How to Use a Coffee Press

If you have ever been curious about how to use a French coffee press, today is your special day.

I have two coffee presses. Over the last six months, I've been glad I had them. For one thing, they are smaller than a coffeemaker. They do not need to be plugged in. All they require is hot water. Their simplicity, their size, and their flexiblity make them excellent choices for a time of upheaval and travel.

My larger, Italian coffee press holds 24 ounces of water. It looks a lot like the picture above. Generally I heat some water until it is just starting to boil, then pour it into the carafe over 5 rounded tablespoons of coffee. I stir and set the lid on. I wait four minutes and press down the plunger. Voila! Rich European-style brew! I get about three average-sized coffee cups from one full pot. Later, I spoon the old grounds out into the trash and wash it in a little soapy water, or just with hot water alone, and wipe it dry with a clean paper towel.

When we sold our house and moved, this was a wonderful gadget to have. After I packed away our automatic-drip coffee maker, I was still able to make great coffee with this simple device. It was a joyful luxury to get up that last, tired, foggy morning and make coffee in the empty house. My husband and son were surprised and delighted.

My smaller coffee press is used for travel, or when I want just one cup. I saw one of these on Amazon a couple of years ago and mentioned it to my husband. Knowing how I truly hate (and whine about) hotel coffee, he gave it to me for Christmas. It's lightweight plastic and a cinch to use. Most hotel rooms have a microwave. I heat the water right in the cup, stir in 2 tablespoons of ground coffee, wait four minutes, and press down the plunger. If not, I can get a cup of hot water from a fast-food restaurant and use it in the same way. Later, the grounds are scooped out and put in the trash. The whole apparatus cleans up nicely with hot tap water and a paper napkin. I used my travel press happily as we drove from Pennnsylvania to North Carolina and on that first morning in our new, temporary home.

The results of the coffee press are delicious. I am not sure who is more pleased with it -- me or my family. I never have to drink hotel coffee again, and no one has to listen to me while I do. Still, I must warn you that the coffee is different in texture than that of automatic drip coffeemakers. Without a paper filter, some of the fine particles of the coffee will be in the beverage. You will see residue in the bottom of your cup. Occasionally, if the plunger is slightly askew when pressed, coffee grounds will slip out around it and end up in your cup. To avoid this, you should pour in the hot water so that it leaves ample room for the plunger to sit evenly on the top of the coffee, and you should press the plunger down slowly at a straight, perpendicular angle to the cup bottom. Practice will help you to become confident with the coffee press.

I have taken my small, travel press with me when I visit family and friends, as well. I usually drink my coffee as mostly decaf with a teaspoon of regular brew thrown in. This renders my cup to be between 10 and 25 mg caffeine, which is just the right amount for me. I don't want to trouble other people about it, so my little press makes it all easy and doesn't interfere with the visiting.

I want you all to know that if I show up at your house with my travel press, it does not mean you have bad coffee! I just love to bring it with me.

For those of you who want a demonstration of the French press coffee technique, you can view a fun instructional video online, taught by a coffee master from Starbucks.

You can find many styles of coffee presses online. Starbucks stores sell them, too. My mother-in-law discovered our 24-ounce model at an Italian food store. You can go here on Amazon to view the travel press I use and here to view some other, larger models that look reliable. I confess that we bought my travel press on sale for about $10. I was surprised to see the current price, but I guess it must be a popular product. You may be able to find a similar one for less.

Happy Brewing!

Fat-Free Coffeecake

Some years ago my mother-in-law gave me a microwave cookbook. In it there is a recipe for a simple coffeecake made from scratch. When I began eating a low-fat vegetarian diet, I changed the recipe. It took some experimenting, but I eventually developed a very simple, inexpensive coffee cake that is easy to make and that I like. I never expected anyone else to enjoy it. I mean, you can tell that it's fat-free. So why would someone want it, if they can have other options that taste more like what they usually eat?

But my two young men always ask for it when they are home. Even their friends ask for it. Lately, other people have been asking me for this recipe, which I have never written down. Last night, I made it for my husband's parents. I wanted my mother-in-law to see what I had done with one of the recipes from the book.

After her second piece, she said, "This is really good."

I thought to myself, "All right, that does it. I'm putting it on my blog!"

