Coffee

 

I noticed in two people (so therefore it's conclusive evidence) that around 30 years of age the coffee drinking begins.

I don't like coffee.
I never have.
It's the smell and the taste.
I'll take a hot chocolate instead.

But coffee feels like a grown up thing that is inevitable.
But it's gross.
But I used to think alcohol was gross.
Until I discovered Irish Cream.
So maybe it's just finding the right tasting coffee.

My mom buys in green coffee beans.
She roasts them.
She grinds them.
She drinks coffee.
I'm told by everyone who visits to try them that the coffee is amazing.

Still gross.

I went to the MD for a physical.
She commented on the softness of my breasts.
That was weird.
And then she explained that coffee drinkers tend to get sinew-y breasts.

Another reason not to drink the yucky brown coffee.

But now I'm closer to 30 than 29.
I know, I can't believe it either.
So now is the time to start drinking coffee, given my two person pool of evidence.
And my need for a quick caffeine kick in the afternoon - caffeine, something that didn't give that kick in the past - and if you know me personally then you're grateful for that!
And when it's super sweet and frothy and creamy - then I can drink that.
But super sweet froth cream with a dollop of coffee is elusive at home.
I can only find it in coffee shops.

I think I have all the necessary ingredients - fresh coffee beans, fresh cream .... honey, maple syrup, or sugar. We even have that frother/steamer thing but it doesn't seem to froth. My mom thinks it's because the milk is too fatty as our skimming capabilities are not as effective as it is for skimming milk on a commercial level. Or maybe we just don't know how to use the frother/steamer?

How do you get yummy coffee drinks at home?

Peppermint Bark = Fail

Pre- Christmas was too busy to get more pictures up of Christmas gift preparations.
We (meaning "I") decided peppermint bark would work for Uncle Shawn. Ark Boy LOVED hammering the candycanes to bits (maybe too tiny bits?)

 

melting the white chocolate chips

 

After adding the candy cane pieces I think they melted too funny and so the concotion wouldn't spread.

eta: the non spreading mess picture accidently deleted... Ugh! And that was the grand finale of this post!! - I found a copy online but cant resize. You're smart though, you'll get it.


It sat in the fridge for a while and I snacked on it before it was converted to pepperming white chocolate cookies.
If you want to see the somewhat successful bark scroll to the end of this post.

Cookies

The day we came home from Chicago I insisted Ren Man make cookies as a thank you to our duplex-neighbor who looked after Bixbee while we were gone.
He made chocolate chip and peanut butter.
The next morning I placed a tin foil covered plate of cookies outside their door with a thank you note attached.
Several hours later a couple squirrels were in our garden (in the front yard).
I pointed these out to Ark Boy and watched as they dug around a little.
One squirrel came onto our front porch.
This was very exciting for Ark Boy.
The squirrel slipped under the gate that divides our half of the front porch from the neighbors.
I lost sight of it because of the angle of the windows to porch- but a moment later the squirrel was coming back under the gate to our side... with a peanut butter cookie in its mouth!
"Those punks!" I shouted before throwing open the door and snatching my plate of cookies back.
I think that only one cookie had been snagged.
Much later, when the neighbors were home, I brought the cookies to them.
I debated telling them the squirrel story...
decided they'd probably prefer not to know.

***

Recently decided that while we invite Ark Boy to cook with us- he never really gets to do anything.
Lured him back inside by asking if he wanted to make cookies (was wishing we hadn't given cookies to neighbors but kept them for ourselves).
Time for eggs.
Showed Ark Boy where the eggs are in the fridge.
He was adamant about cracking them himself.
Slightly nerve wracking.
He does it.
Well.
Show him where to compost bucket is for egg shells.
Farm Girl wakes from nap.
Tell Ark Boy that I'll be right back.
Come back with Farm Girl.
Time to cream dough.
Seems too wet.
Decide to add more sugar.
Ren Man is attracted to mixer noise.
Assume cookies are in process.
Ask him about lack of creaminess.
Suggests we add more butter.
Decide to look at egg carton.
Only one egg left.
Evidently Ark Boy went and retrieved 2 additional eggs, cracked them into the dough, and discarded the shell, with only minimal shell in the mixing bowl...
all while I was getting Farm Girl from her nap.
So we doubled the recipe.
Then froze the cookies to deter us from eating them too quickly.
Even so... they're aren't so many left.
SOMEBODY (me) keeps going downstairs to the chest freezer where said cookies are being stored to get a couple... a couple times a day.
Yum.