Tag: Starbucks

• Bye Bye Barista

  Posted at 7:23 AM by Brittany, on May 21, 2015

  This past Monday I said goodbye to my job as a barista, and hello to my new job as a supervisor. In the Starbucks world once you become a supervisor you are no longer considered a barista. However, in the textbook world I will forever be a barista as long as I am with the company because I will still be making beverages for customers, but I now have a few extra tasks and responsibilities added to my day. I digress…

  

  In typical Brittany fashion I spent the days leading up to this change enjoying the “carefree” barista life both in and out of work. I spent my days exploring, eating, meeting blog friends, and drinking good coffee. My kind of perfection.

  

  { Exploring }

  A 9.5 mile hike through the Olympic Forest with perfect weather, and good company.

  

  

  

  { Eating }

  Whole Foods in Seattle carries baked goods from my favorite local bakery, and naturally I had to hoard them stock up.

  

  I balanced out the sugar with vegetable rolls.

  

  { Meeting Blog Friends }

  After years of blog reading, texting, letter writing, package sending, and patience, I finally got to meet my Canadian soul mate, Britta.

  We met up at the Starbucks Roastery, because…Seattle.

  

  What a gem. We drank great coffee and talked like old friends.

  

  Side note: The coffee I had at the roastery (photo above) literally blew my mind. This roast has a medium body, & a low acidity giving it a sensationally silky mouth feel. The chocolate notes were the strongest I’ve ever experienced in a coffee. It was like the beans were flavored, but they weren’t. What a beautiful coffee.

  { Drinking Good Coffee }

  Good enough segue? As if that Brazil reserve roast wasn’t good enough, I snagged myself a bag of Pike Place Reserve beans from the first Starbucks store in Seattle.

  

  Not to be confused with the traditional Pike Place roast served at any and all Starbucks locations, these beans are ONLY sold at this location, and one other store a block up from the original Starbucks. Darker than the standard Pike Roast and SO much better. It’s a real treat when I get this as my weekly coffee markout.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a French press of Pike Place special reserve to drink while I enjoy my day off from training. Back to the grind tomorrow.

  Q: How do you like to spend your free time?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Barista, Bloggers, Coffee, Food, Reserve Coffee, Starbucks, Vegan

• Lately I’m Loving…

  Posted at 6:45 AM by Brittany, on April 27, 2015

  …garlic, roasted and lathered in olive oil and herbs laying atop vegetables.

  

  …weekly lake runs, the only run consisting of further than 4 miles lately.

  

  …handmade vegan soaps, because they SMELL SO GOOD.

  

  …Wayward Vegan Cafe. I don’t eat a lot of bread, in fact I don’t even keep it in my house. When I do eat bread it’s usually in the form of a baked good, and often it’s gluten free. This keeps things moving right inside my tubes, and helps to ensure I don’t crash like a kamikaze plane.

  

  Stolen from YELP

  I’ve been dreaming about waffles for…forever, and I decided it was time to get one.

  I didn’t take a photo, because I was too busy conversing with the adorable solo diner to my left. This place just draws you in to feel comfortable dining solo, which was prime opportunity for sparking up a conversation with my fellow diner.

  My waffle was everything I’d hoped for, full of doughy bready goodness. Looks like I’ll need to go back for another one, oh darn.

  …sunshine and coffee. Slowing down to sip and savor.

  

  …alarm free wake up calls. I’ve been training a new hire at work, and he isn’t available until the afternoon. This means my early morning start times have been pushed to afternoon start time a few days a week. I don’t hate waking with the sun.

  

  Aka waking up at 6am instead of 4am.

  …giving back. My Starbucks family and I volunteered with our local park volunteers to help pull up one of the many noxious weeds – scotch broom!

  

  …life. Pretty self explanatory.

  

  Q: What are you loving lately?

  

  | 63 Comments Tagged Coffee, Random, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

• Sharing Secrets

  Posted at 6:03 AM by Brittany, on March 10, 2015

  I have two secrets that I am willing to share with you all at no extra cost. Ready? Just because a chip is made with flax seeds and coconut oil doesn’t mean you can eat five servings, and just because you’ve run “all the miles” doesn’t mean you need to eat all the cookies. You’re welcome for those tips.

  In an attempt to earn back the respect of my uncomfortably snug fitting pants I’ve swapped the processed sugars for fruit, started moderating my intake, and am focusing on smaller daily workouts. I was sick for a week and it totally threw me off my game.

