Return to Coffee Time

 

My new coffee discovery, Think Coffee

In 2016 I did a series for the A to Z Blogging Challenge about coffee. In the ten years that have followed I've often written about coffee. Sometimes it's the coffee I enjoy in New York and sometimes it's coffee I've enjoyed all around the world. But I noticed lately that my coffee posts have tapered off. I have done only one coffee post in 2026 and I think that needs to be rectified.

I took the cup's advice and thought good thoughts, both about the coffee and the play I saw at the Sheen Center around the corner. Last Saturday I enjoyed Miracle on South Division Street. It was a sweet, funny and touching play about a family in Buffalo, circa 2010. Today was the end of the run in New York City, but be on the lookout to see if it's coming close to you.

One of the treats of the afternoon was meeting George. He sat quietly near my feet and was a great addition to my latest coffee afternoon.   

I'm on the lookout for new coffee places in New York City and when my traveling. My next travel adventure begins tomorrow morning when I begin a quick trip to a college mini-reunion in Salem, MA. I'm looking forward to exploring Salem, spending time with classmates and finding a new coffee place, or two. 

I had planned to do this post and a separate Mother's Day post, but the day -- in a good way -- ran away from me. I spent lots of time outside and even made a trip to Times Square. I usually find the area too busy and noisy for me, but somehow today it just felt like fun. I sat outside and watched street performers and had a great time. I've got a lot of pictures from my excursion and hope to share them in a post. I hope that the rest of Buttercupland had as an enjoyable day as I did. 

Now it's off to finish getting organized and packing for Salem. I'm mostly done, but still figuring out my shirt selection. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and good wishes for the week ahead.    

  

Can Spring Be Far Behind?

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden two Sundays ago

It was above freezing two Sundays ago, though you wouldn't know it from the ice on the pond. Yesterday was somewhere in the 20's and today was only a slightly more balmy mid-thirties, but tomorrow is forecast for 53 degrees and the same for the rest of the week. We might be able to call it spring very shortly. 

But two Sundays ago I was desperate for a change of scenery and yes, a little green without going very far. Thanks to the miracle of the subway, in a little more than half an hour I was in Brooklyn for brunch and more than a little green at the Botanic Garden. 

When the weather permits the Garden is in magnificent bloom and the cherry trees are legendary, with a cherry blossom festival. But there is so much more to see, and for the first time in a number of visits, I went to the greenhouses. There were plants from different climates and I especially enjoyed the tropical and desert environments. Greenhouses are the perfect places to visit on a cold day and it was so hot that I definitely needed to take my coat off. I loved the change of scenery that was a hop, skip and a subway ride away. 

I found beautiful orchids in the tropical greenhouse

There was a greenhouse devoted to Bonsai and I almost succumbed to buying one in the giftshop. Fortunately -- for the bonsai -- I stopped myself when I remembered that I am not a skilled gardener and bonsai need a lot of attention. 

A day isn't complete without coffee

Before I arrived at the Garden I fortified myself with this lovely cappuccino and an egg sandwich. The description "egg sandwich" doesn't do justice to the brunch entree I ordered. The bread was a sweet potato brioche and the sandwich included hash browns. It was the perfect yummy breakfast/lunch for a cold winter Sunday. I will definitely return and share  another coffee creation.   

I'm not quite sure why, but I feel busy these days. I don't feel that I'm doing more than I've been doing for awhile or, it may be,  age is creeping up on me and my store of energy isn't boundless. It hasn't been for awhile, but it seems less boundless this winter. I may just need a good dose of sunshine to perk me up. Anyone else needing sunny days?

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Italian Dreaming, On Such a Winter's Day

When I can't be in Italy, I find Italy in New York

I've been remiss in posting about one of my favorite activities, drinking coffee. I also like buying coffee and making coffee, but drinking coffee is one of my very favorite activities. Tied with all-things coffee is all-things travel. I'm also a fan of traveling, thinking about traveling and planning trips, both actual and fantasy. In this cold and windy snap of winter weather I've been combining drinking coffee and thinking of fantasy trips that I'd like to take. I combined my fantasy of traveling to Italy with drinking coffee with a visit to Da Capo on Madison Avenue. 

