20 cups of coffee: PT's Coffee Roasting Company

Cup no. 4: PT's Coffee Roasting Company
Topeka, KS

Got to spend a week at my capitol back in February at a government leadership class called Teenpact. It's awesome! My goal was to get to some kind of coffee shop during the week but time was never really on my side. I'd heard that Topeka had some good ones and couldn't stand the thought of not getting to try at least one. On the last day right before heading back to Wichita, my dad let me drive out of the way to one of the PT's coffee shops. I'm telling you, after a week of nasty hotel coffee, this place was like heaven!

Didn't have a ton of time there but still managed to buy a bag of coffee beans, nutella no-bake cookies, a hot mocha for me, and a couple iced mochas for my dad and sister. Somehow I ended up coming out of there with zero amount of pictures which will explain the lack of them. I know. It's terrible. But hey, this gives just you a another reason to go there for yourself and drink more coffee.

The coffee shop itself was different. A lot of brick & wood. Very, very tiny, but then again maybe my coffee shops in Wichita are huge. I don't know. Anyway, I wasn't very impressed.

The barista was nice though. When he didn't have anything in particular to recommend, I got my mocha. It was good. Nothing stood out about this mocha being different from the others I've tried. The nutella cookies were amazing though!

The beans were awesome! There was a whole shelf thing full of different kinds of packaged whole beans that had been roasted that week. I couldn't make up my mind so I went with the AD ASTRA since it had to do with Kansas. Took it home and those beans turned out to be a very good dark coffee. If I go back, I would definitely get more of the Ad Astra. Very, very good!! Totally recommend it!

So in the end, I liked the mocha, loved the coffee beans, and didn't care for the coffee shop itself so much.

Now you must go check out their Facebook page.

Has anyone else been there? What did you think? I'd love to hear about it!

~Susanna

20 cups of coffee: Reverie

Cup no. 2: Reverie Coffee Roasters
Douglas Street in Wichita, KS

If you came to Wichita and had me show you around town, Reverie Coffee Roasters would probably be the first stop on the list. This is my no.1 favorite coffee shop in town all because their coffee is seriously the best! They put a ton of effort into making their products awesome. Reverie Coffee Roasters has been open for a little over a year and is doing great. They are trying very hard to make it a community thing by using and selling local products in their shop.  

My very first time to visit the Reverie was January 2nd of this year. Since then I've been there several times and have spent every penny I own. No seriously, it's bad.  Almost ever time I've gotten cold brew Toddy. The reason for that is because I love Toddy coffee and theirs is seriously good!!

The coffee shop itself is super cute! I love the big red sign on the back wall that has the meaning of their name. Plus, in my opinion you have to have brick walls in a coffee shops and they've got them.

A few more cool things about the Reverie are...
-They roast their own coffee beans and sell them.
-Friday afternoons they give free cupping parties.(I've been to one. It's a great way to learn more about coffee and meet other people.)
-Only coffee shop in Wichita I've been too that sells pourovers and Toddy cold brew!
-Staff here are super nice, friendly, and helpful.

I was in just a while ago and tried an iced mocha made with Cocoa Dolce's chocolate.  This one was ok. If you read my review about Cocoa Dolce you would know that I really like their hot mocha made with their chocolate. But there is something just a little strange about the cold coffee and chunks of chocolate mixed with ice. Now I've had Reverie's regular iced mocha before and I love it! So next time I'll stick with that or a Toddy because I know they're good.

Now go check out Reverie's website and Facebook page where you can learn more. And come to Wichita. I'll take you there!


~Susanna

lawn mower coffee?

Coffee humor for your day. This video always makes me laugh.




 Somehow I don't think I'll be trying this...

~Susanna

20 cups of coffee: Cocoa Dolce

Cup no. 3: Cocoa Dolce
Found at Bradley Fair, in Wichita, KS


Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates is an adorable little chocolate lounge on the east side of Wichita. Here, the atmosphere is perfect to have that long conversation with your best friend. The music is always perfect and the decor is very cute! 