So I am sharing it with you, my readers. Let me say here that its advantages are:

1. The ingredients are ones you probably always have in your pantry.
2. It cooks in the microwave, making it ideal for hot weather.
3. It's fast. I mix the batter in 5 minutes and cook it in 5 minutes in the microwave.
4. It has no fat. It won't do anything ugly to your heart or your waist line.
5. It is, in many ways, an ideal treat for a busy mom -- simple, flexible, quick, inexpensive, low-calorie, and pretty to look at.

On the other hand, because it's fat-free and microwaved, its texture is not quite like that of many commercial and homemade coffee cakes.

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Cassandra's Fat-Free Coffeecake

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups of plain flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (or other, preferred sweetener)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

3-4 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute of your choice)
1/2 cup skim milk (or other milk of your choice)
1/3 cup apple sauce

Preparation Directions:

1. Grease a glass microwaveable dish (round, square, or small rectangle) with oil spray or a touch of oil on a paper towel. I like to wipe the excess away so that a light, even film is left on the dish.

2. Blend the first four ingredients in a medium-to-large-sized bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the dry mixture.

3. In a small, second bowl, gently whip the wet ingredients together for a full minute with a fork until well-blended and frothy.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the hole in the dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with a stiff, large spoon until they are just blended. Extra stirring can make the batter tough. Batter should be thick like muffin batter. If the batter is too dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. If it's too runny, add one or two tablespoons of flour.

5. Spread the batter with a large spoon evenly into your prepared glass dish. Your glass dish should be tall enough to allow at least two inches of rising as the cake cooks.

6. Add topping of your choice.

Topping Ingredients and Methods:

1. Cinnamon Topping: sprinkle a light layer of brown sugar evenly over the top of the cake. Shake cinnamon over that. Add nuts if desired (of course, nuts make it not quite fat free anymore -- I rarely use them). Press the topping down very lightly into the batter with a few featherly light, gently pats.

2. Spicy Chocolate Topping: Blend 1 tablespoon of cocoa, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the batter. Press the topping down very lightly into the batter with a few featherly light, gently pats.

Cooking Directions:

Cook cake on high in the microwave for five minutes. Test with a knife or toothpick. If it's gooey, cook another 30 seconds and test again. Repeat if necessary. Cooking it for the right amount of time is the trickiest part of the recipe, since microwaves vary in power. Too long, and the cake will be tough. Too little cooking time, and it will be gooey. You will probably have to experiment a little to find just the right amount of time for your microwave.

Icing the cake:

We like to drizzle icing over our coffee cakes. To make the icing, I use 1 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, a light shake of salt, and enough milk or water to make it drizzling consistency. I start with one tablespoon of liquid and keep adding it to the powdered sugar by one tablespoon at the time, until the icing is just right. I drizzle the icing in pretty patterns over the top -- after the coffee cake has cooled on the counter for a few minutes.

If you want to really dress up your coffee cake, you can place some fruit on top -- sliced strawberries are heavenly with the spicey chocolate topping. Sliced peaches are delicious with the cinnamon topping.

Enjoy the results with your favorite cup of coffee or tea!

A Coffee Bath

I recently saw a photograph of a beauty treatment that is used in Japan. It's a special application designed to create beautiful skin and enhance overall health. The person receiving the treatment lies in a large pool of roasted coffee beans. Every part of the body is covered except the face. Apparently, some Japanese people believe that the skin can absorb nutrients from the coffee beans which are very beneficial. I have known for a long time that coffee beans contain a lot of antioxidants -- they are beans, after all. Being the coffee lover that I am, I am happy to see people enjoying coffee in almost any form. But I must say that this picture looks odd. There are three people with happy faces lying in a vast pool of dark brown beans while a woman stands on the beans and moves them around with a broom.

I am not planning to try it.

However, I did have my very own coffee bath yesterday. It was so restorative that I am planning to do it again. I might even do it every day for a month.

We had been packing and moving boxes for several days. Our garage was full of boxes. We rented a mid-sized truck and filled it to the brim with boxes. We put the boxes in a storage unit. This was a lot of work, tiring work. By the end, I was sweaty, sticky, dirty, sore, and exhausted. Next, my husband and oldest son put our piano in the truck and drove to his sister's house several hours away, leaving me with some quiet time.

The only thing I wanted was some hot water and soap. And some coffee.

