Coffee Shop Girl

I am back after a long sebatical!

2010-10-31T09:46:00.001-07:00

Between love and madness, lies xenophobia

The new McCafe sucks

2009-04-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Well I have had the chance to visit the new McCafe several times so far, and I have to tell you I am not impressed. They are selling espresso based drinks and as far as price is based it's not much cheaper than getting a Starbucks. They have also raised the prices if the food since the cafe opened.

The 1st time I ordered an iced mocha. There was no sugar at all in it. YUCK! So I tried another day and ordered a Caramel Latte. All of the sweetness was at the bottom. Yuck again. Today I give it my last shot and decided to order a Cappuccino with Caramel. The cup was about 3/4 a way full which really pissed me off but the drink at least had some flavor. I couldn't help but to think that the coffee tasted burnt if that makes any sense. So I will not be going back to McCafe any time soon.

Live Webcam feed on my blog!

2008-09-28T09:30:00.001-07:00

OK I decided to test some technology on my blogs. Now most times I will try and have my webcam open so that you can see me at my desk that I have in my bedroom for now. I may also take my laptop so you may see me blogging on my laptop from Starbucks or barnes and noble. We will see but it should be interesting to see :)

Hope to see you all and my webcam has a chat room attached to it so you can all chat.

Take care!

Michelle

Starbucks Frappuccino Recipe

2008-09-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine found some really great coffee drink recipes to use with the Starbucks coffee we buy at the store or at our local Starbucks store (That's where I prefer to buy my coffee). So if you want to make some Frappuccino at home here is a quick and easy recipe.

STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINO

1/2 Cup of freshly brewed Espresso
2-1/2 Cups of Lowfat 2% Milk (I use Vanilla Soy Milk)
1/4 Cup Granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon Dry Pectin (This gives it the thicker creamier taste)

Combine all ingredients in a container (I prefer a glass jar) and shake well. Chill and serve cold. If you want the Mocha flavor add a pinch of cocoa powder to recipe BEFORE shaking all ingredients.

Dunkin Donuts free samples discontinued for now

2008-08-29T08:11:00.001-07:00

I sent Dunkin Donuts and email asking why they still want bloggers to add a link to our blogs requesting free samples that they no longer hand out. I am still waiting on a response from them on this. As soon as I hear from someone about this promo I will let you all know.

That really upsets me. To me its like false advertising. If I don't get a response soon I will take the link down. :( I hope some of you were able to get a free sample, I ordered mine but don't think I ever received it.

Free Sample of Seattles Best Coffee!

2008-08-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who is interested in a FREE sample of Seattle's Best Coffee can go here to request it http://www.tryseattlesbest.com/

Just thought I would share!

Michelle

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee

2008-06-26T17:30:00.001-07:00

Removed ad because offer no longer available.

BK Joe Iced Coffee

2008-05-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my son had tons of appointments, I was working a split shift and wanted to get a fast quick dinner to go, I really wanted to go to Starbucks but didn't have the time. So we drove through Burger King because that is what my son wanted. He just had his first set of allergy shots (a total of 3 shots) so I figured he deserved whatever he wanted since it was a rough visit.

I saw that Burger King had Iced Coffee and was told they had French vanilla also so I ordered that. It was really good, it almost tasted like the Starbucks Frappucino drinks you get in the store. It didn't give me the caffeine rush that I needed but it tasted good :)

If you are looking for a cold tasty drink then the BK Joe Iced coffee is good. If you need the fuel to get you going in the morning I would stop by your local cafe.

Could you survive one week without coffee?

2008-04-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you had to go one week without coffee would you be able to do it? I was thinking about that today as I was almost out of my new coffee I just got last week. As I pour the remainder of the beans in my coffee grinder I shudder to think what life without my morning cup of coffee would be like. I think if I was allowed just one morning cup of coffee I would be OK. But if I had to stop all coffee intake I would be a total clutz and would probably turn into a very mean and ugly person. lol.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that way. I walked into my local Starbucks yesterday morning and WOW. When I walked in there was one person in front of me, by the time I ordered (I don't even need to speak they know my name and what I want) there was 17 people behind me within a matter of 5 minutes. If the barista had turned around and said "Sorry we are out of coffee today" I wonder what the place would sound like lol.

I was reading what the withdrawl symptoms of coffee are. According to Daniel at CoffeeFaq.com they are being irritable, unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having a headache. In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been reported.

I think I would rather have my coffee Thank You! :)

Paid wifi in cafe's vs free wifi...

2008-03-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

As I sit here planning my week which always includes relaxing with a cup of coffee somewhere and writing or reading, time what I call "Me time" I was thinking of all the places that have wifi and how some places charge (Like Starbucks) and how some places are free like Panera Bread.
I wonder why some places charge and others don't? Is it to make money off from the hot trend of bringing your laptop to the coffee shop?

As a business owner myself I can see why it would be good to charge for wifi access, it adds an additional revenue stream, but at the same time I think if a customer came to my coffee shop to work on his laptop and use the wifi he may be spending more on products. Plus I think its just good customer service to offer free wifi.

