Tag: coffee shop

Mocha at Moka

There is just something about a great cup of coffee that gives you a feeling like nothing else in this world. When I experience a cup of coffee like that, I spend months, even years, eager to return to the coffee shop that produced such an unforgettable cup of coffee.

There is just something about a great cup of coffee that gives you a feeling like nothing else in this world. When I experience a cup of coffee like that, I spend months, even years, eager to return to the coffee shop that produced such an unforgettable cup of coffee.

In the winter of 2022, I visited Moka Origins for the first time and was fascinated by the fact that they produce single-origin coffee AND single-origin chocolate. The expertise of this pairing made my decision on what to order very easy, an iced mocha latte. 

The mocha latte I had that day was unlike any other mocha latte I have experienced. The chocolate was rich, creamy, and flavorful, but it wasn’t too sweet. It paired well with their espresso and some oat milk. It was hands down the best mocha latte of my life.

Even though Moka Origins is only about a 45-minute car ride from me, I hadn’t found the time to go back until last weekend. I was so excited to get a mocha latte again!! I was so moved by the iced mocha latte; I did not vary from my original order.

When I got my drink, just like earlier this year, I was stunned by the excellent coffee and chocolate pairing. It really confined that this was the best mocha latte I have ever had.

If you are around the Honesdale area, I HIGHLY recommend stopping by Moka Origins and ordering a mocha latte. Grab some coffee and chocolate while you are there too! I know I won’t wait months before returning for the best mocha latte again.

Coffee in Southwest Florida

I kicked off my 2022 by spending a week in Cape Coral, Florida, and adventuring around Southwest Florida! I had some delicious coffee while I was there and wanted to share some of my favorites!

Penny’s Coffee Bar in Cape Coral

Penny’s ended up being a new favorite coffee spot! I wish it weren’t so far away from home. Not only did they have a wide variety of coffee options, but they also had neat tea and tea refresher options! I got their cold brew twice, and woah was I impressed. It quickly became one of my favorite cold brews of all time. They had baked goods there, too, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! I highly recommend Penny’s if you’re looking for a cold brew, a refresher, an iced latte, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!

Urban Buzz Coffee Company in Cape Coral

Urban Buzz was funky in the best way possible! The coffee shop was a walk-up window/drive-through. They had lots of coffee options and tea refresher options! I tried something brand new there, white coffee. I had never even heard of white coffee, but it’s coffee roasted at a lower temperature, and the beans turn white. The drink I got with the white coffee was soo delicious. Even if it did blow my mind that it was all white, haha!

Funky Rooster Coffee House & Wine Bar in Key West

This coffee shop had such a neat Kerry West vibe! The coffee was great, and they had delicious pastries! It looked like they also sold wine, so if you’re looking for a place to hang out I. In the evening this cafe could be an excellent choice! I wish I had more time to hang out in this coffee shop; the vibes were so cool!

The French Press in Cape Coral

This coffee shop also has gelato, and that’s what sold me! I got gelato twice at The French Press, and it was amazing! Each day they had different flavors! I tried key lime the one day, and it was stellar!! Their coffee was good, and they had a variety of pastry and food options there too. If you’re looking for coffee and gelato, this is the place to go!

I hope this helps on your next trip to southwest Florida! Let me know if you’ve been to southwest Florida and some of your favorite coffee shops there!

February 6th: Morning Cup

Yesterday was busy. I woke up early, went to work, checked out the Scranton Ice festival, and unplugged for a few hours in the evening.

On Saturdays I work, I treat myself to Henry’s on Clay. They recently rolled out some new specials, and I have been eyeing them up all week.

I went with the Chocolate covered Strawberry iced latte. It was amazing!

Hope you had a great Saturday! ✨

February 4th: Morning Cup

Today is the first day I’ve been back physically in the office since last week. Between a day off, snow days, and work from home days, I was at home all week. It feels good to be in the office! I feel productive in the office after multiple days working from home in a row.

On my way to work, I wanted to get coffee that sparks joy. I work Saturday, so today is like my Wednesday. I worked late last night and needed something that’ll get my brain moving too.