I made a pot of rich, strong coffee and poured it into a thermos. I poured my soy milk into a little pitcher and heated it in the microwave. I put both of these on a tray with a pretty cup. I brought the tray upstairs to the bathroom. I filled the tub with hot water, a handful of baking soda, and a generous supply of bubble bath. I put on some classical music. I carried my coffee to the side of the tub and climbed in.

Heaven on earth.

There I soaked under a mountain of bubbles with my hair piled on top of my head and my coffee cup under my chin and my eyes closed. In my mind, I placed each of my annoyances and worries and responsibilities on the window sill beside me. I would not think about them while I was here. The trees outside swayed in the wind. A storm was blowing in. But it didn't matter. Right now, my world was just clean, hot water and bubbles and beautiful music and coffee.

When, sometime later, I climbed out of the tub, I was smiling.

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My favorite bath products: I enjoy Village Naturals Bath Shoppe foaming milk bath, which retails for just over $3 at Walmart. It creates lots of bubbles that last and is gentler on my skin than many of the more expensive brands in boutique stores. I prefer "White Tea" in the summer months and "Lavender" in chilly weather. Since there is already perfume in the bubble bath, I use a plain, unscented soap like Ivory to scrub off the dirt. To create extra silky water, I add a handful of baking soda to the bath. For moisturizing afterwards, I like to use Skin So Soft Bath Oil by Avon or baby oil. I put the baby oil in a little plastic spray bottle that I found in the travel supplies section of the store. That lets me use a light spritz or two, which is just the right amount.

Sweet Coffee Flick

For a romantic date night, or just to treat yourself, I recommend renting the movie Sweet Land (2005).

This charming little flick tells the story of Inge who traveled from Germany to Minnesota in 1920 as a mail bride for Olaf Torvik, a Norwegian farmer. It's a poignant, moving story of immigrant experience in America. The recent war with Germany, the language barrier, the restrictive laws, and the difficulties of adjusting to cultural differences all create problems for Inge and Olaf that they must overcome.

This is their story, so I won't tell it.

I know it's just a movie. But I swear to you, it seemed real to me. As I watched it, I kept thinking these must be flesh-and-blood people who lived, loved, and died there . I still can't convince myself that this is fiction. Maybe it's that the acting is so sensitive and subtle. Nothing is overdone. Maybe it's the lack of the Hollywood-style special effects that are ubiquitous in modern movies. Here is a simple story that moves along at the normal pace most of us experience in our own lives. Maybe it's the way the love between Olaf and Inge slowly wrapped itself around me as I watched it develop.

It's a wonderful love story, but it's not just another little romantic comedy. The themes addressed in the movie hold substance. Viewers must grapple with the moral issues of the difficulties facing Inge and Olaf. How can they solve their problems? Did they choose the best way? The director of the movie has exercised great restraint. He doesn't tell us what to think. He just shares their story with us and then lets us decide.

Coffee means something in this movie. I think it is the symbol of Inge herself: her dark and intense loveliness, her warmth, her aesthetic sensitivity, her delight in life itself. Watch for the coffee and how it's used. Tell me what you think, after you've seen it.

A Recipe for Your Coffee Break

I created a delightful dish last week that I want to share with you. It's perfect for tired moms on the go. Most of us don't feel much like turning on the oven in June, and by the time we sit down at the end of the day, we really don't want to be baking anyway. This lovely little delight cooks in the microwave in minutes and takes advantage of fresh fruit in season. In addition to all of these advantages, it's low in calories and a healthy choice that you can feel good about serving to your family.

Cooked fruit dishes bring out the taste of coffee and enhance its more subtle notes. Light roast and Columbian coffees are great choices for fruit desserts. If you are a tea lover, then I recommend a light afternoon tea with this or one that has fruit flavors in it. Constant Comment, lemon flavored tea, or a fruity herbal tea would be a good companion.

Quick Peach Crumble:

3-4 medium sized, fresh peaches

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1/4 cup apple juice (can substitute other juices)

2 tablespoons of your preferred sweetener

sprinkle of salt

Slice the peaches into a shallow, glass, microwaveable dish. A pie pan is perfect, but a dish any size and shape will work. Put the toasted wheat germ and sweetener into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt over it, just one light pass. Add the apple juice and blend the wheat germ with it. The mixture should be wet, clumpy, and crumbly -- not as mushy as muffin batter, but not dry either. Add more juice (or water) by the tablespoon until you get the right consistency. If your sweetener is a liquid, like honey, just add it with the apple juice, but start with 3 tablespoons of apple juice instead of 1/4 cup. Use your hands to sprinkle the wheat germ topping over the peaches. Cook on high in the microwave for 3 minutes. My microwave is strong, so some of you might need to cook your peach crumble for 4-5 minutes. The end result should produce topping that is cooked but still crumbly, and peaches that taste poached but are fairly firm, not mushy. Part of the charm of this recipe is that the peaches are not completely cooked, yet warm and steamy. Let the peach crumble sit on the counter while you make the coffee or tea.

