Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Amy Tsuruta, THE original and most passionate Coffee Lover!!, thought it might be fun to have a Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - and I happened to get invited to join in with her along with several hundred others (ok, maybe not that many - but there are A LOT of people participating!) 
Luckily I recently purchased a really cute coffee theme stamp set from Art Impressions appropriately called Cathy Caffeine!  I colored her with Copics and cut her out with a stitched mat die.  I ripped the top layer off a panel of recycled cardboard to expose the corrugation and used it for the background.
And I just had to stamp a splatter over the sentiment - we coffee lovers always spill don't we??  The odds are much greater that we will since we always have a cup in our hands or on our desk right??!  I also scattered some brown and tan sequins around my card.

So we are all linking up our coffee lovers creations over at Amy's blog today -  lots of people are posting blog candy so you might want to check it out! 
  
Instead of 'candy' I am sharing a recipe for Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans -  as I decided to make some this year for holiday gift giving.
Since I haven't made them before (!) I googled - Recipe Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans - and a plethora of them showed up -  I printed out a few different ones - they are pretty much the same - with a few added hints or slightly different ingredients here and there -  so I just took what looked good to me and tried it out -  here's the recipe I ended up with:

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans Recipe

3/4 cups Dark Chocolate Nestle Toll House Morsels
1 cup whole espresso beans 
(I used  Starbucks Espresso Roast whole bean that I found in our local supermarket)
2/3 cup Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa
1. Using a double boiler melt the chocolate morsels over boiling water.  When smooth - remove from heat and stir in the espresso beans.
2. Put the cocoa in a small bowl.  Drop a couple of spoonfuls of the chocolate covered beans into the cocoa powder and mix with a fork - lightly separating any beans that are stuck together. (a lot of them do!)
3. Place a mesh strainer over another small bowl and pour the beans with the cocoa on them into the strainer.  Shake the strainer so just the covered beans remain in the strainer.
4. Spread the covered beans onto wax paper to cool.
5.  Continue steps 2 - 4 until all the beans are done -  adding additional cocoa to the bowl as needed.
Allow the beans to cool and package them up!

Now - I have to say - they aren't as chocolatey tasting as the ones you purchase -  there's a lot more chocolate around the bean on the store bought ones -  so you taste more of the coffee bean with these.  But I think any coffee lover will love 'um!
I put the beans in a clear bag - and will make labels for them before gifting!
Now, let's all grab a 'cuppa' and check out all the other coffee lover cards linked up over at Amy's blog!

Stamps:  Splat That - Waltzingmouse, Cathy Caffeine Set - Art Impressions
Paper:  White - PTI, piece of repurposed cardboard from a box.
Ink:  Archival Jet Black, Grout Grey - Color Box/MFT
Accessories:  Stitched Mat Rectangle Dies - Lil Inker Designs, Glue n Seal - Ranger, Copics - E00, E07, E35, E37, E44, B05, B21, R02, R05, Chocolate Sundae Sequins - My Craft Spot.

77 comments:

Veronica Z said...

What a fun card, love the image and sentiment! And the Choco covered coffee bean recipe looks delicious!

Shelly said...

Ha! Such a fun card! And those beans look awesome! Thanks for sharing! :)

Katia said...

super funny card, thanks for the recipe!

Vicki Dutcher said...

LOVE the recipe - how clever and it goes so perfectly with your cute card!

Words and Pictures said...

What a great card, Julia! The image is hilarious, and it looks so cool against that rugged corrugated background. Thanks so much for the coffee bean recipe too - I love those!!
Alison xx

Annette Allen said...

how totally fun.. those beans look awesome..

Rebekah said...

What a fabulous recipe and what a super fun card!! TFS!

Monika/Buzsy said...

What a super cute card Julia. That image is perfect. Love the corrugated background paper! Do you just eat the coffee beans like that?

anja curvers said...

Such a cute card love that image and those beans look really yummy. Thanks for sharing.

Jerrie said...