I choose to go with one of my favorite drinks ever: a Large Nitro Cold Brew at Kay’s Daily Grind.

This drink is not only incredible, but it also fuels me and kicks my brain into gear. I am feeling great and ready for my day ahead!

January 30th: Morning Cup

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! ☕️

January 29th: Morning Cup

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! 🎉

January 28th: Morning Cup

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 ☕️

January 27th: Morning Cup

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! ✨

I fell in love with a coffee shop in Selfoss, Iceland.

In the South of Iceland, on route 1, is a little town called Selfoss. We stayed at an Airbnb a few miles from Selfoss. Selfoss quickly grasped my heart. This town had everything we could have asked for; grocery stores, nature, gas stations, shops, and a coffee shop.

Bokakaffid is a book store and coffee shop rolled into one. There are little tables tucked in every corner of this quaint book store. They shelves are lined with Icelandic and English books of all sorts.

It was a dream sitting in this coffee shop/ book store relaxing on the days we weren’t driving all over. I ordered my favorite espresso drink, a cappuccino, and paroozed the bookshelves. I also was able to grab Kleinur, which is an Icelandic donut. I quickly fell in love with this coffee shop.

There were many coffee shops in Iceland that had great coffee and that I enjoyed their atmosphere, but Bokakaffid really topped them all.

I cannot wait to return to Selfoss one day and spend an afternoon drinking coffee and relaxing there.

You can learn more about Selfoss here: https://www.south.is/en/inspiration/towns/selfoss

You can learn more about Bokakaffid here: https://bokakaffid.business.site/

You can learn more about Kleinur here: https://www.biteoficeland.com/kleinur-icelandic-doughnuts/

Top 3 Favorite Holiday Coffee Drinks

I have spent this holiday season trying new coffees! Here are my top 3 that I recommend trying before the holidays are over.

1. Irish Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks

The Irish Cream Cold Brew is a stunning take on a cold brew drink. It’s everything cozy about winter and the holidays in a cup of cold brew. I love the smoothness of cold brew so the creamy taste of the Irish Cream and the sweet cold foam really makes this drink stand out. If you’re looking for a cold holiday drink or just something not traditional, I really recommend this drink at Starbucks!

If you want to make this drink at home I found a good looking recipe here: https://bakedbree.com/copycat-irish-cream-cold-brew

2. Eggnog Latte at Frisky Goat Coffee House

This drink took me by surprise. I enjoy going to Starbucks now and then but didn’t realize they had this. I tried it at this cool local coffee shop called the Frisky Goat Coffee House in Milford, Pennsylvania. I have never loved eggnog but with the holidays underway and the new year coming up thought that it would be a neat thing to try. I was blown away by this drink! The eggnog flavor was subtle and paired very well with the espresso. I must also compliment the craftsmanship of the barista for this latte too. It was extremely well made with the perfect amount if foam for a latte.

If you are no where near the Frisky Goat Coffee House, Starbucks also has this drink. I have never tried the Starbucks version though. So until I do, it doesn’t have my stamp of approval.

If you want to make this at home, here is a recipe that looks yummy: https://www.asweetpeachef.com/eggnog-latte/

3. Peppermint Mocha Latte at Kay’s Daily Grind

The classic peppermint mocha. This is my go to holiday drink at Kay’s Daily Grind in Daleville, Pennsylvania and Starbucks. I love peppermint, chocolate, and coffee so this really is a solid go to for me. I think is captures fresh, warm, and cozy in a cup. I love the local coffee shop Kay’s Daily Grind and that is typically where I get this drink. My recommendation is to get it with have the flavoring and sweetener wherever you get it. I don’t love super sweet drinks and think it can be too powerful with full flavor. I think this drink when half sweetened is delicious yet subtle.

If you want to be cozy at home and enjoy this drink, here is a recipe: https://lifemadesweeter.com/peppermint-mocha-latte/

Even though these are my favorites this season, there a so many good coffee options out right now. I have yet to try something that tastes like gingerbread this season but I’m hoping I will soon!

Comment your favorite holiday coffee drink below! 🎄☕️