tid bits of the past few days

my favorite drink on a hot summer day

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To Kill A Mockingbird, a book I was forced to read in 7th grade English, but didn't remember a single thing about because I was only 12 years old and not interested in the least...at 12 years old, I could barely make myself read this...why do they make 12 year olds read American classic literature???  I was way too young to even appreciate this story....I think you've gotta experience life a lot more than 12 years to be able to appreciate the social and cultural aspects in this story.  It is not a difficult read at all, it's quite pleasurable...but not for a 12 year old. As an adult, I loved this story!! Especially now that I can look back on my childhood and laugh at the hilarious antics of Scout, Jem and Dill.....and now that I know what it's like to be a parent, I can appreciate the character of Atticus as well as Calpurnia...and now that I have been around racial and social issues, I have so much more sympathy and empathy for the characters in this book. There is no way I was going to get that kind of emotion and understanding when I was 12 years old. Especially thinking about  the part  in the story ~  the  morning after Tom  Robinson's trial,  Atticus awoke  to a  table filled with food, all  brought to his house by Tom Robinson's friends and family and Calpurnia was making chicken for breakfast!!! I just cried  when I read that part...that was beautiful and so powerful. Ain't no way a 7th grader would experience those emotions after reading that. Anyhow, my point...if  you read this in high school, and you are much older now, and you've been through the ringer a time or two, and you've experienced  love and blessings as well as pain and loss and suffering, please give this book a second chance....don't just go by your feelings about it when you were forced to read it in middle school.

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And then, last but not least,

I've done a little quilting!

I had so much fun making this block!!  I used fabrics from  my stash. What I really wanted to do was  go out   and buy more fabric...but I've gotta stop that! Use what I have!!!!!!  Anyhow, I'm going to make another one with reds and whites! I think that will be very pretty!! This square is going to be made into a kitchen table mat. Something to put in the middle of  table for your salt and pepper and butter dish to sit on. I still have to make the binding and quilt it.

Well, there's my little tid bits of life these past few days.

What have you been up to??

I've been out of town!

Momma has been busy! Momma left the nest for 5 days... Momma went to NYC by herself! Momma stayed with her sister Elaine, on Long Island! Momma ate some food....Momma took some photos. Momma rode the subway... Momma walked her butt off! Momma is tired,  but Momma is happy! Momma will be back to tell you more!  :)

How to clean a French coffee press

Well, there's just no way to avoid a little mess when cleaning your coffee press. Reason being: no coffee filter that neatly holds the grounds. No doubt you're going to get coffee grounds on your hands, but that's just the nature of the beast. I assure you, making coffee in a French press is sooooo worth the little bit of mess for clean up. It's just the best cup of coffee you can make at home!

So here's the deal . . . the wet coffee grounds are stuck way down at the bottom of this 9 inch glass carafe. You DO NOT want to rinse the coffee grounds down your sink. I have read that this can eventually clog your drain! Coffee grounds should be disposed of in trash or added to your garden, flowering bushes or compost bin. I usually try to whip, flick and shake the grounds out of the press into the trash, but I always end up getting coffee spatters on the wall behind the trash can. Of course, who wants to clean up that mess!  

Here's my new way of doing it!

small colander in sink

place coffee filter in colander

remove plunger from press and set aside

find wet messy coffee grinds at bottom of carafe

dump and shake wet grounds into filter

wa-lah!

ok, still some left . . . no problem

pour small amount of water into carafe to capture grounds

swish and swoosh water around 

pour out into coffee filter

disassemble plunger, scrape or tap off extra grounds into coffee filter and rinse well

wash all parts in warm soapy water or put in dishwasher

tilt colander to dump liquid otherwise it will take forever to drain

throw away filter full of grounds

All done! And your drain in your sink is safe!

Enjoy your coffee!

Well . . . drink your coffee first, then clean your press! 

LOL!

How to use a French coffee press

Ah yes! 

The French coffee press, a thing of beauty! 

I've wanted a French press for quite some time now, and I finally broke down and bought one. I think I am becoming a real coffee snob...but, I just love GOOD coffee done right! 

If you've never used a French press, it may seem a bit intimidating, but really, there's nothing to it!

Let me show you!

First, take the top and plunger out of the glass canister and set aside.

You will need a course ground coffee. I like to grind whole coffee beans so I can control the grind. However, I have used ground coffee straight from the bag...it still works and tastes delicious...it's just not the optimum grind you should use.

Heat water in a kettle to just shy of boiling. For approximately 2 servings of coffee, I heat  approximately 2 1/2 cups of water.

Pour your coffee grounds right into the bottom of the glass canister. I use 2 TBSP. of ground coffee per serving. In this photo here I used 4 TBSP. of ground coffee, because I was making 2 servings. I do not have a formula for how many beans to use....I just know from experience exactly how far to fill the beans in my coffee grinder that yields me 4 TBSP. of coffee grounds. If you are not sure, just ground up some beans, dump out the grounds and measure.

Just like this...no coffee filter is needed.

Pour heated water directly into glass canister slowly, covering all of the coffee grounds.

Stir coffee grounds with wood or plastic. You can use a wooden chopstick or a bamboo skewer. You can also use a handle to a plastic rubber spatula. Do not use a metal utensil such as a spoon or a knife. You run the risk of cracking the glass canister.

Fit the plunger down inside the canister.

Put the lid and plunger on and down into the glass canister. Notice the strainer on the lid of the press is turned away from the spout. 

Leave the plunger in the up position. 

Let your coffee steep for 4 minutes.

This is what the coffee and grounds will look like. That's normal.

After 4 minutes, start to gently push down on the plunger.

Here's the plunger half way down.

Almost down to the bottom...push til it completely stops. The fine screen in the plunger traps all of the grounds in the bottom of the glass canister.

Allow the coffee to sit for a few seconds. Get your mug, cream and sugar all ready! Oh here's a tip: run some hot water in your coffee mug to warm the mug, then dump it out. This just helps to keep the coffee hot...especially after you add the cold cream.

Turn the strainer towards the spout and it is ready to pour.

Pour yourself the most delicious, smooth, aromatic, flavorful coffee ever!

Oh yes, it is a very good cup of Joe indeed! 

I love it!

By the way, the brand of this press is called Bodum. 

I bought this particular model at Starbucks for $20.

P.S. Just a side note: here is what the French press looks like disassembled.

It is very easy to take apart to wash and reassemble. 

Stay tuned for tips on how to clean your French press.

You don't want to rinse those coffee grounds down the drain.