A Seattle Cup with a Little More

With a day as busy as today, I was able to have a cup of lavender green tea while at my desk but sadly, no reprieve from the day until long after I got home and had dinner. The reprieve is in the form of blogging tonight about a past cup of coffee.  While on our first visit to Seattle earlier this year, we did the obligatory tourist things.  Seattle is too large and has so much to offer that you can't see all the great stuff in just one visit. We did see the Space Needle and see the Snoqualmie Falls.  Of course we visited Pikes Place; Seattle hasn't become the rainy, coffee-loving city that everyone knows it as for no reason.  Right off the bat as you enter Pikes Place, you are surrounded by gorgeous fresh flowers, men throwing fish, and endless shops with everything from touristy postcards to incense to hand-made jewelry.  There is a terrific comic book shop and a tea shop with dozens of mixed loose leaf teas and tea making and serving supplies.  Such variety and seemingly infinite products, restaurants, and of course, coffee shops.
The very first Starbucks is located in Pikes Place.  With a constant long lines, people are not deterred to make the pilgrimage to this flagship location, because, well, you have to.  It is as must of a tourist stop as the Space Needle but you walk away with coffee from the place that started this franchise that is so large, it's got it's own shop at Disneyland.
However, I am not a fan.  I have some friends who would prefer it over oxygen, if give. the option but it's not for me.  The mates I was with when visiting Seattle, are on my wavelength, so we took a picture of it, like good tourists, and then proceeded to have coffee elsewhere.  We all feel that Starbucks has a burnt taste to their coffee that is distinct and unpleasant.
Down a block or so from the #1, we came across a cute coffee and sandwich shop (with beer and wine options).  Local Color is a nice little shop that doubles as an art gallery.  Local artists have their art hanging on the walls and just about everything you see, you can purchase.  They serve Caffe Vita coffee and the sandwiches vary from panini style to breakfast sandwiches served all day.
It was late afternoon when we decided on grabbing a cup of Joe so I got a small white chocolate mocha and the husband got a local beer.  I believe my mates ordered the same or a cappuccino but all I know was my drink had about a tablespoon of sugary syrup at the bottom of my cup.  Oops.  Well, it tasted good up until then.  We then walked the shop to look at the art. Definitely some cool stuff but way out of our price ranges.  I liked that we all chose to walk away from the Big Guy and support a local business and that they had much more then coffee to offer.  Seattle has so many coffee shops and I look forward to checking more out.

Too Hot for the Usual

Sometimes change is good and sometimes you don't see the good until much later.  As you get older and the days go by, you don't notice changes right off the bat but look back and you will see you have come a long way, overcome difficulties you never thought you could, experienced the joys of growth and progression, mourned the losses of what has been lost, and discovered new things about yourself.  As one of my closest friends is getting ready to move to Seattle, my family faces health challenges, and other substantial things, I find myself stressed over the changes that are happening.  However, I will still take time out to have my coffee and remember that change takes adjustment.  Change takes strength.  As you watch the changes happen, you can only truly appreciate it long after the dust has settled.
Today's coffee was at the local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.  Joined by the husband and the little one, the three of us sat and discussed the current changes.  Myself, with an iced-blended mocha with whipped cream, the little one with an iced-blended coffee, and the husband with the Thai iced tea special that Coffee Bean is currently running.  My mocha was perfectly swirled and his drink was perfectly, über sugary-as it should be.  It was about 90 degrees when we met up so iced drinks were a must.  We got a great spot on the patio under an umbrella with a small breeze running through.
You may not be able to control the changes but what you can change if your attitude about it.  I try to maintain a positive outlook and find positive solutions to make the changes easier.  You would be surprised how much that really helps.

Sips

Warning: This blog is about to get real nerdy....
Today was another one of those busy days where there wasn't much time to take a breather.  Sure, I was able to have tea with my coworker but it was interrupted several times so it wasn't as relaxing as it should have been.  I had to wait until I got home from work to get my coffee and peace.
Here's where it gets nerdy.  The husband and I enjoy watching YouTube gaming play-throughs.  Yes, I realize that is so nerdy but we don't have cable and there are so many different people and personalities out there that you can always find something entertaining to watch.  One of our favorite people to watch is a guy who calls himself Sips. Originally part of a larger UK based group of YouTubers, this Canadian, living in Jersey, an island in the UK, now has his own channel.  His voice, for some reason has a calming effect, and I'm not the only one to think this.  At one point, his followers asked for him to read stories from books in a video game (Skyrim) because they felt the same way.
Knowing that I needed my unwinding time, the husband made me a vanilla latte, from one of my Asian store 3'n'1 coffee packs and we sat down and watched Sips.  For 30 minutes, I was able to sip my latte and let the strain of the day fall away.
If you feel like being a nerd with me or just curious to know the voice I'm talking about, I'll include a link to one of his episodes below. Just a heads up, there is language and adult topics/humor.  There are other channels that I can recommend if you're looking for entertainment but not the language.  I may have had to go the whole day before coffee break but I was able to take more then ten mins for it this time.