  Rude. 

  

  Blueberries are rocking my world right now. One of my all time favorite snacks will forever be rice cakes with nut butter and fruit. Throw some hemp hearts on there for good measure and we can call it a day.

  

  

  I’m also loving the Whole Foods hot/cold bar, and homemade roasted potatoes.

  

  

  Adding fresh rosemary from my yard took this above and beyond.

  The moment I knew I was serious about my sugar break, (because I am notorious for claiming to “cut out foods I don’t need” for a bit and then quickly turning around to eat a sleeve of cookies), was when I did a coffee tasting…with no pairing.

  

  This was one of the reserve blends served at the Starbucks Roastery that I HAD to try. Exclusive to the roastery, meaning you cannot find this coffee anywhere else. I had every intention of pairing this with some sort of sugary treat, but alas I did not.

  

  

  This coffee was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. The tiered notes were more apparent as the coffee sat. The first few sips were smooth and chocolaty, and 5 minutes later the lemon notes started to sing. I don’t like singing lemons.

  I do however like singing desserts made from fruit. Fruit sugars are wonderfully satisfying when they’re your only sugar intake. Dates, coconuts, and raw cacao.

  

  Eat good, feel good.

  Q: What food(s) do you tend to mindlessly eat? Sugar, all the sugar. 

  

  | 89 Comments Tagged Raspberries, Reserve Roastery, Run, Starbucks, sugar, Vegan, Whole Foods

• Music for the Soul

  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on February 19, 2015

  Music is a powerful thing. We all have our styles and reasons behind the types of music we enjoy, but every so often we come across a song, an album, or an artist that completely changes our world. For me that artist would be Gregory Alan Isakov.

  

  LIVE at Benaroya Hall!!

  I had always enjoyed his music, but it wasn’t until nearly two years ago I really immersed myself in his magic. Listening to him helped me not only blossom after a breakup, but gave me a sense of hope that I hadn’t had before.

  OK enough mush, time for a recap! From the top.

  

  These treats were actually mine, brought to me by my wonderful boss all the way from Portland. I resisted the urge to eatallthesugar and saved half for my mom.

  As if my birthday weekend wasn’t enough, my mom happened to be born two days after me. Well two days, and a few years ago or so. For Christmas I selfishly purchased two tickets to see Isakov play with the Seattle Symphony, because when you’re already a fantastic artist having the symphony back you up just happens.

  

  Her birthday fell on the day of the show, but to ensure that this was not her birthday gift, we made a day of it. Starting with the coffee and treats from above, followed by a hop, skip, and a twirl over to Seattle for a trip to the Roastery, Pike Place, & dinner.

  

  

  

  Drinking good coffee makes you glow. It’s a fact.

  

  After satisfying my monthly sugar quota with a vegan cinnamon roll the size of my face, we wandered like two lost souls in search of a land filled with glistening eggplant and oven crisped potatoes. Isakov will want to hire me after reading that sentence.

  Lyrical genius.

  

  HOLY yum to my face. Glazed Tofu Banh Mi: Glazed 5-spice tofu, char-grilled eggplant, house-pickled carrots, white cabbage. Fresh jalapeños, basil, cilantro, mint leaves.

  Dinner knocked my non existent socks off. I felt the overwhelming urge to roll around in a sea of mint and basil leaves. This flavor combination was insane. Equally insane? The inside of Benaroya Hall. It was a shame I left my opera glasses at Walmart.

  

  

  I was excited enough to take an awkward bathroom selfie. And the concert?…

  He was fantastic, and he is the most humble artist I’ve ever met. Yes…met. Shook his hand and everything. I wanted a photo with him, but we weren’t allowed. It was a shame I had already broken all my allotted rules for the day.

  

  He.Is.Adorable. His poster had trees on in and we talked about gardening while he signed mine.

  His performance was so fantastic my eyes started to swell at times and this liquid stuff filled into the corners. I also looked like a fearful cat thanks to the hairs on my arms standing up from the chills the acoustics gave me. What an experience.

  Q: What’s the best concert you’ve been to?

  

  | 73 Comments Tagged Coffee, Gregory Alan Isakov, Music, Seattle, Starbucks, Vegan

• My Kind of Party

  Posted at 6:46 AM by Brittany, on February 16, 2015

  Just like that another year has been added to my timeline. Yesterday I celebrated my 26th year of life with a lovely morning shift at work full of coffee and good company, followed by a run, and ended with a mom cooked vegan meal.

