Voyageur du Temps

This is what I like to call "My Little Heaven", there are moments that I feel overwhelmed with my To-Do List and several others matters that come into mind. So to think of this as my "Little Heaven" is just too good to be true. My lovely hubby introduced me to the #VoyageurCafe and we indulged in a Croissant and Danish Pastry. The setting was beautiful, it was a sunny Saturday morning, I forgot to take pictures but I at least took a picture of the #LatteArt with the Pastries.
It was really relaxing and sweet to spend the morning with my loved on and my puppy. They allow you to bring your Furry Pets to sit outside in the balcony. It had several tables with shading to enjoy a French Cafe vibe.
On their website they have a Menu, Gallery, Contact Information which is located in Los Altos, CA, and even a Career Page if you want to join them!
So if you are in the area, check them out and taste for yourself because as they say in their website:

"We believe in preserving the timeless values of craftsmanship, so we take We believe in preserving the timeless values of craftsmanship, so we take care when folding a new and playful spirit into methods proven by generations. Where past and present intersect, we see beauty. This is a voyage worth taking. when folding a new and playful spirit into methods proven by generations. Where past and present intersect, we see beauty. This is a voyage worth taking." (voyageur.com) 

Enjoy the French Music too! :) 

Art Art Art!!!

I am not even sure how this process is done but I love it.
The Art is fabulous and brilliant, as a coffee lover, researcher and artists I am amazed by talented baristas that can create meaning in a latte and send out the beauty in foam.
Here are a few Latte Arts I found on Pinterest that I want to share with you all. :)
I even found this video on Youtube of a Barista creating the most common latte arts we see today and honestly they make it sounds easy but takes lots and lots of practice!!
 

 

"Coffee that Tastes like a Candle"

It seems Pumpkin Spice Lattes Are a No-No.

Because of the Fall Season coming at its way, the sweaters are out, the decorations are on display with the pumpkins outside our doors and the candles lit. But now often do you think about your coffee tasting like a candle? Not often, I hope. Pumpkin Spice Latte is delicious, hands down, but sometimes the popularity goes too far to be mocked by social media as the "Girls Drink" or the typical fashion accessory. Don't get me wrong I love the fashion sense for Fall and the warm coffee's to add that on but to laugh at it is a bit dumb, plain and simple. 

John Oliver speaks about the taste these famous lattes have and the "Social" sides to this consumer filled treat. Just because it's Fall, people have to drink it and apparently there's no Pumpkin in the beverage. Surprising but I can believe it considering the sugar filled sweeteners at Starbucks are all you taste. We "tolerate" as John Oliver explains but hey we choose what we drink. 

Drink Regular "Cuaffee" and continue your Fall season without the Pumpkin, again as John Oliver rants. I enjoy all drinks, pumpkin spice latte is not my favorite but it is enjoyable for others, so drink on my friends.  

Bye Bye Pumpkin Spice!!

It's that time of year people! The scarfs, turtlenecks, Fall decorations, pumpkins and of course the lattes designed for the season! 
The usual routine would be to dress up with the long sleeves and wear the beautiful accessories along with those fabulous boots, which I still need to buy. Make sure all you have to do now is drive or walk to your local coffee shop and order the Fall Favorite "Pumpkin Spice Latte". 
Well a revolution has risen up!
Introducing a new beverage that not only is artistic but delicious in taste and will leave you Instagramming for the next 10 minutes or so. 
A work of art that is stylistic and modern that it deserves to be placed at a Modern Arts Museum, the simplicity and structure is absolutely breathtaking... at least it is for me.
Sprudge Coffee News & Culture is a website that brings out the news in Baristas, Brewers, Roasts, and more on the coffee world we live in today. And they have sprung out the news on a discovery that will leave you eager to travel and grab it.
From Onyx Coffee Lab in Fayetteville, Arkansas, S’mores Gibraltar was created by an Artist named Brendon Gliddon (via @brendar3000 on Instagram)  and by describing it as a “specially made smoked vanilla bean marshmallow, graham cracker, rimmed with Kyya dark chocolate and graham cracker dust.” 
I mean simply looking at this work of art, no wonder people have been instagramming it as a “love at first sip”,  as told by Instagram user @stacynardoni.  Now, if you are all done getting dress up for that Sunday Morning walk or so, you'll need to take a nice break at the coffee shop to fully enjoy this art. 


Source: http://sprudge.com/best-fall-coffee-drink-pumpkin-spice-latte.html

Café Brasileño - Brazilian Coffee

A Brazilian Roast was delicious and that's all I gotta say, well worth the money too.

    This Roast was smooth, it was a blend of 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and topped with a hint of unsweetened Cocoa. It's a blend that, as Trader Joe's describes,
           "Rich flavor of chocolate fudge, to create a taste sensation that brings a little bit                  of Carnavale to your cup. It's fun, it's lively… go with us here; it's a good metaphor - the  coffeeis from Brazil, after all, and if we're going Brazilian, we're going Carnavale. Roasted to a rich,  medium-dark, the coffee is nutty, smooth & mellow with terrific body and low acidity. The  unsweetened cocoa subtly begins the mocha transformation, and the chocolate fudge finishes it off in  choco-riffic fashion. Yes, folks, that's choco-riffic" (Trader Joe's). 

