This morning I woke up craving something creamy and sweet. After drinking black coffee the past two days, I wanted something more decadent.
I decided on quick and easy whipped coffee with oat milk. It’s creamy and sweet without being overpowering. It was the perfect treat for this snowy Wednesday!
Cheers to Wednesday ✨
It’s day two and a half into this snowstorm. The northeast is getting pounded with a snowstorm, and it just won’t stop. I believe we have over 30 inches of snow by this point. My work has us working remotely, which is nice since I wouldn’t be able to leave my house anyway, haha.
This morning was also an early one for me. I have recently gotten very into Animal Crossings Hew Horizon in the switch, so I woke up before work to search for a new villager for my town. It was well worth waking up early since I found a great new villager to add to my island.
It just feels like one of those days, though. Up early, not incredibly motivated, and wishing for the days past if true snow days. This made me turn to my French Press. Quick and easy to brew with high flavor impact.
Today I choose my Tanzania coffee I have from Atlas Coffee Club. I love being a part of Atlas Coffee Club and love the variety of coffees they send me!
This Tanzania coffee was a lighter roasted coffee with complex flavors. The tasting notes are black tea, blackberry, and milk chocolate. I get the mouthfeel of black tea, the blackberry’s tartness, and the subtle sweetness and flavor of the milk chocolate.
Cheers to Tuesday! ☕️
One of my absolute favorite things on this planet are hand made pottery mugs. I have been collecting pottery mugs since 2019 and would love to have an extensive collection on the day. It is easy to grab a $10 mug at Target or Home Goods, and I have plenty of regular mugs, but there is just something extraordinary about a handmade pottery mug. Ceramic mugs cost a reasonable amount more than a mug you can pick up in a chain store, but I like to think of them as little pieces of art. People spend hours and their talents pouring themselves into these small mugs for people to enjoy. I find them worth every single penny and do not question the price set by the ceramist.
I am not recommending going out and exclusively buying expensive pottery mugs but adding one here and there to your mug collection not only brightens your mug collection but it also helps real people pursue their passion and talents. I find that my handmade ceramic mugs feel different in my hands when drinking my coffee. They give me lots of joy each time I use them. They are unique and one of a kind.
I want to share some of my favorite ceramists out there. I have followed these ceramists for years and have mugs from 2 of them. The last one I will share is on my list of ceramists I dream about purchasing one day.
2. Lily Calabrese Pottery
I found Lily while on vacation in Vermont in the summer of 2019. She was set up at a little outdoor market, and I instantly fell in love with her work. She had a gorgeous and unique cactus mug that I bought instantly. She is known for her Late Bloomer mugs, which I find to be one of a kind and show incredible talent. Her ceramics are always evolving, and I purchase a need outer space themed plate for my sister that went over exceptionally well. I am very thankful I stumbled upon this ceramist and hope to buy from her again in the future! You can check out her work here: https://www.lilycalabrese.com/
3. LaLePottery
This ceramist’s work is on my dream to own list. I found her on Instagram and cannot wait to own a mug of hers one day. Her mugs feel eclectic and showcase her immense talent as an artist. I love the gold accents she adds to her mugs. I feel like her mugs would bring a little whimsy into anyone’s life. I especially love her mugs with bees on them! They make me swoon, haha. You can check her out here: https://www.instagram.com/lalepottery/
I hope you love these ceramists as much as I do! If you can’t purchase a mug, show these ceramists some love on social media. It is crucial to support small businesses in these times. Cheers to small ceramist businesses!
This morning was slow. Thank goodness! I have been very busy the past week, and I was thankful to get some extra rest this morning.
I didn’t have the drive to pull out all of my brewing gear, so I went with coffee this morning that was easy and delicious. Since the whipped coffee trend hit the internet last spring, I have made this treat many times. I love frothy coffee, so I instantly fell in love with this light and frothy coffee drink.
I am thankful for this delicious and easy coffee today and having a slow Sunday!
Happy Sunday! ✨
If you are interested in learning more about my whipped coffee recipe, you can check it out here: http://mariadoesthings.com/2021/01/31/my-whipped-coffee-recipe/
Whipped or Dalgona coffee hit the internet by storm in 2020. I quickly fell in love with this drink’s light and fluffy nature. I have made this coffee drink so many times now and have honed my favorite way to make it. Luckily, my recipe is not only delicious, but it is also dairy and vegan!
