Well we haven’t made it to IKEA yet but I think we are going to leave shortly. I’m in a bit of a cranky mood right now because all morning Ryan and I have been talking finances and that’s not my favorite subject. I hate dealing with numbers and Ryan loves it…we are total opposites!
Discussion ended around 11:30 and I was starving for lunch! I threw together a plate with a Sunshine burger + goat cheese and ketchup on a toasted Ezekiel muffin, grapes, a carrot with raw almond butter and a piece of dried pineapple for dessert.
Not the prettiest presentation—-sorry! I was starving and this did the trick though. Sunshine burgers improve by about 200% when you actually cook ’em on the stove instead of the microwave. They get all crunchy on the outside and I just love them! With my lunch I drank some Yerba Mate tea. Now that I’ve been drinking more Mate, I have been REALLY craving the “Mate Latte” from Teavana, which is Yerba Mate + steamed milk and I always get honey in there as well. Yum yum!
In Charleston I lived about four blocks from a Teavana and walked there daily before class…..it was my Starbucks! 😉 Now to get there I have to travel all the way to the mall and so I never go. Good for my wallet but I miss it dearly!
I hope everyone has a great afternoon. I’m still in my furry robe right now and its 12:15….need to pull myself together!
Question of the day:
Are you a coffee drinker or tea drinker? Both? Do you notice that you feel any different (better or worse) when you drink one or the other? Just curious! 🙂
As for me, although I drink both I really consider myself more of a tea drinker. When I was little my mom would always give me herbal tea before bed and it just stuck. Now I bring a mug of herbal tea to bed with me every night and usually have hot tea with meals and snacks throughout the day. I do like coffee (more specifically espresso & cappucinno) but I don’t like the way the extreme amount of caffeine in coffee make my hands all shaky! I also love how many different kinds of tea there are…….black (english breakfast is a personal favorite!), green, white, oolong, herbal infusions, Yerba Mate, chai—the list is endless! I love experimenting and trying new kinds and have finally learned to appreciate the flavor of tea without adding any extra sweetener. 🙂
polly
May 23, 2009 at 10:26 amhi sunshine!
Never coffee, just tea. I think I’ve tried coffee once in my whole entire life, crazy huh? Lately not even tea… just water. Boring, Pol. 🙂
be sure to stop by YIY, my logo is up! XOXO Jenna girl!
Katrina (Gluten Free Gidget)
May 23, 2009 at 10:32 amI am drink both. I love the taste and smell of coffee, but I turn into a crazed shakey mess when I drink it caffinated! Herbal tea is more my speed.
Have fun at IKEA! I need to get there to look for a spice caddy for the new apartment. Soon, I hope!
Mara @ Whats for Dinner
May 23, 2009 at 10:33 amDepends on the situation. I drink coffee to wake up and tea to chill out!
Trish (girlatgym)
May 23, 2009 at 10:42 amI am dying to go to the new Ikea store. And I actually don’t drink either one. I might sometimes have tea – but very rarely.
Siobhan
May 23, 2009 at 10:43 amYea money talk is no fun- I just had to take out major loans for grad school (eek). I’ve been drinking coffee since high school- sometimes I feel like I can’t start my day without it! Tea just doesn’t do it for me! Have fun at Ikea Jenna!
Shannon (The Daily Balance)
May 23, 2009 at 10:45 amI’m much more of a tea drinker, but I still love my flavored lattes 😉
plus coffee does go better with chocolate
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down)
May 23, 2009 at 10:47 amI’m definitely a coffee drinker. Although I go through spurts. Some weeks I go by without either one (after the caffeine headache goes away…ugh), some weeks I’m all over tea, and some weeks I go crazy for hot or iced coffee. I like to switch things up. 😀
But if it came down to only being allowed to choose one, I’d choose the coffee. I love a nice dark, smooth coffee…mmm…
A
May 23, 2009 at 10:57 amcoffee girl all the way!! i like tea too but coffee just really hits the spot. the only time its bothersome is if i dont eat food before or with it, then i might get shaky. but i usually just have it with breakfast so it’s not a big deal. i love getting coffee beans and grinding them up right before i brew a pot! makes it so fresh and delicious!