Serving suggestions:

If you are making it for more people, figure on one average-size peach per person, as a minimum. You should increase the cooking time by one minute for each additional peach. If you are cooking more than eight peaches, you will need to divide your recipe into two dishes and cook them separately. Microwaves don't cook larger amounts as well as they do smaller dishes.

If the crumble is not sweet enough, you can sprinkle a tablespoon or two of sweetener over the top. The idea is to make it taste pleasant, just slightly sweet. Some peaches are more sour than others and you may need to adjust the sweetener slightly each time. If you want to add a fancy touch, you can put whipped cream, ice cream, or a dash of powdered sugar on top. Serve on a pretty plate and savor!

On My Bookshelf: Coffee and Truth

"If you grew up in the church, you might have been taught that passion is sinful. The spiritual passion that is evidenced by a consuming desire for God might have gotten obscured by all the warnings against lust, envy, pride, and greed, as if passion were concerned only with the satisfaction of sinful appetites. Don't lose the full meaning of this word. A driving hunger for God is passion at its best. Give yourself the freedom to enjoy the excitement and adventure of pursuing God with all your spiritual passion. "

-Leonard Sweet, The Gospel According to Starbucks

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

- Jesus, The Gospel of Mark

I stumbled across The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet at the bookstore where my son works. It looked like fun, so I gave it to my husband for Christmas. I was intrigued by the premise of the book. Apparently, I am not the only one. You can read a good review of it here.

The book ended up in my lap one winter afternoon. I was captured and held by Sweet's insistence on our need to experience God and engage in the life He offers us in a more active way. I am an evangelical, strong in the study of the Word of God, and careful to line up my thinking with the teachings of Jesus. Still, there is a lot that I miss.

Sweet uses the remarkable success of Starbucks to illustrate a point. They have effectively reached people. If we look at why, we see how people are designed. The life that God offers us is deliberately, thoughtfully, lovingly constructed by the One who created us and knows us best. He can satisfy our longings, but only if we fully engage in a life with Him. In reading Sweet's book, I could see that I have missed some things along the way, not only for myself, but for others with whom I might discuss my faith.

He uses the Starbucks strategy as a springboard to give us a fresh look at the life of faith. From there, he outlines a Gospel that is EPIC:

E -- experiential

P -- participatory

I -- image-rich

C -- connective

EPIC faith, he claims, is fully engaging and powerfully alluring to people. I think he has it right, even if I disagreed with him on some minor details. The book challenged me to think beyond inductive Bible studies and correct doctrine. Those things are crucial, but by themselves they are incomplete. God wants us to have more.

Most engaging for me were his discussions of adventure, passionate pursuit, beauty, the use of image, and the centrality of experience and participation. I don't agree with all of his statements. Some parts of the book read like a comercial for Starbucks. There are other spots where I want more clarity from him or I wish he would express his idea in a different way. But I found myself riveted by his fresh approach. He challenged me. I know I am going to read the book a second time, maybe even a third. That speaks for itself.

As Sweet says, "We can't help but seek life on an EPIC scale, because God designed us that way. The life God designed us for is experiential, participatory, image-rich, and connective. The life of faith, to fully qualify as a life of faith, is characterized by experiences that are meaningful; full participation in those experiences of meaning; a richness of imagery wrapped around those experiences; and deep connections with God, others, self, and creation. All four EPIC elements, enlivened and intertwined, deliver grande passion, the life we're all thirsty for.

"Don't wait until next week. Don't cheat yourself out of another moment of the EPIC life . . . Why put off grande passion when it's right there within your reach?"

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Please note: I did not receive any compensation or free merchandise in exchange for my written review or my opinion about this book.

Mud

"Why do they always put mud in the coffee on paddle steamers?"

- William Thackeray, writer and traveller, 1850

Is there mud in your cup? Is your coffee less than inspiring?

