6 Health Benefits of Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa, a nectar of the gods, a life source of elves, a delicious warmer upper of the ice dwellers, whatever nickname you have for it, we can all agree it is fantastic.

Ultimately, we can thank the Mayans for this wonderful drink. When they weren't preoccupied with creating languages, calendars, and combating conquistadors, they were making drinkable chocolate. However, their version was a spicy, cold variety; the warmer, sweeter version we have come to love today was made by Spanish travelers in 16th century Europe. In that time, hot chocolate was consumed as a medicinal drink.

Hot chocolate used to be consumed for many medical reasons, such as for treating ailments and injuries. 17th century France used it as a way to improve moods, which is still true today (have you seen an angry person drink hot cocoa?) This makes us ask, does hot cocoa still have medicinal properties? 

Yes.

• Hot cocoa has 2x the antioxidant count of red wine. It doesn't stop there, either, it has 3x more than green tea and 5x more than black tea. 
• Cocoa has more antioxidants when hot. When you have your cocoa hot, more antioxidants are released, making you have a more health beneficial drink! 
• It helps with internal hemorrhages, albuminuria, and diabetes. Hot cocoa has phenolic compound gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and flavonoid epicatechin equivalents (ECE). The gallic acid is what is great for the hemorrhages, albuminuria, and diabetes. 
• Less fat than other chocolate. Compared to a standard chocolate bar, hot cocoa has 8 fewer grams of fat. 
• It helps with blood clots. The flavonoids help prevent your blood platelets clump together, forming blood clots. 
• Great for the brain. It helps you think better! The flavonoids help blood flow and oxygen get to the brain, which helps you think better and get a reduced risk of dementia. 

So why not have another cup of hot cocoa? It helps you body in many ways. Need a quick and easy way to buy hot cocoa? Buy from Coffeevines! We carry amazing Swiss Miss hot cocoa. 

Artisanal Coffee is the Next Coffee Revolution

We all know about artisanal cheese and beers but there is a new brew on the menu, artisanal coffee; this is a new gourmet coffee that requires the best beans, precise measurements of coffee and water, and poured in a pre-warmed cup. Of course, this is according to the brew geniuses over at Stumptown Coffee.

Stumptown is an industry leader in the ever-growing movement of brew masters looking to leave their footprint on the way that coffee is consumed. Some say this latest way is the third wave of coffee. The first wave was back in the 1960s when coffee was mass marketed by Folgers and other companies and the second wave was in the 1990s when Starbucks & other chains made specialty drinks to order.

This "third wave" is bringing a certain sophistication and intricacy to the coffee world, leaving artisanal brands to lead the way for the coffee consuming world. Of course, they still have their work cut out to get serious slices of the pie from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. 

It makes sense the new trend would be headed in US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. After all, us Americans consume around 400 million cups of the stuff everyday; that number boosted when single cup coffee hit store shelves.

Don't think it'll last? Well, coffee experts believe that artisanal coffee is the future of coffee consumption. People are ready and willing to pay a little extra for an experience.

Do you want a coffee experience that delivers to you? Then shop Coffeevines! We carry major brands like Starbucks and deliver right to your door.

Fall Coffee Recipe: Maple Mocha Latte

This recipe is wonderfully easy and worth it. All the ingredients are easy to get (if you don't have them already). The maple mocha latte is a fall coffee recipe favorite around the office and for good reason.

The ingredients you will need are: 

• 1 coffee K-Cup of your choice. It can be whatever blend or brand that you like. I personally like to use the Starbucks Caffe Verona K-Cup. 
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, unsweetened 
• 3/4 cup of warmed milk
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of whipped cream

Now that we have the wonderfully easy ingredients ready to go, we are able to get to making the coffee!

1. Brew your K-Cup in your machine into a 16 ounce mug. 
2. Warm the milk in the microwave but do not do so much that it boils. So a couple minutes. 
3. After that, add in the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into your mug. 
4. Mix in the 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Mix this all together a few times and make sure they blend well. 
5. Mix in the milk. Stir. 
6. Top it off with the whipped cream and sprinkle on some of the cocoa powder, if you have any left over. 

Make sure to shop Coffeevines for any of your coffee needs! We are carriers of many famous brands and deliver right to your door (home or office). Not a coffee fan? We also carry many selections of tea and hot cocoa as well. 

Halloween Recipe: Dark Devil's Food Cake

You may be wondering, "Why am I reading a recipe for Devil's Food Cake on a Coffee blog"? Well, it is close to Halloween and the recipe uses K-Cup coffee. It's a win-win, folks. However, don't be spooked by the thought of eating cake, this one has fewer calories than many recipes.

The prep time for this is about 10 minutes and the cook time is just over 30 minutes, max 35 minutes. The ingredients you will need for this recipe are simple but may require a quick trip the the grocery store. This will serve about 20 people, unless you have a few monsters running around who are particularly hungry.

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups of sugar - can be raw, organic, or sugar substitute if needed
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder- unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 2/3 cup of applesauce - no cinnamon
• 1 cup of low fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 coffee K-Cup

Now that we have the ingredients, let's get going! 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Take a baking pan, 13x9x2 and spray it with some PAM or vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle a bit of flour in there too. 
2. Take a mixing bowl, a large one if you can find one, and mix in the flour, sugar, cocoa, and the baking soda. Give it a nice stir. 
3. Mix in the applesauce, buttermilk, the vegetable oil, and the eggs. Again, give it a nice stir. 
4. Now, grab yourself a saucepan and put the coffee in there (after you've brewed that, of course). Bring the coffee to a light boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once it comes to a light boil, mix it into the batter from step 3. 
5. Pour it into the pan. Put in oven for 35 minutes. If it is not done, do 5 more minutes. Of course, use the toothpick test to see when it's good to go. 
6. Chow down, my friends. 

Enjoy your Halloween! Don't get scared when you run out of coffee or tea, though! Just order from Coffeevines! We will deliver right to your door; ordering from us is quick, easy, and painless. 

What Are Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms?

Whether you are a coffee or a tea drinker, you are most likely a caffeine lover. It wakes us up in the morning and keeps us going all day long. This builds up a need for the caffeine and when that supply is stopped, people can experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

What are the symptoms?
The symptoms depend on the person and their level of caffeine consumption.

• Chills
• Reduced alertness, concentration, thinking
• Depressed behavior
• Fatigue/tiredness
• Headaches -- these are some of the most common
• Irritability -- this is also a very common one
• Muscle aches
• Sinus congestion

When do the withdrawal symptoms occur?
These symptoms often start between 12 and 14 hours after the caffeine consumption has stopped. Once the consumption has been stopped for 24 to 48 hours, the symptoms are often at their worst. Generally, the more caffeine a person has consumed, the worse their symptoms will be.

No matter the reason for someone to give up caffeine or they go an extended period of time without it for whatever reason, these symptoms will happen. Nearly half of people who consume coffee who then give it up experience the withdrawal symptoms; 13 percent of these people will experience severe symptoms.

What to do about it?
Well, the best solution is to go and get yourself some coffee, tea, or even soda (if that is the only caffeine source you have on hand). If you can't find coffee quickly, then shopping from Coffeevines is a great way to reduce your caffeine withdrawals. If you have purposefully cut it out of the diet, then you can wean yourself off of it. If you are a big coffee fan but cannot handle the caffeine or want it out of your diet, then buy decaf coffee. You can also find caffeine-free tea.