3:05 Miami Cafecito Break (A Winner)

Wow, people! We are some seriously serious coffee drinkers. According to your answers from the 3:05 Miami Cafecito Break giveaway, our attitude is "hey, it's 3:05 somewhere..."

Thanks to all of you who entered and of course, to JennyLee Molina for generously providing such a cool giveaway.

For those of you who are wondering just how I choose a winner, here's how I do it to try and make it as fair as possible:

1. I click over to Random.Org.
2. I insert the total number of entries into the True Random Number Generator and a number pops up.
3. I count each entry and the one that corresponds with the random number is the winner.

So congratulations to winner #7:

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Marianela, you won! Also, how much do I love that there's an office full of people somewhere who know that 3:00 is the time that Lola was killed?? That is so deliciously Cuban. Plus it tells me that it's absolutely true that Miami runs on 3:05 Cafecito. So fitting.

Congratulations, Marianela! Please send me an email with your home address and put HEY, MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG in the subject line. I will forward to 3:05 Cafecito and they will send your goodies.

Please stay tuned...more cool Cuban giveaways coming up this weekend.

Of Jedi and Cafecitos - a Giveaway

So, a few weeks ago I'm cruising through my Facebook page and I left a comment on one of my daughter's (Amy Kikita) posts. I think she was complaining that she needed a late afternoon cafecito. (I think that's what it was, because she's always saying that in the late afternoon, but that's not important right now.)

My friend, Claudia (who happens to be an amazing photographer) then left a gorgeous photo on Amy's Kikita's Facebook wall. It was of an old school (read Cuban style) espresso maker and two tacitas (demi-tasse cups).

It was love at first sight.

I wrote to Claudia: "I need that cafecito print for my kitchen." (Notice the subtlety in my request. =D)

She wrote back: "I'll send one right out to you. What size would you like?" 

Whoa! I felt like I had just performed a Jedi Mind Trick! I so badly wanted and Had. To. Have. That. Print. And poof! She just agreed to send it. You may call me Obi Wan KeDarby. ;-)

And then I had an idea. I asked her if I could maybe offer that print to my readers as a giveaway.

Claudia: "What a great idea." (Marta Skywalker here!)

How gorgeous is this?

 

It's 11 x 14 and it's as delicious in person as it looks in the photo.

So, let's do this!

For a chance to win this gorgeous Cafecito print, please leave a comment on this post and tell me:

How do you do coffee? First thing in the morning? Five times a day? Espresso? Grind your own beans? Dunkin' Donuts? Starbucks? Let's talk coffee.

I'll choose a winner via Random.org. on Monday, August 9th at 11 am.  The winner may select a regular 11 x 14 print (like mine) that they can frame OR an 11 x 14 printed on single weight matboard.  (A $30-$40 retail value. How cool are my Jedi Mind Powers? Seriously.)
 
But wait! Let me introduce you to my gorgeous and talented friend, Claudia Risi. (The amazing photographer whose mind I control. =D) 

She has other gorgeous prints and greeting cards for sale here.
 
Anyone who places an order and mentions My Big, Fat, Cuban Family gets 20% off through August. Coupon code is E8FD4B6E (must be entered to get discount).

[EXTRA DISCOUNT CODE - JUST ADDED]: There is a separate code for the 20% discount for greeting and note cards. Use E942AF61

Am I just killing you here with my amazing Jedi Powers or what?

Let me tell you where else on the web you can find Claudia and her awesomeness (because I'm cool that way):
 
For a behind the scenes look at how Claudia works her magic, please visit her blog: Lehigh Valley Shutterbug.
 
Facebook Fan Page: Lehigh Valley Shutterbug
MySpace page Lehigh Valley Shutterbug
Twitter: @LVshutterbug

Good luck and May the Force Be With You!

~ Marta, Jedi Master.  ;-)

Must Have Cuban Coffee

Kikita wrote this post under the influence of caffeine. You have been warned.

Mmmmmm . . . do you smell that?

That is the smell of the perfect Café Cubano. One more time, deep breath . . . Yes! Glorious!

Everyone grab your "tacita", sit back and enjoy it!

What's that?

YOU. DON'T. HAVE. ANY. CAFE????

**Kikita se desmayo!! (Kiki has fainted!!)**

**Mami holds a cafecito under Kikita's nose to revive her.**

Ok, so you don't have coffee to make espresso with. That's no problem, I'm sure you have regular coffee.

WHAT???

This is supposed to be the BEST part of waking up! Beyond that, it's supposed to be the best MOMENT at ANY time of day. It's the afternoon/after-lunch pick-me-up.

"It's terrible and wonderful at the same time! It's like freedom in a cup!"

Not to worry! I, Kikita, can help you! You know I have a guy (bueno, gal) on the INSIDE!

Through the magic of Facebook, I was introduced to a yummy new supplier.

Kaña Cuban Coffee Roasters.

I asked them for a sample and I couldn't wait for it to arrive in the mail.

When it finally did, it was an event!

(Isn't it beautiful? So full of promise!)

EVERYONE had to have a taste.

Everyone came to the same conclusion: RIQUISIMO!! (DELICIOUS!!)

So, I strongly encourage everyone to try Kaña's Hialeah Blend (espresso grind) and then come back here and Learn How to Make Cuban Coffee OR you could get CRAZY and Learn How to Make Cafe Con Leche. Either way, you gotta try this coffee.

I know you won't regret it.

In fact, you'll probably start singing (the way we all did when we had our first taste) . . .