All things coffee

Over a month ago our church had a Coffee Tasting event featuring my favorite coffee roasters. Right up my alley type of thing, but it happened to be the weekend we had to look for houses. Since it turned out to be a worthwhile trip, I was able to get over my disappointment pretty quickly.

Yesterday, a lady from Blacksmith Coffee stopped by the church. She told me she felt bad that I had to miss the event and presented me with a pound of my favorite roast - Guatemala Antigua. How she remembered me, for one thing, and my favorite roast, for another thing... let's just say I was pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful. Okay, really? I was shocked. And since I have been unable to find this roast in the store lately, I was thrilled.

Because people, this coffee is BETTER than Starbucks. There. I said it and the world didn't collapse. Sometimes Starbucks just isn't that good - there can be a weird aftertaste leaving your mouth kind of dry. Not with this. Just a bold, rich, wonderful cup of coffee.

Listen to the description:

This Genuine Antigua Pastoral is smooth, yet bold, with a delicious rich body highlighted by a subtle chocolatey aftertaste.

Makes you want to come over for a cup right now, right? Well, I wish you could but my grinder is packed away for St. Louis. AHHHHH. How I wish I knew where it was. I haven't made a decent cup of coffee for months.

I am ashamed to say that I haven't taken the trip to Lindsborg to visit their shop, but I have it on my to-do list before we move. Because after checking out their website there are a lot of other roasts I am dying to try.

For instance, I can't pass up a brew from Hawai'i called Maui Melemele:

And this organic Bali Blue Moon roast is interesting with dark chocolate, blueberries and tropical spices.

And, I can't leave out at least one of their ultra-premium flavored roast.

And, I have been thinking that our new house should have a coffee press instead of a coffee maker. You know, its the healthier way to brew. Add that to the reality that I am the only one who drinks coffee in the morning and we have very limited counter space that needs not be cluttered by a coffee maker... They have quite the selection of brewers - and I think that a trip to Lindsborg is a must.

So, who's going with me?

3 of the 4 photos were taken from www.blacksmithcoffee.com. Please visit their site and their store. I think you'll love these folks as much as I do!

After my own heart...

Looks interesting. I should smell it.

Smells good, too. Now for the lick-test.

That is really good.

I mean, really good.

I could have one of these everyday!

If it tastes this good. I should bite it.

No, don't take it away!!!

He's a dog after my own heart. But let's see how well you know me. What was I drinking?

The case of the [2] missing coffee grinders

Shockingly enough, I have not made coffee in the new house. Thanks to Christmas Blend Via packs and Starbucks gift cards and lots of traveling, I just haven't done it.

So, it was quite embarrassing when we had guests over and I frantically had to search through my cabinets to find a coffee grinder. It was even more embarrassing that I have not found it. And then the final embarrassment came when our guest drove to the grocery store to get ground coffee.

It's a mystery to me how I could lose track of, not 1, but 2 coffee grinders - one still in its box. I am resigned that it probably won't show up for 5 months when I start packing all over again.

Java Jitters

To me, there is hardly anything better than a good hot cup of coffee. The aroma. The taste. The warmth, especially on a cool morning.

My coffee love began in high school. I started drinking it with more creamer and sugar than coffee until my dad challenged me to "drink it like a man." Why I wanted to be "like a man" brings up so many other issues, but from then on, I rarely used cream and never used sugar.Then I went to italy, where shots of espresso were served after each meal. The love intensified from that point on.

Coffee drinking became a very regular occurance. I never struggled with drinking caffinated coffee at any time of the day. I would drink a pot and fall a sleep an hour later. It was comfort.

When I went to Nebraska for college, my coffee drinking reached the point of addiction. I would make a pot of coffee in the morning - drink it all. Then I would make a pot of coffee in the evenign - drink it all. That was somewhere between 20-24 cups a day. I determined that I would never be that addicted again.

Since then, I have not been addicted and I don't need it like I used to. I still enjoy it and drink it frequently; but it is under control.

For the past few years, however, I have developed a new problem with coffee. The Java Jitters. It's more than jitters, though. My blood sugar has always been sensitive. If I don't eat normal meals and snacks, I will find myself with virtego, the shakes, hot flashes, claminess, and unable to focus or concentrate. Coffee seems to intensify these symptoms.

