The Best Coffee Shops in Portland, Oregon + What Is a Coffee Cupping?
When I think about Portland, I picture those golden trees with leaves galore, the nippy mornings, the endless walking, the delicious donuts, & the coffee. Oh, the coffee. In order to stay alive & function with all the steps we trekked, Fred & I definitely needed some caffeine.
Related reading: How to Spend 48 Hours in Portland, Oregon: A Travel Guide
Thanks to Third Wave Coffee Tours*, Fred & I spent one morning exploring some of the finest coffee options in Portland, Oregon. I opted for their Pioneering Eastside Roasters Coffee Tour, a three-hour guided tour on the east side of the Willamette River.
The Eastside tour starts at 10 a.m. on Fridays & introduces you to top-notch espresso, cold brew variations, & even a cupping experience — the practice of observing the tastes & aromas in brewed coffee, basically a coffee tasting. This tour introduces you to the pioneering micro-roasters that sparked the third wave coffee revolution.
The Eastside tour starts at 10 a.m. on Fridays & introduces you to top-notch espresso, cold brew variations, & even a cupping experience — the practice of observing the tastes & aromas in brewed coffee, basically a coffee tasting. This tour introduces you to the pioneering micro-roasters that sparked the third wave coffee revolution.
The tour began at Portland Roasting Coffee — a sustainable & carbon neutral company — where we waited a few minutes for the rest of the tour members to join. We tried the small but mighty macchiato with a bite of cookie before we were on our way to the next stop, Steven Smith Teamaker.
Yep, we went to a tea place during the coffee tour. Steven Smith is actually the mastermind behind Tazo Tea as well as Stash Tea. Go figure. We tried nitro chai tea with a touch of half & half. It was utterly glorious; I still dream about it. We also sampled both the iced & hot tea versions of the Sparkling Strawberry Honeybush. As a tea fan, this was my favorite stop of the day.
Then we began the journey to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a brand that focuses heavily on sustainability, direct trade, & paying their coffee farmers liveable wages. The Stumptown visit was abundant in its information & coffee samplings. We sipped on quite a view varieties, but I was particularly in love with the Stumptown Chocolate Cold Brew, which is essentially coffee spiked chocolate milk. Yes please.
Next up on the tour was Coava Coffee Roasters with their cool & open wooden interior. Instead of using the traditional but wasteful paper filters, they created their own handmade cones with tiny holes to strain the coffee. We tried a single shot Guatemala macchiato & nibbled on bits of a cookie.
Our last coffee shop spot was Upper Left Roasters, where we sipped on their cold brew coffee with hazelnut macadamia milk. To wash everything down, we got a bite of their delicious country wheat toast with macadamia nut butter & banana. I'm not ashamed to admit that I grabbed a second piece of toast.
I left the Pioneering Eastside Roasters Coffee Tour feeling high on coffee & ready to take over the world. It's the perfect experience for any coffee lover, & I give it bonus points because there was time for tea. If you're in Portland & enjoy your fair share of coffee, Third Wave Coffee Tours is spot on.
Then we began the journey to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a brand that focuses heavily on sustainability, direct trade, & paying their coffee farmers liveable wages. The Stumptown visit was abundant in its information & coffee samplings. We sipped on quite a view varieties, but I was particularly in love with the Stumptown Chocolate Cold Brew, which is essentially coffee spiked chocolate milk. Yes please.
Next up on the tour was Coava Coffee Roasters with their cool & open wooden interior. Instead of using the traditional but wasteful paper filters, they created their own handmade cones with tiny holes to strain the coffee. We tried a single shot Guatemala macchiato & nibbled on bits of a cookie.
What is a Coffee Cupping?
A cupping is a coffee tasting where you observe the tastes & aromas in brewed coffee. For our cupping experience, we ventured to Buckman Coffee Factory. The cupping begins with smelling the freshly ground coffee & pointing out any odor descriptors such as earthy, floral, spicy, etc. Step two is to add water & smell again. The third step is to break the crust by taking a spoon & pushing the floating coffee grounds away while smelling again. The last step is to taste the coffee & compare notes with the others.Our last coffee shop spot was Upper Left Roasters, where we sipped on their cold brew coffee with hazelnut macadamia milk. To wash everything down, we got a bite of their delicious country wheat toast with macadamia nut butter & banana. I'm not ashamed to admit that I grabbed a second piece of toast.
I left the Pioneering Eastside Roasters Coffee Tour feeling high on coffee & ready to take over the world. It's the perfect experience for any coffee lover, & I give it bonus points because there was time for tea. If you're in Portland & enjoy your fair share of coffee, Third Wave Coffee Tours is spot on.
