Instant What?

John had a weird night last night that resulted in my not getting a lot of solid rest. (He has all but completely adjusted to the time change.) On mornings like this, I'm glad the FDA and the good doctors at the Mayo Clinic say it's okay for pregnant women to consume 200mg of caffeine.

I am a committed coffee drinker going back 20 years ago when I was eight and my sainted mother allowed me to drink decalf coffee with skim milk when I wanted something warm to drink in the wintertime rather than hot chocolate because it had too much sugar. I'm pretty particular about my coffee. I love my Starbucks and I think McDonalds makes the best cup of less expensive coffee. I like to grind my own beans and filter the water for the coffee pot. I had a little milk frother, that I unfortunately forgot to bring with me, so I could make my own lattes. I can drink truly good coffee black; "lesser" coffees require milk and sugar

But then last fall, our Danish landlady left a container of instant coffee in the apartment and in a moment of desperation, I made myself a cup and puckered my lips preparing for the first awful sip. I liked it. It was actually good enough to drink black! Who knew Nescafé Guld Rund Og Mild could be so delicious? Taster's Choice doesn't taste like this!

During our stay here, I am determined to learn to make espresso with moka pot and the illy coffee (I have a vague memory that Ros Crinean said that was the best Italian brand). But when my son is clapping his hands at my feet and saying "ba? ba?" (translation: up) first thing in the morning, it's a whole lot easier to pop a spoonful of instant in a cup and pour on the hot water than go through my coffee snob morning ritual.