Coffee Shop Craze!

The holidays are approaching and most of us are busy thinking of the many, many things we have to do – groceries for the big meals coming up, shopping for presents, preparing for parties, decorating the house, the list goes on and on. And this is all on top of the normal routine and responsibilities.

There are all kinds of ways to make the holidays easier, but one thing I try to do is get a little time away from it all to relax, breathe, treat myself, and indulge in some uninterrupted writing.

My favorite place to do that? A coffee shop.

Starbucks in the first place that comes to mind for most people, but I must admit it isn’t my go-to place. The music is too loud. I can’t think in there, whether I’m trying to write or simply figure out the next item on my shopping list. And there’s just something about the atmosphere (Yep, I’m one of those touchy-feely kind of people!). The high noise level and kind of hectic pace creates a pressure inside me, instead of letting me relax.

What I really love is any place that feels casual (and I’m not above one of those girly café places either). Music is fine, but at a background rather than screaming level, friendly employees, and I must admit, I’m a sucker for a delicious-looking (and tasting) bakery section. Panera (the pictures below were taken there), Barnes and Nobles (which oddly enough is a Starbucks but without the Starbucks atmosphere), and a few local eateries that don’t mind people hanging out. If I can’t get to one of those, I’ll settle for Atlanta Bread Company or Books-A-Million (our local one can’t seem to regulate the temp in their building).




















This time away is about pampering myself, and that usually means a hot drink (cocoa is preferable, but occasionally flavored coffees) and a sugary indulgence. I love to sip, nibble, breathe, and think. Soak it all in, regain some sense of equilibrium, and prepare myself to jump back in the race once more – no matter what time of the year it is!

So, if you had an hour to just relax at a coffee shop, what would you order?

Angel

PS. SP is blogging on the Desire blog again. Join her to share your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

October is...

... Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, Antidepressant Death Awareness Month, (World) Blindness Awareness Month, Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month, Celiac Sprue Awareness Month, Celebrate The Bilingual Child Month, Children's Magazine Month, Christmas Seal Campaign, Church Library Month, Church Safety and Security Month, Class Reunion Month, Co-op Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, Eat Better, Eat Together Month, Emotional Intelligence Month, Emotional Wellness Month, Energy Management is a Family Affair-Improve Your Home Month, Gay & Lesbian History Month, German-American Heritage Month, Global Diversity Awareness Month, Go Hog Wild - Eat Country Ham, Halloween Safety Month, Head Start Awareness Month, Health Literacy Month, International Starman Month, International Strategic Planning Month, Long Term Care Planning Month, Lupus Awareness Month, National Animal Safety and Protection Month, National Bake and Decorate Month, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Caramel Month, National Chili Month, National Chiropractic Month, National Crime Prevention Month, National Dental Hygiene Month, National Depression Education & Awareness Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Down Syndrome Month, National Ergonomics Month, National Family Sexuality Education Month, National "Gain The Inside Advantage" Month, National Go On A Field Trip Month, National Kitchen & Bath Month, National Liver Awareness Month, National Medical Librarian Month, National Orthodontic Health Month, National Physical Therapy Month, National Popcorn Poppin' Month, National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, National Reading Group Month, National Roller Skating Month (This is for you, Smarty Pants, in honor of your stellar performance on skates at your mom's birthday party, which by the way, ROCKED!), National RSV Awareness Month, National Sarcastic Awareness Month, National Seafood Month, National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, National Window Covering Safety Month, National Work and Family Month, National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month, Organize Your Medical Information Month, Pastor (Clergy) Appreciation Month, Photographer Appreciation Month, Polish American Heritage Month, Positive Attitude Month, Raptor Month, Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, Right Brainers Rule! Month, Self-Promotion Month, Spinach Lovers Month, Squirrel Awareness Month, Stamp Collecting Month, Talk About Prescriptions Month, Vegetarian Month, Wishbones for Pets Month, Women's Small Business Month and Workplace Politics Month.

But the one I'm going to focus on is National Dessert Month. I feel I have a little knowledge on the subject because (1) I've made my share of desserts in my time and (2) I have a recipe in a cookbook put out by a major publishing house. Wikipedia defines dessert as "a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food but sometimes of a strongly-flavored one, such as some cheeses. The word comes from the Old French desservir, 'to clear the table.'"


Growing up, we didn't have dessert at every meal. Cakes, pies and cobblers were usually saved for special occasions. My grandmother Ballenger baked a mean pound cake and I can remember some absolutely lip-smacking blackberry and peach cobblers from my mother's oven. She also made a strawberry custard pie that was to die for. And she has a banana pudding recipe that goes way beyond my easy version using bananas, vanilla wafers and vanilla pudding.

I'm sure every family has a dessert recipe that is the family specialty. It's that treat you beg someone to make for family gatherings and the recipe for it is carefully filed away in your recipe box or taped into the front of your favorite cookbook.


I didn't much know how to cook when the DH and I got married, so most of my efforts in the kitchen were to learn how to please his meat-and-potatoes palate. I did learn pretty quickly that I could put a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries on a slab of pound cake (hello Sara Lee!) and top it with frozen whipped topping and he'd be as happy as a pig in slop.


I'm no gourmet cook now, but I've moved beyond Hamburger Helper and Minute Rice. And we still don't have dessert much because most of them just have too darned many calories. At Thanksgiving I'll bake the requisite pumpkin pie, and for Christmas I have a candy recipe that involves graham crackers, melted butter and sugar and a package of chocolate chips. If I'm in the mood for fresh-baked cookies, God bless Pillsbury for coming out with slice and bake cookie dough. And even better is the kind you just break apart and bake.


So are you a dessert person? What special dessert does your family beg you to make? My daughter-in-law made Better Than Sex Cake when I babysat last week. Oh my gawd was it good!


Share your recipe in the comments tail and one lucky cook will win a free book from my stash.