Tea?!

Okay, i'll be honest with you. Tea has never had a place in my life. In my world, you only drank tea when you were sick and that was purely for the soothing aspects of a sore throat.

So, when a friend offered me a box of tea--caffeinated---because she wouldn't be drinking it, I accepted with my sore throat in mind and some temporary relief. Imagine my surprise when I steeped it (4-5 minutes) and took a sip.

Holy crap.

This was good.

It's branded as "sweet and spicy" and the spicyness comes from cinnamon. mmmmm, good. At the finish it's almost like sucking on a red hot. It's black tea, rosehips, cinnamon, chamomile, lemongrass, peppermint, papaya, jasmine tea, anise seed, ginger root, orange peel and orange oil

And the pretty great thing about it? It has 50% of the caffeine that a cup of coffee has. So it's not like I'm not getting the caffeine that my body desperately craves.

I've had 6 cups since yesterday. What can I say- I'm hooked :)

A day without coffee...

is a BAD day indeed! Why do I think I can just get through a day without coffee? Coffee is like crack for me (at least, i can imagine it is-having never actually done crack). I'm cranky, disoriented and have no desire to do anything. Finish a sentence? Uh uh, no way.

Case in point: I hung around this morning finishing a book. Didn't want to do anything, talk to anyone- not even FB or Twitter. Had a meeting, stopped at Dunkin Donuts (US301S- they know me by name there) and got my beloved: Hot, large hazelnut, cream, 1 splenda.

Ahhhh.....all is right with the world :)

Now for some gas station coffee...

I had to make a medicine run for my sick partner and I figured I would stop at the Circle K on Hillsborough & Orient Rd to grab a coffee. First, price was very reasonable- I got a 16oz hot coffee for $1.59. Coffee brand was Signature Cup Cafe Angelica Hazelnut (I love hazelnut- you'll find a pattern with me). As for the coffee? weak. I swear I could chug it and barely get a caffeine high. As I finished the coffee I think i've determined it might be a combination of weak coffee and lousy water. I expect a slight jitter after I finish 16oz of coffee- not so much with this one.

A little about me...

Let me start by saying that I am not an expert on coffee. In fact, Starbucks wouldn't even grant me an interview some months ago when I was looking for a part-time gig. All I know is that I LOVE coffee. I love how it wakes me up in the morning (otherwise I wouldn't be able to form a complete sentence) and how I can pour a cup in the morning and continue drinking it 6 hours later---cold and all.

Mostly, I love how coffee can bring people together. Take the holidays that are coming up- what does everyone do after the food has been served and consumed? Make a pot of coffee, sit around the table and break out the desserts! And in my life, a great many confessions have been uttered while sitting around drinking the java. Some of my most recent fond memories have been with friends doing this.

Eight O'Clock Columbian blend

An old favorite....rich, earthy and doesn't require a ton of half & half (like all of the brewed starbucks for me). It goes down smooth but there is a punch at the end. I like that :) This is one of my go-to bag coffees while at home. It goes for $3.88 at Walmart vs. $4.93 at Publix!