#OurProject52 – In My Cup
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Today, as I write this, what’s in my cup are the bottom dregs of a cuppa’ hot chocolate from Holy Grounds, the campus coffee shop that sells Starbucks brand coffee products.
It’s a bit of a treat for me to go in to Holy Grounds for coffee, one I’ve been getting too much lately considering the price of coffee drinks. But they are awfully good (as evidenced by the fact that I want to lick all the chocolate off the inside of my cup).
I used to love real coffee drinks, but a couple years ago I needed to cut the majority of caffeine out of my diet. Since then, I drink a lot of caffeine free sodas (but not diet- I avoid aspartame whenever possible), lemonade and the like.
I would drink more water, but the city water where I live is really hard and just doesn’t taste good. I do drink water when I’m at the in-laws though. They are a few miles from us, and on a different water supply. You really can tell a difference.
Lately my favorite drink has been decaf chai latte. It’s not sweet, but the milk makes it nice and creamy, and it’s simply perfect for the type of cold snowy weather we’ve been having lately. When it warms up I’ll probably go back to lemonade as a favorite. Does the weather affect your drink choices?
Sharing over at: #OurProject52 at Everyday Eyecandy and Lipgloss and Binky
Re: hard, bad-tasting water, it’s worth investing in a good water filter system. I use the Brita pitcher and it works well for me.
I’ve always been a tea drinker, and have been exploring different teas for the past few years. Barry’s Tea from Ireland is one of the best all-round teas IMO, good enough to drink without milk, though I do indulge in sugar or honey. For a lighter, less caffeinated bevvy (though Barry’s does a very decent decaf teabag) I have learned to love Iron Goddess (Kwan Yin) tea and real white tea. I have to say, I’m a loose-tea girl when it comes to green and white teas–I want to see what I’ve got, as often those expensive “white tea” bags can be as much as 80% bogstandard green. I ignore the pricey tea boutiques that have sprung up in Seville like mushrooms over the past few years; I prefer to buy my tea from the Asian supermarket. Just remember never to bring the water to a full boil for green/white tea–a good simmer is enough to develop the flavour while avoiding the “grass cutting” smell and taste of overboiled GT.
One of my new loves is yerba maté. It gives you a lift without jitters or the coffee crash–and as I’m an insomniac (3 hrs of sleep last night due to gale force winds moving in) that’s a consideration! It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but one I’ve cultivated after being shown how to make maté by an Argentinian friend. Again, never boil the water–about 160ºF (a good simmer) is enough. You can also make it with cold water (they call it “tereré”) in summer–just let it stand a bit longer. I plan on using your lemonade syrup recipe this summer–so refreshing!
That all sounds good. I really should get a good filter for my water, but hate to invest the money.
Love the name of the coffee shop! I had to snicker at you wanting to lick the chocolate out of the bottom of the cup. Been there.
I’m a die-hard coffee fan, so that’s almost always in my cup. I need to ease up but I know I won’t. I try to balance with a glass of juice or a bottle of water, but it doesn’t always work. And, yep, I drink hot coffee in the summer time as well.
I totally understand that, especially early in the mornings. And I still occasionally miss a cup of coffee, but drinking a chai latte seems to solve the craving. Thanks for stopping by.
I am a lover of hot chocolate, its one of the few things I get from Starbucks. I love to top it off with whip and sip with joy. lol #ourproject52
The whip cream is the best part (and the only way you can drink it for the 1st 5 minutes). It’s just so tasty. I tried the starbucks brand hot chocolate mix, but I just can’t get the same consistency, it must be the process of steaming the milk. Thanks so much for stopping by.
I seem to always have a cup of tea or coffee nearby, usually hot, but iced on summer afternoons. I will sometimes treat myself to a Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks around the holidays, they are a lot of calories, but worth every one!
Yum! That sounds tasty. There are certain things that are worth ignoring calorie counts. 🙂 I love iced tea, too (usually with lots of sugar, but I can drink it without if I have to). Thanks for stopping by.
I love the name, Holy Grounds! These drinks and treats look really yummy.
I never thought of city water affecting drink choices or water consumption? Maybe I take for granted that I have filtered water at home? Who knew this link up would cause awareness of my water situation?
Enjoy your Friday!!
Shon, I learned the importance of filtered water back in the 90s when Spain was in the grip of years of drought. I thought I was getting an ulcer due to stress in my life at that time, when the doctor suggested I get a water filter pitcher. Changed my life! Tea and coffee taste so much better with filtered water.
I make maté by mixing the yerba with natural leaf stevia–twice as sweet as sugar and no calories!
Never been a coffee drinker, I’m a tea at Starbucks gal! lol
Their tea is very good. Do you have it hot or iced?
I LOVE hot chocolate! The water supply where we live is gross too. We buy bottled water to keep us hydrated. You can tell a big difference when you drink “good” tap water. I often feel bad about buying bottles because of pollution but that has encouraged me to learn more about recycling.
That’s awesome! I keep bottled water at the office, but I don’t at home because my husband thinks it’s a waste of $ and I should just drink the nasty water. Bleh!
That’s one of the reasons I got a filter pitcher. I don’t like to pay for all those bottles, and I also dislike the idea of the chemicals from the plastic bottle leaching into the water.
Often “mineral water” is simply filtered tap water, here–I can do that at home without paying extra for a non-biodegradable bottle I don’t trust.
I giggled at your name for my favorite coffee shop! And even though I loooove my coffee, i do love a dirty chai every now and then.
Thanks so much for stopping by. It is a funny name, but I do work at a University affiliated with the General Baptist denomination. I love coffee too, unfortunately, it doesn’t love me so much any more. I’ve found that caffeine negatively affects my anxiety so I try to avoid it.