Should Kids Drink Decaf Coffee?

Today I bought my child a small coffee drink. I know what you are thinking, but it was obviously decaf with milk and flavor. Sure it did have a lot of sugar but I rationalize that to myself because of the fact that I don’t let her drink coffee  drinks often.

I’m not going to lie,  the adults I see on a daily basis seemed to notice. They saw her drinking it and shot bullets of dirty looks my way. This got me thinking about kids and coffee. Do other mom’s let their kids drink coffee?

I am Italian, so maybe I am a little less than conservative on the subject. This mom has very strong options on the subject. I don’t really agree with anything that she is saying. However, she is entitled to her opinion. Just like every mom and dad out there is entitled to let their child drink decaf coffee. What do you think?

 

 

Flavored Decaf Coffee Beans

Last week I battled the stomach flu. Not only was it awful, but it kept me away from coffee for four days. I ended up tossing practically a full pitcher of the decaf cold toddy blend I made last weekend. What a waste.

This morning, as I began the process of making a new pitcher, I realized that I am tired of the vanilla flavored decaf coffee that I used every week. I want something different. I want chocolate.

After a few minutes of scouring the Internet I found this site. I definitely want to try their Cupid’s Kiss Flavored Coffee. My mouth is watering already. I think this might be a new challenge, ordering coffee from the Internet. Maybe next up will be Swiss water decaf, any other suggestions?

 

Snacks to Pair with Decaf Coffee

Instead of reviewing another local coffee place, this week I decided to make some accompaniments. For my undertaking I chose to bake two items that can be paired with a great cup of decaf coffee:  a simple loaf of bread and a breakfast cookie.

The bread was so easy. I wish I would have taken pictures of the whole process. (If you are interested, you can see it here). The recipe included: salt, yeast, flour and water. Well, and 12 hours of rise time. I love bread, especially this beauty.

Next up were the cookies. For these, I modified my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I eye-balled some of it, but here is a basic run-down:

2 sticks salted butter

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1 egg white

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. chocolate chips

1 handful dried blueberries

1 handful dried cranberries

1 sm package sliced almonds

Oatmeal

Flour

First, I combined all of the wet ingredients. Then I added the baking powder, the baking soda, the salt, the brown sugar and the white sugar. Next up were the dry ingredients. I added a cup of oatmeal first and then a cup of flour. At this point I kept adding oatmeal and flour until the dough looked appropriate. Then I added the chocolate chips, almonds and the berries. Here was my end result:

 

I am loving these cookies. I can’t wait to try them in the morning with my homemade decaf iced coffee.

 

Wallet Friendly Decaf – Homemade Iced Coffee

Yesterday my husband voiced a concern, okay it was more of a complaint. He is worried that I spend too much money on my coffee drinks.

My first thought: He’s crazy! It can’t be that much.

My second thought: Yeah, okay. It is kind of expensive.

My solution: Homemade Iced Coffee.

I got this recipe from my sister. Apparently an obsessive need for coffee runs in our family. Whether you prefer decaf (me) or regular (my sister), this recipe is awesome. Often referred to as toddy coffee or cold brew coffee, it is actually pretty easy.

All you need is a little time and a few supplies. The basic ingredients and supplies include: 1 large bowl, 1 gallon sized pitcher, 1 pound coffee, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk and your choice of sweeteners or creamers. I prefer a little chocolate syrup, some caramel syrup and a touch of creamer.

The first step is to pour the coffee into the bowl and add cold water.

Stir to blend. 

Next, cover the coffee with plastic wrap or foil and let it sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours.

At the end of 12 hours you’ll need a mesh strainer and a piece of cheesecloth or some paper towels. Line the strainer with the chosen material and scoop the coffee in a little at a time.

If you use paper towels in your strainer it can get a little messy.

And it takes some time. However, after a few minutes your pitcher should look like this:

Now add the fun stuff: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk ( I use non-fat for both), and any sweeteners/creamers that you like.

My pitcher usually gets pretty full after I have added everything I want.

The finished product, is pretty good. And here it is….drum roll please……………………….my homemade decaf iced coffee:

 

A Random Trek to Tully’s

I was in my local shopping center earlier this week and my daughter asked me if we could go to Tully’s because she saw a sign for a smoothie. She loves smoothies almost as much as I like a good blended coffee drink, so I gave in to her request.

In a coffee shop I rarely order directly from the menu. I may recant this statement on occasion when I am with a friend and she recommends something on the menu, but on this day I went with a drink I knew:  A decaf, blended, non-fat black and white.

I order this drink almost every time that I get coffee in the summer, but I had never ordered it from Tully’s. Why? First, their location is less than desirable. There is no drive-thru and I simply do not have that sort of extra time each day. Second, I hadn’t heard anything fabulous about the place. In fact, I hadn’t heard anything at all about them.

I spent almost nine dollars on a kid’s smoothie and the decaf coffee drink.  The blended coffee was reasonably priced, but there was no price break for the smoothie. That’s a negative in my book.

It was a hot day so of course I hopped back into the car and guzzled for a minute to beat the heat. It was cold. There were no chunks of ice. That was pleasant. Here is the rest of my opinion:

Price/Value: Too expensive. $9 for the blended decaf coffee and my child’s smoothie

Flavor: Ice and water with a side of coffee and an even smaller side of chocolate. I give it 50 percent ice and water, 35 percent coffee and 15 percent chocolate.

Texture: Smooth.

Satisfaction: Minimal. Like I said, it was hot and the drink was cold. I guess that was satisfying enough.

Overall, I would not order this drink again. There is one drink that I love at Tully’s, but it is my wintertime treat because they only make it hot. I’ll be posting about it when the weather gets colder. Until then, bring on the blended and the iced drinks! What’s your favorite summertime coffee drink?

 

Decaf? Why Bother?

Courtesy of Barbara Dudzinska

Because regardless of the season, I love coffee. The taste, shaken or stirred with the right amount of sugar and milk, always brings a smile to my face. In the summertime the combination of  a good coffee bean, milk and ice create a refreshing explosion of flavor. On the simpler side, in the winter, I adore the feel of a warm cup in my hands on a cold day and the steamy taste coating my throat.

The Mission:

To find the best tasting and affordable decaf coffee in my local area. It will be delicious despite the way it is ordered: non-fat, sugar-free,  blended, iced or hot.

The Would-be Connoisseur:

Me. A working mother and wife who knows next to nothing about coffee, but I know what I like. And I don’t drink caffeine, because I don’t like it. There is no other reason.

Welcome to my coffee crusade.

 

Dutch Treat

For my first endeavour I decided to hit up an old favorite, my local Dutch Brothers. I have always liked Dutch Bros. for various reasons: their promotions, friendly baristas,  quick service and high-quality product.

Today I tried a Decaf, Non-Fat, Blended White Mocha. The girl at the window warned me that if I went with non-fat it would lose some flavor. Apparently, they use low-fat chocolate milk in this particular drink and she would have to use regular milk and chocolate syrup instead in order to make it non-fat. I thanked her, took my chances and ordered a large or “quad shot.”

Usually, I would have gone with a smaller size but today I had a freebie courtesy of a full frequency card.

My Opinion

Price/Value: N/A

Flavor: A very strong coffee taste. Much more than I am used to. I usually like a 50/50 coffee and sugary milk flavor. This blend was about 70/30.

Texture: Smooth and the ice was blended perfectly.

It was hot outside and the drink was an icy wonder. I drank every last drop. Will I order it again? Probably not, but hey I am glad I tried it.