Which cookie would you choose?

I discovered Da Capo one day after a medical appointment in the neighborhood and it looked so inviting. When I stepped in I felt that I'd stepped into a cafe in Italy and I'd only crossed Central Park. Choosing my coffee and a treat was difficult, but I went with a latte and a cornetto aka croissant, and I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't quite being in Venice, but it brought me a lot closer to being in Venice. 

The Grand Canal, Venice, 1982 

I don't have any actual plans to go to Italy, but I'm enjoying thinking about Italy. I've been reading about places I'd like to visit and I started to study Italian last May on DuoLingo. I haven't made a lot of headway in my Italian study, but I am enjoying it. I'd love a return visit to Venice and I'd love a first visit to both Sicily and Sardinia. Are you a fantasy traveler, too? If you are, what places are your dreaming about?

My polka dot socks

I'm still keeping up with No-Spending January and so far I've kept to my "no-things" rule, with the exception of the socks I bought last week. They arrived yesterday, just in time for Polka Dot Day, which was yesterday, January 22.  I'm a big fan of polka dots and they were so cheery on this cold winter Thursday. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep warm and cozy.

 

Paradise in a Cup Times Two

 

My nomination for National Coffee Day 2023 is Creekside Coffee in Sedona, AZ, 

both for the coffee, the treats and the incomparable view

Today is National Coffee Day, which celebrates the beverage that I think of as paradise in a cup. I celebrated, as I do every day, with coffee. Because of the torrential rains in New York City today -- 6" in Midtown -- I didn't get very far from home and celebrated at the bagel store a few blocks from home. I set out mid-morning when the rain was teeming and by the time I walked not quite three blocks my sneakers and socks were soaked. But my iced coffee and warm from the oven bagel were worth it. 

As long time Buttercupland friends know I've posted often about coffee. I went through posts from years past and decided to chose one place I'd like to be drinking coffee today.  There are a lot of coffee memories and photographs and the one that's an especially sweet memory is my visit to Creekside Coffee in Sedona in February, 2020. Great coffee, great treat and that view of the red rocks of Sedona. I almost cancelled the trip -- my friend wasn't able to join me -- and I had a lot else planned for 2020. But since everything was booked I decided to go alone and yes, it was the last time I would fly in 2020. 

While we celebrated National Coffee Day today, Sunday is International Coffee Day. I'm celebrating with a visit in my memory to a favorite cup of coffee during my trip this spring to England. The coffee was good, the scone delicious and the view was my wonderful English friends, Sybil, Mary and Peter, sitting around the table. 

My vote for International Coffee Day is any cup when you're visiting with friends, and especially if there's a scone and jam to enjoy.

   

Buttercupland coffee fans, any celebrations of National Coffee Day, or is every day coffee day?

I'll be back tomorrow to celebrate a favorite food and to officially welcome autumn for this week's Pink Saturday post. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend. New York neighbors, stay dry and safe. 

We're Running a Little Late for National Croissant Day

 

A great way to start the day!

I've done a lot of posts about my favorite coffee shops around New York City and far beyond. Though I've cut down my coffee consumption -- not by choice, but by medical "strong suggestion" -- I still drink and enjoy coffee every day. It might seem that I'm drinking coffee in a different cafe every day, but most of the time my coffee is made at home. 

Earlier this week one of my neighbors brought me a croissant, which was so sweet and  thoughtful. I looked at the coffee "dripping" and my croissant waiting for me, and I thought that it's been quite awhile, if ever, since I shared my at-home coffee routine.

I limit myself to one cup in the morning at home. This gives me the option to have a cup of coffee if I choose with friends later in the day -- though not too late in the day. I use a Melitta filter, which is a drip system. It's simple to use and makes an excellent cup of coffee. I've used it for forty plus years and hope to keep using it for a long time. 

I've used larger coffee makers and have one for times when I have people over and want to make more than a few cups at a time. I've also used the "pod" system at work. It was very exciting at first, but I found all the different types of coffee tasted the same after awhile. 

