Archive for August, 2016

Coffee in the Garden

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

Coffee, besides a beverage, has many other uses. In the next few issues of our newsletter we will explore how else you can benefit from coffee.

In this issue we look at how the left over coffee grounds can be used for other organic needs. As gardeners we appreciate natural ways to help grow and protect our garden. Avoiding using pesticides and fertilizers builds a better base to good eats.

Coffee grounds provide generous amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper.  As they degrade they slowly release these nutrients back into the ground. Tilled into your soil or compost will keep your garden fertilized for the whole season. Remember that coffee grounds are slightly acidic so make sure you are using them around plants that can handle it. But the key word here is slightly. So plants like tomatoes, carrots and roses will enjoy the small boost.

As well as helping your garden grow stronger, coffee is a natural protector for these plants. Coffee helps deter some fungous from growing, as well as, protects your garden from slugs and other pests that damage plants. You can use it as described above and mix it in the soil or make a barrier around your garden by laying a two inch wide patch as a coffee fence. We would suggest to use the fence if you have an ant problem.

We hope you enjoy our coffee as much as we do. What better benefits after you enjoy a cup of coffee from Fundraising Junction then to make your gardens bloom and prosper

Coffee Pops

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Coffee Pops


This is a simple, sophisticated way to serve after dinner coffee, summer style.  They make a great finale to a barbecue on a warm spring or summer night. To spice up the experience, you can use one of our flavored coffees or a strong dark roast. No matter what you choose, these ice pops melt fast so serve them with a napkin. And remember no bitting.



These amounts are approximate, based on my mold. Mix up about 2 1/4 cups of cold coffee with cream and sugar to your liking. You’ll need a little extra sweetened cream for the white tips of the pops. 


1 3/4 — 2 cups cold strong coffee


1/2 –3/4 cup heavy cream, plus extra for the bottom of the molds


sugar to taste




1 Set aside 1/3 cup of cream and sweeten it with a little sugar. Stir until completely dissolved.


2 Pour a little of the cream into the bottom of each mold, just about 1/4 to 1/2 inch high.


3 Freeze the mold until the cream is solid, about an hour.


4 Mix the coffee, more cream and sugar (to taste) in a glass measuring cup and stir until the sugar is dissolved. You will need about 2 1/4 cups total. Refrigerate until chilled.


5 Carefully pour the chilled coffee mixture into each mold, filling it to the top.


6 Cover the top with foil, and insert the sticks. Freeze until solid.


7 To un-mold the popsicles, fill your sink with hot water, and submerge the mold in the water right up to, but not past, the top ledge for about 15-30 seconds. If the popsicles don’t slide out, submerge it for a few seconds longer.

Where Does The Term “A Cup Of Joe” Come From?

Monday, August 8th, 2016

There are many theories on where the term “A Cup of Joe” came from. But as we hold coffee near and dear to our hearts, we decided to explore these a bit more.


It maybe a wise-tail but say hello to Josephus Daniels, former secretary of the US Navy and possibly namesake of the proverbial “cup of joe”.


Joe is, of course, short for Joseph. And in American English, “joe” can refer to an average guy, a soldier, or—somewhat strangely—coffee, but we will get into that later on.




As a substitute, stewards increased their purchases of coffee, among other beverages, and Daniels, who was not too popular, became linked to the daily drink of millions around the world. A cup of coffee became disparagingly known as ‘a cup of Joseph Daniels,’ and as legend has it, this was soon shortened to a ‘cup of Joe.’


The challenge was that during WWI, alcohol was not as easily attained as one would believe it would have been. Officers were the only personnel that had access to alcohol, specifically wine. So the impact on the Navy consumption of Alcohol would have been minimal.


The next theory asserts that “joe” is a corruption of one of two other slang words for coffee: java and jamoke, the latter itself a compression of java and mocha. Under that theory, a “cup of jamoke” could easily have slip-slid its way into being a “cup of joe.” Even though people love to shorten their words into slang, this again, is highly improvable.


The last postulates that since “joe” is argot for a “fellow, guy, chap” (the earliest sighting of its being used that way dates to 1846), that a “cup of joe” thus means the common man’s drink. The lexicon of English is replete with instances of “joe” being used to denote a typical guy who is wholly interchangeable with any other guy in the same line of work or area of special interest: “G.I. Joe,” “Holy Joe” (a chaplain or especially sanctimonious person), “Joe College,” “Joe Blow,” and of course “the average joe.” “Cup of joe” therefore would be the stuff that fuels the common man.


Thankfully, for the worlds most popular beverage the theoretical origin of “A Cup of Joe” did not slow down it’s progress to make it’s way into each and every household in the US. But for us, we like to say have a nice cup of Java Joe’s coffee, it’s just who we are.