coffee — Page 2

A Little Bit of Everything

November 26, 2016 at 9:43 am by Claudia

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On our second gloomy day in a row, I thought a sunny picture would be in order. Hard to believe, but I just took this about 3 days ago.

Low-key is a perfect description for life here in the cottage these days. After my spurt of energy sorting and purging the closet on Thanksgiving, I have reverted to my inclination to be lazy. I did rouse myself to drive to our local jeweler yesterday to get the battery in my watch replaced – a favorite watch that I had lost track of, but found – you guessed it – in the midst of my cleaning and sorting on Thursday.

And, on high alert, I stopped at the grocery store to get some more Peet’s French Roast. I’m not exaggerating when I say we go into a mild panic at the thought of running out and finding that our closest store is also out. And that has happened, my friends. It isn’t pretty. We’ve tried just about every other French Roast out there, most often when we have no other choice, and while some are okay, none equal Peet’s.

Don’t you think Peet’s should hire me as a ‘brand ambassador?’

I’ve been reading the latest Lee Child, but – and I’m going to be frank here – I’m just not that into it. That is the first and only time I have ever said that about one of his thrillers. This one takes place in the past, when Reacher was still an enlisted man, and the premise is intriguing, but for some reason this one just seems too formulaic. Maybe it’s my mood, maybe because I’ve read all of the Reacher series, but I’m having to force myself to finish. I will finish, if only because I bought the darned book, but it is definitely not my favorite.

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The latest SquintBox, which arrived in yesterday’s mail. The theme is ‘Good Cheer.’ Christmas presents, holiday cards, a shopping bag and box from Paris, a Plum Pudding Cake, and a glass bowl of holiday candies. My stash is growing monthly due to this neat subscription service!

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Mini Pottery collection update. I’ve had to move some of the pieces to the top of this shadow box because I’m running out of room! (I’m not complaining.)

We watched Top Hat on TCM yesterday. As the world’s biggest Fred Astaire fan – really, I am! – I’ve seen this movie many, many times. But I never tire of it. I’ve been an Astaire fan since I was a kid. There’s not much I don’t know about him. My dorm room and student apartments were dominated by a huge poster of Fred and Ginger dancing Cheek to Cheek, Ginger’s infamous feather dress looking gorgeous (and somewhat dangerous for Fred, as feathers flew everywhere.)

In times of stress and worry, which, let’s face it, this particular time is, a Fred and Ginger movie is the perfect prescription. There’s a reason their movies were such a hit during a time when the country reeled from The Depression.

Another movie that makes me happy? Tootsie. And that’s on TCM tonight at 8.

Another happy thing: our new weekend home delivery of the New York Times. I signed up for it at the beginning of the week. We now get the Friday – Sunday editions delivered to our little cottage. And they’re out there on the driveway early! We get up around 5:30 or 6 and the paper is already there.

I’m making good on my promise to subscribe to a newspaper or two as well as magazines that feature investigative journalism. Supporting a free press is imperative.

Happy Saturday.

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Wind and Coffee

January 20, 2016 at 8:48 am by Claudia

Oh my goodness. I am so happy that the wind has abated. The wind here in the city was so strong that I almost can’t describe it. Walking the 8 or so blocks to work was horrible. It was even worse coming home. When I turned the corner onto the little strip between buildings that leads to the back door of the apartment building, I thought my face would become permanently windburned!

Hartford can often be windy, with certain city blocks (like the one the theater is on) acting like wind tunnels. That strip I mentioned earlier is definitely a wind tunnel. As it is also right outside our windows, we could hear the wind howling for over 48 hours.

It’s sunny today, but very cold, and the local weather report says that this is the day we should find out which direction the Nor’easter is tracking. I’m afraid to look, so if you know, do me a favor? Don’t tell me yet. I need a little pocket of happy oblivion this morning, okay?

I stopped by a new coffee place yesterday. It’s called Blue State Coffee. There’s a Starbucks down the street, but I’m not a big fan. I think their coffee is too strong (and you know I like a dark roast, so it’s not as if I don’t drink strongish coffee.) And let’s face it, they don’t need my business, they’re doing just fine.

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I really liked the interior. They offer lunch, as well, with some vegetarian and vegan options. Huzzah!

That’s my bag with a big box from Amazon inside. I had to order some reference books for my job. Lucky me, I got to cart it home during the ‘wind event.’

