Eight things I like about Utah so far.

I've been in Utah now for three months. Not long, but long enough to see some things I really like about being here. I thought I'd share some of the perks with you all.

1. You know those phone calls that you dread making? The calls that require you to painfully navigate through those horrible automated systems? The calls that almost guarantee a long wait time? Those calls that you promise yourself you will keep your cool about? The calls that help you find yourself on the phone with the most angry, repressed, resentful human being on the other end of the line? They sound miserable and scripted and they talk to you like you are a fucking idiot. Don't ask a question either, because now you're not just an idiot, you're a fucking moron. They are pissed about their job, pissed about answering your dumb ass questions, pissed about the shitty sandwich they brought for lunch, and probably still pissed about some childhood bullshit they haven't worked passed yet. Every once in a blue moon I would get a lovely person on the line that at least acted like they enjoyed helping me. Actually, it was more like they enjoyed their paycheck every Friday so they showed it in their phone manner. Usually though I got an angry, bored, epitome of rude type of person on the phone.

Since moving to Utah, every dreadful phone call I have had to make has been pleasant AS FUCK! At first it made me question things. Things like life and my own existence. Whey were these phone calls so easy? They were smooth like butter. The happy people on the other end of the line were not only nice, but helpful! They even offered extra information that I didn't even ask for, because I wouldn't know to ask, and they knew that! They had manners. Not the kind of phone manners where you have to be nice or you will get written up, like real manners. They are either super nice people, or they are con artists. Either way, it made my phone call experiences top notch. It restored some faith I had lost in people getting into human services to actually help humans. I had started to think it wasn't a thing anymore.

Why is it not like this in CA? Maybe it is the population factor? Higher population leads to higher call volumes leads to RUDE? Maybe they are mad that everything costs so much in CA and can't leave that bitterness at home, they bring that shit to work? Maybe it was me? Oh God, was it me? Maybe I was bitter and resentful and they fed off of my attitude. I couldn't say, but making phone calls out here is damn near like calling a friend. I can't wait to see what it will be like when I visit the DMV to get my UT license. I'm thinking if the wait gets to be too long they might offer me cucumber water and a lavender oil massage.

2. Coffee shops! So, in my smallish (35,000 pop.) town there is a fabulous, privately owned drive through coffee shop, Janna's Coffee. Great coffee, great people. They also have a kids menu where they have $1 and $2 drinks for the little barista babies. There are two other drive up coffee shops in town that I haven't tried yet but heard great things about, like Brookie-cookie telling me that one makes their own whipped cream. Of course there is also a Starbucks, because where is there not a Starbucks? I prefer to give my coffee money to a small business than a big banger, but sometimes I have to scratch an itch for a chai latte or green tea latte, and they make one of the best. I also recently heard from my beautiful neighbor friend (also a Brooke and something I like about UT) that if your dog is riding along with you, you can ask for a pup cup, a little whipped cream treat for Fido, how cute is that!? Why didn't I know that?

What I haven't tapped into yet is all the awesome looking coffee shops I see when I browse Yelp, in Salt Lake City. Yes! I need to go! First on my list is The Rose Establishment. It looks to be right up my decaffeinated alley, the food...mmm. I was thrilled to see so many shops that seemed to have the whole Portland or Venice Beach vibe. I attended a writer's group that meets at Watch Tower Cafe, also in SLC. This place was great. Comic book themed, specialty drinks, comic book swaps, board games to play and tons of seating. My daughter tried the Hello Kitty, a specialty strawberry soda they whip together and top off with whipped cream and pink sprinkles. They drew a pink kitty on the cup and my girl felt like a million bucks. I had my own intimate moments with the hummus plate. The perfect serving size of hummus that leaves some left over after you've dipped all the veggies and pita. So whatever item is left you, cover every inch in the last of the hummus, you're not going to waste it are you? I would eat it with a spoon if I was certain no one was watching.

My youngest doesn't attend kindergarten until the afternoon so, I'm thinking him and I need to go on a weekly date to check out a new coffee shop each week. He can critique the hot cocoa while I get lost in my love of matcha. Quality time with the boy.

