I have my coffee loyalty cards sorted by state… And then there’s a section for Regional chains. Yep. I LOVE my coffee. I’ve passed that onto my kids as well. Em’s not much for coffee, but a good blended drink or vanilla steamer and she’s loyal as well! Daniel will drink anything that has enough flavors it’s not recognizable as coffee any longer. Eric, well, he’s an Americano kind of guy, but he still has his hard core favorites and could rank them for you on the spot. (He’s also willing to drink day old diner coffee, so there’s that. lol)
A great Matcha Latte is my way of indulging but still being ‘good’, but my all time Hug-from-my-childhood beverage is a Cardamom Almond Milk Latte.
The first one I ever had was in a tiny little shop inside a PARKING GARAGE for goodness sakes!
It was a cold Seattle Day and we were leaving the Pacific Science Center with our kids and a dear family that we were spending the weekend with. Everyone was quite chilled and I spotted a place with the hopes of some dairy free hot chocolates for the kiddos and some sort of espresso drink for me!
Best little detour for coffee ever. It was so delightful that there were times I was tempted to drive the three hours from our home in Vancouver, WA all the way to Seattle just for that taste. The feelings it welled up, the memories it stirred in me of my grandmother, often felt justified the 6+ hour round trip. Like a liquid time machine!
My grandmother had always been Namie to me. So much so that when she hosted my bridal shower, I misspelled her actual name on the invites that were ordered….OOPS!
Namie’s house is where I learned to make our family’s Christmas tradition cookies – mint chocolate chip meringues and enjoyed loaves of Julekaka. It’s a home we spent holidays and where I learned a love of card games like skip-bo and racko. We played badminton in the backyard in the summer and in the winter we listened to old time radio shows and ate treat after treat from her small, welcoming kitchen. Her tea cup collection was where my affection for such things stemmed and I am delighted to have been gifted a few of those from her collection as part of my tea cupboard. Every tea cup I own has a story. <3 One of my favorite things about eating at Namie’s was the fact that all of her luncheon plates was beautiful and unique, not one the same.
Fast forward a few years past that divine coffee shop detour and I am still after that hug in a mug wherever I go. Feeling particularly spoiled to live in a glorious setting that boasts TWO coffee shops – within a reasonable driving distance – that can take me straight back to simpler times and my Scandinavian heritage. Part of the decadence is that these shops have created their own house made syrups. When we travel, I am continually searching for the perfect Cardamom latte.
What takes you back to fond memories of simpler times?
