Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My Obsession with Drinking


Some drink because they need it.
 I drink because I like it.
                                              Coffee that is.


Tea used to be my drink of choice, exclusively. With milk. And sugar.  I still love tea. At mid-afternoon a big mug of my favorite loose  perfectly steeped tea is a great excuse to sit down for a few minutes.  

Lately, though, my first cup in the morning is a latte. I hate bitter, harsh, acidic burnt-tasting coffee.  How can it smell so good and taste so awful? The flavor of light roast is much closer to that enticing aroma of beans and freshly brewed steaming coffee. 




I prefer making coffee in a french press. There are many sizes and styles. Our first french press was the chrome Bodum 4 cup, which fills two mugs. Who drinks 6 oz. of regular coffee?   One day in Sur La Table, Mr. C spotted this red Bonjour french press.  Ferrari  Red! Or close enough he had to have it. The filter can be twisted to close completely when pushed down. It's a cool feature, but we drink all the coffee in the carafe, so it is kind of useless.  


These little 12 oz. french presses get the most use.  
They are perfect when each person prefers coffee made a different way.  
Mr. C likes a light coffee flavor. 
I double the coffee and fill the french press half full to make latte.

Here is my morning ritual. :-)




Coffee Beans
Crushed







Add boiling water

Stir

Add press

Steep four minutes


Press beans to the bottom of the carafe

Yes, powdered milk.
My concession to low fat.
Raw Sugar




Sometimes I cheat a little.
Sit down, sip and savor.
What is your favorite morning drink?  













7 comments:

laxsupermom said...

I love a good french press, too! I drink my coffee black(or with a shot of Jameson's.) I've been drinking a lot of tea lately, too. So for me it's been coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon. Love your bright red press. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Ooohh, I'm with Mr. C. I love the looks of the red press. Never tried coffee this way, but I just might have to now!
Puppeez

Anonymous said...

I never noticed the missing "c" in your old web address until you pointed it out!! Have you ever taken the test that shows how your brain fills in words and letters as you read? You read a paragraph, and then go back and read it a second time, after given the missing letters and words, and it's amazing how much our brain fills in the blanks. It's cool.

My favorite morning drink is any kind of light roast coffee. Black. Sometimes I like hazelnut or butterscotch flavored. I'll get my own pre-ground bag because, as you know, Andy and I have opposite coffee preferences. One we agree on, though, is Target Brand's Guatemalan. We've tried other Guatemalans and they are definitely not as good. We both like it made with our french press, too.

deva said...

wow you are a serious coffee drinker! i only have 1 french press and last week we had many friends over for dinner and i had to keep re-making the coffee! so...you don't use a grinder? i found your bag and pin mortar and pestle terrific!

Marysol said...

Cotehele, I love my caffeine, and usually have a cup in the a.m. Then, it's tea the rest of the day.

Happy to have rediscovered you :)

Screaming Meme said...

i love french pressed coffee...YUM! My name is Meme from Screaming Meme. I am having a giveaway...well, a giveaway series! First item is a slipcover. I hope you get a chance to stop in and sign up for one of the many giveaways.

Meme

riTa Koch said...

Coffee in the morning, tea mid afternoon. However, I do not go through the same ritual. Yours probably tastes better, what with the French press and all, and the loose leaf tea.
Hmmm...maybe I will dig out my French press.
I usually grind my coffee beans. Is it better to only crush them?