A Quick Stop at Cafe Coffee Day

I have a confession to make. I am a late bloomer coffee lover. No, not the coffee afficionado kind of person who talks crazy about coffee beans and all that. I just love drinking coffee. That's it. You see, while growing up, the elders in our house made me drink Milo, a choco-malt energy drink, every morning for breakfast. Not that I am complaining about that but they also told me that drinking coffee will hinder my growth. I also remember that when I was still young, I tried to drink coffee but the only taste that lingered in my mind was its bitterness so because of that, I decided to stay away from it for good or at least that's what I thought during that moment. Also, being the goody two shoes that I am, I obligingly drink Milo every single day even up until my college years because it IS actually a good energy booster during breakfast time. And you know what, I actually still do drink Milo (or Cadbury's Bourn Vita) every now and then when cravings are too hard to ignore. Anyway, it's not like choco-malt drinks are bad for you.
 

Our coffee at home.

Moving forward, my love for coffee actually started when my youngest sister got addicted to coffee. During that time, I wondered how can she like such kind of drink that taste nothing but bitterness. Then my mother bought this 3-in-1 coffee mix that almost all people (the exception was me) in our household like drinking. Because of that, I grew even more curious as to what makes them like coffee so much and so I made myself a cup of that hot beverage and what do you know? The moment the liquid hit my taste buds, I quickly understood why people become cranky and go crazy in the morning (or whatever time of the day it is) if they don't get to drink their coffee.

Starbucks is perhaps the most famous cafe chain in the world as of the moment but here in India, Starbucks was just recently introduced to the people and that its branches are limited and are located in the most modern cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore.

My very first Cafe Coffee Day drink!

However, that does not mean that if you are not in those locations, you will not find a decent coffee shop that can cater to all your caffeine needs. Cafe Coffee Day is the star in this country when it comes to coffee, dishes that go with coffee perfectly and other hot and cold beverages.

Maybe we came during the off peak hours.

I like the variety. It keeps things interesting.

Seeing the Cafe Coffee commercials on tv almost everyday made me want to try their offers. So after my birthday dinner, Babs and I had a quick stopover at Cafe Coffee Day on the way home so I can at least try one of their hot blends. When we reached the place, we were kind of surprise to find it empty but maybe because its not the time of the day when people flock the area or maybe its because the location of the cafe is not that promising. Anyway, so I ordered one Cafe Latte to go and in fairness, the hot beverage was good.

Goofy photo of yours truly while Babs is counting the change.

I know I will have to come back again at Cafe Coffee Day in the future because I still have to fulfill my curiosity about the rest of their menu. Hopefully, once we're there to eat breakfast or whatever, they'll never disappoint because if they are that good, we will definitely come back again and again and again and again...

Witty! I like!

PS. So I quickly checked online how many branches does this coffee shop chain has in our little town and guess what, we have SEVEN branches in total! Crazy right?

Can't wait to try Cafe Coffee Day's dishes soon!

How about you, are you a coffee lover too?

My Top Three Winter Drinks

 Just like what I mentioned from my previous post, I easily feel cold especially in my extremities, hands and feet, so I need to find ways to keep myself warm else I might freeze to death. Hahaha! Anyway,one of the ways that I do these days to fight off the cold weather is to drink something hot to warm my body inside and it works. Having said that, let me share with you my three favorite hot drinks this winter season.

GREEN TEA

Green tea + Green fruit = VERY HEALTHY DIET

I never really liked the taste of green tea, or any kind of tea for that matter, but I know that it is loaded with good stuff and of course, who wouldn't want good stuff in their system? I prefer my tea plain and hot of course. Some people like adding a bit of cream or milk or sugar or a combination of those stuff in their teas but I am not sure if it will be as healthy as a plain cup of tea. As for tea brand, I have not really tried different kinds of brand but I like to stick with a brand that is known worldwide because it does not only mean that it is reliable but it also means that I will not have a hard time looking for it wherever I may be.

Tea in a mug.

In preparing my green tea, I simply boil enough water for my mug (yes, I like my tea in a mug), put the tea bag in the mug, pour the boiled water in the mug, let it sit for a couple of minutes or until I can manage to sip the drink and I let the tea bag sit in there until I finished the whole mug.

My stash of green tea! Not that much right? LOL

HOT CHOCOLATE

Now, what better way to warm my system than to drink something hot and something sweet! My sweet tooth is very happy about this hot drink that I enjoy from time to time. Again, I do not have a particular favorite brand of hot chocolate because I have not tried other kinds aside from the ones that I got. But as you can see, I like to rely on known brands because it gives me a sort of assurance that they are good and safe for consumption.

This is my oh-so-yummy hot chocolate!

Hot chocolate preparation starts with boiling enough milk for my mug. Remember to give enough space in your mug for the hot chocolate powder. Three teaspoonful of the hot chocolate powder is enough for me because I do not want my drink to be too sweet. Anyway, make sure that you have already put in the hot chocolate powder in your mug before pouring the boiled milk in so that you can mix it properly.

 

COFFEE

I stir my coffee with a teaspoon.

When I was a kid, I had this thing about coffee that I should not drink it because it is only for adults and being the goody two shoes that I am (well, at least when I was still young. hahaha!) I never drank it for so many years and there were very rare occasions during those years where I had to drink coffee because we ran out of Milo, a chocolate malt drink for kids, and I need something to warm my tummy and give me energy in the morning until the rest of the day. It was only during my college years when I started drinking coffee, and still very seldom at that point, so that I can stay awake and finish some school related projects and what not.

One of my favorite 3-in-1 coffee!

Anyway, going back to the present time, coffee has become one of my favorite hot drinks and I prefer it with cream/milk and sugar. Actually, I like 3-in-1 coffee packets/sachets for practical reasons and I'm not one of those people who enjoy drinking their coffee by analyzing every bit of detail that they can get from their drink. I like to keep it simple. Hot and tastes good.

What about you? What is your favorite hot drink this winter season? 

Hope you enjoyed this post!