iced coffee - Stuff Parents Need

Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Ice Cream: Iced Coffee Style

March 11, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Special thanks to Dunkin’ Donuts for making awesome iced coffee, and for partnering with me on today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

What I’m about to tell you is going to sound like some sort of fantasy, but it’s true you guys. It’s true.

Dunkin’ Donuts has paired up with Baskin-Robbins to include 3 of their most beloved flavors of ice cream (Pistachio, Butter Pecan and Cookie Dough) into all hot and iced coffee and espresso beverages.

You can get these awesome beverages throughout the spring, but you know I had to get in on that action right away.

I went for Pistachio iced coffee, and what a sweet treat it was, friends! There are over 15,000 ways you can order your coffee and lattees at Dunkin’ Donuts (!!!) and don’t forget about the permanent flavor options, like mocha, caramel, blueberry, cinnamon, coconut, french vanilla, hazelnut, raspberry and toasted almond (that’s not even the whole list!). But before they are gone, you should be sure that you try some combination that includes these yummy Baskin-Robbins flavors. I have plans to head back to Dunkin’ Donuts tomorrow for the Cookie Dough. I should note here that one of the things I love about my readers is that they won’t judge me if I can’t wait until tomorrow to go, which is becoming a very real possibility the longer I stare at the iced coffee photo above…

Anyway, whenever I head back, be it tomorrow or in 10 minutes, I can quickly order a wide variety of options, including breakfast items (available all-day!). I love the innovation that are present in the offerings at Dunkin’ Donuts. This company is always striving to offer lots of choices that will taste great and offer value. This makes it the perfect place to visit in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of daily life. No matter what time of day or night you need some breakfast, a fantastic iced coffee, or some other pick-me-up, Dunkin’ Donuts is ready for you with something to satisfy your cravings.

And don’t forget to use the DD app! By paying through your app you can earn rewards. I got a free drink (any size!) offer the second I signed up as a thank you. That’s what I’m talking about!

Green Mountain Coffee Espresso Iced Latte: 5 Minutes of Vacation Every Morning

November 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it has already been 3 full weeks since my amazing vacation with the husband. We had 7 incredible days of rest, relaxation and play.

It was bliss.

And now that we are fully re-immersed in our happy but messy lives back at home, those quiet mornings feel almost like a dream. Did they actually happen?

But I’ve found a way to connect myself back to those feelings during my work mornings back at home. I may be in front of a computer screen plugging away, but by my side, I’ve got Green Mountain Coffee® Espresso Iced Latte in Vanilla. And oh man, it takes me back to this:

Sunrise in the Caribbean. Candlelight calm. Fearless fun and laughter. I just close my eyes, take a sip, and I’m back (even if for only for a minute or two!).

Have you spotted this product on the store shelves yet? They are launching nationwide, so keep your eye out. And may I also suggest that you print this Green Mountain Coffee® coupon to have with you in your purse or wallet? That way, when you find it, you can purchase it for a discount. Sweet!

As you know, I drink iced coffee beverages all year long, and I am just tickled to see new products like this one popping up in the refrigerated section. I’m doing my part to keep them in business (trust me!) and I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who likes her coffee cold! The Green Mountain Coffee® lattes definitely have a fancy taste. Extremely smooth, yet full-bodied in flavor. If you like iced lattes I’d venture to say that you are going to love this. I can’t get over how fresh it tastes!

And as for recapturing those moments of bliss, I’d love to hear about how you find a little serenity during your day. Is it during your cup of joe or tea in the morning? Afternoon nap time? Late at night when everyone else is sleeping? How do you bring yourself back to the calm in the midst of the chaos?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whitewave Foods, makers of Green Mountain Coffee®. The opinions and text are all mine.

A Day in the Life of My Iced Coffee (Giveaway!)

