Cafe' Bustelo coffee

Note:  This is not a paid advertisement, but rather.. a public service announcement to notify my readers and the general public about some incredibly good coffee. 

Maybe it's because I order Bustelo Cool two cases at a time via the internet.  Maybe it's because Cafe Bustelo really knows branding and PR.  Whatever the case.. check out the cool swag I received in the mail with my last order of Bustelo Cool iced coffee..

 Hooked up and ready for a day at the beach.
Thanks Cafe' Bustelo!!

In my most recent order of coffee, I received a beach ball, canvas bag, and fanny pack which all state "I love Cafe' Bustelo".  How did they know? 

If you are not yet familiar with the wonder that is Cafe' Bustelo, let me hip you to this great coffee.

Cafe' Bustelo ground coffee is a rich and flavorful finely ground, naturally caffeinated espresso roast.  It also happens to be the number one seller as far as Cuban coffee's go in the U.S.  If you're not a big fan of strong coffee per say, simply use less coffee grounds, and your can of Bustelo will last almost two times as long as other brands!  Thriftiness and top quality coffee.. what more can you ask for?  A low price maybe?  At under $4.00 a can at most stores, it's nothing short of a steal!  If you can't find it in the coffee section of your local supermarket, try the Spanish or Latin food aisle.

If you do like a good strong cup of java, then Cafe' Bustelo will not disappoint.  And.. you don't even need an espresso maker to enjoy it, because a drip coffee maker still does this dark roast justice.  With the use of an economical stove top espresso maker, you can craft a cup of espresso that will rival most coffee shop's.

I first discovered Cafe Bustelo while living on the East coast.  We had several Puerto Rican and Cuban friends who loved to socialize, and entertained on a regular basis.  After dinner dessert was always offered, and pot after pot of coffee was made as we sat around talking for hours into the night.  I learned real quick that the coffee my new friends drank was much different than what I was used to drinking back in Colorado.  The first time I drank Cafe' Bustelo, it was brewed Cuban style, which is basically like espresso.  The coffee had a kick to it like no other coffee I'd ever drank!

Being the greenhorn I was at the time in regards to bold coffee, I opted for some cream.. and I'm glad I did, because it was at that point I learned what Cafe' con Leche was.  Our hostess on this particular night took out a saucepan, scalded some milk and added it to my espresso at a one to one ratio.  Voila! I now had a delicious cup of cafe' con leche, which when translated means.. "Coffee with milk". 

Up until that point in my life, I had always drank coffee to help me wake up.  I never drank it to relax, or as a means to socialize.  Now I view drinking coffee as a means to unwind, or enjoying a cup with friends, as "some of the finer things in life".

 Ready for the hot weather with my stockpile
of Bustelo Cool and Cafe Mocha.

During the summer I drink less hot coffee, and replace it with Bustelo Cool sweetened cafe' con leche, and Bustelo Cool Cafe' Mocha.  Think Starbucks Double Shot.. only smoother.  I discovered these two beverages during my last trip to Florida, at BONGOS Cuban restaurant located at Downtown Disney.  I was in the mood for a Cuban coffee, but the 90 degree heat accompanied by 90 percent humidity, had me craving something cool for some strange reason.  Bustelo Cool fit the bill perfectly.  It cooled me off, and provided me with a shot of energy to carry on and be a tourist for several more hours.  I've yet to find these great beverages available for purchase in our landlocked state of Colorado, so I order them online from Cafe Bustelo's partner Java Cabana and they get shipped straight to my door. 

If you can't find Cafe' Bustelo products in your area, I highly recommend signing up with Java Cabana.  It's free, and you can regularly enjoy free shipping, and incredible specials and discounts.

 Visit Cafe' Bustelo online

Buy Cafe' Bustelo online at Java Cabana

Vintage Disneyland dish towel

This is a vintage Disneyland dish towel featuring a very cool.. very retro.. depiction of New Orleans Square.  The lovely Deb a.k.a. Zoot Suit Mama sent me this great dish towel she picked up during one of her retro shopping adventures.  While she doesn't collect Disney items per say, she couldn't pass up this way cool item.

She was kind enough to gift this to me after learning that I collect all kinds of Disney related items.  I meant to post a picture of this great item a few months ago, but kind of got sidetracked.  A big thank you goes out to Deb for this great vintage piece!  I assure you it's found a kind and loving home!

I'm thinking this dish towel may be from the 60's, but am not certain.  I'd love to see if I could find more which feature other sections of the park like Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Main Street U.S.A.

