COFFEE, COFFEE & MORE COFFEE STUFF


The First "Coffee" Experience

     Lo and behold, on the first day of summer break, break from first year college tedium, comes the story of Tia's first venture into the environment that is a coffeehouse and the taste that can only be a double mocha with two shots of expresso, steamed milk, rich chocolate syrup, topped with fluffy whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate.
     The coffeehouse was this little place in oldtown Saginaw, MI, where beings of all sorts frequented. That summer was one of caffeine, creativity, poetry, & conversing with interesting people. Some of the poems on the Poetry Page came from that inspirational summer.
     But, alas, the summer came to an end, and the search began for a place to call home away from home where I can get my caffeine -er- coffee while at college. That story follows...



Coffeehouse Junkie (my College Years)

     During my sophomore year at Albion College, several aspiring students founded the Albion College CoffeeHouse. Using a house that was a campus dwelling, they transformed the first floor in to a coffeehouse we all were proud of. The chosen five (managers) lived on the second floor and organized all the volunteers (non-profit organization).
     Thus my home-away-from-home was created and I had my regular hang-out. Being a humble, but faithful patron, I decided to become a volunteer and help lead others to their perfect coffee experience. Here I learned all the various ways to make a myriad of coffeehouse beverages. Of course I did learn other things at college, but this became the place where people like myself could enjoy the environment and experiment with flavors.
     The CoffeeHouse also had regular performers, usually local or Michigan-based. Some of them were acts that eventually landed recording deals; but they still came back to perform at one of the places that helped them when they were small beans.
     Now that I'm in the "real world", I don't have a coffeehouse in my area to visit and recharge my muse. But, I still try to stop by and visit the Albion College CoffeeHouse once in a while.


Favorite Coffee Flavors

     I've tried many flavors of coffee, and have shelves full of various coffee beans for mixing & making unique blends; but I'd have to say my favorite flavors are Irish Creme, Amaretto, and Cinnamon. Now, one can add flavor syrups to any cup of regular coffee, but it's not the same as smelling the aroma of flavored beans, grinding them yourself, and brewing your own pot. Hmm...just writing this is causing me to yearn for an Irish Creme Mocha...well, I'll have to go make some soon.
     Of course, some of you may think "Coffee in the summer"? Aside from the usual morning cup of coffee, most people don't like to have a hot drink during the summer days. So, the end result is to make iced coffee drinks. Here are some tips on how to make your iced coffee experience pleasurable (and not a hassle):
     If you don't have an expresso machine, the best way to make an iced drink (similar to how they make it in the coffeehouses) is to

  1. Use 1/4 cup of your favorite flavored coffee grounds per 6 oz. (typical cup of coffee) of water in your coffee maker. This may seem thick, but is great if you're like me and love rich coffee!
  2. Fill a 16 oz. glass with ice;
  3. then pour the 6 oz. of coffee into the glass (some of your ice may melt, but that's ok);
  4. Fill the rest of the glass with milk (whether it be whole or skim);
  5. Add more ice if necessary, then stir.

Variations:

  1. Put the above ingredients into a blender and blend away!
  2. Add chocolate syrup for an iced mocha.
  3. Add some ice cream & blend in a blender.


Look here in the future for recipes on how to make some favorite coffeehouse-type beverages

Some Coffee-related Sites to Visit

Poetry Recipes Books Family Gallery Music Home

Last revised: September 23, 2000
©1999 & 2000 by Tia LeeAnn Thornburgh

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