  I like to keep it casual these days when it comes to my birthday, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do fun things the few days leading up to yesterday. Birthday weekend.

  Thursday – Took a trip to Seattle to visit the Starbucks roastery again, and it was just as fun this time as the last. I made sure to stop by Pike Place Market for a muffin to pair with my coffee, because coffee tastings happen anytime, anywhere.

  

  I got a cup of west java preanger. When a coffee has tasting notes of milk chocolate you drink it. It’s the only milk chocolate flavor that will pass through my facial orifice.

  

  Friday – Ran 6 carefree miles and reflected on my years of life. Said goodbye to the dog, and settled back into life with my cats. Oh how I missed them.

  

  

  Saturday – Worked 5:30a-2p and was immediately whisked away for a valentines day adventure. We ate good food and saw a movie. I’ll let you guess which movie. 😉

  

  My hot date.

  Sunday – Birthday! Was greeted at 5:30 am by a cup of delicious Sulawesi Pango Pango (my Starbucks doesn’t sell this coffee, so it was a real treat.) Two chocolates in the shape of coffee beans, and a blueberry protein oatmeal courtesy of Starbucks.

  

  Came home from work, got my workout done, and prepared for my feast.
  

  

  My mom > Your mom. A side of steamed broccoli and raw bell pepper to keep room for all the chocolate.

  Homemade buns, burgers, and cake – all gluten free and vegan. My mom is the best.

  

  

  As you can see I’ve been hibernating in an attempt to become the next Snow White.

  

  That cake…ohhh that cake. We ate over half between three people. Chocolate w/a hint of lavender. I had my cake with strawberries, because that made it healthy.

  Tomorrow you can find me at the Seattle Symphony being serenaded by my future husband, rounding out the perfect week of events. Life is good.

  Q: What do you typically do for your birthday? I usually enjoy running a race for mine, but figured my half marathon next month was close enough. 

  

  | 93 Comments Tagged Birthday, Cake, Cats, Coffee, Run, Starbucks, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:30 AM by Brittany, on February 12, 2015

  1. I haven’t talked about running much in these parts lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. It is…it is happening. 3-4 x a week. Half marathon in 30days.

  

  Soggy 7 miler

  2. On the run pictured above I got a bloody toe, and both my hands cracked and bled. Uhhh…hot mess much? I’ll spare you photos. I’m ready for spring running.

  3. My mom made a raw strawberry cheesecake and left me a slice to find on my car. I found it at 5am before work last Saturday. I think I’ll keep her.

  

  Coffe + pie = blissfulbritt. <—I had to.

  4. I’m craving change. I hope something crazy happens soon. Hey atmosphere, throwing it out there!! I’m READY!

  5. I’ve been living off of the Starbucks brown rice salad. I get one everyday – no joke. I bring it home and add more greens. It helps that I get them FOFREE.

  

  kale+spinach+peas+butternut squash+broccoli+sundried tomatoes+cabbage+brownrice+allthesalsaaaaa.

  6. My photos are awful lately. Taken inside – aka away from natural light. Meh.

  7. I’m obsessed with this vacuum. Obsessed.

  

  8. I had the most lovely conversation with two customers at work last week. 15 minutes of pure coffee geekery. I love sharing coffee knowledge with others.

  9. These Starbucks cups make my single heart swoon.

  

  10. If a dog poops in the dark and no one is around to see, did he really poop? Ultimate confession: I was walking the dog the other night and not a single fiber in my body wanted to pick up his poop, so I left it. In my defense I went to pick it up the next day, along with someone else’s poop! By someone I mean something…a dog.

  I hope. 

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 79 Comments Tagged Confessions, Half Marathon, House Sitting, Raw, Run, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

• Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room

  Posted at 7:16 AM by Brittany, on January 26, 2015

  I have a confession to make. I absolutely, positively, vehemently loathe the phrase, “I can’t even.” When I hear it (or read it) the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up like a threatened cat. I don’t know what it is, but I just hate it.

  

  I have another confession. Despite my hatred towards the aforementioned phrase, I say it a lot…in my head. I have somehow come to understand the use of this phrase, and have had instances occur where I felt the need to say them, but only in my head.

