Princess Valiant Coffee Blog

New Colombian Coffee in the Roastery

2012-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Juan Valdez, step aside - an intriguing new bean from Colombia has arrived - Colombian Excelso. Also in the roastery - Papua New Guinea Madan Plantation and Organic Sumatra. Very relieved to have the latter back - I spent a week with not a single earthy Indonesian bean in the building. A few others are nearly gone - but that just makes room for the new Nicaraguan and Brazilian coffees, and new water-processed Mexican decaf that will show up soon.

I'm also expanding my Cocoa Maya Chocolate offerings in February 2012. Look for my roasted cacao nibs, hot cocoa mixes, and bean-to-bar baking chocolate and semisweet bars at Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles during the Olympic Wineries' Red Wine and Chocolate Tour. Love the new logo (right) created for my chocolate products by local artist Katie Carlson!

Then - yikes......my first year as a vendor at the Chocolate On The Beach Festival in Pacific Beach, Washington, February 24-26, 2012. It's a great event and I'm really excited about the opportunity to participate, so have launched into serious chocolate production like never before. Cottage on the beach.....wall-to-wall chocolate.....good friends......what could be better?!

Out of Africa: New Coffees

2011-10-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

New coffees from Burundi and Zimbabwe are now in stock. The Burundi Kahawa is wonderfully bold and combines beautifully with Central American coffees for espresso. Artist Katie Carlson turned out this gorgeous image for the Burundi label in about 10 minutes. After all these years, her talent never ceases to amaze me.

The Zimbabwe Salimba coffee is mellower, but has a brightness to it - perfect for reviving us on fall and winter afternoons.

Other news on the coffee front is that new arrivals from Papua New Guinea will be in the roastery in a few weeks: Kinjibi Peaberry and Madan Plantation. These are both very popular and are sourced through an importing company here in Washington State that does many kinds of work with the tribal communities in Papua New Guinea. Their projects include schools, medical clinics and many other initiatives that serve tens of thousands of people in the region.

Website Updates

2011-06-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've made quite a few updates to my website www.princessvaliant.com . There are several new coffees on the shopping page and revisions to most of the others. Online prices have gone up just a little, reflecting the crazy increases in the price of green coffee over the last six months. It's more than a little painful for a small roastery like mine.

One of my new coffees is quite lovely, and unusual. I expected Indonesian Blue Java to be similar to Sumatra, but not at all! Just a couple of days post-roast, the fragrance of fruit (apricot and plum) was wonderful - and it's very smooth and low in acidity. Definitely worth a try.

The Papua New Guinea Madan Plantation is now gone, and I just have a little Rwanda Kopakama left. New coffees to the lineup include Peru San Juan Del Oro and Panama Boquete Estate.

In other news: Country Aire in downtown Port Angeles is now carrying my one ounce "Cocoa Maya" chocolate bars in addition to Princess Valiant Coffee. Christie Johnston of Johnston Farms is now selling my whole bean coffee at her booth at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. A selection of my ground coffee can also be found at Necessities and Temptations, across from the Coho Ferry Terminal.

Be sure to stop by the Plaid Pepper if you're driving through Quilcene, Washington on the Hood Canal this summer. Debbie Williams has a wonderful shop and is selling my coffee packaged as "Dabob Bay Blend" in serious volume. This week she'll also start carrying my one ounce Cocoa Maya chocolate bars.

(The photo above, by the way, is coffee flowers!)

Need A Fundraiser For Your Organization or School?

2011-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Coffee is a great way for groups to raise money! It's something that people buy anyway - and when it's fresh roasted, even better.

This month, label design is free - your logo and whatever text you'd like goes on the one-pound bag of coffee, which is offered to your group at wholesale prices - usually around $8.25 per pound depending on the coffee. Someone in your organization takes orders and payment ($12 per pound, or whatever price you set)and then gets the payment and order info to me. Within just a couple of days, you have your coffee to distribute to purchasers.

I've done coffee fundraisers for Soroptimist International, Port Angeles High School, Port Angeles Swim Club and others who have generated thousands of dollars in a relatively short period of time.

For more info, call (360) 460-8412.

For Olympic Peninsula locals......

2011-04-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

....so imagine that you're on your way home, presumably from somewhere or something fun, just disembarked the Kingston ferry - and realize you're out of coffee. A solution is closer than you think!

Yesterday I received my first order for coffee from the Albertsons grocery store in Kingston - they wanted 6 lbs each of twelve varieties! Needless to say, I was delighted and will deliver in person tomorrow morning: Guatemalan Guaya'b, Peru Montealto, Ethiopian Harar, and most of the others I currently have in stock.

Princess Valiant Coffee has been selling well at the Albertsons in Port Angeles, and also at Country Aire downtown. The latter has also asked to carry my 4 oz chocolate bars, so we'll do that on a trial basis to see if it sells as well as it did at my store.

Indonesian Sumatra Decaf will be in stock by Monday, as will another shipment of Guaya'b. New coffees due in may are from Panama and India, and Costa Rica and Kenya will follow shortly after.

Now - if prices would only go back down to normal. :>{

More new coffees this week

2011-03-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

The roastery is back open again, following a little post-store-closing vacation.

Yesterday I roasted Sumatra, Mexican Nubes de Oro, Yemen Ismaili, Ethiopian Harar and a new batch for Shot in the Dark Espresso in Forks. Batches today will include Galapagos Island Estate, Bolivian Caranavi, Nicaraguan Wiwili and Uganda Gumutindo. Coffee is selling really well at Country Aire in downtown Port Angeles and also at Albertsons.

My big adventure for the day will be to determine if the repairs to my chocolate refining machine have been successful.

Princess Valiant Coffee Roastery closed March 8-16, 2011

2011-03-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

The roastery is closed from Tuesday, March 8th through Wednesday, March 16th - but LOTS of coffee is available at my retail outlets during this time frame:

Port Angeles: Albertsons, Harbinger Winery, & Country Aire
Clallam Bay: Sunsets West Co-op
Carlsborg: Old Post Office Sweets & Gifts
Dungeness: Nash's Organic Farm Store
Sequim: Red Rooster Grocery

I'm hopeful that my chocolate refining machine will be back in operation soon.

I am so very grateful for all the customers who shopped at my store during my year-long experiment as a shopkeeper!

