If you are anything like me, you need your cup of coffee in the morning.  I used to think I needed 3-4 cups per day.  In those days, I would add cream and sugar.  No wonder why.  I was making a dessert!

My coffee addiction (yes, I said it) got so bad that I realized it wasn’t really the coffee that was bad for me but the added flavoring.  That’s when I made a radical decision.  I quit coffee for a year and switched to green tea.  For me, this change was needed.  It was a healthy choice and I was still getting my caffeine from the tea.  (Yeah, I know it wasn’t the same)

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
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Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.  There is nothing like the smell of freshly made coffee.  My goal was not to never drink it again but to be able to enjoy it “black” when I did.  No added sugar.  No added cream.  I also wanted to ween of the 3-4 cups a day.  I was successful!  After 365 days of getting my daily dose of caffeine from green tea (and losing some weight along the way), I enjoyed my next cup of coffee the way I always should have, black!

Photo by Jeff Vanderspank on Unsplash
Photo by Jeff Vanderspank on Unsplash
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That experience was about 6 years ago and to this day I enjoy my only cup of joe as soon as I wake up.  It’s hot, it’s fresh and it’s black.  Surprisingly, I don’t feel like I need another one the rest of the day.  The new ritual is to set the machine the night before.  Add 1-2 additional scoops for an extra kick.  The next morning as the alarm clock goes off, the sent from the kitchen of fresh-brewed java is already in the air.

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What if you’re a coffee connoisseur with a travel mug?  Sure, you can stop at any of the big-name establishments, like Starbucks, Dunkin, and Wawa.   When I’m looking for coffee on the road, I try to go local.  There are plenty of really good local coffee shops up and down the Jersey Shore.

Here is a list of a few you may have already visited…

 

GREEN PLANET COFFEE - 78 Main St., Manasquan, NJ

http://www.greenplanetcoffee.com/
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EAGLE SPECIALTY COFFEE - 76 NJ-35, Eatontown, NJ

https://eaglespecialtycoffee.com/
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ASBURY PARK ROASTERY - 803 Second Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ

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COFFEE CORAL - 177 Dr. James Parker Blvd., Red Bank, NJ

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ROOK - 357 Highway 9 South Manalapan, New Jersey

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THE PERFECT PERK - 300 Main St, Bradley Beach, NJ

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HOW YOU BREWIN - 8 Long Beach Blvd Surf City, NJ

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JERSEY SHORE COFFEE ROASTERS - 64 Thompson Ave., Leonardo, NJ

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SHORE POUR - 519 Washington Blvd, Sea Girt, NJ

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THE INKWELL COFFEE HOUSE - 665 2nd Ave., Long Branch, NJ

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