Perkdup

My very first "coffee shop" has come a long way from those days when I'd stop in for a cup to wake me up from a night of partying. I don't do late night parties these days, but I still do 7-Eleven Coffee.  And now it's in a single-serve brew cup.   You read right.   7-Eleven Single Serve Coffee Cups ! And here's the part where you appreciate how much 7-Eleven appreciates you and your budget.   Not only are they available in packs of eight for $3.99 - you can buy a two pack for only $.99 cents!  Perfect for the student budget and those "in-between" paydays when you just need two cups to make it. Available in 100% Columbian, Regular "Exclusive" Blend and fall's favorite "Pumpkin Spice!" Good stuff.  Good price. Thank Heaven for 7-11! *7-Eleven provided me with free samples for purposes of preparing this review which in no way influenced my opinion.  It's great coffee!

Today's coffee break is bitter sweet.  I love Fall.  I really do.  I mean it's so Fall-ish and Autumn-y. But what about all the bounties of summer?  Like the plump and juice blueberries. I've enjoyed these tasty blueberry crumble muffins from Specialty's for the past 8 weeks. Luckily for me, either they had too many blueberries left or the baker was so busy baking he forgot that it's now fall.  I won't tell him if you don't. Crunchy on the outside with just the right amount of crumble, homemade texture and sweet blueberries. Nothing good lasts forever, but I'm hoping that these muffins stay around at least until the first of October.

Source: PartSelect.com

I'd buy this coffee for the packaging alone.   The 2015 Starbucks Anniversary Blend's exterior is almost better than what's inside.   Reimaged this year by Starbucks' Senior Designer Victor Melendez , this art work screams, "Pick me!" Starbucks Senior Designer Victor Melendez What a way to stand out from the crowd.  The 2015 Siren is just so "fly" you can't look away. Oh, the coffee is pretty darn good too.   I had to buy one of each - a bag of beans and a box of K-Cups(™) because I know fine art when I see it. "Fresh, herbal earthy notes combine with the spicy depth of our rare aged Sumatra, tended carefully for three to five years before roasting.  Coffee beans from Papua New Guinea complement the blend, adding lush, herbal dimension.  Created in 1996 to celebrate our 25th anniversary, this bold, full-bodied favorite returns year after year." (From Starbucks )

I came home last night and found a Blue Kangaroo on my front porch.   Okay, well it wasn't exactly a blue kangaroo, but it was a bag of the most delicious coffee I've had in a good while. What a nice surprise.   Big Mike is on the road again and he was in Portland this past week.  He stopped in a cafe and had a great cup of coffee and said "I know somebody who would really, really like this coffee.  What is it?" Fast forward to the Blue Kangaroo Guatemala that hopped onto my porch to bring me a cup of absolute pleasure this morning.  This small batch roaster had not been on my radar, but it sure is now. The notes of fruit and chocolate hit me the minute I put the bag up to my nose.  Roasted to perfection. If you don't believe there's such a thing as a Blue Kangaroo perhaps you need to look a little farther north. Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters Portland, Oregon 503-756-0224 www.BlueKangarooCoffee.com

This was not supposed to happen.  Everyone knows that I'm a coffee lover.  How could I have fallen head over heels in love with a tea? I don't mean appreciating a nice tea, as I've always done, I mean actually becoming obsessed with a particular tea to the point of thinking that I might not be able to go one day without a cup. I had the good fortune to win an online raffle with Palais des Thes .  Now, I've had their teas before and they are good.  However, this Sencha Ariaka has got me seriously tripping! It looks good, it smells good and it tastes amazing. All I can say is, "Arigato!" "Sencha Ariake is a Japanese green tea that makes a good introduction to Sencha. Produced in Kyushu province, Sencha Ariake is the smoothest of the fine Sencha teas. Both smooth and stimulating, it is ideal in the morning and recommended to aid concentration. It is also rich in antioxidants, making it perfect for the morning after a night out!" (from