Two weeks ago I burned the last piece of wood in our basement woodroom and it was far too cold to go dig out the barn for more wood. How cold? It was freeze your snot and feel like you're on fire when really you're about two minutes away from hypothermia cold. {I actually resorted to burning a rocking chair - I felt like a desperate war refugee.} I plugged in space heaters, piled on more blankets and wore double socks.
A short balmy break in the weather {-7°} a couple of days later had us hauling a few cords from barn to woodroom so we could heat our basement when the winds turned bitter again. Which they did. The next day.
Obviously, it was the perfect time for our furnace to quit working.
And no matter how big I built up the fire, I could not heat the main level of our house.
It was 11° at night. {That's 51.8° for you Fahrenheit folks.} That's a flipping cold house!
I wore a scarf and a tuque and shut myself in my writing room with a heater and a blanket while I waited for the repair man...
...WHO DID NOT COME!
You know what did come? A storm. The repair man could not come because of the weather. Even afternoon buses were cancelled which I can never remember happening.
And so it was myself and the three children I rescued from being storm-stayed at school, cuddling up by the fire, keeping each other warm.
I wanted/needed a warm drink. I had already had about a gazillion cups of tea but the thought of making a whole pot of coffee seemed wasteful because I knew I would only drink one cup.
As I stood shivering in the kitchen, my tuque so low that my eyelashes hit it when I blinked, I saw my tea ball infuser sitting on the counter and I thought, why in the world couldn't you make a single cup of coffee with an infuser?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm so pleased to tell you that you can! You can make a cup of coffee with a tea ball infuser!
How To Make Coffee With A Tea Ball Infuser
1. Put water on to boil.2. Add desired amount of coffee grinds to tea ball. {This may be a process of trial and error. I used about a teaspoon and it seemed pretty well perfect for me but everyone likes their coffee a different degree of strength.}
3. Place tea ball in mug and pour boiled water over it.
4. Allow it to steep? brew? for a minute or two - again, depending on how strong you like it.
5. Remove tea ball.
6. Add cream and sugar if you desire.
7. Yum.
I used a fine grind and it worked quite well though the bottom of the mug did have a little sludgy residue. I would recommend a coarser grind if you're really keen on enjoying that cup to the last swallow.
All in all, I think I've made a fantastic discovery that, at the very least, will change camping coffee for me forever!
And in case you were worrying about me and my cold house - the repair man was able to come the next day and get things working for me. Life is looking up again.
And two weeks from now I'll be hundreds of miles south of here {where I trust it will be sunny and warm}, seeking out all kinds of fun stories to share with you!
Need a tea ball infuser of your own? Amazon is full of options:
*this post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on one them. See my disclaimer for more details.
Linking up here
Awesome discovery, and sound like it was just in the nick of time. It also sounds similar to the process of a french press. If you don't have one, I highly recommend one. All the same goodness, minus the coffee sludge at the bottom. I have one at home, but I am looking for a sturdier version to use for my next camping trip.
ReplyDeleteSide Note Confession: We just suffered 2 weeks of winter. We had ice and snow and freezing temperatures. I didn't think I was going to make it. We have another shot of ice coming tomorrow. I have been all doom and gloom and dread over the forecast. After reading your version of winter, I feel a tad bit guilty.
Ha! Don't feel guilty! I grew up here, I should be a little tougher when it comes to freezing temperatures but sadly I am not. Hope things warm up your way and mine!
ReplyDeleteI have heard that a french press is really the 'real way' to make a 'real' coffee - though I've never tried it myself.
Now I need a tea ball!
ReplyDelete