Love the stamp set..oversize the coffee please! Your card is so nice~~

VanessaB said...

that image cracks me up and that saying is so true!! great recipe. thanks!!

Beth H. said...

Great card and I love how you included the recipe for the chocolate covered beans! Thank you!

Kristie Goulet said...

Super cute card. Love that image. Thank you for sharing the recipe. xx

Christiana said...

Super cute card. Love how you used the corrugated cardboard. My brother would love those chocolate covered coffee beans! I may have to give them a try.

Unknown said...

Sweet! Thanks for the recipe! Love your card and that sweet image!

arlsmom aka Lynda said...

Super fun card...love the recipe!!

JoeMari said...

I love your blog. This card is so adorable. I didn't even know this stamp exhausted. I'm gonna try your recipe for chic covered beans too. -Marisol

Darnell said...

Who doesn't love that amazing image?! It's too funny and, often, SO appropriate! I am swooning over the brilliant corrugated background!! Enjoy the hop! Happy Holiday Hugs! Darnell

Lori Turner said...

What a super FUN card and look at those scrumptious chocolate covered beans! What an awesome gift pack! WTG!

@JoyceCasaldi said...

Love that image, so fun!
So glad you hopped along!
Happy Holidays

~amy~ said...

Now how fun is this?! Your card is so fun, Cathy Caffeine totally makes me smile. I love the exposed cardboard and the sentiment, well, that's so very true! What an awesome recipe you shared! How fun!
Julia, thanks so much for linking up to the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop♡

jen said...

Fun card! I love the corrugated panel- and the splatter! Yes- always a mug within reach!
Great idea for gifting- I'm sure you'll have lots of happy recipients!!

Becca Cruger said...

Haha! That sentiment is just perfect and SO, so true! Love the textured background of your design. That recipe looks scrumptious!

Maura said...

Oh, yea, coffee and humor rolled into one! That is how I see my cup!! Thanks for the recipe!

Laurel Beard said...

The corrugated background is fantastic! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS CARD!

MariLynn said...

I love how the corrugated cardboard looks. I forget to do it. It looks fabulous on your card. Thanks for sharing the recipe. The result looks super yummy.

Tina said...

what a fun card, love this cute image..thanks for the recipe

Anonymous said...

Perfect card for the hop, love it!!!

Jenny said...

Love a little coffee humor and that cardboard look! Great card Julia - and those beans look yummy!

Redanne said...

I do love your card, it is such a fun image (I have a Canadian friend who really could drink a cup of coffee that big!). Great background with the corrugated card too. The chocolate coffee beans look very inviting.... Hugs, Anne xx

Rubeena I. said...

cute card! yummmm at recipe and beans!!!

maria f. said...

Ha - that sentiment. And the jumbo-sized coffee cup. What a riot. Love the idea of chocolate-covered coffee beans as a neighbor gift.

wendipooh13 said...

LOVE Your coffee card!!!! CUTE!!!! great recipe!!! sooo fun

Debra Miller said...

Great card, love the corrugated background. The recipe looks fab too! Hugs Deb

Anita said...

Stunning card! I love the sentiment.

Unknown said...

Brilliant card! xx

Olga Direktorenko said...

Lovely image and I love the corrugated cardstock!

Anonymous said...

I love choco-beans too! Great card!

Waving My Wand said...

Funny card and nifty recipe!

Chris said...

Thanks for the recipe - love it when they have been "tested and approved"...I think they will go into my dad's stocking. Love, love, love the corregated box paper :)

StampingbugKerry said...

Yummy recipe! Thanks! PS...I think that woman is having a bad hair day. Must be the coffee. LOL!

Tracey McNeely said...

Great post Julia! Love that sentiment so much and the chocolate covered coffee beans are awesome!

Kay Miller said...

What an adorable image and funny sentiment! Your card is wonderful Julia! The beans look yummy too!

wienerhoneymooners said...

Wonderful FUN Card!!!! Love the stool, and the sentiment!!!

Mona Pendleton said...

Super cute and fun card Julia! Your coffee beans sound scrumptious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Wanda Cullen said...

