Coffee Ice Cubes: Don't waste coffee and relax...

For TR who told me people would be interested in this

One of my students asked me recently, "What's a vice?" and I explained to him that a vice is something that is morally wrong, addictive, or corrupt that has a hold on you that you can't stop doing it, taking it, or drinking it. He then asked me, "Do you have a vice?" and I hesitated only a split second before replying, "Yes." He asked."What is it?" and I said, "Cussing." Yes folks I do love to cuss. I restrain myself, bite my tongue, sit on my words, twist my fingers, all to control the words that are not pleasing, not genteel and unladylike from coming out of my mouth. This is a vice I struggle to keep under control.

My other vice is coffee. I love it in all shapes and forms; I love to drink it in the morning when I first wake up and after the kids have gone to bed in the evening. Because I just adore it, I have to drink decaf as the amount of coffee I would like to drink in a day would probably wire me and not allow me to sleep. I also have to make it at home (although I do really love a coffeehouse coffee) because my habit would run me about $7.50 a day; add that up and it's $232 in a month. I have a thermal carafe pot and I'll prepare a large pot in the morning and I usually get a morning cup, a cup for someone who is visiting, and my evening dessert cup. But there are times when I don't find enough time to finish the carafe and I'm stuck with some coffee at the end of the day. I often just put it in a cup and refrigerate it so it's an "iced" coffee later, or my recent trend is simply taking the leftover coffee, pouring it into ice cube trays and freezing it for later use.

Today I took out some of the ice cubes, added some of a packet of Equal and poured low fat milk over the cubes and let it sit for a bit. Very quickly the coffee ice cubes melted, coloring the milk slowly and delicately with a caramel brown hue. The flavor? Ice cold coffee and milk - can't be beat. It was like drinking dessert.

I'm not going to write a recipe for this one; I will just simply to tell you, don't waste the coffee that is in your pot. Try not to use coffee that has been sitting in there all day on that low heat (that would taste horrible) but if you finish your morning cup and you have a bit leftover, turn it into ice cubes and some time soon, you too can have a delicious cold coffee treat. I find that if I indulge in my coffee vice, I have less desire to succumb to my other one. (the mouth is full and satisfied.)

Share this post