I wish that I had a great picture from our staff Christmas party to share with you, but we were all having so much fun that I never stopped to take pictures. Our gift exchange was a blast, as usual, with the most notable "item" being a performance of the
Schulyer Sisters song from
Hamilton, complete with custom lyrics to make it personal for the recipient. Suffice it to say that a good time was had by all. In lieu of a party pic, I've inserted a cute picture of Jack and Lucy going for a walk--because smiley babies are the best.
On Monday we celebrated the birthday of the lady who created this establishment, Caroline Fike. She's in her eighth decade, or maybe she's 49? It's one of those. No matter her age, she is a strong personality, with a determination that kept this business going for many years. She is a woman of faith, a business woman, a wife, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and she's my mentor, my mother-in-law, and my friend.
We have the privilege of living together, and I am daily impressed with her hard work, her listening ear, her strength and her humility. And not to make you all jealous, but she is a world class baker, and regularly whips together biscuits on a Saturday morning or pies for any occasion. Thanks for being your amazing self Caroline, and here's to many more years!
This week we have
a new coffee for you, from the country of Timor-Leste, or East Timor. This independent country occupies the east side of island of Timor, while West Timor remains a part of Indonesia. East Timor was originally a Portugese colony, which was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, and then went back to the Portugese after the Japanese surrender. Following the Portuguese Revolution in 1974, Indonesia invaded and took over Timor. The path to independence was long, and violent, but in 2002 East Timor became the newest state of the 21st century.
Most of the country is rural, and survives on subsistence farming. Coffee is their most exported crop, and this particular bean comes from farms that are part of Cafe Brisa Serena. You can find their website
here, and read about how the Japanese NGO Peace-Winds partnered with Timorese farmers to "improve the quality of life of coffee farmers in Timor-Leste, especially in Letefoho. CBS support high quality coffee production in Letefoho." The beans are hand-picked at optimum ripeness, and fully washed and dried on raised beds. There's a great video on their site that shows the entire process.
In the cup this
Organic Timor-Leste Ermera Letefoho is a delicious brew. It has earthy and nutty aromas, but the taste is crisp like sweet peas complemented by the fruit notes of apricots. It's unique and special--not a bean we get every day. Come try a cup on us this week, and enjoy your weekend. Cheers!
--Holly Fike