  

  Iced Sparkling Ethiopia Konga Espresso with Mint.

  I finally had my moment. The moment where I could no longer hold the words in. They flew out of my mouth like a kamikaze plane. Once the three words escaped my mouth I quickly followed them with, “I’ve never actually said that out loud! I’ve been saving it for THE moment.” I actually had no idea I was going to ever have “the moment.”

  

  The moment when I first saw the inside of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and my heart jumped into the back of my throat nearly choking me. I was in awe, what a masterpiece this building already was simply from the outside looking in.

  

  I still struggle to find the words that properly describe this place. This is truly one of those places you have to see for yourself to understand. This is the type of place that allows you to throw your morals out the window and drink caffeine after 5PM.

  

  My first siphon brew. It was pure scientific magic.

  This is the place where possibilities are endless, combinations are creative, and passion is flowing. This is not a Starbucks store, this is a place where science, architecture, creativity, coffee, and quality company collide. I want to live here.

  I ooed, I awed, I laughed, I daydreamed, and I drank enough coffee to fuel a small horse, all while geeking out in so many caffeine influenced ways. A coffee lovers playground. I can’t wait to go back, and lucky for me I see this happening very soon.

  

  I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to experience this with. I’m thankful to work with people that share my passion towards creating the perfect cup.

  

  I love my job.

  Q: When’s the last time you experienced something that shook the dirt off your boots? 

  

  | 77 Comments Tagged Coffee, Coffee Master, Reserve Roastery, Starbucks

• Does it Make Me…

  Posted at 6:04 AM by Brittany, on January 23, 2015

  Does is make me obsessive if I can’t stop with the creamy/crunchy combo?

  

  Pretzels and almond butter

  -OR-

  

  Yogurt/blueberry/banana mush WITH CRUNCHY GRANOLA.

  Does is make me immature if this text message was the highlight of my week?

  

  Does it make me impatient if I say I AM SO OVER WINTER. The dry skin, and constant static cling alone are enough to make me a hot angry mess.

  

  Silver lining – at least there’s no snow. Knock on wood.

  Does is make me lazy if I haven’t made any time to buy a new SD card for my dSLR? I’ve been using my iPhone for all my photos.

  Does is make me motivated if I’ve not purchased a treat in…far too long. I’m starting to dream about donuts dancing with sprinkles.

  

  Does it make me earthy if this is my toothpaste? It’s made of…clay.

  Does it make me a bad student if I plan to skip class today (something you would have NEVER caught me doing last quarter, learning to be lenient), because I’m too excited about finally going to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery??

  Coffee playground here I come.

  

  Click photo for more awesome pictures.

  Brace yourselves for some Instagram photos. Happy weekend!

  Q: Fill in the blank: “Does it make me ________?”

  

  | 86 Comments Tagged Coffee, Does it Make Me, Food, Instagram, Random, Starbucks, Vegan

• The Birthplace of Coffee – Ethiopia Tasting

  Posted at 6:55 AM by Brittany, on January 15, 2015

  When I first started working at Starbucks I swore by Pike Place roast. I never ventured into new coffee territories or tried anything new, it was always a tall Pike. Then I started tasting different blends, becoming more interested in the science behind coffee, and what was once a simple cup of coffee became a full blown passion.

  

  Or obsession, you decide.

  I still remember the first time I had the coffee that changed my mind about Pike Place (which is now one of my last choices.) A single origin medium roast, straight from the birthplace of coffee – Ethiopia. This coffee came to Starbucks in 2013, and quickly became my favorite medium roast. I suggest it to others quite often.

  

  I consider my coffee palate “more experienced” then it was when I first embarked on my Starbucks journey. Detecting certain flavors and bean combinations is one of my favorite aspects of my job. That and discussing tasting notes with fellow coffee lovers.

  It’s no surprise I love doing coffee tastings, and the week before my Arizona adventure I was able to do FIVE at work tastings. Some with coworkers, and some with customers. One of my tastings involved this beautiful coffee and a treat with these vegan marshmallows. I hadn’t had a rice crispy treat in….8 years?

  Be still my heart this recipe rocked my face.

