All week I gather thoughts for this newsletter. Here are this weeks words. Some of these words have nothing at all to do with other words. Some words are really good with other words. But there you are.
Did you know instant coffee was invented in NZ? I didn't until a month or so ago (and I've lived here a long time!). A man in Invercargill called David Strang...when I was young everyone in my family drank instant coffee, except my Nanna. I couldn't stand tea and drank instant all the time, now its the other way round :)
I didn’t know that about instant coffee! I have memories of instant coffee as a child, the smell of instant coffee invokes a strong and vivid memory for me. Breakfast at my grandparents house, early morning in a particular mug, with lots of milk and sugar. I was only 5 years old but loved to have my coffee with them in the morning when I slept over.
Thank you for sharing my note! I know my coffee is organic, and I drink too much of it! I didn´t realize Colombia and Brazil are the biggest exporters of coffee to the US. I do know that a lot of people here drink bad coffee because all the good stuff is shipped out! I am def spoiled now since I drink my own coffee or a local girls' coffee that we know, and both of us refuse to use pesticides. Unfortunately, most coffee farmers use some sort of pesticide.
That is pretty awesome! Drinking your own coffee and knowing for sure it is a clean cup of coffee. Most growers period, use pesticides. Sad but true. And I am thrilled to have found you!
Well, this was the most delicious rabbit hole I've fallen down today! From self-doubt to mycotoxins, with a perfect espresso shot of wisdom in between.
My takeaway Cecilia:
1) We're all works in progress wearing 'adulting' costumes.
2) Life's too short for bad coffee, and 3) I'll never look at my French press the same way again. Also - oat milk pregnant daughter vs your whole milk froth is the generational divide we should all be talking about hahahaha. ☕
Good coffee is difficult to find these days. I’ve realized the brands are upping prices and giving us weak stuff. tweaking their ingredients to save money. Everything is a conundrum like you said Cecilia.
thank you about the meringues! I love love coffee and only started drinking it when I was pregnant with my first daughter because the smell lured me in and I never stopped. I make pour over coffee each morning, in a small glass container and use beans from a local roaster. have your ever read the book, 'the monk of mokka'? I think that you would absolutely love this book, it's an amazing true story and you won't be able to put it down. I've gifted it to 4 different people now who are into coffee. I can identify with what you said about how you approached your jobs back in the day, I was the same, we both suffered from 'imposter syndrome' and it took me a long time to overcome it, all due to my own view of myself and how I thought others viewed me.
Drinking my coffee while reading and writing. Nothing fancy in the morning, but my coffee maker is a pod type, but we don't use disposable pods. My coffee will change from month to month and this month is Folgers.
I try to buy organic beans from small producers trusting what the labels say. I also buy a pre-ground decaf. I grind beans for about 2 weeks worth and mix equally with the decaf. My afib requires limits on caffeine. Each morning I brew 2 cups in our French Press and deliver one of them to my sweetheart. It is one of the bonds we enjoy.
There is a poignant connection in sharing a cup of coffee or tea. My first husband brought me a cup of tea every morning before going to work. Which was lovely when I was feeding babies.
Ahhh... coffee... I prefer to buy fair trade organic if I can but part of me suspects it is always less than a fair trade for the work that goes into growing and picking it
The global coffee market is worth $460 Billion of which the US imports only $8.2 Billion - however for every dollar of coffee-related imports, coffee generates $43 in value for the U.S. economy with over 2.2 million jobs in related jobs according to the website coffee intelligence.
Shame a lot of that wealth bypasses the poor coffee farmers
Hope your coffee doesn't become priced off the market Cecilia
This is the thing with labels. Fair Trade as an example. Labels and marketing are built on trust. Do we trust their words to be true. I am not sure either.
The numbers and dollars in the coffee industry are truly mind blowing.
I am mostly living in Australia now so hopefully coffee here does not get too expensive though buying from our local roastier is not cheap!
Every morning before anything else, two coffees each, black, in double walled cups, made by hubby and our automatic coffee machine which grinds the beans. Organic preferably but standard sometimes... prices are going up. I've never smelled mould in the beans, tg. Made with tank water, i.e. rainwater not chlorinated town water. As a kid in a rural Australia the only coffee was instant, and of course because the adults drank it I wanted it too, I was allowed but it was more milk than coffee.
