Confessions of a Caffeine Addict II

  Good morning and Happy Tuesday, y'all! So much excitement and I am still nursing the first cup! Today's blend is leftover Blonde coffee from Starbucks and Mocha Latte from Kroger. Followers of this blog know that I love my flavored coffee and detest syrups. It's been some time since I blogged, so I figured I would gently remind you of that fact. My first blog post was how I became addicted to coffee. Today, I will tell you how I prefer to drink coffee when I decide to drink it all day long. It looks like one of those days. See below.

The view of the mountains from my back porch. What mountains???

  At any rate, this is how I drink coffee all day... 

• 6 AM - 11 AM: First half pot since I am the only one who drinks in my house. Although my Mother-In-Law loves it when I make coffee in the mornings. She won't drink any but loves the aroma. I usually make a light flavor or roast. One must break themselves in for the bolder stuff. 
• 11 AM - 5 PM: This is where I dip into bolder tastes. This is the type of day that I will head to Starbucks and try something new. But I don't do Venti, only Tall. I would eventually like to get to sleep tonight. Speaking of which, I have $10 burning a hole in my Starbucks card. Hrmmmm....
• 5 PM - 9 PM: Dessert coffee. Here is a recipe from allrecipes.com I would like to try soon. However, since I am out of rum, I will have to settle for a kid-friendly recipe later. Something to do with a hot cocoa mix. 

  Now, mind you, I am not walking around all day with a cup in hand. Well... almost... 

Starbucks has a new mild flavor!

  They did it again! Starbucks has introduced a light flavor blend that is perfect for early mornings! As much coffee as I drink, I prefer a very mild Breakfast Blend in the mornings. The more bitter brews I prefer in the afternoon or as a dessert coffee. 

  As usual, I was out of coffee at home. When I went to the store, there was this gorgeous new package! Starbucks Blonde. BLONDE?!?! Meaning light? I lovingly snuggled my pound of Blonde Willow Blend and immediately brewed a cup despite the fact that it was already 7 PM. 

  The blend is very delightful! I know a lot of people who complain how dark and bitter the normal Starbucks brews can be. If you fall into this category, give the new blends a go!

Coffeehouses with Heart

   Starbucks has a very successful business model. And because of this model, it has changed the way coffeehouses and fast food restaurants do business. Many places realized that if you give people a reason to hangout and spend time in your establishment, they will more likely spend money with you in the future. This business model has moved bookstores, like Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million to have in-store coffee shops. Some libraries have done so as well to keep up with the market and create more foot traffic.

  Besides a successful business model, Starbucks is a leader in converting themselves into a green business with community involvement and support for a clean environment. This support in the environment is essential because climate change will make our daily cup more and more expensive in years to come. Coffee is no longer a luxury item for Americans, it is a necessity. As much as I try to support the local coffeehouses, I feel more at ease buying an occasional frappaccino from Starbucks knowing that a portion of the money I spend supports a climate-conscious program.