* Disclaimer: Third Wave Coffee Tours provided the tour in exchange for an honest blog post about my experience. All opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure. :]
Mocha Oatmeal: An Easy, Hearty, & Caffeinated Recipe
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TasteTruvia #CB #CollectiveBias
Ever find yourself running late in the morning with not much time to create a hearty & healthy breakfast? If you're anything like me then it probably happens a lot — sometimes those extra 10 minutes in my warm cozy bed are too irresistible. To combat unhealthy decisions on those hectic mornings, add a bit of caffeine to breakfast with an easy & undeniably delicious bowl of mocha oatmeal.
I'm making 2017 the year of personal bests by feeling good about myself & taking care of myself. Self-love & self-care, y'all! In order to keep myself on track, I created this breakfast recipe to save time & still fill me up.
I've made this so many times, it's essentially foolproof. It'll give you a nice kick of caffeine while simultaneously filling you up for hours on end. Keep reading & you'll find out how to make this simple mocha oatmeal recipe. Let's get started!
Ingredients
1 cup soy milk
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan bring soy milk & water to a boil.2. Stir in oatmeal. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. After 5 minutes or when your oatmeal is almost to your desired texture, mix in the cocoa powder & coffee. Stir until thoroughly combined. Let sit for 2 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat & stir in Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable.
5. Add desired toppings & enjoy!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 - 10 minutes, depending on preference
Servings: 2
Servings: 2
This recipe is simple & I absolutely love using Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable since it's a zero-calorie, stevia-based sweetener. Oh, & it's effortless to use. I bought my Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable at Ralphs. You may find it in the baking aisle along with your cake mixes, flour, & sugar. Truvia® is easy to spot because the packaging is bright green!
Make this mocha oatmeal once & I promise you'll never look back. It's insanely delicious. The proportions are straightforward & easy to remember. This recipe makes two servings, one to share or one for tomorrow. The Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable adds the perfect amount of sweetness since it provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar, making it the perfect natural sweetener for those looking to reduce calories.
You can make your bowl of oatmeal even more beautiful by adding toppings like chia seeds, flaxseeds, fresh berries, chopped nuts, or more Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable. We can make wiser decisions this year. Let's start breakfast off right. :]
You can make your bowl of oatmeal even more beautiful by adding toppings like chia seeds, flaxseeds, fresh berries, chopped nuts, or more Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable. We can make wiser decisions this year. Let's start breakfast off right. :]
* Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. As always, all opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure. :]
How To Be A Local Influencer & Get Invited to Events as a Blogger
In a world where bloggers are everywhere, how can you stand out? How can an influencer reach new people?
I went to an @midnight taping a couple years ago in Los Angeles & wrote about my experience. I never knew what an impact it would have on my blog.
Every day people search for @midnight related content, which leads them directly to my blog. Some of those people come to be regular readers. If you're wondering how to be a local influencer & how to get invited to events as a blogger, you've come to the right place. These are my insider tips to moving up that blogging ladder.
Get FREE access to my exclusive newsletter.
The first thing you'll receive --->
How to Be a Local Influencer & Get Invited to Events as a Blogger.
Poop & Smell the Roses Toilet Bowl Freshener Review
Let me start off by saying: we all poop. Okay now we got that out of the way, have you ever walked into a bathroom & breathed in a heinous scent? Your mouth twitches & immediately turns into a cringe. You plug your nose & frantically drag a breath through your mouth. That my friend is poop. You could use a bathroom freshener or potpourri spray. Toilet sprays are almost a necessity in a full household or busy office.
There are so many on the market these days. There are popular brands like the Poo-Pourri Before You Go Toilet Sprays as well as plenty of other brands. Find particular scents, brands, sizes based on your household needs.
Poo-Pourri Before-You-go Toilet Spray 10 ml Original Citrus 10 ml Lavender Vanilla 10 ml Tropical Hibiscus 10 ml Lavender Peppermint & 10 ml Vanilla Mint, 5 Count. Shop it on Amazon.
Muse Bath Apothecary Flush Ritual - Aromatic & Refreshing Toilet Spray, Use Before You Go, 8 oz, Infused with Natural Essential Oils - Aloe + Eucalyptus + Lavender, 2 Pack. Shop it on Amazon.
You ask yourself if it's worth it to stay in this box of fumes or if you should exit immediately. There are some cool products on the market like a toilet air freshener that may assist with this dilemma. I was at the store & was immediately drawn to beautiful pink rose packaging. The bottle was colorful, whimsical, & romantic. I saw the word rosewater & got closer. What is it? is a bathroom freshener.