Retail Store Closing - Coffee Roasting Continues

2011-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

As of this weekend my retail shop "Princess Valiant Coffee & The Best of the Peninsula" is closing. It's been a wonderful experience, but sales have not been sufficient to support overhead costs. February 27th and 28th I'll be there packing up and cleaning, and will have brewed and whole bean coffee available. Local customers should feel free to stop by.

Princess Valiant Coffee in whole bean will be back at Country Aire in downtown Port Angeles this coming week - hopefully by Tuesday. It is currently in stock at Albertsons in Port Angeles - on a rack as you walk into the produce section. Other outlets for my coffee are: Harbinger Winery just west of Port Angeles, Camaraderie Cellars Winery (when the tasting room is open) in Port Angeles, Sunsets West Co-op in Clallam Bay, The Old Post Office Gifts & Sweets in Carlsborg, Nash's Farm Store in Dungeness, Red Rooster Grocery in Sequim. My coffee is also sold on the Sequim Locally Grown Mercantile's website: http://www.sequim.locallygrown.net/

I will do occasional consumer-direct sales within the city limits of Port Angeles - free delivery with an order of at least $18. Send an email to princessvaliantcoffee (at) gmail.com and we can figure out the best way to get your favorite variety of Princess Valiant Coffee to you.

I'm so grateful to all the vendors who had products at my store - and, of course, to all the customers who have shopped there over the last year. I went into it as an experiment - and it just didn't turn out like I had hoped. In this economy many companies are needing to make "mid-course corrections" so that will be my goal for this year!

Feb 24th - Store is Open, Despite Snow

2011-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Flakes are still flying, but the Organic Galapagos Estate coffee is brewed up and ready to pour. Roads in town have packed snow and ice, but are traversible. Still have frozen certified organic stewing hens for that pot of chicken soup you might be thinking about.

We'll be open until 5pm today. Bundle up and come on down!

Not Done With Winter Yet

2011-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

I'm sure glad I got my work done this morning - unloading 700 lbs of green coffee from my SUV and roasting 2 batches while I was at it. I now have 8 inches of snow, but at least don't have to be in a cold roastery tomorrow.

I closed the store at 4pm today to make sure I could slog through the snow in the daylight to get home. Will have the store open 11am - 5pm tomorrow, unless we get dumped on again, and then I'll close early.

Coffees available this week: Ethiopian Harar (and the new shipment is in!), Sumatra Pawani, Peru Montealto, Bolivian Caranavi, Colombia Kachalu (the last of my supply of this one), Queen Erna's Ismaili and Galapagos Island Estate.

There are 1-oz bars of my chocolate left, but alas, no 4 oz bars. Still working on getting my chocolate refining machine back in order after the motor died. Stay tuned for more on the status of chocolate.

One year experiment coming to a close

2011-02-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

At the end of the business day on February 26th, the Princess Valiant Coffee & The Best of the Peninsula retail store will close. This does NOT mean, however, that Princess Valiant Coffee is going out of business. Having a retail storefront simply didn't turn out to be profitable enough to sustain the overhead, etc. I don't regret opening the store at all - it was a great experience, and many people got to see the creativity of so many local residents who had consigned items in the store.

Updates will come soon, regarding where you can buy my coffee retail - and the exciting part is that I've been asked to have my coffee in the Port Angeles Albertsons store!

Stay tuned to this blog or @pvjava on Twitter for more!

Mechanical Problems Delay Chocolate Production

2011-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

Several days ago the motor in my chocolate refining machine unexpectedly failed. Getting a new motor has proven to be a challenging experience and it may be another three weeks before I'm back in production again. Will post again when this problem is resolved.

Coffee Prices - A Perspective From An Expert

2011-02-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Today I got an update about the rise in coffee prices from my friend John Rapinchuk of Knutsen Coffees in San Francisco. (John is pictured left, with Erna Knutsen and I):

"Well, everybody blames everything on speculators these days but...

Brazil's next crop will be about 43 million bags. They used to export between 25 and 30 million bags but now internal consumption is between 20 and 21 million bags so they don't have as much to export. In addition it has been more profitable to grow cattle than coffee in Brazil in recent years so plantings have decreased in the last few years.
World consumption is up and world production has leveled off somewhat, and the "overhang" of 10 million bags which used to be in warehouses from year to year is no longer there so the market is more volatile. That said, we have no idea whether the price will continue to go up, stay about this level for some time or fall back. We believe that something over 70 % of futures contracts are now held outside the industry ( by "speculators") and so the needs of the roasters no longer control the direction of the market. If I could predict the coffee "C" market I'd just get it right once or twice and retire.

Commodities have all increased in price both because of increasing demand and because governments are printing money (see 800 billion dollar bailout/stimulus) which makes money less valuable and commodities, whether gold and silver or corn and coffee, pricier. World demand for food is increasing faster than production, so prices are being pushed up, and the increasing demand for quality coffee may be boosting the high end of the market. Certainly differentials to the "C" market have increased over the last year.
Finally I like to tell people that the best coffee in the world might cost 1.50 per cup to brew at home (RSW Estates Jamaica Blue Mountain) while a bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus will set you back $ 2400 bucks for 8 glasses, and those only 3 ounces apiece! "
- John Rapinchuk, Knutsen Coffees

Bar-B-Q Bliss Now In Stock!

2011-01-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ed Burks, wine devotee and diehard foodie, works at Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles. He's been promising to bring in his latest creation, and it finally arrived today: "Mr. Big Stuff Bar-B-Q Bliss Rub" made right here in Port Angeles.

A free lance writer and wine consultant, Ed graduated and completed post graduate courses from the German Wine Academy in Oestirch, founded and was chairmand of the Shrevport Chapter of the German Wine Society. His Louisiana roots run deep and the man is a champion in the kitchen and at the grill.

Bar-B-Q Bliss, in an 8-ounce jar priced at $9.99, is all-natural and contains no MSG, artificial additives or preservatives. In addition to its use as a rub for meats, it can be added to soups, salads, sauces, dressings or marinades. Ed claims it was developed for use with chicken and pork but says folks here are using it on salmon and beef as well. I've been hungry for chicken stew and this would be the perfect seasoning.

More Chocolate In The Works

2011-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

In preparation for Valentine's Day I'm now ramping up the chocolate production. I currently have the 4-ounce Kindred Fire chocolate bars in the store - a sweeter-than-my-usual blend of cacao from Venezuela, Tanzania and Ecuador.