July 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 105 Comments

Anyone who knows me knows that a cup of iced coffee is usually within reach of me, wherever I am. If I were the Olson twins, iced coffee would be my oversized handbag. If I was Kim Kardashian, iced coffee would be my junk in the trunk. And if I was Angelina Jolie, iced coffee would be my adorable brood of kids. Iced coffee is my signature accessory. I carry it with me throughout the day because I love it. LOVE IT, I tell you!!!!

I recently hung out a bit with the folks at Keurig (you know, those awesome single brew coffee machines) and I learned something epically awesome: they now have a line of K-Cups that are meant to be brewed over ice so that the end result is a cold drink. They have non-coffee beverages, for those of you who are misguided and don’t adore coffee, but more importantly, THEY HAVE ICED COFEE!!!!!! Keurig sent me a brewing system and some Brew Over Ice K-Cups to try out, and my old coffee maker has been kicked to the curb. I also have already ordered more iced coffee K-Cups from the Keurig store. Basically, Keurig and I have fast-tracked our romance and are already exclusive. I can make what Darah refers to as, “mommy’s special drink” in 4 minutes flat (that includes turning the entire brewing system on…it goes much faster if it is already on when you make your coffee). It tastes fresh, cold, and absolutely delicious. It does not produce the same effect as brewing a regular K-Cup over ice. That results in something VERY watered down. The Brew Over Ice cups perfectly intereact with the melting ice to give you just the right flavor! They are awesome!

Here’s a sneak peek into how my Keurig Brew Over Ice coffee and I get started in the morning. You’ll see that my ~~BFF~~ drink never leaves my side!

Note the “brew over ice” marker. This is what you want to snag for the perfect iced coffee using your Keurig!

My coffee an I got started around 6:30 this morning. I’d been up for an hour, already (a late start for me, actually). And I was getting a little mean, which told me that I needed to stop everything and get my coffee going! Good thing it only takes a few minutes! With wake up helper #1 in hand, it is time to employ wake up helper #2: the shower! My drink waits patiently for me while I suds up. If there was a way to successfully bring my drink in the shower, I probably would. Just being honest.

Time for a little makeup and lotion. My drink gets prime counter space right along with my beauty products! I don’t have time to put on much, so I keep it to the necessities! And yes, iced coffee is one of those necessities!:-) Now to choose my outfit of the day. It is a work day for me (Mondays and Wednesdays the girls are away from home for most of the day so I can work on the blog and run errands). Here are my work clothes! Note the perfect accessory for the t-shirt and yoga pants combo I’m rockin’…iced coffee, of course! Now it’s time to get the girls in the car. But of course my coffee is going with me for the commute! Finally, I’m back home and ready to get started on my work. My iced coffee sits on my nightstand (I work from my bed…very glamorous, I know). It’s been hanging out with me while I wrote this post, and now it is empty. Time for a refill! 🙂

Win it!: I’m excited to share that one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 2 packages of Brew Over Ice K-Cups for your Keurig! You are going to love them!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my site.

My Favorite Drink on Earth Just Got Better!! #LightIcedCoffee

December 28, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

Have you ever fallen so madly in love with a new product that you threw a party for it?

Oh…just me? Well, I did throw a little get together in February 2011 to celebrate an at-home beverage revolution: iced coffee in a carton.

GLORY BE!!!! International Delight introduced this convenient product last year and I have been loyally purchasing it from the time I took my first sip. I’ve talked it up with my friends, bought it for family members, and just been an all-around product evangelist for it because I adore it so very much. It is sweet and creamy (just how I like my coffee) and is completely effortless. No need to brew a hot pot of coffee and then wait around for it to cool down (or water it down with ice cubes).

And perhaps most importantly, there’s no temptation to swing by a coffee shop and fork over anywhere from $2.50-$4.00 (depending on how much iced coffee you want!) for a cup. And you guys, I live RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from one of the best coffee shops in Chattanooga. But I haven’t been over there in forever!

I’m going to be updating the widget that’s on the sidebar of my page to show how I save $2.50 every time I reach for International Delight Iced Coffee and skip the McDonald’s ice coffee that often tempts me because it is also very sweet and creamy (and SO loaded with calories!). So far I’ve saved $5.00 just by enjoying this product twice. And I have about 70% of the product left. Did I mention that a carton costs $3.98 at my local Walmart? Pretty easy to do the math and see that this makes so much sense to purchase, financially!