If you're a coffee drinker, what's your preferred way of making coffee? And what's your favorite treat to go with your coffee? I love croissants and just for information, National Croissant Day was January 30. 

I'll be back tomorrow with the Pink Saturday post for the week, and I hope you'll stop back, too. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a sweet Sunday.  

C Is for Coffee (Carts) and D Is for Doughnuts

C Is for Coffee (and a whole lot more) Carts

Actually, today should be a "D" post, but yesterday totally overwhelmed me. In an effort to keep on track, I'm acknowledging it and combining coffee (C) and it's great go-to, doughnuts. Our "C" post is the ubiquitous New York City coffee cart.

I spent most of yesterday with friends visiting from Atlanta. I met them at the Highline and then we stopped at Chelsea Market for lunch. We then walked to Lower Manhattan and paid our  respects at the 9/11 Memorial. My coffee fuel for this wonderful trek came from a coffee cart very similar to the one pictured above. 

The coffee cart is a descendent of the street vendors who populated the Lower East Side at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. The pushcart was  a way for recent immigrants to earn a living without making a big investment. Coffee carts, which sell a lot more than coffee, are ubiquitous all over Manhattan. I've bought as many cups of coffee from carts as I've bought in much more upscale locations, and most of the coffee has been very tasty. I have tremendous admiration for people who provide street food. It's a long day of standing in the cart and cooking, in cold and hot weather. 

Welcome to Doughnuttery

While I was at Chelsea Market I found a branch of one of my favorite sweet stores, Doughnuttery. Somehow I had the immense will power to walk past this source of mini doughnuts, but from past visits I can recommend these doughnuts. The aroma is amazing and the unique and delicious sugar blends make these doughnuts the perfect match for a cup of coffee. 

Tomorrow promises to be a lower key day and I hope to be posting a lot earlier in the day. I've got my photographs ready for my  A to Z "E" post.  It's going to be a sweet treat, but also involve major alphabet gymnastics. Please stop by. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

 

Drumroll, Please!

 

Yes, I'm a few days late, but with more than enough time to build excitement for this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. For new citizens of Buttercupland, the A to Z Challenge takes place in April. Participating blogs choose a theme and post daily, except for Sundays. The posts begin with A on April 1 and finish on April 30. I'm hoping to finish on April 30, but in the eight years I've participated in the Challenge I've don't always finish. Actually, I rarely finish, but I give it a good try. Here's hoping 2022 will be a year I complete the Challenge. 

I joined the Challenge in 2013 -- doesn't that seem a century ago? -- with this post "A is for.." and chose Broadway as  a theme. In 2016 I chose "Coffee" and that was my most successful year and the start of my coffee posting and photographs since then.  I was tempted to return to Coffee again, as there are a new batch of coffee places around the city, but I wanted a little more variety and flexibility. Yes, there will be coffee, but there will also be something to (virtually) go with the coffee. 

The Buttercupland Blogging from A to Z theme for 2022 is:

 (Always) Time for Coffee and a Snack 

We're going to travel around New York City visiting coffee shops and restaurants, bakeries and ice cream stores. There will be visits to food trucks and food carts, and yes, there will be New York City pizza. I may not sample at every place, but a good amount of sampling will take place. I hope you'll join me for this food and beverage tour of New York City. 

 

This week has been a food, beverage and fun tour of New York City, with the high point being last night's visit to The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman. I originally got my ticket in 2019 and after three (or maybe four) date changes saw the show last night. Lots of fun and great, great dancing. Our last outing -- my friend leaves tomorrow -- will be a visit to the Metropolitan Museum and dinner. Though I still did many or my regular activities, I've  had a Staycation and enjoyed theater, a concert, two museums and fun meals and snacks. The weather mostly cooperated and it's been a great week.   

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Pink Saturday Salutes Australia

The magnificent Sydney Opera House at sunset. It's not my usual way to begin a Pink Saturday post, but it's one of my favorite pictures from my trip to Australia in 2018. 