Sarah (lovINmytummy)
May 23, 2009 at 11:00 amI wish I didn’t love coffee as much as I do, but I can’t get enough! I enjoy a good cup of tea, though, too.
I am with you on the finances…it just stresses me out to even think of it!
Taylor
May 23, 2009 at 11:03 amDefinitely a coffee drinker for me!! I’m trying to get unhooked – I just love the taste! So I’m relying more on decaf lately 🙂
skinnyrunner
May 23, 2009 at 11:09 amcoffee for me too. i drink 6 cups every morning. good lord that sounds like a lot.
Katie
May 23, 2009 at 11:09 amI’m more of a coffee drinker by necessity; I drink tea when I have time to relax and don’t need an instant jolt. However, when I used to pull all-nighters, I’d drink pot after pot of tea! It’s less hard on my tummy.
Nadia
May 23, 2009 at 11:12 amI’m def. a coffee drinker…i may drink a bit too much (3 or 4 cups a day?) but it’s what gets me going in the morning and keeps me energized throughout the day. really dont care for tea. I’ve had coffee the same way since high school too – milk with 1 equal…not a fan of flavored lattes, etc. have fun at ikea…i’ve gone once or twice and always wind up getting too much.
K
May 23, 2009 at 11:14 amOh gosh, numbers and finances make me sick! I can’t stand dealing with money!!
I’m definitely a coffee drinker – I’ve tried tea numerous times and it just tastes like hot water with a mild flavor 🙁 Not my favorite! Have fun at Ikea!!
Emily
May 23, 2009 at 11:14 amLove Ikea! 🙂
I like both coffee and tea. I drink coffee in the morning but tea at night.
Shelby
May 23, 2009 at 11:16 amMmm, I would love to try sunshine burgers! Next time I’m at WF I’m getting some. I love how you paired it with ezekiel. That must have tasted amazing.
I’m more of a tea drinker. I love hot tea in the winter and iced tea in summer. I just like it because of the flavor and health benefits.
Moran (The Running Addict)
May 23, 2009 at 11:17 amDefinitely coffee! I can only drink peppermint or vanilla tea…
You are such an IKEA fan! There are about FOUR of them over here, one is actually a 15 minute drive from my house!
They are affordable and have excellent customer service
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini)
May 23, 2009 at 11:22 amOh yah, finances are never a fun subject…I should know, it’s my MAJOR! What am i thinking =) I’d much rather talk about food!
I’m a hardcore coffee drinker. It’s bad. I need to stop!
Emily
May 23, 2009 at 11:22 ami love coffee and tea equally, i think. i seem to be immune to caffeine, somehow; it’s never affected me at all.
i like strong, black coffee, and i like spicy teas. not a fan of fruity teas. i love yerba mate too!
Gloria
May 23, 2009 at 11:24 amI think I love both tea and coffee equally. I grew up drinking coffee and espresso (like since I was 12 or so… we’re Italian, my parents didn’t know any better… maybe this explains why i’m so short??) More recently though I’ve been trying to stay away from caffeine for the same reasons as you. I’d much rather get an energy high from a hard workout or a long night of sleep! So my present loves are herbal tea (drinking the Yogi Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut right now) and decaf americanos.
Run Sarah
May 23, 2009 at 11:28 amI love tea in the evenings, to relax, etc but prefer the energy boost of a nice mild roast in the am.
Kailey (SnackFace)
May 23, 2009 at 11:29 amI must try these Sunshine burgers! They sound so pure and delicious! Umm, I’m a coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon gal. I love both, unsweetened! Have fun at IKEA!
Meg
May 23, 2009 at 11:48 amHey Jenna! I absolutely LOVE your blog, and have been following it even before I started my own – you’re such an inspiration! I know I’m speaking for a lot of people when I say that, too.
Anyways, I was wondering – what is your favorite mix to make a green monster? I saw the one this morning didn’t work out so well, and I’d like to make my first green monster experience as tasty as possible! Haha!
