The next new, gluten-free flour is ... coffee flour

Yes, I've been missing in action again.

It was nothing less than an article about coffee flour on Mind Body Green and a second article from Discover Magazine indicating when it would be available to the general public that led me to write a new post.

Coffee flour, hmm? How is it no one came up with this long ago?

It is:
1. Gluten-free
2. Sustainable (after the seeds are extracted, the flour is made from the remaining fruit, which previously went to waste)
3. A source of additional income for coffee growers

According to the CoffeeFlour^® website, it is high in fiber (five times that of whole wheat flour). It also has:

• 84 percent less fat than coconut flour
• Three times the protein of kale (per gram)
• Higher amounts of iron than any grain/cereal in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database

Note: The caffeine content varies by the variety, concentration and recipe details. (More coffee flour = more caffeine, presumably.)

Coffee flour should be available in stores next year, according to these sources.

Where is my eggnog latte?

I'm waiting (not too patiently, I might add) to get an eggnog latte at Starbucks. 

Someone told me it'd be in this week; I went in to my usual Milford Starbucks on Wednesday and was told something else. It seems they kept getting updates. 

Assuming corporate doesn't change its mind, eggnog lattes should be available no later than Nov. 30. 

In the meantime, I have made my own with Rice Dream Rice Nog,* which was on sale the last time I was at Whole Foods Market  in Ann Arbor. Yesterday, I enjoyed the eggnog latte at Kahuna Coffee, which uses eggnog syrup. (What is confusing about Kahuna Coffee is that most people think of the area it's in as Hartland, but it's Howell mailing. Nonetheless, it's an awesome place, which already has given me the opportunity to sell signed poetry book to people).

For me, perhaps because it uses whole milk eggnog, Starbucks has the definitive eggnog latte. And so I wait. Still rather impatient about it. 

Speaking of Starbucks, today is the last day you can buy one holiday drink and get one free to share from 2-5 p.m. (or 6 p.m. if you have a gold card). 

Tell me: what's your favorite holiday drink? Whether it's coffee-based or not, I'd still like to know. 

It's National Coffee Day! Get your coffee now!

I knew this yesterday, but I forgot it when I hit the ground running starting before 9 a.m. 

It is National Coffee Day. 

Yes, it's a bit after 7 p.m. Just the perfect time to go grab a decaf latte, iced coffee or a blended cold, frosty drink. 

If you don't feel like going out, try this flexible recipe: 

Frosty Coffee Drink 

This can be an iced coffee or more of a frappe (frozen) drink. Depends on the number of ice cubes. 

Place the following in the blender: 

• 2-3 heaping teaspoons of instant coffee (It's usually decaf for me; I use Maxwell House. The exact amount depends on how many ice cubes and how much water you put in it.)
• 1 to 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, optional (original also is fine)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon orange extract, optional (almond extract is also good)
• 5-10 ice cubes, depending upon how frosty you like it
• Approximately 12-16 ounces of water, depending upon how much coffee flavor you want and how thick you want it
• Stevia to taste (I use three to four packets; feel free to use sugar if you prefer it: I have not tried it with honey or agave nectar) 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some coffee. 

This is a pretty healthy recipe; if you want something more fattening and more sinful than a famous coffee shop version, try this recipe from "The Pioneer Woman," Ree Drummond.

National Coffee Day: Most Coffee-Dependent Professions

The Macomb Daily recently ran an article in its business section stating that writers and editors rank among the most coffee-dependent jobs in America. Trust me, that's an understatement. A lot of us are working from coffee shops these days.

The research, conducted by Career Builder and Dunkin' Donuts, was released for the made-up holiday, National Coffee Day, which I'm sorry I missed. (It was Thursday and I didn't see the article until Friday.) Dunkin' Donuts also is running a contest for "passionate fans" to compete to appear in one of the company's commercials; see details here.

Some of the other professions were equally obvious; in fact, when I first scanned the list, I thought, "Well, duh." The next thing that crossed my mind was that maybe The Macomb Daily was having a really slow news day.

Other heavy coffee drinkers include: marketing/public relations professionals and scientists and lab researchers.

Realistically, writers and editors and doctors should be higher up than they are. Trust me; based on my own experience in the business, newspaper people slug down a lot of coffee. And Paczki, too, when they can get them. In fact, one Fat Tuesday, my nickname for that day was The Paczki Goddess, since I brought the fatty, sugary delicacies to the office.

Coffee, Tea and Chocolate: Health Foods?

Thank you, Manhattan Transfer, for saying it first in Java Jive: "I love coffee and tea; I love the java jive and it loves me." I suspect I'm not alone in this, although most people have a strong preference for either coffee or tea. (I also enjoy chocolate, which the song doesn't mention.)
 
The best health news I can come up with is that my enjoyment of all three has some health value, depending on which articles I'm reading.

My particular fascination with coffee for the past few weeks happens to be at the new BIGGBY COFFEE in Hartland, MI (mostly things involving the sugar-free chocolate syrup). I wrote about the new business recently in Hartland Patch. The great thing is BIGGBY's also a Michigan company, with headquarters in Lansing.

I still like certain items at Starbucks. And yes, if there is a drive-through Starbucks within 40 miles of home, I probably know where it's located. (On a reassuring note: Starbucks really isn't the evil empire. The last time I checked, the company does pay health insurance for part-time employees who've worked at least 20 hours a week for a year.)

I'll make some generalizations about my recent reading about coffee, tea and chocolate. 

-Both coffee and tea have antioxidants; how much depends on the variety you choose. Green tea is supposed to be amazingly good for you; what's unclear to me is whether or not you get the same benefits from decaffinated green tea.

-In moderation, caffeine can improve your memory and alertness level.  I've cut my caffeine quite a bit, but I still will occasionally have some, generally in the form of tea. If I'm particularly exhausted in the morning, I'll have what's called "half caf."

-Dark chocolate has certain antioxidants that are helpful, but again, in moderate amounts. To give the best benefit, it should be marked 70 percent or higher. I favored Lindt, personally. 

Like nearly anything you can name, coffee, tea or chocolate are not desirable in excessive quantities, so, while for the most part, you shouldn't be afraid to indulge a bit, keep an eye on your intake.

Feel free to do your own research:

• Cleveland Heart Clinic on dark chocolate's benefits as well as a recent European study discussed in Philadelphia's examiner.com  
• CNN, Mayo Clinic and WebMD articles weighing in on coffee's benefits and risks
• Science Daily and WebMD discuss the benefits of tea

Healthier Lattes

In case I haven't mentioned it yet, I'm a big fan of Starbucks coffee. I am not a big fan of the number of calories in a regular soy latte.

Today I got a cup of ice and a grande Verona coffee and made my own iced coffee. It was pretty good, and a bit cheaper than the iced coffee that's already made.

Some time ago, I made a discovery: a hot Cafe Americano with sugar-free or regular syrup (your choice) and a little bit of soy milk tastes just as good (I think possibly better) than a full-on soy latte. It also saves me about a dollar each time I do it. This choice is better for my waistline and my wallet.

It works with most Starbucks coffees, too. I prefer the bold blends. The only way I can tolerate Pike's Place coffee at Starbucks (which is, unfortunately, the type of decaf coffee the company sells in its stores here in Michigan is with (at a minimum) soy milk and either three Sugar in the Raw or a couple of Splenda packets in it. And sometimes I go for the decaf Americano instead (with or without sweetener, depending on my mood).

If you don't care for Starbucks, you still could get any of these drinks at your favorite coffeehouse. Or make them at home (Expresso Roast is a good substitute for the Americano).