This Pink Saturday we're saluting Australia days, just a few days after Australia Day, which is observed on January 26. The entire trip was this photographer's fantasy and it was difficult to choose a few to share for this post. For everyone I chose there were at least a dozen others that I was tempted to include. So let's settle in on this snowy Saturday evening and enjoy a virtual visit to Australia. 

My first flat white coffee of my visit in Melbourne.  

One of my great pleasures in Australia was the coffee. As a coffee fan, I'd hit the jackpot and enjoyed great coffee in every stop of the visit. I learned to love the flat white, which is two shots of espresso, steamed milk and microfoam. It's similar to a latte, but, if I understand the subtleties correctly, has less milk.  

Watching the Australian Open in Federation Square, Melbourne

I had the pleasure of being in Australia during the Australian Open tennis matches and one of my pleasures was enjoying this outdoor public viewing area in the center of Melbourne. It was January in New York and the middle of winter, but in Australia it was the middle of summer. Generally the temperatures don't lend themselves to being outdoors in the afternoon, but I was beyond fortunate in the weather in Melbourne, a very balmy mid-eighties. Melbourne was a wonderful city to visit. It was easy to get around and filled with interesting sights. Another high point of my visit was an afternoon spent with the terrific Little Wandering Wren. What a pleasure to meet a blogger buddy half way around the world. 

Koala Cuddling is the best!

My cuddling with my new friend, Kiki the Koala, was brief -- maybe a minute -- and I'm not sure Kiki was as excited as I was, but it was a definite dream come true. I "met" Kiki in Kuranda, which is in the rainforest area outside of Cairns. I know I've shared this photograph before, but it's always on my top ten list of favorite photographs ever. 

We've got one last celebration coming up for January and that's Buttercup's thirteenth blogaversary. Could Buttercup be a teenager so soon! We'll be celebrating in the next day or two and there will be a giveaway as part of the fun. Please stop by. It won't be a party without you. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep warm and cozy.      

A to Z Blog Challenge: C Is for Coffee (Of Course!)

One of my all-time favorite cups of coffee, at Bondi Beach, Australia in 2018

I know most people don't have favorite cups of coffee, but I am not most people when it comes to coffee. I wasn't always a coffee drinker and drank milk all through college. It wasn't the most sophisticated beverage of choice, but now I realize I did my bones a big favor. Though I didn't drink coffee, one of my college jobs was serving coffee and tea in the library during winter term. It's one of my favorite jobs and where I learned to make an urn of coffee. My tip for a good urn of coffee (or any brewed coffee) is to remove the grounds right after the brewing is done, so the oils don't drip into the coffee.

A truly exceptional flat white coffee in Cairns, Australia, 2018

Though I was only in Cairns for three days, I visited this coffee shop enough for the

 staff to make sure I had a bonus card.  

Though my favorite coffee (year round) is iced coffee with lots of milk, I became a fan of the flat white, espresso with microfoam (aerated steamed milk) while I was in Australia in 2018. I wasn't familiar with it before my visit to Australia, but after my first cup at the beginning of the trip, it was my coffee of choice for the rest of my visit. I loved both the taste and the look of the Australian flat white and was never disappointed.  

I went wild in Cuzco, Peru in 2016 with this fabulous Irish coffee, a great combination of brewed coffee, sugar, whipped cream and Irish whiskey. 

My favorite cup of coffee (so far) of 2021 

I know this forlorn cup of coffee in a paper cup is not especially enticing, and doesn't compare to the coffees pictured above. Yet, it's one of my most memorable cups ever. This is the cafe in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I've enjoyed lunch and coffee in the cafe many times. On the right is Central Park and a beautiful view and to the left (unpictured) is a sculpture court and beautiful Tiffany windows, including the Autumn window featured in the "A" post. On my last visit I was so excited to see that the cafe had reopened. The menu was limited, as was the seating, but what a treat to return to one of my favorite places.

As is the practice of the A to Z Challenge, we'll be taking a Sunday break from the challenge. But there will be a Pink Saturday Easter post, so I hope you will stop by. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a bright and blessed Easter.

