Morning routine: Coffee + blogging

What's your morning routine like?  Do you have a sequence or an specific time to welcome the day?  I open my eyes around 7 a.m. most days, our daughter is our alarm, if you have children, you know what  is like. Basically, they command the mornings.  After her milk in bed, we both get out of bed and I prepare a simple breakfast for both,  usually cereal with milk, toast with jam, or occasionally eggs.  While she's sitting on her chair, watching her Cbeebies and eating breakfast, and Piki is still in bed, I make coffee for myself.  The simple pleasure of making espresso with cartoons in the background and then sipping it in front of the computer is a slice of mommy heaven! 

I'd love to hear about your morning routine, would you share?

What I had for lunch

Maybe I'll start a series entitled What I had for lunch or maybe not, regardless what I end up doing, I can't promise much these days, but I will commit myself to take more pictures of the foods I eat for lunch.  We always do lunch at home.  My husband works nearby and he comes home most days to have lunch with me.  So that means I'm in the kitchen preparing food twice a day, most days.

Today's adventure started with a beautiful vine tomato. I usually add tomatoes to everything; they are so delicious and so good for you, packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Sometimes when I don't feel like eating bread, I just prepare a huge tomato and basil salad, dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with a few pita chips on the side.

Our go-to sandwich consists of multigrain bread with spring mix greens, light french dressing, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese, and of course, a few kettle cooked chips (my guilty pleasure). Sometimes I do an improved version with a French baguette and arugula greens instead spring mix, add pesto dressing, and also some rotisserie chicken slices. And of course, some espresso to seal the deal. Do you prefer tea or coffee after lunch?

 
Buen provecho, friends!

National Espresso Day

Source: farm7.static.flickr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Did you know today is National Espresso Day? Enjoy your sweet and velvety cup of espresso today. I will be sipping mine with extra care and joy! And for the coffee lovers among your friends, checkout these cool gifts that will have them joyfully caffeinated throughout the holidays!

Take the coffee, leave the sweet

I have always been adamant about not buying coffee in Starbucks.  Years ago when SB locations started to spread like urban viruses across the US, I was among the few that resisted the homogenized appeal of this coffee chain.  But since moving to DC a few years ago, I found myself, unwillingly at first, buying and enjoying coffee products from SB.  It started as a convenience when my husband and I took monthly trips to NYC to visit my newly uprooted brother.  We would start off at SB early in the morning and stock up on coffee and enjoy the 4-hour drive with our engines filled with the caffeinated goodie.  However, the downside of SB has always been their sweets. They have never been able to pull it off.   No matter which way the trend in sweets may sway, be it cupcakes, sweet pops or french pastry darlings, they will never achieve the right combination of taste and pop that sets shops unique.  It's a case of the look-pretty but taste-awful symptom that has always been the norm.  Their beautifully arranged front store fridges assorted with eye-catching sweets are nothing but, well, pretty.

But I caved in and yesterday afternoon, Emilu and I took a stroll with Piki to the SB near our house.  I bought an espresso, my usual drink and couldn't resist the beautiful cake pops displayed in the fridge.  So I bought one.  Huge mistake.  It was uneatable.  Next time I know better.  Take the coffee, leave the sweet. Much like leave the gun take the cannoli.

The offending sweet