Snowy Days in Dallas

Today my office was closed. Again. I have worked 2 days this week, and another day I worked from home for a few hours testing some database reports for my Director. I feel slightly unproductive, but better to be home on days like this than navigating the roads. When I drove to work yesterday morning it was a nightmare - the freeway was a parking lot and my usual 'back roads' were covered in black ice - exacerbated by the horrible drivers I had to avoid. I feel like I just had a weekend (Tues and Wed) and now I have another 3-day weekend immediately after. It's nice, but I think by Sunday I'll be ready to be back in my routine again.

Kevin decided the cat should experience it, too - check out the video; this is from last night when we realized it had started to snow. ;)

Just a few photos of the snow this morning:

Carmen's thinking about going out but she's not quite sure. Yesterday's forced romp outside may have soured her opinion of snow altogether.

Our back gate drifted in snow. I love the little caps the fence posts are wearing.

Our 'lollipop' bush.

Our pretty tree in the backyard.

Still lots of icicles on the house. 

Street view ...

A fluffy little bird with poofed feathers keeping warm ... you can just make him out on the top of the fence.

Kevin thought the neighborhood cats needed a little shelter so he set up a box for them right by the house with lots of food ... we had to refill the bowl this morning since it was all eaten up overnight. We spotted lots of little paw prints in the yard from last night that were starting to fill up with snow again. ;)

Came back in the house and make some hot, frothy coffee in my French Press...

Then we watched disc two of the new anime series Kev got for us: 'Fushigi Yugi (the mysterious play)'. I'd definitely recommend it so far. As for the rest of our snow day, I think I'll do some yoga later, maybe make something cozy for dinner and watch some more 'The Office' ... I started watching Season One again as well as 'The Office' Series One - the UK version.

Hot off the [French] Presses!

So French Presses are on sale right now at World Market. I thought I would share the news for those of you who might be interested in acquiring one. They have a reasonably-priced selection ranging from $28-48. The discount is 25% off any French Press. All of them are Bodum brand, made of tempered glass and metal - very good quality. The sale is going on through Wednesday, October 6th.

If you are not a member of their rewards program yet, you will need to be in order utilize the discount. Go here if you aren't a member yet - it takes just a few minutes and you will be on their e-mailing list for all future specials and printable coupons.

Inspired by this morning's mediocre cup of coffee, I bring you ... 

Ode to the French Press

Now I haven't always used a French press. I actually had mine tucked away at the back of a cabinet for a while before I really started using it and realizing how much better the quality of drink is from a press than, say, a bag or a pot or something like that.

My French press, used here to brew some loose Earl Grey leaves.

A French press seems to excel at extracting every possible flavor ... nugget? ... from whatever it is you are brewing/steeping. Take for example a simple pot of coffee. I have a pretty nice coffee pot; it's from Gevalia and has a digital clock. I have used it for years and the coffee has been quite good. Then I used my French press. I have realized the 'good' coffee from my coffee pot is flat and flavorless - or at least flavor inferior. It has flavor; just bitter and bland flavor. Now my French press, on the other hand? It brews a very full-flavored pot of coffee with richness and volume. It tastes like a street cafe in Paris (because I've been there and I know! lol) or the best almost-as-strong-as-espresso coffee you've ever had. (NOTE: You can just make out the stainless steel electric kettle in the photo above which I should mention is the preferred-by-those-in-the-know method for boiling water)

The French press is really simple in design and use. Typically there's a tempered glass pot or beaker with a handle. Into the pot fits a combo lid/filter that is fixed with an extra fine mesh screen flattened between a couple metal plates (with holes, obviously) and then screwed onto the bottom of a large metal dowel of sorts which is the same length as your pot; onto the other end of this dowel is a little handle and the lid that covers your pot/beaker. Add your coffee grounds, add freshly boiled water, let steep and then slowly depress the mesh filter. A delicious pot of coffee is now at your disposal.

my Gevalia coffee maker.

I notice when I brew coffee in my press that I need fewer grounds and that the coffee is darker than a regular coffee pot (making the French press economical, too, by making more coffee from less grounds). It has this luscious almost-foam at the top that's brown and caffeinated ... and the swirl of the cream as I pour a cup? It's art, people. Nothing less than food-as-art.

Lest you think the French press is limited to coffee, let me tell you the tea it brews is equally delish! I have found that brewing a pot of loose leaf tea - just the same method as coffee - is so full of flavor and is the most respectful way to brew your loose leaves. Much better than a tea bag and even slightly better than a teapot with loose leaf tea poured over a strainer. Earl Grey is most definitely my favorite variety of tea. Loose leaf EG is in an entirely different class from the lowly EG tea bag. Poor bagged leaves, crushed to oblivion and almost completely lacking in Bergamot which makes EG what it is. It is MIA in the tea bag variety; loose leaf brings Bergamot front and center.  It's what makes EG so good, and part of what makes loose leaf so devine. It must be respected. And the French press is the perfect method to bring the Bergamot richness out, front and center. (did you know Bergamot is actually an orange?)

 

respect the tea leaf.

Some French presses are pretty pricey but I scored mine for somewhere around $20 and it has more than paid for itself and earned its place in my kitchen. Try TJ Maxx or Target, even eBay. Bodum brand offers lots of design options (mine is a Bodum) and is high quality but it seems other companies are offering them, too.

All this to say I will still drink a cup of coffee from a traditional brewer (for example, I still love a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks from time to time) and I will still use a tea bag (Celestial Seasonings, anyone?), but for the best flavor extraction and the best hot drink experience, I recommend the French press and I use mine whenever I possibly can.

Do you have a French press? Or just an opinion on the French press? Let me know, and thanks for reading!