All That to Say: Feed

I love this weekend's giveaway because it is such an incredible program! If you don't know about the Feed Program it was started by Laura Bush and is a program designed to feed the nations.

The program produces bags made of recycled burlap bags (super cute, visit KASA if you live in The Woodlands, or find other local areas by going to the Feed Website.)  On each product is a number, and that number represents something significant.

For example, the cute bag I am giving away has the number one on it which means it will provide 1 child a supply of micronutrient powder for 1 year! 



Here are some statistics about world hunger for you:

1 in 7 people in the world go to bed hungry every night (including here in the US).
More people die from malnutrition than malaria, Aids, and tuberculosis combined.
Hunger is No. 1 on the list of the World Health's Top 10 Health Risks.
65% of the world's hungry live in 7 countries.

Here's where it hits home for us:

When we first got our daughters, they were so severely malnourished that their skin was sloughing off, their hair was falling out, they had skin sores over much of their body, and they weren't even on the growth charts for height and weight.  All from malnutrition.

So this weekend, I'm giving away a bag from the Feed Program.  You'll have to be local to get it, as I won't be able to get it to you in time for Halloween (unless you don't care at all about it having for THIS halloween, in which case, enter away!)

As always, the rules are simple, Follow the blog, retweet this post on Twitter, @thatcaroljones, and then leave a comment ON THIS BLOG. (If you've already followed my blog, you're still eligible and if you're not on Twitter don't panic!  Just make SURE you comment on this blog!)

All that to say, we can't do everything, but we can all do something.  I love what Andy Stanley said at Catalyst, "Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone."

(And don't forget to check back on Monday and see if you've won!  I haven't heard back from last week's winner of the great Mocha Baby Designs and will have to have a redrawing on Monday for that gift as well!)

Day 76: Cinnamon Sweet Latte - The Goods

I am a coffee drinker, a curse . . . er . . . fact I blame on my good friend, Melanie Holmes.  Melanie was a coffee drinker long before I was, and she convinced me (more like COERCED me) to try coffee "her way."

Her way was flavored with a lot of yummy stuff in it.  And I have to say, I was hooked, literally.  I think Melanie has matured into a real coffee drinker, but I still like it sweet, hot, and full of flavors!

Oh, and, before I forget to mention it, Melanie's husband, Brian has a coffee company called Mark's Brother's Big World Coffee that does some pretty amazing things to help the poor in 3rd World Countries.  Please click on their link and check them out.  And order some coffee.  Feed your habit and feed the world!

Okay, now back to my special coffee.

I created a special nighttime coffee a lot of years back, and it's a recipe I have shared with LOTS of people.  Funny thing though, EVERYONE tells me that when they make it, it's good, but just not the same as when I make it.  (They aren't following directions . . . I'm just sayin'.)

So, I want you to follow my recipe, exactly as it is written, and then you tell me what you think of it!  Then I want you to comment about its yumminess (here on this blog, not on facebook, of course you should tell your facebook friends how yummy this coffee is because they will be thanking you for sharing something so wonderful!)

Once I think everyone has had a chance to make my special coffee and comment, I'm going to draw names from the people who comment, and I'm going to send the winner some free coffee from Mark's Brother's Big World Coffee (courtesy of me!)

Here's the goodness:
2-4 cups of coffee
1/4 -1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup of half and half
2 tablespoons of sugar

Make a small pot of coffee (2-4 cups is plenty.)
It has to be real coffee, not that keurig thing or anything like it.
Put cinnamon in the grounds BEFORE it brews.

While it's brewing, get out a microwave safe coffee cup and fill it halfway with half and half and 2 tablespoons (yes tablespoons!) of sugar.
(You can be dumb if you want and used low-fat milk, but it will NOT be as good!) 

Then microwave it right up to the point that it just about boils over.  You're going to have to watch it like a hawk because it will try really hard to boil over, and if it does, it's a terrible mess!  But it HAS TO BOIL.  It can't just get hot.  This is important!

Now, remove the cup from the microwave and fill it the rest of the way up with your brewed cinnamon coffee.

This coffee is so delicious.  My friends, Kelly Sherrill and Caroline Roberts and I used to drink it every Wednesday night when we had Girls' Night In.  And every single time, when they would take their first sip they would say, "mmmmm.  That's so good."

All that to say, I am going to go make myself a cup of my nighttime brew and think of my friends.  Good friends, good memories, good coffee.  It somehow all fits together.  ENJOY!

(And don't forget to come back and comment on how good it was so I can send you some coffee from Mark's Brothers!)

UPDATE:  THE WINNER IS RUTH ANN MITCHELL!