Vegan Drinks {Starbucks}

Oh no, can I go to Starbucks anymore?!

Soy milk latte in Turkey. @faithful_nomad

This was one of my first reactions after deciding that I was going to eat a vegan diet. Starbucks is one of those places that is always the same wherever I go - a comfort blanket, if you will. When I need a place to chill or meet friends, I usually pick Starbucks. I know the menu like the back of my hand, I have the rewards card for both the US and Turkey, and I can always rely on some decent internet if I need to do work there. The hum of pleasant music and conversations and that beepy sound the espresso machine makes gives me a sense of normal.

Plus, after visiting Starbucks, I smell like coffee for the rest of the day.
And that is quite perfect with me.

I <3 using my Starbucks mugs at home. This one brightens my morning! @faithful_nomad 

I quickly found with great joy that I can indeed still drink some of my favorites at Starbucks! Here's some of the scoop from my research:

~ One of my favorite coffee drinks is a Caffe Latte. This is a very easy drink to switch to vegan in both the US and Turkey. In the US, just ask your barista to use almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk instead of cow's milk. In Turkey, there is soy milk available. The soy milk is actually a bit vanilla-tasting, and I really like that in my latte.

Surviving Analytical Chemistry with a mocha in hand. @faithful_nomad

~ Now Caffe Mochas are another one of my favorites for days when I need that chocolate kick. To make these vegan, simply ask for a plant-based milk as with the caffe latte, and ask for no whipped cream (sorry honey, can't fix that one unless Starbucks starts offering vegan whipped cream  - see below. Just remember, you are doing it for the planet).


~If you want the Chile Mocha, unfortunately the Chili Mocha Powder contains natural flavors that have milk derivatives. If you ask for a normal caffe mocha with the spiced mocha topping, that's technically the Chile Mocha just without the Chili Mocha Powder.

~ As far as I can tell, subbing the soy milk for cow milk in the Gingerbread Latte will make it vegan. Yeeees!

~ All the teas at Starbucks are great. I especially love the mint, which is one of my go-tos after landing from a long flight in the morning.

~ Hot Chocolate & Peppermint Hot Chocolate can both be vegan if you ask for plant-milk and no whipped cream.

~ Starbucks Refreshers do not contain any obvious animal products, so those are vegan-friendly in my books! Can't wait to enjoy a Berry Hibiscus Refresher this summer. Yum!

Summer days with L.M. Montgomery and Berry Hibiscus Refresher. @faithful_nomad

~ Make sure to ask for no whipped cream. If you want Starbucks to start offering a vegan-friendly whipped cream, write them an email by clicking here or favorite/thumbs-up/comment on my request here. I sent an email to Starbucks about this, and also asked for them to add an indicator to the menu for vegan-friendly products. A wonderful customer service rep named Shannon B. emailed me back within 24 hours and said that her daughter is also vegan! She pointed me to the My Starbucks Idea site, where I posted my request for vegan whipped cream. Evidently, others agree. If Starbucks realizes that there are a lot of customers who would benefit from vegan whipped cream, they should add it to the menu.

What is your favorite vegan Starbucks drink? 

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If you give a blog a breakfast...

Saturday mornings. 
Seriously one of my favorite parts of the week. 
Especially since I have lots of relaxing time to make and enjoy breakfast and coffee! 

But really, when I go to bed on Friday night it is more than likely that I am already thinking about what I'm going to wake up and concoct in my kitchen the next morning. 

Breakfast is my favorite meal. 

There is just something about all the different ways to enjoy the beginning of your day that excites me.  Nowadays, since I have transitioned from flexible-scheduled student to early-rising career lady, it is really important to me to have a healthy, yummy meal in the mornings. I always wake up starving, so I love quick options that are easy to do in single-servings.Something that I can make on weekdays, and not just Saturday mornings when I have more time. And coffee. Yes, coffee is very important too.

If you are like me, these recipes below will be the halo to the wee hours of your morning. Or those later-than-usual breakfasts that pour into lunch on the weekends. Either way, try them, make variations on them, or comment below with your additions. Read to the bottom to see my all-important picks for coffee as well. 


{Creamy Breakfast Oats and Quinoa}

Now seriously, you are wondering what breakfast and quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) are doing in the same sentence. Quinoa is one of the best foods that you can give your body. Eating it on a regular basis is a sure way to improve your health. It's mineral, fiber, and protein content is off the charts. If you are a vegetarian like me, this is even more likely to catch your attention. I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago in my favorite-in-all-the-world cookbook -

 

It calls for cooked quinoa, which you make by cooking 1 part quinoa to 1.25 parts water, just like rice. Simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, and after it is dry and light you fluff it with a fork and let it sit for a few minutes before using in a recipe. I like to make 1 cup of quinoa (which makes a huge amount of cooked quinoa) and put it in my fridge, so that I can make this breakfast super fast every day. 

