Coffee is Life

      I haven't had coffee for three days. The world is ending.  Like, I need to be a functioning adult but I'm also trying to be a fiscally responsible adult, and spending five dollars a day on coffee subtly makes a dent in my bank account. I suppose I could use my coffee maker that I have at home. But the fact that I wake up thirty minutes before work and am usually late doesn't give me much time to make a cup of coffee. I am trying to be healthier too, and I am pretty sure I drink more coffee than water. In a state where 1,000 degrees is normal during the summer, that's not a good thing. Also, there is the fact that I simply suck at making coffee. I suppose I could take the time to get better, but I just love coffee shops so much. I go to different coffee shops for different situations. Here are those coffee shops:

Starbucks - This is only on here because there is a drive through right by my house. And when you wake up thirty minutes before work, options are slim. They are my "I desperately need coffee ASAP" coffee shop. The trick is to mask their shitty coffee with as much sugar and artificial flavor as possible. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, get their iced coffee. It's shit. And you will hate your tastebuds. But alas, they're everywhere, and sometimes you just need a cup of coffee and Starbucks will suffice. 

Cartel  - Cartel is great. There are a few locations around town which is perfect for accessibility. My job tends to take me around the city a lot, and chances are, I am close to one of their four Phoenix locations. On the rare chance I'm in Tucson, they have two shops there too. I like to have creative meetings here. The atmosphere is a great combination of calming and productive, plus there are tons of other creative people there too. The one unfortunate thing about Cartel (for me) is that it gives me stomach problems. I might just have a sensitive stomach, but this sucks, because I truly enjoy their coffee. I have to force myself to only buy their chai and one of their freshly baked pastries, which frankly isn't really a bad thing. Because it's delicious. 

Sip - Sip sells Cartel's coffee, so I am also limited to what I can order coffee wise, BUT they have alcohol. I love alcohol, so naturally I am drawn to this place. I mean, it has two of my favorite things. They have a really nice location and it is a very cozy place to hang out. They have musical performances certain nights, and yoga on certain Sundays. They have great food too!

Buzzberry - I have not been to Buzzberry as much as I would like but the times I have been I have enjoyed myself. They have a lot of food and yummy baked goods and their coffee is really great! But there is one thing that trumps all of these things. They are open 24 hours. Now, people who are in film school or the film industry or any profession that has odd hours, this is an incredibly amazing trait that a business can have. When I really get busy with projects, I hardly see daylight, and it's really easy to lose track of time when you're staring at a screen for hours and hours. There have been times when I have left school at 11pm and am going home to do more work and desperately need a cup of joe. Buzzberry provides this. I am eternally gratefull. 

Hava Java - There are so many things to say about Hava Java. It was the first local coffee shop I ever walked into. That was my freshman year of high school and I have gone into their shop at least once a week (if not every day) until this moment. I adore their coffee. If I have been out of town for a bit, that is the first place I go once I get home. I have made countless memories there. From running into friends when they're home for the summer to writing scripts for hours at a time in the far back of the shop. I know everyone who works there and they know me, and they KNOW my order. There have been days where I have stayed all day and I feel like I am where I'm supposed to be. I remember coming in, feeling a bit under the weather, and the barista made me a hot cup of peppermint tea with some honey. She said it would make me feel better and it did. That's the thing about Hava. They make your coffee, but they make you feel better too.

      There are obviously tons of other coffee houses out there that are not listed, so please comment your favorite place to grab coffee in the comments! I'll go check it out. As for my homemade coffee, I am getting better, but I'm pretty sure it's because I put alcohol in it. Frankly, I think that's a pretty good strategy to make coffee taste good. 

Pesto Pasta

      I like good food. That's obvious. But sometimes good food can be expensive or complicated to make. The trick is finding something that is reasonably priced, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. There is a pasta dish I started making a few months ago that meets this criteria. The original recipe I found here on Damn Delicious. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite pasta

Pesto (homemade or store bought. I recommend Fresh & Easy Pesto)

Asparagus

1 Avocado

Chicken (I use Fresh & Easy pre cooked chicken)

1 Egg

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Salt

Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wait until pre-heated to continue.

2. Once the oven is pre-heated, start preparing the asparagus. Lay wax paper over a shallow baking pan. Place the desired amount of asparagus in the pan and pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar onto the asparagus. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the asparagus. Set aside.

3. Fill a pot up with water and bring to a boil. Place pasta into the water and cook for the amount of time stated on the box. 

4. Place the asparagus into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Once the pasta is done add the pesto.

6. Cut an avocado and add it to the pasta.

7. Once the asparagus is done, take out and let cool. Slice into pieces and add it to the pasta.

8. Heat up the chicken and add it to the pasta.

9. Stir all of these ingredients together in the pot. Add garlic salt to taste. 

10. Fry an egg to your preference and place it on top of the pasta before serving. (I prefer my egg yolk a bit runny and I use garlic salt and pepper to season it while it's cooking)

11. Go crazy with the parmesan!

      It is super filling and incredibly delicious. It also keeps really well! I hope you enjoy. :)