I was thinking recently about how coffee occupies an oddly central part of culture here. People either love or hate it. Or, like my Mom and roommates, love the smell and hate the taste. You can ask a friend or love interest to "grab coffee" and it goes with connotations of friendliness, interest, a desire to catch up.
If you want your dinner party to have a grown-up vibe, you might finish it off with coffee.
Offering someone coffee is like saying, "Hey, welcome, let me make something hot and comforting to you, but don't feel guilty for accepting like I'm going to much trouble, it's pretty easy."
You might say, "Gosh, I need coffee." And while you haven't said anything beyond, "That water made with beans sounds awesome," everyone knows you mean, "I'm tired today and feeling low in energy right now," or, "I just said something idiotic and now I'm trying to cover with a statement that I haven't been properly prepared for my day with coffee."
I think my first drink of coffee must have been a sip of my Dad's when I was a kid. I didn't really like it, even though he's liberal with the cream and sweetener.
I started loving peppermint soy mochas and other mostly (soy) milk and sugar coffee beverages in high school.
Sometime in college I started putting coffee over my vanilla soft serve ice cream, and drinking exclusively lattes.
I'm not exactly sure when I started liking straight coffee. Sometime in the past few years. John and I have a long-standing coffee date tradition, but I had never in my life made coffee in a coffeemaker before this week.
I was kind of intimidated.
The point is, I've resisted buying a coffee maker, not wanting to be addicted, but this past weekend, I woke up and thought, "It's a great day to buy a coffee maker." I do that sometimes, remember when I bought Nora?
And so John and I went to the store and I bought a coffee maker. And it's easier than I thought it would be.
What You Need
Electricity
Filtered water
Coffeemaker
Coffee filters
Ground coffee (or whole bean coffee and a grinder)
Sweetener or milk or creamer or whatever you like.
What To Do
see below for picture illustration
1. Plug in your coffeemaker.
Set the clock if it's new.
2. Fill up the decanter/coffee pot/thing with a spout with water (however much you want, just don't overfill). Note that "cups" on your coffeemaker probably don't equal standard cups. Mine are 5 ounces each (not 8).
3. Open the top of the coffeemaker.
4. Pour the water into the coffeemaker water receptacle on the side or at the back.
5. Take a coffee filter.
6. Weigh or measure ground coffee into the coffee filter. Follow instructions on the coffee for the ratio. I do 12-15 g (2.5-3 tbsp) per about 16 oz. water.
For example: Fill water to just past the "3" mark on the pot. Weigh out 15 g coffee. This will give you 1 enormous mug of coffee.
7. Shake the coffee filter to level the coffee.
8. Place the coffee filter in the top of the coffeemaker.
9. Adjust the edges so they don't poof out from the sides.
10. Close the lid.
11. Press "On." There will likely be some indication you have succeeded. Like a green light.
12. Watch the magic happen. Pour your coffee. Get wild with your add-ins.
13. For programmable delay, follow your coffee maker instructions.
On mine, just press "Set Delay" and adjust the time. Then press "Delay Brew" and the digital display reads "Delay" indicating that it understands me. How nice.
Coffeemaker.
Fill it up with water.
Pour it in.
Coffee filter.
Add coffee.
15 g. Shake to level.
Place in coffeemaker.
Adjust to fit properly.
Turn On. Or set Delay.
Enjoyed with a yogurt bowl.
The best part? Walking into my kitchen at 5:50 am and having my coffee ready to go. I feel like the kitchen is saying, "Good morning. Have a good one."
_______________________________
Besides the coffee maker, it was also big week for me. I saw some major surgery, again confirmed that I kind of hate surgery, passed Boards, got myself in gear and worked out every day (it's been at least 2 months since that happened) and saw the final Harry Potter.
I've always watched these with my sisters - we wait to go until we can all be together, but this year that's just not possible, with Shannon and I visiting home so much less. We also have a history of watching several in a row and knitting together in the past, especially in preparation for a new release. We can all pretty much give you at least the first 2 movies verbatim. It's been a long-standing tradition.
So I missed my sisters, but I really enjoyed it, and seeing it with friends was wonderful.
Occupying the very first spot in line ... I only waited like 2 hours: mild HP nerd, not costume/midnight showing status.
Stephanie's wearing a Slytherin tie. She is awesome.
Today I've done some yoga, had a couple mugs of (homemade!) coffee, and I have biking, cooking and wedding research in my plan.
Have good days!
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