I used to combat it by eating dense food with the coffee, trying to combat the effects. In the past 6 months, however, I have learned that isn't even helping. If I drink more than 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning, I will go haywire in the afternoon. It is hard to explain, but I just feel weak and "not-all-there." I have my theories that caffiene causes you to metabolize faster and therefore the food that would normally keep me going for 4-5 hours, runs out after 3-4. I have no idea if this is biochemically accurate, but I feel like I learned that years ago.

Whatever the reason is, I don't know. But it happens. No matter if I make sure to eat good meals and snacks, or if I don't, the problem is still there. It just may have a different intesity level.

Does this make me stop drinking coffee? Absolutely not. I just deal with the java jitters.

Pike's Place, continued

Pike's Place was fun. I bought this tiny lemon white-chocolate cheesecake that was delish and a really funny gift for Hubs. As I browsed, I was always searching for a certain store.

The original Starbucks. At first I thought this was it:

It was on Pike Street and it was the first one I saw. So, I went inside and got a drink. I decided not to buy any gifts there since I had just arrived. I thought I would just stop by later. It wasn't much different than a normal Starbucks, just a little different atmosphere.

Half a block later, I stumbled across the REAL first Starbucks.

It was smaller, older, and if that wasn't enough, the inside SHOUTED that it was the first Starbucks.

No tables and chairs. No normal Starbucks merchandise. No pastries. Two tall counters against two of the walls. The other wall was shelves containing merchandise and coffee beans ONLY sold at this store. And the other wall was the front door.

It was tiny, compared to most, and it was busy with tourists. I'm pretty sure everyday Seattle dwellers go to the many other Starbucks store in town. I browsed and bought some unique gifts. The lady at the counter told me they sold waaaaay more merchandise than coffee, she compared this store to a Target. It wasn't surprising. They had the coffee mugs all boxed and ready to go for the tourists.

This Starbucks store only uses the original brown logo. If you haven't seen it, it is the one with the naked girl in detail. So, I was very careful with my selection of mugs. Call me crazy, but I felt a little odd buying someone a mug with a large Starbucks logo, "aka large naked breasts."

Being such a big fan of coffee and of Starbucks, this was a definite highlight. What I didn't think about was that I would now need to lug all my purchases uphill to my bus stop. I verified my bus choice with a local and hopped on. It was nice to sit after walking for a solid 3+ hours wearing cute flats - the tennies just didn't go with the skinny jeans.

But, then I got off the bus and had a mile and a half walk back to the hotel. This walk was quicker, now that I knew where I was going. But this time I was also carrying a large back of purchases. Our hotel wasn't very fun to hang out at, and I still had seven hours until Hubs was done.

Off I went for another 4 hours of shopping, in my flats. When my feet couldn't stand it anymore, I got a yogurt parfait from Red Mango and cozied up in a chair at Barnes and Noble and read. A great way to end a fun day in Seattle.

Status

Have you heard of those "Black" American Express cards? The ones that only the rich and famous have; with no limits or denials? I'll never have that kind of status. Nor do I really want it. Really, the only status I have been working towards finally came in the mail yesterday.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have reached Gold status and in the mail today came my very own gold card packaged in such a neat way that you would have thought it was an Apple product.

This is no credit card. It isn't used for clothes. Or groceries. It doesn't get me into concerts or exclusive restaurants. And it isn't my airline mileage account.It's better than that.

I'm a gold-level customer at Starbucks, thank you very much.

Not only is our local Starbucks the place were everyone knows my name. No, tomorrow when they say good morning, I will whip out my gold card. I'm sure the entire store will break out in applause as I get showered in confetti and handed a bouquet of roses.

Okay, maybe that's a little too much. But, I do get some pretty neat perks.

Not only that, but when I lifted up my shiny new card, underneath was a coupon for a free drink of my choice!

What can I say...that's what you get when you are at Gold Status like me.

Things

THIS is my free pound of bold coffee. Please tell me you participated in the bold-a-week deal at Starbucks! If not, you sure missed out. It was worth it for me, since I am at Starbucks at least once a week anyways. So, why not earn a free pound of coffee? My choice was this organic shade grown Mexican coffee. Can't wait to try it!

