Coffee-nated

I adore coffee. I was addicted when my mother would pour me a glass of cold milk, add a few drops of coffee and plenty of sugar. Coffee milk. That was a treat in my house. She would then plunk down her banana fritters and we knew it was a perfect day. But this is not an ode to her banana fritters. Actually they were little pancakes that were thin and crispy-edged with nuggets of melting banana. Okay, I just had to get that out. This post is really about coffee.

The first time I realized the power of caffeine was in college. No, I wasn't doing something as sensible as pulling an all-night study session. I was on a date, and we just kept talking till the wee hours. So I kept my coffee cup full. I was a novice then. I added plenty of milk and sugar.

My husband fell in love with me when I took one sip of a coffee, deemed it unacceptable and pitched it in the trash. He knew then I was a woman of discriminating taste.

I had two dry seasons. It was ugly. It was a sign I was pregnant when all coffee tasted off. I couldn't drink it for 10 months (Those in the know are aware that pregnancies last 38-40 weeks, not "nine months."). Needless to say, Snark is a saint after being with me after that withdrawal period. After delivery, in my dazed state I grabbed him and whispered "Get me a Caribou latte now!" The nurse was not pleased that I wouldn't eat anything until he came back with the elixir. It says a lot when a man goes into a blizzard for a latte.

I try not to drink coffee at people's houses. If I like them, I don't want their bad coffee to be a strike against them. There is far more bad coffee out there than good. I went to someone's house one Christmas. I didn't think much of her, in fact, leaning towards dislike. Then she served us coffee. To this day I will remember her fondly. I have never had a cup of coffee like her's since. I've tried to duplicate it right down to the bean.

I bought a machine that sounds like an airplane taking off but makes a heavenly cup of coffee. I swear by the Capresso CoffeeTeam Luxe. It measures, grinds and brews a great pot of coffee. My only complaint is that it does not have an insulated thermos. Snark's only complaint is that it isn't self-cleaning. The funny thing is my sister-in-law who is a coffee addict, but can't brew a decent cup to save her life, hooked me on this nifty machine. She still brews a bad cup because she doesn't know how to use the machine. But since she showed me the light, I will swallow the swill she puts in front of me with a smile.

I know it's a sign of Christmas when Starbucks puts Peppermint Mocha on the board. I know my coffee tastes best early in the morning sitting with Snark out on my patio. The company has a lot to do with it. I know it's love when for the past twelve years my morning coffee has been creamed, sugared and waiting for me to drink.