You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread man.....

The Hula Hoop.. (with sparkles) from Beatrix 

 I have a new obsession, (like I need a new one!!)..  Its none other than collecting and eating Gingerbread men! Darby is the lucky one who gets to eat most of  them, I just like a taste and to gaze longily at how perfect they are. It is such a bizarre craze,  maybe it needs its own blog - will wait and see if the obsession grows. Maybe it is due to the fact I cannot for the life of me cook a good ginger, they are either too fat, too thin, overcooked , undercooked and the list goes on, so when I find a  perfect one I just can't resist!
Of the 100 or so cafes I have been to, the Gingerbread man seems to be a pretty standard item most likely to keep the kiddies at bay whilst the mummy's and daddy's can enjoy their coffee's in peace....  
My search is a little different, I'm not after the garden variety type, you know the ones;   the  little man with a smile and a couple of buttons (and bow tie if you are lucky).   I am after the quirkiest, most original looking, and they are proving  hard to find, I only know of a couple of places that are going the extra mile with their Gingers.

 Our latest Ginger/coffee experience is at a relatively new cafe (I'm not sure how long its been open but it has only popped up recently) just around the corner from Laura's in Queensberry St North Melbourne. Its called Beatrix - go and check it out! 

My coffee! 

Beatrix is situated on the corner of a residential street, it is away from the hustle and bustle of Errol St... I had noticed it has been opened for a maybe few months and was always intrigued when I drove past. I went a few weeks back for a takeaway coffee and  I was instantly impressed by the quirky and homely appearance... and of course the food and coffee.
It is clear to be seen that  at Beatrix they have a passion for sweets... which I just love.. cakes, brownies, whoopee pies and biscuits.. mmmmm,  they look jaw droopingly amazing.  From what I witnessed they do a lot of business from people getting takeaway cakes and I can understand  why!! mmmm 
Darby and I went there last week to sit down and enjoy the experience  and lo and behold they had Ginger's.. not a man as such, but some colourful Hula Hoops! Wow! In bright Purple and Orange.. even better. 
We ordered a purple one pronto and it arrived on a Sesame St plate, so very cute and 80's, I was delighted (who is this biscuit for again?!?!?!?!?!) Darby got stuck into it whilst I drank my glorious coffee. Beatrix use All Press coffee which is really great to drink. All in all we will be back for the coffee and the Gingerbread.. 

Footy Themed Ginger... I couldn't bring myself to buy
the Collingwood one! 

A not so happy Ginger at "The Pint of Milk"

Another of my favourite ginger locations is Pint of Milk in close by Newport. We venture here quite frequently and my favourite ginger has to be the Monday"not happy face".. gotta love it. Today we went to grab a takeaway and I couldn't help but buy a footy one. They had Hawthorn, Cats and Pies. I couldn't bring myself to get the Collingwood one, although there may be some kind of sadistic satisfaction eating one all up! Alas I chose Hawthorn, and my picture today my sum up how they are feeling after the prelim loss to Collingwood on Friday. So I think the Pint of Mil is leading the way in innovative Gingerbread men... other cafes get on board and start baking! 

(update: we were back again at Beatrix for lunch on Saturday with Janine - after what was the best Egg, Bacon and Beetroot Roll (you must go and try it),  we attempted to eat a Red Velvet cake!! Oh my!! Red food colouring sent Darby and I crazy, probably not a great idea, although it was picture perfect and amazing)

Until next time life is too short to drink crappy coffee! 
(oh and I just did a count and I have completed 72 cafes from my challenge! 28 TO GO......... That's 2 a week until the end of the year! YIKES!!!)

Ginger from Auction Rooms

Classic Ginger Flower at Corner Shop

Its been four awesome years..... powered by coffee

This weekend my young man Darby turned four. I can't believe he has blessed my life for four glorious  years, it feels like yesterday that I was pregnant and impatiently waiting for his little whirlwind arrival into my life, and what a wonderful whirlwind he has been. He has made me laugh and cry  and feel happier than I knew humanly possible .... These array of emotions,  I am sure are very normal of anyone  who has had  a child...Its such  a cliche but you really cannot remember life without them in your life, maybe thats because of the brain cells lost from all that sleep deprivation.. who knows, but life is certainly more interesting with them around!
He has coloured my world more than any rainbow could... ... so it also got me thinking about how he has inspired me  in  my love for  coffee and helped shape my coffee journey  (other than being such a great coffee buddy most of the time!).  

