And a dash of the secret ingredient

As much as I love a plain shot of espresso, my sweet tooth steers me to try flavored coffee. The Holiday Season sets off special winter-flavors at the coffee shops and grocery stores. I have been swigging Pumpkin Spice & Egg Nog Mocha's from Dutch Bros and Cinnamon Roast at Black Rock which opened its window just under my hill. At home I have been trying sample packs of Cascade Pride's Winter Spice, Ginger Bread & Pecan Pie. 
My most favorite however still remains Moose Munch which is a blend of chocolate and some other heady flavor. Search through online on forums confirms that Harry & David's recipe will remain a secret for some more time.
The search seeded a germ of an idea to make my own flavored coffee. So, I have started trying a different ingredient each time I put on the mocha pot. So far, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and fennel seeds (saunf), all which are used in masala chai, have successfully added to the bouquet of flavorings in the coffee. I am yet to try them all together. 

Counsel from Seasoned Advice cheers me to try additional flavors

You can also add flavorings into the coffee grounds when in the filter: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange rind, crystallized ginger, etc. As the coffee brews, it picks up the flavoring.
I've also roasted and ground almonds with the beans, which makes a very nice almond-flavored coffee (almond extract doesn't even come close to how good this is)

And if I want to go the pro-way, Lifehacker has ideas to infuse Nutmeg, AllSpice and Coriander (why, I ask?) among the usual suspects through the bean-roasting process.


But I think I will stick to the basics, and next try InBru, a more natural way of adding flavoring before starting the brew.



Aaj ki Seekh (today's lesson) The secret ingredient is... nothing!

Making your coffee work

Unless you are more absent-minded than I am, or you have been on planet earth for less than 10 years, you have a good idea of how to make divisional calculations, and accurately guess
'How Long Will My Coffee Last?'
If you fall in the other side of the population, here's a no-brainer app to tell you how many cups of coffee your pantry holds howlongwillmycoffeelast.com

You can use this calculator to work out how long your coffee supply will last, or to calculate how much coffee you need to buy.
Adjust the sliders to reflect your situation and preferences, then see how many days your supply will last - calculated in front of your very eyes. 

OMG! I'd have never guessed what the name of your site stands for. Thanks for that blurb of explanation.

Hungover

This week began with a whirring drone in my head. Drenching in the bright sunshine, nor heart-thumping music seemed to inject energy in my buckling knees. All signs of an ageing body (wink!) after an adrenaline-pumped week-long vacation. I didn't need much caffeine, since each day was invigorating by itself.
Commencing the journey with a red-eye flight from Seattle, I wanted to try Seattle's Best Coffee. What I received was a dose of extra-hot, extra burnt black liquid; oodles of milk and sugar couldn't mask the bitterness. After consuming 1/10th of the acrid liquid, I dumped it.

Fast forward, next morning at Dulles Airport, rushing to catch a connecting flight, I stopped at Maui Wowi. A colorful Hawaiian shack, I'd paused here because there was just one other person in queue.
Having never tried a Hawaiian concoction, I decided to try the most tongue-twisted concoction, which I kept repeating to myself, before I reached the counter.
"I'd like a Coco Loco Mocha," I said triumphantly aloud, before a smile crept onto my face. Just the sound of it transports me to a beach-bench.
The coffee was superbly prepared - coconut liqueur, coffee, cream and loads of chocolate sauce and sugar - my diet caution was thrown to the wind.
Most friends we visited are zealous tea connoisseurs. Sipping on cups of warmth, conversations were endless, and laughter rolled easily. Of them, one is particularly keen about her tea, especially right amount of ginger. Since she reads this blog, she made sure I had my morning cuppa of coffee, smooth and flavorful (thanks Urvi!)
Back at my work desk, the coffee is back to its measured customs, but without company to share, it just doesn't taste the same.