Up next is single origin Venezuela Sur Del Lago - and this is one of those situations where I want people to love the chocolate, but not FALL in love with it. I don't think I'll be able to get more of this one any time soon, so once this supply is gone - it's gone. By tomorrow I'll have a small supply of 2-ounce bars of unsweetened, 100% cacao, Venezuela Sur Del Lago for baking. They're $4.00 each and are very intense!

Dominican Republic will be next chocolate in my line-up, and it's a new one that I've not had before. If sales are good in February I'm hoping to get more Ecuador and Madagascar in stock.

Chocolate is a good antidote for these dark, rainy/snowy days. At this point I'm dreaming of an R&D trip to the Big Island of Hawaii to visit my cacao supplier just north of Kona. Hard labor helping with the harvest sounds pretty good right about now!

Water, water everywhere.....

2010-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is how I spent my Sunday morning when other people were having a leisurely cup of coffee (hopefully mine) and reading the paper. There is a wetland on my property and when serious rains come it can get a little dicey. It is essential, of course, that I keep the green (raw) coffee in my roastery in pristine, dry condition.

Yesterday morning I awoke at 4:00am to hear the rain pounding furiously on my house. Got dressed and slogged the 50 yards from my house to the roastery. The water was several inches below the concrete - no problem. Went back to bed.

Awoke at 6:30am to hear it still coming down in buckets. Got dressed in half my wardrobe and rain gear to roast 158 lbs of coffee for the Port Angeles Swim Club's fundraiser. Slogged up again in torrents of rain, took a look at the south side of the roastery before I turned on the machine and the water was almost over the concrete, heading straight for the beans. After a few chosen epithets I realized I had no choice but to figure out some way to detour all the water with what I could find amongst the miscellanea in my roastery and barn. As I gathered up this collection I found myself laughing hysterically at how ludicrous it was going to look: large Rubbermaid tub, a long piece of gutter taken from a demolished carport, the chute for my Cub Cadet mower, paint cans, pvc pipe and metal pipe - and a big hatchet sort of thing for carving out a trench:

December 8th - Shortened Store Hours

2010-12-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

Just for Wednesday, December 8th, store hours will be 1:30pm to 5:30pm

We have a fabulous new selection of holiday placemats and table runners, and also many beautiful patterns for year-round use. Lorie Graff is very talented and meticulous in her work. All her items are prewashed and preshrunk.

As for coffee - Santa Java and Christmas Eve Blend are now on the shelf. For a very special treat for a coffee lover, I highly recommend the Galapagos Island Estate. It's a little more than my others, at $15.00 per half pound, but it's decadently delicious and worth every penny. My artisan chocolate bars are available in single-origin Ecuador and a Mocha Latte Dark Milk Chocolate with Galapagos Coffee.

Happiness is....

2010-11-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

....no broken pipes in my house in 20* weather! Store is open tomorrow, November 24th, from 10:30am to 5:30pm and Christmas coffees are now on the shelf. Lots of great local things to choose from - winter scarves, silk scarves, coffee, tea, chocolate, wooden cooking utensils, handbags, granola, jams and jellies, honey, pottery - and more!

Tuesday, Nov 23rd Update

2010-11-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

My store at 110 N. Laurel will be open by 11am this morning. It's a beautiful day - clear skies but very cold - only 20*! I'll just hope for no frozen pipes when I get there.

Silk Scarves and New Jewelry

2010-11-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

More local talent to share! First is a stunning hand-painted 52" scarf from The Silk Collective......and (as if I have the right to name their scarves) I've decided this one should be called "Autumn in the Tropics." Artist Suzanna Brock painted this one.

Susanne McCoy is the creator of this amazing scarf......which I'll call Sunset Moon. We need a little glitz to get through the winter!

Yesterday Melody Charno brought in more of her Chocolate Inspired Collection of jewelry. There's a little of everything here - dark milk chocolate, toffee, and more!

I'll be posting more items that have come in recently. Lots in the store for host/hostess gifts for Thanksgiving and for the Holidays!

Coffee From India Is Back!

2010-11-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's been over a year since I've had Jasmine Estate coffee from India. There is a wonderful floral/jasmine fragrance in the ground coffee and luscious flavor in the cup.

The Jasmine Estate spreads over 150 acres of the Chikamagalur District in Karnataka State. Planted in 1888, for a long time the majority was exported to London. In 1973 the Estate was acquired by K.R. Sethna. Sethna's background as an environmentalist and ornithologist motivated him to convert the entire estate to organic in 1989.

As usual, Katie Carlson has created a beautiful image for my coffee packaging and this one is among my favorites.

Quilted Maple Spoons & Spatulas Back Again!

2010-10-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

When I first opened my store I was very happy to have Frank Nilsen's beautiful spoons and spatulas available for customers. Unfortunately, in June of this year Frank told me that arthritis was making it impossible for him to continue making them. Frank said he had been trying for quite a while to find someone to take over his craft but no one was interested in something so labor intensive. I was very sad to hear that - and soon began talking up the idea with my son, Jared, also a woodworker and cabinetmaker.

A few weeks ago the two got together here in Port Angeles and the torch was passed! Jared bought Frank's business and a supply of stunningly beautiful quilted maple.

This weekend, Jared brought nearly 30 utensils into my store and there will be more to come. They're now hanging in their rightful place on the baker's rack near the door of Princess Valiant Coffee & the Best of the Peninsula at 110 N. Laurel in Port Angeles. Priced at $15.00 each, they will make a beautiful and affordable gift for your Thanksgiving dinner host or hostess, and for those on your holiday list.

Organic Galapagos Coffee On The Way!

2010-10-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

A very exciting turn of events this week - my favorite coffee in the whole world will be back in stock after a long absence. There is nothing in the world like this coffee from the Galapagos Islands - San Cristobal Island, to be specific. The suspense is unbearable after learning from the importer that the quality of this rare and prized bean surpasses that of previous years.

The only way I can describe the profile of the Galapagos coffee I had before was that you could clearly taste the tropical nature of the bean - something from the sea, yet something floral. The taste wasn't like any other origin and far outpaced Kona or Jamaica Blue Mountain, in my opinion. It took a gentle roast; nothing heavy handed to ruin the exotic nuances. October 15th is the date for the promised arrival of this luscious coffee. The only thing keeping me from roasting it that very night is the decidedly chilly temperatures in my roastery these days.

One caveat here . . . it will be more expensive than my others - $15.00 per half pound for pre-paid special orders. It will be available through Christmas, unless the limited supply doesn't even last that long. What a perfect and unique gift for the coffee lovers on your holiday list!

