Bad Coffee On A Monday Morning

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Let’s just say, for purposes of discussion, that this morning I made a pot of coffee that was so weak, so bad, so disappointing that I could only drink about half a mug of it.

And then let’s say that upon discovering how bad the coffee tasted, I threw out the rest of the pot.  Which was wasteful.  Something we do not like here at Chez Bean.

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Further, let’s say that thinking back I realized that ye olde coffee maker has made some rather dodgy, hissy, dragon-y sounds every morning for the last few months as it works at heating the water.

And even then, the water has not been as hot as it should be to brew a pot of coffee.  Or at least a pot of coffee that I would consider worth drinking.  Which, I think we can agree, is the prime directive of any coffee maker that sits on my kitchen counter.

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All of which brings me to the crux of our discussion.  To the real reason that I’m taking the time to write this post even though my brain is foggy from lack of caffeine and my morning appears to be shot to heck.  Here is what I want to ask you, my gentle readers:

If you had to buy a new electric coffee maker, which one would you get?  And why?

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I Was Wrong. Snow. Again. And I Am Not Overly Thrilled With It.

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So I wake up this morning in a cheerful mood.

I am ready to face the day with joy and purpose and hope.  It is springtime after all.  This is the time of year where things get done.  And I am ready to do things.  Oh. Yes. I. Am.  And then I look outside and see SNOW!

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 This does not make me happy.

Have I not put up with this crap for months now?  Have I not been a good person who doesn’t whine about the mess & inconvenience that snow brings with it?  Have I not stated clearly here in this blog that the time for snow is over?  HUH?  Did I just not say that but a few posts ago?

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Yet, there is snow in my world.

And as much as I’d like to continue on with this rant, I have to admit that the blue sky that has accompanied this LAST SNOWFALL* is beautiful.  And encouraging.  And rather, dare I say it, springlike.

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Being nothing if not pragmatic, I have a plan.

Today I will focus on the pretty white clouds in the sky and totally ignore the white mess on the ground.  Yep, that’s my plan.  DENIAL.  When asked by other people what I think of this snowfall, I will say: what snow?  I don’t see anything like that around here.  All I see is Spring in the making.  Hallelujah!

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* from my lips blog post to God’s ear

2 Movies, 2 Books & 1 Unique Bumper Sticker

As part of my attempt to live a more balanced life in 2013, I have given myself the assignment to watch 2 movies and to read 2 books each month.  Here is my February report.

2 Movies

The Magic of Belle Isle – Bland + trite.  With Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen in it, I thought that this movie would be a sweet, but nuanced, look at life in a small town on a lake.  It was not.  In fact, it was boring, mildly insulting to women over 40, and just a plain waste of beautifully decorated lakeside homes.  Not recommended.

Helvetica –  Fascinating + inspiring.  Helvetica is a font that was born in 1957 and permeates our lives.  It has been revered and it has been marginalized, but it is still here.  The interviews with graphic artists are compelling, even if you disagree with what they’re saying.  Recommended if you have an interest in typography and the world around you.  [H/T to alejna at collecting tokens for telling me about this documentary.]

2 Books

The Spice Necklace –  Charming + fun.  I enjoyed this book.  In a nutshell, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband decide to live on a boat, travel around the Caribbean and research the local cuisine.  Along the way they make friends with some nutty characters the locals, learn about alcoholic beverages regional history and decide to conjure up recreate Caribbean specialities in their tiny  galley kitchen.  Recommended if you like recipes, travel and cheerful adventurers.

Marrakesh By Design –  Beautiful + informative.  In this colorful book on Moroccan decorating, Maryam Montague explains the history of the region as well as the reasoning behind this style of decorating.  The photos of patterns, colors and homes are perfect.  I read the book all in one sitting, then came back a few days later to get lost in the photos.  Recommended if you have an interest in African history, art and/or home decor.

1 Unique Bumper Sticker

The bumper sticker on the back of the van said: Play More Viola.  I saw it first and was silently thinking about it when Zen-Den noticed it, too.  Naturally we needed to know more about it, so I googled it.  I half expected it to be a line from a Saturday Night Live skit a la “more cowbell.”  But its origins were much simpler than that.  It’s a bumper sticker encouraging everyone to be more joyful… by playing more viola.  Cute, huh?

I Cleaned Out Our Spice Cabinet For The First Time In Years

Here is an easy quiz for you.

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Q1:  What percentage of our herbs, spices & seeds did I throw away because they had expired?

  • 15%
  • 45%
  • 63%
  • 80%

Q2:  How many containers did I throw away? 

  • 11
  • 23
  • 29
  • 36

Q3:  How much money did I toss out when I cleaned out our spice cupboard? 

  • $18.00
  • $72.00
  • $97.42
  • $150.00, more or less

Q4:  Were any of the herbs, spices & seeds never opened before being tossed out?

  • Yes
  • No

 Q5:  Were any of the containers duplicates?

  • No
  • Yes

Q6:  The following is a list of dates. Which date do you believe accurately describes the oldest container in the cupboard?

  • June 14, 2003
  • October 5, 2002
  • November 25, 2000
  • so old there is no date on the container

Q7:  Are all the above dates real dates that I found on the containers that I threw out?

  • No
  • Yes

Q8:  The following is a list of herbs, spices & seeds.  Which is the oldest one that I found?  

  • Celery Seed
  • Basil
  • Leaf Marjoram
  • Dill Weed

Q9:  Of the following herb/spice blends, which one am I saddest to see go?

  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Lemon Pepper
  • French Seafood Seasoning
  • Pizza Seasoning

Bonus Question for Extra Credit:  Of the following three extracts which was the only one that we opened and used?

  • Pistachio Extract
  • Almond Extract
  • Vanilla Extract

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Answers are in bold.  🙂