So yeah, International Delight Iced Coffee is a near-permanent fixture in my refrigerator. And as you can tell, I adore it.

But my waistline is not quite as big of a fan. You see, this coffee comes already sweetened and with plenty of cream included so that you really and truly don’t have to do a thing other than pour and enjoy. But as is often the case, things like this taste so good because they don’t skimp on the “yummy” (and by that I mean calorie-rich) ingredients.

Until now!!!!

I’m SO excited to share with you that International Delight Iced Coffee now comes in a lighter version, and it is just as delicious as the original version, but contains 1/3 fewer calories. Yes! Yes! Yes!

I find my International Delight Iced Coffee at Walmart in the dairy section. I usually pick some up while I’m getting organic milk for Darah. I do admit that even though I’ve been buying this product steadily for almost a year, I did feel a twinge of guilt every time I purchased it because of the calories. Now I’ll be leaving all that guilt behind and enjoying my low-sugar coffee with reduced calories. And seriously, the taste is every bit as scrumptious. Don’t you love when a company figures out how to shave off those calories and keep the great taste there? Way to go, International Delight!

I enjoy using this product in a few different ways. Of course, pouring a glass for myself straight from the carton is a favorite option. I especially like doing that in the mid-afternoon when I have an energy slump and need a little boost to get me through the next few hours before dinner.

I also will use my ID coffee to add to iced coffee I make for myself in my hot & cold beverage maker or in my coffee pot. If I’m really trying to watch my calories, I’ll add International Delight Light Iced Coffee to black coffee as a sugar and creamer substitute. It makes for a stronger cup of coffee, in addition to one that’s even lighter on calories. This is my favorite way to use the product first thing in the morning when the priority for me is getting a good jolt of caffeine so that I can function!

Interested in giving this product a try? It will certainly help any iced coffee drinker save money, but I’d like to help you save even more. You can fill out a simple registration form and snag a coupon for it! Woo hoo! You will be able to purchase this starting January 21st at your nearest Walmart.

Can I also suggest that you follow International Delight on Twitter and Facebook? You can keep up with the latest on this great product and stay in the loop about any new special promotions (like new coupons or great giveaways just for fans and followers!).

Do any of you already use and enjoy this product? Are you SOOOO excited that a lower-calorie version is being released??? I’d love to hear if anyone out there is raising a glass in celebration!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and WhiteWave #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

How to Make Iced Coffee at Home

July 14, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 214 Comments

I am absolutely bonkers about iced coffee. BONKERS, I tell you! I happily drink it all year, but in the summer months, there’s just nothing better.

I usually make my own iced coffee at home to save some money, but my final product is always a bit too watery. The reason is because I lack the patience to let my coffee cool down to room temperature before adding ice to it. When I smell that delicious coffee smell, I start salivating like Pavlov’s dog and want my coffee NOW.

Do you have the same problem?

Godiva has just added a line of coffees that are great for iced coffee, in particular. They provide instructions on how to make iced coffee, and let me tell you, they have perfected the art and now I know how to make delicious iced coffee FAST without having it get all watered down!

How to Make Iced Coffee at Home:

1. Measure out 1/2 cup of Godiva coffee (and yeah, you are going to want to make sure it is Godiva, because if you use their flavors, you are in for one heck of a treat!). Put it into your coffee maker.

2. Measure out 2 1/2 cups of water and add to coffee maker. Turn your coffee maker on.

When I was making my first batch of coffee, at this point I was like, “Woah! That’s some seriously concentrated coffee…hope this isn’t gross!” But I pressed on.

3. When you coffee is brewed, turn off your coffee maker. Add 2 1/2 cups of ice directly to your coffee pot. Stir with a spoon until all the ice melts. (I also added sugar to my coffee at this point so that it would dissolve easily).

