Kickstarter - Teardrop: the perfect cup of tea, every time

It's amazing what kind of projects and ideas one can develop and see to production with programs like Kickstarter. Today isn't any different. After looking for other projects around Kickstarter, adellelijah has found another amazing product to back. Check out the "Teardrop" project by Michael DiStefano. At 8% backing w/ 28 days to go, it seems like it's going to have a 4th period type finish, but I'm sure that after the public backing from Kevin Rose on twitter, you have to think that some of his 1.2 million followers have the funds to make this a successful project. If this post helps you realize Mr. DiStefano's dream, please leave a comment. Shoot, even if you are a fan of tea, an avid tea drinker or just love being a wannabe "Angel Investor" like adellelijah, please support Teardrop. For only $40, you get this amazing idea and at a 20% off retail price.

Watch the video below for an explanation of the magic. Self contained timer, never let it over-steep (a tea drinker's dream so that he / she can leave and let be while in the shower) and aesthetically pleasingly! If you feel extra nice and angel like, buy it for your mom for Mother's Day! Cheers!

Coo Coo for Coconut Water

While on GTalk with Elijah last week we were joking about a long night out combined with his fatigue from a Sprint Triathlon which lead to a painful in-flight headache and water wasn't helping with his dehydration. I mentioned that he should of taken some Coconut Water because it was better than a bottle of Gatorade since it had more electrolytes. Then I made a joke about what plants crave from the Mike Judge movie Idiocracy, which he didn't get.. I've been wondering about the health benefits of Coconut Water for a while. I was first introduced to it by a friend who swears by it for those long nights drinking; one before and one after. I'm pretty much a Gatorade or Water person to relive the day after pains of my self induced liver poisoning. I tried a sip once, and haven't given it much thought since then.

Without getting into a lot of details about what's in Coconut water, the main benefits are the high mineral contents; specifically potassium. These mineral levels equate to higher amounts of electrolytes than most sports drinks. The potassium levels are twice the amount you would get from eating a single banana.

Why is high potassium important? Well Sodium and Potassium are both alkaline metals and are very close in the Periodic table. By taking in Sodium or Potassium this allows our bodies to move water through our systems faster also it helps with muscle contractions. So science tells me that Coconut Water has the advantage over a Gatorade or Water. Great!

I began to wonder what other applications Coconut Water could have other than the cure for a common hangover. I thought I was onto an untapped resource. Since Coconut Water could be used to help rehydrate, then drinking it on a plane would be perfect. I don't know about most people, but being in the conditioned environment makes me dehydrated. So I proposed that we should work on getting Coconut Water into airports and airplanes.

I was already too late to collect my genius money. Vita Coco and JetBlue started serving Coconut Water to passengers back in 2009. A day late and a dollar short on that idea. This hasn't stopped me, I'm on a mission to buy some to give Coconut Water an honest try and see what else it should be marketed for. I don't know if they're pushing it enough as a sports drink substitute. I think I'm going to pack a few away for my long flight to New Zealand in November.

Update: After writing this article. I spend and afternoon golfing and an evening drinking at one of my favorite dive bars which lead me to become dehydrated. I tried to find some Coconut Water at my local Vons. They did not have any available. I'm beginning to wonder how well companies are doing with their ad campaigns against traditional sports drinks. Do I have to go to an Asian Market to get some?

Additional Links:

Vita Coco - http://www.vitacoco.com/#/home/

JetBlue - http://www.jetblue.com/

Coconut Water - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_water

Potassium  - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium

Complimentary Vita Coco Available on JetBlue Airways This Fall, AOL Daily Finance - http://www.dailyfinance.com/rtn/pr/complimentary-vita-coco-available-on-jetblue-airways-this-fall/rfid363042278/?channel=pf

Idiocracy - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

Heavenly Cupcakes

on our mission to find the best cupcake in san diego, elijah and i found ourselves at a cute little cupcake store tucked away in the streets of downtown.  an added bonus: it's a mere 3 blocks away from our house! we selected the seasonal pumpkin, the s'mores, red velvet and vanilla coconut.  we dug into the pumpkin one first and it was great!  just the right amount of pumpkin and cinnamon.   the cake itself was moist and spongy too.   the cream cheese frosting was a little on the sweet side, but still enjoyable.

we ate the s'mores cupcake a day later and turns out after a quick nuke in the microwave, it's still delicious! the chocolate cake was still moist and tasty. the frosting was good too and this one wasn't too sweet.  so glad to find that the the day old cupcakes hold, which isn't always the case.

overall, i would go to heavenly again, the cupcakes were tasty and they are still good the next day.  it also doesn't hurt to have a cupcake shop just a brisk walk away from your house!