I found this roast when I was searching through the store and I normally don't shop there because of the high prices but this was pretty cheap compared to the roasts at Starbucks Coffee. It was a great blend, I really enjoyed the hint of chocolate because it made the cup so smooth and delightful. I added warm soy milk with foam to make my own  latte at home, cheaper too. And it was a great start for the day because the taste was sweet enough without adding any Agave. 


So if you're shopping around Trader Joe's take a look at the can itself and decide if you would like to take one home. I guarantee you will enjoy it. 
Also available online to shop at: 
http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1478

I Drink My Coffee Different Than You Honey

Coffee Day was days ago, but I came across this article which gave a great depiction of what it means to be male or female and handle a coffee mug.
I think of other things in which men and women do things differently and it is true considering the fact that some have more patience than others or want things sweeter than ever.
But considering the gender differences, just how different does a man drink from a womans perspective? Besides handling more alcohol.

1. Young People spend more money on Coffee than Older Folks. Yup all that Instagramming and Twittering.

2. Guys Drink more cups than women do...not in my situation.

3. Women are more Patient than Men to wait in line...I think thats a general fact, right honey ;)

4. Women like it Fancy...Don't we all Ladies. We feel Sophisticated with a "Latte" or a "Capppuuuccciiinnnooo".

5. Since I am on the West Coast, I am presumed to like it Fancy and that I am "Oh-So Rich" and will spend More.
I object! I am a Barnes & Noble Employee and may I say I take advantage of my Discounts proudly!

Thanks PayPal for the survey and making me feel rich for being on the West Coast.....which I will say it is Imaginative.


Like, share, comment ! :)







Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/coffee-habits-gender_n_5887460.html

Keep it Clean My Friends!

Your Coffee Maker Will Carry Mold if Not Cleaned Properly!

I am guilty on this, during college the coffee maker was the only method I used to Brew a cup or two for the midnight studying. But considering at that hour I'm not thinking about anything that has to do with cleaning, I just ignore it and use it again the next morning before class. Now OBVIOUSLY this is not the right thing to do, we are all guilty at some point for allowing ourselves to ignore an item to clean. 

So I came upon a nice little article I would love to share from HuffingtonPost.com saying "We love nothing more than a good cup of coffee. But a good cup of mold? Not so energizing."  

Here is what they recommend we should all do to maintain a healthy cup and a happy smile in the morning: 

No matter how often you use them, these decalcifying steps (outlined here for classic coffee makers) are the key to better-tasting coffee. And we could all go for some of that.

1. 1. Fill the coffee maker's water chamber with equal parts white vinegar and water. Using a paper filter, allow to brew until half the chamber is empty.
2. 2. Turn the coffee maker off and let it sit for 30 minutes, then finish brewing.
3. 3. Rinse the machine by using a new paper filter to brew a pot of clear water. Do this twice.
4. 4. Fill the carafe with warm, sudsy water and some rice as a gentle abrasive. Swirl the mixture in the pot, then use a scrubber sponge to remove any gunk. Rinse and dry.
5. 5. Wipe the outside of the machine with a damp cloth (but remember, this and the previous step should really happen every day).

Voila! Delicious, germ-free coffee!

For information about more on their discussion you can go to this link and read more about their discoveries and studies. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/how-to-clean-coffee-maker_n_5861026.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Fall Decorations

Fall is Here! 

Fall is here, at least it is suppose to be here because it's around 85 degrees here in the Bay Area and I don't see any cold weather yet. Lol.

So one of my favorite things about this season are the colors and decorations, the colors are vibrant and warming. I like to go through Pinterest and "Like" almost anything that's orange and includes Pumpkins. 

I have put here a collection of my favorite images which include great decorations for the Coffee Tables and around home. 

 

 

The Devil's Cup

The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee

by Stewart Lee Allen

In this captivating book, Stewart Lee Allen treks three-quarters of the way around the world on a caffeinated quest to answer these profound questions: Did the advent of coffee give birth to an enlightened western civilization? Is coffee, indeed, the substance that drives history? From the cliffhanging villages of Southern Yemen, where coffee beans were first cultivated eight hundred years ago, to a cavernous coffeehouse in Calcutta, the drinking spot for two of India’s three Nobel Prize winners . . . from Parisian salons and cafés where the French Revolution was born, to the roadside diners and chain restaurants of the good ol’ U.S.A., where something resembling brown water passes for coffee, Allen wittily proves that the world was wired long before the Internet. And those who deny the power of coffee (namely tea-drinkers) do so at their own peril.

Source: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/303841.The_Devil_s_Cup

Bubble bath Panda

A relaxing moment to drink Brazilian Coffee Latte. Little Panda is enjoying a warm bubble bath foam. 

This mug was a gift from a very special woman who took care of me and supported me through my college years. She knows and shares my love for coffee and the arts, which makes this the perfect gift.