Iremember once whilst sitting at my favourite local cafe,  Le Chien utterly sleep deprived and delirious in that newborn kind of bubble....  and pondering about how my daily coffee (or sometimes two) was a) to help me get  through the sometimes very long  days, but b) it made me feel like me, complete, satisfied, feeding a part of my needs whilst every other inch of energy was going into this gorgeous baby.   If I did nothing else in the day than have a shower and have a coffee, my day was perfect, done and dusted ! This continued all through those first few months and years, and that feeling has stuck with me now..  My Day is not complete without that one coffee... (now I'm probably just a little more fussy with the coffee I drink!) So it is rather ironic that on his birthday this year  I did not manage to drink a cup!! I'm sure Ill make up for it in the many more birthdays  to come... 

Oh and I found out with a bit of hard work that I do have pretty good Birthday Cake baking (and putting together) skills. With some invaluable help from my parents I managed to put together a Pirate Ship cake for Darby's Pirate themed party!! (Very typical on the day though that Darby said to me "mum I don't want to be a Pirate any more!" Arrrghhh you can never win!! 

A standout from the crowd: Bluebird

After a long week at work I was ready for a relaxing weekend of coffee tasting and putting my feet up.. generally  just a stress free couple of days! How wrong I was!! My weekend of lattes and lie ins was quickly ruined when I had a delivery on Friday at 4.45pm Friday of 900 lunch boxes to deliver to staff by Monday ! A lunch box for everyone seemed like such a fantastic idea a few weeks ago,... but when faced with the mammoth task I quickly began to  regret my decision. I  was  about to sink in a sea of cardboard!  

So before I could even think about carving open 450 boxes, a good coffee was on the cards, no make that great.. it was going to be absolutely necessary..

As usual my decision making skills were not at their peak and I could think of a plethora of places to go but couldn't put my finger on it... 

So  I let geography make the call for me.. I had an appointment with the Apple store in Doncaster - yes I am turning into a converted Mac user and I'm sure the Apple store is  my new "hot spot for singles".. I'm still sure the man of my dreams is lurking there somewhere!  I thought I would stop at any place on my way  that took my fancy.   I wasn't far on my journey, when I was driving down Johnstone St ,Collingwood,  when a cafe caught my eye and I immediately pulled over.. The cafe endearingly  called "Bluebird Espresso" grabbed my attention with their gorgeous fresh  and  colourful tulips at every table! Enough to brighten my mood instantly!  The staff were very friendly and took my soy latte order right away! It arrived on my table, the milk still settling in that  cascading manner I could watch all day. The crema was a perfect inch and the colour was just asking to be drunk!  I still longed for my Soy Cappuccino's!!- I think I would get funny looks asking for a latte in a cup with a touch of chocolate...mmm Ill contemplate!

 I took my first sip.. and almost shocked .. the coffee nearly took my breath away which rarely happens....the coffee was silky smooth with a sweet caramel, burnt toffee finish, with slight smokiness which just enhanced it further! I have been drinking alot of good coffees of late, but this was a "wow factor " coffee!! One that certainly stands out from the crowd.  I love it when this happens.. it keeps me inspired to keep tasting and discovering new places, it does keep me on my toes.  I wanted to order another but resisted, my body couldn't handle the extra caffeine hit! 

Upon leaving I mentioned to the barista how much I enjoyed the coffee, this is not something I do.... so I knew it was a coffee that had a significant impact on me! They were very appreciative of the feedback, and of the compliment..They informed me they used local coffee brand Syndicate (which I have only tasted before at the Bendigo Corner Store).... 

Ill be back and I hope and pray the coffee is as good on my return... 

Until next time, go and seek out a "wow" coffee or just head to Bluebird!! 

100..... more or less!! I have reached a goal!!!

