It's Definitely a Monday.

Well, today is Monday... And there's really nothing interesting to say, other than I am definitely addicted to the Peach Black Iced Tea from Caribou. It's definitely extremely delicious, and I love it. :) I know I didn't post about coffee this weekend like I said I was going to, but as free as I thought we were going to be... we weren't. We did all fun stuff, though! Eric and I went to a wedding on Friday night, then on Saturday we went to our friends David and Lindsey's place for dinner, then we went to a 40's swing night with them! It was so legit. It was in an airplane hanger, and it was definitely a lot of fun. :) Sunday we had a potluck at church and then we watched the Vikings game with Eric's parents. So, all in all, it was a good weekend!

I'm definitely determined though to write a post about the origins of some coffees. I'm really interested in researching them... I just haven't done it yet.

Well, that's all I have for today! Eric and I are gonna watch the Bronco's game at Applebee's tonight, and I'm suuuper excited about that. I haven't watched one of my home team's games in a long time. Yay! :)

Go get a Pumpkin White Mocha. :)

Weekend and Craziness.

So, it's the weekend, and this has definitely been an eventful week at work. I worked a lot which wasn't a big deal (since I enjoy it so much), but the past two days have been very eventful.

Yesterday morning I burned myself on our oven, and that HURT. The spatula-type-thing that we use to get sandwiches out of the oven has its handle broken, so unfortunately right now our hands and arms are much closer to the heat than they normally are. Because of this and because I wasn't watching what I was doing, as I pulled a sandwich out, my arm came down and landed on the inside door. It proceeded to hurt like none other, even though I put it under cold water multiple times and for a long time. *sigh* BUT. Kelsey (my boss) has magic lotion (lol) and after a couple times of rubbing it on there, it felt a lot better! Now it's bandaged up and is healing.

...I feel like this isn't going to be the last time that I get a battle scar from working at Caribou. Oh well. It's totally worth it.

Also, the reason that I didn't update yesterday was because I ended up having to go home sick in the afternoon. :( I have no idea what happened, but I started feeling weaker and weaker (even though I ate), started sweating, getting dizzy, and shaking. Thanks to my wonderful co-workers (Rachel and Casey especially), I was able to go home and lay on the couch all afternoon. I absolutely hate being sick because it makes me feel useless and I feel like a baby, but my wonderful hubby brought home flowers and took care of me all evening, so I went back to work today, ready and able to work! :)

Today was also a crazy day, even though I only worked two hours. So, I'm excited that it's the weekend, and that I get to spend some more quality time with the hubs! We're going to a friend of Eric's wedding tonight, and then we'll see what happens the rest of the weekend! I'm sure some lovely Caribou Coffee will be involved in some way. ;)

Oh, speaking of... We have a new promotional coffee! You guys should definitely buy a pound and try it - I'm excited to drink it at home. It's called Hojas del Otono, and it's gonna be really good. It's dark-chocolatey, nutty, and kinda molasses...y... :) So, go to your local Caribou and get some!

------

So, a couple posts ago I talked about how I'm being promoted and my training is starting soon. It's just now starting to become real to me how I need to emotionally and mentally adjust to my new role, and it's definitely not going to be easy. I'm really comfortable when I know what I'm doing and I can be confident at that, but when it comes to changing how I'm supposed to act and respond to situations and moving into leadership... It's definitely harder for me to adjust. I'm really learning a lot through it, and like Kelsey told me today - I'm uncomfortable right now, and that's a good thing. It's allowing me to learn and grow in areas that I need to be stretched, and it's (hopefully) making me a better worker and person because of it. We'll see how it keeps going and I'm sure I'll be updating you once I start training! :)

That's all for now - I think I'm going to do a little blurb on one of our coffees tomorrow. Yay! :)

Have a great Friday!

Happy Autumn! :) :)

Leaves changing, cooler weather, apple picking, pumpkin carving.... These can only mean one thing:


It's officially fall at Caribou! :)


Yesterday we started our new fall line-up. We have two new drinks, and a whole-lotta food! :) For our drinks, we have our Pumpkin Latte and Pumpkin White Mocha, and the food items are Cinnamon Apple Scones, Maple Walnut Scones, Caramel Apple Crisp Oatmeal (I think I'm wrong on the name) and Pumpkin Bread! I may not like the season of autumn, but all these new things actually make me excited about it!