Cocoa Dolce is first and foremost a chocolate shop. And their chocolate is GOOD! They also sell coffee, wine, and gelato. This gelato is my absolute favorite in Wichita! No one else tastes near as good. Seriously! In the fall, Cocoa Dolce has a pumpkin cheesecake flavor that is to die for!


About every time I get coffee at Cocoa Dolce, it's gonna be their special chocolate mocha. Unlike any mocha I've ever had, this one is made with their chocolate. It is super rich and super good! Definitely a lot sweeter and way more chocolaty then your normal mocha. I love it! If you go in and can decide what to try, get this!!!

As you can see in the photo above, presentation is somewhat lacking on the coffee end. But the taste of this mocha actually did make up for most of it. 
 
Now go check out their Facebook page. They have a lot here pictures than I do.  :) 

~Susanna

TODDY Milkshake Recipe

Want another reason...or excuse...to own a Vitamix? Here you go and you're welcome.

This last week we had a lot of leftover ice cream in our freezer from my sister's wedding. Being a good person, I couldn't let it just sit there and had too do something. Since there was also leftover coffee that could mean only one thing...Toddy Milkshakes!!!

I looked up several different recipes and ended up just throwing things into the Vitamix. So here is my own twist to the coffee milkshake .

Before you get started there is one thing you must know - It is important that you use the cold brew method for this recipe to get a good coffee taste. If you use reg. chilled down coffee, you'll have to use a lot more to get a strong coffee taste and then the consistency won't be very thick.



Toddy Milkshakes
all measurements are estimates, because I hardly ever measure anything. :)

yes, that is a big box of ice cream on the right.

-1 cup  Cold Brew Toddy (same thing as cold brew coffee)
-3 1/2  cups  Vanilla Ice Cream   (tastes best if you use Braum's)
-Handful of  Girardelli bittersweet chocolate chunks
-2 to 3 T. Torani Chocolate sauce

and a Vitamix (can use other blenders but this one does work best.)

Instructions:
Throw everything into the Vitamix. Turn on and slowly go up to 5 for a minute.

Taste it! Sometimes it needs a little more coffee or ice cream. Depending on how you want yours to taste.

Pour into 2 pretty glasses and top with more chocolate syrup or better yet...whipped cream!

Enjoy!


~Susanna

20 cups of coffee: Mead's Corner

Last year I decided that in 2014 I'd like to try 20 different coffee shops and then write a little about each one. The only reason I picked 20 was because I turned 20 this year and it seemed like a good number. 

If you have any recommendations for coffee shops to try please leave them in the comments!! I love to hear about new places!!

Here we go!

Cup no.1  =  Mead's Corner
1/1/14 ~ New Year's Day!

On New Year's Day our YMCA was holding a Frosty 5k through Downtown Wichita and by the river. Three of my siblings, several friends, and I decided to go run. I mean what else could be more fun to do on New Year's Day? The Frosty 5k ended up being my favorite run I've done so far and I can't wait for next year!!

Always in the mood for coffee, we headed over to Mead's Corner afterwards. It was only fitting that I start at Mead's since I hang out there the most.

Mead's Corner is a cute hole-in-the-wall in Downtown Wichita. It's been there for over 5 years and almost everyone has been there at least once. I've been to Mead's many, many times and it feels like home. I love coffee shops that have that warm cozy feeling where you never want to leave. Mead's has definitely got that feeling.

I got a mocha. Hot, of course. Their mochas are very good. I like them because they aren't sweet and have a hint of chocolate but you can still taste the coffee very well. Plus, you can never have enough whipped cream! If you were to ask me what I recommend from Mead's, the mocha is what I'd say! I get it every time and it has yet to fail me.

Mead's coffee is pretty good. It's not anything super terrific but at least it isn't bad. Compared to Starbucks, no, it doesn't even compare to Starbucks. I shouldn't go there... But if I did compare it to Starbucks, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, I'd put Mead's coffee at 10 and Starbucks coffee at 1. 