I think the kind of ingredients you use in this drink influences the quality of the drink as much as the process of actually making the drink itself. I have used various kinds of milk to see which was best and was deliberate when choosing what instant coffee I use for my recipe.
This ingredients…
For instant coffee, I use Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee (instant and freeze-dried). This instant coffee is more on the expensive side for instant coffee, but it is well worth it. It is super high quality and lasts a while.
For the milk, I use oat milk. I have tried various kinds of milk and landed on this as my favorite of the upper coffee. I tend to prefer oat milk with sweet, robust flavor drinks like chai lattes and whipped coffee. Specifically, I use the Oatly brand, Full-Fat milk. I like its thick, sweet flavor and think it pairs well with the pungent whipped coffee. I also like the full-fat version because it is packed with vitamins And DHA omega 3!
I usually use just regular white sugar and the well water from my sink. If you want to level up this drink, even more, you could get high-quality sugar and use high-quality water.
For the process….
I begin with a shallow metal mixing bowl. I have deeper mixing bowls that I use for baking, but I have a mixing bowl that is shallow with a wide top. This shallow bowl allows for more air to get into the bowl while mixing, helping the mixture to get nice and fluffy!
I googled some photos for reference so you can see a shallow bowl versus a deeper bowl.
The rule of thumb for any whipped coffee recipe is 1:1:1 ratios for the instant coffee, sugar, and water. For about 1.5-2 drinks, I use about 1.5 – 2 tbsp of each ingredient. I also judge it by the number of people I am making it for. I typically use 1 tbsp for each person who will be having it!
So when I make it for myself, since I enjoy a second half a cup, I typically use 1.5 tbsp is each. So 1.5 tbsp of instant coffee, sugar, and warm water.
I add the instant coffee and the sugar and then add the warm water. I give the mixture a little stir to make sure the instant coffee and sugar have dissolved a bit. They do not need to be dissolved entirely, though.
Then I use a hand mixer to mix the instant coffee, sugar, and water mixture. I have used a hand frothed and have whipped it by hand, and a hand mixer is the best and quickest way to make whipped coffee.
I begin by starting on the lowest setting just to start mixing the mixture. At this point, the mixture will be dark in color. As I start to see the mixture frothing, which only takes a few seconds, I turn up the mixing speed. I go slow, adding each speed, one at time, each setting used for a few seconds to make sure the mixture is mixing well. By the time you get to the highest mixing setting, the mixture will look a bit lighter.
I leave the mixer on the highest setting while making sure to hit each inch of the mixture. As you mix, the mixture will get lighter in color. You can tell the mixture is ready when it is light brown, and you see soft ripples when you move the mixture through an area of the mixture. Once the whole mixture looks like this, you are done.
Next, I stick the whipped coffee mixture in the fridge for a few minutes while cleaning the mixer and getting my milk ready. This allows the mixture to settle, cool, and firm up.
I love using clear glass to see how much milk there is, how much of the whipped coffee I put in, and its aesthetics. I pour my oat milk about 2/3 of the glass and then add the whipped coffee to fill the other 1/3 of the glass. I then use a spoon to swirl the milk and whipped coffee together a bit. I like layered coffee drinks, and I don’t mix mine too much because I like the distinct flavors coming together.
I usually have a little whipped coffee mixture left and stick that back in the fridge and add a little more milk and whipped coffee when I’m running low to give myself seconds!
Enjoy! ✨
I was up pretty early this morning. Due to the pending snow on Monday, I had to travel to my allergist’s office to pick up the serum for my weekly allergy shots. The office is about an hour and a half away from my house, and they are only open until 12 pm.
On mornings like this, I tend to stop at Starbucks, but I weirdly wasn’t in the mood for a creamy and sugar coffee drink. I wanted something yummy, light, and not too sweet.
One of my favorite coffee shops in the Lehigh Valley is called The Joint. There are two locations, but I love the hole in the wall shop off of Broad Street in Bethlehem. They have pour-over coffee options, which I love. They roast their coffee and have so many options for their pour-overs.