So, because I work at Caribou, I have the horrible job of having to try everything. ;) I've tried everything but the Pumpkin Bread so far, and it's all tasting really really good! I'm not as big of a fan of the Pumpkin Latte, but I highly suggest that you all try the Pumpkin White Mocha. And in honor of fall, for my shift drink I got a Pumpkin White Mocha Cooler! I was a little iffy about it, but it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be getting that drink again.

As far as the food goes, the scones are definitely a little dry, but they are cute and small, so they go perfect with a cup of coffee. I'm even tempted to get a coffee just so I can dip the little scones in. :) They're a pretty good deal, too! For one it's $1.25, but we have good deals on getting 2 or 3 of them, so check 'em out! :) And then... there's the oatmeal. Oh my goodness... If you like oatmeal, then you have to try the Caramel Apple Crisp! (Again, I don't know if that's the right name, but it's the promoted oatmeal right now.) It's sooo good. If I could, I would get it every day. Not everybody at my store feels the same way that I do, but that's because they don't like oatmeal in general. It's definitely sweeter, but it's soooo good. :)

So anyway... I think that's it. The weather is perfect outside, and it's going to continue to be that way for the rest of the week here in good ol' Minnesota (you betcha!). I think I'm going to open my porch door and let the cool breeze in tonight. :) I may not like autumn because it reminds me that winter is coming, but I gotta say... Minnesota autumn is making me happy thus far (Eric will be happy to read that).

Okay. NOW I'm done. Have a great evening everybody, and don't forget to check out the new stuff at your local Caribou Coffee! :)


PS - Thanks again, Bethany Johnson, for visiting my Caribou today. I love seeing friends there! :)

It's the Weekend! :)

Yay, I'm so excited about the fact that it's the weekend now. :)

So, for the past couple of days I've forgotten to look at the survey, and thus... I haven't tried anyone's drinks. However, I think I'm running out. Anyhoo, yesterday I got a Campfire Mocha Cooler with dark chocolate and loved it! The dark chocolate isn't my favorite, but it was still really good. Today I got a Vanilla White Chocolate Mocha Cooler and it's delish. Definitely very sweet, but very tasty. :) For all of you who don't know what Coolers are, it's the Caribou equivalent of a Starbucks Frappacino (sp?). Only... It's better, because:

1. We have more flavors.
2. You can actually pronounce and spell our drink.
3. We're just cooler than Starbucks anyway.

:)

Well, I think that's all I have for today! The hubs and I are going camping for Labor Day weekend, then to the State Fair on Sunday! Have a great weekend everyone, and be safe!

<3

Peach Black Iced Tea AND Earl Gray. (And some news) :)

Okay so, I've definitely been slacking on my posts lately... Sorry about that, guys! So let me catch up on everything.

Yesterday I worked an 8 hour shift and decided to take a break on all the drinks that I've been trying from the surveys, so instead of trying one of those, I tried the Peach Black Iced Tea. And maaan it's good! My co-worker Emily gets it all the time for her shift drink, and now I see why! If you don't normally like iced tea, this is definitely one to actually go for. It's definitely sweeter because it has the peach in it, and it's also the Mango black iced tea as well. In my opinion, I think the Hibiscus Apple Blossom tea is a little overwhelming, but this one is just right. It's definitely something that I'll be getting again! :)

Also, today I tried Jordan's Earl Gray hot tea with a shot of vanilla. This is definitely really good! I'm not normally a fan of Earl Gray, but the vanilla makes it a lot better, and I'm happy about that. I'm really glad that I've been leaning more away from the coffee for a while and I've been getting to try some teas! This makes me very happy, since I feel at least a little healthier drinking tea rather than coffee. :)

So, a couple posts ago I talked about some changes coming up at work that I'm excited about. I didn't want to reveal it then, but it's becoming more known at work so I guess I can talk about it on here:

I'm being promoted! :D :D


I can't believe it. I'm so excited! I'm going to be trained to be a Shift Supervisor in a couple weeks alongside my coworker Becca, and we're both thrilled to be getting this opportunity. I'm so excited to have more responsibilities and be trusted with this new position, especially since I'm so new.

I really feel extremely humbled by this opportunity, and I feel a lot of responsibility coming with it. I know that I definitely need to take it seriously and do it well, and I'm excited to do just that. We'll see what happens! Hopefully I won't just make a mess of everything. ;)

Anyhoo... I guess that's it for today! Have a GREAT rest of your day! Go get a Grilled Cheese Sandwich from your local Caribou Coffee. ;)

I'm a Tired One.