Law enforced Latte!! 

Ok so I have been the slackest blogger of all time.. the point of having a blog is keeping it ever evolving and up to date, ideally posting a few times a week (so I have read on blogging etiquette!) ....  I have not been keeping up with this ... mmm Guilty as charged!!  I have been busy tasting coffee....so Im still keeping my 2011 coffee goal going and that's the main thing, I just have been hopeless at the writing about it ! Well I have been documenting my experiences.. just not here (shh... its a secret!)

My one and only Espresso
Market Lane Queen Vic

So I am not yet to reach the top of  my Melbourne Coffee Review 100 list.. but I have passed the a century of soy cappuccinos (and the odd latte, piccolo and espresso!) and many unique and  wonderful coffee experiences! I am certainly not  a coffee pro by any stretch... yet I feel as though I know a whole heck more about coffee than I did 6 months ago... (I know what a ristretto is and have even ordered one!!!) So I thought I would share my 100 list .... mainly so I  have documented in one place and can look back and wonder how I managed to drink that much caffeine in such a short time  and clock up plenty of kilometres along the way !!  No excuses not to write any more as I have just picked up a brand new Mac laptop computer.... expect to see a lot more posts and even maybe  a glimpse of me sipping lattes in a cafe near you soon! 

Until next time.. life is too short to drink crap coffee!

XXX 

Corner Shop - YarravilleDuchess of Spotswood - Spotswood

Salford Lads Club - Port Melbourne

Bent Espresso - Bentleigh

The Mailing Room - Canterbury

The Dispensary - Bendigo 

Omar and the Marvelours coffee bird - Gardenvale

Seven Seeds - Carlton

Cafenatics - Docklands

Social Roasting Company - Kensington
Auction Rooms - North Melbourne
Di Bella Coffee Roasting - North Melbourne
Seven: AM - Port Melbourne
Broadsheet cafe - Melbourne
Dancing Goat Cafe - Melbourne
Shop 7 Coffee Alimentari - Melbourne
Eclipse coffee - Melbourne 
Le Chien - Seddon
Nabiha cafe - Moonee Ponds
The Premises - Kensington
Pillar of Salt - Richmond
Pint of Milk - Newport
Nosh @ Newport - Newport 
Brother Baba Budan - Melbourne
Dead Man Espresso - South Melbourne
Mr Tulk - Melbourne
Grounded House - Kensington
Cafe Trutrack - North Melbourne
Sensory Lab - Melbourne
65 Degrees cafe- Melbourne
Postal Hall - Melbourne
TOby's Espresso Bar 
Miss Marmalade - Brunswick 
The Truffula Seed  - Melbourne
Tre Bichierri - Carlton North 
Mule Cafe - Brunswick
Jasper Coffee - Fitzroy 
Atomica Cafe - Fitzroy
Ray's - Brunswick
Gingerlee - Brunswick East 
Small Block - Brunswick East 
Proud Mary - Carlton 
El Mirage - Brunswick East
Pope Joan - Brunswick East
St Ali  - South Melbourne
Journal Cafe - Melbourne
Cup of Truth - Melbourne
Switchboard  cafe - Melbourne 
New York Tomato - Richmond
A Minor Place - Brunswick 
The Brunswick East Project - Brunswick East
Growers Espresso - Fitzroy North 
Three Bags Full - Abbotsford
Set Shot - St Kilda 
Il Fornaio - St Kilda
Coffee Darling - South Yarra
Miss Jackson - St Kilda
Outpost - South Yarra
Market Lane coffee - Prahran 
Dr Jekyll - St Kilda 
Abbotsford Convent Bakery - Abbottsford
Dukes Coffee - Windsor
Leroy Espresso - St Kilda 
Penny Farthing Espresso - Northcote
Foxy Brown - Northcote
Monk Bodhi Dharma - Balaclava
Caffe Romeo - Balwyn 
Las Chicas cafe - Balaclava
Liar Liar - Hawthorn
The Artful Dodger - Elsternwick 
Loco Coffee - Elsternwick
Jackson Dodds- Preston 
Studio Movida - Kew
Liasion - Melbourne
Balderdash - Port Melbourne
Elevenses - Melbourne
Campos Coffee - Carlton
Chez Dre- South Melbourne
De Clieu - Fitzroy 
Earl Canteen - Melbourne
The Farm Cafe - Collingwood
The Final Step - South Yarra
Friends of Mine - Richmond
The Hardware Societe - Melbourne 
Hausfrau Bakery - Yarraville
Wee Jeannie - Yarraville 
Market Lane - Queen Victoria Market
Kinfolk - Melbourne
The League of Honest Coffee - Melbourne
The Little Ox - Brighton 
Naked Espresso Bar - Melbourne 
Midali Espresso - Balaclava
Lux Bite - Toorak 
Maison Ama Lurra - North Melbourne
My Sister Says - Port Melbourne 
Roller Door - North Melbourne 
Wide Open Road  - Brunswick 
The Corner Store Cafe- Bendigo 
El Gordo - Bendigo
Ju Ju Espresso - Sydney 