Oh coffee, I need it in the morning. I don’t think it is necessarily the chemicals that I need but perhaps the ritual. Getting up (I am not a morning person and also anemic, so waking up and getting out if bed is extremely hard). The ritual of getting up g to the coffee pot and sit g with a warm cup and sipping it while waking up is a sort of meditation ritual to start the day slow and taking some time to myself before the day starts full speed ahead. It is an important ritual for me. I take coffee strong and black.
I used to have coffee with cream and sugar, but one year I gave up cream and sugar for lent. I was also listening to a “The Minimalists”podcast” about simplifying. They said you really didn’t need that stuff in coffee if you had a good quality coffee, you taste the coffee and it shouldn’t be harsh and bitter. So I found a coffee, Salt Spring Island coffee and it is now on subscription. I also have a few other great local raisers that I use at times. They are it cheap, but it is an indulgence I consider worth it. I also like to support small local roasters who know their suppliers/farms, they are fair trade and reputable.
As a child growing up in Germany, I adored my grandmother. She taught me cooking and how to shop for the best produce, visiting her specialty shops. I would smile as we neared the café where she purchased her favorite coffee beans. The scent made me so happy and does to this day. My roaster works fair trade with dozens of organic family farms in Chiapas, Mexico and ships to me directly after roasting. The morning ritual is water boiler with filtered water on, grinding the beans, 4 scoops coffee in French press, add the water, stir gently, let sit for 6 minutes, add non-dairy creamer to my large mug. In the afternoon, espresso by my Breville machine or Bialetti. My large urban community has no shortage of independent coffee shops along with the chain which I boycott though I enjoy breathing deeply as I pass. A new friend asked me if I like instant. I stared into his eyes and slowly shook my head left and right. He quickly moved the topic to coffee ice cream.
Did you know instant coffee was invented in NZ? I didn't until a month or so ago (and I've lived here a long time!). A man in Invercargill called David Strang...when I was young everyone in my family drank instant coffee, except my Nanna. I couldn't stand tea and drank instant all the time, now its the other way round :)
That is a fantastic piece of info and NO - I did not know. Thank you so much h Christina. Wow. I am going to share this!
I didn’t know that about instant coffee! I have memories of instant coffee as a child, the smell of instant coffee invokes a strong and vivid memory for me. Breakfast at my grandparents house, early morning in a particular mug, with lots of milk and sugar. I was only 5 years old but loved to have my coffee with them in the morning when I slept over.
Thank you for sharing my note! I know my coffee is organic, and I drink too much of it! I didn´t realize Colombia and Brazil are the biggest exporters of coffee to the US. I do know that a lot of people here drink bad coffee because all the good stuff is shipped out! I am def spoiled now since I drink my own coffee or a local girls' coffee that we know, and both of us refuse to use pesticides. Unfortunately, most coffee farmers use some sort of pesticide.
That is pretty awesome! Drinking your own coffee and knowing for sure it is a clean cup of coffee. Most growers period, use pesticides. Sad but true. And I am thrilled to have found you!
I am glad I found you too:)
Well, this was the most delicious rabbit hole I've fallen down today! From self-doubt to mycotoxins, with a perfect espresso shot of wisdom in between.
My takeaway Cecilia:
1) We're all works in progress wearing 'adulting' costumes.
2) Life's too short for bad coffee, and 3) I'll never look at my French press the same way again. Also - oat milk pregnant daughter vs your whole milk froth is the generational divide we should all be talking about hahahaha. ☕
Happy New Week my friend.
Right? I would NEVER put oat ‘milk’ in my coffee. Never ever.
Everything is a conundrum - I just trust that my nose will let me know that my coffee is good and my nose says yes! This morning!
My husband does :(
Good coffee is difficult to find these days. I’ve realized the brands are upping prices and giving us weak stuff. tweaking their ingredients to save money. Everything is a conundrum like you said Cecilia.
thank you about the meringues! I love love coffee and only started drinking it when I was pregnant with my first daughter because the smell lured me in and I never stopped. I make pour over coffee each morning, in a small glass container and use beans from a local roaster. have your ever read the book, 'the monk of mokka'? I think that you would absolutely love this book, it's an amazing true story and you won't be able to put it down. I've gifted it to 4 different people now who are into coffee. I can identify with what you said about how you approached your jobs back in the day, I was the same, we both suffered from 'imposter syndrome' and it took me a long time to overcome it, all due to my own view of myself and how I thought others viewed me.