Welcome to Mug Monday

 

My mug of the day, a souvenir of a wonderful week in Italy in 2002

I'm a fan of alliterations and I may be criticized for overdoing them. Monkey Monday and Wedding Wednesday are the two I've used the most and today I'm introducing Mug Monday. It's actually a prod to rotate my mug collection and use the ones at the back of the cabinet. After spending the last year either at home or very close to home, I've gotten stuck in a number of ruts. I realize that rotating mugs isn't a giant step, but even a little shake up in one of my ruts/habits is positive. 

Next to my Italian mug is one of my snow globes. I've got about thirty snow globes, most collected during my travels. This one came home with me from a wonderful trip to Northern Spain in 2006. I walked the last part of the Camino, the pilgrim road from Paris to Santiago de Compostela at the Northern tip of Spain.  In the interest of truth in blogging I didn't walk the entire last 65 miles, as I had planned. On the first day out -- a nineteen mile walk for which I was nowhere near ready -- I developed the worst blisters I have ever seen. I went through my supply of band-aids and mole skin in two days and in an effort to remain ambulatory I availed myself of the luggage car instead of walking on several days. 

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

To celebrate our first Mug Monday, I'm doing a giveaway. I have a copy of  Craft Coffee, a guide to everything you may have ever wanted to know about coffee and how to brew it. All it will take is a comment with your favorite way to brew/drink coffee. If you're not a coffee drinker, just let us know your favorite hot beverage. Entries are open until 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 21. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee

This morning included Maine Whoopie Pie coffee

I've been somewhat remiss in my coffee postings. But this morning was a genuine fall morning. The  morning temperature was 39 degrees, a big change from a high of 70 on Halloween. During my trip to Maine I'd bought a bag of coffee produced by one of my favorite coffee roasters, Katahdin Coffee Co. I've never tried one of their flavored coffees and I was intrigued by Maine Whoopie Pie. Despite the name it's not sweet, but has a very nice chocolate accent. It was definitely a good choice.

Katahdin Coffee Co. is named for Mount Katahdin. the highest mountain in Maine. It's not the Rockies -- our peaks in the East are smaller -- but it's still 5,200 feet. It's the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail and 200+ miles north of Portland. I'm still editing my Maine pictures. Yes, I'm slow and really need to get going before I start snapping away at all the lights and decorations in Manhattan coming up. But this photograph of Portland harbor is one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it, too. 

   The view of Portland harbor from the cruise dock

Before we leave the topic of coffee for this month, I'm also displaying my coffee brewing method of choice, the Melitta pour-over coffee system. I've tried other methods, including a Keurig during my working days, and I returned to my Melitta cone and filters. I don't always grind my coffee daily -- or even weekly -- but for just one person or two this gives me a great cup of coffee. What's your favorite way to make coffee?

We had a gorgeous autumn day for New York City Marathon Sunday and I've got a few pictures to share in a post tomorrow. My schedule for tomorrow is laundry, water aerobics, walking and a blog post. Sounds great to me! What are your plans?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great week! California friends, stay safe! 

 

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Content

 

Breaking News from the Buttercupland Department of Technology

 

In a triumph of customer service, Microsoft scrubbed clean my email account and restored my access. Thursday was a day of tears of joy and smiles when I opened the email from my contact at Microsoft, Chris, with the miraculous news. For the last forty-eight hours I have spent my computer time deleting and reading and there is still a boatload of email to go through. 

 

Lessons learned:

 

Print out anything that you absolutely don't want to lose. I know that we are supposedly in a paperless society, but actually we aren't.  

 

Have a second email account.

 

Update your information for your accounts. If you find yourself in this situation, in order to restore access your company will need to verify that you are the owner of the account. Make sure your cell phone number is up to date and the second email address is also current.

 

 

But there's always time for coffee and today's Blogging from A to Z Journey takes us to Gregorys, a chain of coffee shops in New York City, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. I discovered it during my first coffee A to Z, and in the last few years additional sites have been added in New York City. My favorite Gregory's is on the Upper East Side and I'm always happy to find myself close by.