Wow, I've definitely been suuuper tired this whole weekend - hence why I haven't put up any posts. I feel as though I've been going and going, and my body is just taking a while to catch up. But it's okay. It'll get there. :)

Anyhoos....

This weekend has been a lot of fun and relaxing at the same time. :) Yesterday morning Eric and I went to the St. Paul Farmer's Market and had a blast walking around and enjoying everything that was there. We got a couple donuts, Eric bought me flowers (again), and we also got raspberries, green beans, and bratwurst! We're incredibly excited to make the brats and beans tomorrow night. We wanted to grill them up tonight, but we're going to a going-away party for our friend Jeff (he's studying at Oxford this semester!) tonight instead. I guess we'll put up with that... ;)

Oh, and just a little while ago I went to another Caribou (one that's just down the street from where we live) to get a drink, and I got talking to one of the team members there. I told her that I live down the street but I work at the Caribou in Mendota Heights, and she said, "Why don't you transfer here?!" That made me feel really awkward since the only reason I go to that Caribou is because it's close and I really love working at the one in Mendota, so I told her, "Well, I just got hired there not that long ago and I really like working there." She shrugged and then told me that she's worked at four stores and that one was the best one she's ever worked at, and if I ever get tired of working at the one in Mendota Heights then I should transfer there. I smiled politely, but since I really don't actually like that Caribou so much I just thought to myself that there's no way I'd transfer there. :) I feel bad that she's so unfortunate that that Caribou is the best one she's ever worked at. Poor girl. I like where I work, and I think I'll stay there for a while, thank you very much. :)

Well, I guess that's all I have for now. I'm going to enjoy my White Mocha and get some rest in before the week starts up again. :)

Blended Chai.

Hey guys!

So, I guess my lack of updating yesterday calls for an explanation. ...Hopefully this will be good enough. So... I worked 10 hours yesterday - 6:30-4:30. Aaand when I got home, I was absolutely exhausted. Basically, all I did was eat the food my wonderful hubby made for me, stare at the TV while The Devil Wear Prada was playing, and then I barely made it to bed at 8 when I promptly fell asleep. THEN I had to get up this morning at 3:45 in order to be at work by 5. So... it's been a busy couple of days. So I hope you'll forgive me. :)

Anyhoo... I had the Blended Chai (David's drink - I know, I'm a little out of order.) today! I have to say.. I like the hot chai much better. The only reason is because I think putting the ice in the chai really waters it down, so you don't get as much of the awesome flavor of the chai tea. I think the hot chai is an awesome fall drink, and I'm sure that once fall hits I'll definitely be drinkin' some o' that. :D

Oh, and I worked SuperGlue today! So basically what that means is that I ran around everywhere and did everything. The only thing I didn't do was be the cashier. Beyond that though... I had to back up the cashiers by getting the drip coffees for them, make the sandwiches, make sure the bakery case was filled, back up on bar whenever I was needed, restock items, keep the coffees on track... and so on and so forth (seriously, there's even more. lol!). So yes... it was a busy day. :) I worked 7 hours, and it really didn't feel like it. I love working the morning shifts because they always work like that. I worked 5 til noon, and barely noticed that I worked that long. Again... I love my job. :)

Well, I guess that's it for now... Hope you all have a GREAT weekend! If any of you live in MN, make sure you get out to the State Fair! I don't think Eric and I will be going... so have extra fun for us! :) <3

PS - The Cranberry-Orange Scone is delicious..... Thanks Nancy (one of the best customers) for recommending it! :)

White Mocha with Flav-ah. :)

So, today was another of Courteney's drinks - a White Mocha with one pump each of caramel, hazelnut, and toffee. I had to improvise a little because Caribou doesn't have toffee nut, so I put almond in there instead. And oh my goodness... I love this drink! I got the hot one, and it's just so so delicious. This could definitely become my favorite drink for the winter time. :) It's definitely sweet, but it's not too sweet. I'm a fan of it. :) Thanks, Courteney! :D

Also, today was my first day as the main person on bar during the morning shift, which is when we get the big rushes. It was definitely stressful trying to figure everything out, but once I did, I had a blast! I really enjoyed making all the drinks, talking to the customers, and multitasking. I feel very accomplished today. :) Seriously guys, I love my job. I know that I might have frustrations with it in the future, but I'm really enjoying learning everything and working my hardest so that I can do my best. :)

Well, that's it for now! I've got a busy day ahead of me - grocery shopping and cleaning before the Johnsons come over. :) Have a great day!