Now, as a coffee shop Mead's is awesome! I love to come and just work on my laptop or hangout with friends. It's easy to hide in a corner and have a good conversation or actually get some work done. It has a rustic look and I like a lot.

Mead's Corner also sell great gelato, other drinks, baked goods, and sandwiches.

So there you have it. I think you should go to Mead's Corner the next time you try a new coffee shop!


~Susanna

Coolest picture ever...

Pinterest is of course a favorite hangout place for me. It's so full of ideas and yet can be such a big time waster.

Here are my favorite coffee pics for today. Just because coffee makes me happy and looking at it never gets old...
 

source

 This one has got to be my all time favorite. I'm not a photographer so I have no idea how they did it.

source

Who doesn't want to look at beans right after you roast them? I'd totally be smelling them right now.

source

If someone could tell me where this wall is that would be great, because that's where I will be headed next. I want to see this!


Want to follow me on Pinterest? click here.


~Susanna

Coffee called my name // how I got started

My history with Coffee


We didn't drink coffee in my house...

Weird, I know for someone who almost breathes coffee.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the smell of coffee, but I didn't grow up with it. My Dad never liked coffee and for some reason my Mom didn't drink it. We didn't even own a coffee pot. Now, coffee was a staple at my Grandpa's house. I hardly saw him without his coffee cup. That must have been where I first smelled it. :)

But that all changed the day my oldest brother and sister came home from a trip to Costa Rica. (Yeah, traveling does things too you.) Down there they practically live on coffee.

The fresh roasted beans they brought back were some of the best my Mom said she had ever tasted! My family was hooked and REAL coffee became a part of our life. And that was at least 10 years ago!

I tried the coffee that day and I don't remember being impressed. Years later I got interested in the process of making coffee and I still didn't drink it. But eventually I did learn to like it. That sounds bad to say "learned to like it" since I love coffee so much!

Since then my interest in coffee kinda just took off. If something even just mentions coffee, I want to read it, see it, taste it, watch it, drink it, and most of all make it.

1st coffee bar I ever did in 2010!!

Now, I have started reading books and articles on coffee and then follow different coffee blogs. Lately, I've been having tons of fun learning different brewing methods.

Friends like to say I'm addicted to coffee. Not sure that I agree. :)  Actually, I love making coffee almost more than drinking it.

My love for coffee has given me many different opportunities. I've done a few coffee bars at church events and receptions. It's something I want to continue doing and grow at.

The more I learn about coffee, the more I realize I'm only scratching the surface of this topic. In the years to come, I hope to learn as much as I can.

And that's my history with how I got started in coffee. I blame it all on my oldest sister, because if she had not brought it home that one day, I don't think I'd have any idea how great a thing I would be missing.


~Susanna

Coldbrew

My Toddy just finished brewing!!!

Now for some iced coffee....

~Susanna

The Coffee Drinker...

Hey! I'm Susanna. This is the beginning of a blog that is going to be about coffee and whatever else I happen to be thinking about, but mainly coffee.

To begin with, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about myself.

I love coffee with a passion! I love learning about the whole process. How to brew coffee, where it came from, how to drink lots and lots of it, and someday I will get the courage to actually roast coffee.

Kansas has been my home all my life and I really do love it here. 

I have six siblings, a niece, and a nephew. 

I love to read books! I may be slower than a blind turtle, but I read. I believe there is a whole new world inside a book and when you open it, you find it.

Cooking is something I enjoy and if the recipe includes coffee, I'm definitely going to make it.

Traveling is awesome, but who doesn't love that?

If you came over on a summer evening, you'd most likely find me outside playing volleyball and wishing the sun was out of my eyes. But really, volleyball is legit fun. 

And last but most importantly, I serve the one and only true God, who made me and saved me from eternal death. 


~Susanna