https://youtu.be/-ZfN9puCc4Q

Italian Reunion

Today was a day of errands and headaches so it was nice to take a break with a double hit of coffee and an old friend.  We met up at Maggiano's in Woodland Hills and caught up for a bit before splitting a tiramisu and having this delicious cappuccino.  The coffee they use is called Lavazza and it is said that the creator of this company was one of the first people to have mixed coffees for different flavors.  It is available in stores and as K-cups.  The coffee was good but immediately we could smell the cinnamon they added as well as the cocoa powder.  An excellent addition.  Maggiano's is my favorite place to get tiramisu.  It's creamy and chocolaty without overkilling it with coffee like other places do.  This is a usual spot for us to meet up but my first time having the coffee.  It was a nice break from my large to-do list and it's always nice catching up with such great company.

Birthday Bud

One of my co-workers and I try to have tea time every evening that we work together. Sometimes we get too busy for it but we really make an effort to have that time to de-stress from our work day.  Today was extra special.  It was his birthday!  Since he was the only person who could leave the property today, we told him we needed a cake for someone and if he could go pick one up.  He picked this delicious chocolate cake and dropped it off and went to do something.  While he was out, the manager and I lit the candles and shut off the lights. We had him come back with some other employees and we surprised him! He loved it. Then we got busy again but later in the evening we were able to have tea time.  It was a tea that he'd never had before but one of my favorites.  Lavender green tea. It's light with the fragrant floral smell and taste you would expect.  He enjoyed that too.  We were still pretty busy but having that little bit of time together to celebrate was wonderful.

"Yeah Bud!"

Doggie Date

This was a special afternoon.  I was joined by two friends.  Well, my friend and her puppy, Lily.  We decided to find a new place for lunch and coffee.  The only prerequisite was that it be dog-friendly.  My friend had always wanted to try The Local Table in Dos Vientos, a hidden fancy area in Newbury Park.  We arrived for a late lunch so we had the place to ourselves.  More-so, the man welcomed Lily with open arms and seated us on the patio.  I asked about the coffee selections and he said they only had regular coffee but that there was a coffee shop a couple units down.  We ordered an amazing Italian lunch with a appetizer plate that included some of the best calamari that I've ever had.  Lightly fried with perfectly prepared rings, soft, not mushy or chewy. Prices were excellent for the portions we got.
We then headed over to BeanoVino.  The atmosphere was fun and relaxing.  The minute we walked in, the staff Oohed and Aahed over Lily.  They tried to guess her age and her breed and one lady said, "Come back soon so we can see how big you get!". Some guys came to the shop but had to stop to say hi to Lily before going inside.  We took our coffee on the patio out front. There was dog water bowls all over outside.  I ordered a cappuccino.  Delicious but I had to add my own chocolate powder.  My friend got a caramel macchiato and Lily got more coos.  Next time I will try the house blend coffee, Intelligentsia.  We read a bulletin that mentioned s'mores nights and I think we found the fire pit where that takes place. I will definitely be coming back to this coffee shop.  I loved it!

Hard to see but there was chalkboards with quotes and info written on them

This guy watches over you while you order

Mocha Afternoon

Champagne French Bakery is one of my favorite places to get coffee.  It is a chain of bakeries that has a small menu of cafe foods such as soups, sandwiches, crepes, and salads.  There is also a large case of pastries and sweets and up above is a small menu of the coffees they offer.  I've been to the Los Angeles one before but I frequent the Westlake Village one.  Today, my friend and I ordered white chocolate mocha's with a small lunch.  Since I have yet to find anything at Champagne that I haven't liked, I decided to pick up a couple of macaroons as well.  The orange blossom one wasn't overwhelming with orange flavor.  Just a sweet, soft cookie.  The other was coffee flavored.  Pretty good.  Went beautifully with our coffee.  The cloudy day was a perfect background for our outdoor hang time.

