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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5 Books that Every Girl Must Read!

Now, if you are a girl, stop right here, click this, and print.... Ok, now you can keep reading :)

I've been doing some thinking lately (I know, a dangerous pastime) about the books that have shaped my life. Some have been fiction that have filled my imagination with wonders and fueled my passion for adventure. Others have been stories of people who have walked the roads less travelled, learned lessons from experiences that I may never personally have, and written chronicles from which I have snatched bits and pieces of wisdom. I've loved them all, even when the lessons that I've learned have been eye-opening and soul-searching.

Now, back to that doc I had you print up. These are 5 books that have filled my life with joy and helped me keep my eyes on the purpose for life. I hope you will read them and enjoy them, and I hope that they will impact your life in the same way that they have impacted mine.  And I hope you will come back and tell me what you think about them :) Let me know if there are any more books that you would recommend adding to the list!

Now, here's the run-down.

#1 - The Bible
 I've heard people refer to it as the Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. But I personally don't think there is anything basic about it. It is the greatest adventure story, love letter, thriller, and guidebook in the world. While we're on the topic, here is one of my favorite verses:

"God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:27 (NIV)

#2 - Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Fiction

I went through a stage when I was younger where I read almost all of L.M. Alcott's books. She is one of my favorite authors because she wrote characters into being who "lived simply so that others may simply live" (yes, I just stole that quote from Elizabeth Seton). Although Little Women may be her most famous book, this one is my favorite. I just re-read it recently and was reminded of many things, one of which is that when I am having a bad day, I should make sure to do something to brighten someone else's. And Polly always reminds me that it is okay to have one good black silk dress (yeah, you may need to read it to figure out that one).

#3 - The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Nonfiction
You may think you know the story, and you may have seen the movie, but you really need to read Corrie's own words in this book. Reading The Hiding Place has challenged me to look out for the interests of others over my own and totally trust God, even when the world is falling apart at the seams. Read it once, read it again, give it to a friend...you get the picture.

#4 - The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction
Now, L.M. Montgomery is really famous for Anne of Green Gables and the Avonlea Chronicles, but whenever a friend of mine introduced me to this gem I was hooked. It is one of those feel-good stories that is really pure and lovely.And it will make you want to go have a cuddle with nature. 

#5 - Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Nonfiction
I started reading this book while at my favorite coffee shop in Savannah. I started tearing up before I had even finished the Foreword. God has really used this story of obedience to work in my life. More on that later, but in the meantime, you should really pick up a copy and read this beautiful chronicle of a girl who has given her all for God. It's really amazing.

Let me know in the Comments section what you think, if you have already read some of these books, and any suggestions that should be added to the list of books every girl should read. Feel free to share this list with friends, daughters, sisters, moms...all the books are appropriate for all ages!

 Happy reading!