Spring cleaning helps us to reset and creates a fresh new surrounding. This transition runs from our wardrobes, to our home decor, to the appliances we use all winter long. Your coffee equipment is no exception. The more use a coffee mug, maker or grinder gets, the more it will show. The good news is there are steps you can take to make your gear to look all shiny and clean if you know how!

We said, ‘let’s repurpose it.’ It was actually my business partner’s idea because I’ve been a coffee shop fanatic for a long time. I’ve traveled out of state looking for different coffee shops. He knew that I’m crazy about coffee so he had this idea. We just turned it into a coffee shop and here we are!”

Currently Tayah works full time as a Shift Supervisor and our Event Coordinator. She is also one of the youngest on the Tala Team, although her maturity would make that hard to guess. Even when she isn’t on shift, Tayah can often be found hanging out at the cafe. If you’re a Highwood regular, you may already know a few things about Tayah. Let’s see if you learn anything new!

Most people choose the coffee they are getting based off the tasting notes we use in our labels. This is a great way to choose what you think you’ll like, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop there! Reading and understanding the rest of the label isn’t a crazy puzzle that takes a lot of brain power. We’ll walk through the coffee lingo and abbreviations that may help you use the label to pick out your next bag of coffee. When it comes down to it, it’s very simple—we promise!

First time making cinnamon rolls? No problem! We have broken this recipe down into three easy parts: the dough, the filling and the icing. Don’t worry, there is no reason to be intimidated, it’s pretty darn simple. So gather your ingredients, decide if you’re making them the night before or morning of and get the coffee brewing to make sure you have something to sip while you bake!

“You can make it in the morning for caffeine or whatever and that’s great and definitely a benefit but to another extent, it’s a way to put time aside in the morning and slow yourself down. If you’re doing the pour over or if you’re just sitting down with a drip and just drinking it. At least for me it gives time in the morning and it’s definitely just a dedicated part of the day type of thing.” Jesse Taylor, creator of the song amoret

Everyday that we get to use clean, filtered water to make coffee is a day to celebrate! It just so happens that today is the day celebrate because it is World Water Day! . . . World Water Day provides intentionality to advocate for better water management practices across the board, from big corporations to your own household.

The days are warming up and sunshine is filling up the forecast for the week! It’s beginning to look a lot like spring and we are very ready for it! From walks through the forest preserves, to sitting on the rocks down by the lake, to roller blading on the bike path, there are (almost) endless possibilities. The only thing that will make all these activities just that much better is stopping by Tala and grabbing your new spring drink before you get going!

I brought the AeroPress camping with me and everything changed. After seeing how the AeroPress preformed in the outdoors with bladders of water and minimal equipment, I am never going back. All of the things I mentioned above came into play again but even more so. I didn’t have to worry about breaking it as we tried to fit our cooking gear, cloths, tent and sleeping set up snugly into our packs.