Hi everyone! I want to apologize for being so absent here since our move to Charlotte. We're still waiting on our things to arrive, and it's been kind of hard to work out of a hotel. Luckily we bought a new bed and a sofa, so we can at least stay at the new apartment until the movers get here.

Lavazza recently sent me a new Keurig and some Lavazza K-Cups, which I immediately set up in the new place, so while we may not have a bed, at least we can have coffee! They're giving the same gift, along with a $50 Visa gift card, to one lucky Freckled Italian reader. Enter below--and good luck!

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This post is sponsored by Lavazza.

This month, Lavazza sent me a package with all four of their specialty drip coffee blends and a copy of Extra Virgin: Recipes and Love from Our Tuscan Kitchen. The challenge was to get inspired by the book, the coffee, and Italian heritage in general, so I flipped through the book one afternoon with hopes that something would catch my eye. (Everything caught my eye--the book is gorgeous.)

I came across a recipe in the dessert section called Coffee Granita, a frozen coffee treat that includes sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. It reminded me a little of the iced almond milk cafe miels at my favorite coffee shop, which I love because of the non-dairy option and the honey instead of sugary syrup. And then I thought, "Oh my gosh--coffee popsicles." I made them Paleo with coconut milk and honey (you can't have a cafe miel without honey!), but you could use heavy cream or whole milk if you like dairy. Scroll down to get the recipe!

Ingredients: (Makes four-six popsicles, depending on size)

• One cup of iced coffee (I cold brewed a batch of Lavazza Gran Aroma)
• One cup of full-fat coconut milk (from a can, and only use the creamy part on top)
• 1/4 cup of honey
• Optional: You could use a vanilla bean or some cinnamon to flavor these a bit more, but I just stuck to coffee and coconut cream.

Instructions:

1. Combine coffee and coconut milk in a bowl with a mixer or in the blender (make sure all the coconut milk lumps have been mixed until smooth.
2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until solid (usually only takes a few hours).
3. Pop them out and enjoy! They make an awesome afternoon treat.

This is a sponsored post. You can see my first Lavazza Passion piece here.

It's no secret that coffee is one of the great loves of my life, so you'll understand why I jumped at the opportunity to work with Lavazza again (see our initial collaboration here). I've been enjoying their coffee blends since December, so I'm excited to share a little bit more of them with you. For the next several months, I'll be incorporating their products into my mornings, recipes, and occasionally, my afternoons--because who doesn't love a good 2PM coffee break?

This month, Lavazza sent me four of their specialty blends and, as usual, they made their way into my French press. I usually like to grind my own beans (and have them a little courser), but these come already ground, which is just fine. I use a French press to make iced coffee, as well, but I'll tell you about that later. For now, I wanted to share a few tips for making the perfect French press every time.

1. Start with a clean French press (obviously). Make sure the wire plunger is free of old coffee!
2. Use one tablespoon of coffee grounds for every cup of water.
3. Pour boiling water into the French press, give it a good stir, and set your timer for four minutes.
4. After four minutes, press and serve immediately. (If the pre-ground coffee grinds were too fine, you can always pour the end result through a coffee filter into a new pot.)  Enjoy!

This post is sponsored by Lavazza. As always, thank you for your support as I continue to work with advertisers.