Clouds in my Coffee

In case you wondered, Captain John Smith is credited with introducing coffee to what is now North America.

I’m not a habitual coffee drinker.  I own a coffee maker, but use it only occasionally.  I’m more of a social coffee drinker, picking up a cup when it seems like that’s what everyone else is doing.

I’m not a coffee connoisseur, really.  I’ll drink a cup of institutional coffee as well as a cup of Starbuck’s- although I can tell the difference.  Nothing is better than a really good cup of strong coffee, tempered with just a bit of milk and sugar… and maybe a little mocha on a cold, rainy day. 

Even before I drank coffee (which wasn’t until college) I loved the smell of it.  It’s like those commercials where the actor opens the can and takes a deep breath. 

I drank a whole carafe of coffee in college once.  My husband-to-be and I were studying for Greek finals.  I had to stop drinking when the tremors started and I was talking a mile a minute.  After a point, you can’t concentrate to study any more.

I like the effect a small dose of caffeine has on me- increased alertness and energy.  Sometimes I have a cup just to drag me from “can’t open my eyes” to normal. 

Outside of chocolate, I like a nutty flavor to my coffee such as hazelnut or almond.  Caramel is a good accent, too.  Fruit flavors rarely mix well with coffee, even though, technically, coffee itself is a berry.

My mom introduced me to chocolate covered espresso beans a few years ago.  It was a double dose of addiction.  The only way I can stop is to remind myself that I’d like to sleep at night… and even that’s not always enough.

My favorite song with coffee is Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” 

Coffee is a good lesson in how something hard and bitter can become wonderful and fragrant with the right kind of treatment.