Turtle (Caramel) mocha. :)

Well, today was the Caramel Mocha, which was one of Courteney's drinks. It's better known at Caribou as the Turtle Mocha - and it is good! This is definitely one of my favorite drinks. I love the combination of chocolate and caramel. I had it cold today (It's almost 90 degrees here!) and with white chocolate. Yummm! :) I brought it home for Eric as well and he loved it. :) Good call, Courteney! I'm excited to try another of your favorite drinks tomorrow. ;)

Well, today was a great day at work! It was a 9 hour shift - so I'm definitely tired, but I enjoyed it. :) And it looks like some changes are coming my way in a couple weeks, but I'll give more details when the time comes. :)

Oh! I also had the Lemon Blueberry Scone today. Oh my goodness. I thought the Blackberry Scone was good... This was even better! :) It was so moist and yummy. I think I'm just addicted to Caribou's scones in general. :) Not a bad deal, I must say...

Anyhoo... My lovely manager came back from vacation today, and I was definitely happy to be working with her again! She was missed by all her employees. :)

She also told me that I'm going to be the main person on the bar in the morning (yikes!) so I'm definitely going to prepare for it tonight so I'm ready to go for the morning rushes! I'm looking forward to all of the experience that I'm going to get from it. :)

Well, I guess that's all for now! Have a great night!

The "Love" Mocha and Weekend. :)

Wow, it's been a few days since I've posted! Sorry about that, guys.

Anyway, so on Friday I tried Whitney's "Love Mocha." ...I'm sorry to say, but it was definitely not my favorite drink ever. It was so sweet that I couldn't finish it, took it home to have Eric finish it, and he (the human vacuum) couldn't even finish it! Don't get me wrong, it tasted really good, but it was just so sweet. Basically, this drink was a white mocha with loads of caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla. If you want a really really sweet drink where you can't taste any coffee, this is definitely the way to go! Otherwise... you probably won't like it too much. But thanks for this option, Whitney! It's good to know what kinds of drinks people like. :) (PS - Congrats on the engagement! Your ring is beautiful!)

Well, this weekend has definitely been busy, but very good, with the hubby. We've been hanging out together all weekend with no official plans, and it's been awesome. For our date last night he took me to Rudy's Redeye Grill, which we were actually able to afford thanks to crowdcut.com. :) It was so much fun! Then we went to Cleary Lake and the Mall of America! 


We went to MOA today as well, but it was definitely a different experience. When we left our apartment, Eric told me that we could spend money, but only something that was $3 or less. Thus, we walked around the entire mall looking for the best deal, and we found it! For $2.95 we got a small "Top-It" frozen yogurt from Yogen-Fruz! It's also healthy because it contains probiotics (good for your digestive system!).

Anyhoo... That was our weekend. Hope yours was equally fun! Have a great evening!

LONG day...

So, I definitely worked a 9-hour shift today, and man, I am tired! I'm definitely happy to be home and not have anything else to do for the rest of the evening. And then... I get to go back to work in the morning and work another 8 hours! Oof. That's okay though... It'll just be a long day. The only reason that today was so brutal was because I went running yesterday, and I totally forget to stretch afterwards.... so now my legs hate me.

So anyway... Today I was supposed to try Whitney's "love mocha," but because it's so late and I really shouldn't have that much sugar or caffeine right now, I'm saving that til tomorrow. Instead, I got a Mango Iced Tea. I'd never had the iced teas before, and they're pretty good! However... I'm not a straight-up iced tea type of person, so I had to sweeten it in order for it to taste good. With the simple syrup (basically liquid sugar) it tasted really good. Definitely something I'd get again. :)

Well, that's it for now... I'm gonna go read Harry Potter and enjoy my relaxing evening. Have a good one! :)

<3

Iced Espresso and shot numbers.

