The First Sip...

The hot aromatic liquid flows over your tongue and warms the back of your throat. The fragrant steam fills your nostrils with the smell of promise. There is nothing better than being the first person in the house out of bed, pouring a mug of bean juice and stepping out into the cool crisp morning air as you take the first sip of coffee.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a coffee snob. I don't go to Starbucks or any other designer java barista. I don't have to drink Kopi Luwac* or Jamaican Blue Mountain, and I rarely add cream, milk, sugar, flavorings or anything else to my daily drip.

I still drink black, home-brewed coffee. We buy good coffee beans that we grind at the store. We use a Cuisinart FlavorBrew 10-cup coffee maker with a stainless steel carafe. The carafe keeps the coffee hot without a burnt taste that can happen when a glass carafe sits on the heated base for more than 20 minutes. Only one pot per day since I don't drink it all day; just in the morning.

Nothing fancy, just a good cup of coffee. It's going to be a good day!

* I just love the scene in "The Bucket List" when Morgan Freeman explains to Jack Nicholson why Kopi Luwac is so expensive!