Part of a Complete Breakfast

When I woke up this (late) morning, I was looking at the world through blurry eyes. I don't have coffee every day, but some mornings I crave it. It's not that I love the taste of coffee, but I love the idea of it. Steamy and black, aromatic and nostalgic--when I think about a cup of coffee, I imagine all the generations before me of avid coffee drinkers. I think of myself as a little kid sitting around my grandparents breakfast table with Ritz crackers and cream cheese (my late grandfather, Sol's, favorite 10am snack), smelling the aroma and breathing in the magic of morning. Sometimes I imagine 50s housewives, like Lucy and Ethel, spending the morning gossiping and scheming.


Now, I won't deny that there's all sorts of evil out there in coffee industry, but that's not something I'm dwelling on this morning--or is it actually afternoon by now? A couple years ago, for Hanukkah, Doni and I gave my parents a new, fancy coffee maker as a gift. It's one of those cup-at-a-time wonders with fancy single servings of various flavors. My dad, Evan, loves playing with it and even began to create his own flavor: plain coffee with a light sprinkle of cinnamon and a scant dash of vanilla extract.


I've never tried his creation--mostly because he likes very weak coffee and I like it on the stronger side--but I woke up this morning nostalgic for the smell of roasting coffee and intrigued by his recipe. I'll be honest here--I assumed it would be terrible! I planned to call this post "Don't Try This at Home". But just as your parents prove to be right more often the older you get, my dad knows what he's doing. It's delicious! Who knew? I always need sugar/stevia in my coffee and this morning I have no desire to tinker with the taste. It's just great the way it is and wonderful combined with my breakfast of the day: toast with fat free cream cheese, a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar, and fresh blueberries. Try it out for yourself!