Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee

"We're as passionate about the taste of our coffee 
as we are the taste of our doughnuts."

Signature Dark Roast Krispy Kreme Coffee


Since 1937, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has been recognized for their
world-famous, uniquely delicious taste.  And what goes better with delicious
doughnuts than a perfect cup coffee.

In August 2011, Krispy Kreme introduced three new specially crafted Krispy Kreme
Signature Coffee Blends. 

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Headquarters
Krispy Kreme Bloggers Summit 2013
@CarolinaMama

Krispy Kreme has Three Unique Signature Blends:  

"The Signature House Blend, Signature Dark Roast and the Signature Decaf House.  They are delightfully delicious. "From medium to full-bodied flavor, each of our three coffee blends features a smooth, distinctive flavor experience.  Choose the blend that best suits your personal taste and coffee drinking occasions."  Chef Ron Rupocinski, Corporate Chef for Krispy Kreme



Freshness is imperative so they are brewing fresh coffee all day and night.  Love that!   The Signature Dark Roast was my absolute favorite!  How lucky could I be in that it was paired with my favorite Doughnut the Chocolate Glazed.  These were a perfect match.


This was our Coffee Tasting and Pairing Chart.  It was so fun and official to taste with the experts.




Pretty fascinated with the Coffee Tasting and Pairing Workshop by Coffee Connoisseur.

Here at the Coffee Education Workshop and Pairing, I got to make my first Latte!  It was fabulous with the help of KK Expert Tanisha!  Thank you Tanisha!   We had so much fun behind the counter.  I was a Krispy Kreme Princess for a day. :)


We learned that all three Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends are made with 100% Arabica Beans. 




Here I am in my KK Coffee Education class at headquarters. That's a Dark Roast in hand. 



We had so much fun.  Here we are - the Krispy Kreme Bloggers Summit 2013 group!  So fun!  All with KK Hats and behind the Counter.

Krispy Kreme Bloggers Summit 2013

Another fine pairing was the Blueberry Cake Doughnut paired with the Signature House Blend.  It was so smooth and sweet.




The Chefs were open for questions.  They were so brave... and knowledgable.  It was fun to ask all of our big questions.  Like our burning question here on the blog, "Are you going to serve Gluten Free Doughnuts?"  The Answer:  They are researching what that would look like.  That is good news!  All of us GF folks know it takes a lot to get a kitchen to the point of offering Gluten Free options.  So kudos Krispy Kreme for embarking on the research.  We hope to see a Gluten Free Glazed Hot and Fresh Doughnut soon here in North Carolina.  And around the globe.  A girl can dream.


Krispy Kreme Signature Coffees are available at participating Krispy Kremes in the U.S. and Canadian Shops.  Visit www.KrispyKreme.com for a location near you. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day...  you have got to try the Dark Chocolate Strawberry Heart Shaped Donut.  Utopia. 


Share these with your children's classmates.  Or, hide them and enjoy them one at a time.  
Or your family.  Or your CoWorkers.  They are SO Cute. 





Warmly, 
CarolinaMama 

*FTC Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Krispy Kreme.  I participated in the Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit 2013.  All opinions are all my own. 




The Writer's Life

My life ... lover of life and words. Words, Family, Jesus, Life and all that makes the Datebook, Journal or words, thoughts and more. What image describes you?

The Writer's Life.

Warmly,
Carolina Mama

My Monday Weekend Recap

Besides freezing here in the Triangle...we had a great weekend. How could it not be fun when you start out Ice Sledding ! ;)

Followed up with Homemade Gluten Free Brownies!

Then wake up to Coffee in Bed with Tartan Plaid Flannel Sheets!

A fabulous Fire in the Fireplace with my amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup from Pioneer Woman.

A date with my Boulder Mt. Man. More good Paleo and Gluten Free eats.

The Lowcountry Oyster Festival was too crowded for my Charleston correspondent to attend. Maybe they should go for a three day event in 2014!

And a little Gym time. Love me my Treadmill!

Happy Monday! What's your weekend recap? Is anyone else ready for Spring? We are!

Warmly,
Carolina Mama





















Fashion Friday: Fresh Produce Twist Dress Mom Fashion Review

Right in the dead of Winter, a girl can really use a little Fashion to warm her days.  As you know I love Fresh Produce and their Island style and feel.  It is especially fun when I have a fun event with which to wear my new Fresh Produce clothes.  I love that Fresh Produce Clothing is Made in the USA.

Perfect timing again, I chose the classic look of the Twist Front Dress by Fresh Produce in Twilight and it arrived just before my Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit.  Ideal timing. So I wore it for the quick road trip up to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to the Graylyn Estate for the Welcome Luncheon.

Love the Dress and give it a 5 Star Review.  Seriously, it is a beautiful color and it goes with many things already. I chose a layered look for the cold Winter day.