See the genius of this? This not only cools down your coffee, but it also gets it to the proper concentration.

4. Pour your coffee over a glass filled with ice and enjoy.

And enjoy I most certainly did. I brewed White Chocolate Coconut and it was out of this world! I’ve also been enjoying the Berry Creme Brulee. Words fail me when trying to describe its awesomeness. You just need to get some and experience it for yourself!

Both of these flavors are outstanding and I would highly recommend them for your iced coffee. But you can also use this same brewing method for any flavor of Godiva coffee. Chocolate Truffle will be the flavor I go for once I use all of my other flavors. And at the rate I’m going, it won’t be long!

Buy it!: You can purchase Godiva coffee at a store near you (here’s the store locator). It can also be purchased on Amazon.com! The retail price for a 12 ounce bag is $9.99.

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a gift bag (pictured above) filled with treats from Godiva!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

Hosting an #IcedCoffee Party with Ease: International Delight to the Rescue!

February 7, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

As I have mentioned before on my blog, Tim and I are being intentional this year about planting some roots in our new hometown. We are making a conscious effort to make some new friends. Part of that process includes inviting people over to your house to hang out.

I’ll be the first to tell you that this can be a daunting idea, especially if your house tends to be messy, like ours does. Who has the energy to spend cleaning everything up so that you won’t be embarrassed to have folks over? I’m very ashamed to admit how many times I have NOT invited people over to my house for that very reason. What a missed opportunity!

This year, I refuse to let a messy house be an excuse. Cluttered or not, I’m inviting people over! I thought one of the best ways to get the most bang for my buck would be to invite several people over at once. I’d only have to clean once but I’d get to spend time with several folks, that way! Also, hosting several people at once allows you to be a connector, and introduce your friends to each other. I think most people are open to the idea of meeting new potential friends, and are grateful when opportunities arise to meet others in comfortable settings.

So I decided to invite a handful of women over who I know and who have toddlers. Tim agreed to keep an eye on all the kiddos so that the moms could actually have conversations with each other, and our littles got the chance to play and have fun. I decided to make the event an iced coffee party, and as part of the event, I showcased a brand new product from International Delight that I’m absolutely bonkers over. Introducing International Delight Iced Coffee!

You can pick up these cartons, ready to drink, in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Mine was located next to the chocolate milk. To see my entire shopping trip for the party, click here!

Preparing for the party was really quite easy. I wanted to give the party a Valentine’s theme, but in a way that is manageable for me (as I am NOT crafty). So I picked up some fun Valentine’s Day confetti, heart shaped straws for the coffee, and some large conversation hearts for decoration. I also made use of some candles I already owned and some coffee beans to come up with a cute decor item on the cheap!

Aren’t coffee beans a really cute and appropriate way to decorate for such an event? I didn’t come up with the idea myself, but have seen it before on a blog (no idea where or when). Thanks goodness that there are creative people out there to give me ideas!

I then put together a few food options for the event. Since it was being held from 9:30-11am, there was no need to go too overboard on food. Sara Lee helped me out by making the strawberry shortcake for me, and I also put together a fruit and cheese tray (SO much cheaper to put together yourself, I promise!).

The real star of the show, though (as well as the biggest time saver!) was the International Delight Iced Coffee. Yes, you can make your own iced coffee at home, but it takes a really long time, because you have to brew it and then get it nice and chilled. And then you need to purchase or make your own additional syrups for flavor and also some sort of milk or cream. Or you can just pick up one of these cartons and you are ready to go! At my store, these retail for just under $4, and they serve 8. That’s a smokin’ hot deal as compared to running by McDonald’s for a quick iced coffee! And in this instance, I really loved that I had nothing to brew and chill in advance. It was SO easy!

I really enjoyed introducing some of the great women I have met here in Chattanooga to each other, and it was so nice to just eat something yummy, sip on something delicious and have a nice chat. One of my guests wasn’t really an iced coffee drinker, but she did remark that she thought the product was clever and a great idea for all the iced coffee fans out there. Another guest commented that she would absolutely be buying this product because she LOVES iced coffee, and International Delight takes all the work out of making it at home for yourself. Another guest stated that she liked it, but that she wished that there was a bit more information available about the ingredients (what is “coffee extract” that is listed high up on the ingredients list? It’s a good question!).

