THE COFFEE COUPLE

After clicking the power button on my drip coffee maker I went outside to do some chores.  Walking about I had a thought, “What can I get done before the coffee is ready?”

There are many things you can do in the short wait.  Here are the three different things I do while waiting for my brew.

1. Take care of critters.  Feed and water dog, rabbits, and chickens.

2. Pay several bills.

3. Tweet to my coffee friends. This is the funnest, but is more fun with a fresh cup in hand.

Ding. That’s it. The brew just finished. Time go drink coffee.

What can you get accomplished while waiting for your brew?

You know the scene. You’re out on a date with your wife. It’s been several months since the last time you had the time to spend time together away from the kids. You go to a special restaurant, perhaps the one you took her to when you were dating or on  a recommendation from a friend.  It’s going to be a nice night.  There’s soft music playing from hidden speakers.  The waitress takes your order.  You and your wife engage in romantic conversation. It’s great to be able to talk uninterrupted by the little ones.

The appetizers arrive and you can’t remember the last time you had Buffalo Wings this good.  More chatting as you wait for your meal.  Your dinner arrives with another round of drinks.  Man, the food is good. You savor each bite and clean your plate.  Now it’s dessert time. Red Velvet cake for her, Cheese cake for you.

Dinner is perfect, the company fine and dessert is outstanding. Now to finish with what the restaurant boasts as the best coffee.

You take the first sip.

What just happened? The coffee is terrible.  It’s weak and stale; cream and sugar cannot overcome the flavor. Your wife makes a face and pushes the cup away.  I mean, McDonald’s coffee would have been better.

Disappointment. And the evening so far was perfect. I’m looking at the whole experience. If one part of the meal is bad, the entire meal is ruined.

Why was the restaurant coffee so awful? Is it because they can skimp on cost and buy from some cheapo coffee company? Is this coffee good to most people who don’t know the difference between great and terrible coffee?

What is your experience with restaurant coffee? If it hasn’t been good, why do you think the coffee served is so bad?

Our last post listed five favorite desserts that go with coffee.  Even though I’ve never had this dessert before, I am definitely adding this to the list.  My mouth is watering even as I read the ingredients.  If you love chocolate, and you love coffee, this is for you.  Go check out this tasty delight at Chicho’s Kitchen: Arie Chocolate Tart

Will you add his to your list?

Thanks Chicho!

We love our coffee. We love coffee with dessert even more. Here are five tasty desserts that team well with great coffee.

1. Chocolate. Of course.
2. Cheesecake. New York deli-style if you can manage it.
3. Ice cream. For the kid in all of us.
4. Apple pie. It’s traditional.
5. Red Velvet cake. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

What is your favorite dessert to go with your coffee?

Image by: suavehouse113 on Flickr

I don’t need any more reasons to drink coffee, because I like it so much, but did you know coffee can be good for your health?

According to an article at RealAge.com, coffee is beneficial in fighting against diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, helping kidney function,  lowering the risk of certain cancers and protecting against stroke.

Pretty cool, huh?

So the next time you drink a cup of this magic brew, think of all the good you are doing to your body.

Coffee. It does a body good.

Yeah, I like that.

Use this clever device for those afternoons when you want just one cup of coffee and making a full pot is too much.  The folks over at slashfood.com have a nifty review of the “Clever Coffee Dripper”  Gotta get Monica one of these.

The coffee here at work is the worst.  One sip and you want to spit it out of your mouth.  It is bitter, stale, and down right repulsive.

True story:   One day while standing in the cafeteria chatting and waiting for a new brew, the CEO walked in.   He was anticipating a fresh cup too.  But after taking a sip, he dumped it in the sink and stormed out in disgust.

Conversely, there are some folks here who really believe that when they brew a new pot, it is “fresh”.  Or they will put two bags of coffee in the filter to make it stronger.

Please don’t do this.

Bad coffee twice as strong is twice as bad. What are they thinking? The sad thing is — I drink it anyway.  Even though it’s  horrible. It’s there and it’s free. And I need the caffeine.

What is the coffee like at your workplace?

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!  These folks over at  “I New Idea” have a lot of time on their hands – and for the coffee lover, that is a good thing.  Not only can coffee tantalize your taste-buds, but they have found a way to make coffee visually appealing too. Check out the beautiful coffee designs with Foam Art.

Love for a good cup of coffee is a passion that my wife, Monica, and I share.

It started for me when I was about 19 when someone introduced me for the first time to a real cup of coffee.  It was perked and really tasty.  Until then, I had only tasted what my father made during his morning ritual of boiling water and mixing in instant coffee.

For my 20th birthday I asked my folks for an automatic drip coffee maker. Kind of an odd gift to ask for,  but they obliged. A true coffee lover was born that day.   My folks got hooked too.  Out with tasters choice and in with Maxwell house.  My mom who was primarily a tea drinker switched to coffee like dad and I.

The reason Monica and I created this blog is to share our story about our love — for coffee.

We will be sharing more over the next several weeks as we build this blog together. It is one of our very first joint ventures other then marriage and children.

As a side, I don’t think Maxwell house is good coffee and only mention it as my starting point. But what did I know about coffee back then?