I brewed up a pot of Valentine Coffee this morning to charge me up for a marathon of errands that included clothes shopping, hair-doing, event-going, and dinner-eating. I picked up a pound of the Papau New Guinea blend while at Groppi's last week; because a) they're a small, local coffee roaster and I love me some local. and b) I liked the packaging; I'm a patsy for anything pretty. And the verdict is: nice! I love Alterra, but secretly water it down because of my caffeine sensitivity. My mind wants dark, strong, bold coffee but my body says too much. I get the crazy shakes after two cups. Alternatively, the Papau blend is milder, but still full-bodied. So no shakes here.
And by local, I mean very local in my own backyard of Bay View. Purple Door Ice Cream has been churning out delicious hand-crafted ice cream for a while now. They make all of their ice cream with cream and milk from local dairies as well as local businesses like Rishi, Anodyne, and Omanhene. The result is some of the best ice cream I have ever had. I know you can buy it at Groppi's and Outpost, but I didn't know that a lot of area restaurants also serve their ice cream. Check out the full listing here. And soon, as the rumor goes, they will open up their very own storefront in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood.....so I will never have a freezer without ice cream again, i suppose. I've tried their vanilla and butter pecan. Next on my list is to find the salted caramel. It sounds amazing.
If you're planning to do any Christmas shopping in the next week, check out these three events to get some presents or some gift ideas. I'm all for Amazon.com and their free shipping, but if I can find something quality that's unique and/or handmade, I feel like I get extra points in the gift-giving department. So think outside the box this holiday season, give gifts that are special and personal (ie not a Target gift card) and support some local businesses, too.
Art vs. Craft The biggest and best shopping event in Milwaukee. If you have ever wasted away hours on Etsy, you'll love this event. Many Etsy sellers will be there, along with local and regional artists, vendors, and crafters. You can easily knock out half of your Christmas shopping in one day. WHEN: Saturday, November 26th 2011, 10am- 6pm WHERE: Milwaukee School of Engineering! Event entrance is on the corner of Highland & Broadway 1047 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202 ADMISSION: $4
Made In Milwaukee Over 40 Milwaukee-based performers, musicians, artists, and creatives - a showcase of local talent. See what's being created in the city. WHEN: Wednesday, November 23 Doors open at 7pm WHERE: Turner Hall Ballroom, 1032 N. 4th street ADMISSION: $10
Hovercraft Milwaukee A Milwaukee showcase of artists, crafters, businesses, and musicians. Craft demonstrations and tutorials along with live performances and mini tours of Sweet Water aquaponics. WHEN: Saturday, December 3rd, 12pm to 6pm WHERE: Sweet Water Organics 2151 S. Robinson Ave. in Bay View ADMISSION: $2
Yes, the season of reading has resumed. Fall semester started yesterday. And although I'll be occupying my time reading about nursing and pharmacology and the world of higher education, I would like to break up the density and fifteen letter words with some light, inspiring, and leisurely reading. On my last trip to Outpost I picked up their new magazine (their free monthly Exchange paper died last year) called Graze. In addition to their cover story about berries, this issue features an article about a trout farm in Kettle Morraine, locally-made BBQ sauce and a round table talk about sustainability. Oh, and there's plenty of recipes, too. For the $1.99 sticker price ($0.99 if you're a coop owner) I gained a lot from this magazine and will no doubt be using some of the recipes. Nothing against People magazine, of course.
I was surprised too to learn that Milwaukee is home to a company that makes food that's good for you. I was beginning to think we only made beer and sausages. I was in the grocery store and came across the Kangaroo brand, a company founded and operating in Milwaukee since 1979. They make great Pita Pockets, Omelet Pitas, and Pita Chips. (Those Omelet Pita things look like a clutch breakfast-to-go) I found them at a bunch of area grocery stores, even Pick 'n Save, but they distribute nationwide. Or just order them online.
