The Word for Today is Relaxing so Pick a Calming Tea

Today I feel very relaxed and sort of melancholy. I'm imagining all those leisure walks we used to take just strolling with no particular place to go. I'm hoping that my hubby will be open for a nice walk either down by the river or along a mountain road. We have been way too stressed out lately with our vehicle problems and the burdens of life in spiritual, personal and financial areas. I'm making a healthy decision to bring about some changes in my life to protect my spiritual and physical and emotional well being.

One of the steps I decided to take that I want to share with you is to take in more healthy food and drinks. You all know from reading my posts how much Cephas and I love coffee. It's like a staple for us and some days it's more like a daily ritual. That is why I want to change it. I want to drink coffee because I want to enjoy it not because I need to drink it. If anything becomes an addiction it could be a problem so we're going to attempt to nip this habit and make it a drink of choice, not need. How will we do that?

By drinking more teas and juices an smoothies. These are all healthy for you and they are part of the Cafe/Coffee Shop experience as much as coffee. This is exciting news for all of you because we can delve into many new territories here. You can learn with me as we share information on great drinks and their benefits. I would like to find the best economic deals on some of those products as well so help me out here. I still want to hear about your favorite drink.

ON to Today's Word Pick: relaxing and calming.

I am choosing one of my favorite teas for this effect, chamomile.

Have you ever tried chamomile tea? It is smooth and calming with a slight euphoric effect. If you are tired it will induce sleep or it will enhance your desire to meditate. Babies will calm right down if you give them some chamomile for their stomach or their teeth. I have used it for my grandchildren with great success.

Chamomile has many benefits from helping children with teething pain, settling the stomach, calming the nerves or aiding with sleep. Herbal journals purport that it protects against staph and strep so it is a handy medicine to keep in your kitchen. Mixed with a bit of yarrow it carries great antibiotic and antiviral effect.

I love the taste. If you want it sweet add a touch of honey but do not give honey to children or infants under one year old.

Brew a warm cup of chamomile today and relax.

The Midnight Writer

Famous Coffee Shops Around the World

Image by Ewan-M via Flickr

Image by Ewan-M via Flickr
As of yet, I have not received any nominations for any one's favorite coffee shop or cafe. So I'm extending the invitation again and hoping that my readers will reciprocate with an entry. I'm really anxious to start writing features here about coffee shops, cafes and your favorite drinks as well. Hurry and send those entries today and include a photo, too if you can. Send all information to themidnightwriter1@gmail.com for a quick response.

While I'm waiting for the nominees of all those great cafes around the country and around the world, I'm starting my own feature spot on famous coffee shops around the world. Maybe this will stir some inspirations from my audience.

The photograph shows the lovely "Old Coffee House in Soho, London, England". The address is 49 Beak Street which was formerly known as Silver Street. I love the design of this coffee house. It is featured on The Randomness Guide to London so visit their site to learn more and tell them The Midnight Writer's Cafe sent you.

What do you find attractive about The Old Coffee House?

I like the location, the building style and the colors are very nice. As for the service, I've never been to this lovely coffee house yet but it is on my list of places to visit.

Aside from serving ale from their own micro brewery and they have a wine list, too. Food is served with banquettes held in the back, according to the Randomness Guide to London. When I conducted a google search for this coffee house under its name The Old Coffee House, they were the first one on the list. I found a google map to locate it so you can bookmark it for your travel plans.

Tis the Season for Iced Frappuccinos

It's heating up outside so folks tend to go for the ice. Featured drinks everywhere add the ice, from iced tea of all kinds whether it be earl grey or green, to frappuccinos served on ice- blended or not. There is an appeal for these iced coffee drinks that are espresso based. They come with a host of flavors added such as vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and mint. The icing on the drink is the whip, of course.

With all the craze for iced drinks and frappuccinos, how much information is available about whether iced drinks or hot drinks are better for you in the warmer weather?

Between you and me, we can uncover this information and share it right here on your favorite online cafe. Now don't get me wrong. Regardless of the outcome of our research, I fully intend to enjoy some iced tea and an occasional iced vanilla frappuccino this summer with lots of whipped cream on top. Cinnamon adds the perfect finishing touch to any iced or hot coffee. You should try it!

My personal preference in drinking coffee remains with the hot espresso based drinks and lately I'm leaving out the syrups 75% of the time. I need to cut back on the sugar. You might consider using less sugar in the summertime to help keep those bugs away! If you're sweet smelling they will love you more.

The Midnight Writer

Is Hot Chocolate Just for Cold Winter Days?