You can find other rose sprays that aren't necessarily marketing specifically for bathroom use. There's the Positive Essence Rose Linen and Room Spray, which is a natural pillow spray made with pure pose essential oils. You can use it as a home fragrance or as a toilet spray. It's multifunctional. Shop it on Amazon.
As I got a closer look I realized this is no room spray or body spray, but was, in fact, a toilet bowl air freshener also known as a poop spray. What in the world? I open it up & smelled it. It was true to its name & smelled like a delightful rose. You could use spray it generally as a bathroom freshener.
The Poop Culture "Before You Go" Toilet Spray Bathroom Freshener Poop and Smell the Roses packaging suggests spraying about four potpourri sprays directly in the toilet water prior to pooping &/or after. Definitely an easy-to-use toilet air freshener & the best poop spray or best bathroom spray for the price.
The Poop Culture "Before You Go" Toilet Spray Bathroom Freshener Poop and Smell the Roses packaging suggests spraying about four potpourri sprays directly in the toilet water prior to pooping &/or after. Definitely an easy-to-use toilet air freshener & the best poop spray or best bathroom spray for the price.
What's the best poop spray bathroom freshener or best bathroom spray? I must say this works quite well. PoopCulture Collection/Poop Culture's Poop and Smell the Roses toilet bowl freshener is perfect to use at home with a significant other, family, or roommates. It could genuinely help out, especially if everyone understands how to use it. Although it would be even more applicable in larger bathrooms like an office or a public restroom, it's not really feasible to explain to everyone how this works.
True Story: My roommate exited the restroom & I went in to wash my face. The room smelled like fresh roses. I immediately knew that business had been done but at least the smell was quite pleasant. It was the toilet air freshener. Simply use the potpourri spray.
It's the best poop spray bathroom freshener for the price. This toilet air freshener tames any poop scent, giving off a lovely rose aroma. I've heard stories of people going on first dates, where they didn't feel comfortable pooping at their date's house. This would be a lifesaver. Yes, this is a superfluous & unnecessary purchase but it's fun, the scent is spot on, & I enjoy the PoopCulture Poop and Smell the Roses toilet bowl freshener packaging.
It's the best poop spray bathroom freshener for the price. This toilet air freshener tames any poop scent, giving off a lovely rose aroma. I've heard stories of people going on first dates, where they didn't feel comfortable pooping at their date's house. This would be a lifesaver. Yes, this is a superfluous & unnecessary purchase but it's fun, the scent is spot on, & I enjoy the PoopCulture Poop and Smell the Roses toilet bowl freshener packaging.
What do you think of a toilet bowl freshener? What's the best poop spray or best bathroom spray? :]
Follow me for more fashion & style from the Californian perspective:
Personalized Mini Green Bean Casserole Recipe
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiveThanksBeFull #CollectiveBias
Green bean casserole. Ah yes, my three favorite words when it comes to Thanksgiving. My mom makes it every single year without fail; it's been part of my family tradition for as long as I can remember. This year I'm hosting a Friendsgiving potluck with my closest buddies. I want to do a creative twist on a classic dish by creating a personalized mini green bean casserole for each guest. Time for a fun, new tradition!How it Works
Choose unique add-in ingredients tailored to each guest to include in their mini casserole. You can pick any add-in that your heart desires. That's what makes this recipe so fun! I opted for herb goat cheese, asparagus, pine nuts, veggie bacon, & almonds with dried cranberries. If you want to up your side dish ante this Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving, I've got the perfect recipe for you.Ingredients
1 can (10.5 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup2 cans (14.5 oz. each) of Del Monte® Blue Lake® Cut Green Beans, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
A large bowl
Mini Green Bean Casserole Add-Ins & Toppings
French's Crispy Onions1 teaspoon herb goat cheese
1 asparagus spear, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pine nuts
1/2 strip veggie bacon, chopped
1/2 teaspoon almonds, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried cranberries, chopped
Ramekins
Directions
1. Drain Del Monte® Blue Lake® Green Beans & prep your add-ins, cooking & chopping as needed.
2. Stir together the Campbell's® soup, milk, soy sauce, cracked pepper, chopped rosemary, & Del Monte® green beans in a large bowl.
2. Stir together the Campbell's® soup, milk, soy sauce, cracked pepper, chopped rosemary, & Del Monte® green beans in a large bowl.
3. Fill each ramekin halfway with the green bean casserole mixture. Then sprinkle a layer of your add-in to each respective ramekin.
4. Add more green bean casserole to the fill line of each ramekin.5. Top each green bean casserole with French's Crispy Onions & remainder of respective add-in.
