Lovin' the daily grind... of coffee
Connie’s Corner
I love that we have specialty coffee at our fingertips here in Navasota but for almost two years I’ve been on a quest to brew the perfect cup in my own kitchen. Until about 8-9 years ago, I didn’t pay much attention to how I made coffee. I just poured the water in, added a few scoops of Folger’s and my husband and I drank what came out. The first hint that my coffee wasn’t up to par should have been when my adult children came to visit and politely said “Thanks, but no thanks,” or when my firstborn left the house one morning and returned with convenience store coffee!
As it turns out, I raised four devout cowards because my youngest son’s wife was the only one brave enough to tell me the truth. They ALL thought my coffee was too weak! My oldest son eventually bought me a Keurig which solved that problem for a while but after comparing the cost of K-cups to ground coffee, I decided to return to brewing my own. Spoiled by the consistency in retail coffee houses, my children’s opinions aside, I’ve invested a lot of time and energy researching how to make a cup of coffee which meets my expectations. It’s been quite a journey which inadvertently has entertained my gentleman friend. After my newfound knowledge about coffee beans and my charts and experiments with various scoop-to-water ratios elicited a few chuckles, maybe what I really needed was a new coffee maker. After debating with myself if I REALLY needed a new coffee pot at my age, “self” won. After months of extensive research, I bought a 14-cup Cuisinart. A few days after opening the box, I had this revelation and spent an entire morning in my pajamas emptying and rearranging my kitchen cabinets to create a “coffee bar.” It was liberating to realize my coffee pot wasn’t married to the sink! With bottled water, it could be anywhere I chose. My new coffee bar also rekindled my love of grinding my own beans which are now stored rather decoratively in clear glass canisters. I think I’ve actually become somewhat of a coffee snob with the grinder and all. I was so enamored with the set up that I texted a photo to my gentleman friend. After my self-praise for my meticulous care of my pot and grinder, he laughed and said my coffee bar obsession reminded him of a “new relationship.” You know, where you’re real attentive, can’t wait to be together, you’re all each other thinks about, that is until - hmm, I wonder where that came from. Determined to maintain this “relationship,” I sought guidance in the writings of fellow columnist Alan Shoalmire, author of “How to Be a Better Boyfriend to Your Wife.” I’m not sure love notes work for a coffee bar and there’s no room for flowers amongst the whole bean canisters, but I CAN sing! How about the early 1900s classic, “Let me call you coffee, I’m in love with you,” or Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a coffee break, nothing but a coffee break,” or the popular Bryan Adams’ song, “I brew it all for you.”
OK, I know you’re thinking this lady has way too much time on her hands. Believe me, I don’t! But the truth is nothing beats a good, hot cup of coffee while writing at sunrise and nothing can get me through an evening meeting like a jolt of hot joe. I also totally agree with what this anonymous fellow coffee lover had to say about life and coffee - “Life is like a cup of coffee. It’s all about how you make it or take it.”
The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Connie Clements. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner.
Clements is a freelance reporter for the Navasota Examiner and an award-winning columnist.