|
An Old-Fashioned Coffee Klatch
A Simple Cup of Coffee
A simple cup of coffee is a powerful thing! It can mend fences and save friendships. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but it could be that a simple cup of coffee is more powerful than both of them put together.
It had been a tough week in the neighborhood. It was cold, and the kids had been underfoot indoors at one house or the other all week. My neighbor and I had been close friends for several years, but our relationship had gotten seriously strained over this past week. She had called me twice to complain about how my Bobby was tormenting her Shawn. She had sent him home, too, more than twice.
Now, the boys played at my house as often as they played at her house, and I was fully aware of the fact that her Shawn wasn't the little darling that she thought he was. Our relationship and our friendship were nearing the breaking point; there really wasn't much doubt about it.
On Thursday morning, I took the boys to the "Mother's Day Out" program at a nearby local church for the morning. It was my neighbor's turn to drive, but I offered to run the "taxi" service and she accepted.
When I returned from dropping the boys off, I looked across the street at my neighbor's house, and it had the deserted look that most homes have during midwinter. In fact, it looked sad. I looked at the pile of laundry that was waiting for my attention. I looked at the as-yet-unmade beds. Then I looked at my coffee maker and made the decision. I picked up the phone and called my neighbor.
I said, "I know we both have a long list of things that we need to do while the little darlings are gone, but how about coming over for a cup of coffee?" She was there almost before I had time to hang up the phone. We drank a cup of coffee, and we talked about how we were both so tired of being cooped up with rowdy kids. We laughed and we cried, and we mended our broken fences and saved our friendship -- all over one simple cup of coffee.
See Also:
Skinny Iced Coffee
|
Coffee Shop Charm
Coffee Lovers Gift Baskets
I am simply amazed at the variety of coffee lovers' gift baskets that are available today. One of my real coffee-loving friends had an upcoming birthday, and I had determined that I would send him a gift basket made up of coffee and coffee items. We had shared many cups of coffee over the years, and it seemed like an appropriate and thoughtful gift for my old friend.
The idea sounded simple enough, I thought. I would just go online, find a nice coffee gift basket and have it sent to him. Problem solved! That was before I discovered how many choices there were available. It was a mind-boggling array.
I had the option of choosing a gift basket that was already made up and consisted of a variety of gourmet coffees. I had the option of choosing a gift basket that I could determine which coffees would be included. I could give my friend a membership in one of many "coffee-of-the-month" clubs that would provide him with a different gourmet coffee each month of the year.
I could choose coffee gift baskets with coffee that was already ground, or I could choose a coffee gift basket that consisted of a variety of coffee beans and a coffee grinder so he could grind the coffee himself. There were even coffee gift baskets that included an espresso coffee maker and espresso coffee cups along with the coffee. What to choose, what to choose? I had thought this coffee gift basket idea was going to be easy! Well, ordering was easy, but deciding WHAT to order was anything but easy.
I finally made a choice. I chose a coffee gift basket that had a variety of gourmet coffees in single serving packages so that he would enjoy trying different coffees from around the world and now I have a long list of future gift ideas for my friend. |
|
More articles:
Health
Iced coffee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ikea hacker: start your day with coffee in bed
Coffee (Java, Caffeine) : NeuroGog Designs : CafePress.com
Message in a Bottle
Coffee Clubs
French Press Coffee Maker
More than a few years ago, when I was just a boy, my dad would take me to the river to fish and camp overnight. It was a very big deal to me in those days. We didn't have a tent to sleep in, and we didn't have a camp stove. Sleeping was done (what there was of it) on a blanket on the ground and cooking (what there was of it) was done over an open fire.
Such an overnight camping trip was where I had my very first cup of coffee. Dad would pour water out of a jug into a pot, put the pot over the open fire, and bring it to a boil. Then he would pour in some coarse ground coffee and let the pot sit for a few minutes. Then he would drop cold water into it to make the grounds sink to the bottom before we drank the coffee. I've never had coffee that tasted any better in my life.
Now you might be asking what all of this has to do with a French press coffee maker. Well, the principles of making the coffee are exactly the same in the French press coffee maker and the river coffee that my dad made those many years ago. Of course, the French press coffee maker is much more civilized. French press coffee makers can be purchased that are electric. Still, the coffee-making principle is the same.
To make coffee in a French press coffee maker, you put hot water into the pot, add coarse ground coffee, and let the coffee heat for three or four minutes. Then you push the plunger down and the grounds are "pressed" to the bottom of the pot. French press coffee, like river coffee, is
very strong. A little goes a long way and the measurements of French press coffee makers are based on four-ounce coffee cups.
Related Topics: Flavored Coffee Syrup,
Is Coffee Good or Bad for You, Coffee and Alzheimers
|
