Saturday, February 02, 2008

My mornings are getting expensive

I'm really picky about my coffee: I won't even let Cliff put the creamer in for me; it has to be just right. When we're on the road, we get coffee at McDonald's. I hated it when they started adding the creamer for me, rather than just giving me a couple packets of coffee-creamer.

For years, I enjoyed real cream in my coffee, thanks to my cow-keeping. I'm talking about cream so thick it stood up on my spoon, and half a teaspoon was plenty, it was so rich.
It took awhile, but I finally adjusted to powdered Coffee-mate after I gave up my cows.

In the process, I found out the real cream in my coffee had been giving me heartburn. But I digress.


We went to Georgia to visit our son and his family, Thanksgiving. The daughter-in-law kept liquid, fat-free Coffee-mate and, having no other choice, I used it. Although I was sure the "fat-free" part would ruin it.

Dear Lord, that stuff had me from hello! I felt like a cat in catnip, it was that good. Since then it's the only coffee creamer I've bought; my old, much cheaper powdered standby sits unused on a shelf.

This week I was surfing the Internet and read somewhere (probably in a blog) where someone said to grind your own coffee just before you make it, if you want the best possible cup of joe.

So yesterday I bought a coffee grinder. It cost over $20. Then I went to the grocery section of Wal Mart and found the coffee beans, and practically fainted when I saw the price was over $8 per pound! Oh well, only the best for us, right? After filling my sack with the expensive stuff, I noticed the Eight-o'clock beans on a higher shelf, about half the price of the Millstone brand. Cliff suggested we buy both, so we could see if there was any appreciable difference.

So there's my morning java experience: high-priced though it is, I have to say I'm drinking a good cup of coffee right now.

My coffee consumption seems to be increasing. Is that a bad thing?

I'm editing this to add that I see no big difference in the brands of coffee, now that I've tried both. And my husband says he can't even tell a lot of difference between the fancy-schmancy stuff and our usual Folgers. This is good news, because from now on, he gets Folgers. I'll be the only one using freshly-ground coffee beans.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:42 AM

    I used to love to grind my own beans, brew the coffee or espresso, froth my milk, and sit down with a good book in the mornings and enjoy my cuppa joe.

    Now I generally don't get the coffee made until 4 p.m. and I'm lucky if I pour it and get the soy milk and Splenda into it before it gets cold or I forget about it.

    Perhaps this is why I've come to love the iced coffee?

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  2. from one coffee-lover to another, I can totally relate!

    Folgers is my favorite, the Columbian Roast. I like a dark coffee. I drink my first cup black then the rest with cream and YES you are right about the coffeemate liquid creamer, it is delicious! My husband prefers the powder though, I dont understand it.

    Ive read coffee has it's health benefits too!

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  3. I did read recently about coffee not being good for diabetics. FYI

    Since hubby doesn't drink coffee I rarely make any at home. ;-(

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  4. I don't drink coffee and I am one half Swedish!! The Swedes love their coffee!! I like Diet Coke!! Thanks for your vist today I am so tired of being sick!!!!! Love and hugs Grams

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  5. Another coffee lover here. I usually drink mine strong and black, no sweetener. I occasionally get a white chocolate mocha at Starbuck's but that's about as adventurous as I get with my coffee. I don't like the flavored stuff much at all.

    I buy the Folger's Columbian, and I buy the Eight O'Clock Bean Columbian whole bean occasionally and grind my own. I can't tell a lot of difference between the freshly ground and the Folger's so I don't go to the trouble of grinding the beans too often these days.

    Hope your weekend is going well.

    Hugs,

    Diane

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  6. I drink my coffee with some cream in it. I can't tell the difference in the ground kind. At my nephew's house they are into all that coffee, grinding the beans, and all the flavored stuff they'll try too. Last weekend I was over there and she made a pot after grinding the beans. It's all just coffee to me!

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  7. I'll be a zombie the whole morning until I get my fix. MacDonald's coffee isn't that good to me. I prefer Seven-Eleven if I have to get one anyway.

    Wifey's coffee is still the best for me first thing every morning... weekdays before work and on weekends just after waking-up late. Black with sugar, no creamer.

    Thank you for stopping by and leaving a message.

    Have a good, freshly brewed-coffee- aroma-morning weekend.

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  8. We're so ridiculous here that there are two coffee pots and two coffee grinders!!! Because the coffee purist husband of mine doesn't want my flavored coffee contaminating his coffee flavored coffee. I suppose there are worse habits.

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