3. Blue Lemon. I'm so happy this establishment is a part of my life now. It's casual dining, but a higher end. It's obviously more expensive than fast food and there's a reason, real food, real nutrition, real good. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, kids, girlfriends, solo meal, whatever. Plenty of proteins and greens. Everything on the menu includes nutrient rich foods. Nothing fried, nothing nuked. Fresh, quality ingredients, and plenty of taste bud-flirting flavors. Mindful eating. I visited the Lehi location for dinner and had the coconut curry chicken breast. If I could type food noises I would. I really liked the portion size too, it was enough to leave you feeling satisfied rather than leave you in that guilt ridden, over indulging zone. I also stole a few bites of the kid's chicken tenders. Delicious. Crispy, juicy, white meat. I am not a soda drinker, but I drink theirs! They carry Stubborn Soda, an all natural, real sugar soda. The cream soda is like a light dessert. They also had a lemon acia berry, I believe, tasty!

At the SLC location, the husband and I had stopped for a little dessert. We had the peanut butter brownie. I usually stay away from dairy and sweets, but I ravaged that little sweetheart like a flesh eating zombie. A little latte on the side and it was the perfect treat.

4. Family and kid friendly. We all know that Utah is full of large families. This makes it a great place to raise kids. I still can't believe how much inexpensive or free activities and events there are for the kids, or the whole family for that matter. I was blown away by Halloween, there was some sort of event or activity every weekend of the month leading up to the day! There are splash pads, beautiful parks with lakes and walking trails, plenty of places to hike and picnic, moto sports access EVERYWHERE, all kinds of events and shows, impressive museums, tons of community events for the kids to take part in, library events, you name it. Tons to do and so much to see. I can't wait to see all the fun in store for Christmas time.

5. I feel like there is a lot more availability when it comes to organic and alternative foods. This is most likely due to where I lived in CA. The central valley has come a long way and is continuing to do its part, but has not quite caught up to the Bay Area or L.A. area when it comes to organic and natural foods. I was delighted to find such a large selection of organic and local produce in our grocery store here in town. Lot's of wheat free alternatives as well. In a thirty mile radius, there are tons of natural food stores. I visited a Natural Grocers in Sugar House (my favorite area of SLC so far). I was walking around there with my boy, feeling like a bride to be in a bridal boutique. I felt at peace. Yes, those are organic candy canes.

6. IKEA isn't far. How did I never make it to an IKEA? It's only about 40 minutes away from me here. OK, that isn't really something to like about UT, but I just finally went and I love it, so I'm happy about it and still have excitement about it after a few weeks, so it made the list. Let's just talk about IKEA for a minute. It's huge and overwhelming, but it's simple and the simplicity is calming. It's like a building of contradiction, I view myself in a similar fashion. It was just great and I can't wait to go back when I have more time to walk around and really take it all in. The kids loved it to, although I plan to ditch them the next time I go. Sorry, momma loves you.

7. I don't want to prematurely say that I love snow. I have literally had one day of it. Technically it snowed at night and they day was covered in already fallen snow. I am a snow virgin. I went to Tahoe as a kid and made snow angels and then about 11 years ago I went with my Janet to take our babies sledding not far from her house. This is the extent of my experience with snow. Oh wait! Also 11 years ago I was driving to OR with my cousin, Lauren. When driving in OR, there were some snow flakes falling, nothing on the ground though. That is IT. So watching it snow the other night and seeing everything magically turn into a winter wonderland was pretty exciting. I'm open to the fact that I may grumble about it after months in a row or having to drive in it, or shovel it, but for now it is magical, it may even stay magical. It feels right. It feels correct that it be cold and there be snow on the ground as the holidays approach. Everyone slows down a little. Kids are in the front yard sliding down the slope of their lawn and parents and throwing snow balls at their kids. It's a nice, freezing little reminder to slow down and enjoy the special time of year. It feels how it should be. At this moment, for now, I like it. A lot.

8. I love how everyone is all about the college teams! Everywhere you look is U of U or BYU. Flags outside of homes, sweatshirts, car decals, slippers, t-shirts, pajama pants, hair bows, coffee mugs. The husband got a free pair of skull candy headphones with Utah University on the side. I love all the pride for the college teams, it creates a sense of unity and encouragment.