First stop was Starbucks for a Skinny Hazelnut Latte at 170 for the road and I took this "selfie" which shows you in-real-life my look.  I layered my Denim jacket and black leggings with a black scarf in the second photo.  Jewelry and clogs.




It felt perfect, look terrific and was so comfortable.  I felt great in this dress meeting the Krispy Kreme team and bloggers for lunch.  The scarf was great and I do add a black layer underneath as I prefer a crew neckline to a v-neck.






Here I am arriving at the lovely Graylyn Estate and International Conference Center.  I love how the Black and Twilight look so good together in the daylight. I can also visualize this with white or red, pretty much anything.  A soft pink would be nice in Spring. So it wins on versitility.


Here the Black Twist Front Dress looks fabulous with Turquoise jewelry. I have a necklace very similar so I think it would work or my red jewelry. So many options. Win. 

Fresh Produce Twist Front Dress
Here are a few details from the Fresh Produce website on the dress: 

The relaxed chic look of the Twist Front Dress is perfect to wear from day to night with its flattering V-Neck accent and comfortable A-line shape. 92% rayon, 8% lycra, twist front detail, 3/4 sleeves, at-the-knee length, Made in USA

As always, I LOVE that Fresh Produce is Made in the USA!  We LOVE Made in the USA. You can feel the quality of the clothing from Fresh Produce. Check them out and they have fabulous Sales.

Do you have a Fresh Produce Dress or Resort Outfit?  

Warmly, 
Carolina Mama 

*FTC Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Fresh Produce. 


The Way We Were Thursday


The Way We Were - Wordless Thursday.





Breakfast Egg Bake Recipe Favorite

Winter is giving us a go here in North Carolina.  January has definitely introduced herself this week.  When we are staying warm, we love our comfort foods.  This is one that I make often.





It started as an old Texas-family recipe from Boulder Mt. Man's lineage. We made it every Christmas.  And we love it.  You can make this recipe the night before and just bake it Christmas morning, or, as we came to do, any other morning of the year.

My husband loves the convenience of having the hot meal on mornings when he works out before work.  No kidding, I love the convenience, too. :)   A couple of Christmases ago, I began adapting the recipe to my desire to lower my carbohydrates. So we tried the recipe sans the bread and thus the Egg Bake was born.

It is simple and very satisfying.  Since several friends requested the recipe, I wanted to share it here.

Breakfast Egg Bake 

by 

Carolina Mama 

1 Dozen Eggs 
1 1/2 C. 2 % Milk
MultiColored Peppers - chopped 
1/2 c. Onion - chopped
8 .oz Cheddar Cheese - shredded
SeaSalt - to taste
Pepper - to taste
Cheyenne - a few dashes

*Optional: Turkey Sausage or Ham (cooked and diced)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In mixing bowl, whip eggs and milk with dry spices.  In 9x11 Pyrex baking dish, spray with olive oil.   Spread the MultiColored Peppers and onions in the bottom of the pan.  If you are adding meat, this is layered in with the peppers on the bottom of the pan. 

Back to the mix in the bowl, add half of the cheddar cheese and stir to moisten.  Then pour over the peppers and onions.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the mixture.  And bake for 35 minutes.  Enjoy!  

This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator.   Each morning a slice can be easily heated up or packed to take to the gym, etc.  :)  It would most likely freeze well, ours does not last that long. :)

What are your favorite Breakfast recipes?

Warmly, Carolina Mama

Radio Shack Klipsch S4 Headphones Excellent Buy

2013 is starting off to be a fine year.  The Tigers and I have been jogging and have ourselves on a little schedule.  Boulder Mt. Man joins us on our cross-training so it's a whole family affair.  



I was thrilled when Radio Shack met me on the health and wellness side and asked me to review their well-known Klipsch S4 headphones.  See they make me happy.  And see, that basketball court? I can 
scarcely hear it with my Klipsch S4s on while on my treadmill court side. 



Being all techy and fitnessy, I didn't hesitate.  This is a perfect match for me especially since the earphones do every.thing they say.  I LOVE the noise-isolating design where it suppresses the background noise at the gym.  Can I just wear these all day? lol  Seriously joking, however, working out. These were excellent.



Check it out and Tune in.

The Klipsch S4 Headphones is the perfect companion for your MP3 player or smartphone. With three different sizes of washable eartips, you're sure to find the perfect fit for you. And, it has unequaled comfort, noise isolation, musical accuracy and bass.
  • Precise comfortable fit for long-term wear
  • Superior noise-isolating design
  • Delivers smooth sound with enhanced bass
  • Angled nozzle for proper in-ear alignment
  • Durable built-in strain relief
  • Available in a sleek black or pristine white finish
  • Works with iPod, iPhone and other MP3 devices
The other thing about the Klipsch S4 is that they stay in your ears while running on the treadmill!  That's saying a lot.  This is so helpful and they are very comfortable.  They send you several extra plastic covers for the interior part of the headphone.  I love these headphones.  See me, the zone doing some of my weight training with my Klipschs. :)


The price point is great for these specialized headphones from Radio Shack.  I totally recommend them.  Have you tried the Klipsch?  What earbuds do you use when working out?  Cheers 2013.

