I remember the first time I made myself a coffee drink that I could actually stomach. I was a freshman in college and I made the sickliest mocha. I was a barista, which was ironic, because I didn’t drink coffee. There was, seriously, so much chocolate in this drink. Then my love affair with coffee began. I didn’t drink it every morning, I didn’t need the caffeine to feel alert. I certainly never made coffee at home. As time passed, and my career as a barista continued, I slowly weaned off the flavorings. First it was to a vanilla latte, then it was a white chocolate mocha. At one point, I discovered that adding white chocolate powder to an americano was a game changer. Then one day I went cold turkey and started drinking my coffee black. Okay, so it wasn’t cold turkey and I was actually forced to drink it that way because I ran out of creamer.
I’ve always said that my favorite meal to go out for is breakfast. There is something really special about starting your day sipping java with someone. A chance to catch up. A chance to cuddle up on the couch and connect. So many conversations over so many caffeinated drinks. I always order coffee when I go out for breakfast and until recently, that was the only time I enjoyed a steaming cup o’ joe. Colin drinks coffee every morning, so it was an adjustment when he starting grinding the beans for me too. But I went with it, always black, except the few times that I would add some almond milk to cool it down. I became a creature of habit and before I knew it, I was having a cup almost every morning.
I had heard of paleo coffee over the last few years, but never done much research. I’d tried paleo in the past, without any guidance, and just following the advice “just eat meat and fats”. Needless to say, it was not a successful attempt and I was a bit turned off when I wasn’t seeing or feeling the results I had hoped for. When I joined Crossfit Train last year, I just kept hearing the coach talk about her meals, and watching her move, how strong she was, and the fact that she had just pushed a baby out of her only three (3) months prior that I REALLY wanted to know more. I’m obsessed with self-improvement books, so I bought every cookbook I saw, I read every article I got my hands on and I started following every paleo icon on Instagram. She kept talking about the Whole 30 and how we should do it as a group, so I did what any normal person would do. I went to Target, bought the book, read it cover to cover, followed every Whole 30 Instagram account and signed up for their newsletter. We started the Whole 30 on February 1st.
I figured this would be the best time to try paleo coffee. There are so many variations and recipes. My first attempt was blending coconut oil and cinnamon. It was delicious until the end of the morning and the end of my cup. A weird slime had come together in my cup and it was a terrible moment when I attempted to swallow this paleo slime. I swapped out the cinnamon for ghee on my next attempt, since it’s Whole 30 approved. I blended one teaspoon of coconut oil and one teaspoon of ghee with one cup of coffee. It was delicious and also gave my lips a sexy sheen! BONUS! I still make this version on occasion, but my go to is a tablespoon of coconut oil on a spoon. Put the spoon in my coffee cup. Pour coffee over the cup, stir and enjoy! It’s not nearly as frothy as when I blend it, but it saves me time in the morning. I’m debating purchasing a frother this weekend. Even though I have omitted the cinnamon, mixing the two reminds me of my grandmother’s cinnamon toast. It’s been magical.
I’m really looking forward to trying other variations of paleo coffee after my Whole 30. Like this Metabolic Paleo Coffee they serve at Honor Society in Denver, CO.
METABOLIC PALEO COFFEE