Some things that I am struggling with is that fact that the ocean is so far away from me and that they don't paint the word  "STOP" on the ground next to the stop sign. I never knew how much I relied on that white paint! I have almost ran many a stop sign out here! I see the sign, it's red, it's there, but it just doesn't fully register with me. I need those words on the asphalt to scream at me at the same time I notice the red sign. I am feeling like more of a safe driver again now that I'm adjusting, but it was getting scary there for a while. Now in my neighborhood I find myself stopping where there is no stop. The same intersections, every day. Why can't I get it? It's a trust issue. I trusted the asphalt to tell me to stop and it didn't. Now I don't trust the sign to tell me whats up either. If it looks like a possible stop, I find myself "California stopping", just to make sure I don't need to lock up the breaks.
The sign and I will come to terms soon enough, but the ocean will never be closer.

After a while I can write what I miss about CA. I miss people, but I don't actually miss CA yet, it hasn't been long enough. I'm still in the honeymoon stage of a new place and loving change. I started to freak out a few weeks ago, realizing there weren't many trees around me. What had I done? How could I have put myself somewhere with no trees? They are a vital part of my everything! That's when I ventured out of my town and found a lovely area full of trees, natural grocery stores, and lots of brick buildings. I felt back in touch with myself.

Stay tuned for more random writings and recipes.

All the love,

Caffeine and Freckles

Home Roasted Coffee Beans (and a short history of my love for coffee)

In honor of National Coffee Day (September 29th), I thought I would share a previous post about roasting your own coffee beans. If you love your coffee ground fresh every morning you will absolutly love fresh roasted coffee. From what I have heard (and I explain below), letting them sit in a container for 24 hours after roasting gives you the best flavor. It's hard to be patient after roasting them at home! You will want so badly to ground those glossy babies up and brew a cup!

One of the beauties of coffee is that everyone makes their cup a little different. Black, creamer, sugar, both. I did away with the flavored creamers a few years back. It turns out it was causing migraines. If you take a peek at the ingredients, it is mostly chemicals and little to no cream. I don't do dairy well, so I have used an almond milk or coconut milk creamer that has real ingredients. My favorite is homemade cashew mylk and just a pinch of sugar, I have found that making coffee in the french press is my favorite. I don't even have a drip coffee maker anymore. It somehow adds a richness for me to where I don't want as much sugar or any kind of cream. A lot of times I will just put a half teaspoon of sugar and that's it.

This morning's coffee turned out wonderful, as it should on National Coffee day.

So cheers to you coffee lovers, enjoy your cup and the post!

Since as long as I can remember, I have loved coffee. As a kindergartener, Or perhaps younger, I would visit my maternal grandparents on most Sunday's. They would sit around the kitchen table with coffee and the Sunday paper. I was not about to be left out of anything so I would always ask for a cup of "Hot". I assumed that was what it was called since whenever I was around it I was told, "Be careful Jennifer, that's hot".

My cup consisted of a tiny bit of "hot", some sugar, and a lot milk. It was delicious! There were two things I loved most about it. 

1) I was participating in what seemed like such a grown up event that had a certain feeling of camaraderie to it (plus my grandparents thought it was adorable and played it very serious for my enjoyment). 

2) They let me pick my favorite orange measuring spoon to slurp it down with. Somehow that made it WAY more special. It was always there in the drawer waiting for me.

In later years at age 25 and pregnant with my first child, I started visiting those same grandparents every Sunday. We had "Hot" together, except at that point I would have a full cup with a little sugar and milk. The Sunday paper was out, breakfast rolls were being munched on, and conversations and smiles were shared. There was that familiar camaraderie again that draws you in so close.  I would fill them in on how things were going in my life, my work, my pregnancy, and they shared stories, praise, and offered advice when I needed  it. 

I hold those memories close to my heart. I'm so thankful that life happened how it did and I ended up moving back to the Central Valley from Southern California when I did. That's when I started visiting them so often, becoming so close, and watching them enjoy my first baby. I didn't know then that I would lose them both by the time my son was a year old. Pa and Mother Jeri, they will always be the beginning of my love for coffee. 

So here we are ten years later. I faithfully drink coffee solo (which holds its own camaraderie for me) most mornings.  Drinking a hot cup of your favorite coffee while sitting in the quiet is a meaningful act that starts a day on the right, caffeinated note. I cherish my coffee dates with my girlfriends and I enjoy coffee at the end of a family get together. I make "kid coffee" for my kids sometimes and hope it will be as special of a memory as it was for me.