It could be that your coffeemaker is dirty. If your coffee tastes muddy or metallic, or if it brews too slowly, I suggest going to the local grocery store and picking up a comercial bottle of coffeemaker cleaner. Follow the directions on the bottle. Most of us have heard about the vinegar treatment for coffeemakers, but I have never been impressed with the results. Go for the strongest thing you can find.

The second most common reason coffee is unsatisfying is that it is being brewed improperly. For most coffee makers, you should start with good cold water. Water that is hard, full of iron, or loaded with a lot of chlorine will make bad coffee. More often than I care to remember, I have been horrified by the results of brewing with hotel tap water. If you have any inkling it might be your water that's making the coffee brackish, try brewing a pot with some natural, bottled spring water. You will know right away if that's the problem. The difference will be dramatic.

It could also be that you need a new coffeemaker. Some coffeemakers don't heat the water hot enough to extract all the flavor from the beans. But most often, coffeemakers which make anemic coffee simply send the water through the grounds too fast and don't get them uniformly moist from the beginning. Ideally, a basket filter should have a mechanism that sprays the water like a small shower head onto the grounds, and the water should drip through into the pot slowly. I have a small Mr Coffee machine which makes four cups. I bought it for the size and the price ($10). When I found that the coffee it brewed was too thin, I simply added an extra filter. This causes the water to pass through more slowly, and now it makes a flavorful cup. My husband's favorite coffeemaker is a Black and Decker which we bought on vacation in Washington for $20. It pours easily without spilling and makes solid coffee, reliably, brew after brew. My oldest son Joshua started adding one extra scoop of grounds to each pot. That small change worked wonders for the quality of the brew. My preferred coffeemakers, however, are the ones made by Gevalia, which are also offered as free gifts for customers who sign up to receive shipments of their coffee. These coffeemakers are designed to produce a luxurious cup. They have cone-shaped filters, which are the perfect shape for capturing flavor; the water is heated to the ideal temperature; and everything is carefully designed for the optimum results.

The third reason coffee is unsatisfying, brackish, thin, bitter, or just tastes like mud lies in the beans themselves. Many supermarket blends use lower quality beans. Most coffees are a blend of beans, but the less scrupulous manufacturers use larger quantities of cheaper ones. The result is a cup of flat, thin coffee, entirely forgettable,or worse -- like ashes on the tongue. This type of coffee is common in large gatherings, chain restaurants, church fellowship dinners, ball games, offices, convenience stores, and yes, hotels. As I said before, when offered some of this variety of brew, I just drink water.

There's no reason for you to make that kind of coffee at home. For a few more pennies per cup, you can enjoy coffee that inspires. Experimenting a little will help you find your personal favorites. Walmart sells Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee in their food section. Okay, I admit, Starbucks does get pricey if you use it all the time. But if you prefer darker roasts, it's a great way to make coffee you can love. My husband really likes Starbucks coffee, but we are also trying to be frugal. I started adding one or two scoops of their House Blend to each pot of ordinary, supermarket coffee. The transformation is pretty impressive, and the cost fits our budget. If you are solidly American in your coffee tastes, then Maxwell House has a number of new grinds that work fairly well. I've been pleased with their Columbian and South Pacific blends. A large can of these has been selling at Walmart lately for $6 to $8. That price is hard to beat. For my own finicky taste buds, my favorite everyday brew is Dunkin Donuts coffee, which I purchase by the pound at their stores. I buy two pounds together to get a discount. I make this coffee strong. It's warm, buttery notes are very satisfying to my palate and perfect for the soy milk I add to it.

For a dreamy cup of coffee that feels like dessert, I turn to Gevalia. Their Costa Rican Peaberry and Kona blends are some of the best coffee I have ever tasted in my entire life. Brewed just right, they are fantastic. But all the Gevalia varieties are excellent. I have relished their Antiguan, Kenyan, Peruvian and Columbian blends, too. You can sign up for their coffee delivery and space the packages as far apart as you like. My husband gave me a subscription for Gevalia coffee that comes every 8 weeks. I use it sparingly and thoughtfully, because it is expensive. But it still costs a lot less than a cup at Starbucks, Panera Bread, or the local bookstore.

