Between the regular trips to Wal-Mart, the forays to south Springfield, and the occasional downtown diversion, I am always scoping out the foodie scene. Over the past week, I discovered some fab & very tasty treats!

• While enjoying a cup of Turkish coffee and a cheese omelet at Rendezvous Coffee Lounge, I also picked up a pumpkin spice cakepop from the Cake Pop Company. Cakepops are like lollipops, that you eat instead of lick. They are little balls of cake goodness sitting atop a lollipop stick.  You can buy them individually at Rendezvous, on Park Central West, or at 1984 Arcade on Jefferson Avenue, across from the Family Y. You can also order them by the dozen at www.cakepopco.com.  All I can say is, YUM!

• I also made my way to the Coffee Ethic this week. I enjoyed sipping a latte, on a nice, sunny morning, while using the free wi-fi to get some work finished.  Choosing to stick around for lunch, I ordered the delectable Jalapeno Lime Salad from the Brown Bag Bagel Company, which is housed inside the Coffee Ethic.  I wasn’t in the mood for anything really spice, so the word “jalapeno” scared me a little. The guy behind the counter assured me that the salad wasn’t too spicy. He proved to be correct.  The salad was very flavorful, without too much spice. It was just right. I would order that salad again, in a heartbeat!

• Earlier in the week I checked out  Dancing Mule Coffee, where I ordered a toasted marshmallow latte and a cinnamon roll. Both were wonderful!  Dancing Mule is located on South Glenstone & Cherokee, across from CD Warehouse and the Plaza.

• I enjoyed having my seven year-old nephew stay over at my house last weekend. We made crafts, watched a kid flick, ate junk food, and stayed up too late!  We managed to make a Wal-Mart run to find some goodies. While picking up some skim milk, I happened upon a carton of Prairie Farms Old Recipe Candy Cane Milk. I asked my nephew if he would like that, fully knowing the answer would be “yes!”  He drank nearly the entire carton by the time he left the next day.  How perfect is Candy Cane milk for the Christmas season!