Mmmmm.... coffffffeee....

Another thing I missed terribly whilst on Atkins was coffee.

          (Last night, I was reading a vacation journal written by a British woman.  That was when I decided I'd give saying 'whilst' instead of 'while' a shot for a bit. What the hell!)

Now, don't get me wrong, Atkins allows coffee.  But they discourage caffeine, as it can cause sugar/carb cravings.  So I cut out caffeine, just to be safe.

This was really no big deal for me.  I've gone years at a time without caffeine.  I find that it doesn't wake me up as much as it just makes my hands shake -- not a pleasant feeling.  So it wasn't the caffeine I missed, it was the coffee itself.

I can hear you out there. Yes, I am aware that decaf exists.  And there are a handful of decent decaf coffees.  If I owned a Keurig like me dear ol' Ma, I would've been drinking Donut Shop Decaf every day.  But I don't, so... it just seemed easier to skip it all together. 

I've gone back and forth with coffee throughout my life.  I used to totally prefer tea (with milk and sugar, the way tea should be served haha), but slowly started to dip my toes into the coffee pool in my early 20s.  Back then, I smoked.  And man, let me tell you, if there's one thing that cigarettes go with (aside from booze, of course), it's coffee!

Luckily, I don't smoke anymore (well, a few slips here and there -- but I'm human), and surprisingly didn't lose my taste for coffee after I quit.  Actually, I'd say I even like it more now than I did before.  That, in part, is the responsibility of my boyfriend, who is a coffee connoisseur (but not a coffee snob.  Huge difference.).  He introduced me to new varieties, and has converted me to the absolute belief that you have to grind your beans fresh to get the best cup of coffee.

He also got me away from Maxwell House. About 2 years ago, we discovered a brand at Wegman's after a trip down to my parents' house (Sadly, there isn't a Wegman's up here in north Jersey) and bought a few bags.  We loved it, so he found their website, and has been ordering their coffee online ever since.  The brand is Unique Coffee Roasters, shockingly right out of my former hometown of Staten Island (www.uniquecoffeeroasters.com).  We've tried many of their varieties, but I have to say their Joe's Morning Blend is the best.  I'm currently enjoying the Chelsea Blend, which combines Kona and French Roast.  I love the Jim's Kona beans, as well.  Oh,  and the Kenya AA.  And the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.  And the... well, you get the idea.  If you love coffee, give them a try.  Their coffee is excellent, and so are their prices!

Well, I didn't mean for this to turn into a commercial, but I'm just so damned happy to be drinking the coffee I love again :)