Thank you!
Have a great weekend,
Meg
p.s. I drink both coffee and tea, but I prefer tea, especially peppermint. We have Teavana in our mall as well, and I almost always buy something when I go in there, whether it be tea, or a cute mug. I love it!
Kelly T
May 23, 2009 at 12:07 pmHaha Jenna I am EXACTLY the same. I adore the variety of tea, and though I’ve flirted with being a coffee drinker many times, after awhile I get sick of the hyper-alertness and headaches and crave a good cup of herbal. Plus it’s so much more expensive!
Sarah (Tales of Expansion)
May 23, 2009 at 12:08 pmi’m def a tea drinker — can’t stand coffee! (though I love coffee-flavored things). my sister sent me a package of yerba mate recently, and i’ve been loving it, esp with soymilk and a teeny bit of honey. i love how green it turns as it cools!
honestly, that picture with your carrot all globbed in almond butter is GORGEOUS. i can almost taste it!
have fun (and good luck) at ikea!
Matt
May 23, 2009 at 12:08 pmCoffee drinker here! I need it every morning. I drink tea, but only iced tea. Hot tea is too much of a hassle to make.
Recipes for Creativity
May 23, 2009 at 12:13 pmI’m not a coffee fan at all, my mom used to give me coffee made from those awful coffee crystals when I was stuffed up as a kid/teen and it was gross and turned me off to coffee. I even tried it last year in Hawaii when I was in Kona because that’s supposed to be the best coffee in the world, but no thank you! I sometimes drink tea, but I’m more of just a plain old water drinker.
claire
May 23, 2009 at 12:23 pmconfession: I am a personal finance nerd. and I LOVE coffee. I drink it every day. 🙂
Kelly
May 23, 2009 at 12:27 pmI have been both over the years, but right now I am a tea drinker. Caffeine bothers me so I stick to the herbal tea. I had a really yummy iced passion tea at Starbucks this morning!
KatieF
May 23, 2009 at 12:39 pmI like both…I am a tea fan, first and foremost (I have an entire cupboard at home and a desk drawer at work dedicated to tea :)), but I just love my morning cup of coffee. My husband buys coffee beans by the pound from a local coffeeshop and we grind them at home. I can’t drink cheap coffee anymore…I’ve become a snob! A cup of good coffee + a little 1% milk = heaven.
Kim
May 23, 2009 at 12:45 pmI looove my coffee, but I keep the caffeine in check by doing 1/2 caf or adding water to full strength to weaken it. Too much caffeine does not sit well with my stomach and makes me jump off the walls! Iced tea is great in the summer though.
spicygranola
May 23, 2009 at 12:49 pmmmm, I love sunshine burgers. I am more of a tea person, but I rarely drink anything caffeinated. I drink iced herbal tea (NO sugar) all summer long. In fact, that sounds good right about now.
Help Meghan Run
May 23, 2009 at 12:54 pmNo caffeine at all here…looks like I’m in the minority! 🙂
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
BethT
May 23, 2009 at 1:05 pmHave you seen the new falafel patties from Sunshine? I just got them today…YUM.
Stef
May 23, 2009 at 1:12 pmI have such a love/hate relationship with Ikea…it’s so fun for about the first hour but it can get frustrating REALLY quickly when you feel trapped in a Disneyfied Home Depot maze while going to find the boxes of the stuff you saw in the display area! Hope you find some good stuff! $ yuck…glad Ryan likes to deal with it though!Never tried nut butter on a carrot, interesting!
Melissa @ For the Love of Health
May 23, 2009 at 1:31 pmHi Jenna!
I hate talking about finances as well! So annoying, frustrating! 🙂 The lottery would be nice to win!
I love coffee but I drink tea from time to time as well.
Have a wonderful afternoon!
Ellen (Peace In Motion)
May 23, 2009 at 1:47 pmI’m definitely more of a tea person, but I do LOVE coffee as well. I worked at a coffee shop in high school and literally drank gallons of it, so I think I’m sort of immune to the caffeine. I could drink a huge cup and go to bed most of the time. Tea speaks to me because there are so many different choices. Peppermint is my absolute fav, best flavor there is!
