National Coffee Day

Coffee Lover Mug by H2Z

Wake up and smell the coffee! In the spirit of celebrating pretty much any and every holiday we possibly can, and spreading the joy to all you wonderful readers, we are pleased to let you know that it's National Coffee Day! Which of course means A FREE CUP OF JOE!! Yes!

If you are anything like we are there is nothing quite like a cup of coffee to get get you going first thing in the morning and mid-morning and after lunch and mid-afternoon and, well, you get it. So it's pretty obvious that Coffee Day on September 29^th is pretty much our favorite "holiday."

To help you celebrate we have rounded up for your drinking pleasure every caffeinated freebie and discount we could find. (If you know of one that we have missed, please let us know in the comment section of our facebook page!)
 

7-Eleven: Free large coffee on Sept. 28 between 6 and 10 a.m. 7-Eleven has locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Dutch Bros. Coffee: All coffee drinks and Dutch Bros. Blue Rebel energy drinks are free on Sept. 29 at the 7225 Martin Way East, location in Olympia, Wash. Take $1 off any coffee drink on Sept. 29 at the eight locations across Central Oregon, all located in Bend, Redmond, or Sisters. Free coffee drinks on Sept. 29 at the three locations in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Dunkin’ Donuts: Printable coupon for a 99-cent hot or iced latte through Sept. 30.
Dunkin’ Donuts: Printable coupon for six free doughnuts with the purchase of a Box o’ Joe through Sept. 30.
Dunkin’ Donuts: Printable coupon for $1 off the purchase of a dozen K-cups through Oct. 28.
Eight O’Clock Coffee products: Printable coupon for $2 off at any store that sells this brand and accepts manufacturer coupons.
Einstein Bros. Bagels: Pumpkin lattes are buy-one-get-one-free on Sept. 29. They’re also offering other coffee-related discounts earlier in the week. Einstein has locations nationwide.
Kangaroo Express convenience stores: Get a 12-ounce cup of Bean Street Coffee for 1 cent on Sept. 29 between 8 a.m. and noon. Kangaroo Express has more than 1,500 locations in 13 southeastern U.S. states.
Krispy Kreme stores: Free 12-ounce cup of their new House Blend Coffee on Sept. 29. Krispy Kreme has locations in 39 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.
Krispy Kreme online: They’re giving away free coffee for a year to 75 people as part of their 75th birthday celebration. To win, enter once between now and Sept. 29 by completing the form. The winners will receive two bags of coffee every month for the next twelve months – plus a free T-shirt and coffee mug. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 and older.
McDonald’s: Free cup of coffee every day through Sept. 29. Rumor has it this freebie is limited to locations in the eastern U.S., so be sure to call your location before making a trip.
Punchbowl.com: Send a free National Coffee Day e-card. This freebie is available now, but they don’t say when it expires.
Seattle’s Best Coffee products: Printable coupon for $1 off at any store that sells this brand and accepts manufacturer coupons.
Ten Thousand Villages: Look for free samples or discounts at the stores in Charlottesville, Va., and Philadelphia and Lancaster, Penn., on Sept. 29.
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop: Printable buy-one-get-one-free coffee coupon good on Sept. 29. The coupon is good at their U.S. locations.
Wawa Inc. convenience stores: Sign up to receive an immediate coupon for a free 16-ounce iced latte through Oct. 2. Wawa has locations along the eastern U.S. coast.
Coffee Bean: is giving free coffee makers in exchange for your old ones (a $179.99 Value) on Sep. 29 in West Hollywood, CA. The first 200 people will also receive a milk frother!
SavOn Stores: This is not technically a National Coffee Day deal, but it's still a way to get free coffee from SavOn Stores, a convenience store chain in the upstate New York area. Every Monday morning through Oct. 29, teachers can receive a free cup of coffee (ID required).
Kangaroo Express: The Kangaroo Express convenience store chain -- it's in 13 Southern states -- will sell its Bean Street brand of coffee for a penny on National Coffee Day. That's a penny for a 12-ounce cup of coffee. Hey, that's practically free!
Caribou Coffee: Caribou Coffee locations nationwide are using National Coffee Day to debut Amy's Blend coffee, which it will be rolling out in October. At Caribou Coffee, your free cup of Amy's Blend is limited to the small size. If you'd like something bigger, you'll have to pay for it, but not much -- 50 cents for a medium and $1 for a large. Here are the details (.pdf file) on Caribou Coffee's National Coffee Day deal.

Say It Isn't So...

You might want to get your fill of ham this year, because according to an industry trade group, “a world shortage of pork and bacon next year is now unavoidable."
 

Who is to blame for these harsh words? Blame the drought conditions that blazed through the corn and soybean crop this year. Less feed led to herds declining across the European Union “at a significant rate,” according to the National Pig Assn. in Britain.

In the second half of 2013, the number of slaughtered pigs could fall 10%, doubling the price of European pork, according to the release.

The trade group urged supermarkets to pay pig farmers a fair price for the meat to help cover the drought-related losses.

In U.S. warehouses, pork supply soared to a record last month, rising 31% to 580.8 million pounds at the end of August from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The surge came as farmers scaled down their herds as feeding the animals became increasingly expensive.

We're all wearing our Bacon = Life, Get a Q slap Bracelet to show our LOVE OF BACON!!!

