Coffee Dreaming

I've had coffee on the mind recently. Obviously it's my first thought in the morning and a source of inspiration for poetry written on napkins. But sometimes it's more than that -- it stirs the familiar and makes music sound better; it is the taste and smell that life is being lived here. And sometimes, it teaches us more than life, stirring a spirit-led life, drawing community and grinding out the fear. Coffee brews while we prepare our hearts, it wakes us up -- in more ways than one. And sometimes, coffee is just for tasting; it is about learning to taste the bitter with the sweet. 

We've been waking up with a sweet aroma around here and we attribute those mornings to Aaron's new obsession with the AeroPress. If you have not heard about this goodness, it's like a French Press on steroids -- and you need one. 

The AeroPress is amazing because a.) It makes really good coffee, b.) it provides even, full extraction of the coffee grounds, c.) it's more flavorful than your average coffee pot because of reasons mentioned above, d.) it's portable, e.) it's easy to clean and f.) It's fun! 

It's worth noting that people will sometimes measure out specific grams of coffee beans and the temperature of the water, but we're not that fancy because we don't have all the equipment. But I assure you, it makes a mighty good cup. 

How to Use This Coffee Goodness: 

1. Get the water boiling while you grind up the coffee beans.

2. Grind the coffee beans up to the two-point mark on the grinder in the Hario Mini Mill. 

3. Set up the AeroPress using the inverted method.

4. Pour your grounds in, y'all. 

5. Pour enough water, slowly, to get all the grounds wet and stir them up.

6. Continue pouring until almost full. Aaron typically stops along the one-point mark.

7. Give it another quick stir.

8. Let it sit for a little over a minute to let the grounds steep in the water.

9. Take in that beautiful light brown color that emerges. No really, take it in. This is A's favorite part. 

10. Put the paper filter in the filter cap, lock it into place and when the time is right, flip it and give it a nice firm, slow press into your mug of choice. 

For those who like an espresso strength, drink as is. For those who want a regular cup of joe, add water to your liking. And then take off your filter cap and plunge your used grounds into your compost. 

Don't compost? :) That's okay. You can start today. See! Look! Coffee! It's changing the world!