Abby Call was a barista at Cool Beans during Summer 2010. Cool Beans is located in Brevard, NC at The Wilds Christian camp. Cool Beans is open to the around 1,000 campers and sponsors that come to The Wilds every week.

The greatest part about Cool Beans is that it is not only a coffee shop, but it is also a ministry too. Abby says that her favorite part about working at Cool Beans is, "Just getting to know the people a little bit as they would come through each day. I liked being able to brighten their day a little bit by giving them amazing coffee!" Abby loves working individually with every customer. "I loved it when customers would ask me for a suggestion, and I would be able to create their dream drink off the top of my head. Usually they would love it, but if they didn't, we would just try again!"

Abby says that Cool Beans brews Counter Culture Coffee. It is a local coffee provider based in Durham, NC. When I asked Abby what her favorite drink at cool beans is, she said, "My favorite drink to make and have is an iced soy caramel macchiato. The espresso goes on top, filtering down into the milk, and creating a marbled effect. Thus the name "macchiato" meaning "stained" in Italian."

Abby's drink suggestion to us and a few of the favorites at Cool Beans are, "Vanilla frappuccinos with almond or hazlenut flavor added. Another amazing drink is a breve americano with an extra shot of espresso. Pretty much anything
with espresso!"

Although Abby loved her Summer working at Cool Beans, she will probably not be returning to work there in Summer 2011. She plans to be back at The Wilds Christian Camp but in a more challenging position- a teen counselor.

Click Here to see a video about Cool Beans.

Latte art is a great way to add something special your simple latte and to make it look unique and decorative.

1. Pour one cup of milk into the pitcher. Steam the milk so that creates a smooth, velvety milk. You do not simply want foam.
2. When the milk reaches 80 degrees F, place the steam wand on the side of the pitcher so that the milk spins counterclockwise.
3. After, letting the milk settle, swirl the milk vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Start to put the milk into the espresso. To create a flower pattern, pour the milk an inch away from the bottom of the cup. When the cup is half full, start shaking the pitcher back and forth with your hand- not your wrist.
5. Once the foam reaches the top of the cup, pour the remaining milk up the center of the pattern you created. Use as little milk as possible to avoid ruining the flower's shape.
6. Optional: Put a special touch on your design using stencils, powder, and milk foam.

Watch this YouTube video for more ideas and directions for great latte art:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVAp-8QDGz0&feature=related

Watertown, WI is home to several different coffee shops. Some have great atmospheres, great food, or a great location. However, Latte Donate easily has the best coffee in town (According to my opinion, of course.) Latte carries a wide variety of products such as teas, coffee brews, coffee drinks, smoothies, and pastries. They order their coffee from New Orleans instead of using whatever local, available coffee. Because of the high quality coffee, all of the drinks have a rich coffee flavor that does not have a weak or cheap taste. The cafe is always coming out with new, exciting drinks top keep their customers happy, such as this summer's Neapolitan Chiller and a Strawberry Tea Smoothie. All of their drinks are topped with homemade, delicious whip cream. Latte also makes all of it's own homemade pastries such as scones, doughnuts, brownies, muffins, etc. The location of Latte Donate is also a great feature because it is located in the heart of town on Main Street. Also, Latte is a great place to sit and read or do homework since they have free wifi.

Latte Donate is a very small, intimate place which can be very homey but also comes with it's drawbacks. Taking a large group to Latte Donate is not a good possibility as their are usually no more then a few seats open. Also, Latte Donate has a very small working space and so it often seems understaffed. Sometimes I have had to wait 10- 20 minutes for my drink. However, this is the only two drawbacks I can find to this cafe.

If you have time, Latte Donate is worth the wait! Their rich coffee or tasty homemade pastries keep their faithful customers happy and coming back.

Latte Donate
501 E. Main Street
Watertown, WI, 53094
920-206-7080
Mon.- Fri. 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sat.- 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sun.- 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Click here to watch a short power point about the history of Starbucks.

A few simple easy steps to help you make a mocha. (For best viewing quality, watch in Full Screen Mode.)

Currently, I am reading The Coffee Book by Jacki Baxter. I found it at the library the other day and thought it would be neat to read. It not only has a chapter about the history of coffee, but also tons of coffee recipes. One particularly interesting chapter is about how coffee varies around the globe. Each country brews and drinks coffee differently. These are a few of the countries coffee traditions that I found
interesting.

