Coffee 4 Life

There’s been a lot of talk about coffee lately. It seemed millions of peoples’ dream came true when the NYT published an article a few weeks ago debunking every myth about the detriment of caffeine and its most common source: coffee (was that story funded by Starbucks, by the way?).

Certainly, this was good news for me, too. I love coffee. Over the years, I have tried and failed countless times to “get off the bean.” I’ve tried tea (Yerba Mate, Chai, Green Tea, the list goes on) decaf, and herbal coffee. Shoot, I even wrote a 2-part magazine article called “But I Can’t … Decaffeinate,” highlighting the dangerous cavalcade of activity (body and brain) set off by a single sip of the potent drug. Initially, my research scared me away from coffee, but I soon found myself back in coffee heaven.

Ultimately, I succumbed to the reality that coffee is good and I want to drink it. Forever. To me, there is nothing like a warm mug of steaming java in my hands. But just like with other daily activities and habits, I’ve learned that coffee-drinking can be done responsibly and I strive to do the best I can.

I’ve really been making an effort to bring homemade coffee to work in a steel mug (fits in the holder on my bike). By opting out of using paper cups and sleeves, I am substantially reducing my impact. (A funny anecdote: In Sevilla, Spain, where I lived for 6 months, there was only one cafe that offered coffee in to-go cups. It was fittingly called “American Coffee.”) By bypassing coffee shops on my way to work (many with lines literally out the door), I save substantially.

Think about it: A pound of coffee makes approximately 32 eight-ounce cups of coffee. A cup of tall coffee at Starbucks costs about $2. If you spend $10 for a pound of coffee and make it at home, you save $54 over buying 32 tall coffees at Starbucks!

There are several keys to making the “greatest greenest cup,” as Care2 Senior Editor Melissa Breyer recently expounded. Foremost, a french press. Did you know Americans spend $400 million annually on electricity for their coffeemakers? Yikes! To use a french press costs virtually nothing (you just need to boil water) and you don’t need to use coffee filters … which usually are bleached. Plus, in terms of taste, french-pressed coffee is really tasty. For directions on how to use a french press, click here. Also, click here for tips on what to do with your grounds when you’re done.

A Care2 reader commented that instead of a french press, she thinks a coffee toddy makes the greenest cup. I have never used a toddy but may perhaps look into it. http://www.toddyproducts.com/

Another key to making “your fix” responsible is using farmer and plant-friendly Fair Trade, organic, or shade grown–coffees. In addition to benefiting farmers, organic and fair-trade varieties, increasingly available in the mainstream marketplace, are healthier for our bodies, as they often are not grown with pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers.

If such coffees are not available near you, consider purchasing them online.

Do you have any coffee tips to share?

A berry bonanza

Hours after arriving home from a nearby “pick your own” farm, I type with hands dyed a deep rouge — evidence of the 3 pounds of deliciously ripe Blackberries I picked under the sunshine. Mmmmm. I also picked 5 juicy yellow peaches, and took home 2 gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and an ear of sweet corn (already picked). All for … drumroll … $11!

Affordable, fun, wholesome, and delicious — what more could one ask for, really?

Nine of us departed from Mt. Pleasant in two cars mid-day for a painless 23-mile jaunt to Homestead Farm, in Poolesville, MD. Though surrounded by McMansions, the confines of the farm were gorgeous, and the produce delicious. Each year, the farm opens in May with strawberries, goes strong through summer with berries and veggies, offers a wide variety of apples and other autumn produce (and pumpkins!) in fall, and closes with Christmas trees.

Unfortunately, the farm is not certified organic, though this fact certainly didn’t stop us from imbibing sickening quantities of unwashed berries. We also munched on fresh-picked peaches, which probably was not the smartest idea, considering peaches are #1 on the list of the “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies — those that contain the highest pesticide load Anyone have a recommendation for a nearby organic farm?

Even with the high price of gas, the experience was extremely affordable. Let’s face it: the berries alone would have cost at least $20 at Whole Foods or a farmers market. For less than $9, I have fresh blackberries for days, and a freezer bag full of frozen ones to use in smoothies for the next few weeks.

But best of all was the experience (and you can’t put a price tag on that). In a society greatly disconnected from its food, picking produce from the source is incredibly satisfying, and a wonderful outing to share with friends, family or a significant other. If you have a car, good company, and a pretty day, I highly recommend finding a place to pick some summer produce before this fruitful season wanes. A truly simple — and delicious — pleasure.

“By Golly, these are some darn good berries.” — Gwen

Zeke got a belly ache