If you're interested, please email princessvaliantcoffee@gmail.com. I'll post cupping notes on the Coffees page of my website and here on my blog. I surely won't be able to resist Facebooking and Tweeting about it as well!

Sequim Valley Products Price Reduction!

2010-10-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

At a time when many businesses are raising prices just to stay afloat, today Jack Clapp of Sequim Valley Products announced that the price of his syrups, jams, preserves, vinegars and pancake mixes at Princess Valiant Coffee & The Best of the Peninsula are being reduced from $6.00 each to $5.00.

The current economic climate has made it necessary for all of us to choose foods for ourselves and our families very carefully. Jack and Evie want to make it possible for customers to keep enjoying their locally made products even in tough times.

At Princess Valiant Coffee & The Best of the Peninsula, 110 N. Laurel Street in Port Angeles we have a great selection of Sequim Valley Products. As we go into the holidays you'll want to keep them in mind as unique, affordable gifts. We can even do shipping for you! A serving suggestion - you don't need pancakes or French toast to enjoy the syrups......they're simply fabulous on ice cream!

Green Coffee May As Well Be Gold

2010-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

It's hard to fathom, but coffee is the world's second largest commodity. Oil is first, of course. Green (raw) coffee prices recently hit a 13-year high and many coffee companies are raising their brewed and whole bean prices.

As of October 1st, I really have no choice but to go $1.00 higher per pound on two of my most expensive coffees - those from Kenya, and my organic Ethiopian Harar. They have always cost me more than others, except for Yemen Mokha Ismaili, but now they're even more expensive. The retail price of my other beans will remain the same at $12.00 per pound.

I am making every effort to reduce costs both at my roastery and at the store. After October I will purchase the majority of my coffee from importers who store the green beans in Seattle - to save on freight charges from California which are exorbitant. I'm inviting store customers to bring in unwanted shopping bags (in good condition) with handles and even gift bags and boxes for us to reuse. Many people have extras stashed in their closets that are too good to throw away, and we welcome them! It's isn't that paper bags are terribly expensive, though gift bags are costly, but the shipping is outrageous. I fail to understand why Amsan, our local paper supply company, doesn't carry shopping bags.

The other expense I would LOVE to see reduced is debit/credit card fees. That amounts to hundreds of dollars per month. I know how convenient plastic is, and I don't intend to eliminate that as a payment method but really appreciate it when folks pay in cash. At the store we take checks from regular customers whom we know, and will continue to do so. Summer sales at the store were good, and we look for that to continue as there are now many wonderful products in stock, and more to come.

Happy Autumn!

Coffee for PA's Finest

2010-08-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

Today I become the supplier of coffee for the Port Angeles Fire Department. I held a coffee tasting for Captain James Mason's crew's afternoon break a couple of weeks ago. It caused a little consternation on the part of merchants and shoppers to see the fire engine and aid unit parked in front of my store, but there was only a coffee emergency going on. The guys were not happy with their previous brand and were eager to support a local coffee roaster (and former emergency services dispatcher).

The coffee they chose is my organic Fair Trade Uganda Gumutindo - one of the first organic coffees to come out of that country. I'll re-post the video I have of some of the people in the Gumutindo co-operative talking about their coffee. It's amazing to see the work that goes into this coffee.

Many thanks to James, Mark and all the guys at the Port Angeles Fire Department - for choosing to drink local coffee and for all they do for our community!

Alterations & Tailoring via XS Baggage & Co

2010-06-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Lisa Kendrick, of the fabulous XS Baggage & Co handbags at my store, is reprising her alterations and tailoring business. The tag line for this aspect of her business is, "A Stitch of Mine Saves You time." She has 20 years experience in alterations of all kinds - including men's suits and wedding dresses. We now have a fitting room designated for Lisa at the Princess Valiant Coffee store at 110 N. Laurel Street in Port Angeles. She sees clients by appointment and finished garments may be picked up at the store.

Lisa does beautiful work at a very reasonable cost. My friends and I have already started raiding our closets for things that we can't bear to toss but don't fit properly. It seems that tailoring is becoming a lost art, so it's great that Lisa offers this service is now available in a very central location. For more information, call Lisa at (360) 775-1818 or email xsbaggage@gmail.com.

Venezuelan Chocolate in the Works

2010-06-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about the shipment of Ocumare de la Costa Valley cacao from Venezuela that just came in! The raw beans smell wonderful and they're roasting as I write. This will be a "three phase" chocolate. It will be refined and molded up in the liquor stage for completely unsweetened baking chocolate. A relatively small amount of sugar only (no vanilla) will be added, and part of the remaining batch will be molded up as 85% cacao - just for Justine, one of my diehard natural foodie customers here in Port Angeles. A bit more sugar will go into the batch for the final 70% cacao, which will be molded up. I'm not going to add vanilla to any of this batch - to allow the full flavor of the chocolate origin to come through.

Customers have been a great inspiration in the last week. One came along needing white chocolate last Saturday, so I made that for the first time on Sunday. I think it turned out pretty good - but will wait until Chris from Tacoma tests it out for a wedding cake she's making before I release it for sale. I've never really been a white chocolate fan......the "real deal" is what I love!

Sequim Valley Products - Something for Everybody

2010-04-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Jack Clapp of Sequim Valley Products has just turned out his latest batch of No-Sugar-Added syrups. He and his wife, Evie, work diligently to create a daunting array of syrups, preserves and pancake mixes. There have been many requests for the No-Sugar-Added syrups and we have about five different flavors in the store as of today. Of course, they're great on pancakes and french toast - but also on ice cream. Most days Jack also has their luscious, fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the pastry case at my store - at only $2.50 each! They can also be pre-ordered in larger quantities, as can their pies and other products. Just call Jack at 460-0743 to inquire about special orders.

New Store Hours for April and May 2010

2010-03-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

For the months of April and May, at least, my new store hours will be 10:30am to 5:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday. I really need that extra hour in the morning to get coffee roasting and other tasks done. Downtown Port Angeles is pretty quiet at that time of the morning.

With Easter coming up, I wanted to share a photo of one of Melody Charno's beautifully decorated eggs. Her artistic talent seems to know no bounds.

Other exciting products now in stock include locally made vinegar! Maureen Wall has spent months crafting a stunning red wine vinegar from Camaraderie Cellars wines. Elwha Apiary Honey is in plentiful supply now that Dave and Sam Crossley are back from their stint as snowbirds. I'm also now carrying Mirracole Morsels Granola made in Kingston. Nicole Cole has been selling her healthy, luscious granola at the Kingston Farmers' Market for seven years, and just opened a store in Kingston two weeks before I opened mine. Varieties on the shelf include Cranberry Pecan, Ginger Hazelnut and Almond Papaya and Everything But The Kitchen Sink.