Warmly, 
Carolina Mama 

*FTC Disclosure: Sponsored by Radio Shack.  Opinions are all my own. 


Our Inauguration Day Four Years Later

The Tigers and I had a grand day which included watching President Obama get sworn into Office of the President of the United States of America. I love sharing this history with our boys.

Somewhere between my update about Malia and Sasha's Fashionable outfits - Kate Spade and J. Crew, what could go wrong, Love! - and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's heavenly echoes and Beyonce's amazing rendition (Or, was it Kelly Clarkson) the Tigers and I got to reminiscing and Boulder Mt. Man called. We were all saying, "Remember the snow." "And Mom, we made the Abe Lincoln log houses out of Peanut Butter and Pretzels....!" Oh my, they were so right. What memories!

Kids Activity for President 's Day: Abe Lincoln Cabins

And I had so many thoughts on my mind, too.

I am so glad I got all of this down and what a thrill to look back and see us then! My boys, our life. So today, here's the rest of our Inauguration Day. What four years can do, this year we celebrated with North Carolina Symphony and Manning Chamber Music Concert in Raleigh. And this Lasagna, one of two, is one of their favorite foods. So of course, I made two of these today. They and Boulder Mt. Man love it!

Here's our update. Next Inauguration Day, the Tigers will be 15 years old, driving, and they will most likely still be loving ...

the Beef Lasagna (me, most likely, still loving the gluten-free version. ;) .... it was so good.  Loved the Eggplant in lieu of noodles! :)




The Tigers and me at the Concert. See the Grand Piano. It sounded wonderful.



LOVE this Grand Piano. So beautiful and played beautifully.


Some of the Vocalist who sang, my favorite, the French songs.






Beautiful Peace College Campus.


We enjoyed the Reception afterwards.  So fun.  The Musicians all visited with us. We had a late night. :)





The Tigers studying away and our Poinsettia still red and vibrant! 








The Way We Are.  January 2013. :) 


Now, we are hitting Middle School in stride and they still can't stop dancing "Gangnam Style." ;)

God Bless America!

Warmly,
CarolinaMama

Travel Review: Graylyn Estate International Conference Center Winston-Salem, NC

The Krispy Kreme Bloggers Summit 2013 was held at the Krispy Kreme Headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  And Krispy Kreme hosted us at the lovely and historic Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.



"Graylyn International Conference Center, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, offers guests a private estate of their very own. Just minutes from downtown, Graylyn's vast 55-acre property allows visitors to experience a world away from the bustle of city streets. A perfect combination of a modern, sophisticated conference facility and an enchanting, historic residence, Graylyn is sure to captivate from the moment you arrive at the estate gates."

This was one of my favorite rooms - the Grand Piano!  Spellbound. 



After all every Mom Blogger needs her own Castle. :)   We did have a splendid tine at the Graylyn.  The service was unmatched.  The food was delicious, fresh and unique.  It was wonderful to experience the Old South here at the Graylyn. 

The Graylyn Weddings must be bliss.  You see, clearly the Graylyn is a fabulous locale for Weddings.  Honeymoon night.  


Her own antebellum getaway. :)  I loved my sweet with the French Toille.  And the Krispy Kreme gifts left for us. 



See how Happy my lodging makes me. :) 


Yes, super excited. 


My suite was spacious.  Comfortable and Antique.  I felt right at home here.  Just lovely. 


Here is a glimpse of one of the living rooms.  The fireplaces were abundant.  Loved it. 


These cute little chairs reminded me of the Tigers. :)  So fun. 


Here is one of the many dining rooms.  The furnishings were beautiful.  Again, the 
service was impeccable. 


These Sun rooms were fabulous for dining. We enjoyed breakfast together 
on the Sun porch one morning. And the breakfast was outstanding. 
The Chefs were amazing.  We enjoyed the Omelet stations, the 
many 


I was in heaven with the beautiful furniture and antique pieces.  So my South land. 


Another glimpse of one of the many unique dining rooms. 


Again, the views were outstanding. 


Even though we had rainy weather that moved into snow after we departed Winston-Salem, the property was gorgeous and relaxing.



The property has a Swimming Pool, Golf and Tennis.  This is a lovely location in beautiful Winston-Salem, North Carolina right next to the gorgeous and renown Wake Forest University.  We loved our stay.  

Hope you can visit the Graylyn Estate and Winston-Salem, North Carolina soon.  There is much to see and enjoy in the Triad. 


Warmly, Carolina Mama

*FTC Disclosure:  My visit to Graylyn Estate was sponsored by Krispy Kreme.  Opinions are all my own.