Coffee Break

The summer weather is slowly settling in and we are starting to get a taste of what summer will be like aside from all the pollen that is creating havoc on everyone’s immune system. Every time that I leave home, a cough or a sneeze isn’t too far from occurring but other than that, I am enjoying this beautiful weather…a frequent cool breeze and the amazing feel of being sun-kissed by the warm heat of this weather is getting me a tad bit excited for the summer. It is as if I can already hear the sounds of Mister Softee’s ice cream truck and reminisce of the aromas of the beach as well as the fragrant smell of barbeques…that is what summer is to me. And I am so ready to welcome it. I am stoked for all that comes with summer memories.

Being that City Tech is located in the Downtown Brooklyn area, it is the host to many coffee shops. I love coffee and summer only makes the need for coffee more precedent. If I cannot have my coffee whether hot or iced, I am just not myself in the summer heat. It is sort of like those Snickers’ commercials where they describe that you are not you when you’re hungry…so you can have a Snicker. Yeah, that is me without coffee in the summer. Coffee is one of those things that comfort you…in the winter time, it is nice to have to as a hand warmer and it is great to help warm up your practically frozen body as it melts you from the inside out as well as in the summer, when it cools you from the sweat-pooled days of summer that houses way too many heat waves. Everyone knows based on my previous posts that I have a true love for frozen desserts, whether it be ice cream, sorbet, gelato, or frozen yogurt. I am always psyched to have this category of desserts because I find it to be very delicious. I absolutely love anything frozen. So, regardless of the ever-changing weather switching between summer and spring or your crazy college schedule, if you are ever in the mood for coffee, ice cream, frozen yogurt with an array of topping options, and acai smoothie bowls. Then, I have the perfect place for you.

It is called the Brooklyn Beanery which is located along Court Street literally right across the street from the movie theater which makes for the perfect afternoon place to hang out as it has a café feel integrated within the outlay of the establishment. There is a small and intimate seating area but it sells an assortment of ice cream which is supplied by Hershey’s brand which is breathtakingly delicious as well as frozen yogurt that is on a flavor rotation aside from the traditional flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and original. But there is a huge counter dedicated only to toppings for your frozen yogurt that varies from fresh fruits like blueberries, mangoes, and strawberries to candy like m&m’s, fruity pebbles cereal, mochi, or cheesecake bites. This place also has many prepared coffee selections, it is a small shop which can easily be overlooked but you will not regret stopping in for a treat. The prices are affordable and it usually doesn’t get very busy so there is a place to sit down and get away from the hectic schedule that is life if for only a few minutes.

 

Food Places I Want to Try

I’m so glad the summer is here because that means there’s some time in my schedule to enjoy food with friends, family, and my boyfriend and it also means a chance to try new food places and restaurants. I am a little sad that half of 2016 has passed, but at least there’s a lot to look forward to during the final half of 2016.

I’ve been trying a lot of new restaurants and spots the last three months and I’ve finally been catching up on my Yelp reviews and blog posts on the food blog, so be sure to check those out. Any way, with 6.5 months left of 2016 I hope to be able to try these food spots/restaurants:

an indigo seafood restaurant with a yellow awning

Image Credit: DNAinfo

I found out about Mussels ‘N Sausages on Yelp. I wonder if it has any relationship to Mussels & More (one of my favorite restaurants). Mussels ‘n Sausages is located in Astoria, Queens and is a French, seafood, breakfast & brunch type restaurant. They have a pretty interesting menu and my primary reason for wanting to try this restaurant out is because I’ve developed a love for mussels.

a restaurant table

Image Credit: Yelp

As you may already know, I love coffee! I haven’t tried too many coffee spots, but one place I am dying to try is Coffee Project New York. It’s an experience of coffee on a whole different level. Deconstructed is what sums up the coffee here. I’m pretty excited about giving this a place a shot, hope to try it soon.

a restaurant and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

Momosan Ramen & Sake is one of the latest and greatest craze of in the world of ramen. It’s great because it’s the first ramen restaurant that Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto opened in The Big Apple. I’ve been to Bobby’s Burger Palace which was started by Iron Chef Bobby Flay, but for an Iron Chef to open a ramen restaurant is golden! It’s been opened for nearly two months and I still haven’t tried it. I know the lines and craze is probably crazy right now which is why I am going to wait a little bit longer. Hopefully I’ll run into the great Iron Chef on my first visit.

