3.26.2011

Coffee For Less Flavor of the Month - Half-Caff


I'm currently in the middle of reading (and can't seem to put down) Ana Sortun's cookbook, Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean.  While flipping through it, I saw something that I thought would be a fun way to share this month's Coffee for Less Flavor of the Month, Half-Caff.  Usually I just groggily shuffle over to my kitchen when I wake up and in between yawns pick out a k-cup, toss it in my coffee maker, add water and press a button. Trusty coffee cup in hand, I start my day.  It's not long before my coffee disappears and I place my mug in the sink. Usually I think that this is the end of the road for me and my coffee cup but it seems I'm mistaken. Instead, what I should be doing is reading the silt on the bottom of my mug.

Say wha??

Exactly.  

Okay, well technically you should have Turkish coffee to this because its fine powdery texture produces a nice bit of silt at the bottom of a mug but humor me on this one.  Apparently, according to Turkish tradition, you can predict your future by drinking your coffee just until you reach that bit of dark silt at the bottom of the cup.  Once you've finished your coffee, you flip the cup over on to a plate, wait a minute or two and lift the mug to see what shape the silt made.  From there, you'll be able to predict your future based on whether it looks like the following:

Rectangle: You will receive some goods
Triangle: You will receive either a present or money
Circle: You will have good fortune
Cube: You will have a happy family
Bow: Some happy event is near
Star: You will take a short trip and make a good investment
Rising Sun: Your dreams will come true
American Football: You must sacrifice to win somebody's heart
Woman's Purse: (as opposed to a man's purse?) You will receive money in the near future
Palm Tree: You will meet new people
Key: You will move to a new home
Leaf: You will hear from an old friend or make a new one
Eye: Somebody is jealous of you
Butterfly: Be careful of a new friend
Ear: Be careful
A bunch of little dots: You are spending too much money


I love little traditions and superstitions especially when it comes to food. I just couldn't not share this!

Getting to this month's coffee flavor, I couldn't help but laugh when I opened the box.  A k-cup that is half regular and half decaf? For an always on the go person who relies strongly on that one (sometimes two) cups of coffee, I thought Coffee for Less was trying to tell me to slow down my intake and relax a bit.  I ended up semi-forgetting about it and brushing it off as something that I'd have no use for. "Half-Caff? Please, I in the mornings I need my caffeine on full force", I thought to myself. Then one afternoon I was so craving the comforts of a warm cup of coffee but didn't want to be up all night so I reached for the half and half instead.  It had just enough caffeine to give me some energy but not so much that I'd comprise my sleep. It was perfect. Guess the jokes on me.

Coffee for Less is an online coffee superstore that sells everything from k-cups to coffee makers at discounted prices. The Coffee For Less Flavor of the month post is sponsored by Coffee For Less, however the opinions and reviews are all my opinion.  

9 comments:

Delicious Dishings said...

I love half caff and usually we'll have it in the afternoon or evening when we know we're going out to dinner that night... just that little last pick-me-up. But like you, I need full-strength in the morning.

I bet my silt would show little dots. Ha.

Sounds like a cookbook I need to get.

The Small Boston Kitchen said...

Haha, I think mine would show that too! It's a really great book. I love the way she talks about food and explains ingredients. Recipes are really great too, it's a must have!

burgerboy said...

Nice book.

Alicia said...

My mom is a huge fan of the Half-Caf. I like it when I know I really don't need a third cup - or as an afternoon pick-me-up!

Beth said...

That is awesome! Never knew that before. Cool post. :)

Justin said...

Ha! My dad's side of the family is Greek, and whenever we get Greek coffee, we always try to read the fortune. But, none of us really know how, we just make it up. Thanks for the handy list! This is too funny.

EMT training said...

Half-Caff is the coffee flavour of the month. Coffee is my most favourite drink. I daily morning drinks coffee with my family and enjoy my day.

Tummy tuck said...

Caffeine half of Green Mountain is the perfect solution formula to start my day. I recently discovered that caffeine coffee do not agree with me, but decaffeinated coffee is not enough to cheer me up in the morning. Only the right half of the caffeine solution.

car hire alicante airport said...

Coffee is my one of the favourite drink. I love coffee. It is my daily morning drink. Coffee has also some health benefits. Coffee protects against diabetes.

What's Hot From The Small Boston Kitchen