A Few of My Favorite Things...Coffee

I love coffee! I love it with lots of milk, no sugar and I'm happy with it hot or iced, but iced -- and sitting at a cafe in Paris -- is my favorite. My best coffee memories are actually in Italy. One is the best iced coffee service I've ever had at a hotel in Rome in 1982. The ice was served in a silver bowl. The coffee was great and the setting was so elegant. Another memory is any cappuccino service in Rome. From classics hotels to the corner cafe, the coffee was great. Always served in a china cup, with a big swirl of steamed milk. I tear up just thinking about it.

My favorite mug

I bought it just seven years ago on a wonderful October trip to Italy. The mug came from a ceramic factory in Ravello, a lovely town on the Amalfi coast. This was the trip of the fabulous cappuccino and endless gelato. It was a beautiful and delicious trip.

And what prompted this string of memories of coffee? Tonight I was a winner in the Starbucks Via Challenge. I successfully guessed which cup was Starbucks brewed and which cup was Starbucks new Via instant. I pass a Starbucks about four times in various places on my way home and at the last one succumbed to pop in and try their new instant. It was good, but a little pricey for everyday consumption. That's my thought on Starbucks generally. Also one of the resolutions I made on that 2002 trip to Italy was to drink cappuccino only in china cups, and with a few exceptions your coffee-loving Buttercup has kept that resolution.

Wishes for for many happy memories to come!