Coffee and Hope

As I walked through Nottingham with my daughter yesterday, it was cold, not just the temperature but no one seemed cheerful, the Christmas lights obviously hadn't had the desired effect and instead I could hear people cursing and being generally rude.

I warmed up with a coffee in a new coffee shop, there me and my daughter sat and drank our drinks, so many people head in a book or computer didn't even look up to acknowledge new patrons.

Sometimes a smile is all it takes to make someones day, as we walked back to the tram we walked through a big high street store and as we came out the other end I saw a young man in a door way.

I don't judge how someone gets to be on the street, we all have our problems and sometimes to run away is all that helps. But it was so cold, so bitter and as I walked passed him I couldn't help but feel the need to help in someway.

I could have chucked a few extra pennies on his sleeping bag, but instead I decided to ask him if he'd like a coffee, after all it had been just what had warmed me up ten minutes before.

He said yes please and we took the 30 second walk up to McDonalds, I bought him a Cappuccino liked he'd asked for and walked back, I wondered if he'd thought maybe I wouldn't come back but when I did I could see a little spark in his eyes.

I handed it to him and he told me "I was a good un', maybe so, maybe I was being selfish and wanted the self gratification of helping someone else. But I always believe that it's the small things that make a difference, just smiling at someone as you walk down the street could make them feel differently about their day.

When I was a new mum and was suffering with terrible PND strangers smiles were the difference between a bad day and a good one. 

Yesterdays gift to a stranger took a few minutes and pounds out of my life, but maybe made someone else's faith in humans be that little bit more restored.

I hope in some way he knows I didn't stop thinking about him most of yesterday, whatever the reason, whatever the habit, we all need hope.

I have a few other plans to help people this Christmas and it definitely won't be the last time I get someone a coffee.

Cru Kafe Coffee Pods Review

We were recently sent some Cru Kafe Flat White Nespresso Compatible Organic Coffee Capsules to try, they arrived in gorgeous black packaging, looking sleek and inviting.

On opening the bag you could smell the coffee, I popped one straight into the machine and I was presented with a dark earthy smelling coffee, the taste of which is really lovely.

My husband, who loves his coffee used the words ‘ I think this may be the best one we’ve tried’ referring to several of the different capsules available including Nespresso which means this is high praise indeed.

I have really enjoyed the coffee in iced coffee and as a flat white first thing in the morning, my husband being more of an espresso drinker has enjoyed the coffee on it’s own although it does suggest it is better as a flat white.

The great thing about Cru Kafe is that you can order a monthly subscription delivered to your door, which means you don't have to worry about running low as new ones will regularly arrive.

The capsules are recyclable and the packet a bit less bulky than some of the others in boxes currently available, there is also less packaging than some of the others available on the market.

The coffee is great but my only grumble is the price, it is a little on the high side compared to others with a capsule including delivery being 40p-46p if you buy just one offs or 37p-41p if you have a monthly subscription. However it is organic so you are getting something rarely available from other coffee makers and suppliers.

As these are from a smaller independent company and this is wonderful tasting coffee, it might be something we buy on occasion, as a gift to ourselves, but not something we'd buy regularly.

NB: We were sent a packet of Cru Kafe capsules for the purpose of this review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Carte Noire Nespresso Compatible Capsules Review

We were recently sent over some Carte Noire Nespresso compatible capsules to try, arriving in a lovely gift box with some gorgeous Bodum cups to make sure we got the best out of the coffee.

The capsules are currently available in supermarkets with a RRP of £2.79 so that makes them around the same price each as some of the less expensive Nespresso capsules.

Being available in the supermarket makes them easily accessible, unlike the Nespresso capsules themselves and others that are currently available on the market which are only available by ordering online.

This isn’t a problem if you want to order in bulk but if you prefer just the odd cup of coffee every now and then or run out and don’t want to buy lots in one go this is the perfect alternative.

The coffee itself is tasty, as you would expect from a long standing premium brand like Carte Noire, available in four strengths (3 Elegant, 5 Delicat, 7 Aromatique, 9 Intense) there is something for all tastes.

I tend to drink my coffee as a latte whereas my husband has his as an espresso and both of us have really enjoyed the coffee, I particularly liked the 3 as an espresso. Super tasty and not too strong, it is smooth and doesn't leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

I'm not sure whether the capsules are recyclable and I cannot find anything on their website to confirm it, this is one thing I love about the Nespresso capsules is that they are picked up and recycled free of charge by Nespresso. If you don’t mind so much about the environment then you can just go ahead and bin them, but this was one of the reasons I was drawn to the Nespresso machine in the first place.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage here, it also means they aren't as easy to store as the Nespresso capsules, however being able to buy with your weekly shop means only buying as many as you need.

Overall we were really impressed with the coffee, the taste is great and we would definitely buy more.

NB: I was sent some capsules and coffee cups to review, all opinions and pictures are my own.