Photo Credit: The Midnight Writer
Seriously, what is your opinion? Hot chocolate- is it just for cold winter days or is it just as enjoyable in the summertime?

Oh, you thought this blog was just about coffee? I'm sorry if you had that misconception, but I thought I explained it very well in the introduction to this blog. This is a cafe. Here, we will share about all drinks shared in a cafe/coffee shop setting. This includes many kinds of drinks, such as:

• ~ teas
• ~ coffees, espressos, capuchinos, lattes
• ~ hot chocolate, cocoa and chocolate based drinks
• ~ herbal teas
• ~ energy drinks
• ~ smoothies
• ~ juices

As you can see, there is a lot of room for discussion. But this post is about hot chocolate.

MMMMmmmmm......Delicious, rich, hot, steamy cup of chocolate is great for the cold hands in winter time. After coming in from sledding all afternoon, we used to cozy up in the living room near the woodstove and share hot chocolate with marshmallows. Mom knew how to make it best. The conversation centered around the chocolate, the next day's sledding excursion and who was going to shovel the driveway after the next snow. Beyond that, we talked excitedly about a good movie to watch that night and was there enough cocoa and marshmallows for the next round.

Can you relate?

What about drinking hot chocolate in the summertime? Do you have some good experiences to share or suggestions as to when and where this is a good warm drink to share with family and friends?

My favorite place to drink hot chocolate in the summertime is while sitting around a campfire during a high mountain campout. Usually we spend the days hiking and foraging for neat rocks and plants, so come night fall when the moon rises we build a cozy campfire and circle around to share exciting adventure stories. Sometimes we tell ghost stories or discuss possible adventures for tomorrow.

Camping. Campfires. Family. Friends. Moonlight. Hot chocolate. A perfect combination. With toasted marshmallows from great willow branches.

I am Waiting for This Blog to be Approved by Entrecard

Practice some yoga. Take some deep breaths. Stretch. Breathe in deeply. Repeat twenty - five times.

Are you relaxed?

Good. If you came here expecting to drop an Entrecard, please be patient. Admin is reviewing it and I am certain that it is only a matter of time before I receive the greenlight email. Then I can place that wonderful Entrecard widget that we all love so much.

Did you say you're not a member of Entrecard yet? Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry on over to Entrecard and sign up! It is so much fun and it's a great way to find other great blogs to read. Entrecard will help to increase your blogs traffic because it encourages other people to browse the internet looking for blogs to read. Surfers will drop on your widget which will earn you ec points, credits given by Entrecard that allows you to buy advertising on other blogs. Your page rank will increase over time, too.

It's a wonderful way to meet new friends and to learn a lot about blogging, about business, internet marketing and almost any topic that you can imagine.

Joining Entrecard was probably one of the most fun I've ever had online. See you over there, and here. Be sure to come back looking for the widget in my sidebar.

Now, what should I write about in the topics of coffee? Do you have a favorite coffee shop?

The Midnight Writer

Going Radioactive on Entrecard with Midnight's Cafe

Five posts folks and now this blog qualifies for Entrecard. Right On! woot! Yeah! and all those expletives. You can tell I am overjoyed.

Now I understand that for a blog, five posts is just a hair among thousands to make a wig! I promise you, I will be adding lots of hairs to make an awesome full bodied wig. Okay, enough with the puns.

I have several drafts in process right now and I'm working on many new ideas for this blog while I construct outlines to some really good content to share with my readers. (that's you. uh hum.) I need caffeine!

This is where you come in. My ideas fill boxes and file cabinets galore. That does no good if you do not want to read what I write about. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a brew of espresso or whatever you like, and take a minute to jot down some ideas in my comment section. Leave a way to contact you so I can let you know when your brilliance appears on this blog. Sound like a plan?

Okay, let's get busy and write some riveting content here. Meanwhile, drop on my Entrecard so I can pay you a visit and share more ideas on life, love and coffee.

The Midnight Writer

This Cafe is Now Listed on Technorati so Please Fave Me

You probably noticed the neat little green button that is classic for Technorati. It is so small and unassuming. And it takes up very little room. So please, click that button and join Technorati if you don't already belong to it. If you do, please add me to your favorites. I could use the brownie points.

Thanks in advance. Oh, I apologize. I didn't hear you ask that question at first. I was thinking hard about how to get page ranking for yet another blog domain.

What do you get if you fave me on Technorati?

That's easy. You get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped someone who is striving with all her heart and soul to become a successful freelance writer and blogger.