My go-to pour over there is their Bourbon Barrel coffee. They store these unroasted beans in bourbon barrels for 30 days before roasting. This coffee is robust, full of flavor, and naturally a tad sweet.
This was such a wonderful treat for an early and long car ride on a Saturday morning.
Happy Saturday! ☕️
The commute from Milford to Scranton typically takes about an hour. On mornings like this morning, this means I’m more in a treat to self kind of mood. I usually do the hour commute every other Friday. This allows me to treat myself without feeling like I’m overindulging.
Henry’s on Clay is a cute coffee shop in Dunmore, PA. It is also only about 5 minutes from my work. They have good coffee and delicious gluten-free breakfast, lunch, and brunch options!
You can place an order ahead of time and schedule a pickup time. I love this feature because I place my order in bed, get ready, drive an hour, and pick up my breakfast on my way to work. Easy Peasy.
This morning for breakfast is got an omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and Munster cheese. ( I know, weird, but it’s my fav cheese). And I got their home fries; Henry’s home fries are out of this world!!
For coffee, even though it’s in the single digits in the Pennsylvania mountains today, I got cold brew. Henry’s had unique flavors, so I got a large cold brew with cookie butter flavoring and oat milk. It’s decadent yet not too sweet.
Happy Friday! 🎉
This morning was so cold, and I just knew I needed something warm. I am in Milford today, so my local coffee options are Milford’s Daily Grind and Sparkomatic Cafe and Talkhouse.
I tend to favor the Sparkomatic due to their menu, coffee selection, and overall vibe. They have an extensive allergy/ diet menu. They offer many Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan options. I love getting their tagalong cookies that are gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. They are out of this world.
Today though, the Sparkomatic was closed due to some renovations, so my next option was Milford’s Daily Grind.
Milford’s Daily Grind is a great grab and goes, quick coffee option in town. I tend to get a latte from them since they have solid espresso and a wide variety of flavoring options.
This morning I got a large hot latte with whole milk with one flavor pump of vanilla and one flavor pump of brown sugar cinnamon. It is just the warming and cozy drink I needed.
Cheers to Thursday ☕️
Today I wanted something that wasn’t coffee. Shocking right??
I also wanted something hot in temperature and warm in feeling. This made me turn to a chai latte.
I grabbed a large chai latte with oat milk and 2 pumps of vanilla from Kats Daily Grind. I love pairing oat milk with chai because it sweetens the drink without it being over-sweetened. I also love adding vanilla to my drinks for an extra flavor dimension.
Cheers to Wednesday! ✨
It made be cliché to chat about planners in January, but I have found my planner incredibly useful during these unprecedented times. I didn’t throw this planner away in 2020, and it actually helped me stay organized in 2020.
I use to spend hours each December looking for the perfect planner. I remember December 2019 spending way too long in the planner aisle in Target. I finally picked the Create & Cultivate planner. This planner felt like it was built for me. I like to think it incorporates what every 20 something-year-old is looking for in a planner. It helps you be organized without being too much.
The planner’s beginning pages have a money goal section, important events for the upcoming year, and life and work goal section. There also is a place for a vision board. I have used this to set up goal lists and an actual photo vision board.
The rest of the planner is broken up by tabs of each month. There is a monthly calendar at the beginning of each month section. Then the planner is broken into weeks within the month. Each week has a section for mantras, primary goals, secondary goals, self-care, inspo, and more. It also has a section for each day of the week with the freedom to design each day the way you’d like. I typically write down events of the day, if I am working in the office, and some goals I want to focus on. You could add trackers, checklists, etc. At the end of each month section, there is a monthly reflection area. You can take notes a reflect on your goals, activities, events, money, your wins, side hustle planning, and follow-ups for the next month. This section really grounds me each month and makes sure I am intentional with my goals, times, and money. Additionally, it encourages you to recognize your wins, even if you feel like you might not have any.
Being intentional with your days is crucial in times like these. When most things in the world may feel out of control, a planner can help you feel more in control. This planner helps to ground me and set intentional and realistic goals.
If you are looking for a planner and jive with the Create & Cultivate one I am talking about, you can find it at Target!
Happy Planning!
