coffee – Bits of Love Creations

Coffee Crawl – At Home

So what do you do when you want to do another coffee crawl and you are in quarantine? You do one at home!

Each week when I sit down to discuss all the things going on with Bits of Love with my girls, we have coffee and hash it all out. So this particular day just happened to be Megan’s birthday… so we did all the things.

I’ll start off with my coffee. I drink a donut house blend each morning (that I’m not out doing a coffee crawl) by Victor Allen. I usually purchase this from Big Lots, but it’s also available on Amazon. If I’m lucky to catch them on sale, I can get it as low as 19 cents per k-cup! You cannot beat that! Oh yeah, I have a k-cup brewer. I have the Keurig 2.0 and love it. I do take my coffee with a little French vanilla creamer. My creamer of choice, is great value french vanilla. It’s more affordable than the name brands, but adds just the amount of flavor I like.

On this day, Mallory made her DIY frozen mocha using espresso from her espresso machine. She takes 1/4 cup of sugar, 4 oz. of espresso, 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup, 1 cup of milk, and ice.

She mixes it all together in a blender and voila! You can actually add whipped cream and chocolate syrup drizzle on the top if you wish. Today she opted to not. It’s her DIY version of what you can find at places STL Bread Company and Starbucks.

Megan likes her coffee black. She says she likes it strong, but not bitter. She often likes to use her great grandmother’s coffee grinder and grind her coffee beans fresh, then brews it in her tiny Black & Decker coffee maker. I let her tell you about her love of coffee.

I love strong coffee and I used to just drink any kind of coffee, but I’ve started to educate myself a little more about the art of coffee. I’ve learned that the coffee grounds you buy from the store are typically super acidic which gives them a really bitter taste. This is because once the coffee beans are ground, they should really be brewed soon after. Coffee grounds from the store are ground up into fine pieces, almost like a powder, and typically sit on the shelves or are shipped from place to place for months before they are even bought and brewed; thus loosing a lot of their smooth flavor.

I have started using whole beans and grinding them myself before I brew my morning coffee…holy cow there is definitely a difference (not to mention the old hand grinder is very fun to use)! I have also learned that when you grind your own coffee beans, if you don’t grind them as much — leave them in larger chunks — you taste more of the coffee’s flavor and get a really smooth brew.

In this journey of mine to learn more about coffee, I found a favorite bean. It’s called Death Wish which is just amazing in and of itself. This coffee is high in caffeine and low in acidity, not to mention it is supposedly the strongest coffee in the world. I’m not sure how true that is, but I am HERE FOR IT!

I’m not entirely sure I would ever want to try Megan’s Death Wish coffee! I love coffee, but that sounds super strong. So how’s that for your coffee education? lol! I’m sure there’s much much more to be learned about the art of the coffee bean and I am sure Megan will continue to share!

Have a lovely day!

Coffee Crawl – Bonaventure Coffee

“Magic happens when you and I share a lot – over a cup of coffee”

Anyone else feel this way? There’s just something about a good cup of coffee and good conversation. And we. are. here. for. it! This is how the Coffee Crawl got started in the first place!

This edition of Coffee Crawl takes us to a cute little drive thru coffee place. This was the perfect spot as it was a dreary and rainy day in the STL.

Bonaventure Coffee is a husband and wife owned drive up/thru coffee place in the Brentwood area of St. Louis. The owner, Becca, named the coffee house after the B-24 Liberator her grandfather piloted during WWII. See more of Bonaventure’s story here.

As we pulled in we both were excited to see that it was the cutest little building with windows on both sides for convenience! Pulling up to the window, we saw the simple menu. Short, sweet, and to the point. They offer coffee (of course), teas, shakes, and smoothies. The day we went they had so many specials to choose from! So of course never having been there, we told the lady when we pulled up that we were ‘first timers’ so we would need a minute to figure out what we wanted. She was so super friendly and helpful. She explained their specials and told us they usually don’t have that many at one time, but always have the ingredients to make any of them (except the seasonal ones like pumpkin, of course) even if they aren’t advertised. All you have to do is ask.

Megan settled on a chocolate coffee shake. Black coffee is usually her ‘go-to’ because it’s just her comfort zone due to her nut allergy. The worker set her mind at ease about the ingredients in her shake. No nut contamination! I also chose a coffee shake, however mine was caramel. It was really good! Not too sweet, with just the right amount of caramel and the coffee taste was perfect.

The barista was very quick and attentive with our order. She was super friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy working there and sharing with us all about Bonaventure. Not only were our coffee shakes delicious, their menu items are very affordable! We highly recommend if you are in the Brentwood area, stop by and experience for yourself!

Spend Local and Support Small Business! They are the backbones of our communities.

We will definitely be back!

Have a lovely day!

Coffee Crawl – Toasted Coffee House

Welcome to our first Coffee Crawl blog post! Each morning my oldest daughter, Megan, and I start our day with coffee and each other. We often talk about trying out the local coffee shops, and since it’s something we like to do together, we decided to turn it into our adventure! Spending time with each of my kiddos and doing things that interest them is precious to me. Check out the Burger Bounce with my son, and coming soon will be Fashion Finds with my youngest. But you are here for the Coffee Crawl with myself and Megan! Read on for her recap of our time at our first stop!

One of the constants throughout my day is coffee. Time is treasured by me, and I find that when I miss my morning coffee talks with my mom, my day feels off. She’s the first person I talk to everyday, typically. Usually this time consists of us making coffee at home and chatting about what is happening in our lives or meeting to talk over logistics for Bits of Love Creation’s latest projects.

We’ve decided to take our coffee time on the road! Visiting small coffee shops around the greater St. Louis area, we want to share our experiences of these local places. Of course, we are by no means any sort of acclaimed critics, we are just everyday girls sharing the impact and impressions we receive from local small businesses.

Our first stop was one close to home: Toasted Coffee House in High Ridge, MO. It’s tucked away in a small strip, not really on a busy street which was a draw in itself. When we opened the door there was a flood of sensations; the smell of coffee and food, the light chatter of some customers, and a warmth and coziness that made us feel right at home, not to mention the adorable decor! We walked up to the counter to order and were greeted immediately with a smiling face who was happy to help us with making our decisions, and answer any questions we may have had.

I also have to mention that I have a severe food allergy. It’s rare to find places where the staff take the time to tell you the ingredients in the food you want to order to ensure there aren’t any risks, yep, we found that here!

We ended up getting their regular black coffee and their breakfast poppers. We both chose the Toasted House Coffee blend, mom added a bit of creamer to hers. We both ordered the bacon, egg, and cheese poppers, but they are offered also with sausage and in a veggie option! Here’s a description from their menu: “House made honey wheat roll stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, + your choice of bacon or sausage. Veggie poppers available Saturday + Sunday”.

We found a table and stayed for a while to soak in the vibes. Artwork from local high school students are hung on the walls. They have a calendar of events being held, a mural painted above the front window, and an area where they sell products from other local small businesses. Behind this area was a small alcove of sorts that has activities and chalkboard walls for children to play while their adults enjoy the coffee and atmosphere.

They also had a bin collecting for Brendan’s Friday Backpacks, a local charity that provides single-serve, non-perishable, kid-friendly food to local school children. Read more about their mission here.

Donating to charities, supporting local businesses, great food & coffee, friendly & helpful staff, and a cozy atmosphere definitely make this stop a win in our book! We will Definitely be back! Until next time…

Have a lovely day!

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