New Coffees and New Products in the Store!

2010-03-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Where to start with all the new items in the store?! Sheila Gregg (left) makes gorgous, thick rugs and chair pads that are now available in stunning colors. She's a very talented local woman frequently seen at local markets and events.

I have my newest artisan chocolate "Kindred Fire" on display. These 4 oz bars are an earthy, decadent blend of my fresh roasted cacao from Ecuador, Madagascar and Tanzania......all of which is grown in volcanic soil. The chocolate is refined to a silky smooth texture and simply luscious!

My new shipment of coffee just arrived - from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Kenya. They're all new to my roastery and the Organic Nicaragua Nuevo Segovia will be on the shelf at the store tomorrow.

Snowbirds Dave and Sam Crossley are finally back in Port Angeles, so their fans will be thrilled that luscious Elwha Apiary Honey is now in the building.

Maureen Wall brought plant starts in this morning and they went right onto a cart and parked in front of the store in the sun, looking very happy. In little peat pots ready for planting you'll find "Strike" shelling peas, Wild Garden Lettuce Mix and Italian Bulb Fennel - 6 for $3.75 or $1.00 each if purchased individually.

Melody Charno has added adorable and affordable jewelry to her collection. Lisa Kendrick of XSBaggage & Co., is thrilled that her locally made handbags are flying out the door.

There are a few items in my shop that are not local - but are things I love and wanted to carry. Sort of my version of "Oprah's Favorites." I now have Balsamic Fig Dressing from Stonewall Kitchen. It's just divine on salads, used as a grilling glaze for meats - and even for dipping oven-crispy spring rolls. I found some really nice, big re-useable shopping bags that are only $3.50 each. Then, of course, there is the Aeropress coffee maker that is the best thing since the French Press - and much less mess. It's compact for traveling - and costs only $28.00.

There will be more to come very soon!

A Great Two Weeks At My Store!

2010-03-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Peninsula Daily News did a fabulous article on my store this week. Journalist Marcie Miller perfectly captured the events leading up to my opening the store - and also the history going back to when I first started homeroasting.

Lisa Kendrick of XSBaggage & Co. took this photo that appeared on her blog. Her gorgeous handbags are one of the hot spots of the store.

Certified organic eggs are now in the cold case - provided by Harley Oien of Dry Creek Farm. His chickens are the best! Harley deserves a medal for the lifestyle they lead. He builds chicken houses nicer than many people's homes and the hens listen to NPR during the day! Well-informed chickens surely produce better eggs.

It's Real Now - The Sign Is On The Building!

2010-02-14T09:34:00.001-08:00

I love the sign Matt Bailey of Bailey Signs in Port Angeles made for my new store! I was concerned that adding the "& The Best of the Peninsula" was going to be too long, or might not leave enough room for my logo - but it looks fabulous!

The Spring Cleaning Sale was a success and lots of my former Farmers' Market customers stopped by to congratulate me on making my coffee much easier for them to find. They also loved the idea of having so many local products available in the coming months. I hope to be open by February 23rd, with more stock appearing on the shelves during late February and March. It seems that each day I come upon some wonderful item I want to carry, that isn't easily found anywhere else on the Olympic Peninsula. And as I look at this photo and ponder this new adventure and my passion for coffee - it seems fitting that today, Valentine's Day, is the sixth anniversary of the first day I ever roasted coffee . . . at home, in an aluminum pie pan, tucked inside a table-top pizza oven. Amazing.

So - a very Happy Valentine's Day to all the customers who have supported my business all these years - thank you for enabling me to join the ranks of "accidental entrepreneurs" who are making a living in ways they never would have expected!

Princess Valiant's Spring Cleaning Sale!

2010-02-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to announce that later this month I'll be opening a retail shop in downtown Port Angeles at 110 N. Laurel Street - between Olympic Stained Glass and the barber shop! It will be called "Princess Valiant Coffee & The Best of the Peninsula." My products, my fresh roasted drip coffee and lots of other treats and treasures by local artisans, farmers and producers will grace the shelves. Among the folks involved will be Jack and Evie Clapp of Sequim Valley Products and Lisa Kendrick of XSBaggage & Co. It will be all about the creativity and commitment to local small business on the Olympic Peninsula! My store won't be a traditional coffee shop, because of space limitations - but I will have a room that can be reserved for meetings or small classes.

To embark on such a venture, I decided to clean out closets and my garage, and recruited a few friends to do the same. Tomorrow and Saturday, February 12th and 13th, we're having a "Spring Cleaning Tag Sale" at my shop from 10am to 3pm both days. Stop by and check out all the great items we'll have for sale - including a radial arm saw, snow board, collectibles and plants.

Martha Hutchinson, also an ovarian cancer survivor, contributed items and sales will be donated to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research in Seattle www.marsharivkin.org. Tom and Rhonda Curry supplied items and their sales will be donated to the Maasailand Health Project www.mlhp.org. A stack of lovely red scarves for American Heart Month will be available for $5.00 each, with the proceeds going to the Olympic Medical Center Foundation.

I'll have whole bean coffee (with grinder on-site) and brewed coffee by the cup. Cupid's Brew is a new blend of Mexican and Ugandan coffee, just the thing for your favorite Valentine!

Coffee Grinders

2010-01-30T08:00:00.001-08:00

I am frequently asked, "What kind of coffee grinder should I have?"

If you have a very limited budget, a little "whirly blade" grinder will get you by, but it's not easy to get a consistent grind with them. If your favorite way to brew coffee is in a French Press, an even, coarse grind will be impossible.

My first recommendation is the Maestro Plus grinder, at about $149.00 plus shipping. Others may do the trick, but this one will last a very long time - and it's versatile for those who enjoy home espresso, drip, French Press or Aeropress coffee. It can be found in many places online, but I highly recommend www.sweetmarias.com for their high quality products and customer service.

New Coffees Arriving This week

2010-01-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

I have several new coffees to pick up this week and two are peaberries:

Tanzania Peaberry is one, and this will be a fundraiser coffee for the Maasailand Health Project - more info about that later.

Another new coffee is an Organic Mexican Terruno from the Nayarit region. More Uganda will be in stock as well - a very popular coffee. Over the next couple of months I'll have two more Kenya coffees, as well.

