They Love Me... They Love Me Not...

I just wanted to share a peek at my garden (if only...sigh)... In actuality, I've managed so far to kill a flat and a half of marigolds...singlehandedly.  I thought they were supposed to be hardy?  Those that survived are slowly withering in their respective pots, despite the fact that I have tenderly potted them in specially enriched soil... water them without fail... and even talk to them sweetly... (I can only imagine what my neighbors think as I stand outside alone diligently cooing at the ground.) 

One Lump... Or Two?

I take my coffee black... and I take the taste of my coffee seriously... so switching to decaf recently was a MAJOR eye opener...  it's a caffeine world baby... and decaf options are few and far between when compared with her big, bold caffeinated sister... even in this era of healthy... lowfat... organic... sugarfree... smoke-free... it's hard to be taken seriously in any self-respecting coffee house when you saunter up to the bar and ask the barista for a decaf... anything...

If you are, however, contemplating making the switch... here's a few tidbits I've picked up along the way... If you're not willing to brew your decaf on a per cup basis... invest in a carafe and pour it from the pot immediately after brewing... because for some unexplained reason decaf turns bitter oh... say... 3 minutes after the brew cycle ceases (and that may be padding the timeline)... Make the effort to hunt down some plain old good tasting brew for everyday... just cuz we're decaffers now doesn't mean we're reduced to drinking swill... Seattle's Best makes a decent tasting decaf... and for those special moments... the moments that commericals are made of... find some special decaf brews... I've stumbled across a few gems in this uncaffeinated world... my current favorite...

all in all, I'm pretty content with my decaffeinated decision at home... though finding the decaf love in the outside world is still a work in progress...