Not enough for you?

Well, you also get faved by me on Technorati. That will help pick up your blog page rank and give you a back link.

Still not enough for you?

Hmmm...let me think for a minute. Oh, I have it! If you leave a comment right here on this blog, with your blog link, you will get a second back link to your blog and drive more traffic back to you. In return, I'll come over to your blog and leave a comment with my link. I might even ask a profound question to stir the minds of your readers and get a big dialoue happening.

Sound good? If it's still not enough, well then meet me at Starbucks when I pass through your town and I'll buy you a cup of coffee. First, you have to email me or write in the comments what town you live in. When I come that way, I'll drop you an email and it's a coffee date. okay? Is that bribery?

My email is themidnightwriter1@gmail.com. What's yours?

The Midnight Writer

There is Something Good About a Basic Cup of Coffee

There is just something special about a basic warm cup of coffee. I like mine with cream. To me, sitting in a cozy chair with a good friend and cup of java just sets the tone for the day. I can take it without cream if I have to drink it that way, but I definitely can take it without sugar.

When my hubby and I visit Starbucks we drink espresso in a good coffee like Italian roast or Pike's Place with vanilla syrup added. Now that is a wonderful drink if you are traveling and taking some down time at a coffee shop. I like to write at Starbucks for a few hours so this sweet espresso drink pumps me up for a the time period that I need to stay pumped. Most of my freelance writing happens on the road so I have grown to love Starbucks.

After drinking so much espresso sweet coffee this winter, I really look forward to a plain cup of coffee made with Italian or espresso roast grind with just a little cream added. Lately, my hubby and I have been either brewing our own or visiting friends and family so we plugged in the coffee maker and brew some java. Sip a cup with a friend or loved one and feel the warmth of mingling coffee and conversation with friendship. Now that is a flavor that cannot be found in any bean. I call it the love bean. Mix with any setting and you have a winner!

Talking about coffee drinks and flavors brought up a question in my mind. What is your favorite coffee drink?

The Midnight Writer

Coffee Is Favorite Drink in the Morning

If you are like me, the first taste of the morning will be a hot cup of coffee. I have been drinking coffee since I was sixteen years old. My parents would not let me take in much caffeine before then because they thought it might interfere with my growth. Coffee has been on my morning menu almost every day since!


There are as many brand names for coffee as there are types of coffee drinks. What I would like to do on this cafe blog is to explore coffee drinks as well as other drinks featured at specialty cafes and coffee shops. I am hoping to feature a coffee shop every month, so send in your entries to be chosen.

The Midnight Writer's Cafe will also offer some products through our partner programs. These links will be marked as affiliate tags or direct sales so our readers will know they are commercial links within our program or with our partner programs. If you know a source for a good coffee product, please send the link to themidnightwriter1@gmail.com and I will check it out.

Send in your candidates for the featured
coffee shop for the month!

What We Need to Know:

1. The Name of the Coffee Shop/Cafe
2. Address, Phone Number, Email, Website
3. Owner's Name/Manager's Name
4. Tell us in your own words what is special about this cafe/coffee shop. Tell us about your favorite drink. Tell us how this cafe is special in your neighborhood.

The Midnight Writer

Coffee With The Midnight Writer

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome to the new cyber space where we can gather together to share our favorite poetry, or listen to a great concert or enjoy some coffee or tea while the local community hosts an event important to the local area.

This is a brand new site where we will have informal talks and enjoy a little sharing while telling our personal stories. The internet is a vast electronic sea filled with thousands of sites online that are clicked on and clicked off at such a rapid pace. Seldom does anyone stop for awhile to read a good book together, or play chess, or view a good theatrical performance together. Even more rare is the occasion to sit together and just talk.

Since I began my quest as a freelance writer I have spent months by my husbands side in coffee shops around the United States. I formed a very fond relationship with these public cafes and learned to really appreciate the fine service they provide to their communities. Cafes bring people together to share a light breakfast or brunch, some coffee or tea and conversation. Sometimes it is just about being in the presence of others while reading that favorite book on a Saturday afternoon, that helps to combat the loneliness and isolation people feel in a disconnected society.

Cafes or Coffee Shops, whichever you prefer to call them, are the community rooms of the 21st Century. Welcome to our little social place in the cyber sphere. Stop by for a warm cup of brew and share your story with us, or recite your favorite poem. We'll be waiting for you with a comfy chair and a friendly greeting.

The Midnight Writer
Photo Gent
and all our friends at Mountain Spirit Productions