Alright, so this drink was for Carter. Aand... I definitely didn't get the large size like he said he gets, and I also made a couple other variations. :D If I had gotten the large iced espresso, it would've had a whopping 5 shots in it! Yikes. I would've been bouncing off the walls, and then I would've completely crashed into oblivion. So, since I'm pretty sure my husband still wants me to be alive, I needed to stay away from that. ;) Therefore, I did a 3-shot medium with the white chocolate, caramel, and a touch of milk. It was okay... but definitely not something I want to get again (sorry, Carter). If you want something that is definitely stronger, this is a way to go. Here's how espresso shots in drinks go from small to large:

"hot" drinks - 2.2.3
"O" drinks (Americano, espresso, cappaccino...etc) - 2.3.4.
"iced" drinks - 2.3.4.
"Iced and O" drinks - 3.4.5.

So, if you were confused before, you don't have to be now! You can know exactly how much espresso you're getting in your drinks. :)

Oh, and my hubby came to visit me at work again. I love him. He's so great. I caught myself a good'n! :)

Well, I think that's all I have. I worked out in the hot sun today, and I'm definitely tired! Time to go lay down and rest for a while. :)

<3

Mint Condition. :)

Woohoo, today I got to try my favorite drink! I was super excited when I saw that it was next on the list. :) Since you can get the Mint Condition in a variety of ways, I decided to get the Mint Condition Cooler with dark chocolate. And man... it is SO good! It tastes like mint ice cream in a cup. :) It's definitely a sweeter drink, but totally worth it. I've never tried it iced, but the hot version is very good too. I'm sure it'll be one of my trademark drinks for the winter as well. :) Aaand of course I brought home another blackberry scone. I can't get enough of those things! (I'm addicted.)

And I had a wonderful surprise today! So, there I am, obliviously making drinks and talking to my co-worker, and then I look over behind the bar area, and I am shocked to see my husband standing there! :D :D This was the first time that he's ever been able to visit me at work, and I was thrilled. He stayed for an hour and a half until my shift was over, and then he walked me out to my car before he had to head to church for a staff meeting. I love him. :) Absolutely, 100% made my day (Thanks baby!).

I'm pretty tired, so I'm gonna go. It was fun working the afternoon shift today, but I go back to working the morning shift tomorrow! Looking forward to a hectic time. :)

Oh, and if you haven't seen my other blog, I have a poll on there right now that has to do with a *heated* debate between my husband and me, and I would love for you to participate! :D Here's the link.

Thanks guys! Hope you're all doing well!

<3

Decaf Caramel Latte.

Well, here's one perk of having to work at 5 am - I'm already done for the day! It's a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. Now I have the whole day to relax, do laundry, and be productive. I'm looking forward to it. :)

Anyway... I had a Decaf Caramel Iced Latte today for my shift drink, which is my Momma's favorite drink. :) Well, sorta. Since it's warm outside I didn't want to get a hot drink, so I got the latte iced. I'm not a huge fan of decaf drinks, because I figure that if I'm gonna drink coffee, it should have caffeine in it. :) However, Caribou's decaf really isn't half bad! I actually liked it. So if you want coffee but don't want the caffeine, the decaf is a good way to go! :)

Gosh, I don't think I really have anything else left... Well, except for the fact that it has been really fun getting a free half-pound of coffee every week from work. Eric and I just finished the Kenya roast, we're about to start on the Guatemala, and I just brought home the Costa Rica! :) We're definitely light roast people. It's been fun drinking Caribou at home! We are so spoiled...

Anyway, I think that's everything I have for today. I'm suuuper tired so I think I'm gonna go put the laundry in and then take a nap. :) Have a great day!

Omgosh....

Well, I wasn't going to post today - Eric and I have had a pretty busy day. We had church this morning, then had our friends, Nate and Bethany (www.nateandbethany.com) over in the afternoon. I also have to go to bed early tonight - I'm opening the store tomorrow and 5 in the morning! Phew.

Anyway, I know that I posted this website  yesterday, but seriously... I love it... I really wish I was a good cook like all these women, and I had the time, energy, and money to make all these recipes.

I also wish I had a great camera to take the kinds of pictures that they do.... Anyone want to give/buy me one? ;) I'd greatly appreciate it. k thanks. ;)

By the way... I had Caribou's Cold Press Coffee yesterday. Umm... without explaining too much, let's just say... I'm not a fan. It had a decent taste (I put a shot of white chocolate in it), but I don't think I'll be getting it again. I also got the blackberry scone. Again. (I wasn't kidding when I said it was like heaven on a plate!)

