Equator Estate Coffees & Teas is a women–owned company, co-founded in 1995 by Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell with a mission to “continue to be a growing, customer-centric company, dedicated to quality, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility with a commitment to procuring distinctive coffees from growers who practice responsible land stewardship and bio-friendly farming techniques.” With that in mind Equator has just launched Chido’s Blend, a blend of three African coffee beans with 100% of the profits supporting the work of Chido Govero, a 23 year old woman from rural Zimbabwe who is training her fellow orphan girls to grow critically-needed food using little more than coffee pulp and grass clippings.

Govero, who is pictured on the label, will use proceeds to build housing as well as to support training program in many coffee-growing countries.

Chido’s Blend has floral and fruity notes, supple spice and wood flavors and retails for $13.95. Learn more and support the cause by clicking here!

Since 1991 Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has roasted and packaged wonderfully flavorful specialty coffee in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to their delightful blends what makes the brand stick out is their dedication to their community. As a member of the Organic Coffee Collaboration they have a whole line of Fair Trade Organic Blends that truly stick out from Crimson Cup’s competitors. I recently was able to try their Jungle Love which is a dark roasted blend of organics from Central America and Indonesia. The packaging is delightful and it has a wonderfully smooth finish — perfect for that morning boost and afternoon pick-me-up.

Crimson Cup only imports Specialty Grade Class 1 beans, which are the top 5% of the world’s harvested coffee beans.  For more check out their website and their blog!

I’ve been taste-testing a number of coffees these past few weeks, all of which are certified organic, and I’ll be reporting on them as I get through the tastings! Green Mountain Coffee is a leader in the specialty coffee industry and they have a long history of involvement with organic coffee. In 1997 they were among the first roasters to offer consumers an organic coffee choice and they now have one of the largest selections of double -certified Fair Trade organic coffees in the country.

Their coffees are made from the top 10% of the world’s harvest and they truely offer an unparalleled variety of brews — from dark roasts to decaf varieties they have an endless array of flavorful, well-balanced options. The best part? Green Mountain Coffee values social responsibly and as such the company donates 5% of their pre-tax profits to social and environmental protects every year.

Learn more about Green Mountain Coffee by clicking here!

Recently, I wrote a post proclaiming my preference for drinking water right from the tap.  Where I live, the tap water tastes great, actually! It’s sweet and fresh.

Some may take exception to drinking tap water – many people do, in fact – and drink bottled water instead. It’s been a debate for some time.

Apparently the people at ABC News must have been listening, because I watched a story about the bottled water debate. The report claims as much as 45 percent of bottled water actually comes from municipal water supplies. Not to mention the garbage factor of what is done with empty water bottles.

In the end, though, drinking water of any kind is better – for me – than substituting high fructose corn syrup soft drinks as a preference. Because the other debate about whether or not drinking water is actually healthy still rages on, too.

I vote for water … and wine.

Photo Credit:  How can I recycle this

For me, drinking water is a pleasure.  It wasn’t always this way, though.

As a youngster living in Connecticut, water from our faucet tasted like a mouthful of minerals. I didn’t like it at all. Never asked to drink it. Enjoyed fruit juice and milk, more likely.

I did like my diet soda. I remember chocolate diet soda (do they make that anymore?). Cola was my norm, sometimes ginger ale, especially because I really loved these old Canada Dry commercials featuring a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

After visiting the west for the first time, though, I was a water convert. While hiking in the desert, I realized the powerful of water as a thirst quencher. Water that was body temperature, especially. Basically, it entered my body and dissipated all thirsty feelings. Quite a rush for me.

Perhaps now I drink an average of 10 glasses of water a day because it tastes great. Sweet, refreshing – and healthy, right?

In the fantastic science fiction book series, Dune, author Frank Herbert creates a world where water is virtually nonexistent, forcing inhabitants of the desert plant Arrakis  to come up with all sorts of ways to capture it from living things. Yet water is never as important as the intoxicating spice, also needed for life.

It strikes me that whenever I think about water, I’m reminded of Dune. The book impressed me. For years, I carried the Litany Against Fear, written on a card, in my wallet. I recite it still.

And I enjoy water. Still and with gas (as Europeans may ask you when ordering it).

Photo Credit: azrainman

Blog Note: Some of you have asked about the schedule to update this blog and its frequency. My plan is to post blog updates twice a week; generally on Tuesday and Thursday.

Wow. The beginning of July. You know what that means?

Pike's Place Market, Seattle, WA

A bounty of flavorful, locally grown produce – and more – at the farmers market.

“Good eats,” says Alton Brown, star of the Food Network show of the same title.

Sweet corn. Heirloom tomatoes. Zucchini. Salad greens, peppers and fresh herbs. In Idaho, where I’m living right now, there’s also lamb, summer sausage and of course, potatoes.

Berries. Apples. Fruits and veggies you’ve never even heard of before. What a treat. It’s a foodie lover’s dream and everyone’s place to experience the best food that summer has to offer.

The Original Farmers Market is in Los Angeles at  Third and Fairfax and celebrating 75 years. This summer, several contestants on the current version of The Next Food Network Star are giving cooking lessons at this venerable landmark, courtesy of Sur la Table.

Not to mention Pike’s Place Market in Seattle, WA. Recently celebrating its 100^th birthday, visitng Pike’s really feels like a European experience. The crowds, the flowers, the produce … but the flying fish are uniquely Seattle.

Oh man, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Love that place. Food, cheese, wine and the San Francisco Bay. It makes me feel good just to walk through there.

On Long Island, in the Hamptons, all you need to do is ride your bike down a country road and pony up to one of the market stands right in the field where the food is grown. Heavenly. Ride over to the fish market, too, for a little Montauk tuna caught that morning.

‘Course, you can always ride to the Amagansett Farmers Market, one of my favorites. Make sure you have a backpack – or a basket – on board, though. Wouldn’t want to leave any of that luscious, fresh food stuff behind.

Find out where your local farmers market is and plan a visit. Many of them are open year ’round, but make a trip especially in the summer. Your mind, body and soul will thank you.

Photo Credit: kurtw2007

I’ve been thinking about my skin lately. I’m about to finish all the products in my skin care regimen and I’m thinking my skin needs a change.

As it usually happens when I’m thinking about something, an email about healthy skin showed up in my mailbox  from Natural News (the Law of Attraction?!).

Besides giving tips for smooth skin, the article elaborates on the benefits of good nutrition for keeping skin healthy. Not to mention adequate hydration.

I’m a water drinker. I find it essential for my entire body to work properly. We humans tend to be chronically dehydrated, reaching for a snack instead of a glass of water when we think we feel hungry. Many times, we’re really thirsty.

Hydration also comes into play when cleaning our skin.

The products that I’m  just finishing up with are from the Dermalogica line. These kinds of companies have a plethora of information right on their websites, about skin types and what kind of products are best. Advertising? Yes. You can still read smart, though.

Regardless of what I end up buying for my new skin care routine, I’ll continue to tout the virtues of H2O. My body – and my face – can’t live without it.

Photo Credit:  kateqh