Coffee Brings a Smile

I guess those two root canals from yesterday were worse then I thought.  Got up this morning and couldn't close my mouth.  Decided to lay down until I felt a bit better but that time didn't come soon enough, so without having eating anything, I had to call out of work.  I felt better around 6pm and decided to try to eat something soft and finally have my coffee.  I chose the Vietnamese coffee, that I love, in my color changing Muppets mug.  The heat makes green Beakers and Bunsons appear. That brought a smile to my face.  Afterward, I had more pain so I just rested a bit.  So today was kind of a wasted day but it's not like I was able to to much when feeling this way.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

Brew For Two

Knowing I was going to spend two hours in the dentist chair today, I opted to wait until after my two root canals to have my coffee. My appointment was at 1pm so I got up and had some breakfast and headed over.  After my appointment, I headed home and let the Novocaine wear off while taking a short nap. A friend of mine was getting some dental work as well today so we decided to meet up after he was done and bond over coffee and teeth pain.  He suggested Lenny's Deli in Los Angeles.  Without traffic, the 20 minute drive over the hill was a breeze.
Upon entering the deli, you're greeted with endless display cases of pastries and deli meats and cheeses, all brightly lit and ready to be taken home.  Then past all those cases, you come to the restaurant.  A typical Denny's feel with a Jerry's deli menu.  As you are seated, you get the obligatory deli pickle plate and the waiter asks for your drink order.  The usual deli feel and simple menu make it easy to get lost in conversation.  We went with the regular coffee even though they had latte, cappuccino, espresso, and double espresso on the menu.  The coffee wasn't anything special but it was nice to catch up with my friend with a relaxing cup.  I'm glad I waited on the coffee.

Collectible Cutie

As I've said in the past, this blog will be for coffee, tea, and good times.  Today we deviate from the drink itself and focus on the mug.  I went with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Lung Ching Dragonwell green tea.  I am a huge fan of green teas and seeing the color in this mug made it even more appetizing for me.

This mug is from a collection of mugs released a few years ago from the Disney Store.  They did a collection of designer inspired princess dolls and had stationary and mugs to match.  Ten princess dolls in total.  I got so excited to see the mug release but I waited and didn't pick any up until they were on clearance for five dollars each.  However, I had only picked them up for my sisters, my mom, and friend with their favorite Disney princesses but not mine.  Lucky for me, my friend picked up mine and gave it to me as a gift.  Mulan isn't technically a princess, but the Disney company likes to include her because her story shows women having strength and bravery.  Mulan is my favorite and I was so happy that I got her.  These mugs are truly collectible now.  The dolls themselves, if you can find the princess you want, can sometimes start at $100+ per doll when the original retail was $60.  The mugs were originally $16 but dropped to clearance of $5 until they quickly sold out.  Now, each mug can be found starting at $25 and there is this eBay listing for 9 out of the 10 mugs going for $500.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/181721593211?nav=SEARCH
Some other mugs (and dolls) were made later, such as the Villains designer collection and the Fairytale designer collection, which featured each princess with her prince as a set.  Those other dolls and mugs never reached the same sales status as the original ones and are not as aggressively sought after still.
There are so many reasons I love this mug and it's not just it's monetary value.  It's lace-like texture is unlike any other mug in my collection.  It's pretty and girly and fancy all at once.  Mostly, I think of my dear friend who got it for me whenever I use it.

Front view

Back view

With Dragonwell green tea

Aunt Lillian Day

Aunt Lillian, for those who don't know, is my mom's older sister.  My mom and her other siblings have kids but Aunt Lillian doesn't so I invented Aunt Lillian Day as a way for all us nieces, nephews, friends and family to celebrate her.  She has a heart of gold and loves everyone.  Everyone calls her Aunt Lillian, even new friends that she makes.  The first Aunt Lillian day was in 2010.  I picked April 16th, the day after Tax day, because it made it easy to remember.  We try to do something special every year.  The first year we took her to Disneyland and we have taken her to the Getty and have had a tea party too.  This time, we dined at a sidewalk cafe (Blu Jam), then went to an antique shop, then had coffee and gelato at TIFA, then we visited with friends and family.
TIFA is a terrific little shop that makes their own chocolates, pastries, gelato and coffees. Located in Agoura Hills, it has a small cafe feel with chess boards on the tables and unique mugs for the hot coffees.  A glass case filled with in-house made chocolates greets you as you enter.  You come to the front of the counter and there is a glass case of pastries and next to that, a long glass case with all the gelato on display.  They will give you a sample of any flavor you like and can mix up to four flavors in one cup.
Aunt Lillian got a small cup of lemon curd pistachio gelato with an iced mocha and I got the honey lavender gelato with a cappuccino.  It was delicious and complimented each other perfectly.  I look forward to ordering that again.
Aunt Lillian and I had a wonderful day together and may return to Disneyland next year to celebrate.  Everyone is welcome to join.