Totally love the corrugated BG paired up with that fun image! Made me smile!

Nazeema Calypso Thompson said...

5 shots of expresso!!! :) Fabulous card... love the distressed look with the corrugated cardboard!! Thanks for the expresso bean recipe too...Looks super YUMMY!!

Holly AKA KopyKat said...

Adorable, she is one of my fav's.

JustYolie said...

Fantastic card!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!! I will give it a try. New follower here.

Celeste Goff said...

What an amazing card! I love AI stamps!! And thank you for the great cocoa dusted coffee bean recipe...I will have to give that a go!

Deepti said...

Cool cool amazingly cool! Love the corrugated paper, adorable image and awesome beans, will have to try that recipe :)

Thordis said...

What a fun card, and your recipe looks so yummi :)

Queen Mary said...

What do you mean "instead" of candy?? This is the best candy! I love your card and I love the recipe! I can't wait to try it -- just in time for Christmas giving too!

Karen Day said...

Cathy Caffeine is a favourite of mine! Great gift set - I'll have to try the chocolate covered beans!

Jennie said...

Cute card and love the beans!! Will have to give it a try :)

Sherry Butcher said...

Love this card, the stamps, the colors and the sentiment rocks. TFS.

Sylvia said...

What a fun card, Julia, Love the uniqueness of the things you used! sounds like a fun recipe for gifting as well. Happy Holidays!

Rita W said...

I love that background. What a great idea! And thank you for the recipe. I might have to add that to our lineup for next weekend's sweet treat making.

Renee' Morris-Dezember said...

...great card and recipe...THANK YOU!

Heather D. ~ Fresh Brewed Designs said...

Um .. yea... I think she is a coffee addict! LOL!!! so cute! and thanks for the recipe! Love coffee most but a girl has to have chocolate too! :)

Java happy day and Merry Christmas.
Heather Dennis

*Vicki* said...

How fun you've made a yummy treat with yours!! This image is so fun and cracks me up!! Great card Julia! :)

nancy carroll said...

Your card ROCKS...thanks for the recipe!

Katie Ann Brooks said...

so cute Ms. Julia! Thank you for sharing the recipe too!

Amy Johnson said...

What a fun card!

AmethystCat said...

I adore your card. The texture is perfect for a coffee card. Love the image and your card is so much fun!! Thanks for the awesome coffee bean recipe too!!

Bonnie said...

Ah Julia....I love this! The cardboard is so very cool and yes, I am a spiller too haha!

Tenia Nelson said...

Awesome card and treat!!

Helen F. said...

Thanks for the smiles! Your card is so darn cute!
PS: thanks for the yummy recipe too :-p

Nance said...

That card is too funny and so cool! Love the image! Great idea of the chocolate covered coffee beans.

Lyndal said...

Gorgeous recycled card and FAB recipe Julia! Thanks for sharing
:) You can pop by my blog for a chance at some stamping blog candy too http://lyndalhiggins.blogspot.com.au/

Patry Ro said...

I really love your card!! Thanks for sharing it and this delicious recipe. New follower here!!

Lori Kobular said...

What a fun card! I love the corrugated paper background and that lady sipping coffee thru the straw of the coffee cup is so cute!!

Teresa Godines #6857 said...

I need a cup like that. TFS

D- said...

OMGosh that is just too funny. Thanks for sharing your CUTE card.
Crafty hugs,
D~
DesignsByDragonfly.blogspot
dmcardmaker{at}{AOL}{dot}{COM}

Samantha Mann said...

oooooo!!!! what a perfect gift for the coffee lover!!!! mmm!!! and the card is just so cute!! i LOVE your coloring, and that image totally cracks me up! ha ha!! i especially love that you used recycled cardboard - hooray!!! it's an AWESOME look!!

Helen Gullett said...

LOL!!! This card cracked me up! Love it!

Julie S said...

I saw this stamp for sale on Blitsy a while back and am kicking myself that I didn't get it. Such a cute card! Thank you for sharing the recipe too!