By Patricia
Ever since I moved to the Seattle area fourteen years ago, coffee has become a big part of my life.
Particularly the Starbucks brand.
When they say there is a Starbucks on every corner in Seattle, that is almost true, and I love it. Starbucks has changed the way we drink coffee, and has made it a part of our social scene. I love getting together with friends and family, but with everyone so busy, it is often difficult to find time for dinner or an evening out.
But getting together for coffee is easy and fun, so I recently invited a couple of my friends and my two daughters over for an afternoon of great coffee and tasty bakery treats.
Not only do I love going to my neighborhood Starbucks, but I enjoy brewing it at home, too. I was at Walmart shopping for groceries, and to pick up some coffee and bakery items for out get-together. I love a strong cup of coffee in the morning, but I know everyone doesn't share my passion for dark roast coffee, including my guests. So, while I was at Walmart I saw the Veranda (Blonde) Blend, and it is a lighter roast, with a much more mellow flavor. It is perfect for anyone that loves coffee, but prefers something not as strong as a medium or dark roast.
I was happy to see they were having a coffee tasting at Walmart for the Veranda (Blonde) blend, so that I could try it and see if I liked it. The two ladies who were doing the tasting were very nice, and not only were they giving out coffee, but they were serving delicious chocolate muffins from Walmart's very own bakery. One of the ladies explained that the lighter roast was complimentary to the flavor of chocolate, and this was what the sign in the bakery department had meant by "Delicious Pairings". Sort of the way food and wine can compliment each other, only this was with coffee!!
I loved this lighter roast, and not only would I serve it to my guests, but I can drink it in the evenings, when I love a cup of coffee, but don't really want a such a strong cup.
After picking up a bag of the Starbucks coffee, I went back to the bakery department to pick up some yummy things to go with it. There are so many different kinds of baked goods here. Row upon row of freshly baked goodies to choose from!!
But I had really loved the chocolate muffins, so I picked up those and a chocolate cream pie, because who doesn't love chocolate pie??
After I got home, I wanted to try the coffee again. I drank a cup right down, and it was so nice to be home after a day of shopping and all the cold and rainy weather we have been having lately. The kitchen smelled so good, the aroma of the coffee was wonderful.
I poured myself another cup of coffee, and had a few sips. Then I tried a sip of the coffee with the muffin, and yum!! The chocolate muffin definitely brought out the nuances of cocoa and toasted nuts of this lighter roast. I took a sip of the coffee again without the muffin, and the flavor was not as intense at all.
This coffee and chocolate muffin are definitely a "Delicious Pairing". I would love to try some other baked goods with this coffee, and see how they go together.
When I go out for coffee at Starbucks, I'll often pick up a bag to bring home. I actually like buying the beans and grinding them at home. My family and I always give a bag of coffee or a Starbucks gift card at the holidays, and we always look forward to the Starbucks Christmas Blend.
I put out the muffins and pie while we were chatting and drinking our coffee on the day my two friends and daughters came over. Everyone was surprised and pleased to see so much chocolate!
I told everyone that the Veranda (Blonde) Blend was supposed to go well with milk chocolate and nuts, and I asked them to see if they agreed that the baked goods enhanced the flavor of the coffee.
We all love Starbucks coffee, but one of my friends said that sometimes it is too strong for her, but I assured her that this roast is much milder, and mellow.
My daughter Meg drinks coffee all the time. Not just in the morning, but really, all the time! She is also used to drinking a much stronger roast, but she liked the less intense strength of the Veranda Blend for a change. She also said it was a good blend for afternoon coffee drinking, as she doesn't need that strong kick of caffeine like in the morning.
Not only did the coffee pair perfectly with the chocolate muffins, but it was also delicious with the chocolate cream pie. We all agreed that Walmart's Bakery items were delicious, and that there is no such thing as too much chocolate!
I asked everyone if they thought that the chocolate brought out the flavors in the coffee, and they agreed that they did. They also agreed they were ready and willing to taste anything else that need to be tasted!!
I had a lovely afternoon and look forward to spending time again with friends and family.
And Starbucks coffee, of course.
To connect with Starbucks you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter You can find more information about Walmart on Facebook and Twitter.
*I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #cbias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Oh, that looks so wonderful! :)
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