Susan
May 23, 2009 at 2:09 pmI’m a coffee person through and through. My favourite being a creamy-topped espresso 🙂 As for roasts, I prefer a medium to a dark roast. Medium has just the right amount of sweetness and caffeine. I usually drink it in the morning, black or with a splash of almond milk (and often paired with a piece of dark chocolate)
I like tea, but it doesn’t give me the same warm and fuzzy feeling coffee does. Plus, I find the caffeine in tea affects me more for some reason. I could have a nap after coffee, but black tea will keep me awake all day.
Christie @ BeadLuvah
May 23, 2009 at 2:20 pmI am a coffee drinker more than a tea drinker but I do love a good hot tea every now and then. And, of course, being a southern girl, I also crave iced tea every now and again.
Have fun at Ikea!
Amy
May 23, 2009 at 2:27 pmI love my morning coffee (usually just 1 cup) and I drink lots of iced tea (I am a southern girl)! I would love to drink hot teas- the peppermint tea you drink always looks and seems like it would be tasty!
Cathy
May 23, 2009 at 3:29 pmI just returned from the new Ikea in Tampa. Mob scene, but fun!
People were more excited about the swedish meatballs and cinnamon buns than anything else! Then we headed to Hyde Park Publix Greenwise for a healthy lunch. LOVE that place!
Jenny
May 23, 2009 at 3:32 pmMoney talk is definitely a stressor for me!
I also found that cooking veggie burgers by the “recommended” method (stove-top) improved the taste by 200%!! Crazy what happens when we patiently follow directions haha 😉
I drink a BIG mug of black coffee with sweetener every morning, but I used to drink tea, and I did love my daily cup or two. I need to start that again!
Abby
May 23, 2009 at 4:01 pmI just posted about this and my favorite teas! Strictly tea (Eden Organic Kukicha twice a day) and sometimes Yogi Tea, if the mood hits me. I am very sensitive to caffeine and have bouts of IBS, so any coffee will completely mess up my stomach for hours after consumption–tea actually helps this.
I used to be hooked on it and even working in a coffee shop, but I haven’t had a drop in over five years. (Decaf, no matter what people say, just doesnt’ taste the same.) Plus, I’m a bit light, so one shot of espresso made me a spastic maniac, anxious and shaky. Love my tea!
Karen
May 23, 2009 at 4:05 pmI’m definitely a coffee drinker. I usually drink about 3 cups a day; one to wake up and two to keep me going at work. It’s a lifesaver at work.
Tea is one of those things I probably should be drinking, and which sounds good in theory, but I never, ever actually crave or even really want. Nor does it ever “hit the spot” the way coffee often does. In fact, I’ve actually foregone having something to drink at all in the past when my only option was tea because… ugh… tea.
If I over-do it on the coffee, I can sometimes feel a bit jittery, but as a rule I consume all my coffee before 3pm 99% of the time. If I DO have a cup after that, it’s always decaf because regular coffee will definitely keep me awake if I drink it too close to bedtime.
Katherine
May 23, 2009 at 4:08 pmI definitely love the smell of coffee, but I find it makes me terribly jumpy if I have it after about 11am. I’ll have decaf occasionally, but I am trying to develop my taste for tea. I’ve always enjoyed chamomile and I’m learning to like green tea more – especially with just a touch of raw honey. My favorite is probably Zen from Starbucks with a squeeze of lemon and a drop of honey. Delicious!
Sorry you had to spend your morning discussing finances! Never a fun subject, but a necessary evil, right? Glad Ryan could help out at least!
Jessica
May 23, 2009 at 4:48 pmCoffee all the way!! I started drinking coffee in law school to help with the long hours of reading and studying and have been hooked ever since!! My favorite time to drink coffee is on the weekends while I am lounging on the couch with my husband!!
sammy
May 23, 2009 at 5:25 pmTea!Used to drink americanos and cappucino’s for YEARS,but decided to switch to tea a couple of years ago, then switched from black tea(which I LOVE with milk!)to green tea and some herbal tisanes of course at night.