Redesigned Princess Valiant Website

2010-01-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Nancy O'Gorman of O'Gorman Web Design for redesign of my webiste.

It looks so much cleaner and is easier to navigate. Check out her other work at http://www.ogormanwebdesign.com/.

I plan to add specific info on the "Green Coffee" page, so that homeroasters can purchase green coffee through Princess Valiant Coffee. For the time being, only five or six origins will be available green. When my new coffees come in, they'll be available also.

Holiday Coffees In The Works

2009-10-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

This fall and winter will be the first in five years that I won't be out in the wind, rain and snow at the Farmers' Market - yay! Recent changes in the direction of my business have given me the opportunity to look at new opportunities for selling my coffee, so I thought I'd scope out indoor holiday festivals at which to vend. Brings the phrase "careful what you ask for" to mind. I've now signed on for a truly daunting series of holiday fairs, including "America's Largest Christmas Bazaar" at the Portland Expo Center, November 27, 28 and 29.....and THEN December 4, 5 and 6. This six day event is attended by 30,000 and has been going on for 27 years. I'm not thinking about the work.....just about stocking up on coffee and packaging. And I'm hoping for a day at a spa after it's all over.

I'm very grateful to Jack Clapp of Sequim Valley Products for giving me a heads up about this event. We even scored neighboring booths among gazillions of other vendors!

Princess Valiant Coffee now on Twitter

2009-08-04T13:59:00.001-07:00

Couldn't resist any longer - so am now on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pvjava

The name "PVCoffee" was already taken....it'll be fun to see where this leads. Joins me there!

Uganda Gumutindo Coffee

2009-07-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am so very fortunate to have purchased a wonderful new coffee from Uganda.

Gumutindo means "excellent quality" in the Lugisu language. Members of the Gumutindo project attend quality improvement seminars and practice traditional cultivation and processing methods to ensure the highest quality crop. These include good pruning, picking and drying techniques, and the use of organic fertilizers and terracing to prevent soil erosion and water run-off.

The coffee farms of Gumutindo members are located in the Mbale district of eastern Uganda on the lower slopes of Mount Elgon, Uganda's highest mountain. The rich, fertile volcanic soil and subtropical climate are ideal for growing high quality arabica coffee, which is inter-cropped with staples such as cassava, beans, bananas, sweet potato and avocado. Inter-cropping improves soil fertility, helps prevent erosion and provides shade to the coffee trees.

At harvest time, farmers pick the ripe red cherries from the coffee trees and soak them in water. They are then fed through a hand-cranked pulping machine that removes the beans from the outer pulp, which is added to the compost heap to ferment before being used to fertilize the coffee trees.

I try to offer as much information as possible about the coffees that I carry because so many of my customers want a connection with the people who work so hard to produce it. For the first time I have a video that actually shows the process and the people. In the YouTube clip below you can see how proud the people of Gumutindo cooperative are of their product!

A Stellar Shade Grown Peru Decaf!

2009-06-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've been so fortunate to find really good decaffeinated coffee from the importers I work with. I only buy water-processed decafs.....and have long preferred the Mountain Water process of a plant in Mexico. (The Swiss Water Process decafs just taste "off" to me, so I won't buy those.)

One of my west coast importers has offered a new CO2-Ultra Pure Water processed decaf called Peru El Palto. I was skeptical, given how much I like the Mountain Water coffees - but thought I'd try this one. It is truly fabulous! The raw beans look very different than either the Swiss Water Process beans or the Mountain Water beans. These look fresh and alive, and are a cinnamon-y color.......and don't look at all depleted after all they go through.

The taste is really great - virtually indistinguishable from "regular" coffee. This Peru is bold and has great body and aroma. I'm confident it will do well in espresso, as well as drip or French Press. I love being able to tell my customers - even the skeptical new customers - they they're gonna love my decaf. And the label for this one is another of Katie's gems.

El Palto is in the Lambayeque, Chiclayo region in the Andes Mountains of Peru. This socially responsible 100% Arabica is grown in the shade of fruit trees at 2,083 meters above sea level.

The Princess Valiant Coffee Artist

2009-06-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

I finally have a photo of Katie Carlson, one of my best friends and the artist who creates the images for nearly all of my coffee labels.

Katie is part of the collection of miracles that led me to create this business in the first place. She, like many of my friends, is a coffee snob and was one of the first to taste my homeroasted coffee.

Even more important, in the spring of 2004 that Katie and I were returning from a trip to Canada and were in my car at a stop light in downtown Victoria when the bolt of inspiration hit me. We had been pondering names for my new coffee company, and hadn't found anything that sounded quite right. There at the stoplight, it came to me: name it Princess Valiant Coffee and deliver the coffee in my 1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet convertible!

Katie instantly offered to paint an image of the car, with people from coffee-growing countries piled in around me. She's SO talented, and I feel very fortunate to have such beautiful coffee labels. My only regret is that I don't have the time or energy to open a gallery to display the dozens of full-sized original watercolors that comprise my labels. Maybe someday.......

Raising a cup to Karen Cebreros of Elan Organic Coffee

2009-02-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

I literally wouldn't have a coffee business if it weren't for Karen Cebreros.

My fledgling company had only barely begun when a fellow home-roaster suggested I contact Elan Organic Coffee to get green coffee grown without chemicals. I called Elan, and over the next few weeks I was astounded at the level of encouragement I received from Karen. She knew I was a woman trying to figure out how to provide high quality coffee to my community totally on my own. She was, and is, a maverick in her own right so she apparently related very much to what I was trying to accomplish. Karen's staff sent me samples of coffee to try, even though I was only buying in very small quanities. They knew I wanted quality - and I got it.

One morning in June 2004, I brewed a sample of a coffee from Brazil - a Daterra Yellow Bourbon. I was still in my bathrobe, and sleepily shuffled to my computer, cup in hand. I tasted what I had just brewed and will never forget my reaction - it was undoubtedly the best coffee I had ever encountered. I sat down at my desk, hit the "send/receive" button my email......and there was a message from Karen, inviting me to join her and twelve other women on a coffee buying trip to Brazil.....to the farm where the coffee I had in my hand was produced! It was one of those moments where the earth seemed to move under my feet, a pivotal slice of time where everything in my life changed.

I couldn't understand why she had invited me. I had only been roasting coffee (on a barbecue in my back yard, mind you) for a few months. Why would she include a "little fish" like me in something like this?? And, what's more, I couldn't afford it. I called and told her so - my car needed repairs, etc., there was just no way I could come up with the money.