Well, I didn't really have much to say tonight, so there you go.

(Just think. If I had a great camera, I could take pictures like this myself. That would be amazing.... Just sayin'.) ;)

<3

Tipping and Something Fun.

So... As you may have noticed... I didn't post yesterday. ...I should probably post every day so that I get into the habit of posting all the time even when I don't really feel like it... but... oh well. :) I was so tired yesterday. I worked 7:30-3 which isn't a horrible shift, but we just had a ton of people coming in all the time! Even my shift supervisor, Lindsay, said that she felt like she was going crazy because it was so busy. And just when we thought things were getting better... An entire volleyball team came in (seriously, like 15 or 20 girls) and they all had to order something, and only a few of them actually tipped something... *sigh*

BTW... Sidenote. I never really realized the importance of tipping until I started working at Caribou - now, I don't think I could go without tipping my baristas! They really do a lot, and it's a really stressful job. Especially when they know your drink and they talk to you - that's a big deal. They don't have to do that for their customers, but they go the extra mile and do it anyway. So, if you see me working, you don't have to tip me... BUT. Please consider tipping your baristas if you don't already! What a lot of people do is just give the coins from the change they get. Even if it's just a little bit, the fact that people give anything at all is really nice and makes us feel like they appreciate what we do. Just a heads-up for you guys. :)

Oh, and the other day I had the Chicken Apple Sausage Daybreaker [Click HERE for the nutritional value]. I didn't like it much the first time I had it, but this last time I really liked it since I knew what to expect. It's definitely a sweeter sandwich because of the apple bits that are in the sausage, but it's really good. I'd recommend it to anyone! :) I think I'll try the Egg-White and Turkey Bacon Daybreaker sometime... I don't know why I'm so nervous to try it. Oh well. Aaand I haven't had anybody's drinks in the last couple of days. My mom's favorite drink is a Decaf Caramel Latte so I really need to be in the mood to have decaf in order to get that one. I think I can do it on Monday, but we'll see. :)

Well, that's all I have for now. Go take my survey and go eat a Grilled Cheese at your local Caribou! If not that, then get a Blackberry and White Chocolate Scone (Seriously. It's like heaven on a plate.).

Aaand enjoy this lovely comic from theoatmeal.com (It's actually educational!): http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee :)

PS - I'm obsessed with This Website. :)

I'm a Snob. :)

Okay so first of all.... I didn't try anybody's drinks today. :( Up next on the list is a decaf caramel latte, and I needed caffeine, so.... I got something else instead. :)

Oh! And I told you guys yesterday that I was going to try the Egg White and Turkey Bacon breakfast sandwich and the Rooibos Lemonade. ....I have to confess something. I chickened out on the sandwich. I was too scared to try it! Gah... I won't disappoint you guys like that again. I'm gonna grab a sandwich there for lunch today, and I'm gonna get the Chicken Apple Sausage, so I'll talk about it tomorrow. :) As far as the Rooibos Lemonade goes... Blech. NOT my favorite AT ALL. It was WAY too sweet for me. Our lemonade is really sweet as it is, and then with the Rooibos added to it... I just didn't like it. However, some people really like it! Again, it just depends on what your preference is.

And to talk about the title of my blog... Since working at Caribou I have found that I'm now a complete snob when it comes to other coffee places, especially other Caribou locations. I go in there and judge everything that they do and don't do, and I end up feeling superior because seriously.... I work at the best location. I really don't think I'm being biased, either! Our bakery is always stocked, we have really nice people working there, and we all work hard and efficiently. Seriously. We're an awesome store. The other locations... Not so much.

Do I feel bad that I'm a snob? Definitely not. :) It makes me feel good to know how good of a store I work at, and I even have taken a few things away from it that I personally can do better at the store. So... it's fun. I'm enjoying it. :)

Well, that's it for me. Go get a Grilled Cheese from your local Caribou! :D

PS - Take my survey. Do it. :)

Beautiful Day to Relax. :)

(Go to this link to take my survey: http://babblingbarista.blogspot.com/2011/08/survey-time.html) :)

Hello, friends! So, today's my day off and I'm loving it. Plus the fact that Eric is working from home for part of the day makes it even better. The weather is beautiful outside, and I'm just taking my time getting ready before I go grocery shopping. I love being able to relax. :)

Anyway, it has been super encouraging to get all the comments from you guys about this blog. I'm really excited about making it my hobby, and I feel like it's something that other people can actually get into as well (thanks Mandi for your encouragement. It made my day.). :)

Here's another question for you guys that I won't be so intense about you answering, but if you have a thought, I would love to hear it.

