Manna in a cup

I love coffee. I love choosing which coffee hut to go to, the smell of it, the warmth in the palms of my hands as I hold the cup, and most of all...drinking it. Of course, I have to have decaf as I have Hypoglycemia so caffeine and I just don't mix, but I still love me some coffee.

Today's manna was from the "Good Karma" coffee hut by Wal-Mart. I went for a 12 ozs. decaf Peppermint Mocha. It was pretty tasty though a little heavy on the syrup. Good Karma is one of my favorite coffee huts. Usually you can taste the coffee even if you get a flavored one...unlike other coffee places (not that I'm knocking the 'bucks mind you...I have a special place in my heart for them too!). Good Karma is also one of my husband's favorite. He always, and I mean always, gets the biggest mocha he can--no matter where he goes--with at least 3 shots of espresso, if not more. This may explain the loud "throw it to HOLT!!" shouts he's been doing for the past hour as we watch our beloved Sunday Football. Or...maybe it has less to do with the gazillion mgs. of caffeine and more to do with Fantasy Football. His other favorite thing to watch on Sunday. I think I'm throwing him off as I am writing this on the laptop and he can't see his scores. So he keeps running back and forth between the living room and my studio--where the "big" computer is. Good thing he had all those extra shots of caffeine. It's good for him.

Other killer coffee places around Bend include Dutch Brothers (my buddy Jeff adores coffee too but he hates going to these huts as 9 times out of 10 there are hot GUYS working there...he prefers the more feminine coffee hut baristas); Sunrise Espresso (I think it is--it's right down the street from me); Bellatazza (not a hut, but still good--and check out the killer "artwork" they make in the foam); Sisters Coffee Company (also not a hut but damn good coffee); and Balay--now, I haven't had their coffee but their Bubble Tea is uber good (see below). It goes without saying that I have to mention Starbucks as like I said, I do have a special place in my heart for them. I adore their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and their Iced Caramel Macchiatos. mmmmmm....... Plus their bakery stuff is quite tasty.

Now Bubble Tea is a whole 'nother ballgame but since I'm discussing yummy things to drink I have to mention it. I first saw an ad for them in my favorite local alternative newspaper, The Source. After doing some research I decided I had to try this. My first experience was that I learned to ask them to make it with Green Tea (some places always make it with Green Tea, but Balay offers both Green and Black Teas) and that Honeydew is a very tasty choice for Bubble Tea. They give you a huge straw so that you can suck up the Bubbles (large pearls of black tapioca) which are chewy and have a taste all their own. They do not taste like the tapioca you eat in tapioca pudding. Personally, I love 'em, but not everyone does. When I saw my dad after getting the Bubble Tea I made him taste it as he too is a Honeydew lover. It was not for him. My daughter, who adores anything "gummy" can only eat so many and then she doesn't like them anymore, whereas my son would probably prefer more bubbles and less tea. :o) When I went back the second time I took my kiddos with me so they could partake of this interesting and delightful drink. My daughter went for the Strawberry one (if memory serves) while my son went for (no surprise here) the Chocolate one. I chose Mango. Not my favorite. It wasn't bad, however Bubble Tea typically has some sort of cream in it and it just didn't mesh well with the Mango flavoring. Either way, it's still a big hit here except that DH refuses to try it. He has no desire to suck up a big ole sphere of tapioca. Pansy. I highly suggest that if you have the chance to try Bubble Tea, do it. You may hate it but you may love it.