Wake me with a cuppa: #MaxwellHouseRules

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kraft Foods #MaxwellHouseRules #cbias #SocialFabric however all opinions are my own.

Coffee is a part of my daily life and in an effort to become more money savvy I have been buying coffee and preparing it at home. I do have a Keurig machine which brews a fresh single cup. This is perfect as I am the only person at home who drinks coffee and I don't waste half a pot. But finding the best brand for me was a challenge.

Good Morning!

Coffee is a part of my daily life and in an effort to become more money savvy I have been buying coffee and preparing it at home. I do have a Keurig machine which brews a fresh single cup. This is perfect as I am the only person at home who drinks coffee and I don't waste half a pot. But finding the best brand for me was a challenge.


When I ran out of K cups I headed towards my local Walmart to buy more. The Walmart is located in a shopping center that is near work and it's convenient to get to during the day if I need to run an errand. I headed out midweek to make my purchase and apparently everyone had the same idea.

Walmart was PACKED!

I was lucky to score some Maxwell House single cups. It seemed as if they were the most popular at my Walmart! As I browsed the aisles I wondered how I could make my coffee more than my morning wake-up.

Yay! Coffee!

My precious!

I checked out the variety of creamers and decided that I would create concoctions instead of "just having coffee" and added creamers and whipped cream to my purchase. Heading towards the register I took a detour through the fresh food aisle for inspiration for my perfect coffee mates.

Who should flavor my cuppa?

The ladies at the checkout area were very friendly. I chatted with them about coffee and we had a brief conversation about our preferred way of preparing coffee. One lady said she didn't, GASP drink coffee and another said she was all about a milky cup.

Almost home!

The next morning I woke early to enjoy the fist cup. Piping hot and fresh, laced with hazelnut creamer. This was a perfect way to ease into my busy day. For my second cup I added soy milk and flavored syrup as my teen, who is allergic to dairy, likes to steal a sip of my coffee.

After work, and my work out, I tried an iced coffee. Instead of my normal brew of nine ounces I set my brew to five ounces, added a hand full of ice cubes, creamer and a (large) dollop of whipped cream.

Iced coffee, refreshing on a warm day!

I believe I have found an alternative to coffeehouses.

In the past, before my single cup brewer, I preferred to use Maxwell House Coffee however I would find myself trying to drink the whole pot or dumping half of the pot. With the single cup brewer I can make what I want, when I want and still have that flavor I enjoy. Compared to other brands, Maxwell House has a smooth taste, it isn't bitter and is a pleasure to inhale.

To learn more about Maxwell House please visit them online. They are on Facebook or head over to their site.

Enjoy a cuppa on me and remember...your coffee, your way.
-r

Go Nuts with Sante!

I was sent a sample of Santé Nuts to try and have found a new way to snack! There were four varieties and each flavor made me want to seek out these nuts for a future snack. Santé Nuts are delicious fresh from the bag. I shared the nuts with my mom so that we could compare what flavors we liked best.

We LOVED the garlic almond flavored nuts. The powerful, savory flavor of the garlic almond had a hint of sweet and a spicy kick. These nuts are made with garlic, cayenne pepper,  and black pepper for the kick, There is a hint of sweetness that causes an explosion of flavor.

The salted pecans were my second favorite. The pecans were fresh and were not overly salty. When I ate them (yes, from the bag!) I didn't find that my hands were oily or greasy or covered in salt.

The candied walnuts and candied pecans were not overly sweet. They were coated with a light layer of sugar but it was not an overwhelming sugary taste. These also did not leave a greasy, oily hand.

These nuts were just as fresh days after being opened. They store well and were just as crisp and crunchy when I ate them a week later. The website has yummy sounding recipes and I really wish I had saved some nuts to create my own original recipe or to try the recipes provided on the site. The site also gives helpful tips to allow a pairing of wines with the nuts! (Can you say grown up dinner party?)

Visit Santé Nuts website for information in how to purchase nuts or just to read the inspiring story of Sara, the founder.

Go nuts and treat yourself!

-r

r's note: Santé provided free samples of their nuts for this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinions, as always, are my own.