Latte Lunch

Had lunch with the siblings today at Olive Garden.  The service was terrible but the company was divine.  With lunch, I ordered this latte.  Picture perfect with average flavor.  They added biscotti for a true Italian look but with my recent dental work, I wasn't gonna take any chances.
Us kids just chatted about the usual: family, health, work, and the newly released second Star Wars trailer.  Seems everyone is finally on board for J.J. Abrams to direct, now that we have more insight to the finished product.  Sure work and family are doing fine, but we have to be certain that we siblings talk about the most important topics when we get together.

From The Heart

It was another beautiful Southern California day.  I decided to pop open the cabinet and see what we had here at home. I found this Red Velvet coffee that was the perfect before-work treat.
My friend came up with a terrific idea for our wedding.  She had given us our wedding gifts and on top of that, created a honeymoon gift pack.  In the gift pack was cheese and crackers, some cookies, a bottle of champagne, and this coffee.  Although we ate just about everything else, we saved this coffee and finally got to enjoy it together.  All the food gifts had these tiny heart stickers with faces.  Those stickers were on our wedding cards as well.
The red velvet coffee wasn't the blood red/dark brown you would expect.  Just regular coffee brown but it did have the sweetness of the cake of its namesake.  Not having a coffee maker in the house means we French pressed it.  All the better.  This mug was also a gift from that same friend.
I use it on days that I feel could have something more fun going on but you have to deal with the schedule placed ahead of you.

Double Take

Coffee today, was taken late in the evening at work.  After a long day, it was well appreciated, even if it was just regular coffee.  What made it awesome was that I was able to double the coffee intake with this coffee spice muffin that my friend's mom made.  I truly enjoyed the two together.
Another double I ran into today was at the dentist.  I went in with a cracked tooth but during the x-rays, the assistant found a second tooth that was broken.  Upon further inspection, my dentist informed me that I will be needing two root canals and two crowns.  She is such a sweet dentist that she took my would-be bill and chopped about a 1/3 off.  I am so grateful.  She wanted a coffee break while I was getting numb today and offered to bring me something.  Maybe next time.

Coffee, Cats, and Art

Today I joined my friend for some (instant) vanilla caramel coffee, at around noon, at her house.  The coffee, as usual, was good but those cups have a great backstory.
They are from a piece called Mermaid Lagoon by local artist Liana Hee.  My friend has been following her for quite some time on different social networks and because she's local, she does signings from time to time.  She is teamed up with Disney and her art and Disney themed art can be found at The Wonderground Art Gallery in Downtown Disney, next to Disneyland.  My friend has collected many of her pieces, including the DoleWhip Girls and some personally commissioned pieces which I may upload at a later date.  In building her collection, she was able to pick up the Mermaid Lagoon piece in postcard form and had it signed for me.  To see Liana's work on those mugs, that are just one piece of what she offers, is awesome.  A local artist, teamed up with a big company but still able to express herself- amazing!
Also pictured is a cute new purse my friend recently ordered online, a milk purse.  So kawaii!
Lastly noted would be the cat in the photo.  This is Fry.  He is my friend's two year old cat with a personality but it's better described as his attitude.  He happens to enjoy coffee and tea so if it's up on the table and you walk away, he will drink it.  Sometimes when our mugs are empty, we let him cram his face into the bottom of the mugs and drink the last drops.  I have a feeling this will not be the last blog where we see Fry's presence.

Talking about more then coffee today

Mr. Attitude

You can see her heart shaped signature in the bottom corner

My friend asked her to sign it but she added the personal touch with this drawing

Impressive Press

Labels Tables used to be a pretty good and always crowded deli located in Woodland Hills.  It had been there forever.  One day last summer, a friend of mine asked me to breakfast at a place called Blu Jam Cafe and as we pulled into the lot, I see the cafe is in place of Labels.  I had no idea it was going out or if it has just moved to another location but it was gone and now we have this cafe with a great menu and mostly the same setup inside minus the deli counter.
Today we got breakfast and of course, coffee.  They had something that you don't see very often: a menu of coffees you can order French-pressed.  I picked the monthly special and they brought the whole press to the table.  Delicious!
I own several French presses as they are the best way to experience coffees and teas. Pressing your own let's you release the oils for the freshest taste.
The amount they give you is also big enough to be shared for the price of a regular cup of coffee from a coffeehouse.  They also French press the tea they offer.  I will be going to Blu Jam again, even for just a drink date.

