my best grocery discovery
i stopped drinking coffee for 2 years; when i was diligently doing bikram yoga i insisted i didn't need it. "yoga is the only activity in the world that creates more energy as you do it," my teachers would say.
and then last year, while i was away in chicago, an unforeseen incident happened and i felt like from then on i needed to do things, even everyday things, differently.
when we got to Seattle, i found a crumpet shop near Pike Place Market that had a sign for "Latte Happy Hour": any latte, any size, for USD1.80 from 7.00-8.30 in the morning.
the crumpets are made fresh, you can watch the baker from the window, but my greatest memory of seattle was that soy caramel latte that tasted so good, that I went back the morning of our flight home to get another one.
my friend Esel always takes her coffee black. back here in manila, on our weekly meetings at her house she'd always offer me coffee - maybe out of politeness, or maybe she just didn't remember that i would refuse every time. but one time i decided, why not?
so i started liking coffee again, and one wednesday, J who doesn't drink coffee went out of his way to get me a french press so i can make my own. i loved the boldness, the richness of the coffee the first time i made it myself, i thought the press was pure genius.
I became adventurous in trying out different blends, i experimented on the amount of coffee to use for a single cup, i read about the optimal number of minutes you should let the coffee sit before pressing and pouring, i asked different baristas about water temperature because sometimes my coffee would taste burnt. but most of the time, it was good enough. i look forward to my midday cup of coffee; much as i love it, i only have it once a day.
one thing i haven't learned though, is to take my coffee black. one day i will get there, but for now i must have it with cream. at first i used the usual coffeemate, and then i moved on to milk, but i never quite got the creaminess that i love from a caffe americano 20% breve (just a fancy term for half-and-half) at starbucks.
so imagine my delight when i found THIS at the japanese aisle of my grocery:
the truth is, i got a little swayed by the packaging. how cute is that little bottle with the little handle? and look, it even has a tansan top :)
I've been perfectly content mixing krematop with my morning cup of tea; i thought i couldn't be happier. :) who needs coffee when i can have a creamy cup of tea every morning. i haven't had coffee for days.
but this morning i woke up extra groggy, i'd been having allergies since last night. i figured i needed an extra boost for a day full of meetings, so i decided it's time to get out the french press again for a quick cup of coffee.
and i just have to say that never have i been so delighted with a cup of coffee i made myself. :) J said we should go to the grocery this weekend and hoard bottles and bottles of Krematop. :) which grocery, i'm not telling anyone. ;)
and then last year, while i was away in chicago, an unforeseen incident happened and i felt like from then on i needed to do things, even everyday things, differently.
when we got to Seattle, i found a crumpet shop near Pike Place Market that had a sign for "Latte Happy Hour": any latte, any size, for USD1.80 from 7.00-8.30 in the morning.
the crumpets are made fresh, you can watch the baker from the window, but my greatest memory of seattle was that soy caramel latte that tasted so good, that I went back the morning of our flight home to get another one.
my friend Esel always takes her coffee black. back here in manila, on our weekly meetings at her house she'd always offer me coffee - maybe out of politeness, or maybe she just didn't remember that i would refuse every time. but one time i decided, why not?
so i started liking coffee again, and one wednesday, J who doesn't drink coffee went out of his way to get me a french press so i can make my own. i loved the boldness, the richness of the coffee the first time i made it myself, i thought the press was pure genius.
I became adventurous in trying out different blends, i experimented on the amount of coffee to use for a single cup, i read about the optimal number of minutes you should let the coffee sit before pressing and pouring, i asked different baristas about water temperature because sometimes my coffee would taste burnt. but most of the time, it was good enough. i look forward to my midday cup of coffee; much as i love it, i only have it once a day.
one thing i haven't learned though, is to take my coffee black. one day i will get there, but for now i must have it with cream. at first i used the usual coffeemate, and then i moved on to milk, but i never quite got the creaminess that i love from a caffe americano 20% breve (just a fancy term for half-and-half) at starbucks.
so imagine my delight when i found THIS at the japanese aisle of my grocery:
the truth is, i got a little swayed by the packaging. how cute is that little bottle with the little handle? and look, it even has a tansan top :)
I've been perfectly content mixing krematop with my morning cup of tea; i thought i couldn't be happier. :) who needs coffee when i can have a creamy cup of tea every morning. i haven't had coffee for days.
but this morning i woke up extra groggy, i'd been having allergies since last night. i figured i needed an extra boost for a day full of meetings, so i decided it's time to get out the french press again for a quick cup of coffee.
and i just have to say that never have i been so delighted with a cup of coffee i made myself. :) J said we should go to the grocery this weekend and hoard bottles and bottles of Krematop. :) which grocery, i'm not telling anyone. ;)