I'm pleased to report that the coffee remains top-notch and the pastry collection even more enticing than I remembered. I chose a simple, but very tasty biscotti, which was just right for dunking in my iced coffee. However, there's a maple doughnut that has captured my imagination. I know one day it will call me like the Sirens of old and I will make a return trip to Gregory's.

Again, thanks to Microsoft, the week ends happily in Buttercupland. What made you happy this week?

As ever, thanks for visiting. Please join us tomorrow for a visit to Austin, TX and until then, enjoy your coffee and your weekend!  

F Is for Flat White

Sydney, Australia on a cloudy summer morning, January 2018

 

When I joined my tour in Sydney last winter I mentioned to our incomparable tour guide, Matt, that I was a fan of coffee. He assured me he would guide me in every stop on our trip, and added that I needed to start drinking "flat whites." I had no idea what he was recommending. I soon found out and across and up and down Australia I drank flat whites. 

 



  A flat white in Bondi Beach

 

A flat white consists of espresso and microfoam, steamed milk with small, fine bubbles. Its close relative is the latte, but it has less milk and more coffee. It also has characteristics of the cappuccino, but with less foam. I assumed that the flat white was of Australian origin, but there is a debate between Australia and New Zealand as to which country can claim the flat white. As I am not a coffee historian as yet, I leave this issue to those more familiar with the historical setting. As a coffee drinker I came to enjoy it very much and will always be appreciative to Matt for this recommendation. I had hoped to keep drinking flat whites when I came home from Australia, but with a very few exceptions, I was disappointed and have returned to my more familiar cappuccino when I want a treat. 

 

 Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall

 



Bondi Beach is an iconic stop for visitors to Sydney. Only five miles from the Central Business District it is the place envisioned with the words "Australian surfing." I was especially taken with the Graffiti Wall which separates the beach from the town. My tour group spent an idyllic hour here, walking along the empty morning beach and then enjoying our coffee time. As a side note, there wasn't a stop when we didn't enjoy our coffee time in Australia. There was terrific coffee everywhere we went. Thank you, Australia!

 

I'm happy we're getting around the world with our A to Z Blogging adventure this year. I'm also happy to be joining my Pink Saturday friends this week, too. What are you happy about this week? 

 

We're returning to New York tomorrow for "G" and one of my favorite local places. I hope you will join us. As ever, thanks for visiting and let's have a cup of coffee!



E Is for England

View of Oxford, England on a perfect summer's day

 

It's time to leave the cozy comfort of my living room and to leave New York City. Last summer I had the good fortune to have a wonderful visit with my blog buddy, Sybil, and then spend a few days exploring Oxford, England. This is our first international stop on our Blogging from A to Z tour of Coffee Around the World.

 

 I took the picture above from the top of the Church of St. Michael at the North Gate. The Church dates from Saxon times and construction was started at approximately the year 1000. The name is derived from its location, just inside the North Gate of the medieval Oxford. 

 





St. Clement's cake and a perfect cappuccinno 

This photograph brings back a favorite memory, orange glazed pound cake and a delicious coffee at the Ashmolean Museum. The Ashmolean is Oxford University's art and archaeology museum. The holdings are fascinating  and I enjoyed several hours of wandering through it. I finished my visit -- and rested my feet -- with this treat, named for a children's rhyme, "Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clement's," which features churches of London. 

 

Christ Church College, Oxford University

 

Our visit to Oxford would be incomplete without a stop at one of the 38 colleges that comprise Oxford University. It is one of the oldest of Oxford's colleges and it also serves as the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Oxford. If the setting looks familiar, but you've never been to Oxford you may have seen portions of it in the Harry Potter movies. I spent one of my afternoons in Oxford having a wonderful tour from a New York friend who was in a summer study program at Christ Church. Her summer resident pass gave me the ability to have an insider tour of this beautiful place. 

 

Today was cold and rainy. It was winter coat and glove weather in New York, despite the date on the calendar. I've so enjoyed taking our coffee adventure back to the sunny warmth of Oxford in July. So glad my Buttercupland friends could hop back in time with me.

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and let's have a cup of coffee.