I'll be back!!

After a long hiatus.. ha ha... it feels like it but its only just clocked over 2 weeks since I last wrote... I will be back soon! A very busy few weeks... a week of annual leave and of  harmony and bliss.. and then 3 days of the intense Sydney life at a conference! So I'm fatigued.. ... I have lots of great coffee to talk about..... so cant wait to write..
First stop I'm hoping to get to Naked Espresso tomorrow for some inspiration! YAY

If you cant write... just sing!!!

My writing has been so sporadic lately.. I have been drinking  my coffee and loving it .. but I haven't had the time to write .. or dare go into my ice box room! 5 minutes at my computer and I cannot feel my fingers, they become frozen solid! Maybe time to get myself a laptop! So here is just a quick one!

So I recently saw Bridesmaids... and felt a very deep, if not disturbing connection with Annie... who is continually stuffing things up in her life! Ahhh.... that is my life at the moment! So in tribute to that.... and to the words of classic Wilson Phillips.... here are the words to Hold On! (doing a good job of describing my  life right at this minute!!)

I know this pain
Why do lock yourself up in these chains?
No one can change your life except for you
Don't ever let anyone step all over you
Just open your heart and your mind
Is it really fair to feel this way inside?

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to
Turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry?
Don't you know
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day?
Things'll go your way
Hold on for one more day

You could sustain
Or are you comfortable with the pain?
You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness
You got yourself into your own mess
Lettin' your worries pass you by
Don't you think it's worth your time
To change your mind?

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to
Turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry?
Don't you know
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day?
Things'll go your way
Hold on for one more day

I know that there is pain
But you hold on for one more day
And you break free the chains
Yeah, I know that there is pain
But you hold on for one more day
And you break free
Break from the chains

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to
Turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry?
Don't you know
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day?
Things'll go your way
Hold on for one more day

Won't you tell me now?
Hold on for one more day
'Cause it's gonna go your way

Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can't you change it this time?

Make up your mind
Hold on
Hold on
Baby, hold on

Qui ne risque rien n'a rien (Nothing ventured, nothing gained)- Chez Dre

Now I'm not one to be  usually coming out with  French proverbs.... but  because we are in the same week as Bastille day, Frances National Day I thought I would scrub up on my French.

 I do admit I have a fondness  for wearing a splash of red, blue or white, even though I have not an ounce of French blood in me..... and I did not celebrate it with French food  as I am trying to keep my cholesterol and blood pressure down (drats) ... so why not pay homage to the French Language! 

