K is for Keurig

I was never a big coffee drinker until my mother-in-law purchased a Keurig for us.  I'd grown up on tea at my mother's house and to this day at least of the stove burners is reserved for a tea kettle.  If my mother's around, we'll easily go through two to three cups of tea just chatting away in the kitchen.  Since options for the Keurig have not expanded to include various teas, I've now turned her on to the Keurig as well.  Aside from the convenience, the variety available is wonderful.  Not to mention it's less wasteful because I'm not brewing up a whole pot.  Plus, Justin's a decaf guy so the ability to make something different for each of us has certainly been a perk.  We're a little hesitant, however, to buy new types because we're not sure if I'll like the whole box.  To date, these are our favorites:

Well Caffeinated

I would classify myself as a casual coffee drinker.  I haven't yet made it to a daily cup of joe.  I drink it occasionally when I'm feeling really lethargic or when I'm freezing my junk off at work.  I lean towards a light roast (cream & sugar), flavored coffees (i.e. french vanilla, caramel), lattes, and of course the ever-famous Dunkaccino.  For die hard coffee drinkers, what I drink doesn't constitute as "coffee."  

Seeing as how I'm a lightweight when it comes to coffee, I have noticed that certain brands of coffee seem to have more of an effect on me than others.  I'm guessing this has to do with their caffeine levels, either that or I'm misreading my heart palpitations and should seek medical help.  At first I thought it was only Starbucks coffee which resulted in a few hours of jitters.  Now I can add Bruegger's coffee to the list.  As good as my medium french vanilla with two sugars and 2% milk was, I am still feeling my heart beat in my throat and temples three hours later.  Whoa baby!  This got me wondering just how much more caffeine a coffee at Bruegger's possesses.  The International Coffee Organization reports that the average cup of coffee consists of 80-115 mg of caffeine.  With that said, here's how the usual places stack up:

Coffee, Chinese Food & an Award

Yesterday afternoon my office smelled like Chinese food.  This phenomena is not entirely uncommon because people microwave their lunches in the adjoining office.  However, what is uncommon is that it still smelled like Chinese food today when I came in.  Normally lunch hour smells dissipate.  After sleuthing around to ensure no remnants were left in my garbage and no funky spills were located anywhere on my floor, it dawned on me.  The other day I had made a small pot of coffee and poured the last cup's worth into my plants.  Well, yesterday was a pretty hot day and my plants were basking in the sunlight on the window sill.  So, you've probably guessed it by now:  old coffee in plants plus sunshine equals a smell similar to Chinese food.  Isn't that appetizing?  Not so much.