If there is anything that you would like to see on the blog, hear about, or learn about, what would it be?


I would love to know what you guys think, if you're interested in answering!

Well, I think I'm going to head to Caribou after grocery shopping and pick up a Rooibos Lemonade (never tried it before, but I've heard it's delish), and I might try an Egg-White Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich! I've never had it before, but I've been watching Food Network Star on Hulu this morning, and it's making me want to branch out even more and try everything that I can. :) I'll let you know what I think about it. ;)

Have a great day! :D

Iced Chai and GRILLED CHEESE!

(Take my survey: http://babblingbarista.blogspot.com/2011/08/survey-time.html) :)

First of all... I tried the iced chai latte today (Katie's drink, just iced). I've always loved chai, but I've hardly gotten the iced, and I love it. :) It's sooo good! It's nice to take a break from having coffee as well.

Aaand... I can't believe I forgot this - we got GRILLED CHEESE at Caribou yesterday! They've been testing them at other locations for a while, but we just got it yesterday at our location and they're sooo good! We have four different kinds:

Classic 3-Cheese - This is easily my favorite (the other ones are good too, though) because it's just classic, but it's not bland. The blend of the cheeses tastes really good, and you can't go wrong with this one. :)

Turkey Gouda Pesto - This one is really good too, although I wasn't a huge fan of the pesto. However, if you like pesto, then you'll love this one. I'm a fan of gouda, so that was one thing about this sandwich that I enjoyed. :)

Italian Chicken Melt - This sandwich actually tastes like a panini. The bread is delicious, and the chicken melted with the cheese tastes perfect. If you want something like a panini that's not actually one, this is the way to go. :D

Aged Cheddar - This one is decent... I wasn't too into it, but if you like roast beef with cheddar cheese, then you should get this one. The cheese is excellent, but I don't really like that thick of roast beef, so it wasn't my style.

Even though I wasn't into all the sandwiches, none of them tasted bad! They all taste good - it just depends on your preference.

We also got a new signature iced tea - Hibiscus Apple Blossom. It's SO good, but SO sweet. If you don't really like sweet iced teas, then I wouldn't get this one. However, if you like them, then definitely check it out! I'm really looking forward to getting this for my shift drink at some point. Very flavorful! I'm a fan. :)

Well, I think that's all I have for today. Now go out and try a grilled cheese sandwich! :D

Iced Caramel Latte with Caramel Drizzle.

(Click HERE to take my survey.) :)

First off I have to say to Shannon, whose drink this was... I know that this isn't technically your drink - however, the reason I did an iced caramel latte is because we don't have caramel macchiatos like Starbucks does. We actually have a real macchiato which is just espresso and lots of foam. And since I'm assuming that's not what you get, I got the closest thing to Starbucks, which is the iced caramel latte with caramel drizzle. :)

Secondly... I love this drink. :) Because it's iced it's a little stronger when it's a medium because there are 3 shots instead of 2, so the caramel isn't as noticeable. However, if you're looking for a drink that's not that sweet, this is definitely a way to go. And if you want an extra kick of flavor, the caramel drizzle is always fun. :) I've always loved iced lattes. :)

And as far as work goes.... I worked 7 hours today! I'm definitely tired and my shoulders are sore, but it was a good day overall. I'm a little sad today because my wonderful manager, Kelsey, is going on vacation for the next two weeks - Kelsey... what are we going to do without you?! :) (Seriously, NOT trying to be a suck-up) :). Other than that though, things are going well! I'm still loving it, and for my half-pound beans I brought home the Guatemala (a light-roast coffee) and I'm looking forward to trying that. We have the Kenya roast right now, which is our lightest, and it's awesome! I can almost drink it black, which is definitely saying something for me.

Anyway, I guess that's all I have for today! Hope you all are doing well. :) Love you! <3

Latte Art.

Hey all! I don't have much time to write today - I have to practice my Sunday School lesson before I get ready for church. :)

Anyway, last night we had our second reception for everyone in Minnesota, and we had SO much fun! We were so blessed by Eric's parents and their friends - they planned everything and didn't make us do anything. That was so amazing, since the wedding had been so stressful. We feel so blessed to know so many people, and that they cared enough to come to the reception. Thanks again everyone!

