Today is a very sad day indeed. My love affair with coffee is over. Well, more accurately, it’s been forcefully ended for health reasons. My doctor won’t even let me drink decaf… Not that I can stomach the stuff, but at least it would have been something. And so alas, there will be no more cappuccinos, no more lattes, no more magical macchiatos. I must give up my caffeine paramour in favour of tea and other milky substitutes. I cannot espresso my sadness. It’s almost too mocha to handle. Okay, you get the picture.
I had my last cup yesterday *sob* It was nothing fancy – just good old Nescafe made the way I like to make it, in the microwave. Before you gasp, listen to the preparation and you’ll understand why… I use my favourite mug (it’s a giant one that my daughter gave me for Easter two years ago and it has flowers and butterflies and holds twice the volume of a normal-sized cup – what’s not to love?) and fill it with a 50/50 mix of cold water and full-cream milk (we don’t play in this house – it’s 100% cow juice, or nothing). Then I microwave it on high for one minute and 40 seconds. No more, no less. I have perfected this exposure time, so trust me. I add a teaspoon of Nescafe (it tends to float for a while on the thin skin of milk at the top, but don’t worry) and sugar to taste (the weight of the sugar pushes down the coffee granules – that’s why you don’t worry) and stir vigorously until everything is dissolved. What you should notice is a light foam forming at the top. Yep, that’s what you get from hot milky deliciousness and frenzied stirring. Then carry your little cup of heaven to a comfy spot and enjoy (by the time you’ve walked to the chair or couch or bed, your coffee will be just the right temperature to drink). Try it, and please let me know what you think!
As I sipped mine yesterday (sipped, not gulped as per usual, because it was an experience to be savoured), I started to think about how many of my memories are linked to coffee – and the romance, politics and friendship of it. I mean, nowadays there’s a Mugg & Bean everywhere you look and Starbucks is an iconic pit stop all over the world, but it wasn’t always like that. I remember the Koffeehuis and Ouma rusks of my youth… And how my brother and I would make (very sloppy) cups of liquid warmth for my parents on cold, wintery mornings… And how my mom would buy a small container of Nescafe for special occasions, and for guests, because it was expensive once upon a time and it wasn’t something for everyday consumption… And how, in high school, being invited over for coffee was a big deal… And how, at university, being asked out for coffee usually meant something else entirely.
I’ve always loved coffee. It has inspired poetry and I’ve also spent many afternoons watching TV with a cup in my hand, pondering the fate of Dawson and Joey (from Dawson’s Creek, back in the day, y’all) or wringing my hands over Meredith and Derek’s constant drama (Grey’s Anatomy), or drooling over the Byronic men of Pride And Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I don’t think it’ll be the same with Rooibos, Ceylon or Earl Grey, but I’ll try. After all, tea has been around for a very long time and its ability to calm, soothe and enlighten is well-known. Whether it will inspire the same passion in me remains to be seen.
Here are some of my favourite coffee quotes:
A morning without coffee is like sleep (author unknown)
Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation (author unknown)
I don’t have a problem with caffeine – I have a problem without caffeine! (author unknown)
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons (TS Eliot)
I don’t understand decaf, it’s like sex without the sex (AC Van Cherub)
Man does not live by coffee alone – have a Danish! (author unknown)
I particularly like that last one… You know, about the Danish? If I’m going to be stuck drinking tea from now on, I will make a habit of accompanying the drink with a biscuit or a piece of chocolate cake – or something! And then maybe it won’t be so bad. Maybe I’ll get the same feeling of satisfaction from tea as I did from coffee. And then it’ll be like déjà brew. Erm, I mean déjà vu.
The title of this post is borrowed from the lyrics of Chocolate Cake by Crowded House. Find the song on amazon.com
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I’m so sorry to hear that, Janine. I think I would die without my coffee! I have had an ulcer for years and never heard this advice, must be new. What about hot chocolate – that should be good!
Hi Dee… Thanks for the sympathy… Sjoe – you’ve also got one? Not sure if the medical advice about coffee is new or not but I must say that I’ve noticed a big change since I’ve eliminated my favourite drink from my life. It’s a bit of a Catch 22 really… I really miss all the cappuccinos and frothy treats but I am now very aware of the benefits of not indulging. Have stocked up my grocery cupboard with hot chocolate and Milo and Horlicks (so expensive!) and all blends of tea – Ceylon / Rooibos / Darjeeling / Earl Grey – so we will have to see how it goes. My doctor also wants me to make some minor dietary changes (apart from the obvious things like overly spicy foods and curry). Will keep you all posted on the progress. Hope your ulcer doesn’t give you too much trouble. Any tips to share?
I must say, since reading your post I have to agree about the coffee. I used to have on average about 3 cups a day, but lately because I’m staying in the care centre I have about 5 cups and have had a constant stomach pain for the last couple of weeks so will have to cut back. I adore Horlicks, but it is very pricey!
Are you on any meds? I take Lansoloc which does the ulcer and my hiatus hernia – but also expensive.
I’m on three different meds at the moment to try to knock out the H.pylori bug that caused it in the first place – two kinds of antibiotics and an anti-stomach-acid pill as part of a three-pronged approach. The doctor wants to see what this does after a month and go from there. Hopefully we’ve caught it in the early stages *ho hum*
Oh Janine, my heart just breaks for you, you have my deepest sympathy… no coffee
(Hope they’re not serious health concerns!)
Hi Cin… My heart is shattered *sob sob sob* Nothing too serious health wise… Was recently diagnosed with the beginnings of an ulcer and have to make some dietary adjustments to reduce the chance of a flare-up. Sigh. And sigh again. I cannot believe that coffee is the first thing to go. If the medics ever decide to add chocolate to the list of no-no treats then I’ll be finished for sure!
I hope you’re still allowed wine???
In moderation… I’m supposed to stick to the white stuff as well – but I cannot bear to part with my Diemersfontein and Beyerskloof pinotages *eish* What is a girl to do?!