  Peanut Butter Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

  

  Ingredients

  • 3 tblsp coconut oil
  • 4 cups Dandies Mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 6 cups Trader Joe’s rice cereal
  • 1 packet Trader Joe’s semi sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

  Directions

  1. Melt coconut oil over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until well combined.

  2. Add rice cereal and stir until cereal is coated. Pour mixture into a large pan coated with cooking spray or oil. Melt chocolate chips over low heat, and stir constantly until melted. Pour chocolate over the marshmallow mixture and let stand until firm.

  Tasting Notes: Ethiopia is a single origin medium roast coffee with strong cocoa notes and a velvety smooth finish. The chocolate on top of these bars captured the cocoa notes beautifully, and the smoothness of these beans complemented the peanut butter perfectly. My taste-buds were singing all day long. Perfect pairing.

  

  Swoon.

  It’s things like this that shows me how coffee is so much more than a jolt of caffeine or a mid day pick me up. It’s a moment to connect with people around you, to broaden your mind on flavors, combinations, and origins. There are so many different options, and I love every opportunity I get to learn and explore.

  Q(s):

  • What’s your favorite at home roast, and why!?
  • Ever made your own marshmallow bars?

  

  | 75 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Coffee, Coffee Master, Recipe, Starbucks

• A Side of Tips

  Posted at 7:11 AM by Brittany, on January 12, 2015

  Here’s how this post is going to work: I’m going to randomly share a few updates in my life, because despite this article telling me I shouldn’t (number 2) this is my life and I do what I waaaannnt. Plus I disagree with that article.

  Then I’m going to share a life tip related to the update. Got it? Good.

  -Coffee. In the world of black crack things are smooth, pun intended. Starbucks has released Casi Cielo and I’ve had a few at work coffee tastings with the brew. My favorite tasting was one that my manager conducted. (Side note: I’m totally still sipping on Christmas blend while I write this post.)

  

  Coffee and cookies.

  She always goes above and beyond to ensure I can partake in things. These are vegan cookies, and the gingersnap flavors paired great. I love my people.

  COFFEE TIP: When brewing your morning coffee, pour hot water into your mug while you’re waiting. This will warm up your mug (duh) and minimize heat loss.

  -Running. My running has been fantastic. Like…I can’t believe it’s not butter fantastic. I’m going to blame the fact that I have an excellent balance in my life right now. It’s also hard to beat fantastic views and post run showers/feasting.

  

  (Winter) RUNNING TIP: If you have the option, start your run inside. I despise running on my treadmill for long distances as much as I despise cold lungs. Combining indoor/outdoor helps my mental stability and gives me big fat warm lungs.

  -School. Ohhh boyyyy, here we go. I’m a solid week into the next level of my chemistry class…and…it’s going OK. I’m knocking on every patch of wood I see after typing that out. I refuse to let this class go down in flames like the last class. I finished the last class with a B, so I’m hoping for AT LEAST a B+ this time.

  For this I also blame life balance. Funny how switching things around to provide a routine can benefit the overall flow of life. If you can, I suggest you try it.

  

  Usually the case for me.

  SCHOOL TIP: This actually goes for school/work/anything really..PACK YOUR LUNCH. Seriously, you’ve all heard it before, so DO IT! Prepping your meals ENSURES a healthy intake which ensures my favorite word: B A L A N C E. It also helps your pants to fit despite sitting for longer periods of time. I like when my pants fit.

  -Food. I’ve had the chance to get some baking in (there’s that balance again.) along with some solid meals. My current obsessions are: raw desserts, and anything with coconut flour. I’ve also been really into making things without refined sugars.

  I made this…

  

  Click photo for recipe.

  …and these…

  

  Cliccckkk.

  I subbed flax eggs for both of those, and swapped sugars for raw honey. The muffins came out perfect, but my bread looked like a sunken ship. The icing was too watery and made my bread too moist. Waste not though, I turned it into more of a bread pudding because the flavor was still good!

  FOOD TIP: Try using food to add sweetness to your baked goods. Dates, bananas, apples, raw honey, maple syrup, and more. All of these have helped satisfy my sweet tooth while allowing me to feel good about what I’m putting into my face hole.

  CliffsNotes Version: When life is balanced, things work together like a beautifully harmonized song. All that’s missing is a mountain adventure. and cake.

  Q: What’s your life tip for the day? 

  

  | 69 Comments Tagged Coffee, Random, Running, School, Starbucks

• 

• 

• Search for:
• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.

• If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

• ¿Quieres Más?

  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

  Email Address:

  Follow the adventure

  Join 4,725 other subscribers
• 

•