THIS is the fabric of the dress that Hubs bought for me. He left me was gone for 5 whole days and he brought me home a very cute dress and sweater. I know. He's awesome!

THIS is Pups, who is feeling much better. This is what he does when he thinks I have been neglecting him, he is bored, and he wants someone to play with him.

THESE are my new running shoes that I bought on sale at the same time that I bought...

THESE. My $110 shoes for which I only paid $10. Not only a fabulous deal, but also a super cute pair of shoes.

Starbucks girl

The Starbucks people recognize me when I come in. No, I do not go there every day. No, they do not know my order by heart - I mix it up to confuse them. Sometimes I get a non-fat caramel macchiato. Sometimes a non-fat peppermint latte. Sometimes a skinny hazelnut latte. Sometimes a hot tea. Always non-fat. Always no whip. Never anything chocolate - does anyone else dislike their chocolate?

Anyways, that was totally not the point of this post. There is this girl that is usually making the drinks in the morning who is completely familiar to me. I am guessing that I actually went to high school with her, but I have no clue what her name is or if she just has a familiar face.

A normal person probably would have either looked in their old year book or simply asked the girl what her name was. But a) I am not normal and b) my yearbooks are buried underneath other old, meaningless stuff.

Nope. Instead, I just thank her for my drink and wonder each time why she looks so familiar.

It's official.

Fall is here!

Fall is marked by my first sip of a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I have had my sip, and a few hundred more, therefore fall is here. By they way, I do think they have made this latte a little better this year - not so much of the after taste, much smoother.

I'm glad fall is here. It seems like Kansas is ready for fall, too. The weather has already gotten cooler - something that is out of the ordinary. I'm ready for the pumpkins, the football games, the chili, and the cinnamon rolls. If we only had big, beautiful trees to enjoy the fall colors.

Does anyone else feel like fall was just here? Or is it just me who feels like time is hurrying by?

Are you ready for fall or hanging on to the last days of summer?

Did you know?

That Starbucks ice cream now makes little individual size containers of Java Chip? A great way to treat yourself after carrying 6 bags of groceries, plus 2 giant boxes of Pampered Chef items up the 3 flights of stairs to your apartment. You would have taken the elevator, but it moves at a whopping speed of .02 mph and you are just too impatient for that.

That when left alone in the apartment for an undetermined amount of time, I can read through 2 entire books and still have too time to spare?

That as a soon-to-be dentist's wife, it is completely acceptable to buy 2 liters of mouthwash in one trip to the store? It is also totally normal to have a shelf in the bathroom dedicated to random samples of toothpaste, whitening gel, and other oral care products.

MIB - Missing In Blogging

It's been five days since my last post...that seems like a lifetime in Blogland. Life has become relatively calm and that will force me to get creative with my posts. For now, I'll give you a quick update.

After a fantastic, relaxing weekend with family, I came rejuvenated and ready to get back to normal life. I had been having frequent freak-out sessions which produced headaches and fatigue, but really accomplished nothing. It just does not work for me to live without a schedule, a purpose, and a goal. I had not purchased a planner yet for 2009 and everything in my head was weighing down on me. I would walk into walls, forget to turn off appliances, and just feel completely lost at all times. Of course, this all resulted in needless tears.

Now, my planner is with me at all times, I have a schedule and I make goals for myself each day. I'm still catching up from my weeks of chaos, but soon I should be back in a routine of working out, reading my Bible and preparing for Bible studies, and keeping our house in order. I am amazed at how much energy I already have after just a few days of being focused. It's also amazing at how much more fun I am - ask Hubs.

This isn't to say that we don't have spontaneity and that we aren't flexible. We are both of those things, but my overall, day-to-day life needs structure. My mom raised me that way, and it works.

Speaking of my mom, she is recovering and doing well. I say that now, though tomorrow will may be a different story after she tries moving it for the first time.

And, I went to purchase some of my favorite mugs from Starbucks today. I had a coupon for 10% off the entire order, but the cashier only took 10% off one item (my drink). It irks me because the coupon was the only reason I went to buy more mugs. I should have gotten about $1.90 off my purchase...I only got $.35. I want to march right back down there and get my rightful savings.

So, would you go back and ask them to re-run your transaction or just forget about the $1.55?