Good morning Beth! Yes! I never even knew about Imposter Syndrome when I was young. I just thought it was me. How sad.
The monk of mokka? I will find it. Thank you for the recommendation- I love a good book recommendation.
Drinking my coffee while reading and writing. Nothing fancy in the morning, but my coffee maker is a pod type, but we don't use disposable pods. My coffee will change from month to month and this month is Folgers.
Folgers is a reliable old brand. My mother in law drinks about ten cups of that a day.
I try to buy organic beans from small producers trusting what the labels say. I also buy a pre-ground decaf. I grind beans for about 2 weeks worth and mix equally with the decaf. My afib requires limits on caffeine. Each morning I brew 2 cups in our French Press and deliver one of them to my sweetheart. It is one of the bonds we enjoy.
There is a poignant connection in sharing a cup of coffee or tea. My first husband brought me a cup of tea every morning before going to work. Which was lovely when I was feeding babies.
Ahhh... coffee... I prefer to buy fair trade organic if I can but part of me suspects it is always less than a fair trade for the work that goes into growing and picking it
The global coffee market is worth $460 Billion of which the US imports only $8.2 Billion - however for every dollar of coffee-related imports, coffee generates $43 in value for the U.S. economy with over 2.2 million jobs in related jobs according to the website coffee intelligence.
Shame a lot of that wealth bypasses the poor coffee farmers
Hope your coffee doesn't become priced off the market Cecilia
This is the thing with labels. Fair Trade as an example. Labels and marketing are built on trust. Do we trust their words to be true. I am not sure either.
The numbers and dollars in the coffee industry are truly mind blowing.
I am mostly living in Australia now so hopefully coffee here does not get too expensive though buying from our local roastier is not cheap!
That meringue recipe looks so easy! I love the tip about keeping it in the oven to cool. And coffee + meringue for breakfast sounds simply divine.
The most delicious combo.
Every morning before anything else, two coffees each, black, in double walled cups, made by hubby and our automatic coffee machine which grinds the beans. Organic preferably but standard sometimes... prices are going up. I've never smelled mould in the beans, tg. Made with tank water, i.e. rainwater not chlorinated town water. As a kid in a rural Australia the only coffee was instant, and of course because the adults drank it I wanted it too, I was allowed but it was more milk than coffee.
Oh coffee, I need it in the morning. I don’t think it is necessarily the chemicals that I need but perhaps the ritual. Getting up (I am not a morning person and also anemic, so waking up and getting out if bed is extremely hard). The ritual of getting up g to the coffee pot and sit g with a warm cup and sipping it while waking up is a sort of meditation ritual to start the day slow and taking some time to myself before the day starts full speed ahead. It is an important ritual for me. I take coffee strong and black.
I used to have coffee with cream and sugar, but one year I gave up cream and sugar for lent. I was also listening to a “The Minimalists”podcast” about simplifying. They said you really didn’t need that stuff in coffee if you had a good quality coffee, you taste the coffee and it shouldn’t be harsh and bitter. So I found a coffee, Salt Spring Island coffee and it is now on subscription. I also have a few other great local raisers that I use at times. They are it cheap, but it is an indulgence I consider worth it. I also like to support small local roasters who know their suppliers/farms, they are fair trade and reputable.
As a child growing up in Germany, I adored my grandmother. She taught me cooking and how to shop for the best produce, visiting her specialty shops. I would smile as we neared the café where she purchased her favorite coffee beans. The scent made me so happy and does to this day. My roaster works fair trade with dozens of organic family farms in Chiapas, Mexico and ships to me directly after roasting. The morning ritual is water boiler with filtered water on, grinding the beans, 4 scoops coffee in French press, add the water, stir gently, let sit for 6 minutes, add non-dairy creamer to my large mug. In the afternoon, espresso by my Breville machine or Bialetti. My large urban community has no shortage of independent coffee shops along with the chain which I boycott though I enjoy breathing deeply as I pass. A new friend asked me if I like instant. I stared into his eyes and slowly shook my head left and right. He quickly moved the topic to coffee ice cream.
Love that you breathe deeply as you pass that chain which we will not mention!
Your coffee routine is delightful. And that last sentence made me laugh out loud!
Instant!! 😳