Coffee at home vs. a café.
I'm a homely girl who enjoys having coffee alone in the comforts of my home more than going out to a coffee shop. This is the same if I'm having coffee with a girlfriend. However, with my husband, I'm happy to go to a coffee shop because it feels more like a date.
The ambience at coffee shops is great; however, I like to convert my saloon to my little cafe/workstation and switch up the decor from light to warm, according to my mood.
This way, I'm surrounded by things that bring out a spark, the furnishing is comfortable, the temperature is just how I like it, the music or silence depends on me, and I'm in total control of my experience.
I like to have pastry, a snack, or a meal with my coffee.
Scrumptious and fluffy lemon muffins with citrus peel.Doing so in my saloon means that I can bake fresh pastries of my choice and have as many to my heart's content without wasting money since you never know what the quality of a pastry is when ordering at a coffee shop. It's just more economical to bake muffins myself, with little or no sugar, depending on the recipe.
If I bake banana muffins, I prefer to omit the sugar since bananas are naturally sweet; however, if it's lemon muffins, as seen above, I only add a small amount of sugar and have it with a spread of butter—something that a cafe might be reluctant to serve or charge extra for.
I might also decide to add spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, to my coffee, which might not be readily available at all coffee shops.
I rarely order a second cup of coffee when I'm at a coffee shop because my budget restricts me from doing so.
However, when I'm in my saloon, I can switch between different coffee makers, whether my French press or Moka pot, for a subtle difference in the taste of the same coffee.
Furthermore, black coffee is my preference, and both my Moka pot and French press are ideal for making the perfect brew.
Oftentimes, especially with company, my coffee moments flow into wine time, something that does not happen at a coffee shop due to different licences and laws. Either way, both are more cost-effective when had at home.
Imagination is powerful, and how I set up my saloon for my café experience far exceeds anywhere that I might go on a high street or shopping complex.
Generally, when it comes to dining experiences at restaurants or cafés, there's something special about putting your stamp on how you do things. Knowing exactly what my coffee is made of and what goes into the pastries that I consume. One thing that's guaranteed is that they are always made with love, compared to just another order being filled by a barista or waiter.
This is my response to The Coffeeshop Prompt No. 57: Please pardon my saloon-setting-café photos as opposed to ones of coffee shops.
This was entirely written and all photographed by me.
