Coffee, Dogs, and Smiles

This morning I visited Bed, Bath, and Beyond to stock up on some more K-cups for my Keurig coffee brewer. I took Jackson, one of the pups, along to help train him to be less whiny in the car, and then parked far from the store so we could get two mini walks in. I planned on securing him outside of the store during my quick shopping trip, but almost as soon as I stepped in the door one of the managers flew by, eager to cuddle the waiting Jackson. The manager then told me that I was welcome to take Jackson inside while I shopped, and that the employees would take care of any mess.

I was so gratified! I know that stores like Home Depot allow dogs inside, but I did not expect a store like Bed, Bath, and Beyond (which has so many breakables, not to mention white/light colored and pretty things) to welcome my dog inside. Of course I took the manager up on his offer and soon emerged with two boxes of Green Mountain Coffee K-cups in fall and winter seasonal flavors. (And, if you were wondering, Jackson was on his best behavior and left absolutely no mess of any kind for the good folks at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to clean up.)

Still glowing from the unexpected gift from the Bed, Bath, and Beyond manager, I toted my purchases (and Jackson) home, eager to taste test them. I was torn as to which flavor to try first since they also sound amazing -- I bought the fall coffee necessity, Pumpkin Spice, as well as the Green Mountain holiday variety pack, which includes Holiday Blend, Gingerbread, Spicy Egg Nog, and Golden French Toast. You can understand my dilemma.

In the end, I decided to break open the Pumpkin Spice coffee first, since autumn has truly arrived here in Montana. I tried this flavor last year, and while I blogged about enjoying it, I don't remember it being as tasty as I had hoped it would be. Rest assured, though -- this afternoon's Pumpkin Spice coffee was spiced with goodness, too.

This weekend I experienced a new way to make an at-home coffee treat. Here's the secret: top your mug with whipped cream. Okay, so it's not exactly rocket science (and probably not a secret, either), but it was yummy. I brewed up my coffee, added some skim milk and stevia, then topped the whole thing off with a squirt of canned whipped cream.

And then -- mania ensued. You see, after the Best Inlaws Ever gifted me with the remnants of the whipped cream can we used to top my birthday strawberry angel food cake, I started giving our dogs little licks of the stuff to help use it up (clearly, I had not discovered the wonder of whipped cream-topped coffee yet). Now the dogs know the squirting sound of whipped cream being dispensed. They went crazy when we used it at my one of my sisters-in-laws' birthday party, and again at my father-in-law's party. I think it's funny. The Best Husband Ever does not. Both views are valid. :)

So today, when I opened and shook the can of whipped cream I just bought at the store today, the dogs were at my side in two seconds flat:

And then, when I topped my coffee with a light squirt of whipped cream, they went nuts (take special note of the chihuahua -- he stood like that for a good twenty seconds):

Cody may actually have made tongue-contact with the can of whipped cream. That won't stop me from using it, though, especially not after I've discovered so delicious and simple a treat. Besides, continued use of the whipped cream will desensitize the dogs . . . right? Regardless, their antics make me smile.