My fave breakfast tea is Twinings looseleaf gunpowder green,fave bagged green is Numi’s Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green.YUM!(It did take a few weeks to learn to like green tea,and I really only like these two not others!)
When I smell good espressos I am in heaven though…but now I indulge with a coffee flavored icecream in summer-soooo refreshing!!
Bec
May 23, 2009 at 5:57 pmI’m a tea drinking though I do love coffee as a treat!
Steph
May 23, 2009 at 6:06 pmHey Jenna!
My husband and I are total opposites as well, except I’m the finance guru. =)
Ruan doesn’t happen to work at a mutual fund company, does he?
kristi (sweet cheeks)
May 23, 2009 at 6:13 pmI am a tea drinker. I also love all the different kinds of teas..it’s so fun to experiment with them! Actually, I just tried a new kind of tea that I haven’t had before: Chamomile (sp?) tea. I LOVE it! It is so fresh and light tasting. mmmmm.
Hope you have a great day Jenna!
Lane
May 23, 2009 at 6:50 pmI love tea! I do not drink coffee as I have not ever enjoyed it. However, I too enjoy all the different tea varieties. One of my favorite “brands” outside of teavana is Mighty Leaf. I also enjoy blueberry tea, particularly in the winter. I do not drink anything with cafeine in it, so teas are usually my best option.
Erin
May 23, 2009 at 7:22 pmCOFFEE! I only drink tea when sick or if I’m craving a Chai latte. Otherwise, I want coffee, and I want it rich, bold, dark, and hot.
)))talking finances(((
Kristin
May 23, 2009 at 7:26 pmAlthough my coffee experience began with sugar saturated Starbucks, my favorite cup of coffee comes from a HEB pecan roasted blend steeped in a French Press. French pressed coffee is just so smoooth that I can always drink it black.
michelle
May 23, 2009 at 7:26 pmi went to Ikea yesterday…it’s so easy to spend money 🙂 Got some awesome candles which I burned last night. Yummy smelling house.
I used to be SUCH a coffee and diet coke addict. However, since all of my health stuff has surfaced I have gotten off the caffiene. I am much more of a tea drinker. If you haven’t tried a tart berry tea with a ginger or ginger lemongrass tea (Two tea bags together) you haven’t lived :). Also the tart berry tea with a splash of whatever milk you drink..amazing
brookesballbuster
May 23, 2009 at 7:39 pmI totally feel you on the finances bit, my hubbie and I view money very differently. He is a penny counter and I am certainly NOT! We always have to work at it so it doesn’t get in between us…I am a coffee lover! That same overly caffeinated feeling that you hate, is what I crave. I love the high.
magicanderson
May 23, 2009 at 8:15 pmCoffee! Well, never just coffee alone! Soy lattes are my addiction. I would love to love tea but it makes me gag! Can’t figure that out and my mom and friends are always trying to get me to like it and I keep trying. So many boxes of tea I have purchased just get passed on since I don’t like them. There must be SOME kind I would like!
Betherann
May 23, 2009 at 8:30 pmI drink both coffee and tea. I feel a lot more energized on coffee, but soon get jittery, balled up feeling inside, and cranky from the caffeine. Tea gives me less of that sharp edge of caffeine, and it makes me stomach feel like I’m drinking some real water along with it. Strong black tea can give me headaches, though, so I try not to over-steep my tea bags. Speaking of tea, I just discovered a yummy strawberry vanilla black tea from Celestial Seasonings. It’s tasty!
Nicole
May 23, 2009 at 8:35 pmHi Jenna
I drink both but I actually drink more tea than coffee. I drink coffee in the morning but during the day I’ll drink Green tea and at night peppermint tea. My grandmother always used to make me either Chamomile tea or “Sleepy Time” tea at night so I always have both of those on hand as well.