"Look, " Karen said. (She has a very no-nonsense way about her.) "Do you want to fix your car or do you want to learn how to run a coffee business?"

There wasn't much I could say to that. She offered to subsidize my expenses - and I had to promise not to tell her bookkeeper. So - within moments, to my amazement, I was making plans to go to Brazil.

Karen is a pioneer in the organic and sustainable coffee industry, and her willingness to mentor me and provide opportunities for me to learn and grow as a coffee roaster have been invaluable. I can remember being totally perplexed by Karen's assessment of my roasting ability, after I had taken what felt like a HUGE risk and mailed her some of the Elan coffee I had roasted. Her evaluation of me as a roaster: "You got it goin' ON, Girl!"

How the heck did this happen?! In some way, it's still a mystery to me. I didn't go off to get roaster training from the experts. I didn't develop a business plan and plot a course for my company. I didn't seek out the people would could guide me through the science of roasting. I just started roasting coffee by methods I could afford - and the whole thing took on a life of its own. The right people found ME - guided by some force out there in the universe.

The word "gratitude" seems inadequate to describe how I feel about the presence of Karen Cebreros, Erna Knutsen and others who have made Princess Valiant Coffee possible. As I approach the 5th anniversary of the launch of my company I want to make sure that all my supporters and customers know that I may be a solo entrepreneur engaged in an unlikely pursuit, but I certainly haven't done it alone.

Dinner with the Queen of Green Coffee

2009-02-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Whenever I travel to San Francisco to visit family, I make time to have dinner with my dear friend Erna Knutsen. She is a legend in the world of specialty coffee and we first met on the Elan Organic Coffee trip to Brazil in 2004. I've learned so much about coffee from Erna. She buys only the best - and to this day travels around the world sourcing high quality beans, and goes to the office every day, at age 87! When it comes to women in the coffee industry, Erna has paved the way for all that we have been able to do.

Erna always chooses the restaurant when we get together, and last night we had one of the best meals ever at Saha in the Hotel Carleton on Sutter Street in San Francisco. Chef Mohammed shared stories of how he and Marmee started the restaurant and what has inspired his artistry in Arabic Fusion food. I was absoulutely in heaven with the starter I chose - sauteed (huge) prawns in a sauce of mint, rosewater and cilantro. All the food was fabulous and I highly recommend it for the ambience as well as the cuisine and attentive staff.

As usual - Erna and I covered a lot of coffee ground in our four hours at Saha. She is such a delight and I feel so honored to have time with her. She tells me there are new Kenya coffees in her lineup - and I can't wait to try them. It was an interesting turn of events to learn that Mohammed, owner of Saha, hasn't found Yemeni coffee in the US that is to his liking. I just happen to have Yemen Mokha Ismaili in my roastery, purchased from Erna. It's one of her favorites and my packaging has a painting of her on the label. This week my "Queen Erna's Ismaili" will be among the beans I roast - and a package will be sent off to Mohammed, in return for an exquisite meal at his restaurant. I'll be waiting eagerly to hear if it meets his standards!

Twilight Phenomenon

2009-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what Stephanie Myers' book "Twilight" has meant to our corner of Washington State. If ever there was a community that needed an economic boost out the blue, it's Forks - and they've now got it "in spades." There's likely never been a time in history where so many people wanted to visit Forks, Washington - formerly a small logging town one would pass through on the way to the Washington coast.

La Push, Washington is now benefitting, too - which is great for the Quileute tribe. A sign at Three Rivers Resort, on the way to LaPush, warns, "No Vampires Beyond This Point." It's a great place for a photo-op for Twi-Hards.

There are now Twilight Tours and lots of Twilight memorabilia to be found, both in Forks and Port Angeles. I couldn't help but jump on the bandwagon - check out my website for Twilight Brew and Twilight Mugs. Coming soon - Quileute Wolf Blend coffee!

Princess Valiant Coffee's 5th Anniversary!

2009-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

All for the love of coffee - on Saturday, Valentine's Day, I will celebrate five years since the day I roasted coffee for the first time. Absolutely amazing. We just never know what will come out of one small moment . . . in February 2004.

I had been on my computer . . . a lot. I had been laid off from a job and, with no luck in the local job market, was ruminating about not being able to find a decent cup of coffee in Port Angeles. A local roaster in business at the time didn't turn out a single coffee that was to my taste. My philosophy about food was changing. I wanted to find organic coffee and I wanted to buy it as locally as possible. No organic beans could located near where I lived, so I started searching for Northwest roasters. One company had organic, but when I brewed the shipment of two different blends - one was "ho-hum ok" and the other was dreadful.....both at $14 per pound.

Then the moment that changed everything - in looking for organic coffee I stumbled upon a website about RAW organic coffe, and coffee roasting at home. (What the.....??!!) I had no idea one could do such a thing. Then came a link to a forum called Coffeegeek about the different methods one could use - popcorn poppers or cast iron frying pans on barbecues among them. Interestingly enough, it was only guys discussing home-roasting at that time - not a woman in the bunch. Undaunted, I hustled to my basement. I unearthed a dusty portable pizza oven with upper and lower elements that I'd scored at a local garage sale months before, surmising that maybe I could just see if a few beans in a pie pan tucked inside it might work. Turned on the pizza oven and sure enough, it got nice and hot.

I drove to the local coffee roastery and asked for a couple of pounds of green coffee "for an experiment I was trying." He handed me two small paper bags of Mexican beans - at $8.00 per pound (a ridiculous price for green coffee). Within the hour, following the instructions on CoffeeBeanCorral's website, I put enough raw coffee beans in a pie pan to cover the bottom. Out on my patio, into the pizza oven it went. Every few minutes I'd open the lid and stir with a wooden spoon. Soon "first crack" could be heard.....then several minutes later "second crack." The smell was wood-smokey with only a slight nuance of the fragrance of brewing coffee. Chaff (the light, papery husk of the coffee bean) popped off amongst the beans which were a chocolatey brown. I dumped them into a colander accompanied by my GE table fan and the chaff flew in swirls out onto the table, onto my shirt and in my hair.

I put the fresh roasted beans in a tight-lidded mason jar and let them rest at least 48 hours. This done, a couple of days later I excitedly dumped beans into my coffee grinder and brewed them up. The feeling of elation and uncontrollable laughter after that first sip was something I'll always remember. It was fabulous! (Admittedly, I've been afflicted by what I call the Little Red Hen syndrome my entire adult life - encountering things not being done like I think they should - or not done at all, and then finding a way of doing it myself. Most certainly a sign of control issues.)

