to the next step. Shaping and coating the cookies: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. (If using one baking sheet, be sure to let it cool between batches) Using about 1 T of chilled dough per cookie, shape into balls. Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar and then the powdered sugar until fully coated. Baking: Place the cookie dough balls on the lined baking sheets, at least 1 ½ to 2” apart. The cookies will spread and expand slightly during baking. Bake one baking sheet at a time (keep the second one in the fridge until ready) at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have risen and expanded into little rounded mounds with cracks in their sugar coating. The cookies are done when the cracks no longer look wet or shiny. The cookies will be very soft and delicate immediately out of the oven. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire to cool completely. Storage: These cookies keep well in an airtight container in a cool dry place for about a week. They’re best the first few days after baking. Enjoy!

Welcome to this month's blog! In this edition, we will be featuring a special recipe Diane baked to pair with this month's coffee and giving a little bit of history and background about the featured bean. And that coffee is... Indian Monsooned Malabar This is our bestseller, and is really a superstar bean in our opinion! Here's a few of the many reasons we love it: It’s low acid, and it’s the one we recommend to those who have problems with coffee due to the acid It tolerates any roast well It has a subtle dark chocolate flavor inherent in the bean when it’s roasted medium dark or dark and brewed hot It’s excellent as a cold brew and the dark chocolate is more pronounced It’s great as an espresso shot This bean intrigued us from the very beginning of our coffee-roasting journey, and was a fast favorite among our friends who came over and went straight to the coffee pot! We love it at a medium dark or dark roast. At lighter roasts, it has more fruitiness to it, and as a white coffee, it tastes like peanuts (if you order white coffee from our website, this is the bean we use). Many have said that this is the first coffee that they didn’t feel the need to add cream, or that it was the first time they could have more than one cup of coffee without any unpleasantness afterward. When roasted dark, the Monsoon does become oily, which makes some grinders unhappy, but backing off to a medium-dark roast takes care of this. The processing of this bean is very unique. Monsooned coffees are truly one of a kind. Unlike most high-grade specialty coffees, which are washed (or “wet processed”) by growers to ensure consistency and eliminate defects, Monsooned beans are spread on warehouse floors on the west coast of India during the monsoon season. While there, moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea blow over the coffee through the open walls of the warehouse. However, the beans do not get wet as the warehouse still has a roof. "During this 12- to 16-week process, the beans soak up moisture, swell in size, change color, and, most importantly, shed their acidity, turning Monsooned coffees into the lowest-acid coffees in the world. The coffees boast abundant body and a smooth, pleasant earthiness in the cup." (Courtesy of Josuma Coffee Importers). Have you tried this one yet? Tell us what you think! Crumble Coffee Cake Recipe credit: Taste & Tell 1/6 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg (room temperature) 2 T sour cream 1/3 cup milk (room temperature) 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 cup flour 1 1/2 t baking powder pinch of salt Topping 1 cup + 2 T flour 5/8 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 t cinnamon 1 stick butter, melted Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8”x8” pan, then dust evenly with flour - set aside. For the cake: Cream together butter and sugar. Add the sour cream and the egg and mix until combined. Combine the milk and vanilla, and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. To the butter mixture, add some of the milk mixture and the flour mixture, alternating between the two, ending with the flour mixture. Spread it in the pan. (This is a half recipe that fits in an 8”x8” pan) For the topping: Mix together dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Pick up the topping with your fingers a bit at a time and roll it into balls or squeeze it into clumps, then drop it over the top of the batter in the pan. Continue until you’ve used all the topping. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with crumbs. If not done at 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 325° and bake until done.