I hate talking numbers too and just as you and Ryan, I am the opposite of my boyfriend who is an engineer and loves numbers and organizing bills and our savings, etc. So I hear you on that one! Have a good night!
Priyanka
May 23, 2009 at 8:50 pmCoffee is more of a necessity when I need that caffeine for the energy burst! I love sipping tea throughout the day and now without sweetener!
Emily L.
May 23, 2009 at 9:07 pmis chocolate cake an option? I choose chocolate cake.
Matt (No Meat Athlete)
May 24, 2009 at 6:39 amDefinitely a coffee drinker, but trying hard to switch to tea. Coffee gives me a jolt (not to wake up, just to get in a really good mood). Tea doesn’t give me the same, but I feel so much better in the few hours afterward, when coffee makes me anxious and jittery.
Emily @ The Experimentarian
May 24, 2009 at 6:57 amI love coffee, but I don’t drink it anymore 🙁 I’ve had to switch my obsession to tea. My newest favorite is Stash’s Goji Green Tea. I’ve been making it iced and mixed with lemonade for the most wonderful Arnold Palmer ever!
Tania
May 24, 2009 at 8:36 amI’m almost exclusively a coffee drinker. My kind of latte is a single strong espresso shot with roughly 3 oz. of whole organic milk and a teaspoon of agave syrup.
I occasionally drink tea, but it has to be green (or white) tea.
Mandy
May 24, 2009 at 11:24 amI drink herbal tea cold with stevia all day long. I like fruity flavors: Passionfruit, Mango, Orange, Strawberry are current favorites. I used to drink diet soda all day long (not a good situation), so this tea is my substitute. I make a gallon of tea at least every two days.
Never liked coffee.
xo
Raffi
May 24, 2009 at 3:39 pmI don’t like coffee very much and I’m allergic to tea. Everyone once in a while I find a great falvored tea that doesn’t contain actual tea leaf – like a camomile rose blend or something like that. But I’m just not in the habit of drinking it. A treat for me is apple cider with a cinnamon stick.
LK- Healthy Delcious
May 24, 2009 at 7:18 pmcoffee in the mornign and tea at night. lol
Melanie
May 25, 2009 at 6:11 amIt took me a long time to be able to appreciate hot tea without sweetener. I started reading about Japanese Green Tea a while back and about how it’s always taken as-is and how it would be almost insulting to put sweetener in it, and that really made me think about being mindful about the culture, you know? I really don’t add sweetener to any tea now; if I don’t like the flavor plain, I don’t drink it.
Sarah
May 26, 2009 at 7:50 amI am a both drinker too but I am trying to drink more tea than coffee now because it has less caffeine and more herbs! I don’t add any sweetener to either, but sometimes I’ll have a splash of milk in my coffee. I need to branch out and try some new ones, I’ve been on a chamomile kick lately and I’m almost out 🙂
Fitzalan
May 26, 2009 at 9:20 amI drink both. I am a tea drinker at heart and that is my go to during the day and night. But I do enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning to get my day rolling. I go through phases where I don’t touch coffee at all, but tea is always a daily beverage.
Happiness Awaits
Stephanie
May 26, 2009 at 5:36 pmDefinitely a tea drinker – at least two to three cups per day. I drink a cup of coffee (decaf only) maybe once per week. Love the taste of coffee, but the caffeine makes me nutso (for some reason, caffeinated tea does not have the same impact).
heather
June 2, 2009 at 1:01 amdefinitely a tea drinker. i’ve been drinking tea since middle school, with my dad. i used to add tons of sugar but since i started again in college, i add nothing. i’m pretty proud of my tea drinking status. i like the way tea makes me feel–light, healthy, focused. i like the act of sitting, relaxing, being, drinking it. and i drink tazo awake tea and tell myself it has the same effect as a cup of coffee.
that said, i began drinking coffee in college–not often, and only started buying it for myself a year ago. i never make it at home, and i have only two drinks i know/buy. the whole coffee lingo confuses me. coffee is a treat to me. when i drink coffee i fall into this illusion that i am SO tired and coffee will FIX it. who knows if that is accurate.
so much rambling.