a small Christmas tree and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

One of the major dessert spots that has been blowing up on my Instagram and Facebook feed is this newest spot: 520 Desserts in Flushing, Queens. I must admit the desserts look a lot more attractive then what you can find in Brooklyn. One dessert that I’ve seen around my feeds is the: Honeydew Shaved Ice bowl. I love fruits and honeydew is one of my favorite melons, so this is absolutely honeydew heaven! Hope I can try this place out this summer.

an ice cream cone

Image Credit: Yelp

Another place I want to try and that I found on Yelp is 2nd City which is a casual, Filipino restaurant in Manhattan. I love and admire Filipino cuisine, but when I saw the Ube ice cream on Yelp, I knew I had to add 2nd City to my list on Yelp of places to try. I’ve tried Ube butter before and it is absolutely wonderful. I can’t imagine what new heights Ube ice cream can have on me.

a pizza restaurant with a gray awning

Image Credit: Yelp

I was deeply disappointed when I found out Pie Face closed all of their New York locations because I never got to try their sweet and/or savory pies. On Saturday evening, I passed by Petee’s Pie Company and they had a sign that said “The Absolute Best Pie in New York” , so of course with words like that I can’t not try it. They don’t have savory pies here, but everything sounds amazing and tempting.

a silver tea kettle, four white mugs, and four brown paper cups

Image Credit: Hoodline.com 

Another coffee spot I want to try is Blue Bottle Coffee which is quite famous. I definitely want to try their cold brew as I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. They have a location that’s just a few blocks from school which is convenient for those that are interested in trying too.

So here are just a few places I hope to try by the end of 2016 and hopefully if I try them I will definitely write a review on The Buzz or on my food blog.

What restaurants or food places would you like to try?

Avoiding the Finals Crash

a cartoon of a man collapsed at a desk

used with permission from cuatower some rights reserved

Ask most students, and a majority will agree that there is little to no sleeping during Finals week. This is not unique to any major, degree, or institution. It is pretty much accepted that during finals and possibly even the week before that students will not get adequate sleep.

While many can understand why this happens, you may be surprised to discover that this doesn’t need to happen nor is it at all beneficial. From personal experience, I can tell you that the correlation between sleep and grades on exams is often positive. There are some exceptions to this rule of course (like if you take this so seriously that you decide to sleep instead of studying), but if used rationally, this advice can help you do better than you might have done.

How does this work? First of all, if you are like most others who don’t get adequate sleep during testing, you may agree with me that you cannot concentrate as well during the tests as you would if you had slept. In fact, studies have shown that driving without sleep is even more dangerous than driving while inebriated (though I’m not advocating for that either) because of delayed reaction times as well as the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. When you are taking exams that are timed, it is really detrimental to be sleepy because your concentration level is not what it should be. The same questions that you may be able to answer in one/two minutes may take you five minutes.

How about when you have an essay or short answer final. These often require that you hand-write your responses. How many people can write as legibly when they’re half asleep? I know that when I try to take notes or write a paper while asleep, I end up with some gobblygoop or ____________ on the paper. I’ve had professors who say that they won’t grade illegible papers. That can mean an automatic zero!

Of course, another thing you need to be worried about is the coffee or other drinks that you are consuming to allow your body to stay awake an unnatural amount of hours. Caffeinated beverages like Red Bull, Coffee, Five Hour Energy, Coca Cola cause other responses besides keeping you awake. Caffeine is a stimulant drug (in the same class as cocaine). Other effects that you can have when taken in high “dosages” can be anxiety and palpitations. I have seen students fail exams because of nervousness after drinking too much espresso. Also, these drinks act as diuretics causing increase urine production. How are you going to take and or finish an exam if you need to use the restroom multiple times throughout the test?

The good thing about these issues is that they are easily manageable. Make sure to sleep before your exams. While seven hours would be ideal, realistically that might not be possible. Aim for a minimum of six hours of sleep before an exam. If you work a night shift, try to get the night before the exam off if you will not be able to sleep between your shift and the exams. Don’t drink too many caffeinated beverages. Sometimes cold water may be adequate to keep you up without causing adverse effects of caffeine.

I know that you’ll do great, just avoid a crash landing!