Love

This summer hasn’t exactly been booming with productivity so far.  I’m pretty sure that this week the most exercise I’ve done has been running down the stairs to get Fudgesicles from the freezer.

Yes.  All those Boot Camp sessions are going to good use.

What I have been doing a lot of is making (and drinking) iced coffee.  Starbucks came out with this fabulous Gazebo Summer Blend and I can’t drink enough of it.  Well, I can, but for some reason the constant shaking doesn’t seem to deter me.

So I thought I’d give you a nice pictorial guide to making iced coffee.  Because, you know, I don’t have 6 loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away anything else to do.

So first, you might want to start with the Starbucks Gazebo coffee:

 

you will also want some Vanilla coffee syrup (although you could just sweeten it with sugar if you like)

Brew your coffee at double strength:

I ground the normal amount of coffee for my press, and then just filled it half full of water.

While your coffee is brewing, you will want to put some ice into the bottom of a pitcher.  For half a press-full of coffee, I use about 2-3 cups of ice.  When the coffee is done, pour it over the ice like so:

Then, take a pretty cup, put more ice in it, and drizzle some of the vanilla syrup over the ice…

then pour the slightly chilled coffee over that, about 2/3 full…

then splash in a little milk to top it off…

Give it a little stir to make sure that the syrup isn’t just at the bottom, and say “hello lover”…

 

Sip, sigh contentedly, and repeat as needed.

Coffee Love

I love good coffee, and I love the way that Starbucks describes their roasts: Bright, clean, light-bodied; Balanced with a nutty finish; Flavors of cocoa and soft spice; Elegant, floral, satisfying cocoa finish.  I’d give anything to be described as bright, clean, and light bodied.  Especially the “light bodied”.

Here’s where they lose me though.  They give these fascinating pairing suggestions: pairs nicely with herb-crusted goat cheese and a focaccia dipped in basil oil; enjoy with an organic mango.  That’s not helpful to me at all.  Seriously, I’ve tried goat cheese, and it definitely does not make my skirt fly up.  At least not in a good way.  And I’m all over mangos, but with coffee?  Really?

It would be way more helpful to me if they would offer suggestions based in my real world.  For example – Pairs well with 6 Cadbury Caramilk Bunnies;  Excellent alongside an obnoxiously large cinnamon bun slathered in cream cheese icing;  Perfect with a handful of Mini Eggs, half a tub of Dibs, and Nacho Cheese Doritos. 

I’d like to know if the Komodo Dragon blend or the Ethiopia Sidamo would go better with the seven sugar cookies I plan to consume before 10am.

You know, stuff I can relate to.

*This is not a Starbucks ad, and I am not sponsored by Starbucks.  Although I should be.