all things coffee

coffee pairing adventures and some effects

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Calming Coffee Adventure

Recently went to a coffee shop in Davis. Mishkas Coffee and Tea Lab, also known as, Mishkas Cafe. They offer a handful of seasonal drinks, some that even I have not heard of at any Starbucks or Peets. So I decided to go out of my comfort zone and have something new. I tried the lavender latte.

An exciting new find was what I needed for a night out, adventuring. So, I chose to try Mishkas Cafe - it looked kind of chaotic inside but felt like an old-style cafe. It did not have the regular set-up that a Peets or Starbucks did have. 

Once I got my latte and my warmed chocolate chip cookie, I was ready to try my pairing. The latte smelled of a mixture of lavender and eucalyptus. It did not look any different than a regular latte, however, it was really tasty and calmed the nerves. 

Since I have anxiety, finding a good balance between a coffee drink and less anxiety-inducing is what I normally aim for. I know, those two options are polar opposites, but somehow it worked out because the espresso did not affect as much as the lavender actually calmed me. 

 “For thousands of years, lavender has been used for its calming properties. It’s believed to reduce stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Lavender’s health benefits counteract the negative effects of coffee. So you get the alertness and focus of the caffeine without all the exhausting jittery anxiousness.” 

That depiction could not be truer. Since my focus was pairing this cup of coffee with a sweet of some sorts, I decided to go for something I would want to eat while I was calm. I knew that lavender had this quality, so, therefore, choosing my favorite go-to snack, a chocolate chip cookie was a must.

Although this combination was a little pricey (around $6 to $7), I still highly recommend it, especially if you have a love for coffee or enjoy trying new places.  

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Coffee: Magic Bean that keeps you awake

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that fairy tales aren’t real. I drink a potion made from magic beans every day, and it brings me back to life.” - Nanea Hoffman

Like many addictions, a coffee addiction is not much different. Every day, I personally need a cup of coffee to simply wake myself up.

To open my eyes, I need a cup of coffee to give me life, as referenced in the quote. I have been wondering why is that? I ask some of my friends, and they all agree that in order to function in the morning, they need that one cup of joe. This brings me to talk about the effects of coffee on college students. We have all had those all-nighters, or even just staying up late, and need that caffeine push which eventually develops into an addiction because while staying up all night, you need to also stay awake for classes the next morning. 

Most times the cycle in itself can be broken. But sometimes, new habits are formed and let me tell you - it is not the same as old habits die hard, because of these habits, or more so a new morning routine that can affect your well-being long-term by:

Caffeine withdrawals, dependence and toxicity do exist. You may experience fatigue, and “coffee” headaches. 

Sleep deprivation will not be fixed long-term by the consumption of caffeine. This is similar to comparing your body to batteries. You may expect it to run longer with little-to-no time to re-charge. 

Alongside those two affects, with reduced sleeping patterns, we actually lower our energy levels and reduce our metabolic activity. 

As much as it pains me to say this, coffee may not always be the best option, sometimes getting a little more shut-eye might just do the trick. The effects of coffee on your body is something you should consider due to the effect on your sleep and your mind.      

A few questions to ask yourself to judge whether your addiction is strong are:

1. How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

2. Could you last a day without having a single cup of coffee?

3. When you don’t have coffee, what affects do you mean on your physical, emotional or mental effects on your body?

The answers to these will vary, however coffee headaches are a huge pointer that you have some sort of a coffee addiction. 

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The Two C’s - Crepes and Coffee

Breakfast and brunch places are mostly in nowadays. Sleeping in until you can and still have a socially acceptable place to eat breakfast as late as you desire, most probably around 3 o’clock though. At each of these places, they always have a cup of joe - whether it is truly living up to its’ potential of ‘good coffee’ is questionable. 

“Coffee (n.): survival juice” 

The restaurant Crepeville here in Davis has a variation of crepes and coffee. Their menu didn’t have much so I chose something that I had never tried before. A borgia. It had a mocha and almond syrup with steamed milk topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. This chocolaty and sweet drink would be best paired with a crepe with brown sugar, cinnamon and choice of fruit. 

I, unfortunately, had too much sugar and went for the banana and Nutella crepe. The both separately were really great dishes, but meshed together, the coffee pairing was not as best as it could be.

But, I still enjoyed the venue and the attempt at having a sugary induced coffee drink. Although I do not normally choose sugar drinks as my go-to is a latte, I would still recommend trying the borgia, especially since it wasn’t that pricey.

At the end of the day, coffee is caffeine and we are all - mostly - broke college students, so $3 on a flavored cup of coffee is probably the cheapest it’s going to be. This price is almost unheard of in comparison to Peets and Starbucks.

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Coffee Addictions and Holiday Drinks

My coffee addiction dates back to my senior year in High School where I found a true appreciation for the caffeinated nights while being awake enough to have a clear focus on what I was studying. However, my addiction furthered when I started working at Starbucks over the summer. I discovered a newfound appreciation for coffee and it’s ability to be paired with different foods based on its’ features - tastes, and caffeine strength. My favorite time of the year to get a coffee started during the holidays as Starbucks released their seasonal drinks, starting in early September with the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte for Halloween and Thanksgiving to their play on beverages served at Christmas dinner such as the Eggnog Latte. 

Well, this holiday, Starbucks has outdone themselves with the addition of three new holiday beverages - Toffee Nut Latte, Gingerbread Latte, and the Fudge Hot Chocolate and the return of the legendary Eggnog Latte. Starbucks describes these drinks as: 

“Gingerbread Latte: With all the ingredients you need for a cozy Christmas, this drink contains Starbucks 100% Arabica espresso, infused with gingerbread syrup and steamed milk. It’s finished with gingerbread flavored whipped cream and wafer crumbs and is sure to his the Christmas spot every time.

Toffee Nut Latte: The much-loved Toffee Nut Latte is a combination of rich nutty flavors and Starbucks 100% Arabica espresso, with fresh steamed milk. This festive favorite is complemented with finishing touches of whipped cream and decadent hazelnut sprinkles.

Eggnog Latte: The return of the Eggnog Latte is celebrated by fans all over the world. Made by combining Starbucks 100% Arabica espresso with creamy, steamed eggnog and served with a dusting of ground nutmeg, it gets everyone feeling Christmassy.

Fudge Hot Chocolate: An indulgent combination of milk chocolate and fudge syrup, carefully crafter with steamed milk, then finished with fudge flavored whipped cream and a sprinkling of gold chocolate curls.”

With the ability to personalize any drink to your satisfaction, I recommend the Gingerbread Eggnog Latte, a mixture of both the Eggnog Latte and the Gingerbread Latte. Now, if you want to alter the sweetness, you should change the amount of pumps of each syrup in the drink itself. However, another way to create a ‘party’ of savory flavors is to add a food item. For this creation, the combination is between the Cranberry Bliss Bar or a Petite Vanilla Bean Scone.  

Starbucks Holiday Drinks are currently having a “Buy One, Get One Free” from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on November 9th until November 13th. Feed into your coffee addictions, or your sweet tooth’s and try some holiday drinks!