Holland- Because of how much the Dutch trade, they began growing and trading coffee in the 17th century. They have appreciated the taste of coffee ever since. The Dutch usually brew a medium roast through the drip method.


Italy- Italians like a very strong roast and especially espresso. They like mixing their strong coffee with milk, commonly known as cappuccino. Another drink they are fond of is espresso with ice water. Basically, the Italians just like their coffee drinks strong!

Turkey- Turkish coffee is very strong and sweet. It is more like a syrup than a liquid. It is also served with the grounds still in the bottom of the cup. According to tradition, the coffee must be boiled three times. I have actually had Turkish coffee and I loved it! It is very smooth and tasty.

Russia- Russians are still fairly new to coffee. But when they do drink coffee they drink it with a slice of lemon. (I'm not sure how I would like lemon in my coffee!)

Japan- Japanese will drink coffee in any form! It is considered expensive, but there are still many cafes in the country. Apparently, some Japanese bathe in coffee and pineapple for invigoration.

USA- Of course American's are huge coffee drinkers! Coffee in America began as a patriotic symbol when the English put heavy taxes on tea. However, now most Americans prefer coffee over tea. American's drink coffee in all forms and have every possible kind to choose from.

I love a lot of things about coffee whether it be the taste, the place, or the accessories. Here are a few of the coffee items that I enjoy.

Along with being a full time student at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Julia Doerstling works part time at the campus's own Old Main Cafe. She has been working at the coffee shop since November of 2009 and plans to continue her career as a barista. Julia said, "I look forward to working in the coffee shop this coming school year."

According to Julia, Old Main Cafe brews Berres Brothers coffee which is from a local coffee roasting company in Watertown, WI. When I asked Julia what her favorite thing to drink at the work is, she said, "My favorite drink in the Cafe would depend on the mood. I love the Wild Berry Smoothie and Schnookie Cookie Frappes when in the mood for something cold, and the Chai Lattes when in the mood for something hot."


The Old Main Cafe is a very friendly, welcoming environment. Julia's favorite part of working with the customers is "getting to know them. I met so many more people just by working in the Cafe. It really helped me branch out and get to know people." Old Main Cafe is the perfect place for college students to study, get together with friends, or just hang out between class. Julia says that her favorite part of working at the cafe is, "knowing how to make the different drinks and getting to know the customers. Like I said before, I met so many more people just by working here."


I asked Julia what drink she recommends from the cafe. She suggests a caramel white chocolate frappé. "It's perfect when cooling off during the summer."

A morning without coffee is like sleep.


Because of how much I drink coffee, I am always looking for little ways to justify it. I have heard some bad and good things about the effect coffee has on your health. However, I like to keep up with the newest health research related to coffee. Recently, more studies have shown that coffee can actually be good for you.

MSN Health and Fitness reported that the latest Harvard research showed that coffee drinkers are much less likely to get diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. MSN also wrote that the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported, in a recent study, that those who had four cups of caffeine a day were much less likely to have heart disease. (Read MSN's "Good News About Coffee".)

The caffeine contained in coffee also helps prevent depression. Depression is caused through chemical imbalances of serotonin and dopamine. Caffeine stimulates neurotransmitters, serotonin, and dopamine to make one livelier. According to a study done on nurses by Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, an epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were one-third less likely to commit suicide as those who drank none. (Read Dr. Kawachi's report.)

Coffee not only prevents depression, but also prevents diseases. This is because coffee is brimming with antioxidants. Coffee is actually the number one source of American's antioxidant intake! Mostly because American's drink so much of it. (Read WebMD's "The Buzz on Coffee".)

For college students, the work force, and anyone else who needs extra energy, coffee is the answer. The caffeine contained in coffee is a natural brain stimulant. Dr. Harris Lieberman says, “When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning—most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence.” Coffee can help almost anyone through those tough days where you have had little to no sleep or just need a extra pick-me-up. (Read CNN Health's full article, "A Smart Way to Start the Day".)

There is a world of research that shows the many medical benefits of coffee! These are just a few of the reasons. Regardless of what health benefits coffee contains or does not contain, it still tastes amazing and my day cannot start without it.