Cup of Encouragement – Coffee Klatch Board

Coffee Klatch Board

I’ve seen some really cute charcuterie boards on Pinterest and I hope to make one someday, but I tend to consume COFFEE way more than wine. That’s when the idea for a food pairing board, specifically aimed at coffee drinkers, came to mind. I gathered the ingredients from my local grocer and brought it all to my parent’s house to assemble. My mother actually came up with the name for the board, “Coffee Klatch”. The word “Klatch” has its origins in Germany. We do have some German heritage in our family. My mother also lived in Germany for a time…in a castle! Dreamy, right?! I love that story, I’ll have to tell it to you later, but there actually is a German word specifically for a meeting or conversation that happens over coffee, “Kaffeeklatsch”.

The way I chose my food items for the board came from my knowledge of a coffee flavor wheel. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at different ones and I now have one taped up by my coffee making station in the kitchen. This is the one I have printed and on my wall. Here is another one that is interactive and printable. These coffee flavor wheels will be your guide to creating a Coffee Klatch Board that your friends and family will enjoy!

In order to not go overboard in price, I chose to stick with a few fruits and some food items I could get from the bulk bins. For example, an entire bag of coconut shreds would have been more expensive than the small scoop that I needed for the board. I bought the nuts from the bulk bins too. It was much cheaper for me that way and then I didn’t end up with extra. I picked out the cheapest fruit options that looked the best and that I knew would pair well with my coffee selections. For the chocolate covered pretzels and peanut brittle, I got the store brand. This board did not include any pastries, but I’m hoping to do a larger Coffee Klatch Board soon to showcase what that could look like if you wanted some heartier offerings.

I have completed some coffee cuppings at home with various coffees from the grocery store, craft roasters, or local (to me) Texas roasters. Your best bet, if you want to choose a coffee outside what you normally purchase is to find a store that sells bulk coffee. You can get a few tablespoons of whole beans, of as many kinds as you want, so you can try a coffee cupping at home. Now, many coffee roasters label their beans with specific notes that they find during their own cupping process. These are helpful for directing you on whether you are getting a coffee with fruit, chocolate, earthy, or other notes. Read, discern, and think about what flavors you normally gravitate towards.

Some coffee shops sell their own roast or they choose a local roaster. Your local coffee shop should be able to help you choose a roast or two if you don’t have time to do a tasting at home. When I visit a coffee shop, I usually aim for their drip coffee of the day. I make it a point to ask them what they have on drip, so that I have an idea of what flavors might be present in the coffee. And if you aren’t sure when they say, “We have a roast from Peru today”, ask them about the notes you’ll find in that particular cup. Your barista is there to help you! Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see what coffee shops I am recommending in the DFW (Texas) area. Even if you aren’t in Texas…stop on by my page for some coffee images to brighten your day!

Coffee Klatch Board

The last and really most important thing to do is INVITE some friends or family over for coffee! Who knows what wonderful conversations will be had and how friendship connections will grow, when you get a group together to just enjoy some coffee. That’s really what this whole “Coffee Mama Bear” thing is about…friendship, encouragement, and coffee. We can ALWAYS use more of those things in our lives!

If you are a craftsman, artisan, maker of cute things, and you live in the DFW area, I would love to chat.
I also accept coffee donations…are you a coffee roaster?!
We can totally be friends. Like, right now.

Feel free to reach me at erin@coffeemamabear.com

Cup of Encouragement – Finding Friendship

Finding Friendship


True friendship can be tough to find. Add in a busy adult life and that goal seems impossible. The daily grind often keeps me busy and my brain full of lists to complete. So, where can you find friends? How do you cross the bridge together in to true friendship in a busy season?

A close friend of mine told me that every time she went to her local park she handed out her number and said, “Will you be my friend?”. I laughed at that notion and wondered if that’s really what I had to do to gain community?! I’m naturally shy and I got a lump in my throat just thinking about having to do the same thing. I wanted and needed friends for the season of new motherhood! I just didn’t know how to get my tired, overwhelmed, and shy self in to a new friendship.

That friend, by the way, she is an awesome woman and I am so lucky that I have her as a friend. I’m grateful that she reached out to me and welcomed me in to her circle. She was a new mom too, but that didn’t seem to stop her at all! She taught me a lot about diving in to community and making sure to SHOW UP when people are in need. She always opened up her home for play dates and lunch. We brought groceries to each other several times when either of us got stuck at home with our sick babies. I credit her for helping me take the next step and joining a Moms group at my church!

One Sunday, I saw a listing in my church bulletin for a Moms group and I jumped in with both feet! I was nervous, but excited because I was really in need of friends close to home. Since I am a stay-at-home mom, there isn’t another adult present to lean on during the day. When I was in the newborn season, I don’t think I even knew what day it was for several months! Friday? Wednesday? No clue. That first year my constant companion was a baby. Speaking from experience here…that whole scenario will make you a little nuts. Babies are ridiculously friggin’ cute, but they don’t really fill the friendship void! Hence, why Moms group was SO NEEDED. I’ll never regret taking the leap to join Moms. It has been a wonderful place to meet friends in the same season of life as me!

This I know is true…no matter how a friendship evolves, friendship itself is important. Some friendships will fade and friendship that last are a gift, BUT I will never downplay the importance of friends for a particular season of life. I think that would be such a sad thing, to lose out on those “friend for a season” relationships. You both need each other, lean on each other, learn from each other and survive the season together. All types of friendship have value.

Friendships that last through the seasons are rare, special, and should be held dear. An example of close friends through the seasons – I have a friend from my childhood, a friend I met in college, and a friend I met when we were both new to motherhood. Currently, we do not see each other more than once or twice a year. No matter our physical distant from each other, I trust these women with ALL my struggles, trials, and praises. I lean on them for advice on parenting, marriage, and personal growth. There are a lot of phone calls, text messages, emails, and marco polo videos between us! And even if it’s been a while, because life has a funny way of staying busy, we always pick up where we left off.

Every friend has a unique experience, a new take on the world, and life lessons to share. Friendship is very needed as we were not meant to live this life alone! I hope that you have some close friends to lean on, but if you don’t, it is time to take the risk and put yourself out there! You have something great to bring to the friendship…YOURSELF.

-Erin aka Coffeemamabear

Two Cups for Sharing