A Day We Will Never Forget

Millions of Americans were glued to their TV sets on the morning of Septemeber, 11 2001 and on the following days, watching live coverage and repetitive replays of scenes that they only would have expected to see in the movies. The events of that day affected the entire world. Let’s all take a moment of silence and remember the people who were killed that day. 

September is National Healty Aging Month

30 and Flirty, 40 and Fabulous, 50 and Sassy, and 60 and Classy!

Healthy Aging Month is an annual observance during the month of September designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. The main objective of Healthy Aging Month is to encourage local level events and promotion of individual Healthy Aging practices. Visit www.healthyaging.net which is the official site of the Healthy Aging Campaign. The campaign is designed to broaden the awareness of the positive aspects of aging and to provide information and inspiration for adults, age 50+, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial fitness.

Four habits that lead to a longer life:

-Not Smoking
-Getting regular physical activity
-Healthy Eating Habits
-Avoid to much Alcohol

Each of the four healthy habits, by itself, offers some protection. And of all four, NOT SMOKING is the one that provided the most protection from dying. The biggest benefit comes when people do all four! In a study done by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) found that people who practiced all four healthy habits were:

 -66 percent less likely to die early from cancer
-65 percent less likely to die early from diseases such as heart attack and stroke
-57 percent less likely to die early from other causes when compared to people who had none of the healthy habits

Four additional habits that can lead to a longer life:

-Getting enough rest
-Coping with stress
-Laugh daily / Be Happy
-Make fruits and vegetables a large part of your diet

Help your children build healthy habits early in life!!

It’s never too late to being practicing healthy living. Starting at a young age will only make it easier to practice healthy habits as you grow. When you’re young, the last thing on your mind is aging, so children will need extra encouragement. When you’re trying to get your children to go outside and be active, go out and play with them. Get involved in a fun activity. If you want them to eat healthy foods, make sure you set a good example fro them. Being a role model for healthy aging can help you and your children live longer, happier and healthier lives! 

Tomorrow is National Wear Teal Day

Peacock Cotton Scarf 

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Friday, September 7th is Wear Teal Day. Join us and show your support for women with ovarian cancer by wearing teal (the awareness color for ovarian cancer) tomorrow Sep. 7th.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the US and is the Fifth leading cause of cancer among American women, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS estimates 22,280 will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States in 2012 and about 15,000 will die from the disease. Raising awareness is the key to early diagnosis and proper treatments which can and will save lives!

We will be wearing our Peacock Cotton Scarves to show our support for all those who are fighting this terrible disease.

Goodbye Summer

Don’t let your summer slip away without giving it a proper send-off.  Even though the calendar tells us that summer is going to be around until mid-September, we all know that summer is officially over once that Labor Day party has ended.  Before autumn sets in, enjoy one last casual summer party and say farewell to the lazy days of summer. No one wants to spend the last summer party slaving over a big backyard meal. One really great idea is a NO-COOK party menu using recipes from the inestimable Rachael Ray!

NO-COOK Party Menu!

Tomato and Feta Salad 

Tip Replace the feta with ricotta or chopped mozzarella, and the thyme with chopped basil. 

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Thyme sprigs, for garnish

Directions

• In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the feta. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss. Top with the thyme. 

 

 

Honey-Soy Chicken

Tip Dress up the rice with dried cranberries and pine nuts, or dried apricots and cashews.

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 rotisserie chickens
6 cups cooked mixed wild rice, or other grains from supermarket salad bar

 

Directions

• In a small microwaveable bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce and crushed red pepper. Microwave on high power for 20 seconds, then whisk to combine. Using a pastry brush, coat the chickens with the honey-soy glaze.
• Arrange the rice on two serving dishes. Place 1 chicken on each dish and serve the remaining glaze on the side.

 

 

Lemon Layer Cake

Tip Use banana pudding in place of the lemon curd.

 Ingredients

2 small angel food cakes
1 cup lemon curd
1 can whipped cream
1 cup crushed lemon cookies

 

 




Directions

• Using a long serrated knife, slice each cake horizontally into 3 layers.
• Using a spatula, spread half the lemon curd on the 2 bottom cake layers. Top with a generous layer of whipped cream. Place the middle cake layers on top and spread with the remaining curd and more whipped cream. Place the remaining 2 cake layers on top, cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with the crushed cookies.  

 
 
Frozen Margarita

 

Ingredients

Lime sorbet
Tequila
Sprinkle of sea salt

 

Directions

• Try this easy frozen cocktail. No blender required.

 

Mango Freeze

Ingredients

Mango sorbet
Rum
Dash of cayenne pepper

 






Directions

• Try this easy frozen cocktail. No blender required.

 

Berry Cosmo

Ingredients

Strawberry sorbet
Vodka
Squeeze of lime

 






 Directions

• Try this easy frozen cocktail. No blender required.

Whether you're having this party outside or not (though, really, last lovely days of summer not outside?) we suggest choosing fun, bright colors that are as warm as the summer sun and be casual with your centerpieces. Try using Large bowls or baskets filled with fruits that look and taste great. If you prefer to use a floral centerpiece, try orange and red Gerbera Daisies for a beautiful yet inexpensive look.

Make sure to stock up on the ice. The summer may be coming to an end, but the heat is going to be around for a little while longer.  It is usually still pretty hot on Labor Day and the last thing you want is your guests heading home early because of a warm drink.

As the sun begins to set be prepared for the hungry mosquitoes and have plenty of citronella candles.  Your guests will thank you.

all images and recipes from www.rachaelraymag.com