   

C and D are for Coffee and Doughnut(s)

This is not the most attractive photograph I've ever posted, and that's an understatement. Any social media influencer of any stature would have photoshopped, cropped and put a nice filter on this photograph of the perfect duo, coffee and a doughnut. But I'm keeping it very real for my C and D post in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

I planned a trip to my favorite doughnut store, where I would elaborately arrange an extraordinary doughnut and perfect cup of cappuccino. I realized I was contemplating a 400 calorie doughnut, definitely yummy and definitely more calories and sugar than I needed on an average Thursday afternoon, especially after my Weight Watchers meeting.

Instead I opted for a home made iced coffee -- the cup was left from my coffee bought from the cart across the street from Weight Watchers -- and a simple, but very tasty, glazed doughnut from Dunkin Doughnuts, which is a block from home. The cost was $1.39 for the doughnut and the pleasure of a doughnut and coffee while relaxing at home, Priceless.

I cut down significantly on my consumption of sweets four years ago, but I still enjoy a sweet treat every now and then. For my Weight Watcher friends who may be reading, I budgeted my daily points carefully and not only did I enjoy my doughnut, but I had points to spare at the end of the day.  

My coffee excursions are a challenge. Coffee seems to be surrounded by an amazing assortment of goodies everywhere I go. I pass an array of scones, bagels, pastries and doughnuts whenever I am in line to pay for my coffee. My goal is to photograph the treats and keep walking. I'll let you know how that goes. I'm optimistic that I will succeed and be able to wear my summer clothes when the Challenge is finished at the end of April.

Question of the Day: What's your favorite goodie to go with a cup of coffee?

 Sadly, I don't have an update on the email debacle. I'm becoming reconciled to what may be my lost account and moving on. It's a good lesson to print out items you need to keep.

As ever, thanks for visiting and let's have a cup of coffee. 
 

B Is for Birch and Bully Coffee

B Is for Birch Coffee

 

In the interest of journalistic integrity I have yet to try Birch Coffee. I've walked past the branch near my local Home Goods, but every time I walk by it's crowded. I found the location on the Upper East Side on Monday and decided I would do my first coffee taste test for this series there. Alas, there were only two seats available at the tiniest counter possible. I took a few pictures, and moved on to another favorite coffee place that I will feature next week. Everything about Birch looked great. The coffee is locally roasted in Long Island City Queens and it's imported from Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. I will be back!

 

 

When I do return to Birch, I'm definitely going to request Bully Blend. How could I not? The profits from this coffee goes to assisting pitbulls. I'm more of a French bulldog fan myself, but between the name and the cause, I've got to try it. 

 

I'm somewhat embarrassed that it's only the third day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and I am already behind. That may set a record for Challenge participants. I'm going to combine C and D for tomorrow's post. I usually flag in my posts around "R," but I'm not giving up at C.   

 

Thanks, all, for the encouragement about my email issues. I am beginning to lose my rosy optimism. If anyone is trying to reach me leave a comment, use direct messaging on Facebook or Instagram and of course, the old-fashioned telephone will have to suffice for now.  

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and let's have a cup of coffee. Until tomorrow!



By Popular Demand...

It's that time of year again!

 

The winter seems to drag along. But once March appears the days get longer, flowers and greenery appears and in the blink of an eye it's time once again for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. It's an easy premise. Every day in April -- excluding Sundays -- participating blogs do a post on a chosen theme. The premise is easy, but the execution is more difficult. In the interest of being real, I've neglected to finish my 26 posts for the last several years. I'm great in the beginning, but as the month goes by I start skipping posts. I always start out with the best of intentions, and this year is no exception.

 

I'm returning to one of my favorite themes and the most popular series in Buttercupland history, coffee. When I first chose coffee as my theme in 2016 I focused on New York City, but this year we're going around the world with coffee. There will still be

stops in New York -- lots of new places to try -- but I've had coffee in other U.S. cities and other countries and will be sharing those experiences. Starting April 1 it will be time for coffee fun around the world. I hope you'll join me. 