Baby Cakes: Desserts - Drink - Dine

Running errands for the better half of the day, Adelle and I found time to hit up another local shop in San Diego called Baby Cakes.  After an amazing meal at Arrivederci Ristorante, we rounded the corner in continued search of the Best Cup Cake in San Diego.  Had I known that it was housed in a 1889 Craftsmans Home, I wouldn't have drove past the little cottage tucked away between two large cement walled buildings.  Parking is scarce in front of the shop but there is one spot reserved for those that are picking up or taking out.  Apparently they are serious when they mean 15 minutes only with a large sign taunting you that they WILL tow your car.

Upon entering the front yard, you're greeted with a gate that leads you to a well designed and organized patio allowing you to enjoy the San Diego weather coupled with a cup of coffee and their token dessert.  Then, all of sudden, entering the house, you have a pub style bar mixed in with two display cases of goodies.  Low and behold, they also serve food! Soon to be serving liquid desserts and lunch 7 days a week!? Looking for minis...we didn't see any. Who are we kidding anyways with mini cupcakes?! If you're going to indulge, do it right with the "regular" sized dessert.

Ordering a half dozen for the Monday night "Chiefs" Game, we headed home happy and excited for the little babies.  We were so excited that the pictures below were snapped rather rushed.  We'll be sure to update the blog with better pictures of all the places and cupcakes in the near future cataloging the entire experience.  For now, please excuse the amateur quality, but hey, it's the real deal; no confetti, setup or over exposure touch ups.

Elijah's Take: Times have changed. I actually enjoy Pistachio and this cupcake is no exception. The light green provides a heartening feel that it's a sweet dessert and nothing more. Sprinkled with bits of pistachio on top of the light frosting, it's sponginess wedges itself perfectly in your mouth. It's just the right amount of sweet and nutty that I've come to love. There's even a chance that I might be able to overzealously consume a half dozen of these bad guys before I'd get sick. As for the traditional "Baby Cake" flavor, it was the definition of the cupcake taste. I mean, if you go to an ice cream shop and order cake batter, that'd be the taste. Or maybe the scratch-n-sniff sticker when you were a kid with a cake on it, that's what "Baby Cake" smelled / tasted like. I recommend partaking in the ambiance outside of the cottage. The next time we are there and you spot us, call us out and we'll buy YOU a cupcake! Just follow @adellelijah on twitter to find out when and where.

Finding the "Best" Cupcakes in San Diego

On the flight from Atlanta to San Diego, a neighboring passenger asked me a very personal question:  "What should we do in San Diego?"  I say personal because San Diego is a city that I am proud of.  Some can say I'm overly proud to be a native San Diegan and for this, my passion runs deep.  Without surprise, I had a hard time coming up with a definite list because if you were to ever come to my hometown, I'd zoom you around on a whirlwind tour to make sure, by gosh darnit, you experience EVERYTHING.  So I guess the during the month of September, instead of the "back to school" moniker, adellelijah will be posting on...Finding and Sampling the "Best" Cupcakes in San Diego. As snobby as Yelppers & their reviews can be, one cannot help but search and read reviews on the locale. Querying "Cupcakes in San Diego" the result yielded over 200 different places! I decided that I was not going to let reviews cloud adellelijah's take so we'll try to make it as uninfluenced as possible. No, we're not going to spend over $500 sampling, but we will definitely hit as many places as possible.

The first cupcake stop immediately after the traditional Pt. Loma Seafood lunch (Fresh Alaskan Halibut Sandwich) was Cupcakes Squared Inc. We've heard multiple amazing reviews from peers and even a "2009 Voted Best in San Diego" that it would be without a doubt the best place to start. Located in Point Loma on 3772 Voltaire St (between Poinsettia Dr & Worden St), parking was ample while the shopping center looked a bit "older." Walking in, you're instantly greeted by square cupcakes!  You would have thought that the "Squared" moniker would have prepared you but it's different. Not in a bad or good way but more of an exciting, lets get some in my mouth already way.  There is a table or two outside of the store, but it's mostly just a bakery and not a cafe that some might be accustomed to when venturing to a place of sweetness.  So don't be alarmed.

We ordered a large Smores Square and 4 minis; Lilikoi, Not So Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut & Cheesecake.  In one word: Decadent...maybe another word to describe would be Lushious, Moist, amazing... I Loved it!

Upon cutting into the cake and placing the morsel onto your tongue, it's just complete.  I know that I have a lot to learn in reviewing food, but you have to go there yourself and check them out.  You won't be disappointed.  It's smooth, not too light or heavy, it's the Goldilocks of cupcakes.

When you do go to their store, makes sure to navigate to their website first and check out the Daily Baking Schedule as certain flavors are rotated.

Foodview also has a great rundown of the best places in San Diego which they conducted in October of 2008 so adellelijah.com is here to conduct a two year updated