Home And Family USA

If you’re a coffee drinker, you know that the morning cup of java is a ritual we can’t do without! A ceramic coffee mug is absolutely essential to the full enjoyment of this daily beverage. Nothing else will do! People have been forming clay into pleasing shapes, drying, firing and decorating the result for thousands of years, all for the pleasure of consuming the contents.

Perhaps you grab a cup at the drive through! On all other occasions, insist that your coffee is properly served! The ceramic coffee mug is fundamental to the experience. The color, texture, feel, weight shape and decoration delivers a visually appealing celebration of the full taste and aroma of your coffee.

A hot ceramic coffee mug between your hands on a chilly winter day warms your palms in a pleasing and comforting sensation. Smooth or textured, the feel of the mug is part of the sensual pleasure. A thick, heavy mug has a substantial feel in your hand and keeps your coffee hot longer. A pedestal style lends elegance, and is safe to set on fine furniture.

My collection of almost two hundred ceramic coffee mugs in every shape, size, color and pattern you can imagine, from countries around the world, borders on the obsessive. Several years ago, my husband gave me a set of four ceramic coffee mugs, silk screened with Van Gogh prints. These soon became my wake up standard, generously sized to hold a hefty jolt of caffeine, with the beautiful Impressionist images taking me to a different place and time.

On a hot summer day, I often reach for the lavender and blue floral mug from Portugal, a rounded globe on pedestal design, with its cooling, soothing, dreams of lavender fields Mediterranean inspired effect. Are you feeling blue, or stressed? A brightly colored mug, with your child’s photo, or inspirational quote, may be just the lift you need. On a gray and rainy day, my French turquoise and yellow floral over sized ceramic coffee mug and saucer bestows a romantic Parisian feel to the brew. The cheerful colors and patterns of an Italian coffee mug is always inviting, at any hour, year around. Italian demitasse mugs and saucers make an elegant presentation for after dinner espresso. Come December, bring out your Santa mugs early, to get everyone in the spirit! Your guests will feel the difference a festive presentation of after dinner coffee brings to the gathering.

Now that you’ve considered the particular appeal of the ceramic coffee mug, I hope you’ll join me in a steaming mug of java! Try the following recipe, one served in a ceramic coffee mug, and another in a paper cup or stainless mug. Then, tell me! Which tastes better?

Almost Dessert Coffee

1 TB (preferably) 100% Arabica coffee
3 heaping TB French Vanilla ice cream

Brew coffee. Microwave the ice cream about 45 seconds, or until liquid. Pour coffee over melted ice cream. Stir, and enjoy! Makes one cup.

Anyone who owns a bottom freezer refrigerator will tell you that they wonder why on earth a manufacturer would even dream of building a top freezer unit at all. These superior kitchen appliances are efficient and convenient to use as well. There are many reasons that I praise this essential component in our cooking rooms.

First of all, heat rises. This simple fact makes the bottom freezer refrigerator a logically superior machine to the top chilling units. The very nature of heat versus cold gives way to the intelligent design of the bottom freezer refrigerator. The basic laws of heat and cold make putting the coldest part of the unit under the warmer area. It is just basic common sense.

The next benefit of this design involves our eyes. You may wonder what our eyes have to do with chilling food with good reason. What I’m driving at here is the simple fact that we use our fridge more often than our freezer. When you have a bottom freezer refrigerator your fridge area is eye level making the items you use most often right in your line of vision.

Bending over is not on my list of favorite things to do. The bottom freezer refrigerator keeps bending to a minimum because you access the frozen foods less than the ones in the fridge. I find that I can get what I need in less time with the new bottom freezer refrigerator than I could with my traditional unit.

The side-by-side design is great too, but I found that this type of fridge is not as good as the bottom freezer refrigerator. The problem with the side-by-side design is that it doesn’t give you enough space for frozen foods. This unit is wonderful if you have a large chest freezer in your basement, but it definitely does not stand alone if you have a large family to feed.

I have had a number of different refrigerators over the years. Each of them was nondescript and basic. I never realized that they were actually pretty lousy until I got a bottom freezer refrigerator. I guess you don’t realize what you are missing unless you have an opportunity to experience it for yourself. The only type of fridge that will ever enter my home will be a bottom freezer refrigerator. This kitchen appliance has completely spoiled me. There is no better design.