7 Clever Uses for Coffee

I love coffee.  Love, love, love, love, love it.  I love the taste of it, the smell of it, and how it feels to drink a fresh cup in the morning.  I have no problem splurging a little to buy good quality beans because that really does make the difference.  I even have enough coffee cups to caffinate the National Guard…which is rediculous since I’m only one person…I mean, how many coffee cups do I need?

Now, not that any of my coffee would ever go to waste, but I’ve often wondered if I’m wasting something by throwing my coffee grounds away.  Can’t I use them for something else?  Turns out you can…simply by throwing them in your garden instead of the garbage…

Yum!

1. Add a few tablespoons of cold coffee to powdered sugar to make a delicious glaze for cakes.  Start with 1 bag of powered sugar and add coffee, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you want.
2. Mix used coffee grounds with soil to release nutrients that make the ground richer and more acidic.  Plants will flourish.
3. Ants seem to hate the smell of coffee…so throw those grounds on top of anthills and your problems are solved.
4. Use cold coffee to dye fabric and paper.  I soak paper place settings in coffee the night before Thanksgiving.  After they dry, they have a worn look to them…perfect for calligraphy and scrapbooking.
5. For us brunette beauties, coffee can help give hair a boost, adding shine and enhancing color.  After shampooing, rub grounds through your hair and rinse.  Finish with a conditioner.  Again, this is best on brunette and black hair.  If you’re hair is blonde/light brown, I’d reconsider.
6. Freshly brewed or cold coffee can be used to season meat (steak, anyone?) and is a great addition to practically any dessert.
7. You can sprinkle coffee beans around vanilla scented candles to give off a wonderful smell.  Just make sure the candle is tall enough that it won’t burn the beans…because I can testify that that’s not pretty.

Knowledge is power!  Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.