I'm a bit of a coffee snob now, I can admit that. Not too snobby, I will drink what coffee is made for me, but at home I'm loyal to Pete's Coffee, with The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf being a close second or any other preferably organic, rich, dark roast. I don't go out for coffee much, but when I do I try to avoid Starbucks, although their 'on every corner' convenience wins me over sometimes. I have my own reasons but that is another post.

Today though, a new taste of coffee begins for me. I got my hands on some green (unroasted) coffee beans. Green coffee beans are technically the seeds of a coffee plant. I learned a lot about the seeds and the processing at this website I found via Pinterest. 

http://blog.diynetwork.com/maderemade/how-to/how-to-roast-coffee-beans-at-home/?soc=pinterest

My husband does not drink coffee, but was interested in the roasting process. To be fair, he did most of it while I watched, took photos, and kept an eye on how dark I wanted my beans. Thanks Louie!

So here it goes!

We decided on using our Whirley Pop popcorn maker. It's not an air popper but I've read those work great too. The Whirley Pop basically is a pan with a lid and a handle that you can crank, moving the beans around for even heating. It's awesome. You want to leave the lid open so the smoke can escape and you can watch your seeds turn to beans.

There's the pretty green coffee seeds.

 I used this helpful color chart to determine how dark I wanted my first roast to be. 

You can find it at this link: 

http://www.sweetmarias.com/library/content/using-sight-determine-degree-roast

We started heating them on a medium-low setting. No oil, just the cute little green seeds.

It doesn't take lng for them to start browning. We moved them around quite a bit in the first few minutes, then would allow them to sit still and heat, moving every few minutes.

Listen for the crack. They will start cracking. There is the first crack and the second crack (down the middle of the bean). The second crack is closer to the end. 

I favor a rich taste that usually comes with a darker roast, so for my first batch I went for dark. 

At this point they are getting nice and smokey. Let me tell you, the house does not fill with beautiful aromas of smooth coffee. You will need to turn on your stovetop exhaust fan and open a window. It will smell charred and smokey mixed with a hint of coffee. 

I'd say we roasted them for about 12-13 minutes. They look to be done enough at about 10 minutes, but again, I was going for a dark roast. They will continue to cook before they are cooked so pull them out just before you see the color you want. It is not an exact science (for me anyway), just watch and look for the color you are after.

Next step is to cool the beans and remove the chaff (the papery shreds of skin from the bean). We did this by transferring the beans to a metal collindar.

Whirl them around like you would noodles and you will see the chaff falling out into the sink (those little black flakes).

Once the beans were room temperature I transferred them into an airtight container.

I had read that for optimal taste you should wait 24 hours to grind the beans and brew. Are you kidding me!? All this exciting coffee roasting and I have to wait a whole day? Ugh! I'm not good at waiting, but I wanted the full effect, so I stored my little container of beans in my coffee cabinet. This waiting period allows accumulated CO2 to vent from the beans, which shows that glossy, oily looking finish.

So New Years Day, it's time! I was a little hung over from a fabulous NYE party the night before and coffee was just what I needed. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling too great and was kind of sloppy with my coffee making. I didn't quite make it as strong as I like and then added much more cream than I like. There was no time for a redo! We had to take off to pick up my stepchildren. So my hungover, sloppy, rushed self kind of blew the first home roasted cup of joe. 

Have no fear! I took a nap later that day and I tried again! This time being cautious and particular. I brewed this cup in a French press. This special treat deserves the best, and for me that's a French press. I made it strong and was super conservative on the creamer this time.

What does the fox say? He said that was one fantastic cup of home roasted coffee!   The freshness is unreal. It was rich, defined, and a little hint of smokey, which was great! Mind you, I ground the beans this morning and this redo cup was French pressed tonight, so just imagine the freshness when I grind more in the morning and brew it right away. 

It sounds like a lot of work, I know. It really isn't though. The whole process is under 20 minutes. If you are looking to blossom your taste and love for coffee, this is an easy way to explore. I hope I can still enjoy my Pete's. I love you Pete, but you may now be for lazy days when I don't feel like roasting. We'll see.

If you decide to try it, let me know how it went in the comments below! 

This may be a new hobby for me and I'd love to hear of your experiences! 

Happy roasting!

Love always,

A caffeinated freckled woman.