I love coffee. For those that knew me five years ago, you would know that I was not a drinker of the coffee. I did love going to Starbucks and ordering the chai latte, and my favorite drink was the caramel macchiato (minus the espresso). Most baristas did me the favor of not making me feel like an idiot and simply made the drink without comment. That was until I grabbed my signature drink before my flight to Hong Kong. The snotty barista informed me that I must be wanting a steamed milk with caramel. I glared at her, and said sure. I went from feeling like an adult to a small child that quick.
Once I reached my destination in Hong Kong and seen that nearly everyone on the mission base drank coffee, I felt the need to somehow become a part of this world. I started small, with the instant Nescafe grounds, 1/4 tsp. at a time with loads of sugar and milk. My ivory skin was often darker than the color of my coffee. Slowly, over months of gradually increasing the amount of instant coffee to sugar milk ratio, I became a coffee drinker.
By the time I left Hong Kong, I could drink the strongest coffee available. A staff member of the base made coffee the color of a lost soul with the depth of hell of itself and offered it to me during a meeting. No sugar or cream was available, and to me it was the moment I truly felt like I had made it into the coffee-drinking world. My now signature drink is the caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso, with a sprinkle of vanilla on top. I get no sneer from the people behind the counter, and I also get a nice boost of energy. It makes my day that much brighter, and is a rare treat that I'm often dragging James towards. He understands my obsession with coffee much like I understand his obsession with Funko Pop figurines.
My home boasts of several coffee-making options. My father purchased my first coffee-mate when I moved into my apartment two years ago. He knew I loved coffee, and he also wanted to make sure I had a way to make a pot of coffee anytime him and the wife visited. It's now top priority that when they are on their way to the house, I dust off the coffee-mate and brew a fresh pot of Folgers and set out the powdered cream and sugar.
Shortly after I moved into the apartment, I found a 1st generation red Keurig for sale on a Facebook yard sale group. I was quick to snatch it up, and now enjoy fresh cup of hazlenut coffee on the way to work on the weekdays. I'm a serial snooze-button pusher, so the Keurig has been a life-saver many a morning. I keep a small amount of k-cup hot coco on hand for James, but don't care for the hot tea k-cups. I prefer my hot tea fresh, not packaged.
My next treasure is a wedding gift I received from a friend at my home church in Alma. It's an Italian espresso maker, which looks like a small stove-top kettle. I had never seen one of these and was excited to try it. Pretty straightforward, you fill the bottom half with water and then fill a small funnel with fresh ground coffee beans. Heat on the stove and you have a glorious cup of espresso or an intense cup of coffee if that's how you drink it (like me). It's proudly displayed on my coffee cart in our dining room, and until recently, was used every weekend for a peaceful morning cup of fancy joe.
When TJ Maxx opened up in Hinesville this past month, I quickly pursued James to join me for the christening of the new store. Upon searching through their fresh aisles, we found several copper treasures for the kitchen. Primarily, a copper french press. This is especially important because I had been wanting one for about two years now but hadn't found one I loved that I could also afford. That deathly strong coffee I drank at the end of my time in Hong Kong had been brewed in a french press, my lovely Emily brewed our coffee in one as well upon our last visit to the windy city (Chicago) and I enjoyed the fresh brew at Three Tree Coffee Roasters in Statesboro while listening to Sarah of True Justice International share her passion and organization fighting against human trafficking in the south-east region of America.
In the back of my mind, I associated the french press with the truest of coffee lovers and had hoped people would see it on our wedding registry. Alas, the wedding came and went and the french press was not one of the many beautiful gifts we received. I began hunting and searching, and after long last, I now own a gorgeous copper french press to add to my coffee cart and life. I enjoyed this kitchen joy last week, and was not let down. It does involve more work, in my opinion, than the ones listed above, but it is Instagram gold (copper if you will).
At the end of the week, it is a ritual I look forward to. Sitting on the swing in our backyard, watching the birds hop around our bird feeders brings a peace into the chaos of being a military wife. Things often change by the day, by the hour, and it is essential to maintain something 'normal' to keep going with. The simple moments, the simple things (such as a coffee maker collection) can help to ground us and experience joy in the moment it happens. That's how memories are made.
XOXO
Ashley
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