I looked and looked for proverbs that  summed up how I am feeling right now... Cest La Vie (Live and let live), quite dramatic and not quite it,  or  Un malheur ne vient jamais seul - "When it rains it pours"- more on the money of how I  have felt of late.... overwhelmed by the everything around me... like a sinking ship.. never the less  seeing as my blog normally takes on a more happy, positive,  glass half full approach, I thought I  better be at least a little optimistic!! So I chose: Qui ne risque rien n'a rien (Nothing ventured, nothing gained) And to be honest, there have been things that  have gone my way of late, and from my own doing.... some that may lead me to dream that the bigger the risk you take the bigger the reward.  I have thrown caution to the wind and had courage I didn't think I had in me..Yay... I know when the I'm in a cloudy mood.. it doesn't take long for the sun to come out and shine again! (cue music from Annie the musical... "The sun'll come out ,Tomorrow, Bet your bottom dollar, That tomorrow There'll be sun! )
Oh and how bout  I get onto the coffee too... french themed of course!!  So there is a coffee reason behind all  my rambling! So onto coffee... this week it is from a very new and very chic  patisserie/boulangerie/café :  Chez Dre located in South Melbourne (Not on my list and relatively new only opening its doors in late April 2011)It was featured in the Age good Cafe Guide recently and awarded "three cups" and I can see why it does. Hidden down a lane way near the famous South Melbourne Market .. but with a gorgeous sign with gold letters leading the way. From the outside I imagined it was going to be small, but was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into a large open space  with plenty of seating . Chez Dre oozes with sophistication and class... without being to over the top, I loved the patriotic vases with red blue and white flowers, a cute touch! (And the food too looks amazing!)

Our coffee was lovely too... using a blend especially roasted by Mailing Room, I was enchanted by my latte! A different choice  of drink for me... nothing like  a bit of a change to enliven the senses !  Silky and creamy, with a symbolic heart on top (my favorite latte art!) and a strong finish and perfect temperature to drink. I enjoyed every mouthful! Darby enjoyed every mouth full of his raspberry macaroon! (I had a few sneaky bites..) I was egging him on to get the salted caramel, but he opted for the fruity flavour! Bon Appetite!  I almost ordered a Baguette to completely fulfill my french experience, but resisted the urge!

Ill be making another visit here soon to  immerse myself in everything French and to devour a baguette, my only  decision  will be half or full.. mmmm ...
 

  

On another note.. Elevenses closed last week (sob sob) I was very sad to see them go.. I feel lost as to where to pick up my daily coffee.. so am testing out a few new places.. they are not the same... but at least Elevenses will be open soon, albeit a new name and new location! Even more reason to go for a morning/lunchtime walk! Naked Espresso Bar opens in August and I cannot wait to get there!

My divine Chez Dre Latte

In Progress

Where's it gone!

Next Port of Call for my coffee!!

I haven't really indulged in any coffee from my list this week (still stuck on 63)... I know I have it in the bag,  so I have relaxed a little, despite last week being pumped up to ramp it up!

Anyway I have just applied for annual leave for later this month and I plan to do one every day.... ! 12 days  to do 12 might be a tad ambitious... but if I can do half that it would be great! My "coffee" therapy over these colder months  is working a treat like Chicken Soup for the soul! Feeling distracted is one of the aims of this .. and its certainly doing that, and getting me out of the house and enjoying this up and down Melbourne  winter... instead of moping inside which I could easily be doing! ... and I have found myself a surprising area of  that is ticking all the boxes for me! (and for a place that I didn't rate their coffee highly)

Port Melbourne:

-Its close by.. only an 8 minute trip if the West gate is travelling well!

- Its close to the beach... even in the cold weather its nice to be close to the shore....

- I grew up familiar with the area and the shops and spent some part of my early 20's living here with my granny and my aunty.....

- It has many happy memories from so many chapters of my life  that its makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and a tad nostalgic! 

- One day I would like to get married here (the venue of my choice is located in Bay St)  ....... here's hoping that still may happen so I wont give the venue away!

 I was surprised by a few new places that have caught my eye here  (and they were featured in the recent  Age Good Cafe Guide!)  .... "My Sister Says" and Balderdash!