Anyway, back to Blue State Coffee. That’s Mackenzie behind the counter and she can make things like this:

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A work of art. Too pretty to drink, don’t you think? I had remarked on someone else’s pretty latte and Mackenzie said, “Hang around a minute and I’ll make something worthy of a picture.” So I did. And here it is. Amazing.

With a possible Nor’easter on the way and my Peet’s French Roast supply getting low and the knowledge that I might not be able to get to the store before it hits, I had stopped in with the idea that they might sell their own coffee. Sure enough, there were bags of coffee beans, among them French Roast. I bought a bag of beans, which they ground for me, as well as a mug with their logo on it because I can’t resist those things. (I’ll show that in another post. I’m thinking it will be perfect for hot chocolate.) Mackenzie informed me that I was eligible for a free drink since I bought a bag of coffee.

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So I chose my five o’clock in the afternoon beverage of choice: hot chocolate. It was good.

Another positive in this already positive experience with Blue State Coffee:

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They donate to local non-profit organizations.

This is their mission statement: “Welcome to Blue State Coffee. Our mission is to create vibrant cafes that reflect, improve, and inspire our communities.” They are in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, blue states all.

This morning I made one cup of Peet’s. My second cup was Blue State Coffee’s version of French Roast. It was pretty darned good. Peet’s is still my favorite, but this will do in a pinch. I won’t be caught without French Roast in the morning and I won’t be frustrated because it doesn’t taste like French Roast.

I like this company.

More coaching this afternoon.

Happy Wednesday.

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On the Road (but not quite): The SlickDrip

February 12, 2015 at 9:47 am by Claudia

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I like my homemade doily swag lamp. Sometimes I consider changing out the shade. However, when last I mentioned that idea to Don, he gave it a thumbs down. Turns out he likes the crocheted doilies because they allow him to see through the lamp to the window and beyond. There’s a lightness, an airiness to the whole thing. So it stays as is.

When I realized I’d be staying in Brooklyn off and on over the next week and a half (in an apartment close to the theater) I knew it was time to finally order my Kuissential SlickDrip.

What the heck is that, you ask?

You know I love my coffee. Since last summer, I’ve started making my coffee every morning using the single cup pour over method. Best coffee I’ve ever tasted. It involves using a filter holder that sits on top of a mug, a number 2 filter, a couple scoops of coffee and boiling water. Simple. Cheap. Just the cost of the coffee and the filters. Here at the house, we use a filter holder made by Melitta that we’ve had for years. But what to do when one of us is traveling?

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This. It is perfect for traveling. It’s made of silicone, and collapses for easy packing.

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Here it is, sans filter.

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And here it is in its neatly collapsed state.

I tried it out both yesterday and today and, maybe I’m crazy, but my coffee seems to taste better than ever.

I was turned onto the SlickDrip by my roommate this past summer in Chautauqua. Andrea is a costume designer and she travels a lot. She told me she had two needs on the road: portable speakers for her music/playlist and the SlickDrip. She likes a strong cup of coffee. Her enthusiasm for it was infectious. She insisted on making me a cup of Peets using the SlickDrip and I went into a swoon after tasting the coffee. I became a single cup pour over convert. When I came home, I dug out our Melitta filter holder and stopped using the coffeemaker. It’s now in the closet and I’ve never turned back.

I’m not being paid by Kuissential, they don’t know I exist. Oh, wait: they do know I exist because, after I purchased the SlickDrip via Amazon, they sent me a great email with all sorts of tips for making great coffee. I just wanted to share this with you because it’s such a neat idea.

Anyway, you know I love to talk about coffee and I know everyone has their preferred method of brewing coffee. It’s a highly personal thing! But, after years and years of coffee drinking, I feel like I’ve finally found the best way to make an excellent cup of coffee and it doesn’t involve the expense of a coffee maker. Who knew? We’ve happily kicked the coffee maker to the curb.

And just like making a good cup of tea, this takes a little time. I find the ritual of slowly adding water to the grounds very calming – a little ceremony, if you will. It’s a nice way to start my morning.

Tomorrow, when I take off for Manhattan/Brooklyn, I’ll have a bag of Peets, a few filters, and my collapsible coffee dripper.

And some books to read, of course. And my flannel pajamas.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page. I want to know your thoughts on The Long Way Home by Louise Penny. I just finished it.

Happy Thursday.

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A Little Bit of Everything

Wind and Coffee

On the Road (but not quite): The SlickDrip

claudiahillsparks

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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