Ahhhhh, coffee! That first sip of the morning. It's like being away from your home for so long you forgot what your own bed felt like. Then you return and that first night you slip under the covers, your toes slide down and feel that familiar feeling. You snuggle in, pulling the covers up, smelling your linen as your head softly sinks in to your own pillow and you let out a soft ahhhhh. That is what my first sip of coffee is like every morning. It's my drug, my release. I make a ritual out of it. Quietly I wake, avoiding the squeaky floor plank as not to wake the kids. I make it downstairs and into the kitchen like a mouse not wanting to wake the house cat. I see it! My one cup coffee maker. I swear my heart skips a beat. I go to it and touch its smooth surface as to say, "good morning dear". Lifting the lid to put my coffee in and it answers me back with its soft click letting me know he is ready to brew my first morning cup. I hear the release of steam and a final sputter and behold my black gold is gently waving good morning to me in my cup with it's soft ripples like waves on a still lake with an ever so slight breeze. I feel the warmth as my fingers wrap around the mug. The mug which I choose with as much care as I do my coffee.
My coffee mug is just as important as the coffee. Its part of the experience. When I was younger and unaware that my morning coffee was more than a liquid dumped in a container to be gulped down, I would use any receptacle that would hold my coffee. It usually had someones logo on it, most likely a free gift for signing up for something. Year after year I would drink my coffee like a commuter rushing to catch a train. I did not enjoy the pleasures it could bring when done properly. Finally a friend of mine got me my first proper mug. It was actually a set of mugs. They were cute and stylish. I realized how important it was when I opened the cabinet doors that morning to use my new mug for the first time. I saw them sitting there on the shelf looking so pretty. As I reached in to select my mug I felt different, grown up all of a sudden. I'm not some teenage girl anymore drinking my coffee from a mug that has Newsday on it. I have adorable, classy mugs now. My mug selection has grown and now I have many mugs for coffee that I marvel at. Each one is prettier than the next. I don't even have to have my coffee in it to feel the relaxed intoxication the morning coffee brings me, the mug is almost enough. But I'm not ready yet, next is the coffee selection, and that can be a daunting task.
There are more coffee flavors and types then there are ice cream. Each one is special to someone. Not every coffee is right for me. Too bold takes away that soothing feeling. Too mild and I feel cheated out of the grand prize. So many flavors to choose from too. My morning coffee is special. You can have coffee in the afternoon, in the evening, dinnertime, each one different. For me the morning coffee must be coffee, no added flavor. If I'm feeling "green" I go with a mountain coffee that did not require massive amounts of trees to be cut from a field to grow the coffee in. Always organic because there is nothing enjoyable about chemicals in my coffee. A rich blend is nice, bold enough to give that boost yet mild enough to feel like sitting back with a good book under a warm blanket, as the morning turns to afternoon. It is a process but once you know what you like keeping your cupboard stocked will end the agony of decisions. Almost ready but not quit. The coffee has to be brewed.
There are a few ways to brew your coffee. I have chosen the easiest, but in my opinion not the best. I use the one cup at a time coffee maker. I got it as a gift from my husband and I do love it. I can make a cup in no time at all. I don't waste coffee anymore by brewing a pot and only drinking one cup. It is not the best because the coffee doesn't get to steep. My least favorite is the old way, making a whole pot up, using the filters and having the coffee sit in a glass pot while it slowly burns to a revoutling black sludge. There are two ways to make coffee that I believe are the right way, but it is time consuming. First is the coffee press. My brother introduced me to this method. He told me once I try coffee made this way I will whonder why I ever used a coffee machine. He was right! Oh the rich flavor, the silky texture. It was like drinking the nectar of the gods. I used to make my coffee ONLY this way. It does take time though. Heating water then pouring it into the press on top of the coffee. Now you have to let it steep for a short while. It is divine! After I broke the glass on my second press I moved on to my one cup per. The last way I know of is, as my friend calls it, cowboy coffee. It too takes time but it is pure. You heat the coffee in water right on the stove, preferably using a flame and not electric. I mean if your gonna drink cowboy coffee at least make it like the cowboys did. Its thick and dark and you have to be careful pouring it into your cup as not to get the grounds in too. You look at it thinking, "this is going to remove my hair", but its smooth, like hot chocolate. Rich and if milk added oh so creamy. I only have cowboy coffee at my friends house, a treat now and again. Once you have it all put together you are ready.
Whatever coffee you choose, mug you drink from, device you brew in, as you pass the coffee past your lips and it slides down your throat, let it ease you into the day with a soft and gentle ahhhhhhh. Now get going the kids are on there way downstairs! Go!
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