"First of Ramadan" headache

Interesting fact of the day...We are in the midst of the Islamic holiday Ramadan. According to Ricardo Levins Morales, a study published in Heachache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain in 1999, recommends cutting back on caffeine and then having a strong cup just before starting the fast in order to prevent a "first-of-Ramadan" headache. So don't forget to wish your Muslim friends a happy Ramadan this month! Here is an interesting article from http://specialty-hospital.com/jordan/ramadan-coffee/

Enjoying your coffee During Ramadan

August 26, 2009 at 10:02 am , by tamara

Drinking coffee in the morning for that “pick me up feeling” is an all too familiar and enjoyable habit for many of us. But come Ramadan and the thought of stopping this stimulating ritual will definitely seem difficult.

We’ll tell you how you can still enjoy drinking your coffee during the month of Ramadan!

At Iftar:

• Avoid breaking your fast on a cup of coffee, since caffeine would lead to the release of gastric juices on an empty stomach and in turn hurt your gastric mucosa. The ideal food to break your fast with is 2-3 dates, because they will provide you with the sugar your body requires, especially your brain.
• You can have your cup of coffee two hours after you complete your Iftar meal. This way you would have allowed plenty of time for your body to adjust its blood glucose level with a balanced Iftar. A cup of coffee would come in handy also because it might also keep you alert in case you feel sleepy after your Iftar meal.

Late night:

• If you enjoy the taste of coffee late at night, try a decaffeinated cup before you sleep (which would still have the beneficial antioxidants). You can also opt for herbal teas such as thyme or chamomile which are healthy and soothing.

Suhour:

• If you wakeup for Suhour just before the Athan, you can enjoy a cup of coffee along with your balanced meal. This will help you stay alert throughout your long day of fasting.

El Puente

Although this isn't directly related to coffee (except that some of the women and men were probably coffee farm workers in their native country), but we thought this organization was very intriguing and wanted to share it with you...

El Puente's mission is to bridge the gap toward sustainable spiritual and economic health for the latino immigrants in East Tennessee, equipping them for a return to their native lands as agents of transformation.

They are a non-profit organization supported by families, foundations and local churches. Areas of focus include: Advocacy, literacy, organic farming, business development, and biblical training.

Check out their website for more information and wonderful pictures!

Nashville Coffee Society: Bali Blue Krishna

We just picked up a new organic coffee that we are really excited about. We are thrilled to be able to serve you this rare coffee from Bali, Indonesia called Blue Krishna. It is quite rare for this area to get a Balinese coffee, but we have it, and we want you to try it.

We were asked to provide a lightly roasted coffee to the Nashville Coffee Society's cupping series that is going on this weekend. We, however, will be roasting this coffee darker for our store sales, but we are excited to hear how the cupping goes. The cupping is highlighting Tennessee roasters such as Stone Cup Roasting Co. and us.

Interested in going to a cupping and are in the Maryville area? Sign up for one of our classes.

Handpresso

Les and I (Jamie) went on a backpacking trip to Shawnee National Forest this weekend, and of course Les couldn't go a day without his espresso, and he didn't want to have cowboy coffee. No sir. He had a Handpresso. That's right.. forest espresso. "Premium Quality coffee...anywhere." Here is a video about that very thing. Our video is not as cool as handpresso youtube version though. So check out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMrfUYDHyI.
Granted it wasn't as good as a shot of Vienna Coffee's espresso, but pretty dang good for being in the middle of a forest!!

If you are looking for the weekly deal, we have discontinued the weekly deals. Please sign up for our newsletter or become a fan on facebook to get deals on your favorite Maryville coffee roaster. We will still be posting interesting coffee facts, espresso trivia, new locations, etc. So check back frequently and we'd love to hear your feedback!