I visited " My Sister Says" first, on the recommendation of a work colleague living in the area... and when I arrived I knew I had found my  muse if I ever open my own cafe..  (opening a cafe is now on my Bucket list in my wildest craziest dreams) My Sisters says embodied all of the things I look for in a cafe... - warmness, friendly staff.. intimate yet inviting set up,  the best looking and tasting sweet baked goods and more importantly good coffee...  Darby and I drove there on a Saturday afternoon...  I was having a little meltdown and needed to get out of the house.. it may also have been my lack of sleep.. which I'm afraid I cant put down to parenting.. but the unusual new thing I'm doing... partying!!! .. I was feeling terribly tired and seedy and I had no one to blame except myself! I felt like I was Darby's 21 year old babysitter, allowing him to do whatever he wanted.. including ordering a sparkly cupcake!!! I probably shouldn't have ordered a coffee, but it did smell soo good, so I deliriously overlooked the fact I don't drink coffee "the morning after" and  ordered one! I probably hoped it would give me a kick, like the hours of sleep I was seriously lacking (and will never get back) ! I'm sure I had Hangover written all over me.. from my grey complexion to my bloodshot eyes... I'm not talking movie Hangover bad... but working towards it! Not really in any shape to drive machine  vehicles or look after children!

Gorgeous

Gone!



Cheese!!!!!



I got through the day...with myself in tact and a new favorite place to go!! Its not often you find some where you feel instantly at ease with! Next time I will go earlier in the day so I can taste the delicious looking food, and when I'm not feeling so darn terrible! 

On the Monday after, feeling alot better and with a few more hours of sleep up my sleeve, you could say I felt even fresh and invigorated again! I headed  back to Port Melbourne again, this time to "Balderdash" - directly across the street from  My Sister Says.... First thing I noticed in the window was an old typewriter.. with Balderdash written and its meaning, which was something along the lines of :

bal·der·dash[bawl-der-dash]   –noun

1. senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense.

2.

Obsolete . a muddled mixture of liquors.

So I'm not really sure what it means in the context of the cafe.. but it sure got me thinking! I'm sure this blog is no more than exaggerated talk or writing... with a sprinkle of nonsense.... and jumble of words...Anyway back to the coffee. Darby and I ordered, and I knew that we had a limited time today before Darbs started jumping around, so I was relieved when my coffee came quickly.. It was nice and warm and just what I needed.. The 5Senses blend they used was exceptional, creamy and strong and a great way to kick off the week! Will be back here soon... and my Port Melbourne Love affair can continue!!


By the time I post this... its nearly 2 weeks later... slack arse!! So I have managed to hit 64! We went to Cafe Loco in Elsternwick! The coffee was great albeit a takeaway.. but the highlight for Darby was the waiter with the electric Pink hair.... I'm sure he wondered how the hell he got it that colour! Anyway it was nice to cross one off my list... and I was left with the quote that connected with me...
"A person who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new"- eternal sunshine of spotless mind.

Until next time...

Red alert!!

Red Cap Action

I have noted previously my obsession for hats and I have a certain favorite red one that I can't seem to get off my head... Even going to the extreme of buying a back up replica in the awful event I lost the original!! My obsession has obviously rubbed off on my sidekick  Darby as well and when he spotted a red cap the other day, he just had to have it!! (lucky for me it was on sale!) The color red has been my "color" since my life change in 2010, becoming dispersed throughout my house in bits and pieces,from kitchen appliances, rugs, cushions. Even the wooden love heart that adorns my entry. I went to my friend google, to find out why this may be so.... psych analysis of myself with colors...."Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element."How the color red affects us physically

• Increases enthusiasm
• Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate
• Encourages action and confidence
• Provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety

All sounds pretty reasonable to me and sums up how I feel (I can blame the color red on my energy.. not the amount of caffeine I am  consuming, and a good excuse to tell my Doctor next time my blood pressure is taken!) ... So you could say I was pretty excited when we walked into a Pillar of salt in Richmond, surrounded by all things red... heaven!! There were touches of it everywhere.. Including glamorous shining red cups (and Darby and I in  our little red hats!) The staff were so lovely!! Even happy enough to take a picture of us in our matching attire with the red cups. I do believe we looked incredibly dorky...or well just downright adorable! Kids and parents dressed alike never gets old, maybe weird though!!
 Pillar of Salt is not on my "100", so I didn't exactly tick one off my list,  but I'm positively sure that it will be in 2012's, so you could say I was before my time! (oh and I had read about it in the Age Good Cafe guide!)



Our Glam Drinks!