Recipe serves 2

1.5 cups milk, soy milk, or rice milk
1 TBSP honey
0.25 tsp ground cinnamon (or a generous sprinkling if you are like me)
pinch of salt
0.5 cup cooked quinoa
0.75 cup whole oats

In a small saucepan, bring the milk, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the quinoa and oats, cover, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy and the oats are tender, 7-10 minutes. 

This is a great way to add quinoa to your day and reap the many benefits of this special seed.

{Super Easy From-Scratch Pancakes}

When I was in elementary school, I loved the Boxcar Children books (actually, I still do). Their independence and go-for-it spirit inspired me. This cookbook, The Boxcar Children Cookbook by Diane Blain has great recipes for things the kids made in the books. My favorite is their pancake recipe. 

Recipe for 3-4 pancakes

1 cup flour
1 TBSP sugar
0.75 cup milk
2 TBSP oil (like canola or sunflower)
1 TBSP baking powder
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients. Cook in a non-stick pan with a nice layer of oil in the bottom on low-medium heat.  Whips up in minutes. 

{Like-Your-Mama's Biscuits}

My Mom makes these biscuits from a cut-out recipe from an old magazine. They are absolutely delicious, and I personally love to drench them in honey and eat alongside scrambled eggs. These are also very easy to whip-up quickly in the mornings, or make them the night before and stick in the fridge.

Recipe for 4 biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
0.25 cups oil (canola or vegetable)
0.5 cup milk

Mix your dry ingredients. Then, mix in oil. After, mix in milk. Use flour on hands to form dough balls that are the size of your palm. Place on oiled pan or parchment paper and gently press down to make a biscuit shape. Bake at 450 degrees F until golden brown on top.

{Turkish Breakfast}

It would be absolutely criminal of me to not mention the specialty of my current country. Turkish breakfast is amazing and begs to be savored with friends for hours on end. Here are the essentials.

Boiled egg
Bread (Italian bread or baguette would be my choice if you aren't in Turkey)
Olives (both black and green, and definitely with pits)
Cheese (both creamy ones, like kaşar or mozzarella, as well as crumbly ones like beyaz peynir or feta)
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Variety of fruit jams
Nutella

And here for your viewing delight, a variation of Buzzfeed's "What Does the World Eat for Breakfast?" video (watch until the end for full appreciation). 

My Coffee Choices

Coffee is a staple. This morning, I am drinking Southern Pecan Cream coffee from Coffee Haus (if you live in Turkey, this is a great option). When I'm craving a more smoky taste, their Sumatra is also an amazing choice. When I'm States-side, I love Trader Joe's Fair Trade coffees, as well as any of the choices from the Dekalb Farmer's Market. When in Chattanooga, Rembrandt's Coffee is the bomb dot com. 

If you liked this post, here's what you need to do! 1) Go to the right-side and follow by email. 2) Share this post on your Facebook page so that others can enjoy a lovely breakfast. 3) Go follow me on Instagram at @faithful_nomad to stay up-to-date with my adventures. 

Later this week is my 1 year anniversary in Istanbul! Be on the look-out for my special anniversary post, all about this past year and the things that have happened. 

Afiyet olsun ~ Bon appetite ~ Enjoy

An Afternoon Sketch of {Foxy Loxy}

I'm sitting in a padded, leather armchair at the head of a farm table, mismatched chairs and benches surrounding it. Like a queen with a missing court. The building next door is so close, I could reach out the window and touch it, faded white paint and old panes of glass.

The wall at the top of the stairs is covered in maps and random cut-outs, all pasted over each other like decoupage. I would stand and stare at the wall, trying to find a method to the beautiful madness, but I'm worried that such an action would put a crack in the perfect atmosphere. I shouldn't try to figure out something that so obviously isn't meant to be understood.

I want a wall like this one day.

My in-house iced latte was handed to me in a large, fat, perfectly unblemished jar. I grabbed a straw, but quickly knew that I shouldn't use it. There's just something about cold glass, wet droplets of condensation running onto the dark wooden table.

People sit in the chairs, mostly in pairs, many leaning in companionable silence over a common slice of cake. Two girls sit on low stools under a canopy covered in empty coffee bean sacks. Their table is a weathered, green travel trunk.

Two lovebirds stand on the outdoor porch. The girl has let her hair down, and they gaze at the passing traffic with their arms around each other. Such innocent affection, enjoyed in the best way.

I've only just noticed the rock music. It plays and fills the air space. Anyone would tell you later that the playlist was perfectly chosen, although none of them would be able to tell you what it had been.

That is because the real music comes from the whispered conversations and confidences, not meaningless gossip but real talk of life. Because the atmosphere here calls for depth. Depth of reality, depth of friendship. Depth of life.

I wrote this in one of my notebooks while at Foxy Loxy today. It's one of the only ways I have found to really remember a moment, or a set of moments.

 If you are in Savannah, I greatly encourage you to stop by and enjoy this place. I've spent hours such as this one reading books in this quiet house. Don't forget to wander up the stairs.