Drink It. Sightglass Coffee.

Sometimes morning coffee at home is the simplest, most satisfying, and overall best way to start the week.

I recently bought a bag of classic Central American beans from San Francisco's Sightglass Coffee. It was roasted just days before it arrived in my mailbox, and the few cups I've enjoyed so far have been nothing short of delicious. I like to heat some milk in a ceramic mug first, then fill it up with steaming freshly brewed coffee.

Other favorites for home brewing:

Dean & Deluca French Roast

Stumptown Coffee Roasters French Roast (their Hair Bender blend in a limited edition jar may be my next Stumptown purchase though)

illy Dark Roast

next up:

something from Blue Bottle Coffee Co. (either the Giant Steps blend, Guatemala - Zemoch, or Mexico - Chiapas)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Check It. March: National Peanut Month.

March is National Peanut Month, and Dean & Deluca has a package (above) that can help you celebrate. The Peanut Lover's gift basket includes everything from extra-large Virginia peanuts to Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter, to peanut brittle. The retro packaging is very cute, making the set a perfect gift for the peanut lover in your life (or for yourself if you're feeling extravagant--it's $45). If this is too fancy, a simple jar of supermarket-bought peanut butter or some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are also appropriate items to celebrate with.

How about Elvis' favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwich? You'll need a ripe banana, two slices of white bread, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Toast the bread slightly, spread the (mashed or slices of) banana on one side, and peanut butter on the other. Fry the sandwich in melted butter until golden brown. Serve hot and sliced diagonally. Enjoy!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.deandeluca.com

Eat & Drink It. Dean & Deluca.

Nothing screams coffee like a Monday morning ...

I first noticed Dean & Deluca in high school while watching my favorite TV show, Felicity. Prime-time's favorite curly-haired NYU student Felicity Porter (Keri Russell) worked there, and while I thought their simple black and white style was cool, I knew nothing of their expansive selection of gourmet goodies. The self-described "purveyors of fine food, wine & kitchenware" are on my mind a lot these days, and it's a damn shame L.A. doesn't have one (California has one, in St. Helena). Thank goodness for the world wide web.

As a Christmas gift, I received a bag of the Manhattan Blend coffee with a set of the super cute diner-style white Dean & Deluca mugs. I'm getting used to the additional step of grinding the whole beans (I'd been a pre-ground kinda gal), but it's all worth it in the end. Next I'm going to give their French Roast a try, as the online description includes the words "dark chocolate, nutmeg and caramel." Yum.

Other D&D favorites--tinned candy, chicken pot pie, and awesome red spatulas.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.seriesaddict.fr