Our coffee experience, although short, was very sweet.. we indulged in a coconut raspberry slice that was eaten up in a flash! (From a quick glance the rest of the menu looked downright delicious as well) My coffee was lovely... Another cafe using 5 senses (they seem to be popping up everywhere and slowly becoming a real favorite of mine. My Soy cappuccino  had a  strong crema and a super smooth and luxurious finish! It was just what I needed as I was about to embark on a quick (yeah right) late afternoon shopping trip to Ikea to buy photo frames! Maybe coffee wasn't such a great idea...a shot of tequila may have made it more palatable!



Cheese... we look super cheesy in matching hats!




On my way out  I even managed to snag the last business card... coffee dust and all, very kind of the barista to give it to me!! Ill be back here soon for a little more red therapy!! After all its good for the soul!

Oh and I stayed true to my word.. I did manage a quick trip around hell (Ikea) out of there in 20 minutes.. has to be a record... and with a tired and grumpy Darby too!

Ahh.. Until next time... Life is too short to drink Crap coffee!  xxx



Red Cap Action and Sunshine
at the Corner Shop - yarraville!

A JavaJane coffee tour..... all aboard!!

 

It seems as though I have been  stalled at 62 cafes for a couple of weeks now.. so its time I get myself back out there and tasting new coffee and also crossing places off my Melbourne coffee review 100  list... With the recent release of the Age Good cafe guide , my eyes have been opened to a whole other spectrum of new places to visit (and drink from), whilst this is fantastic and the book is now constantly in my bad and already looking  well loved), it is also distracting me from my goal.... so I'm getting back on the horse ... so to speak and will start by getting around the suburbs!  I have to pick up the pace and get my momentum back . This is when my car (and a full tank of petrol) will prove very handy! I have exhausted all but one of the city cafes, so its out to the burbs I go (in burbs I really don't mean much further than Brunswick, Balaclava, or Fairfield!!)

I don't know whether it is just my new interest in everything coffee, but it seems to me there are alot of new "coffee houses" opening this year??!?!? I'm guessing they will need to make the Melbourne Coffee Review the top 150 to accommodate the talent and awesomeness of all these places!! (it wouldn't be fair to make a 'nearly made it' list)

Anyway.. back to coffee: Last weekend I took Uncle Paul on a Java Jane coffee adventure..... but I chose to stay close to home to showcase the joys of the little village that is  Yarraville (and proud home to Darby and I)! We wandered up and down the street, pointing out all the key landmarks.. the Butcher, the pub, the newsagent, the bookshops and the Sun Theatre and then I took him  to another favorite the Corner Shop (we were lucky enough to snag a table in prime time)... Luck was on our side for the day! We ordered some more frothy ones (cappuccinos) ... this time our coffee came with a different designs from our coffees the week before... Paul was very impressed with the coffee art and I think he now understands the pleasure that is my ritual daily coffee drinking! Our coffee as always was perfect.. I have a soft spot in my heart for the coffee here.. its always on song!

We had a spot of brunch there  and then descended on Footscray Kmart and Cole's to a) pick up a copy of Kung Fu Panda for Darby and b) pick up the ingredients for caramel slice for me!

I attempted to cook a caramel slice (in a pie tin!).... although it turned out well and tasted pretty darn good, it certainly wasn't without its dramas.. Although this is not a blog about food, sometimes the digression is worth it.. In this extreme case, I completely smoked out my apartment and suffocated everyone with  a burnt butter smell, it was streaming out  from my oven ....not a good look for someone trying to show  dessert making prowess ... and the smoke alarms didn't go off so that's even more to worry about.. anyway .. the end result was a delicious slice with not even a trace of smoke tainting it! Phew!!



My Smoke free Caramel Slice/tart



And on Sunday an unprecedented thing happened.... I had no coffee...OMG I cant remember the last time this has occurred (which scared me even more) ...  OK so the moral of this blog is "I'm back" on the coffee tasting bandwagon from now on.. no excuses!!!

Until next time, Life is too short to drink crappy coffee!

PS... check out some pictures from our "shoot" with Ochi-Innocente Photography. They are pretty cute if I do say so myself!!