 

Even though it's not quite spring we had a spring-like day today. I made my first walk to Trader Joe's without my cane and it was a complete success. I don't want to get too overoptimistic, but I hope I've turned the recovery corner. With my physical therapist's blessing I'm returning to Yoga tomorrow and yes, I promise not to do overdo.

 

I know everyone isn't luxuriating in great spring weather and I'm especially thinking of my friends in Nebraska, which has experienced devastating floods. Prayers from Buttercupland  to Nebraska. 

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.       

Pink Saturday Goes to the Double Dutch

Though the thermometer says it's still summer, it's autumn whenever I can find it. 

I wouldn't say I'm in a rut -- lots of new things on my schedule -- but I do have a pretty consistent pattern. The library, synagogue, Weight Watchers and the gym are all within a mile from where I live. This area includes two movie theaters, groceries and Central and Riverside Parks. But on Saturday I joined friends who live north of my mile area for coffee on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, which is the continuation of Central Park West, north of Central Park.
 

Per my friend Jennifer's recommendation we went to Double Dutch Espresso. Though it's October we were able to sit on the garden patio -- a luxury in Manhattan -- and enjoy good conversation and iced coffee. Though I haven't written about coffee very often this year, I'm still sampling new coffee places. There's an infinite array in New York City and I have a good dozen new places that I've enjoyed this year.  
 

I was reading a review of Double Dutch that criticized the array of coffee drinks. The last is more than adequate for me and I had my usual iced coffee. It was a solid B+ and worth the extra travel. My hairdresser is only a block away, so I'm actually in the neighborhood often enough to stop by and enjoy the brick wall ambience.  

I haven't seen "It," but the sign in front of the shop paid homage to the book and movie. 

A semi-selfie on the sidewalks of New York

 



It was a great weekend. Perfect weather, enough errands to feel caught up, time with friends, services and lots of good coffee. I even checked off flu shot from my list. I stopped at the walk-in clinic near my building first thing this morning and was in and out in less than ten minutes. I hope everyone else had a chance to relax and recharge this weekend, too.

 

I'm joining my Pink Saturday friends. Please stop by and meet some of the nicest bloggers in Internet Land. As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a happy week.     

 

 

 

Cafe Grumpy Pink Saturday

By popular demand, CoffeeGirl, aka Buttercup, is back to writing about coffee. It's been a long hiatus in Buttercupland, though I've kept up in InstagramLand @buttercupnyc. But I wanted to do a little more than one photograph and fifty words, so I've returned with a visit to Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea. I picked a rainy Tuesday for my coffee excursion and it was a great place to while away a dreary late morning in January.

For my reentry to coffee reviews I chose the neighborhood -- Chelsea -- because I hadn't been there in awhile and I knew there were fun coffee places to visit. I googled "best coffee in Chelsea" and the name, Café Grumpy, caught my eye. It was in close proximity to my subway -- important on a rainy and cold day -- and it turned out to be anything but grumpy. It was cheerful enough for  Pink Saturday.

 

Café Grumpy is actually four independently owned cafes/bakeries and a roaster in Brooklyn and they serve a great cup of coffee. My choice, iced coffee from Colombian beans, is not listed here, but it was excellent. I plan a return visit to try the Kenyan coffee, with its tasting notes of Big Cherry, Black Currant, Clove and Grapefruit. The pastries looked delicious, but as I am still Pastry Abstinent, I only looked and drooled.

Café Grumpy has some of the best packaging of any store I've seen lately and I was captivated -- lots of photographs -- by the coffee bags and the mugs. Since I recently sorted through my vast mug collection, I abstained here, too, but it was a challenge.
 

 

As long I was literally just a few blocks away I paid a visit to St. Peter's Church Chelsea. It stands on land donated by Clement Clarke Moore in the 1830s. Clement Moore gave us one of the most notable Christmas poems, "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Hence St. Peter's is also known as the Christmas Church.

As an update to my journey of 1,000 miles I am happy to report I am right on track for January. I've walked 67.1 miles and I'm hoping to complete 85 miles by the end of the month. So far the weather has been very cooperative for walking out of doors and I am most grateful.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Friends in Georgia, prayers for safety from the tornados in the area. Dear friends, keep safe and take care!