So, this is my best suggestion for a heavenly cup. Go here to find out about how to join Gevalia. Sign up for a pound of their coffee and get the free coffeemaker. I guarantee you will be amazed by the quality of the brew in your cup. If you aren't satisfied or decide to discontinue, you can cancel at any time. They stand by their promise, their product, and their vision for great customer service. I have been a customer, canceled, become a customer again, had to cancel, and become a customer a third time over the last five years. Recently, I had to "suspend" my deliveries while we relocate. Through all of this, they have been pleasant and understanding. And in my opinion, their coffee can't be beat.

For motivation, I will leave you with a quote from Balzac in his Treatise on Modern Stimulants:

The coffee falls into your stomach, and straightaway there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like Battalions of the Grand Army on the battlefield when the battle takes place. Things remembered arrive at full gallop, ensign to the wind.

See? Coffee that inspires.

For Tea Lovers

I just wanted you to know that I enjoy a good cup of tea, too.

Although this week is all about coffee, I hope to do some posts on tea later in the year.

It's About the Coffee

I will be posting about coffee this week. About life, too, since coffee seems to be interwoven into my life and part of many of my happiest moments.

This steamy, dark beverage is my luxury of choice. I am selective. The beans must be of good quality and be brewed properly. Everything must be fresh. Otherwise, I drink water.

I don't drink the flavored concoctions which are full of other ingredients and which pose as coffee beverages. And please don't serve it to me cold. I drink it hot, even in summer.

My insistence on freshness amuses my family. It has earned me the nickname of "princess". If the coffee bakes for more than 10 minutes, I won't drink it. The taste has changed. The effect renders it undrinkable to me. I can tell by the smell of the beans whether the coffee is worthy. I have discovered some favorites: Costa Rica Peaberry, Columbian, Kona blends, and others. I brew it differently depending on my mood -- extra strong so it's as rich as liquid chocolate, in a French press for a European style cup, or light and quick for a coffee that floats across the palate. I do drink a few Starbucks grinds, but since I prefer light to medium roasts, I have experimented happily with other fine coffees. I will be sharing my insider's tips with you this week.

Still, I would never pretend to be a coffee expert. I thought I had become discerning until I read an article about a coffee taster in the BBC news:

"The tongue of the chief coffee taster for a worldwide chain of coffee shops has been insured for£10m ($13.95m).

"Gennaro Pelliccia personally tastes a sample of each batch of raw coffee beans at its London plant before they are roasted and shipped to its stores.

" 'My 18 years of experience enable me to distinguish between thousands of flavours,' he says.

"Costa Coffee, which sells 108 million cups of coffee worldwide each year, aims to double its number of outlets.

"The insurance policy was taken out with Lloyds of London.

" 'The taste buds of a Master of Coffee are as important as the vocal cords of a singer or the legs of a top model, and this is one of the biggest single insurance policies taken out for one person,' said a spokesman for Lloyd's broker Glencairn Limited, which arranged the insurance cover.

" 'In my profession my taste buds and sensory skills are crucial... and allow me to distinguish any defects,' said Mr Pelliccia."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/7932090.stm

Published: 2009/03/09 10:50:27 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Now, that's a coffee expert.

As you can see, I am really not that discerning after all. And by extension, not that picky, either. But, since I am a coffee lover, that's what I will write about -- how to enjoy coffee with zest, how to make a blissful cup, favorite coffee products, and even a favorite coffee shop.

I'm looking forward to it. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will brew a cup of extra strong. It's been a long day.

On My Bookshelf

I have just finished a delightful little book called How Starbucks Saved My Life, by Michael Gates Gill. It's a true story about his recent and not-so-recent life. He was born in an upper-class family in New York, went to Harvard, and enjoyed a job as an advertising executive in the city. In his fifties, he lost his job and went through some serious troubles. Down on his luck, he wandered into a Starbucks and ran into a manager who offered him a job. He took it, and found a new life.

His honesty is mesmerizing. I kept wondering as I read, can I be that honest ? He writes simply, but the elegance of authenticity makes his writing poignant and memorable. It's a great story.

Gill insists that his experiences are not a spiritual journey. I would argue otherwise. Here we can find humility, confession, contrition, repentance, love, fellowship, and purpose. He traces his steps from deception to truthfulness. He learns to love and honor others, and as he does that he also learns to follow his heart.

The book feels light, and it's not too long, just like the perfect summer novel -- but it's meaningful and rewarding. My guess is you'll be glad you listened to him tell his story.

I found it, I confess, at Borders on clearance for $2.99. What a deal.

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Please note: I did not receive any compensation or free merchandise in exchange for my written review or my opinion about this book.