6. Bake for 13 minutes at 350°F.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Servings: Seven 3-oz. personalized mini green bean casseroles
I found my green bean casserole essentials at Target in the soup & packaged dinner isle. I was tempted to purchase pretty much everything else in the store. What else is new? Target is the perfect location for all your Friendsgiving needs.
Campbell's® creates a variety of soups that make for a quick & easy mealtime option. Just like in this recipe, add your own twist & favorite garnishes to any Campbell's® soup to make it special for family or friends. Del Monte® green beans are made with green beans, water, & a dash of salt. That's it! Fun fact: in green bean casserole, my sister prefers these canned green beans to fresh green beans.
After eating our meal, we usually put on a movie that all of us have seen multiple times. That way we can just enjoy the company, chitchat, & occasionally quote the film when we do pay attention. It's the best way to catch up casually without being distracted. I hope you have a wonderful & delicious week!
How do these mini green bean casseroles look? What are your holiday plans? :]
* Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. As always, all opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure here. :]
DIY Cinnamon Sugar Body Scrub Recipe
This shop, DIY Cinnamon Sugar Body Scrub Recipe, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StimulateTheSenses #CollectiveBias
The holidays are coming! Seriously, they're right around the corner, creeping up on us with every passing moment. Family gatherings. Dinner with friends. Holiday parties. Are you ready? If you're not sure what present to give, why not take the leap to a handmade holiday season this year?
I use essential oils year round. I mix & match oils in my mini diffuser. I add a few drops of essential oil to coconut oil & apply it to my legs for moisture & shine. From home fragrance to body care, Nature's Truth Essential Oils* can be incorporated in many creative DIY projects. If you're looking for a simple but special do-it-yourself gift to give friends & family this holiday season, you're in luck.
You Will Need
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Makes 2 heaping cups of body scrub.
2. Slowly mix in the coconut oil.
3. Add Nature's Truth Cinnamon Essential Oil.
4. Mix together & scoop the scrub into your sealable container(s).
5. To use: massage a generous amount of scrub to wet skin & rinse off in the tub or shower.
How to Make it
1. Combine sugars in a bowl.2. Slowly mix in the coconut oil.
3. Add Nature's Truth Cinnamon Essential Oil.
4. Mix together & scoop the scrub into your sealable container(s).
5. To use: massage a generous amount of scrub to wet skin & rinse off in the tub or shower.
I love to use this scrub in the shower because the spicy scent mixes with the soothing steam to energize the senses. The cinnamon smell is uplifting & reminiscent of holiday baking, while the exfoliating sugars invigorate your skin.
This Cinnamon Sugar Body Scrub is a simple DIY project that anyone will love. I even coaxed my boyfriend to try it out! Use any essential oils your heart desires such as 4 Thrive, Wintergreen, or Peppermint (one of my faves). Feel free to experiment! I used cinnamon since it's one of my favorite scents.
I conveniently bought my Nature's Truth Essential Oils from Target.com in my pajamas without ever having to leave the house, but you can normally find them in the vitamin aisle. It took everything in my power not to purchase multiple items I don't need. Target always does that to me, but I was strong this time & only bought essential oils (to add to my growing collection).
I'm a genuine essential oil lover & I sincerely hope you try this simple DIY Cinnamon Sugar Body Scrub Recipe. You can use Nature's Truth Essential Oils in body scrubs, massage oils, air fresheners, soaps, the list goes on. Here's wishing you happy holidays & happy DIYing!
I conveniently bought my Nature's Truth Essential Oils from Target.com in my pajamas without ever having to leave the house, but you can normally find them in the vitamin aisle. It took everything in my power not to purchase multiple items I don't need. Target always does that to me, but I was strong this time & only bought essential oils (to add to my growing collection).
I'm a genuine essential oil lover & I sincerely hope you try this simple DIY Cinnamon Sugar Body Scrub Recipe. You can use Nature's Truth Essential Oils in body scrubs, massage oils, air fresheners, soaps, the list goes on. Here's wishing you happy holidays & happy DIYing!
What do you think of this body scrub? Do you use essential oils? :]
P.S. get a $1 off from Nature's Truth.
* Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser. As always, all opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure here. :]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
POPULAR TOPICS
Beauty
beer
California
California Things to Do
Carlsbad
Coachella
Copenhagen
Del Mar
easy vegetarian recipe
Europe
fashion
food
France
Germany
Halloween
healthy vegetarian recipe
London
Mexico
music
music festival style
Netherlands
Oceanside
Paris
Portland
press trip
San Diego
self-employment
social media marketing
travel
USA Travel
vegetarian