As for me, I would like to know more about the caffeine content. Since I’m expecting, I need to really watch my intake, and this stuff is so yummy that I could easily over do it! I will also say that this product is quite sweet. I think it most easily compares to the iced coffees available at McDonald’s. It comes in 3 flavors: original, mocha and vanilla. I found the original to be the least sweet, and it is my personal preference to combine that flavor with either mocha or vanilla to get something that isn’t quite as sweet as the flavored varieties on their own.

Will this product find a forever home in my house? YES! Will I be making us of it during future visits with friends? Absolutely. Having iced coffee ready to go in my fridge just makes it that much harder to come up with an excuse for not having people over. And that’s a very good thing, indeed!

If you want to keep up with the latest news on this fabulous new product, follow International Delight on Twitter and Facebook!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

New England Coffee Review: I Drink it Iced

July 31, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 166 Comments

Who out there LOVES coffee??? I’m thinking that many of you are regulars at your local coffee shops. I love to go to my neighborhood joint and get a cool and refreshing iced coffee. They are so perfect for the summer months. In truth, though, I drink iced coffee all year. Seriously. It can be the coldest day of the year, and I’ll still go for an iced coffee over hot coffee, if given the choice.

While getting an iced coffee seems like just a little treat, setting me back only $2.75, those little indulgences start to really add up. When I stopped to think about, I realized that I could buy an entire bag of coffee for just about the same price as 2 iced coffees to go. It seems that my little treat is a HUGE money waster!

So I brew my own coffee. Lately I’ve been cold brewing, but I also brew with a traditional coffee pot. Lately I’ve been trying out all sorts of delicious brews, courtesy of New England Coffee. This company has a site dedicated to iced coffee tips and tricks called Try Me Iced. Check it out!

New England Coffee has been in business for over 90 years, so clearly they are doing something right when it comes to coffee. They started out in Boston (shout out to my old stompin’ grounds!), and are now located just outside the city, in Malden. They are New England’s largest independent coffee roaster!

I loved reading the following on their site, “Our methods are not cutting edge. In fact, they’re antiquated by most people’s standards. And we wouldn’t change a thing. It’s the only way we know how to make sure that you’ll always enjoy a consistently great cup of coffee.” I think there’s some truth to the idea that newer isn’t necessarily always better. If what you are doing is working, keep rolling with it!

I found the coffee I have been drinking to be quite delicious, and I have really enjoyed experimenting with New England Coffee’s flavors. Right now my favorite thing to do is brew a pot that has half Breakfast Blend and half Blueberry Cobbler. I find the combo to be absolutely perfect…not too strong, and just enough sweet blueberry flavor to make the coffee really tasty but not too sweet! If you like to experiment at bit with your coffee, check out the beverage recipes New England Coffee offers. They also have a French Vanilla roast that totally knocks my socks off. I can tell that I’ll be ordering some more of this as soon as my bag runs out.

Speaking of making a purchase, I love that I can make a purchase on their website, or I can just go to my nearest retailer (in my case, that would be the good old Piggly Wiggly!). Prices online are a reasonable $5.49 per bags, and the bag sizes range from 9-12 ounces. You can also request a coupon if you are a true bargain shopper! If you can’t find it in your local store, it is also carried on Amazon.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader will win one bag of Blueberry Cobbler Ground Coffee and one bag of Peach Cobbler Ground Coffee. Get ready for your daily coffee time to become absolutely fabulous! The contest will run until August 10th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before it is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the New England Coffee flavor or roast you would like to try the very most (or that you already drink and love!).

Additional entries:

1. “Like” New England Coffee on Facebook
2. Sign up for the New England Coffee e-newsletter
3. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
4. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
5. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
6. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my home page)

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.