I found a couple of online companies selling high quality organic raw coffee beans in small quantities and placed my order. The result was the same - within a few weeks I had several varieties of fabulous home-roasted coffee! But wait.....maybe it was just my imagination. I decided I'd better share some with Rhonda and Rosemary, my coffee-snob friends to make sure. Their responses upon brewing up the two-ounce samples I handed out were, "Oh my God - I need more of this - and by the POUND!" And the rest is history - completely unintentional history.

So - over the next few weeks, because I believe so deeply in giving credit where it is due, this blog will contain highlights of the people who have been most important in helping me create a business and livelihood out of thin air - in spite of no coffee shop, no retail store of my own and no employees.

Supporting Indie (and Artistic) Coffee Roasters

2009-01-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

When I'm away from home I always look for local independent coffee houses.....especially the ones that roast on site. I recently sleepily strolled into Victor's Celtic Coffee in Redmond, northeast of Seattle, and ordered a double latte, extra hot, and found a nice little round table in the room adjacent to the main coffee bar. The table had a round base and when I put my foot on it and scooted my chair forward, the table tipped - dumping my drink into my lap and all over the table. Nearby customers jumped up to help concerned that I was burned, but thankfully enough layers of clothing to survive this arctic Washington winter kept me from being scalded. I felt like a total klutz, but went back to order another after dutifully mopping up the first one.

Working as Barista that morning was the gentleman to the left - Victor's roaster, and he offered to make me another latte. There were fewer customers at that moment, so he took time to create a work of latte art. He presented me with a drink so gorgeous it seemed a shame to sip away the design of a flower that looked like a hibiscus!

Stop by Victor's if you're near 164th and Redmond Way in Redmond. The food is great, the atmosphere friendly and the decor a little funky and rustic....a good thing, since it keeps you from noticing the puddles of coffee on the floor.

French Press Brewing

2009-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Today I was fortunate to find a brand new French Press for $7.00 at a local second-hand store, and thought I'd post a set of instructions about how to get the best results out of this kind of bewer.

Some folks don't like this method, as it takes a little more time and is a little messier than an automatic drip. It certainly is worth the effort, though, and brings out the very best of fresh roasted coffee. I think it's the best cup of coffee this side of espresso.

Instructions:

1. Use the finest even grind coffee you can, but coarse enough to avoid having the grind pass through the screen. A few notches coarser than filter drip is best. They key to avoiding sediment is in the evenness of the grind, and a burr-style grinder gives you this. If a “whirly-blade” grinder is used, there will be virtually no way to avoid getting a mix of chunks and powder. Start with a generous 1/3 cup of whole beans, and test from there whether you want it stronger or lighter. Before grinding pull the lid and plunger out of the beaker and preheat the French Press pot with hot tap water.

2. Put the ground coffee in the pot.

3. Pour 195 to 200 degree water (about 30 seconds off the boil) into the press so that it is about half full. Water temperature is critical for this method of brewing! Stir the coffee so that no dry islands are present, and let the coffee “bloom” or bubble for a few seconds as it releases the goodness of the bean. (Coffee that’s not fresh will bloom very little.) Add the rest of the water, and stir. Don't overfill the press. The water/coffee needs to be just at, or a little below the bottom of the beaker spout.

4. Pick up the plunger by the knob so that the lid is down against the screen. Place it lightly on top of the press so that it keeps the heat in, but does not start to push down on the coffee at all. Allow 4 minutes for extraction.

5. After 4 minutes remove the lid and briefly stir the coffee with a plastic or wooden spoon. (Not all the grinds sink, they resurface at the top again. Replace the top.

6. Now take the plunge: Hold the lid in place with one hand, and carefully start to push slowly on the knob at the top to force the plunger screen downward, pushing the grinds with it to the bottom. Take care right at first. If the filter disc in crooked it may allow a flurry of grounds to escape around it. If it does, don't worry. Just pull out the plunger and lid completely, rinse quickly in hot water, and start over right away.

7. Push steadily and the plunger should reach the bottom in 20-30 seconds or less. There should be some resistance though. Pour and serve! Coffee is best right away, within the first 10 minutes. If you must save part of it, put it in an insulated thermal carafe preheated with tap water. With coffee brewed by this method, there will be some sediment at the bottom of your cup…. Most people tend not to drink that last ¼ inch, or so.

A Remarkable Day in American History

2009-01-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

We have a new president, and a new level of hope for our country. I found myself riveted to the television today, not wanting to miss a single moment of the inauguration.

While it isn't specifically relevant to the topic of coffee, I can't help but feel that today's events have given me optimism about the state of our economy and even my small business. With a new direction for our nation it's now a little easier to push the occasional fear aside and more positive emotions surface. I'm ready to try new strategies to get my products "out there" and network with new coffee devotees. Occasionally I will grumble a little about things in my coffee world that aren't working well, for whatever reason - but it is my goal to be a positive presence here. We get enough negativity looking at the latest news and stock market reports.

One of the many things I appreciate about Barack Obama's speeches is his willingness to give credit to those who have paved the way for him...and for us - those who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make our path a little easier. I want to do that here, also. There are some remarkable people who have made my unlikely profession as a coffee roaster possible, and I want to give them credit and tell the stories of how they came into my life. They have been the catalysts for a journey that has changed my world and enabled me to provide REALLY good coffee for my customers, family and friends.

When you have that cup of coffee tomorrow morning, take a few moments to really appreciate it. Give yourself a little time to appreciate what happened today, and to ponder what your tomorrow might bring.

Welcome!

2009-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and time to launch new facets of the company I founded in 2004 - Princess Valiant Coffee!

There is so much to share on the subject of coffee and many of the other aspects of life-in-general and life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. A blog seemed the best way to go about it. Among the topics you may find here in the future: general coffee information, my current green and roasted coffee inventory, what's going on in the Princess Valiant Roastery, coffee specials, brewing methods, women in the coffee industry, chocolate (another of my passions), frugal living in this tough economy, the importance of shopping locally and supporting local entrepreneurs, and activities and events on Washington's Olympic Peninsula and in the Pacific Northwest.

My new website is in the works and should be up very soon. Until then, check the current one to select from my lineup of fresh-roasted specialty coffees.

Blogging is new for me, so this will be a work in progress. Come back as often as you can to see what's new!