Caffe Cagliari - Italian Coffee Meets Nespresso

I have raved a lot about my Nespresso machine, and how I love it for it's easy coffee making qualities. There is nothing I love more than sitting in the kitchen enjoying a quiet coffee and reading a recipe book whilst listening to the distant sound of children playing.

My five minutes peace and quiet, this time bought to you by Caffe Cagliari's new Nespresso compatible ilove Espresso Capsules. Caffe Cagliari are a family company steeped in over 100 years of Italian history. Alessandra Cagliari, the great great grand daughter of the founder handles the marketing and packaging today, so even now it is still family run.

With five different coffee's to choose from there isn't as big a range as Nespresso themselves. They cost 30p a capsule (or slightly less if you buy 80 of one variety), so they are around the same price as Nespresso's cheaper capsules.

The coffee itself was divine, I am not normally one to drink an espresso at home, known mostly for my love of a latte, however with this coffee I was drawn to drinking it as a short as it was so tasty. Having never been to Italy I cannot compare with the coffee over there, but having drank many an espresso in cafe's in both England and France, I recognised the smoothness and distinctive taste of a great espresso.

Whether it is the way it has been roasted or the choice of beans I was impressed by the quality of the coffee, even the decaf tasted great, making it perfect to drink throughout the day all day if you want.

Sitting in my little corner of the kitchen I got to enjoy my coffee, a biscuit and five minutes peace.

I really enjoyed the coffee and will definitely be buying more for our machine, the coffee was tasty, smooth and very drinkable. Perfect for an early morning pick me up or after dinner coffee, to find out more about Caffe Cagliari or if you fancy giving a try then you can pop over to their shop.

NB I was sent a few coffee samples, coffee cups, sugar and biscuits to form this post. All opinions are my own.

Big Cup Little Cup Review and Discount Code

I was recently approached by Big Cup Little Cup to see if I would like to review their coffee.

The Big Cup Little Cup capsules are Nespresso compatible and are a slightly cheaper alternative to the Nespresso range. Offering a wide range of coffee's for those that love small cups of coffee or big cups with several different strengths.

The coffee itself was good quality and enjoyable, had a good crema and other than a few bits of coffee dust in the cups you couldn't really tell they were any different.

I mention the dust only because I don't recall really noticing this with the Nespresso capsules, however the way in which the capsules are made and stored is probably the reason for this but it doesn't really affect the coffee itself.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage, the boxes are a little bigger and so they aren't as easy to store.

Recycling the capsules is also a little more difficult, with the Nespresso capsules you just put them in a bag and coffee and capsule are collected, with the Big Cup Little Cup capsules although the plastic is recyclable it does require you to empty and rinse out first.

Not really something I want to be doing but I do hate waste and this was one of the only reasons I was happy to go with the capsule system in the first place, that they were easy get rid of and be recycled.

Both my husband and I really like the range Big Cup Little Cup have to offer, so much so we ordered the Coffee Lovers Discovery Pack, 300 capsules for £75 ordered and delivered within 24 hours so a great service.

Better still you can get 15% off with code MUMMYDIARY0810 until the 1st November 2013 so that makes them even better value.

NB We were sent 2 free boxes of coffee by Big Cup Little Cup for review, all words are my own and after trying the samples, we chose to buy some more.

I love my Nespresso machine!

We have had our Nespresso machine for a while now and I can 100% hand on heart say it is the most used item (next to the vacuum) in our house.

Well I guess technically the fridge/freezer is but you know what I mean.

It makes the perfect cup of coffee every time and you can have a different coffee every day.

If you aren't into the caffeine then you can have decaf and the decaffeination process is natural rather than chemical, which is something I hated when choosing decaf normally. This is from the Nespresso website

"Nespresso uses a natural "water-based" decaffeination process, which is free from chemical additives, this process involves dissolving the caffeine, but without altering the strength and distinction of the coffee's aromas.  Developed to the same high standards of perfection as the other Grand Crus, Nespresso guarantees excellence throughout the production process of the decaffeinated coffees from selecting the finest beans, to blending, roasting and finally packaging the coffee. So when it comes to the coffee in your cup, you can be sure of a genuine espresso with all its character and aromatic richness preserved"

My favourite two coffees at the moment are the Rosabaya De Colombia and Dulsao Do Brasil, although I only have one of these a day, if I have another it is normally a decaf, all of which are yummy.

The best thing about the machine is the ability to make several different sorts of coffee, you can do a lungo (long) so just like a normal coffee, espresso, cappuccino or a latte. There is something to suit every taste. Using the Aeroccino machine you can froth the milk either hot or cold so you can make yourself a hot chocolate or milkshake with it too.

The customer service so far has been brilliant, they even pick up the used capsules and recycle them so it's good for the environment too.

Although you think the coffee will be expensive it works out at no more than 33p a coffee, a lot cheaper than what we were paying when buying coffee for the stove top coffee maker and certainly cheaper than buying from some well known coffee chains (although I still love them but don't tell hubby)!

I need more decaf so have just got to wait for hubby to go to London to buy some from one of the boutiques or until we need enough to order some.