Click to read what I drank today.

White peach tea, served with ice to make iced tea.

http://www.blujamcafe.com

Crack: A McDonald's Story

Today I had just a little bit of time before work to grab my coffee.  I like the days where I can take my time picking out a place or a type of coffee without being in a rush.  Today wasn't one of those days so I ended up merging lunch with coffee.  Back to a quickie staple: McDonald's. 
McDonald's has some of the best coffee I've ever had.  The beauty of McDonald's coffee is that it is always consistent.  Between stores, at any hour, or any of the types of coffee, it always tastes the same.  They are doing something now that they did last year for a bit.  It is a "happy hour" where between 2-5pm Monday through Friday, you can buy a drink and get one free.  Of course, I went with the mocha frappe and the husband got the caramel frappe to match.  It went nicely with our Fillet-o-Fishes and fries. 
A few years ago, I became obsessed with McDonald's coffee.  During the holidays, they had released their version of a peppermint mocha.  I was drinking at least one a day and on some days, the little one's boyfriend at the time would bring us each one and I would have two.  That holiday, I put on a good portion of weight, thanks to that coffee.  It was so delicious and perfectly made every time so I just couldn't say no.  The following year, I was more careful about having them.  I think I cut back to two or three a week.  Lucky for my waistline, this last year, they didn't offer them.  I try not to get McDonald's coffee all the time but I really do enjoy it. 
The little one and I recently learned that for a bit of pocket change, you can add an extra shot of espresso to your drink.  She had to call to tell me that because she knew how important that kind of news is.  Oh yeah, McDonald's!

Oh no! Our whipped creamed deflated!

Lazy Sunday

And I mean lazy!!
Originally I had no intention of leaving the house today.  I got to talking to my friends: One said something about lemonade and vanilla lattes and another said something about how it's national grilled cheese day and that we should really celebrate.  Then I really started to get hungry.
The significant other came out and suggested we leave the house to get food and I laid there looking at him thinking, he can't be serious about leaving.  That requires getting dressed and going somewhere.  That's not how lazy Sundays work!
But then I remembered, with no milk in the house, any coffee we made would taste bad.
Fine, lets go.
So we hit up Hook Burger for the grilled cheese and lemonade and then to Coffee Bean for vanilla lattes with an extra shot of espresso.
Back in pajamas at home, this lazy Sunday is really working out.  I think lazy Sundays should be at least a once a month kinda deal.  Who's in?

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day!

Texas Tea

That's not a metaphor I'm talking about. Actual tea sent to me from a friend in Texas.  This Earl Grey was terrific.  We will try the other teas she sent later but this loose leaf tea was great.  Perfect for this gorgeous day.  I will be sending her some tea soon.  Maybe I'll go somewhere local and pick out something special.  She does enjoy coffee too.  Guess I'll shop for both of us.

I love receiving tea in the mail.

The loose leaf is so colorful.

The back of the bag

Meet and Treat

The little sister was having a tough couple of days so we decided to meet up and do something neither of us have done before.  A friend of mine recommended a place to get a massage for a great price, so we headed to Island Foot Spa and each got our first ever massage.  It's just across the street from my house, walking distance, even, but who wants to walk after a massage.  It was nice and quite but we were definitely the new kids on the block.  She seemed to really enjoy it but I had a bit of tickles and a bit of pain.  I'm pretty sure my lower back is broken in 3 places but I'm all good in my arms.

After that, we decided on lunch and coffee at Pedaler's Fork in Calabasas.  It's a small restaurant with seasonal foods and organic options.  I love that they have a nice selection of teas to order as full pots.  My sister hadn't been there before but seemed to enjoy it.  I ordered a mocha with my brunch.  Yummy!  They have their own coffee shop onsite called 10 Speed Coffee and a bike shop.  It was great that I got to bring the little one to somewhere new and I think she will join me there again.

A Busy Work Day

All morning I wasn't feeling myself.  Just kinda blah.  I knew I was working a later shift tonight so I figured I could just wait till I got in.  I forgot that I had a crumb cake in my bag, however, the top of that cake didn't forget.  So here we have the squished cake along side my coffee.  My friend made me a Cafe Americano and it was so good.  All that espresso helped me work through such a busy night.  It complimented the crumb cake nicely, even if it was a little deflated.