If you're of the financially minded variety, you're no stranger to drawing up budgets. If you're also a college student, you probably do it out of necessity. What's funny about this is that I purposely cut my food budget so that I can have an entire seperate section for coffee. That's right, kids. I devote around $30 a week to buying coffee. Why? I'm in college! I'm tired during the day and instead of taking a nap, I get a caffeine fix. I also have a bad habit of not being able to study at home. In order to do homework or learn anything, I have to leave the house. So off to Starbuck's or the school coffee joint I go. It's a small price to pay for good grades, methinks.
However, I'm starting to fret as my birthday draws close. I'm going to have to start paying for my own health insurance. Coffee is the most frivolous part of my otherwise very smart budget which means that it should go first. But... but... I can't. I just can't. I can cut back a bit. I can buy tea or regular coffee instead of mixed drinks, but it can't go altogether. I'm convinced I'll fail out of college. So what's a girl to do?
Well, if you're like me you're probably just trying to ignore it and schlepping around the internet. Like yesterday. I haven't checked my favorite foods blogs in a while, so off I went. Of course, near the top of my list is Smitten Kitchen, and did she have something in store for me! I'd never really heard of cold-press coffee before, but if her addiction is as strong as mine (like she claims) she must know what she's talking about. Enter old-as-dirt coffee and my dusty coffee press. By just letting the coffee grounds soak in water overnight, it's actually "brewing". It infuses the water with all its coffee goodness, and apparently more caffeine and less acidity. I'm not really a good judge of either, but I was kinda jittery and it had less of that funky bite to it.
I'm low on essentials, so I had to make due with what I had. Half-and-half, water, too few ice cubes, a splash of vanilla extract, and some honey. It looked like it wouldn't make it, but one sip and I was hooked. This is the best coffee drink I've ever made at home. It tasted exactly like a slightly-sweetened, lukewarm latte from Starbucks. Only better and a hell of a lot cheaper. Plus, this is right up my alley. No work. Cheap. Can be kept in the frige. I think I know how to save for my deductible now.
1 comment:
I'll have to try this. I'm sick of the bitter after sludge.
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