And today... we have church (Eric's preaching!) and then we have a youth event at our pastor's house all afternoon. So... yay! It's gonna be a great day.... if the clouds go away, that is.

I hope you all are having an amazing weekend, and all I have to leave you with is a couple photos of latte art! Enjoy! :)

"Everybody's Lookin' Forward to the Weekend..."

Yes, I just put a lyric to Rebecca Black's song as my title. What is my problem...? Bleh. I guess I can't think of good titles this early in the morning.

Anyhoo...

So, I basically had a great time with my hubby last night. :D Since we're poor newlyweds, we went to Arby's for dinner (I'm not complaining - it's actually one of my favorite places to eat), and then Eric took me to the St. Paul Saints game (That's baseball in case you all were wondering)! We got there on time, but as soon as we parked... I realized that I had left my purse at Arby's! Oh my goodness... I was so scared. I called Arby's right away and they told me that someone turned it in (whoever you are, I'm eternally grateful). SO. We drove 25 minutes all the way back and picked it up, and THEN we headed to the game. We were an hour late, but they had only just started the 3rd inning, so we were fine. It was definitely fun! I always enjoy myself when I'm with my husband. :D

And tonight we have our second reception for everybody in Minnesota that didn't get to go to the wedding! I'm really excited about it. It'll be a good time and a good chance for me to wear my dress again. ;) Soooo that's what we're doing all day - getting ready for it.

Oh, and just to let you all know about things with my blog... I've decided that on the weekends I'm going to do one of two things:

1. I may research something about coffee or a particular coffee and then post it.
2. I may just post coffee photography or latte art for you all.

What I decide to do will depend on the busyness of the weekend. Soo.... I have a couple pictures for you all. Nothing special, but just cool photography. :) Love you!

PS - If you haven't taken my survey, go here in order to answer my question. :) THANKS!

Drink Master and Hollie's Drink.

Okay, so maybe I'm not a drink master. Yet. ;) However, I DID work on bar today for the first time since training, and I loved it! It was pretty stressful and busy, but I had a great time learning and getting used to how to make the drinks and work with other people. Apparently I tend to show my stress though because one of my co-workers asked if I have anxiety, because I get antsy when I'm trying to get through the drinks and announce them for the customers. Oops. :) But I'm so glad she mentioned something because it gave me something to work on! I really focused on making the drink quickly and then calming down when I actually served it, and I think I did a pretty good job. :) I messed up 3 drinks, but they were quick fixes, so it wasn't a big deal. All-in-all, not a bad first day makin' the coffee drinks! :D

And now.... on to my first survey drink. Hollie told me that she gets a small double (2-shot) americano with white chocolate, and either hot or iced. I decided to try it iced (I'll try it hot later on, I think), and... *drumroll please* I actually like it! Okay, I have to be honest. When I saw it, I was scared to try it. Americanos are just normally so strong because it's just espresso and water, but having the white chocolate in there really helped and I've been enjoying it! I'm not a huge fan of the aftertaste, but it's a very smooth drink and the 2-shots instead of 3 really evens out the taste. I would say that if you want a stronger coffee drink but not too strong, this would be the one to go for. The 3-shots will definitely be stronger (hot americanos get 2 shots normally, and iced normally get 3) but if you're looking for that extra kick of caffeine, I would go for it.

That's my novice opinion, anyway. :)

Well, I'm off to do other things for the day, and then go on a date with my hubby tonight! :D Love y'all! <3

PS - If you haven't told me your favorite drink yet, please do! Just go on my "Survey Time" post and leave a comment telling me your favorite drink, and I promise to try it on one of my shifts! (It might take a couple weeks because I've got a few drinks to try, but I'll try it as soon as I can!)

Survey Time!

Hey, everybody! So, at work today, I was trying to decide what drink I wanted for my shift drink - and for the life of me... I couldn't decide! I realized that I have basically no creativity when it comes to coffee (yet). SO. I have a question for you all:

What's your favorite drink?


Let me know in a comment, and I promise that I will try every single one as long as it's a legit and real drink (nothing disgusting just to make me try it [Byron]). :) I'm really hoping that you all tell me your favorite drinks! I'm looking forward to trying them in the days to come.

So..... leave a comment letting me know! :D