I read an article that one coffee shop in WA turned off its wifi on weekends because they would get squatters that sat for 6 to 8 hours and not buy anything. I personally have never seen anyone without a coffee or pastry at Starbucks (the place I frequently use my laptop). I sometimes order 2 latte's and sometimes a coffee cake, if I am on a roll work wise and the music and the coffee keeps me motivated I will keep buying coffee until I leave. Maybe I am not the average coffee addict but I easily spent $100 a month at Starbucks between my son and I.

I have some new cafes with hot spots to check out and I will be sure to review them shortly. So what is everyones opinion on wifi's and cafes? Should the owners charge? I would love to know what others think!

Arabian Mocha Sanani - My new favorite coffee!

2008-03-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

As a way to try and find a happy medium to enjoying Starbucks every day and yet not killing my wallet by visiting every day for my daily mocha, there are days when I was real busy I would go back in the afternoon for an iced tea. Well I looked at the coffee racks because the Starbucks I go to has an awesome selection of coffee to choose from. I saw Arabian Mocha Sanani. This has to be the best coffee that I have brewed at home in a very long time. This is what the Starbucks page says about this coffee.

Here's our most exotic and unpredictable coffee, laden with flavors of deep port wine, berry fruit, warm earthen spices and cocoa. More about this coffee: Yemen rests on the Indian Ocean. Sanani refers to the coffee-growing region around Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.

I noticed some people gave this coffee a low rating because of costs (This coffee is about $16 a pound) If you want a real treat and something a bit different than in my opinion it is well worth the price.

Thanksgiving at Starbucks!

2007-11-22T06:43:00.000-08:00

First of all Happy Thanksgiving! Yes I did make my pilgrimage to Starbucks this morning. Maybe if they opened any other coffee shops in the area I would go there but Starbucks now is the only one close to me.

The Starbucks Gods were with me today! I received 2 coupons for any drink that Starbucks has to offer! Plus I was broke and that REALLY helped! So since it was Thanksgiving I decided to get the Pumpkin Spice Latte. How appropriate! I do have to say that is one of my favorite drinks. The barista said they can make it year round its just they market it this time of year. Somehow a pumpkin spiced latte doesn't sound very appealing in July.

Today I was pretty shocked at the number of people inside Starbucks. You can tell that most of them were from out of town or rarely go to Starbucks. The 3 people in front of me were studying the menu board like a text book. But I do say that they ordered some iced teas that looked really good. I am a huge fan of iced tea! I will have to check that out one day.

Well time to go work on my Thanksgiving dinner and finish my Latte.

Random Ramblings from Starbucks Sunday Morning.

2007-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today I am sitting inside the Starbucks enjoying a regular coffee and a cranberry bar with my son who always get a vanilla bean frappuccino. I love sitting here with my laptop writing and listening to the Starbucks radio which I was glad to hear is on XM Satellite radio channel 45. I will definitely have to put that on at home because most days the music here is very relaxing and it would be excellent music to write and work to since I am a telecommuter. Very cool. I love James Taylor’s music and that is what is on now.

I come to realize that there is more than just latte’s at Starbucks. I used to always be the one who ordered the most expensive drinks but lately I have been trying to get brewed coffee and not latte’s in hopes of saving both calories and money. It seems to be working. One day I will post the number of calories and fat that are in the regular Starbucks latte’s. Not that us Starbucks fanatics care much about that right?

I hear a lot of people ordering mocha’s. I have to admit that I have never ordered a mocha but it does sound good. I guess I am thinking that it taste more like hot cocoa but I don’t care for cocoa in the morning. I NEED coffee. Yesterday I did not make my daily pilgrimage to Starbucks and boy did my work performance suffer! Of course without caffeine flowing through my veins I had every fraud case setup to do at work and of course no one knew how to do them because honestly my department does not do many and the screens to navigate are difficult using the AS400 screens.

Just ordered a Grande peppermint mocha. I figured I can use the boost of caffeine to clean my house and it will give me something else to review for this blog post. I really do feel like writing today and I seem to have writers block. I have to admit that I am enjoying sitting here with my son talking about what kind of Christmas tree we will get this year, artificial or regular. It has been years since I have had a real tree. I like the smell of pine that a fresh tree has. I just have to find a way to get the tree to my apartment and upstairs which is making me think that it may be easier to just buy a pre-lit tree lol and spray some pine scent on it lol. Come to think of it I think that is what we will do. If I had a husband or boyfriend I may think otherwise and do that but since its just me and my son I think we will go with an artificial tree.

Anyways back to the Grande Peppermint mocha I have. I have to say this is the best drink ever! I am a huge fan of peppermint and I always have the hard candies on my desk. For some reason I find them soothing and plus they taste good. I will definitely try the other peppermint drinks they have here. The peppermint mocha does not taste a lot like hot cocoa like I thought it would. It does taste like coffee with cocoa and peppermint flavors. Very good! I would highly recommend it to anyone who like peppermint.

Well back to reality. It's time to pack up my laptop and head to the grocery store. Until next time!.....

Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee

2007-11-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well this morning I went into Starbucks to get my coffee. Today I decided to try the Christmas blend coffee. I will have to get it again and not ruin it with splenda. I had bought some spiced vanilla rum coffee creamer at Albertsons and if I was thinking while I was in Starbucks this morning I would have waited until I got home to add the creamer, since I telecommute.

But I have to say it was a rough ROUGH morning! My son lost my keys, the school bus never did come to get Kenny, I have 1/8 of a tank of gas and $3 to my name. Thank GOD for my Starbucks gift card! I was thinking, If I stop getting Lattes at Starbucks I could cut my coffee habit down by over 50%..hmmm..As a telecommuter, my commute is my pilgrimage to Starbucks every morning. I was thinking of brewing coffee at home but then who would I mingle with everyday? lol Plus I love the coffee! (I love it more when I don't use splenda in my coffee - WHAT WAS I THINKING??) Why doesn't Starbucks add the cream and sugar for you? McDonald's does! Oh well.

Well off to work I go...Until next time...

It's Red Again at Starbucks!

2007-11-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year! This morning when going into Starbucks I noticed they had their windows decorated in a Christmas theme. Little things like that give me the warm fuzzy;s. It reminds me of walking the streets in Manhattan at Christmas time looking at all the holiday displays. It's nice to see a "Winter" theme in Florida. For some reason Palm Trees with Christmas lights does nothing for me.

Today the menu changed slightly to accommodate the winter beverages. I decided to try the Gingerbread Latte. It was very good. My usual drink is Caramel Mochiatto but I do like to try the new drinks that comes out. I may take my son for a cup of hot chocolate on my day off this week. He is a big fan of hot cocoa. Now they have a peppermint Hot Chocolate that sounds real good, I have not tried that yet.

Take a look at Starbucks "It's Red Again" website. It's a cute way to pass the cheer. You can create yourself a character and a friend.

More good news for women who drink coffee!

2007-11-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here with my daily Venti espresso based Starbucks coffee I am enjoying my Sunday just reading some magazines and looking for some good recipes and tips for Thanksgiving dinner. By the way I am drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. I know for some people it may sound like a nasty combination but to me its like a little bit of Thanksgiving in a cup.

So according to this article in Nov 29th 2007 issue of Family Circle a new study shows that women who drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day or 6 cups or more a day of tea are 30% less likely to have memory decline at age 65. Why? It seems that caffeine may help reduce levels of beta amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease according to study author Karen Ritchie, PH.D. of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research.

So, if you are feeling guilty about having that extra cup of coffee, here is another good reason to enjoy! BTW, why not add a slice of pie with that coffee :)

Folgers Gourmet Selections - Vanilla Biscotti

2007-05-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

When one of my co-workers mentioned how great Folgers Gourmet Vanilla Biscotti was a wonderful coffee and others agreed I was doubtful of how great it could be. I am a true coffee shop coffee kind of gal! So one day I found myself not able to afford Starbucks ground coffee but HAD to get SOMETHING until payday! Coffee is my life! I NEED IT! :)

This coffee is great with flavored coffee creamer and with just milk. I made this coffee iced and it is very good. Freeze some of the left over coffee in ice cube trays to use for your iced coffee so it does not get too watered down.

So..drumroll please! For someone who is VERY picky about the coffee I drink I give Folgers Gourmet Coffee 5 Stars!

McDonalds Iced Coffee

2007-04-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

When I heard that McDonald's had iced coffee I was excited! McDonald's offers iced coffee in 3 flavors, Vanilla, Hazelnut and regular. The one thing I noticed was that not all McDonald's are the same thus the iced coffee will not be the same. The first time I ordered a ice coffee I ordered the Vanilla because that is one of my favorite coffee flavors. I was really disappointed. Not only did the making of my iced coffee delay my order but when I received it, it tasted very watered down and no real coffee or vanilla flavor. I ordered a large iced coffee (IS there any other size? ;) ) So I gave it another try only because I was staying with relatives who did not have coffee and that was basically my only option to get a quick cup of coffee. The next trip I ordered a medium size to see if perhaps the coffee would not be so watered down. I have to admit the medium size was much better. There was more flavor and it was not as watered down.

Some things I noticed about McDonald's iced coffee are:

1. Your coffee will not taste the same any 2 times.

2. Some employees take the time and shake the cup to mix the coffee well, others will not shake at all. You can tell by looking at the bottom of the cup.

3. Do not take the lid of your iced coffee off!! When they shake the coffee the coffee travels underneath the lid and you will then have coffee all over your shirt if you remove the lid. Trust me I know lol!

To sum things up, McDonald's iced coffee is a good drink for under $2 especially on a hot day. Try it with the new cinnamon buns and it is a very good and affordable treat.

Coffee Lovers Unite!

2007-04-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know a person who loves coffee more than I do. I love all kinds of coffee and always am on the look out for a new cafe, coffee maker, ground coffee, even coffee mugs! ANYTHING to do with coffee I LOVE. I even went as far as buying some skin care products that had coffee in the ingredients, yes coffee beans!

I hope you will enjoy my coffee reviews and that you will find them useful! If you have a coffee related product that you would like me to review please email me.