Perkdup

Teavana's "Fruta Bomba" green tea.  It smells like rich tropical fruit, but the taste is subtle and calming.   Definitely fruity, but not overwhelming or bitter as fruit can be. It's da Bomb!

I fell in love with this Starbucks 'domed cold cup' when I saw it at the beginning of the summer. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the budget.  However, I'm a sucker for sales, and when it went on sale at my neighborhood Starbucks last week, I just had to have it. Perfect size for my Passion Tea Lemonade (sweetened). End of summer fun!

Well, they didn't really walk into a coffee bar.  Actually, they didn't go to a coffee bar at all. But if they could have, I'll bet they would have because they would know, like me, that sugar cookies and coffee make a wonderful combination. Here's the backstory.   I saw these flamingo and seahorse cookie cutters online about four years ago.  I had to have them!  See, I love flamingos, and, I mean, what's not to love about a seahorse, right? Anyway, I called all around until I found a place to order them that had them in stock.  Told the folks I needed them ASAP. And then they sat together in my kitchen drawer for all this time.  Oh, I thought about making cookies and using these cutters time and time again.  But, something always came up and I never quite got around to it. So, finally, I did it!  And while these aren't exactly the most beautiful Seahorse and Flamingo sugar cookies in the world, they sure are good with a cup of joe...

This might sound superficial but I'm so excited by all the new Starbucks packaging.  I just think it's great that they've decided to shake things up a bit with a new look. I'm even more excited that, at least, when it comes to their Guatemala Antigua , medium roast coffee, the flavor is still wonderful. This coffee reminds me so much of one of my Starbucks favorites, the Casi Cielo and since that's only available once a year, it's nice to have something for the months in-between. I knew I would go through this bag so quickly, I even had them grind instead of leaving it whole bean.

I blogged a few days ago about my new indulgence - the cronot.  NOT to be confused with the New York sensation, "the cronut."  I won't repeat myself here, but you can see from my previous post, it's a cross between a croissant and a donut. But while enjoying my cronot, I started to think about how much I love donuts.  I was practically raised on them.  I promise you that I did not raise my daughter on donuts, but I'm from a different generation and hey, my mother was a donut-afficiado - what can I say? When I was a kid, there was a bakery that sold the most delightful Danish pastries - made right on the premises by the Danish gentleman himself.  But pastries weren't my thing.  My thing was the light and fluffy glazed donuts that he sold.  And if you knew the right time to go, you could get them while they were hot. I've been trying to find a donut that would even come close to those donuts back then.  The closest I've found is probably S...

I'm writing this whilst happily enjoying a glazed Cronot along with a steaming hot cup of coffee. The " Cronot " is the Bay Area's answer to NY's newest craze, "the cronut." I must say this combination of a croissant and donut is quite the ticket for a cold and foggy San Francisco morning.   So, for those of you who think a donut isn't classy, kick it up a notch with the "cronot." The "Cronot" is created and sold by Posh Bakery . Bonjour! (This is SOOOO good!)

As summer heats up, take a moment to cool down with  7-Eleven’s new $1 Iced Coffee Wednesdays. Guests can visit any participating 7-Eleven store nationwide from 12 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. and enjoy a $1 iced coffee every Wednesday now until September 3. With three premium flavors – Hazelnut, Mocha, and French vanilla – this summer treat will delight your taste buds without emptying your wallet. · Hazelnut: For a rich, nutty taste try this superior smooth blend · Mocha: If chocolate is what you desire, indulge in this perfect combination of creamy and cool · French Vanilla: This silky, sweet flavor adds a crisp and simple option to the iced coffee menu.

Six (6) lucky prize winners will receive the ultimate collection of Bigelow black, green, herb and decaf teas – perfect for  fresh-brewing  your favorite iced tea combinations or trying new ones! Each  Golden Assortment  comes in a handy reusable tin and contains 152 tea bags in a variety of tempting flavors. Hot or iced, on their own, or in combination … these teas are delicious anytime! To enter, “Like” the  Bigelow Tea Facebook page  and click on the sweepstakes icon under the cover photo. Check the  blog  for the names of the 6 lucky winners.  The sweeps ends on August 30. Bigelow Tea Blog Bigelow Facebook Biglelow Twitter Bigelow YouTube

Truthfully speaking, I so wanted to find a reason not to like this coffee.   I kept noticing these pop up ads on my computer screen saying you can "blend your own," and " Hamptons Lane ."  And it just made me think, "if they're talking about it this much, it can't be that good."  It's been my experience that often-times the least talked about coffees, or those "secret roasters" have the best coffees. So, when the nice people at Hamptons Lane sent me a sample pack of "Regatta Java" I didn't exactly jump up and brew it. In fact, it wasn't until they reached out a second time to say, "Hey, have you tried the coffee,?" that I said, "okay, already, I'll try the coffee!" Glad I did.  So good.  The "Regatta Java" is a blend of Indonesian and South American beans that blend to make a cup of delicious-ness. A wonderful way to "sail into the day."