It's Time to Head Back to School!
It’s that time of year. Summer is coming to an end and the kids are heading back to school. There’s no denying it, back to school time is one of the most hectic times of the year (up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas).
If you’re the parent of a K-12 student, then you’re hitting the stores with lists for paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, glue sticks, backpacks, and more. For the college crowd, in addition to the school-specific needs, you’re outfitting dorms or apartments, maybe finding a bicycle, possibly book shopping… the tasks seem never-ending.
And, even if you don’t have kids going back to school, or you aren’t headed back yourself, your morning commute has definitely changed since Summer, with school zones and bus stops adding more time to your morning drive, you likely need to leave the house even earlier.
Let’s see how we can make your mornings a little easier, shall we?
Plan Ahead
The easiest way to save time in the mornings is to plan ahead. You can pre-plan everything from your outfit for the next day to the morning’s breakfast to lunch. For those of you with K-5 students, you can even plan a week's worth of outfits and use hanging sweater storage to keep everything all together.
For middle- and high school kids, get them in on the act by giving them a designated area to lay out their clothes for the next day. Maybe a hook next to a full-length mirror or a chair designated specifically for this purpose.
Making lunch for the next day can also help save time. Planning the night before means you have a better opportunity to send them off with a healthy lunch and not just something you grab as you’re shooing them off to the bus stop.
Breakfast could be a whole lot easier too! Overnight oatmeal, either made in the refrigerator or in the slow cooker, means a quick and healthy way to get the day started. Or, take some time over the weekend to make some breakfast muffins. Whether sweet or savory, something you can grab and go is ideal.
Get your coffee in on the planning. There are many ways you can make sure your coffee is ready for you to get a move on in the mornings. If your coffee maker doesn’t have a timer, you can always add one with a timer plug (like the ones you use when you go on vacation). A single-serve coffee maker is quick and easy. We have a wide variety of coffees freshly roasted and packed in K-cup style coffee pods for coffee on the run. Yet another option is to make cold brew coffee. For instructions, check out our blog post here.
For the College Crowd
Early morning classes… late-night study sessions… caffeine is a college kid’s best friend. Help your college student with their caffeine fix and save money at the same time. Those coffees at the coffee cart or the local cafe can be expensive. Make sure your student has everything they need to make their own coffee any time of day.
For the fast and easy crowd, a single-serve brewer and our coffee pods are the perfect fit. If your college student is more of an aficionado, our Pour Over gift set is the way to go. If all you need is coffee, how about a monthly coffee club subscription to keep the coffee coming. You know they’ll appreciate it.
Fundraising
All those activities at school need funding. Try suggesting a coffee fundraiser for your band, choir, soccer team, chess club, yearbook staff, whatever extracurricular needs the dough. At CoffeeAM we have everything in place for you to just plug and play. Contact us for more information.
Teacher Gifts
It’s never too early to think about teacher gifts. And coffee is a perfect choice. Any of our delectable coffees would be ideal or choose our Classi-iest Blend. Why wait until the holidays? Show how much you appreciate your kids' teachers now!
Bonus
Here’s an easy make-ahead savory egg muffin that can be refrigerated or even frozen. Just zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds and you’ll be headed out the door in a flash.
INGREDIENTS
Spray cooking oil
6 eggs
1/2 cup cooked chopped spinach (drained of all excess water)
1/3 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Diced tomatoes and chopped parsley (optional garnish)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375. Coat muffin tin with spray oil (or line with paper). Break eggs into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
dd spinach, bacon, and cheese to eggs, stirring to combine. Divide the egg mixture into the muffin cups evenly. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until eggs set up. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. Can be frozen for up to 2 months. Top with tomato and parsley if desired.
OPTIONS
You say you want more options? Here you go!
Protein - ham, chicken, chorizo, ground beef, corned beef, vegetarian sausage, turkey sausage
Cheese - pepper jack, feta, mozzarella, swiss, Monterey Jack, fontina
Vegetables - bell pepper, onion, broccoli, mushroom, artichoke
The beauty of this recipe is how flexible it is.
Happy back to school. We hope it’s a great year!