Click on the picture below,
if you'd like to see an enlarged version.

Retro phrase of the day

Do you ever find yourself getting stuck in a rut in regards to your vocabulary?  Maybe you have comfort or go to sayings and phrases that roll off of your tongue like..

"How you Doin?"... "What's up?".. "Take it easy"... or.. "Alrighty then".

Well I for one am tired of my drab and boring vernacular, and want to be more creative and colorful with my vocabulary.  I've decided that every day I'm going to pick a retro phrase or saying, and commit to repeating it at least five times throughout the day. 

I will be posting these retro phrases daily on Twitter, so if you want to  join my "Retro-lution" and spiff up your vocab, take a peek at my tweets and learn some new/old  phrases that you can add to your lineup for daily use.

Oh yeah, todays retro saying (that I've already used a couple of times) is.. 
"For Corn's sake"
I'm not sure about the story behind this phrase, only that it was popular in the 40's and 50's.

Being a typical Monday, it's proving to be a great alternative to other expletives that are begging to make their way out of my mouth.

Forgotten folk Friday's - Robert Palmer

For many, Robert Palmer may not be forgotten, but a lot of kids from this generation have never heard of him.  For masses of music lovers such as myself in the 80's and 90's, Robert Palmer was the epitome of class and coolness.   As fashion in the 80's went crazy with color and mismatched pairings of garments, Robert Palmer made it cool to again to wear suits and look sharp.  In fact..  Rolling Stone magazine voted him the best dressed rock star of 1990.

Robert Palmer had a long and successful career spanning from the 1960's to 1995.  One of my favorite projects he took on however, was the formation of his group The Power Station.  The band consisted of Robert Palmer, brothers Andy and John Taylor from Duran Duran, and drummer Tony Thompson from the band Chic.  I actually wore out two cassettes and two CD's of their first album "The Power Station".   The album featured the two smash hits Some like it hot and Bang a Gong, but every other song on the album was excellent as well.  "The Power Station" was one of those albums that you could let play from start to finish and never get tired of.


Robert Palmer may be best known for his videos like "Addicted to Love".   The videos featured beautiful women identically dressed in tight dresses, with white painted faces and bright red lipstick, making them resemble women in the art of Patrick Nigel paintings which were so popular in the 80's.








Robert Palmer passed away from a heart attack in September 2003, two months prior to Power Station band mate Tony Thompson, who died of liver disease in November.  He was an immensely talented artist whose style, talent, and soulful voice will continue to impress and influence music lover for years to come.

Another edition of.. Holy crap I AM turning into my parents!

No need for deep philosophical discussion on this topic, but here's a few things I've noticed about myself lately..


New music sounds like crap to me
I kid you not, even the so called good music doesn't sound good to me at all.  I hear maybe half a dozen songs a year from new artists that I like.  I find myself ever more listening to older music from the 50's through the 80's and sorely missing the good old days.
 
I have more coupons in my wallet than money
I may not be loaded with scrilla, but by god I can get a heck of a good deal on two pizzas with garlic bread, or a four wheel tire rotation and alignment!
 
I get irritated with cheaply made products
My regular readers know what I'm talking about.  I sometimes get on rants for days about cheap plastic crap that Wal-Mart sells.  Whether it's a cheap sprinkler, or hair dryer, I'm ever more buying vintage and laughing all the way to the bank.

Fast food tastes less and less better to me
Two years ago I was the king of fast food, and even had a web-site dedicated to artery pounding monstrosities that I had conquered.  Due to a health scare, I've greatly changed my eating habits since that time.  When I do dine on fast food..  it really doesn't do anything for me.  Well.. except for maybe giving me an upset stomach, and feelings of guilt for treating my body like a tent rather than a temple.
 
I'm more at peace with the way I look
Everyone has things about their appearance that they don't like.  Suddenly this year, none of my old personal hang ups seem to matter as much as they used to.  Life is too short to sweat superficial things, and it will just take away from a whole lot of living I need to do.


I guess these things aren't necessarily bad, just a wake up call that I've really changed, and will continue to do so as I get older.  The thought of becoming more like my parents used to horrify me, but now I don't view it as such a bad thing.  If I ever start mowing the lawn in slippers and black socks however.. someone will need to slap me.

Retro saying #162..

"You've got to laugh to keep from crying"

This was my mantra this morning when my garage door opener broke at 5:15 a.m., and again at 5:30 a.m. when I got a flat tire on my way to work.