This page best viewed with caffeine!!  

Ahhhhhhhhhh . . . nothing like a hot cup of coffee. It's always just the right size, doesn't need many accessories (a little sweetner and Coffeemate), and goes with anything . . . TV, a good book, anything I'm eating, when I'm cold, when I'm hot, good in the morning, good at night, good all day in between . . . *giggle* . . . I think you get the picture. Can't seem to get enough! It's an every day pleasure, and every cup is truly a "magic moment"! :o)

You name it . . . I like it! Iced Cappuccino, Cappuccino, Mochaccino (my personal fav!), vanilla coffee, irish coffee (must be the Irish in me!), Espresso, Caffe Latte, Cafe Au Lait, yada, yada, yada.

So where did coffee come from anyway? Well . . . glad you asked!

The most famous version of the origin of coffee goes like this:

Once upon a time, in the land of Arabia Felix, there lived a goatherd named Kaldi. Kaldi was a sober, responsible goatherd whose goats were also sober, if not responsible. One night, Kaldi's goats didn't come home, and in the morning he found them dancing with abandoned glee near a shiny, dark-leafed shrub with red berries. Kaldi soon determined that it was the red berries on the shiny, dark-leafed shrub that caused the goats' eccentric behavior, and it wasn't long before he was dancing, too.

Finally, a learned imam from a local monastery came by on his way to prayer. He saw the goats dancing, Kaldi dancing, and the shiny, dark-leafed shrub with the red berries. Being of a more systematic turn of mind than the goats or Kaldi, the learned imam subjected the red berries to various experiental examinations, one of which involved parching and boiling. Soon neither the imam nor his fellows fell asleep at prayers, and the use of coffee spread from the monastery to monastery, throughout Arabia Felix, and from there to the rest of the world!

Espresso ~ About 1 1/2 ounces of espresso coffee, black, usually drunk with sugar. Properly prepared, it should fill about two-thirds of a demitasse and can be flavored with a drop or two of almond or tangerine extract.

Espresso Romano ~ Espresso served with a twist or thin slice of lemon on the side.

Espresso Ristretto ~ "Restricted" or short espresso. The flow of espresso is cut short at about 1 ounce producing an even denser, more perfumy cup of espresso.

Cappuccino ~ A serving (about 1 1/2 ounces) of espresso, topped by hot milk and foam. A good cappuccino consists of about one-third espresso, one-third milk, and one-third foam in a heavy 6-ounce cup with sugar. In the United States, this is the most popular yet the most abused espresso drink. Some preparers drown the coffee with too much milk, others pile irrelevant whipped cream on top, and others ruin the drink by running too much water through the ground espresso which produces a bitter, watery cup.

Caffe Latte ~ (Cafe au lait in France) ~ One or two servings of espresso and three times as much frothed milk in a big bowl or wide-mouthed glass. This is the favorite breakfast drink of southern Europeans. Caffe Latte has a greater proportion of milk to coffee than a cappuccino does and tastes weaker and milkier. Strictly speaking, the milk and coffee should be poured simultaneously from either side of the bowl. In the United States, cafes often distinguish between caffe latte (made with espresso) and cafe au lait, made with ordinary American coffee from the filter carafe.

Caffe Mocha ~ A mocha to an espresso drinker is about one-third espresso, one third strong hot coffee, and one-third hot frothed milk. The milk is added last, and the whole thing is usually served in an 8-ounce mug. With a classic mocha, the hot chocolate is made very strong so it can hold its own against the espresso, and the drinker adds sugar to taste.

Iced Espresso ~ This is usually a double espresso poured over plenty of crushed, not cubed, ice, in a small fancy glass. No crushed ice? Improvise by putting some cubes in a towel and hammer on it with something flat and heavy.

Iced Cappuccino ~ Best made with a single or double serving of freshly brewed espresso poured over crushed ice topped with an ounce or two of cold milk, then some froth (not hot milk) from a cappuccino machine to top it off. This drink should always be served in a glass. The triple contrast of coffee, milk, and froth, all bubbling around the ice, makes a pleasant site on a hot day.

1 cup instant coffee creamer
1 cup instant hot chocolate
2/3 cup instant coffee (regular or decaf)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix together ~ use 3 tablespoons (or to your taste) per cup.
It's great!!

You know you drink too much coffee when...

  Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.

  You ski uphill.

  You get a speeding ticket even when you're parked.

  You speed walk in your sleep.

  You answer the door before people knock.

  You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.

  You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit.

  You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.

  You sleep with your eyes open.

  You have to watch videos in fast-forward.

  The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.

  You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer.

  You lick your coffeepot clean.

  You spend every vacation visiting "Maxwell House."

  You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.

  You've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week.

  Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

  You chew on other people's fingernails.

  The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.

  You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas.

  You can type sixty words per minute with your feet.

  You can jump-start your car without cables.

  All your kids are named "Joe."

  You don't need a hammer to pound in nails.

  Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low."

  You don't sweat, you percolate.

  You buy milk by the barrel.

  You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.

  You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in.

  You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.

  You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.

  People get dizzy just watching you.

  When you find a penny, you say, "Find a penny, pick it up. Sixty-three more, I'll have a cup."

  You've worn the finish off your coffee table.

  The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.

  Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.

  Your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.

  You're so wired, you pick up FM radio.

  People can test their batteries in your ears.

  Your life's goal IS to "amount to a hill of beans."

  Instant coffee takes too long.

  You channel surf faster without a remote.

  When someone says. "How are you?", you say, "Good to the last drop."

  You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.

  You want to come back as a coffee mug in your next life.

  Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil.

  You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison.

  You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

  You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.

  You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar."

  You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a lesson.

  Your Thermos is on wheels.

  Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.

  You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.

  You can outlast the Energizer bunny.

  You short out motion detectors.

  You have a conniption over spilled milk.

  You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.

  Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.

  You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.

  You don't tan, you roast.

  You don't get mad, you get steamed.

  Your three favorite things in life are...coffee before and coffee after.

  Your lover uses soft lights, romantic music, and a glass of iced coffee to get you in the mood.

  You can't even remember your second cup.

  You help your dog chase its tail.

  You soak your dentures in coffee overnight.

  Your coffee mug is insured by Lloyds of London.

  You introduce your spouse as your "Coffeemate."

  You think CPR stands for "Coffee Provides Resuscitation."

  Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup.

GeoCities