Blended Coconut Oil Coffee inspired by Thrill Me

Last month I was part of an excerpt tour for the latest release in the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery titled Thrill Me. I featured Thrill Me Excerpt 5, in which our two main characters, Maya and Del interact alone for the first time in the ten years since their first-love relationship "ended". This encounter started in a local coffee shop called Brew-haha, which winds up being a supporting character in its own right throughout the book, supplying caffeine and a gathering spot for locals and tourists to the small town of Fool's Gold. Today I'm back with my review of this romance novel to go along with that excerpt.

If you spend any amount of time here, you probably know that I'm a big reader. But...and I've mentioned this before...romance has never really been my genre of choice. So if may come as a bit of a shock that this is a romance novel. It's actually book 20 in a series that I'd never heard of before. And guess what? I liked it. It was fun. Plus, I love the stereotype of being a desperate housewife who escapes reality for a while by throwing a little romance paperback in my beach bag (which I totally did, by the way).

I guess I'm just a sucker for a good love story, which this wound up being. There were a few hot and steamy moments, but they were nestled nicely within the framework of an actual story. I did find myself rolling my eyes and wishing the "internal pondering on how he/she feels about me" (over and over again) would just stop already and they would move forward with adult life—but it wasn't so much that I couldn't enjoy it. I think it just goes with the romance territory.

Would I go back and read the first 19 books in the series? Yeah, I think I would—in between other books and series I'm reading, or when I feel a desperate housewife beach moment coming on, or perhaps when I'm in the car playing the whole mom's taxi waiting game. Will I read the next 19 books in the series as they are released. Same answer as before.

While this is a romance and not a typical "foodie" read, there are actually quite a few food and drink references in the book. From salads, steak, pasta, potato salad, roast beef sandwiches, and Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Crostini to Marcona almonds, brownies, Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins, cookies, chocolate and ice cream, Mallery didn't skimp on the eating. There was also mention of lemonade, tea (hot and iced), and beer. Wineries and wine were fairly prominent, as was the lifeblood of our two main characters—coffee!

So, in honor of all of the time that Del and Maya spent drinking coffee to keep them going during their extended summer work schedules, I'm sharing this Blended Coconut Oil Coffee that I think Brew-haha should most definitely include on their daily menu.

Sounds kind of crazy and intriguing, right? Coconut oil IN your coffee! That's what I thought when my mom asked me if I'd ever tried it before. I hadn't, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. She sent me a link to this post on Swanson Health Blog, and I found myself returning to it several times over the course of a couple weeks. So, when I found myself driving up to visit my mom, I figured that would be the perfect time to give it a shot.

I haven't stopped drinking it since. I love the way two simple ingredients can froth up and make something so "everyday" seem special. I mean come on—coffee with frothy foam in seconds right from your own kitchen. And honest to goodness, I think the addition of the coconut oil totally mellows out the caffeine buzz that can sometimes accompany coffee (and I'm a regular coffee drinker). It seems like a more natural energy...something that my mom, my brother, and myself all agreed on.

Blended Coconut Oil Coffee is something Maya and Del could fuel up on all summer long...and beyond. Hopefully Brew-haha owner, Patience McGraw, will give it a try.

Blended Coconut Oil Coffee

Blending freshly brewed coffee with coconut oil results in a frothy cup of morning satisfaction that seems to impart a smoother, more natural burst of energy than coffee alone.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: blender beverage coffee coconut oil dairy-free vegan low-sodium

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon good coconut oil (virgin or extra virgin)

Instructions

Add coffee and coconut oil to the jar of a blender or personal blender jar. Blend until frothy, just a few seconds. Be very careful as it will be hot (if using a blender, hold down the lid with a thick towel.

Pour into your mug/cup and serve immediately.

Note:

Although the coffee froths up, looks lighter, and has a nice head of foam, it doesn't taste much different. If you like sweetener and/or milk in your coffee normally, you can add it to the blender jar along with the coffee and oil before blending.

Thrill Me

author: Susan Mallery
series: Fool's Gold (Book 20)
publisher: HQN Books (July 28, 2015)
source: TLC Book Tours
soft cover: 368 pages

"foodie" read: no, but it has its moments...

random excerpt: Maya found Phoebe in the kitchen. She was pouring brownie batter into a pan. The scent of butter and chocolate drifted to her, making her stomach growl. Maya sighed, knowing the smells would only get better—or worse, depending on her perspective—when the pan was put in the oven. (p 255 in uncorrected proof)

synopsis: Meet the Mitchell brothers of Fool’s Gold, California—five gorgeous men who’ve left a trail of broken hearts in their wake… 

Maya Farlow learned the hard way to depend only on herself, so when she fell too deeply for the bad-boy charms of Del Mitchell, she did the only thing she could—she ran. Stunned, Del left Fool’s Gold to make his name and fortune in extreme sports.

Now ten years later, Maya’s been hired to promote her hometown’s new slogan, The Destination for Romance. The celebrity spokesman is none other than Del, the man she dumped but never forgot. Awkward!

Although Del’s not the type to hold a grudge, he’s determined to avoid falling a second time for the woman who broke his heart. He’s a daredevil, not an idiot. Trouble is, in all his adventures, he never found a rush as exhilarating as Maya’s kiss. Maybe risking his heart will prove to be the biggest thrill of all…

about the author: New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has won the hearts of millions of readers around the world with books described as “immensely entertaining, intensely emotional” (RT Book Reviews), “hilarious” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram), and “heartwarming” (Publishers Weekly). One major retailer recently described her as “the queen of romantic fiction.” While she deeply appreciates the accolades of critics and booksellers, Mallery is even more honored by the enthusiasm of her readers and the word-of-mouth that catapults her toward the top of the bestsellers lists time and again.

Mallery lives in not-so-sunny Seattle with her husband and a toy poodle who makes her laugh every day and who’s not even a little bit impressed by her growing fame.

further info: website | facebook | twitter

recipe inspired by the book: Blended Coconut Oil Coffee

Follow along with the complete Thrill Me Excerpt Tour and Review Tour.
Read Thrill Me Excerpt 5 right here on allroadsleadtothe.kitchen.



I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.