My New Addiction

I've always been envious of my friends who have an appreciation for coffee. There is a certain level of sophistication and maturity that I percieve as I admire coffee drinks at the local coffee shop. I'm sure this appreciation is not without countless trips to Starbucks to obtain a cup of caffiene that costs more than a tank of gas!

The envy really grows every fall, when Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte becomes ever so popular. Being the aggressive pumpkin lover that I am, I try to acqure a taste for this every.single.fall...and never seem to grow fond of the taste. Instead, I settle for trying to create a pumpkin hot chocolate from home.

Aside from my perception of drinking coffee, I just need a kick of energy some days. My friend, Cori, is always amazed that I operate on virtually zero caffiene (no pop, coffee, etc.)

Well, while visiting friends in Indy last week...I ran into a local coffee shop to grab Cori a coffee and muffin...and the shop had some sort of Snickerdoodle-flavored coffee. The barista gave me a little sample of this dessert-like beverage...and now it is all I can think about! It gave me hope. Maybe I can still acquire a taste for coffee-flavored drinks afterall!

This morning on my way to work, I decided I needed a little "pick-me-up," so I stopped at my local Caribou. I ordered the least-coffee sounding drink on the menu...a Caramel Mocha High Rise, with extra sweet stuff mixed-in.

Within an hour, I noticed just how 180 mg of caffiene would affect my body. Albeit a little jittery at lunch time, I admit I really enjoyed the boost of energy. I can imagine how helpful this jolt of energy would have been after I had Miss L and was being weaned from steroids.  

I am now on a mission to seek out the best-tasting, least-coffee-esque, caffienated beverage. Any suggestions for me?